THE Spring Festival was the most anticipated time of the year for the people of Country H. It marked the beginning of a new lunar year and was a time to gather with family, friends, and loved ones. Weeks in advance, streets and homes were decorated with bright red lanterns and banners, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.
On New Year's Eve, families would come together for a reunion dinner to enjoy a sumptuous feast and exchange red envelopes filled with money. As the clock struck midnight, the night sky would be illuminated with spectacular fireworks displays that lit up the city. The following days would be filled with lively temple fairs, parades, and cultural performances showcasing traditional music and dance.
Visitors would be greeted with the sights and sounds of the festival, as locals and tourists alike enjoyed the bustling atmosphere. The temple fairs were a particular highlight, with vendors selling all sorts of tasty treats and souvenirs. Traditional performances featuring lion and dragon dances, acrobatics, and opera could be seen throughout the city.
The Spring Festival was not only a celebration of a new year but also a celebration of culture and tradition, which had been passed down from generation to generation. It was a time of joy, reunion, and hope for the future.
That's why it's the most anticipated holiday of the year for a lot of people. And Luo Yan was no different.
This was his first Spring Festival with his new family. In his past life, he couldn't really remember much when his parents were still alive. What he could remember was there was always a lot of food and the red envelopes that his parents would give him. Which he would then put in his piggy bank.
His Spring Festival during his stay at the orphanage was much more fresh in his mind. Probably because he stayed there until he was 18-years-old. Although they didn't have much in terms of food and money, he remembered how the director would always make sure that it would be a happy Spring Festival for him and the other children living in the orphanage.
But this Spring Festival would definitely be different compared to the ones he had in his past life. Not only in terms of grandeur, but because he would be spending it with his new family.
Luo Yan looked back at the Bai family mansion. It was already decorated with red lanterns, as well as red couplets. There were even paper cuttings and kumquats and tangerines. Inside, Aunt Xiulan was busy preparing with the maids for the reunion dinner.
He actually wanted to help, but Aunt Xiulan refused and said that he should just play and relax outside. Because today was the reunion dinner, their team decided to only train during the morning. So, now he was outside, waiting for his father and older brother to come. From the message they both sent him earlier, they were already on their way here.
Spring Festival usually lasted for 15 days. The two would stay here until the fifth day of the Spring Festival, which was usually the day that people went back to work.
He then suddenly remembered what he asked Shen Ji Yun earlier about going to a temple fair. Temple fairs, a staple of Spring Festival, started on the first day and would often last for five to seven days. The two of them could go after his father and older brother went back to S City. That way, Luo Yan didn't have to worry that his father would suspect something.
Of course, there's hardly anything to suspect about. He could just say that he would go out with the rest of team Yunyue, and if Luo Jin and Bai Ze helped him to cover things up, then there would definitely be no problem. But there's no harm in trying to be more careful.
Remembering the bright smile that appeared on Shen Ji Yun's handsome face when he asked him to go on a temple fair, just two of them, Luo Yan also couldn't stop the corner of his lips from curving up.
Honestly, he was much more excited about that temple fair than the upcoming qualifying matches. Though he probably shouldn't mention that to the rest of his team members, or it might make them angry. Of course, Shen Ji Yun was excluded from that. Because he's certain that the other was probably feeling the same way as him.
Luo Yan' thoughts were interrupted when he felt something cold hitting his back. He turned around and saw Bai Ye holding a ball of snow. It was obvious that the other just threw a snowball at him.
"Yan Yan, let's play!" Bai Ye called.
"Okay. But I shall warn you, I take my snowball fight very seriously, so it's not my fault if you cry," Luo Yan said, acting all serious, as if he was warning the kid.
Bai Ye only raised his chin in a proud manner. "I'm not a kid. Why would I cry?"
Then, five minutes later, the kid, who said that he wasn't a kid, was stomping his feet in frustration. To the point that he really wanted to cry.
It was because Luo Yan kept hitting him with a snowball while none of the snowballs he threw hit the other. Before he could throw the snowball in his hand, another one hit him in the face.
At that moment, his frustration finally reached a breaking point, and he finally bawled his eyes out.
"Waaa... Yan Yan is bullying me!"
Luo Yan raised his brow when he saw that. Then he scratched his cheek, feeling a bit guilty. He walked towards Bai Ye and crouched down so the two of them could be at eye level.
"Didn't you say you're not a kid? Why are you crying?" he asked, wiping the other's tears.
Bai Ye sobbed. "I don't want Yan Yan to be my bride anymore!"
Luo Yan almost laughed when he heard that. Should he be thankful that this snowball fight finally ended his little cousin's 'Yan Yan is my bride' phase?
He pinched the other's cheek. "That's fine. I can just be your pretty cousin."