Started as a comics editor

Chapter 299 Tang Yao's New Year

As the Lunar New Year draws ever closer, the Avalon building, amidst the continued excitement of generous year-end bonuses, is gradually slowing down its pace.

The project has entered a pause phase, and the longing to return home begins to permeate the air.

The day for Li Xue to go home early has arrived.

In the afternoon, the sunlight carried the chill of winter.

Tang Yao personally drove Li Xue to the airport. The car was well-heated, keeping out the cold outside, but it couldn't cut off the silence between the two of them as they parted.

Speechless all the way.

Tang Yao's car was parked in the temporary parking area, the engine humming softly.

She turned to look at Li Xue in the passenger seat.

Today, Li Xue wore a neatly tailored off-white coat, with a light gray turtleneck cashmere sweater underneath. Her long hair was draped smoothly over her shoulders, and her makeup was exquisite and appropriate. Her mature and elegant temperament carried a hint of ease as she was about to return home, but also a subtle trace of melancholy.

"Are you sure you don't need me to take you in?"

Tang Yao asked again, her voice softer than usual.

Li Xue shook her head and said gently, "No need, just leave it here. There are too many people inside, it would be troublesome for you to go in."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Tang Yao's face.

The winter sun filtered through the windshield and gently shone onto the driver's seat.

Bathed in the light, Tang Yao's fair face was breathtakingly beautiful, like a flawless piece of finely carved jade. Her naturally fair skin shone with a lustrous sheen under the clear light, without a single blemish.

Her signature long, straight black hair, like the finest silk, fell smoothly over her shoulders, with a few strands tinged with a light gold by the sunlight, gently resting against her beautifully shaped neck, creating a striking contrast with her fair skin.

"..."

Li Xue stared at it for a while, as if trying to remember something.

Her gaze was too direct.

It was hard for Tang Yao not to notice.

She turned her head away, somewhat exasperated: "What?"

Li Xue snapped out of her daze, a blush rising to her delicate face. Realizing that her gaze had lingered too long and her intentions too obvious, she quickly changed the subject: "Did Xun help you with your outfit today?"

As the time goes.

Tang Yao's core outfits are no longer limited to jeans and a T-shirt in summer and jeans and a down jacket in winter...

Today she wore a loose, soft oatmeal-colored cashmere sweater, but this casual attire could not hide her stunning figure. Under the loose fabric, her full bust rose and fell slightly with her breath, and her slender waist was faintly visible under the seat belt. The loose cuffs slipped down, revealing a section of her fair wrist.

It's a blend of youthful naiveté and maturity, and it's truly captivating.

Tang Yao glanced down at her clothes, then said expressionlessly, "Tang Xun is going through a rebellious phase right now."

Li Xue was taken aback, then gave Tang Yao a light glare, her gaze involuntarily drifting to Tang Yao's lips. Today, Tang Yao wasn't wearing lipstick; her lips were a natural light pink. "Then why aren't you wearing lipstick? It looks really nice, and it won't fade..."

Tang Yao immediately reached out and pinched her soft cheek, glaring at her with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance: "You dare to bring that up again? What are you implying?"

"..."

A blush rose on Li Xue's delicate face, which was slightly deformed from being pinched, and she couldn't help but look away.

Tang Yao kneaded Li Xue's soft cheeks for a while before finally letting go: "Alright, you should go in now. Aren't you afraid of being late?"

"Ah."

Li Xue responded, but gently took Tang Yao's hand.

Tang Yao probably knew Li Xue's state of mind at that moment, and comforted her with a word: "Don't worry, the days will pass quickly, see you after the New Year."

"Ah."

Li Xue responded again.

But he still held Tang Yao's hand.

Tang Yao glared at her: "Why don't you let go?"

Li Xue finally let go of his hand with great reluctance, but still did not get out of the car. Instead, she stared blankly at the terminal building.

"..."

Tang Yao looked at Li Xue's beautiful face and noticed that she was gazing at the terminal entrance, looking anxious and somewhat helpless.

She took a deep breath.

"Li Xue?"

"Well……"

Upon hearing Tang Yao's voice, Li Xue instinctively lowered her head.

next second.

Her delicate face instantly turned red.

Perhaps because of the impending separation, Tang Yao's thoughts became complicated.

Not a moment.

Tang Yao moved back slightly, pursed her glossy red lips, and whispered, "Happy New Year..."

