A small candy

Chapter 53 Finale
The family of three arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport at 11:00 am, and the Ye family sent a car to pick them up.

Jian Ling hadn't gotten enough sleep. She'd been wearing an eye mask since boarding the plane, and continued to sleep in the car, sleeping almost the entire way. When Ye Xianxin woke her up just as they were approaching the Ye family mansion, she managed to pull herself together.

The air was damp and cold, and the wind seemed shrouded in moisture. Jian Ling leaned against the car window, gazing at the tall trees that stood like sentinels on the roadside. After the leaves had fallen, only the bare trunks remained, standing in the wind.

The Ye family's old house gradually came into view. Regardless of the interior decoration, the exterior alone was filled with a festive New Year atmosphere. Big red lanterns hung high, and the dark, cold iron gate was covered with red spring couplets, window decorations, and Chinese knots.

The door opened to both sides, and the car passed through unimpeded and stopped under the porch outside the main hall.

The driver helped to move the luggage and gifts out of the trunk of the car. Jian Ling was the first to enter. The living room was filled with the sounds of children playing and adults chatting. The kitchen was filled with the sizzling sound of cooking oil and the smell of life.

As soon as Jian Ling appeared, the living room was quiet for a moment, and then became more lively. Her uncles and aunts came to ask her about her well-being, and her brothers and sisters came over to help her get things.

Ye Guizhou and Shu Yangyang were also there; they had come a few days earlier. When Jian Ling spoke to them, their hands were still clasped together. Luckily, she wasn't single, or she would have been tortured.

Jian Ling greeted the elders in the living room one by one, and then ran upstairs to visit Mr. Ye.

"Grandpa, I'm back!" After hearing the nanny say that grandpa was practicing calligraphy in the study, Jian Ling knocked on the door, pushed it open and stuck half of her head in.

Mr. Ye was wearing a gray silk gown, his sleeves half-rolled. On the sandalwood desk before him lay a sheet of snow-white rice paper, on which he had just finished writing a poem. Hearing her voice, he put down his brush, placed it on the pen holder, and looked at her with a smile: "I've been waiting for you." Then, with a serious expression, he said, "You used to come early in previous years, but this year, why did you wait until New Year's Eve to come back?"

"Because school used to have an early winter break, I came early." Jian Ling trotted forward with her hands behind her back, placed her hands on Mr. Ye's shoulders, and gave him a shoulder massage. "Didn't my uncle tell you that I'm working now? The company only had a holiday yesterday, so I couldn't help it. I miss grandpa so much that I wanted to come here a long time ago!"

Grandpa tapped her head lovingly and said, "You have the sweetest mouth. I heard from Gui Zhou that the boss of the Cheng Group where you work is your boyfriend. I really wonder if he won't approve my leave."

"You can't break the rules just for me." Jian Ling stuck out her tongue. "Don't you agree?"

Mr. Ye was speechless because of her, but his smile became more and more bright. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were piled up in several layers, but he did not look old, but rather energetic.

"You, you've been a clever little thing since you were little." He tapped her forehead and said, "When are you going to bring your boyfriend over for Grandpa to take a look at? I have to warn him that it's not easy to bring back our precious daughter."

When Jian Ling heard the words "palm jewel," she thought of Cheng Zhixu's WeChat note, and her eyes curved with a smile: "He's always on call. It all depends on when you have free time, Grandpa."

"Your grandpa is always free..."

The nanny came over and asked them to go downstairs for dinner. They stopped talking and were supported by Jian Ling. Mr. Ye smiled and told her to stay for a few more days.

At noon, the whole family sat around a round table, had an ordinary lunch, talked and laughed in a happy atmosphere.

After the meal, everyone took a short break and then started discussing the dishes for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Jian Ling, a child king, would hide upstairs with her younger brothers, playing games, eating snacks, and watching movies. She'd find all the horror movies she normally wouldn't watch and play them, unfazed by the psychological trauma they might cause. Whenever a terrifying scene came on, Jian Ling's usual reaction was to grab a younger cousin and hold him in front of her, terrified to watch but unable to...

Of course, their relationship wasn't always this harmonious.

