Whatever Old Zhou was like in his youth, the man he was now seemed somewhat somber. He didn't speak much, and the few words he did say often carried an uncomfortable tone, as if he were some kind of leader.

Zhou Li and Zhu Shuang were used to it.

Generally, Zhou Li wasn't keen on interacting with him. Zhu Shuang would superficially indulge him, but in reality, the words went in one ear and out the other.

Old Zhou was fully aware of this, but he, too, had grown accustomed to it. This had become their family's way of life—no right or wrong, no good or bad, just living day by day, and that was perfectly fine.

However, Zhu Shuang's sister was not used to this.

So, before every visit from Zhu Shuang's sister, Aunt Jiang would give Old Zhou a few reminders. She told him to talk more and, preferably, show some concern for the girl. This was to make her feel that this uncle was 'quite amiable' and prevent any reluctance about future visits.

Old Zhou performed this duty pretty well each year.

However, it was Zhou Li who felt most awkward around the young girl.

Zhou Li wasn't an extrovert, much less someone who warmed up to people quickly. Every time the young girl visited, he felt distant and uncomfortable. After a few days of interaction, just as he might start to warm up and find a few things to say, she would leave. By her next visit, two years later, they would both have changed significantly. Two years wasn't a short time for teenagers, who could transform a lot in that period.

Great, starting all over again.

This cycle had repeated itself several times.

This year was slightly better.

On one hand, Zhou Li had become much more cheerful—thanks in large part to Brother Nan and the old monster pacing around in the living room.

On the other hand, it was because of Lord Dumpling's presence.

Lord Dumpling was a master at livening up the atmosphere. Even without doing anything specific, simply by pursuing her own interests, she could gather a crowd of fellow cat lovers who would chat away. If she made a deliberate effort, the effect was even greater.

"Zhou Li, serve Lord Dumpling a bowl of fish soup mixed with rice." Tuanzi licked her lips and looked towards Zhou Li.

"..."

Zhou Li picked up her bowl and headed towards the kitchen, while Tuanzi sat prim and proper, her eyes fixated on Zhou Li. She paid them no mind, even when Zhu Shuang and the young girl offered her slices of boiled chicken right to her mouth.

Soon, Zhou Li returned.

Tuanzi's gaze followed him intently, settling on the bowl he held. She quickly looked up, dissatisfied. "Only this tiny bit...?"

"Take it or leave it."

"I always get the feeling you two genuinely understand what the other is saying," Zhu Shuang said.

"Me too," the young girl chimed in weakly.

"She was just complaining that the portion was too small," Zhou Li explained.

"Cats shouldn't eat too much rice, especially pet cats. Their systems aren't as robust as those of free-roaming farm cats..." Zhu Shuang was very concerned about Lord Dumpling.

"That's right," the young girl agreed.

"MEOW, MEOW, MEOW."

"What's she saying?" Zhu Shuang looked at Zhou Li, and the young girl sitting next to him also turned a curious gaze.

"I don't understand," Zhou Li shook his head.

"MEOW, MEOW!"

"Just meowing nonsensically?" Zhou Li guessed, hesitating.

"Oh."

「Half an hour later.」

Zhou Li took the initiative to clear the table, quietly gathering a few plates of chicken feet, chicken wings, and braised beef onto one dish. He planned to sneak them into his room later when no one was looking or find some excuse to carry them away—Huai Xu had looked pitiful watching them eat in the living room earlier.

Old Zhou sat on the sofa, fiddling with his phone for a bit before Huangmei opera began to play from the speakers.

"Yingtai isn't truly a maiden; why then are there marks of rings upon her ears?"

"There's a reason for the earring marks, Brother Liang, why entertain such doubts? At village temple fairs, I play Guanyin every year..."

"Brother Liang, ah, when you pursue scholarship, you must focus, not dally with thoughts of hairpins and skirts..."

"Henceforth, I dare not look upon Guanyin..."

Old Zhou, legs crossed, hummed softly along with the tune, one index finger tracing circles in the air.

Zhu Shuang and his sister exchanged a look, smiles appearing on both their faces. Then he looked at Zhou Li, his eyes conveying a message.

Zhou Li smiled back at him.

But he knew Old Zhou probably didn't like listening to this. If he really liked it, why didn't he listen to it regularly? Zhou Li only remembered that during New Year's when he was little, his grandfather would always play these operas—not just Huangmei tunes but various local operas as well. Back then, there wasn't much else to play, and his grandfather thought it made the New Year lively and festive. It also gave the VCD player some use, preventing it from breaking due to long periods of inactivity. Now, Old Zhou played them every year. Perhaps he was used to it, or maybe he just missed his father.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Li turned back to the dining room. He picked up the dish of cold cuts and grabbed a bottle of Coke, heading for his bedroom.

"You haven't eaten enough?" Old Zhou asked.

"I'm watching a movie; these are snacks," Zhou Li replied casually.

"Your appetite has gotten so much bigger since you started senior year. How come mine hasn't?" Zhu Shuang asked before Zhou Li could reply, "Are we going to watch the fireworks again tonight? I'll ride in your car."

"Sure," Zhou Li agreed.

The room had just been tidied up; the faint scent of laundry detergent wafted from the bedsheets and quilt cover, mixed with a barely discernible smell of fried food.

Zhou Li approached the trash can for a look and found four or five paper bags that had once contained baked buns.

"Your sister is quite pretty, eh?" Huai Xu said.

"?"

"Just saying. Where are you guys going to watch the fireworks tonight? Can I come? Bring me too; your family has all met me!" Huai Xu quickly took the cold dishes and the drink, speaking eagerly. "I'll get some small fireworks to set off too!"

"We're going to the outskirts of the city," Zhou Li whispered.