"Happy New Year."

Li Xue pretended to be very calm.

"Take care on your journey, we're almost late, let's hurry."

"Okay, when I get back, next year... let's find a chance to take a break together."

Li Xue finally opened the car door, then left after saying those words as if fleeing.

Tang Yao watched Li Xue leave.

Only after the older sister's graceful figure had completely disappeared into the crowd did he turn his gaze away.

but.

She didn't start the car and leave immediately, but instead sat in the driver's seat and looked up at the sky.

Outside the car window, the gray, hazy sky of a winter afternoon resembled a huge, faded curtain.

Tang Yao stared at the sky for a long time, then, as if possessed, reached out and gently touched her soft lips.

"..."

I just touched it.

She abruptly withdrew her hand, and then, as if to cover something up, exhaled a strong breath into the cold air.

...A white mist instantly billowed before her eyes, blurring the view outside the car window. Then the mist rose, spread, and quickly dissipated into the cold air, just like her chaotic thoughts at this moment, nowhere to settle, yet truly existing.

"Fool……"

She muttered a curse under her breath, unsure whether she was cursing Li Xue or herself.

……

Two hours later.

Tang Yao pushed open the door, bringing with her the chill of winter. A dry, warm scent mixed with a faint lemon fragrance wafted in, instantly dispelling the fatigue from driving. The living room was spotless, the floor gleaming, and several potted plants by the French windows were thriving. Everything was in perfect order, exuding a sense of tranquility that had been carefully tended.

She changed into soft cotton shoes, then looked around and followed the very regular and slight rustling of clothes coming from the room to her younger sister Kaoru's room.

The door was wide open.

Tang Xun was kneeling on the carpeted floor with her back to the door, meticulously folding her clothes.

Because it faces the door from the side.

Tang Yao could only see half of Xun's cool and delicate profile.

She was packing clothes, but her expression was so focused that it was as if she were performing some kind of ritual.

The weather cleared up, and the winter afternoon sun reappeared, casting a soft glow on her through the window, outlining the girl's youthful and beautiful features.

She carefully placed the neatly folded sweaters, each one like a block of tofu, to one side with precise and quiet movements.

Tang Yao stood at the door, quietly watching her younger sister Xun's meticulous movements. That focus and quietness seemed to have a calming power, gradually calming her heartbeat, which had been somewhat chaotic since returning from the airport.

She didn't make a sound to disturb them, but simply looked gently at her younger sister's slender back.

The only sound in the air was the soft, rhythmic rustling of fabric as it folded.

soon.

Xun then neatly stacked the last folded piece of clothing to one side.

She let out a soft sigh of relief and straightened her back, as if she had completed an important ritual.

"..."

then.

She seemed to finally sense the gaze behind her, turned around, and looked at her pretty older sister standing in the doorway: "...What are you doing?"

Tang Yao snapped out of her daze, walked into the room, and knelt down as well, her graceful figure on full display: "I was thinking... are you going through your rebellious phase?"

"..."

Tang Xun simply rolled her eyes at her sister and ignored her.

Tang Yao was just joking, so she didn't continue the topic. Instead, she shifted her gaze and stared blankly at the sunlight streaming through the window, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking?"

Tang Xun noticed that her sister hadn't spoken for a long time and finally realized that something was wrong.

"I'm wondering if I've held them back..."

"Huh?...What do you mean?"

"..."

Tang Yao snapped out of her daze, feeling a little shy, and quickly shook her head: "It's nothing."

How could I possibly tell my sister this?

What a shame.

Tang Xun gazed at her sister's stunningly beautiful face, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly whispered, "This year, it's just the two of us for Chinese New Year. It's always been just the two of us since we were very young."

"..."

Tang Yao was slightly taken aback, then looked at her sister's cool and sincere face.

It was very awkward.

But she understood the general meaning.

They are each other's only support, the strongest fortress in each other's world. They have shared the most difficult times and have the deepest understanding.

The two sisters have nothing to hide...

Tang Xun quietly looked at her older sister.

Tang Yao turned her head away, then hesitated for a moment, suppressing her shyness, and carefully organized her words before asking the question that had been lingering in her heart in a more tactful way: "Xun... if, I mean if, my sister's life is like this... without starting her own family, just the two of us living together... what would you think? Would you feel... that my sister is holding you back?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xun showed no surprise or confusion on her fair face, as if she were pondering an extremely simple question.