Shu Yangyang brought back a lot of candy from England, the best of which were the grape-flavored soft candies. The children only ate those flavors, and they were quickly gone. Jian Ling was lucky enough to pick out the last handful, and her little cousin went to her mother with a pout on his face, crying.

Jian Ling's third aunt, Ms. Ye Wenqiu, smiled and said, "Sister works hard and doesn't come often. Besides, you are a boy and I am a girl. Shouldn't you give in to me?"

The psychological trauma left to my little cousin is even greater than that from watching a horror movie.

The little cousin, who had nowhere to complain to, came running back. Jian Ling sat cross-legged on the carpet, twisting her body proudly: "Comparing family status with your sister, you are still a little naive!"

Then, the twenty-somethings started fighting with the ten-year-old, running up and down the stairs around the house.

Ye Xian said with a heartache, "I doubt she even knows how to write the word 'steady' at the age of thirty. When she gets crazy, she's like a primary school student."

Ye Wenqiu, who was making steamed buns nearby, said with a smile, "That's great. It's a lot of fun for anyone to live with her."

-

There is no snow or moon on New Year's Eve, and it always feels a little lacking.

As a child, Jian Ling remembered that before her grandparents passed away, her family celebrated Chinese New Year in Beijing. One year, heavy snow fell, piling up against the windowsills. The snow was gleaming brightly outside, while the warmth was cozy inside. As they ate steaming hot pot, everyone's face was half-hidden by the white steam. Laughter and joy filled the air, accompanied by the background music of the Spring Festival Gala on TV and the crackling of firecrackers. It felt like the New Year.

Jian Ling took a photo of the New Year's Eve dinner and asked everyone to take a group photo, which she posted to her WeChat Moments. After that, she put her phone down and focused on eating. The Ye family had a rule that no one was allowed to look at their phones at the dinner table. The family rarely got together throughout the year, so spending time with family was more important.

The time before and after the New Year’s Eve dinner is a lively one. The mailbox is filled with all kinds of New Year’s greetings, either sent in groups or individually. People are also giving out red envelopes, and the message alerts on mobile phones are ringing non-stop.

No one paid any attention to it and had a happy New Year's Eve dinner.

Fireworks were forbidden these days, so after dinner, the young and old sat together playing with their phones to pass the time and celebrate the New Year's Eve. Jian Ling used to be just like them, but now she had someone she cared about. While no one was paying attention, she retreated to her upstairs room and quietly called Cheng Zhixu.

There was a thick blanket on the bay window, so she sat on it, her legs together, her hands around her knees, turning her head to look at the street lights outside the window and the neon lights in the distance. She imagined the scene over there on Cheng Zhixu's side, wondering if it was the same as hers.

The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. Cheng Zhixu's gentle and smiling voice came through the electricity: "It was a bit noisy at home, I didn't hear it."

"I guessed it." Jian Ling leaned back against the soft cushion, wearing a loose and soft sweater. She had a small braid on each side of her head. She played with her fingers in the braids and smiled like a beautiful doll. "Have you eaten the New Year's Eve dinner?"

"Just finished eating and am chatting with my family in the living room." Cheng Zhixu must have walked to a quiet place, as the noise on the other end of the phone had died down. "How about you?"

"I just finished eating too." Jian Ling looked out the window at the bright and cool night view, missing the snow-covered Switzerland. "Hey, is it snowing there?"

Cheng Zhixu stood in front of the French window and took in the scenery outside. "No, there was a little snow this morning, but nothing happened after that."

"Oh." Jian Ling didn't know what to say, so she made small talk. "What did you have for New Year's Eve dinner? Tell me the names of the dishes."

Cheng Zhixu closed his eyes and recalled the dishes on the table, describing them to her one by one without any impatience.

Jian Ling propped up her cheek and listened quietly, occasionally interjecting, saying that this was her favorite dish. Cheng Zhixu then promised to make it for her the next time they met.

The two chatted about trivial topics but didn't feel bored. Before they knew it, they had been chatting for more than half an hour.

Jian Ling said, "Cheng Zhixu, Happy New Year! I'm telling you in advance because I'm afraid I'll fall asleep before midnight because I'm a little sleepy."

