218 Happy New Year
“I haven’t checked the results yet, but they probably won’t give it to me. After all, I’ve taken such a long leave and only went back to take one exam.” Jing Yan laughed as he put another dumpling into He Miao’s bowl.
“I don’t care if Yan gets the scholarship or not. I just want Miaomiao to be happy,” said Grandpa Jing with a smile.
He Miao chuckled in embarrassment. She took another plate of dumplings from the servant and placed it in front of Old Master Jing. “Grandpa, have a taste. I made the dumplings!”
“Oh? Then Grandpa must try Miaomiao’s cooking!” He Miao coaxed Old Master Jing, and his appetite was great that night. He ate a lot of dumplings before the servants helped him back to his room to sleep.
The servants also left one after another, leaving only Jing Yan and He Miao alone.
He Miao patted her round belly and took out her mobile phone to send Xu Meng and Xia Yan a “Happy New Year” text message.
Xu Meng was watching the Spring Festival Gala and eating dumplings with her family. When she received He Miao’s text, she immediately replied in surprise, “Goddess, Happy New Year! I miss you so much! Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow?”
He Miao looked at Jing Yan, who was sitting at the side with a burning gaze, and replied with a smile, “I’ll definitely pay you a visit in a few days.”
Xu Meng guessed that it might not be convenient for her to talk about this now, so she readily agreed. “Alright, goddess, you’re always welcome! I can even get Uncle Xu to pick you up!”
“Alright, I’ll see you then.”
After replying to Xu Meng, Xia Yan’s text message came in.
It was just a simple “Happy New Year” with a red packet.
He Miao declined, but Xia Yan insisted. “It’s a tradition in my family that I’ll give it to every partner. You’re my first partner, so I’ll definitely give you some.”
He Miao then accepted it and sent one back to Xia Yan, using the same excuse to get her to accept it.
Jing Yan peeked at the screen and saw her saying ‘Happy New Year’ to someone else. He could not help but feel jealous. He snatched her phone and pouted in dissatisfaction. “Shouldn’t you be saying your first Happy New Year to me?”
“According to tradition, Happy New Year is supposed to be said tomorrow. I wanted to say it to you in private tomorrow.” He Miao blinked her eyes and explained to him seriously.
Only then did Jing Yan’s expression ease a little. He held her hand and said with a smile, “Xia Yan’s red packet is nothing. Just wish me a Happy New Year, I have a gift for you.”
“What gift?” He Miao asked in surprise.
She had never received a New Year’s gift before.
“Since you want to tell me tomorrow, I’ll show it to you tomorrow!” Jing Yan shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly.
He Miao punched his chest to vent her anger. She decided to ignore him and got up to go back to her room.
Jing Yan quickly pulled her back and held her hand. He blinked innocently and said, “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to stay up for the new year with me?”
On New Year’s Eve, almost every family would be awake until the early morning. The family would sit together until midnight, commonly known during New Year’s Eve.
He Miao had never stayed up for the new year before. She had long gotten used to living by herself, and it was meaningless to stay up late. However the situation was different now. She had Jing Yan.
He Miao thought for a moment and nodded. “Then let’s watch the countdown together.”
“Sure, I’ll get you some snacks.” Jing Yan walked into the living room, took out the snacks that he had prepared, and placed them on the coffee table.
He Miao turned on the TV, adjusted the program, and watched the show with Jing Yan on the sofa.
Seeing that he did not have much time left, Jing Yan saw that He Miao’s head was already gently leaning on his shoulder. His eyes were slightly closed, and he was about to fall asleep in a daze.
Jing Yan gently moved his shoulders and pulled her into his arms. He smiled and said, “Sleepy? Do you want me to carry you back to your room to sleep?”
“Yes.” He Miao mumbled through her nose and nodded in agreement.
Jing Yan laughed and straightened her head. He reached out to hold her in his arms and carried her back to the room.
“Wake up, I need to take off my clothes.” Jing Yan put her on the bed and nudged her shoulders.
Exhausted, He Miao turned over and hugged Jing Yan’s arm, not letting go.
Jing Yan tried to pull his arm away, but it did not move. He could not help but laugh. “Then I’ll have to stay at your place for a while.”
As time passed, he felt a wave of fatigue.
Jing Yan closed his eyes and let his body fall beside He Miao. When he opened his eyes again, he was already a stupid dog lying at the end of the bed.
He slowly crawled to He Miao’s side, curled up, and leaned on her to sleep. After a while, he was back in his own body.
Recently, the time he spent as a dog was getting shorter and shorter, and he might regain his freedom soon. He did not know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. He only knew that He Miao was too well-behaved in her sleep now, so well-behaved that it was enough to shake his willpower. It was just like lying in the same bed with her in a daze, waiting for the clock to strike midnight together.