Quite awkward

Chapter 149 New Year’s Eve

"Ayu, my dad wants to invite you to the Mu family for New Year's Eve. I'm going to pick you up now, okay?"

The rolling pin in Qi Yu's hand fell onto the table. She stopped and was surprised for a long time, thinking she had misheard.

"What?"

"This is what my dad wanted. He knows you'll be spending the New Year's Eve alone in Linjiang this year, so he wanted to invite you to have New Year's Eve dinner with us. My mom knows about it too."

Regarding Mu Luowen's invitation to Qi Yu to celebrate the New Year at the Mu family, Shen Shuang did not show any obvious displeasure, but chose to respect her husband's decision.

Although she would rather the family of four celebrate the New Year together, Qi Yu did not seem particularly redundant on New Year's Eve in previous years.

It has been a year and a half since the incident at the wedding, and Mu Yanqing's marriage has long ended. She plans to let go of the past grudges and accept the girl again.

As she gets older, she now hopes more for peace and harmony in her family, rather than constant disputes.

Qi Yuyuan wanted to refuse, but when she heard that this was Mu Luowen's intention, she hesitated again.

During the years she was in the Mu family, Uncle Mu gave her a lot of care. He would ask about her studies and life from time to time, and instructed the servants in the house to take good care of her.

If she didn't go to the Mu family tonight, it would only make her look rude.

After much hesitation, she gave her elder brother an answer.

"Brother, come here. I'll be downstairs in a moment."

……

Qi Yuyu hurriedly wrapped the remaining dumplings and put them in the freezer. Then she quickly cleaned up the kitchen, ran back to her room to change clothes, put on some light makeup, picked up her bag and went out.

After Mu Yanqing met Qi Yu, he knew that she had some concerns, so he comforted her with a gentle voice.

"Ayu, don't be nervous. You know my family. It's just a simple meal. If you don't want to stay overnight at the old house, I can take you home early."

"No need to stay overnight. I'll be back in a while after dinner."

Qi Yu knew that she was always an outsider and she didn't want to disturb the happy reunion atmosphere of their family.

……

Arrived at the Mu family's old house.

The plum blossoms in the yard were in full bloom, with white and pink interlaced with rose red. Qi Yu stood under the tree and looked up at the flowers. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

This plum tree was planted in the first year she came to the Mu family. At that time, she didn't say much, but just curiously asked her eldest brother if there were any trees that could bloom in winter. Her eldest brother replied that there were.

A few days later, a plum tree that was more than ten years old was transplanted to a corner of the Mu family's yard.

Her eldest brother said that it might not bloom until the Chinese New Year. At that time, she didn't know that the Chinese New Year meant reunion with family, so she hoped that the Chinese New Year could come earlier that year.

Qi Yu hadn't been to the Mu family for more than two years. At this moment, she stood in the familiar courtyard, a feeling of emotion welling up in her heart, and many past events emerged like a tide. The years passed quickly, and only people grew up and grew old.

She seemed to be able to see a little girl with two pigtails many years ago, standing in the yard, carefully observing everything unfamiliar in front of her.

After Mu Yanqing parked the car steadily, he walked towards Qi Yu.

He noticed that she was a little reserved, so he decided to accompany her into the house.

"Dad, Ayu is here."

On the sofa in the living room, two men were chatting casually, one sitting upright, while the other was quite relaxed, his posture couldn't be more casual.

On the coffee table, two teacups were emitting wisps of hot steam, adding a touch of warmth.

Mu Luowen looked up and smiled at Qi Yu friendly.

"Qi Yu, welcome back."

Qi Yu quickly bowed and greeted him.

"Uncle Mu, long time no see."

Mu Luowen responded, and then asked her to sit down and rest.

Qi Yu glanced quietly across and saw Mu Chenan looking at his phone leisurely. She struggled for a while, but ultimately did not take the initiative to greet him.

The servant brought the freshly brewed tea. She held the cup to warm her hands and heard Mu Luowen ask again.

"Qi Yu, I heard from Yan Qing that you are an actor now?"

"Yes, I signed with an entertainment company and have filmed a few dramas. My current job is relatively stable."

"That's great. I'm not in China very often. If you have any difficulties, you can tell these two brothers directly and they will help you solve them."

Qi Yu responded politely, "I know, thank you, Uncle Mu."

After a moment, Mu Chenan stood up and left the living room without saying a word.

The other three drank tea and chatted happily.