Cheng Zhixu laughed out loud. "I thought you were going to start the group text with something like, 'I'm afraid there will be too many people sending well wishes.'"

Jian Ling also burst out laughing. There were similar group New Year greetings in her private messages.

Cheng Zhixu said, "Jian Ling, Happy New Year."

After Jian Ling finished her call, she went downstairs with a stack of red envelopes she had prepared in advance and handed them out to her cousins one by one. She was playful and would always ask for praise before handing out red envelopes.

"Sister is so beautiful," "Sister has a great figure," "Sister is a fairy," "Sister has a sweet voice," and so on. The group of uncles and cousins who were older than her shook their heads and sighed. These little brats would say anything as long as they were paid.

After handing out the red envelopes, Jian Ling turned around and kowtowed to her parents and elders who were sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the Spring Festival Gala. "Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, I wish you good health and all the best in the new year! Do you have any red envelopes?"

The elders were all stunned. They were asking for money so early? Couldn't they wait until the first day of the Lunar New Year?

Jian Ling made a flower gesture with her hands and placed it on her chin, blinking sincerely: "I definitely won't be able to get up tomorrow morning. My brothers will grab all the red envelopes!"

The elders held their foreheads helplessly and went back to their rooms to get red envelopes. They couldn't let her kowtow in vain. So, the younger brothers followed suit and lined up in a long line to kowtow in turn. The scene was so loud that it almost scared some of the elders.

Jian Ling ran back to her room contentedly, clutching a pile of red envelopes. Cheng Zhixu had said yesterday that he would give her a New Year's gift in a few days, but she didn't know what he had prepared.

-

The few days after the Spring Festival are the time of the year when relatives visit each other most frequently. Except for breakfast time, there are guests at noon and in the evening.

The Ye family had many branches and business partners, so visitors to their home were almost non-stop. Jian Ling felt like she was living in a tourist attraction, welcoming and seeing off wave after wave of visitors.

Finally, it was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Cheng Zhixu’s birthday.

Jian Ling had given him a birthday present early in the morning, but she hadn't wished him a happy birthday yet. After breakfast, distant cousins arrived, and the elders were hosting them. Jian Ling chatted with them for a while before making an excuse to leave, retreating to her room and making a video call to Cheng Zhixu.

Unfortunately, the phone rang for a long time but no one answered.

Jian Ling thought that Cheng Zhixu must be visiting relatives and had no time to answer the phone.

She waited and waited, and even after the entire morning had passed, there was still no reply. Frustrated, she lay on the bay window, kicking the dolls piled in the corner to vent her frustration.

Jian Ling complained silently. Even if she was visiting relatives, she wouldn't be so busy. Not only did she not have time to answer the video, but she didn't even have time to reply to the message. She didn't believe it.

Jian Ling sulked for a moment, then decided not to think about it anymore. She dropped her phone, sat up, put on her slippers, and called a few of her younger brothers to play games with her. Just then, the doorbell rang. Ye Guizhou put down his teacup and stood up to open the door. The first thing he saw was Cheng Zhongnan and Yu Zhijin, and behind them stood the tall and straight Cheng Zhixu. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt that Cheng Zhixu looked particularly handsome today.

Each of them was carrying several gift bags, almost unable to hold them steady. Ye Guizhou didn't bother to tease Cheng Zhixu, and hurried forward to welcome the two elders in: "Uncle and aunt, please come in..."

Before he finished speaking, he realized that the address was wrong. Cheng Zhixu called him uncle, so how could he call Cheng Zhixu's parents uncle and aunt? The generations were messed up.

However, the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back. Ye Guizhou smacked his lips, not knowing how to call for help.

The Cheng family knew the Ye family was large, so they selected gifts for each of them. After the three of them entered, they greeted Mr. Ye first, as per protocol, and then the others. A large group of people exchanged pleasantries, and the living room was bustling with activity.

Cheng Zhixu chatted with Mr. Ye for a long time. When he had a chance, he stuffed one of the gift boxes into Ye Guizhou's pocket and said, "Uncle, Happy New Year. This is a gift for you."