A few seconds later, she said matter-of-factly, "No, I'll feel fine."

Tang Yao's red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something: "..."

Those anxieties about worldly affairs, responsibilities, and the future were about to spill out. But Tang Xun spoke first: "Sister, I'm almost eighteen, soon to be an adult. I will think carefully about every choice I make and take responsibility for it. Ideas imposed on others for their own good are still imposed after all. The definition of 'good' should not be given to me by others."

"You think it will hold me back... do you know what I think?"

"I think it's good as it is now. Home is where my sister is."

Speaking of which.

She pursed her lips slightly, her cool voice clearly revealing a sense of dependence: "I don't need anyone else to define what's good, not even my sister's definition, as long as my sister doesn't find me troublesome, as long as my sister still needs me."

"..."

Tang Yao stared at her sister, stunned. It was as if some invisible shackles had suddenly broken.

Those lingering feelings of guilt seemed small and distant under her sister's clear and firm gaze.

Let's leave Tang Xun aside for now.

Li Xue isn't about to turn 18...

"so……"

But soon.

Tang Yao then came to her senses.

Tang Xun's cool voice rang out again, carrying a sharp probing tone, instantly breaking Tang Yao's train of thought: "Who exactly is the person you were worried about delaying?"

"..."

Tang Yao's delicate body stiffened almost imperceptibly, as if her most secret thoughts had been touched.

Almost instinctively, she reached out, a hint of panic and unease in her voice, and gently ruffled Tang Xun's soft, smooth hair: "Okay, okay..."

She tried to brush it off in a lighthearted tone, but a blush crept onto her face uncontrollably: "How could I not need you?"

"..."

Tang Xun looked at her sister with a face full of suspicion.

"The New Year is almost here, don't think about these things. Hmm... Tell your sister, is there anything you particularly want for the New Year?"

Tang Yao's gaze darted around, trying to steer the conversation in a safer direction.

Tang Xun continued to stare intently at her older sister, her clear eyes like the purest ice crystals, clearly reflecting Tang Yao's forced composure, her blush as vibrant as peach blossoms, her slightly evasive gaze, and her flustered little movements... everything silently confirmed her guess.

"so……"

"Kaoru."

Tang Yao immediately interrupted her younger sister, gently patting her shoulder: "The adult world is very complicated, you know. It's too early for you to think about these things now. You should be thinking about what you want for your New Year's gift; you're another year older now."

Change the subject!

They made no attempt to change the subject!

Tang Xun didn't buy into her sister's perfunctory explanation. Her cool and beautiful eyes remained fixed on Tang Yao, as if to say, "Sister, what are you feeling guilty about?"
Seeing that his younger sister wasn't buying it.

Tang Yao glared at her younger sister: "If you ask again, the New Year's red envelope will be halved! Tell me about the New Year's gift."

Tang Xun's cherry lips pressed into a straight line, clearly feeling helpless against Tang Yao's tactics of using her status as an older sister to pressure her and offering material temptations.

She thought for a moment, but instead of continuing the conversation, she suddenly said, "Then come take a bath with me."

"what?"

Tang Xun slowly stood up from the carpet and pulled her sister up: "I won't ask, but the gift you promised last year has been delivered... or you can tell me."

"..."

Tang Yao remained expressionless, only able to let her younger sister lead her by the hand.

Three minutes later.

Shower room.

The sound of water pattering.

Two pairs of snow-white jade feet, like ice lotuses, stood facing each other, the rising steam slightly obscuring the delicate bodies of the two girls.

Looking at her graceful older sister, Tang Xun suddenly whispered, "You have such a great figure."

Tang Yao rubbed her long hair around her neck with one hand, while holding a large towel in the other, barely managing to cover her graceful figure and prominent feminine features. She glared at her sister and said, "Others are better!"

Tang Yao herself was taken aback after uttering the abrupt remark that others were better at it.

The wispy white mist seemed to freeze instantly, and even the sound of the pattering water seemed to fade into the distance.

Her mind was uncontrollably flooded with memories of a trip that wasn't too long ago, and she thought of a certain mature, sophisticated woman.

until.

He noticed his younger sister was watching him.

Tang Yao suddenly came to her senses and looked at her younger sister in front of her.

Unlike her, who was slender and curvaceous, possessing the voluptuous beauty of a mature woman.

