Someone knocked on the door...
Lin Zhihua froze for a moment. Who could it be?
Very few people knew he had moved to this neighborhood, and the knocking... sounded a lot like Jiao Jiao.
But wasn't Jiao Jiao supposed to be out with Cheng Shuo and the others?
Puzzled, Lin Zhihua stood up. When he saw the girl standing at the door through the screen, his eyes lit up.
He quickly opened the door, smiling as he pulled her inside, cupping her cheeks that had been exposed to the cold air. His voice was warm with amusement: "Where's your key?"
He had given Xue Jiao a key to this place so she could come over anytime.
"Forgot to bring it when I left," Xue Jiao explained.
Her gaze lingered on Lin Zhihua. For some reason, she felt the atmosphere around him seemed a bit heavy.
"Weren't you supposed to be out with your family?" Lin Zhihua asked, confused. He'd exchanged messages with Xue Jiao in the morning when she was about to leave.
He'd even prepared himself for the possibility of not seeing Xue Jiao today...
Xue Jiao grinned, reaching out to take Lin Zhihua's hand. "Dad asked me to bring you along. We're all going shopping for New Year's goods together."
Lin Zhihua froze. Together... shopping for New Year's goods?
The words seemed to echo in his mind several times before he finally nodded stiffly.
The corners of Xue Jiao's lips curled up slightly. She could feel the heavy atmosphere around the man beside her lifting, the chill gradually warming.
"Okay..."
Lin Zhihua agreed, grabbing his phone and keys before letting Xue Jiao lead him out.
Her steps were quick as she pulled him along ahead, while his gaze remained fixed on their tightly clasped hands. His usually stern expression gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably.
By the time Lin Zhihua drove to the gate, another familiar car was already parked by the roadside.
Cheng Shuo rolled down the window, his voice cool. "Took you long enough?"
Before Lin Zhihua could respond, Xue Jiao leaned out and waved. "Not at all! We were quick. Dad, you lead the way!"
Cheng Shuo couldn't maintain his stern expression with Xue Jiao and shook his head with a smile before starting the car.
Lin Zhihua followed behind.
They were heading to the largest shopping district in the area, which meant the roads were already congested. They parked early and walked the rest of the way as a group of five.
The winter air was bitingly cold. The moment they stepped out of the car, Lin Zhihua turned to wrap a thick scarf around Xue Jiao before taking her gloved hand in his.
Cheng Shuo did much the same. Li Sitong cared more about her appearance than Xue Jiao and wasn't dressed as warmly, so Cheng Shuo tightly enveloped her hands in his.
Only Cheng Mingze rubbed his own cold hands together before stuffing them into his pockets, walking between the two couples.
Li Sitong couldn't resist teasing, "Mingze, once things settle down, you should really find a girlfriend. Look, even your little sister is ahead of you now."
Cheng Mingze pulled his collar up to cover half his face, his handsome features twisting into a helpless expression.
Since when did being single make someone so unpopular?
The five of them were all exceptionally good-looking. Leaving aside Xue Jiao and Lin Zhihua, whose looks were practically photogenic, Cheng Mingze was the male lead of this world—his appearance was naturally flawless.
The parents who raised these two couldn't be far behind either. Cheng Shuo was an elegant, handsome middle-aged man, while Li Sitong, having spent these years focused on maintaining her looks, still carried herself with grace and beauty despite no longer being a young girl.
Once inside the supermarket, Li Sitong and Lin Zhihua discussed what ingredients to buy...
"They all said they want hot pot for New Year's Eve. Zhihua, do you eat hot pot?""Eat." Lin Zhihua nodded. "Just let me know what vegetables you'd like. A friend of mine owns an organic farm specializing in clean, eco-friendly produce."
"Really?!" Li Sitong's voice was full of delight. "Wouldn't that trouble your friend too much?"
Lin Zhihua shook his head with a smile. "Not at all. I'll give you a contact number later—just call to specify what and how much you need. It's best to call a day in advance since the farm is quite far, so they can prepare the freshest delivery for the next morning."
The farm did belong to a friend, but the owner wasn't particularly attached to it, so Lin Zhihua had negotiated to purchase it. The paperwork was still being processed, so it wasn't officially his yet, but it soon would be. Once that happened, supplying fresh produce for both households would be very convenient.
Since he wanted to nourish Xue Jiao's health, he couldn't compromise on ingredients. Once the farm was officially his, he planned to grow all of Xue Jiao's favorite vegetables there.
"Do they also raise poultry?" Li Sitong couldn't help but ask, her interest piqued. Though she didn't cook much, she was well aware of the current state of market produce.
Lin Zhihua nodded. "They have everything—chickens, ducks, fish, cows, and sheep. Though beef might take a little longer."
"That's no problem!" Li Sitong beamed.
Lin Zhihua continued, "I'll stew a black-bone chicken tomorrow morning and bring it over in the evening?"
"Sounds wonderful!"
Xue Jiao turned her head, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh as she watched Lin Zhihua, who seemed like a dedicated "househusband."
The moment she giggled, Lin Zhihua glanced at her, his expression a mix of helplessness and adoration.
Cheng Shuo, walking on the other side of Li Sitong, waited until they finished discussing groceries before speaking up. "Now that the food is settled, let's go pick out couplets and lanterns."
The Cheng family had always upheld traditions. Though Cheng Shuo's parenting philosophy was liberal, he personally believed there was no need to forsake ancestral customs in pursuit of modernity. Over the years, their New Year celebrations had been traditional yet joyful.