Ye Guizhou's temples throbbed. "...Why didn't you tell me you were coming earlier?"

He had heard the old man at home instruct the cook to prepare a richer meal for tonight, and he had thought it was an important guest. It turned out to be a member of the Cheng family... and indeed, they were important guests.

Cheng Zhixu took a sip of tea and smiled warmly: "Isn't this a surprise for you?"

Actually, I wanted to give Jian Ling a surprise, so I didn't tell her in advance and just said hello to Mr. Ye. I was supposed to arrive in Shanghai in the morning, but the plane was delayed for several hours due to weather problems, so I arrived in the afternoon.

When Jian Ling called him, he and his parents were at the airport. As soon as he answered the video call, he would be exposed, so he held back and did not contact her.

Yu Zhijin discovered him at the time and asked him with a smile, "Didn't you tell Jian Ling that we were going to visit the Ye family?"

Cheng Zhixu smiled. He had originally planned to tell her before the New Year, but later she prepared a birthday surprise for him. He still savored the happiness he felt.

"I wanted to give her a surprise, so I didn't tell her." Cheng Zhixu replied to Yu Zhijin.

However, at this moment, when Ye Guizhou heard him say that he wanted to give him a surprise, the feeling of goose bumps all over his body was too strong: "Cheng Zhixu, can you be normal?"

Ever since he changed his identity, this person has been speaking strangely and inexplicably improperly.

Cheng Zhixu just smiled and said nothing, sipping his tea. He looked around the living room, but didn't see the person he wanted to see, so he asked Ye Guizhou, "Where is Jian Ling?"

Ye Guizhou chuckled: "I was playing games with a bunch of kids upstairs and made three of them cry."

As soon as he finished speaking, a little kid came running down the stairs, whimpering and complaining to the adults: "My sister said I was too stupid and she won't play with me."

Ye Guizhou said expressionlessly, "This is the fourth one."

The aunt brought out a plate of fruit from the kitchen, handed it to the little brat, pointed upstairs, and said softly: "Bring it up to your sister to eat. If you coax her, she will play with you. Your sister is the easiest to coax."

The little brat wiped his tears and struggled to carry a plate of fruit upstairs.

Seeing this, Cheng Zhixu took a deep breath and sighed, "I can see Jian Ling's family status."

Ye Guizhou sneered, "Did you think I was joking when I said that?" He put his arm around Cheng Zhixu's shoulder and said, "You want to marry Jian Ling? You should deal with these aunts and uncles first."

Cheng Zhixu felt a lot of pressure.

Sure enough, after the uncles and aunts finished chatting about family matters with the Cheng couple, they turned their attention to Cheng Zhixu and began the rigorous "question and answer" session.

Upstairs, the little cousin handed Jian Ling a plate of fruit: "Sister, do you want some fruit?"

"Let's eat later." Jian Ling was concentrating on playing the game and casually asked, "Why is it so noisy downstairs?"

"We have guests. It's a handsome uncle, and there are two people. They are his parents." The little cousin said, "The handsome uncle's name is Cheng Xuxu."

Jian Ling paused for a moment, and the game character on the screen immediately lost half of his health. She looked at her little cousin and frowned, "What's the handsome uncle's name?"

"Cheng Xuxu."

"What the hell is Cheng Xuxu? Cheng Zhixu, right?"

Cheng Zhixu? !

Jian Ling threw down the game controller, put on her slippers and ran downstairs. The crackling sound of her feet on the stairs showed how eager she was to get confirmation at the moment.

Cheng Zhixu turned around when he heard the noise and saw Jian Ling, with her hair tied up in a bun and wearing a light blue mohair sweater, rushing down the stairs like a gust of wind. He raised his eyebrows, stood up and walked to the bottom of the stairs, ready to hold her hand, but Jian Ling jumped two steps and threw herself into his arms: "Why are you here!"

All the elders in the living room looked over here. Cheng Zhixu felt a little uncomfortable even though he was mentally strong. He coughed and said in a normal voice, "I'm here to visit Mr. Ye."

Jian Ling also noticed everyone's gazes, which were as bright and blazing as those of a multi-kilowatt spotlight. She stroked her bangs, her eyes evading with a shy expression as she muttered, "I thought you were looking for me."

