That sudden fireworks display earned the city of Jingzhou a public reprimand on its regional public account for three full days.
Fireworks and explosives were banned within the city limits. Since the display had been arranged by the system, the local police searched for a long time but never found the person responsible. With no other option, they could only issue a criticism on the public account.
The incident was even discussed in Jiang Hezhou’s group chat with his close friends. Zhang Jiting said that the entire city of Jingzhou was guessing who the mysterious figure was that could set off over ten minutes of fireworks near the municipal bureau and still not get caught. When Jiang Hezhou saw the messages, he skimmed past them, gave a casual reply, then turned around and pulled Chu Luyu into his arms.
“Who did you hire to set off those fireworks? Was it arranged in advance?”
Chu Luyu curled up in his arms, a flicker of guilt flashing in her eyes. After holding it in for a long while, she managed to squeeze out two words: “Mm, booked in advance… through… a scalper.”
Jiang Hezhou frowned. “A scalper? What kind of scalper operates so cleanly? The police have been looking for him but haven’t found a single trace.”
“It’s the really, really expensive kind of scalper! Since they took that much money, of course they have to do a good job! And as for leaving no trace… that’s just their professional integrity! If they couldn’t even manage that, how could they call themselves a qualified scalper?”
Jiang Hezhou was a little thrown off by her logic. He looked down at her with a smile. “Really, really expensive? How expensive exactly?”
Chu Luyu did some quick math with her points and gave Jiang Hezhou a rough number: “That fireworks show cost me three hundred thousand!”
Jiang Hezhou paused for a moment, then picked up his phone. Two seconds later, Chu Luyu received a text notification showing that three million yuan had been deposited into her account.
She gave him a puzzled look. “What’s this? Are you saying you think I told you the price so you’d reimburse me?”
“No. This is spending money for my baby.” Jiang Hezhou kissed Chu Luyu, his gaze soft. “I’m happy that you prepared a surprise for me and spent money on me. I’m not going to settle accounts with you over what you spent. But the money I transferred to you is what I want to give you. I noticed you never touched the card I left with you before, so I figured maybe transferring money to you like this from time to time would be more convenient.”
But the truth was, when she was with him, she hardly ever needed to spend money. Everything—food, clothes, living expenses—was all within his control. Whenever she wanted to buy something, she barely had to lift a finger before he’d already taken care of the bill.
Thinking about that, Chu Luyu pouted and muttered softly: “I never need money anyway. You’ve already arranged everything—where would I even spend it?”
“Then keep that money to buy yourself gifts.” As he spoke, Jiang Hezhou took her small hand, brought her fingers to his lips, and gave them a light peck. “And also—keep it for the next time you want to surprise me.”
Next surprise, next time… Would there even be a next time between them?
Chu Luyu could feel that familiar melancholy welling up in her heart again. She quickly changed the subject: “Oh, by the way, my mom said to come back early on New Year’s Eve. We can stay the night there and ring in the new year with her and Chen Mian.”
“Alright. Whatever you say.”
On New Year’s Eve, Chu Luyu specifically set an alarm and got up at eight in the morning. Her phone was already flooded with New Year’s greetings from parents of students in her interest classes. Among them was a message from her teaching assistant, wishing her smooth sailing and great fortune in the new year. Still half-asleep, Chu Luyu typed a groggy reply and sent the assistant a two-thousand-yuan Spring Festival red packet.
Jiang Hezhou hadn’t expected the girl to set an alarm herself. He’d been awake for a while, but since she was sleeping so soundly, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her.
Now, Chu Luyu turned over in his arms, her soft little face nestled against him, and looked up at him with a hint of complaint. “I knew you wouldn’t wake me up even if you were already awake. Good thing I made my own preparations.”
Just woken up, her voice was still milky and tender. Jiang Hezhou’s heart melted at the sound. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.
“Couldn’t bear to. Wanted you to sleep a little longer. But since you set your own alarm and got up at this time, let’s get up now.”
They really did need to get moving. Chu Luyu had prepared quite a few New Year’s goods to take home, plus the new outfits she’d bought for both of them still needed to be tried on. It felt like there was a whole list of things to do this morning—no more lounging in bed.
