Compared to the lively reunion dinner at the Zhou family, their own New Year's Eve dinner was somewhat quiet, but everyone gathered together, watching the Spring Festival Gala and chatting, which had its own cozy charm.
He Long and Uncle He were both men of few words. After the meal, they brought out a chess set and started a game.
Aunt Liu nestled on the sofa knitting a sweater, chuckling at the skits playing on the Spring Festival Gala. Her only daughter had married abroad and recently had a baby; the sweater was for her little grandson.
As midnight approached, Liang Zhou took Yu Shulin to the garden, brought out two fireworks from the garage, and each lit one. They stood side by side, watching the fireworks shoot into the sky and explode.
Fireworks weren't banned too strictly yet, and many people were setting them off. Yu Shulin looked up at the various firework patterns blooming near and far, squinting as he smiled—it was wonderful.
The midnight bells began to chime, and the fireworks were almost finished. He rubbed his hands together and turned his head to look at Liang Zhou. "Brother, make a wish quickly! My mom said making a wish at the turn of the year is most likely to come true!" Without waiting to see if Liang Zhou heard him clearly, he turned his face back to the night sky filled with fireworks and closed his eyes to make a wish.
—I wish for my brother to be safe and healthy for a lifetime, for my mother to be reborn into a good family in her next life, and for everyone to be happy and fortunate.
He clasped his hands together in a gesture of prayer.
—Everyone must be well.
He opened his eyes, let out a long breath, his eyes full of beautiful anticipation for the future.
Liang Zhou watched him intently, then mimicked his actions and made a wish himself. He then adjusted Yu Shulin's scarf and said, "Let's go back inside. It's too cold out."
"Okay." Yu Shulin nodded, smiling as he asked, "Brother, what did you wish for?"
"A secret." Liang Zhou flicked his forehead lightly, took his hand, and walked towards the villa's front door. "Alright, time to rest. We have to get up early tomorrow."
Yu Shulin grew even more curious, keeping pace with him and pressing, "What was it really? So mysterious."
Liang Zhou looked back at him, smiling without a word. Even if that wish could never come true in a lifetime, having this moment of companionship was already more than enough for him.
Yu Shulin was accustomed to going to bed early and rising early. Staying up until midnight was already his limit. After returning to his room, he mustered the energy to reply to a few New Year's greetings from classmates, then hastily washed up and crawled into bed.
Liang Zhou, separated by just a wall, was much more energetic. First, he leisurely took a shower, then meticulously brushed his teeth, and finally, for the first time ever, took out his phone to call Zhang Qian and others one by one to wish them a Happy New Year. After receiving countless complaints, he successfully managed to drag the time out until one in the morning.
The villa was very quiet. He walked out of his room, turned the corner, and stopped in front of Yu Shulin's door. Placing his hand gently on the doorknob, he pushed the door open and went inside.
A night light was on in the room, faintly illuminating the outline of the person on the bed. He smiled, walked to the bedside, and reached out to touch the young man's cheek... It seemed Yu Shulin always had the habit of sleeping with a light on. Every time he came over, the night light was on... Was he afraid of the dark?
Yu Shulin was sleeping soundly, his head buried in the quilt, looking docile and peaceful.
He brushed aside his hair, touched his face, and gazed at him for a long time. Then, bending down, he lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on Yu Shulin's slightly parted lips.
A fleeting touch.
His heart was beating a bit fast. He pressed his lips together, tucked in the quilt, stepped back, and quietly left the young man's room.
This could be considered... a New Year's gift.
Standing in the dark hallway for a long moment, he let out a soft laugh and quickly returned to his own room.
The first day of the Lunar New Year was for ancestor worship.
Yu Shulin covered his mouth to stifle a yawn and rubbed his eyes.
Liang Zhou's gaze swept over his lips, then he turned his head as if nothing had happened, focusing on the road. "Very tired? Then let's make it quick and come back early, have an early lunch, and take a nap after eating."
"No need. This is my first time visiting my father's grave. We don't need to rush." He shook his head, rubbing his face to try and look more alert.
Liang Zhou nodded, not saying anything more, but sped up the car a little.
Liang Chi's tomb was much more grandly built than Mother Yu's. The headstone was very clean, clearly tended to regularly.
The morning mist from the winter night hadn't yet dispersed. There were many people visiting graves, coming and going, making the cemetery feel incongruously lively.
Yu Shulin quietly burned paper money for Liang Chi, offered incense, then bowed three times. He stepped back to stand beside Liang Zhou, who had been watching silently, and looked at the person in the photo on the headstone.
The person in the photo had graying hair and a serious expression, but his eyes were sharp and penetrating—somewhat similar to the way Liang Zhou looked at people.
He pressed his lips together and finally spoke.
"Father," he said, reaching out to take Liang Zhou's hand. "I never imagined our first meeting would be under such circumstances... Have you met Mother down there?"
Liang Zhou turned his head to look at him and gently returned the grip on his hand.
Past and present lives were like a grand dream. This meeting between father and son had actually taken him two lifetimes... Fortunately, it wasn't too late. He looked carefully at the person in the photo, imagining him standing together with his mother. "I'm living with my brother now... He's very good to me, and I'm doing well... If you meet Mother down there, please hug her. I think she missed you, even though she never mentioned you in front of me."
Morning light gradually rose, and the mist began to clear.
Liang Zhou looked at Yu Shulin's earnest and gentle eyes and, in a daze, seemed to see a younger version of his father—so alike, he thought, truly father and son. He turned his head to look at the stern-faced man on the headstone, paused, and spoke, "I will take good care of Shulin. Please rest assured."
And also, please forgive me.