The servants in the kitchen are busy preparing the Mu family's New Year's Eve dinner. After completing this task, they will be able to take the generous red envelopes given by the host family and go home to celebrate the New Year.

Shen Shuang didn't stay in the country for long. She met some old female friends in the afternoon and didn't return home until the New Year's Eve dinner was served.

When she saw Qi Yu, her attitude wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm at all either.

"Aunt Shen, long time no see."

"Hello."

After Shen Shuang greeted Qi Yu, she looked at her husband and son and asked, "Where is Chen An?"

Mu Chenan stood at the stairs and responded from a distance: "Mom, I'm here. It's getting dark. It's time for dinner."

The New Year’s Eve dinner table is full of delicious dishes that are both visually appealing and fragrant.

The Mu family has a private room designed specifically for dinner parties, which is equipped with a revolving dining table made of gray marble.

The five people sat down casually, and Qi Yu followed Mu Yanqing and sat next to him.

Mu Chenan was the last one to enter the private room. He rolled up his sleeves as he walked, revealing his cold white wrist bones. He picked a seat at random, which happened to be only one empty seat away from Qi Yu.

Mu Luowen announced that the meal was ready, and the younger generations started to eat.

The Mu family members naturally started chatting at the same table. Qi Yu could not join in their conversation and she just ate in silence.

Mu Yanqing, who was sitting next to Qi Yu, always paid close attention to her, stopping the turntable on the dining table from time to time to let her pick up the dishes in front of her to taste, and gently asked her how they tasted.

Qi Yu thought every dish was delicious. If she hadn't come here today, her New Year's Eve dinner would have been just a simple bowl of dumplings.

On the other side, Mu Chenan was eating while listening to Shen Shuang's words, but his eyes unconsciously turned to the two people beside him.

From his perspective, Qi Yu and his elder brother seemed to be talking about something that no one else could hear. The two of them were whispering to each other, and even with the elders present, they didn't know how to keep a distance.

Mu Luowen and Shen Shuang have always been targeting Mu Chenan, persuading him not to act on his own and to try to develop a relationship with Duan Xining. Maybe he will like the other person's strengths.

This time, Mu Chenan refused very bluntly, saying frankly, "I don't like women like Duan Xining at all. I can't do anything about it even if you force me."

Shen Shuang asked, "What kind of girl do you like? I want to see if there are any girls of your type in the circle."

"Mom, can you please let me have a good New Year's Eve dinner?"

Mu Luowen didn't want to push his son too hard, so he smiled and explained to his wife, "Your mother wants to have one more person to eat at home on New Year's Eve next year."

Upon hearing this, Mu Chenan curled his lips in disdain.

Isn't there one more person this year?

In the past years, Qi Yu would not eat New Year's Eve dinner with the Mu family. She was a person who needed to be hidden, so every Spring Festival, facing the endless stream of guests at the Mu family, she would always take the initiative to avoid them to prevent others from becoming curious about her identity.

Qi Yu's fingers gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly, and she was gradually attracted by the conversation beside her. She heard some of the content, glanced sideways at Mu Chenan, and then lowered her head to continue eating.

It turns out that he is not interested in Duan Xining.

It turned out that he was forced by his parents.

It turns out he doesn't like blind dates.

……

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Mu Yanqing took Qi Yu to the yard to play with fireworks. The two elders in the family played the background music of the Spring Festival Gala in the living room, and Mu Chenan was nowhere to be found.

Fireworks are fleeting and brilliant

Qi Yu looked up and admired the beautiful scenery that lingered in the sky.

After setting off the fireworks, the two of them turned on the faucet in a corner of the yard to wash their hands. Mu Yanqing casually shook off the water on his hands, took back the mobile phone that was placed on the flower bed, and then found that he had dozens of missed calls, all from the same person.

The noise from the fireworks was so loud that he didn't pay attention or think much about it and just called back.

After chatting for a few sentences, his expression gradually became serious, and he became a little worried. He patiently comforted the person on the other end of the phone not to worry, and that he would take care of everything.

After hanging up the phone, Mu Yanqing turned to Qi Yu and said, "Nianhan's father had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage tonight. Nianhan is not in the country at the moment. I have to go see my elders now. Ah Yu, I can't take care of you tonight. The driver at home is also on vacation. Why don't you stay here tonight?"

After Qi Yu understood the emergency situation, he quickly nodded and agreed: "Brother, I won't go back today. You should go see Sister Nianhan's father."