Although Jingzhou had banned fireworks and firecrackers, that didn’t stop people from finding ways to create a festive atmosphere. After getting up, Chu Luyu could hear the sounds of electronic firecrackers going off all over the neighborhood—pop, pop, pop—and if she didn’t listen closely, she’d have thought real firecrackers were being set off outside.
She found it amusing and mentioned it to Jiang Hezhou. He thought she might want to set off firecrackers too, so after a moment’s thought, he said, “I own a horse ranch on the outskirts—it’s outside the city’s ban zone. After dinner tonight, we can go there, set off some fireworks and firecrackers, have some fun, then come back to stay up for the new year.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t want to set off firecrackers!” As she spoke, Chu Luyu suddenly remembered something from her real life and, without thinking, blurted it out: “A couple of years ago, I went out to set off firecrackers with my cousin. She was too scared to light them, so she made me do it. I was trembling so much when I lit the fuse that my legs went weak, and I just stood there watching the firecrackers explode right in front of me—pop, pop, pop… It was terrifying. I never want to go through that again in my life.”
“Cousin?” Jiang Hezhou caught onto the key point. “You’re still in touch with your father’s side of the family?”
Chu Luyu froze, a flash of panic in her eyes.
“That was years ago… I misspoke just now. It was just something from when I was little…”
Seeing that she didn’t want to elaborate, Jiang Hezhou assumed she didn’t want to talk about her father’s side, so he didn’t press further or grow too suspicious.
The two of them later got their things together, changed into their new outfits, and prepared to head out.
These outfits today had been personally picked out by Chu Luyu during one of their shopping trips.
She had picked out a red coat with a fur collar for herself. Once it was on, she didn’t even need a scarf—the fluffy collar wrapped around her chin, making her look cozy and warm. As for Jiang Hezhou, she’d chosen a long, reddish-orange coat for him, pairing it with a white turtleneck sweater underneath. The outfit made his tall, lean figure stand out even more, his posture impeccable.
Both of them were exceptionally good-looking, and with their outfits featuring brighter colors than usual, they drew plenty of glances from passersby as soon as they stepped out of the neighborhood.
Jiang Hezhou’s hand had healed quite a bit over the past few days. This time, instead of taking a cab, they loaded the New Year’s goods into the trunk. Once Chu Luyu got in the car, she called Chen Mian and told him to get ready and come downstairs to help carry things up.
Chen Mian’s casual, lazy voice came through the phone: “Do I get a New Year’s gift? If not, I’m not doing any heavy lifting.”
“Oh, since you’re so unwilling, I guess I’ll just sell that iPhone 17 Pro Max I bought, and that ‘seaview room’ gaming setup that can run all the big titles. Doesn’t seem like you really want it either.”
The moment Chen Mian heard that, his voice shot through the receiver: “Sis! My dear sister! My one and only! I’m putting on my puffer jacket, hat, and scarf right now, and I’ll be waiting downstairs to welcome you and my brother-in-law! Your loyal servant will absolutely satisfy you today! I’ll be waiting! Love you guys!”
Jiang Hezhou was driving from the driver’s seat and couldn’t help but smile at the siblings’ banter.
By the time they arrived at the new place, Chen Mian was indeed already waiting downstairs—eager as could be.
He wasn’t bundled up too heavily either, just wearing a long puffer jacket over whatever he had on. Below it, his pajama pants were still visible.
Chu Luyu was annoyed and scolded him: “Aren’t you cold? You couldn’t even be bothered to put on proper pants before coming down!”
“Hehe, I run hot—not cold at all!” Chen Mian didn’t get upset at his sister’s scolding. Grinning, he peered at the trunk. “Where’s the stuff? Let me carry it up for you!”
Chu Luyu knew exactly what he was so eager about. She shot him a glare, then wasted no time in having Jiang Hezhou pop the trunk.
They’d brought back a lot of New Year’s gifts this time—clothes, skincare products, jewelry, and brand-new electronics for Chu Fanyin. For Chen Mian, aside from the two things she’d already mentioned, she’d also prepared several pairs of trendy sneakers and some streetwear brands popular with the younger crowd.
The three of them headed upstairs laden with bags. When Chu Fanyin opened the door to welcome them, she saw how much they’d brought and kept saying they were wasting money, insisting that the family had everything they needed.
Chu Luyu just giggled and gave Jiang Hezhou a little nudge, signaling him to respond. Jiang Hezhou set the things down on the coffee table and gave a faint smile. “Auntie, it’s New Year. These are just tokens of our respect as the younger generation—it’s not a waste.”