Tang Xun's body lines are another kind of breathtakingly beautiful. Her frame is slender and well-proportioned, her shoulder line is straight and thin, and her collarbone is delicate, gleaming white under the water droplets.

However, this is relative.

Compared to Tang Yao, of course, but compared to others, she has the figure of an adult.

So Tang Yao said directly, "I was talking about yours."

Tang Xun: “…”

She had only one thought: her older sister was truly an idiot.

And he's a complete idiot who's utterly inept at pretending.

……

New Year's Eve is here.

Outside the window, the city's neon lights gradually illuminated the scene, the festive atmosphere of the New Year grew stronger, and the sporadic sounds of firecrackers echoed from the distant suburbs, heralding the approaching moment of family reunion.

In the sisters' home, warm yellow lights enveloped everything, and the lively Spring Festival Gala was playing on the television. The noisy background music only made the room feel more cozy and peaceful.

Tang Xun, wrapped in a thick blanket, was curled up in her sister's arms, her cool profile appearing somewhat hazy in the changing light and shadow of the screen.

She seemed a little tired, her eyelids drooping slightly, but she still watched the TV screen quietly.

Tang Yao was scrolling through her phone.

The two sisters huddled together like this, spending another Lunar New Year's Eve together.

Just like countless years ago.

soon.

Twelve o'clock has arrived.

As night deepened, fireworks began to rise and fall outside the window, bursting into brilliant colors and painting the dark blue night sky with ever-changing, magnificent hues.

"Kaoru."

The deafening explosions echoed from near and far.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Tang Yao's attention was drawn, and she looked up at the window before putting down her phone. She gently patted her younger sister's head, her voice clear and soft amidst the crackling firecrackers: "Happy New Year..."

Tang Xun did not respond, but simply nudged her older sister gently.

Already asleep.

Tang Yao was slightly taken aback, then looked at the girl sleeping peacefully in her arms, smiled suddenly, reached out and gently brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, and whispered, "Happy New Year."

And also at this time.

Ding-dong-

The message is coming.

Happy New Year... The moonlight is so beautiful here, Yao. [Image]

Tang Yao picked up her phone, opened it, and saw that it was a message from Li Xue.

Along with it came a picture... a bright, clear moon.

"..."

Tang Yao stared at the text message, slightly startled, and a blush crept onto her fair and beautiful face.

The two usually have nothing to say to each other.

So sometimes, Tang Yao would teach Li Xue some inside jokes that didn't exist in this world.

Tang Yao looked at the text message, remained silent for a long time, and then replied with a "Happy New Year".

Put down the phone.

"..."

Tang Yao looked at the window, thought for a moment, carefully laid her younger sister down, and then, wearing cute pink cotton shoes, tiptoed to the window.

Even on New Year's Eve.

There were actually quite a few pedestrians downstairs.

Most of them were in a hurry.

Tang Yao looked down at the residential area below, watching the hurried pedestrians, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion. She murmured, "It's been almost three years since I came here..."

"I've gotten used to it really quickly..."

Tang Yao withdrew her gaze, looked down at her shapely figure, and muttered to herself, her voice fading into the steam rising from the glass window, tinged with amusement.

There were also secret expectations that she herself did not fully understand.

She turned her gaze to the wider night sky outside the window, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

The lights of Avalon, the fighting spirit of the engine team, the expectations of the players, Li Xue... these images intertwined and swirled in her mind, eventually converging into a colorful future picture full of infinite possibilities.

Those are all proof of her existence.

"Time flies so fast."

Tang Yao gently pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat, and let out a long sigh.

That sigh contained so much: a sense of感慨 about the struggles and adaptations of the past three years, a heartache and gratitude for her sister's unwavering companionship, a complex mix of feelings and helplessness towards Li Xue, and even more so, anticipation for the road ahead.

The New Year's bells have long since rung, the old year has passed, and the knots in our hearts have been untied.

Happy New Year... Goodbye.

Standing before the quiet window where the old and new meet, Tang Yao took a deep breath, feeling her heart pounding faster in her chest due to various emotions. Looking at her reflection in the glass, she silently offered a blessing.

at the same time.

outside the window.

A firework suddenly shot into the sky.

Tang Yao was drawn in, slightly raising her snow-white chin, her gaze following the firework with its long trail of flame, and then watching it explode against the dark blue sky.

Radiant with light.

A moment of light illuminated her clear pupils and the exceptionally captivating smile on her beautiful face.

(End of this chapter)