Cheng Zhixu said softly, "You might think so."

Jian Ling complained: "Why didn't you reply to my message?"

Cheng Zhixu raised his eyebrows: "I thought you would like this surprise." In fact, the real surprise was still to come, and he couldn't tell her for the time being.

"Okay, I like it." Jian Ling took the initiative to shake his hand.

The elders in the living room made all kinds of strange noises, saying they couldn't bear to watch it anymore.

The lively atmosphere lasted until nightfall. Mr. Ye was infected and drank a little more than usual. He pulled Cheng Zhixu aside and talked a lot, basically asking him to take good care of Jian Ling. That was the little girl who grew up in his arms, and her lifelong affairs had always been the thing he cared about most.

Cheng Zhixu looked at Jian Ling and solemnly promised: "I will take good care of her for the rest of my life."

Just as Jian Ling was about to tell her grandfather that she trusted Cheng Zhixu, the man before her suddenly took a step back and knelt on one knee. Jian Ling's words slipped away, and she gasped, clutching her hand. The Chengs, who had known their son's plan for a long time and remained calm, were all stunned.

Cheng Zhixu pulled a pure black box from his trouser pocket. It was embroidered with a light gold logo and was made of fine material. He slowly opened the box. A gorgeous six-claw diamond ring lay on the velvet cloth, gleaming dazzlingly under the crystal chandelier.

"Jian Ling, this is the surprise I want to give you, and it's also your New Year's gift." Cheng Zhixu spoke very slowly, his tone gentle and touching. "I decided a long time ago that if I were to propose to you, it would have to be in front of the elders who love you the most, with them as witnesses. That way, my sincerity would be demonstrated."

He said: "The day I met you, the sun was so bright and beautiful. I thought I was just meeting a girl from a friend's family, but I didn't expect to gain a sincere relationship with her."

He said: "You have no idea, I often think how lucky I am to be loved by a girl without reservation in the middle of the night."

He said, "Every time you said you loved me, my heart would beat fast. I also had a feeling that no matter what I did, I could never repay your love. Soon, I found the answer..."

He said, "I want to marry you, Jian Ling. I don't know if you think we're moving too fast, since we don't have eight years of dating experience or ten years of emotional foundation, but I am confident that the person who will accompany me for the rest of my life will be you, and only you."

When he said the second sentence, Jian Ling's eyes turned red and her eyelashes trembled. She tried hard not to let her tears fall, but in the end she couldn't hold it back. She looked down at the man who was kneeling on one knee with tearful eyes.

Cheng Zhixu took the ring out of the box, pinched it with his slender fingers and handed it to her: "Jian Ling, will you marry me and become Mrs. Cheng?"

Jian Ling's emotions completely collapsed at that moment, and she couldn't help sobbing. She stretched out her hand tremblingly, nodded vigorously, and spoke with a tearful voice: "I do."

Cheng Zhixu put the ring on her middle finger and slowly pushed it in. He smiled softly, "You were crying so hard that I couldn't hear you clearly. Did you say 'I love you' or 'I do'?"

Jian Ling cried and laughed, took a deep breath, and answered him more clearly: "I love you, and I am willing to marry you."

Cheng Zhixu said: "I love you too."

Was there applause? Or children's laughter? All of it was indistinct, and it felt like the sound of each other's heartbeats was clearer.

——End of full text——

　It’s over.ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ

　　Since I originally thought I'd write this as a bedtime sweet, I kept it short and simple, just a simple love story. Even the update time is set at 8 PM, hoping you'll have sweet dreams every night after reading this sweet story.

　　I am very happy to write this, and I am very grateful to everyone for their company during this period.

　　Well, see you in the next book~
　　The next book, mentioned earlier, is a long novel about childhood sweethearts. The hero is probably a cool guy in the eyes of outsiders, and a little puppy in front of the heroine. The heroine is an intelligent, gentle and beautiful woman.

　　The release date is not yet determined. I may talk about it first when there is news, so you can keep an eye on it.

　　See you then.

　　I seem to have met some new readers with this book, which is quite nice. Thank you again.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)