With her daughter’s fiancé saying that, how could Chu Fanyin keep nagging? She gave Chu Luyu a small glare but said nothing more.
Even though there weren’t many people at the new home today, the New Year atmosphere was still incredibly strong.
The house was decked out with festive red decorations everywhere, paper-cuttings on all the large windows, and Spring Festival couplets on the front door and each interior door.
Jiang Hezhou quietly looked around a couple of times, then asked Chu Luyu: “The couplets look like they’re handwritten—did Auntie write them?”
“I’m not sure, but my mom does like to practice calligraphy regularly.”
“Then they’re probably hers.” Jiang Hezhou studied the couplets for a moment and didn’t hold back his praise. “The brushwork is powerful, the strokes steady—you can tell she has deep skill.”
Chu Luyu smiled and leaned in to whisper, “I’ll tell her you said that later—she’ll be so happy.” Jiang Hezhou smiled back. “Then you should say a few more nice things for me, so I can rack up some brownie points with my future mother-in-law.”
The first New Year’s Eve dinner in the north usually began in the afternoon. Before the meal, the four of them raised their glasses and exchanged good wishes. As the elder, Chu Fanyin was beaming after receiving New Year’s greetings from the three younger ones, handing each a thick, hearty red envelope.
Jiang Hezhou hadn’t received a physical red envelope like this in years. In the old manor, when elders gave out New Year’s blessings, they usually came in the form of subsidiary shares or commercial properties in prime locations.
Now, holding the envelope in his hand—weighty and substantial—he couldn’t quite articulate what he felt. He just thought that if every year from now on could be like this one, that would be wonderful too.
After the meal, Chu Luyu dragged Chu Fanyin into her room to go through the gifts she’d bought. Jiang Hezhou, meanwhile, stayed in the living room to play games with Chen Mian.
The master bedroom door was shut tight, and no sound of conversation between mother and daughter leaked out. Likewise, the noises from outside probably couldn’t be heard in there either.
While maneuvering his in-game hero, Jiang Hezhou glanced up toward the closed door. After a moment, he asked in a casual tone: “Do you know why your sister suddenly broke up with me before? Was it because of your parents’ divorce—she was worried about our engagement, so she took the initiative to end things?”
Chen Mian was sneaking into enemy territory to steal jungle camps when two opponents jumped him. While fleeing for his life, he distractedly replied: “I don’t really know either. Probably, but also probably not.”
His answer made Jiang Hezhou pause. “What do you mean?”
Chen Mian’s screen had gone gray—he was dead. He temporarily shifted his attention away from his phone and scratched his head in response to Jiang Hezhou’s question. “I remember my mom mentioning it. Back when she was still hesitating about whether to go through with the divorce, my sister said not to worry about her side—it seemed like she’d already made up her mind to break up with you, and she even had a specific date in mind.”
“A specific date?”
“Yeah. Like she knew exactly which day she was going to break up with you. But I figured later that she probably just picked a date in advance and planned to bring it up that day. I mean, who can actually predict exactly when they’ll split with their partner? It’s not like it’s scripted in a story!”
Jiang Hezhou seemed lost in thought. His dark eyes lowered, and he said nothing more.
After the Spring Festival Gala began, Chu Luyu and Chu Fanyin finally emerged from the room again.
The Spring Festival Gala in this short-drama world was pretty similar to the one in the real world. This year marked the start of the tech era, so many performances featured robots. Paired with the comments pouring in on VB, the whole thing had a weirdly comedic vibe.
Around ten o’clock, Chu Fanyin started getting ready to cook the dumplings. In the north, New Year’s Eve dumplings are eaten from the evening all the way into the first day of the new year, symbolizing a complete cycle and the hope of having enough to eat every year. Naturally, Jiang Hezhou offered to help in the kitchen, leaving Chu Luyu and Chen Mian alone in the living room again.
Watching Jiang Hezhou leave, Chen Mian leaned over and whispered to his sister: “Brother-in-law just asked me why you broke up with him back then. You two have been back together for a while now, and he’s still hung up on that. Guess you suddenly running off really left a scar on him.”
Chu Luyu was a little surprised.