Mu Yanqing was a little relieved by her sensible attitude. He touched her head and quickly explained to her, "There's a split-level between the second and third floors. There's a guest room there. You can go in and rest without asking. I've already had it cleaned up. It has everything you need."

Qi Yu nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

"I understand. Go ahead and don't worry about me."

There is nothing more important now than taking care of Xu Nianhan's father.

Xu Nianhan is an only child and is now alone in the United States. When a relative suddenly falls seriously ill, she can only seek help from her ex-husband and believes in his character and ability to do things.

Mu Yanqing drove away directly.

Qi Yu returned to the living room and explained the situation to Mu Luowen and Shen Shuang on behalf of his elder brother.

"Sister Nianhan's father suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage tonight, and my eldest brother has already gone to the hospital."

The couple looked at each other tacitly, and showed shocked expressions at the same time.

"Nianhan's father is probably 65 years old." Shen Shuang said slowly.

Mu Luowen replied: "Almost. He is older than both of us."

"Nianhan is in the United States again. As Yanqing's former son-in-law, he should go and see her."

……

Qi Yu sat aside without interrupting, staring intently at the song and dance show on TV.

After more than an hour, she couldn't sit still any longer, so she stood up and respectfully said good night to the two elders.

"Uncle, aunt, my eldest brother asked me to stay here for one night, so I'm going to rest first. I want to say Happy New Year to you an hour in advance."

Shen Shuang nodded in agreement and said casually, "The servants are on vacation now. It's not your first time here anyway, so go by yourself."

To be honest, Qi Yu was also very unsure. She had only stayed in the living room and dining room of the main building for a short time and had never had the chance to go upstairs before.

The layout of the main building was very complicated, and there was more than one stairwell, so she didn't know exactly where the split level between the second and third floors was, and could only look for it on her own.

Ayu walked in the corridor on the second floor. There was a row of dim yellow lights above her head. As her footsteps became louder, the lights became brighter.

She went up the stairs on the east side and walked to the stairs on the west side. She looked up and down and did not find a staircase here, but there was a pine carved door two meters away from the stairs.

She wondered if the guest room was right before her.

The corridor was silent, no sound could be heard, even the sound of the TV downstairs was almost inaudible.

She stood in front of the door, hesitated for a while, then pulled the doorknob, pushed the door open, and leaned half of her body in.

The room was pitch black, so she could only walk in and feel the walls.

After a few seconds, her finger finally touched the switch. She pressed it decisively, and a dim yellow wall lamp lit up.

The light fell lightly on the man's tall back. He leaned lazily against the sliding door of the balcony, his head slightly lowered, and a flick of his finger brought out a hint of scarlet.

A chilly breeze blew in from outside and was neutralized by the heating in the room.

Qi Yu immediately realized that he had walked into the wrong room. He struggled a little in his heart for a while and was about to ask the man for help.

The man turned around slowly, pinched the burning cigarette butt with his fingertips, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, like a sarcastic sneer.

He was the first to speak: "Brother's room is across the street, you went the wrong way."

Qi Yu was stunned, feeling puzzled and bewildered at first.

She didn't mean to go to her eldest brother's room. What did Mu Chenan mean by this?

"I might be lost. My brother just went out and told me to sleep in the guest room tonight, but I haven't found him yet."

Having said that, Mu Chenan should have kindly shown her the way, but he said nothing. His expression was defiant and deep, as he played with the metal lighter in his hand. The crisp sound of the lighter collided and was amplified in the quiet space.

Not long ago, he was lying on the handrail of the balcony of his room, looking up at the fireworks casually, then looking down at the stairs, and happened to see his elder brother holding Qi Yu's slender white wrist from behind, teaching her how to shake the fireworks in her hand. The posture was very much like a hug.

The two of them were having a lot of fun, and there were countless occasional intimate actions. Although he looked away, he could still hear the sound of their playfulness.

He was alone, lighting a cigarette dejectedly in the night breeze, forcing himself to wake up to the cruel reality before him.

At this moment, Qi Yu, who received no response, turned around unhappily and planned to continue looking for a room by herself, but a distinct sound of footsteps broke the silence. The sound of slippers gently touching the ground was more like a woman's.

On New Year's Eve, the other woman in this house must be Shen Shuang.

The pine door was only ajar. It only took her a dozen seconds to walk to the door and she could clearly see Qi Yu standing in Mu Chenan's room.