Since couplets didn't require much deliberation, Cheng Shuo and Cheng Mingze quickly picked their favorites—most of them centered around family harmony, reflecting Cheng Shuo's emphasis on familial bonds.
Lin Zhihua had nothing to contribute to this discussion. He had never bought or hung couplets before.
Xue Jiao tugged at his hand. When he turned, she blinked up at him and said, "Zhihua, let's pick one for your place too."
Lin Zhihua froze for a moment before instinctively replying, "That's not necessary."
Cheng Shuo, who had been examining couplets ahead, turned with a frown. "Why not? An empty house is no way to celebrate!"
Lin Zhihua: "..."
The corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Alright, let's get one."
"Handsome, newlyweds might like this one!" a salesgirl nearby chimed in. The store was bustling with New Year shoppers, but this group's striking looks had caught her attention, prompting her to make a recommendation.
Xue Jiao flushed and stammered, "We're not married yet... Let's get this one!" She picked up a couplet that read, "May All Your Wishes Come True."
Lin Zhihua leaned in and whispered, "What a shame. I wanted the newlywed one..."
Xue Jiao glared at him and pinched his waist hard.
In the end, they settled on the "May All Your Wishes Come True" couplet and huddled together to debate which lantern to choose.
"I think this one's nice! It suits you."
"But that one's good too. I really like it."
"No, that one's too small—it'd look tiny when hung up."The two engaged in a meaningless debate when Lin Zhihua turned his head to look at the girl beside him, her small face buried in her coat as she tilted her head, still observing which lantern looked better.
For some reason, Lin Zhihua couldn’t help but feel his eyes grow slightly moist, yet the corners of his lips lifted uncontrollably.
Every day he spent with Xue Jiao was happier than the last, yet each new day brought even greater joy. As a result, Lin Zhihua began to look forward to the future—to tomorrow.
And once a person starts yearning for tomorrow, it’s as if a lamp has been lit in their heart, illuminating the path ahead. He began to possess happiness and joy he had never dared to imagine before.
Sometimes, Lin Zhihua would try to imagine life without Xue Jiao, but all that came to mind were four words— a walking corpse .
On this day, Lin Zhihua was just like any ordinary young man, holding the hand of the girl he loved as they debated whether to buy this or that, their laughter never fading.
Lin Zhihua and Cheng Mingze each carried two large bags of items to the parking lot, then drove to have a meal together before heading home.
The next day was New Year’s Eve. In the morning, Cheng Shuo and Cheng Mingze stayed home to put up couplets and hang lanterns, while Xue Jiao ran off to Lin Zhihua’s place to help him.
By noon, she returned home for lunch, while he went to visit his parents.
At three in the afternoon, Lin Zhihua came back, bringing a pot of chicken soup straight to the Cheng household to assist Li Sitong in preparing dinner.
This was their fourth New Year’s celebration together. The new year arrived amidst the sound of fireworks and firecrackers. As the ancients said, With the sound of firecrackers, another year passes. For adults, a new year meant growing older.
But for the young, a new year meant another year of striving.
Those still chasing their dreams continued forward in the new year, step by step, pressing on with courage.
That year, Xue Jiao received New Year’s money from her family, as well as a heart-shaped red envelope folded by Lin Zhihua.
Starting from the previous year, every New Year, Lin Zhihua would personally fold a heart for her as a gift.
Xue Jiao treasured these "New Year’s gifts," carefully storing them in a metal box.
If nothing unexpected happened, she and Lin Zhihua would have decades together—one heart each year. She hoped that when she grew old, she could leave this world holding a box filled with dozens of hearts.
Just like their love—enduring and unbroken.
——
The pressure at the start of the year wasn’t too heavy. In the early days, she and Lin Zhihua wandered around, watching movies and going on dates. Once the Lin Corporation resumed work, Xue Jiao followed Lin Zhihua to the office to continue writing her thesis.
By the time the semester was about to begin, the thesis was nearly complete.
Chu Sheng suggested they all meet up before the paper was published. Xue Jiao and the others had no objections—only Zhang Han… seemed hesitant.
Xue Jiao was puzzled. She felt that Zhang Han was deliberately avoiding them—or perhaps avoiding one particular person among them.
Moreover, she noticed that whenever Yang Zhan spoke in the group chat, Zhang Han would never respond.
But whenever Zhang Han spoke, Yang Zhan would immediately reply, as if paying special attention, always catching every moment she appeared.
Xue Jiao was confused…
What was going on between these two?
Because of this strange situation, the group didn’t manage to meet up before the paper was published.
The thesis was published five days before the semester began, while the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingered, and the cold in Beijing remained too harsh to venture outside.Xue Jiao didn't pay much attention to the paper publication matter; Teacher Jin helped submit it for publication. The first author of this paper was Chu Sheng, though he himself had been unwilling and had recommended Zhang Han instead. However, Senior Sister Zhang Han insisted that since the project was organized by Chu Sheng and the initial concept was his, he deserved to be the first author.
Everyone agreed with this reasoning, and Xue Jiao fully supported it as well.
Once she completed the project, she put it out of her mind. With the new semester approaching, Lin Zhihua had become particularly clingy.
Since Xue Jiao wasn't keeping constant tabs on the paper's publication, she had no idea that on February 18th, when the paper was published, it sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
The paper struck like an earthquake, shaking the entire scientific world.
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