Over the past few days, she and Jiang Hezhou had gone right back to the stage when their relationship was at its best. She’d thought he had gradually moved past the breakup, but it turned out he’d never stopped dwelling on it.
She was about to reply when Jiang Hezhou’s phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.
The sharp ringtone mixed with the sound of a sketch from the Spring Festival Gala on TV. Chu Luyu picked up the phone and glanced at it—an unfamiliar number. She raised her voice and called toward the kitchen: “Jiang Hezhou, your phone’s ringing!”
“Answer it for me.”
Without thinking too much, Chu Luyu pressed the answer button. Before she could say anything, a tearful female voice came through: “Jiang Hezhou, help me—sob—please help me…”
Chu Luyu had put it on speaker, and Chen Mian, who was sitting nearby, blurted out in shock: “Holy crap, a woman!”
He instinctively looked toward the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, Jiang Hezhou set down what he was holding and walked out with a frown.
Chu Luyu recognized the voice as the female lead’s. Her mind raced as she quickly communicated with the system: [Cuihua, that’s the female lead on the phone—it sounds like she’s in danger! Can you see what’s happening to her?]
After a few seconds, the system replied, its tone also a bit urgent: [It seems like the female lead is being mistreated by her family. She’s locked up in some rundown shed right now. I haven’t been able to figure out the full details yet.]
By now, Jiang Hezhou had reached her. He glanced at the phone screen, picked it up, and asked flatly: “Who is this?”
Hearing his voice, the person on the other end quickly spoke again: “It’s me, Meng Wantian! The one who stopped your car outside the supermarket before…”
Jiang Hezhou’s brows furrowed even tighter. Without a second thought, he moved to hang up. Chu Luyu noticed and quickly stopped him.
“Don’t hang up yet! She called because she’s in some kind of danger and needs your help!”
It was rare for Jiang Hezhou to show impatience in front of Chu Luyu, but this time he clearly was annoyed. “Calling me is essentially no different from calling 110. Even if she comes to me, all I can do is report it to the police.”
Chu Luyu didn’t know how to respond. She actually felt guilty toward the female lead. At this stage, the female lead and male lead should have met, but because things had gone off track with her and Jiang Hezhou, it seemed to have affected the female lead’s storyline too.
So now, hearing that the female lead was in danger, Chu Luyu was deeply worried and desperately wanted to help.
Jiang Hezhou knew his girl too well. Just by looking at her expression, he could read exactly what she was thinking.
He suppressed all the impatience inside him, looked deeply at Chu Luyu, and after a moment, spoke again to the person on the phone: “Tell me your address. I’ll notify the bureau first and have them send nearby colleagues to help. Then we’ll come over as well.”
Meng Wantian quickly gave an address. After hanging up, Jiang Hezhou calmly pulled up another number, made a call, and after a brief exchange, said to Chu Luyu: “It should be fine. She’s in a village on the outskirts of Jingzhou. The local officers are already on their way—she’s probably not in serious danger.”
Then, looking at the girl, he asked: “Why are you so worried about her? You’re not close to her—in fact, you’ve barely crossed paths.”
A hint of guilt flickered in Chu Luyu’s heart. “We’re really not close, but I’ve seen her a couple of times. We’re both girls—of course I’d be worried when she calls for help!”
At that moment, Chen Mian interjected with a cheeky remark: “But she called brother-in-law’s number. On New Year’s Eve. A woman asking for help from a man who’s already engaged… I’m not trying to stir anything up, but that’s definitely pretty weird.”
Chu Luyu didn’t want to deal with him. She just hooked her arm around Jiang Hezhou’s and said, “Anyway, let’s go over there. Once we’re sure she’s really okay, we can come back and eat the dumplings!”
Jiang Hezhou’s expression remained neutral, his deep eyes behind his glasses fixed on her.
“It’s a three-hour round trip to where she is. We won’t make it back in time for the dumplings.”
The implication in his words was clear enough—even Chen Mian could tell Jiang Hezhou didn’t want to go. But Chu Luyu insisted anyway.
“That’s fine. We’ll ask Mom to set two portions aside for us. We can eat them when we get back.”
Since she’d pushed it that far, Jiang Hezhou didn’t say anything more. After letting Chu Fanyin in the kitchen know, he led Chu Luyu out the door with a cold expression.
Chu Fanyin came out of the kitchen completely confused and asked Chen Mian what was going on.
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