"Take me with you, take me with you!"

"Okay."

"Who else is going? Are Aunt Jiang and Old Zhou coming?"

It was inconvenient for Zhou Li to speak, so he just shook his head, then opened his computer to find a recently popular series to watch.

It was called "Black Mirror."

But there was a big problem with American and British shows: they often dive into action without any preamble. One moment they'd be talking normally, and the next, strange sounds would erupt, making him hastily mute the volume.

The opera music from outside was still playing continuously, so it was unlikely anything would be overheard.

Immediately, Zhou Li glanced sideways—

Huai Xu, still in the pose of stuffing chicken feet into his mouth, was motionless, looking at him with a very strange expression.

"Zhou Li, you've grown up."

"..."

"Don't be shy. I've seen this sort of thing many times."

"..."

"Really. I once snuck into the Imperial Palace to steal things and even saw the Emperor with several of his concubines..."

"Please stop talking."

"Oh."

Only then did Huai Xu pick up the chicken feet and continue to gnaw on them.

「At night, eight o'clock.」

Zhu Shuang heard a distant, muffled boom and quickly went to the window to look out. Seeing lights flashing on the other side of the mountain, he ran to knock on Zhou Li's door.

"Bro!"

"Bro!"

"The fireworks have started!"

The door opened, and Zhou Li came out.

The Spring Festival Gala was already playing on the TV in the living room. Old Zhou sat on the sofa watching, while Aunt Jiang stood at the window, gazing down at the street. Below, the cars on the road formed a long, dragon-like line, their headlights a flowing ribbon of light.

"It's a bit jammed outside, so be careful when you drive," Aunt Jiang reminded them. "It's cold out, so wear something thicker. You can take your time watching."

"Okay."

They left the house and went downstairs.

In the elevator, Zhou Li said, "I'll also call a friend of mine. He's been to our place before; his name is Huai Xu."

"Oh, I remember!"

Zhu Shuang didn't mind; he had a very good personality—thoughtful, kind, and cheerfully extroverted, just like Zhu Bing. This trait must have come from Aunt Jiang. Zhou Li had specifically asked Aunt Jiang for the girl's name that afternoon, and Aunt Jiang had told him he'd asked the same question two years ago.

Aunt Jiang then emphasized to him the composition of their names: the 'Shuang' in Zhu Shuang involved two 'again' elements, and the 'Bing' in Zhu Bing involved two 'water' elements.

At least for now, he definitely remembered.

After getting into the car, Zhu Shuang excitedly began to tell Zhu Bing how Zhou Li got this car, which made Zhu Bing's eyes widen. Then, at her curious prompting, he subtly mentioned Zhou Li's relationship with Brother Nan before moving on to talk about Brother Nan... Zhou Li just focused on driving from the front seat, filtering out all this chatter; otherwise, he knew he'd cringe intensely.

After picking up Huai Xu, he drove straight out of the city.

The road was somewhat congested.

The sky outside the city was darker, more profound, and the glimmers of the fireworks were more striking; occasionally, they could even get clear views of the fireworks.

Their destination was a town outside the city, where in previous years they used to go watch the display by bike or Old Zhou would drop them off. Riding bicycles on winter nights felt like knives cutting your hands, and when Old Zhou took them, they always had to come back early. It was never as comfortable as today.

As they approached the town, the fireworks indeed became more dense.

Zhou Li parked the car on the side of a sloped road, and then the group got out and climbed a small path up a nearby hill.

The distant thuds of the fireworks sounded like heavy drums, making everyone's heart involuntarily beat faster as they quickened their pace to a light jog.

When they reached the top of the hill, the entire small town lay before them, and the fireworks exploded at almost eye level.

"Wow!"

"BANG, BANG, BANG..."

Fireworks of various colors exploded in the night sky ahead, painting a dazzling spectacle against the dark canvas.

Huai Xu was mesmerized.

It took him a long, long time to sigh, "What a prosperous age this is..."

Not just here, but this grand spectacle of fireworks was unfolding in almost every part of the country.

「By the side of Dian Lake」

Hong Ran, leaning on her cane, stood on the summit of West Mountain, quietly watching the fireworks show exploding above the park on the opposite side.

「Next to a section of the national highway」

A Great Demon, resembling a gigantic monk, stood motionless on the mountainside with his hands clasped in prayer. The corners of his mouth still held a faint smile, though it seemed much gentler than usual.

「In a barren mountain forest」

Lin Zhong stood still inside a room with his eyes closed. The night sky was tranquil, but after a long while, he murmured to himself, "What an unprecedented era this is…"

Then he unexpectedly started humming a tune.

「At Yan City Middle School」

A fluffy demon stood dumbfounded in the center of the playground. He thought there was thunder in the distance, but when he looked up, he couldn't find any lightning.

So he was somewhat at a loss.

「Next to the school district apartments」

Two little demons sat side by side on the rooftop railing, with recently filched cat food and the candy Zhou Li had brought that afternoon placed beside them.

Subtle sounds drifted in the air.

「Dozens of kilometers away in a small village」

A tall girl with an antenna-like cowlick on her head stood with friends and family as fireworks exploded right above them, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Everyone except her held up cell phones; she alone just gazed upwards, utterly focused.

When ash fell into her eyes, she simply rubbed them.

Then she continued to stare, and stare...

「Yin Yang Temple」

Zheng Zhilan stood in the courtyard, looking into the distance. On the other side of the mountain, faint lights flickered, and faint sounds drifted over. The lights and sounds were much more intense than the night before. She tried hard to imagine the scene. It must be spectacular, right?

「Behind the house」

An Evil God lay on the mountaintop, his head slightly bowed, the fireworks blooming below reflected in his massive eyes.

...

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