On the second day of the New Year, Yu Shlin followed Liang Zhou to visit several relatives. After collecting a large pile of red envelopes, the two of them were completely free.
On the third and fourth days, a few relatives did come to the Liang household, but most weren't very close. Their attitude towards Liang Zhou was excessively ingratiating, making the hospitality feel rather awkward.
Liang Zhou wasn't very fond of such social obligations, so he had Uncle He turn away all the unfamiliar visitors.
Yu Shulin had prepared New Year's gifts for everyone in the household. Though they weren't expensive items, the thought counted, and everyone was very happy.
The New Year passed quickly in this warm atmosphere. Liang Zhou had to return to work on the seventh day. On the evening of the sixth, he walked into Yu Shulin's room with a document and placed it in front of him. "Here, a New Year's gift."
Yu Shulin pushed his textbooks aside, picked up the document, and curiously opened it. Then he was shocked. "Shares of Rongguang?" How could this kind of thing be given away so casually? He hurriedly pushed the document back. "I can't accept this. You keep it."
"It was always meant for you. Take it." Liang Zhou spread the document open and flipped to the final signature page. "Sign it. This is the inheritance Father left for you. I told you before, you have the right to inherit."
"Inheritance rights? Wait, it seems... Huh?" It took him a good while to remember when Liang Zhou had said that, and he was even more stunned. He hurriedly looked down and flipped through the document. When he saw clearly the number of shares being gifted, he felt his vision blurring. "This... this is too much. Fifteen percent, that's way too much."
He truly hadn't expected his father to leave him an inheritance. He thought Liang Zhou's talk about inheritance rights was just a line to deal with Liang Jian and his son. This plot development was so different from his previous life... Rong Guang was such a big company. How much money was fifteen percent of the shares? He didn't even dare to think about it.
Moreover, given the circumstances, he couldn't help but be suspicious. After giving ten percent to Liang Jian, the shares in Liang Chi's hands probably left only about twenty percent for Liang Zhou. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible that Liang Chi would be so generous as to give fifteen percent of his shares to a son he'd never even met, while leaving only a tiny portion for Liang Zhou, whom he had raised from childhood. It just didn't make sense!
Liang Zhou saw the doubt in his eyes and felt somewhat helpless inwardly, but his expression remained utterly sincere and serious. "Sign it. These were originally supposed to be given to you when you turned eighteen. But since you're living with me now, giving them to you a bit earlier is fine. Don't overthink it... Unless you don't trust me?"
"No, of course I trust you, but... did father really give this?" Yu Shulin held the pen, deeply conflicted. "But if you give me so many shares, will you have enough left in your own hands to manage the company? I don't really understand these things, but the number of shares held..."
"It's enough. My mother left me a portion of shares as well. Later, when Liang Jian broke away from Rong Guang, he joined with some minor shareholders to dump Rong Guang stock. I took the opportunity to buy some back. The shares I hold now are still the majority." Liang Zhou ruffled his hair and urged gently, "So there's nothing to worry about. Sign it."
"...Alright then." Yu Shulin gave in. He lowered his head, signed his name somewhat hesitantly, then quickly pushed the document back. "I'm not an adult yet. You should oversee these shares. You hold onto them."
Just as he expected... A flicker of amusement passed through Liang Zhou's eyes. He put the document away and couldn't help reaching out to touch Yu Shulin's face, his fingers tracing the smooth skin. "Alright. I'll manage the company well, so you get lots of dividends every year."
"Mhm." Yu Shulin smiled, his eyes curving, and quite naturally buried his face in Liang Zhou's palm, nuzzling against it. Then he turned, ready to continue previewing his textbooks. "Brother, do you have anything else? I'm almost done with this chapter." School was about to start, and he was studying hard to avoid being intimidated by any potential 'first-day shock' Teacher Gao might have in store.
Liang Zhou hadn't expected him to accept the intimacy so naturally. His hand froze for a moment before he withdrew it. After a quiet pause, he asked, "Shulin, do you like it when people touch your face?"
"No." Yu Shulin shook his head, burying himself in his problem-solving.
"Then just now..."
"Because you're my brother. What's wrong with brothers being a bit close?" Yu Shulin looked up at him strangely, then stood up, hugged him, and pushed him toward the door. "Okay, don't disturb my studying. Out, out."
Standing outside the door, Liang Zhou, who had been chased out by his little brother for the first time, was stunned for a moment. He looked down at his palm... Damn, he had discovered a little secret about his brother... For someone so grown-up, when facing someone he depended on, he would unconsciously become clingy.
This was truly... a sweet burden.
To test his theory, in their subsequent interactions, Liang Zhou would always intentionally or unintentionally get close to Yu Shulin—like patting his head, touching his face, pinching his ears, or putting an arm around his shoulders...
To his delight, Yu Shulin really showed no sign of aversion at all. He accepted these moderate displays of affection very naturally. However, along with the delight came a bit of worry... Was Shulin perhaps a bit too oblivious in this regard?
Zhang Qian, holding some documents, watched Liang Zhou's dramatically changing expressions in the office and was horrified. "Zhao ah, what's wrong with Liang Zhou?"
Zhao Zhi gave him a look of disdain and pushed the door open to walk right in. "Liang Zhou, when are you planning to go for the overseas cooperation? The company has a few projects recently that are a bit short-staffed. What do you think..."
Liang Zhou snapped back to attention instantly, switching into work mode. "Short-staffed? Which projects? Did you finish preparing the materials I asked for yesterday? And about the discussion last time..."
Zhang Qian, still poking his head by the doorway, listened to their purely business conversation and hopped in frustration—This is an entertainment company! How come the people in charge have absolutely no sense of gossip! This kind of attitude makes for a very oppressive work atmosphere, you know! He wanted to change jobs!
