I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

Lunar New Year's Eve is approaching.

Chen Dapeng and He Ying booked a medium-sized private room at the hotel.

A round table can seat ten people, and tableware and fruit platters have already been set on the table.

"Sister Ying, my dad called again. He'll be here in about half an hour."

He Ying nodded and went over to help him rearrange the bowls and chopsticks on the table.

This was an arrangement the two of them had agreed upon.

We booked a private room at this hotel in the provincial capital for Chinese New Year's Eve so that both families could celebrate together.

He Yi was initially reluctant to come, saying he wasn't used to eating New Year's Eve dinner outside.

He Ying tried to persuade her for a while on the phone, saying:

"Dapeng's parents specifically said they wanted to spend the holiday together."

He Yi finally relented.

……

Half an hour later, Chen Dapeng's parents arrived first.

Chen's mother, wearing a dark red coat and carrying several bags, entered the door and cheerfully handed He Ying a thermal container.

"Yingying, these are dumplings I made this morning, pork and cabbage filling. Try them."

He Ying took it, opened it, and glanced at it. The dumplings were neatly wrapped, each one plump and firm.

She quickly thanked her, saying, "Auntie, you're too kind."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "It's Chinese New Year, so the ones you make yourself look the most presentable."

Chen's father followed him in, nodded to He Ying, and then glanced at Chen Dapeng:

"Have you ordered all the food?"

"It's all ordered. We'll serve the food as soon as Uncle He arrives."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Chen Yang and his family of three arrived.

Li Zilong, wearing a new red coat, called out as he entered:

"Aunt."

Then he ran over, grabbed He Ying's hand, and looked up at her:

"Auntie, my mom said I'm going to be a big brother someday."

He Ying paused for a moment, then looked down at Li Zilong.

He had grown taller, and his expression carried the excitement unique to someone who had just learned of something important.

"Yes, when you become a big brother, you'll have to take care of your younger siblings."

He Ying bent down and patted his head.

"I will definitely take good care of you."

Chen Yang followed him in, chuckled, and said, "After I mentioned it to him, he kept asking me when I could see my younger brother and sister."

He Ying straightened up, glanced at Chen Yang, and they both smiled.

At this moment, Li Tianqin also came in, greeted Chen Dapeng, and then sat down at the table.

He Yi was the last to arrive.

He was wearing a dark gray jacket, his hair was neatly combed, and his eyes swept around the private room after he entered.

Chen's mother had already stood up and went to greet her:

"Brother He, please have a seat, please have a seat. We've been waiting for you to start the feast."

He Yi nodded without saying anything more and sat down next to He Ying.

Chen Dapeng sat down next to them and saw the two families sitting down at the same table. He felt a sense of relief.

He didn't say anything, but reached out and poured He Ying a glass of warm water and placed it beside her, and then poured He Yi a cup of tea.

The hotel dishes were served one after another.

Chen's mother placed a piece of fish on He Ying's plate:

"Yingying, eat more fish to nourish your body."

He Ying lowered her head and said "thank you," then picked up the food and ate it slowly.

Chen's mother then turned to He Yi: "Brother He, try these ribs, they're stewed until very tender."

He Yi also picked up a piece, took a bite, and commented.

"This dish is good."

After eating for a while, Li Zilong couldn't sit still anymore and started squirming in his chair.

She quieted down after being glared at by Chen Yang, but soon went back to playing with the tassels on the edge of the tablecloth.

Li Tianqin reached out and pulled him back, whispering, "Eat well."

Li Zilong pursed his lips and lowered his head to eat a couple of mouthfuls of rice.

Then he looked up at He Ying:

"Auntie, can the baby in your belly hear me now?"

There was a moment of silence at the dinner table, then Chen's mother laughed first, and everyone else followed suit.

He Ying looked down at Li Zilong's serious expression and gently touched his head:

"We don't know yet. Maybe we'll be able to hear it when we're a little older."

Li Zilong nodded:

"I'll talk to him about it later."

Chen Dapeng sat beside him watching the scene without saying a word, but the corners of his mouth remained curved in a smile.

After several rounds of drinks, Chen's mother stood up, holding her wine glass:

"Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and it's a rare occasion that our two families can celebrate together. From now on, let's celebrate together every year."

She didn't say much emotional stuff; she just finished speaking and took a sip.

He Yi also picked up his wine glass, gestured towards Chen's mother, and then took a sip.

Chen's mother glanced at He Yi and sat down.

He Ying sat next to Chen Dapeng, watching this scene without saying a word.

She reached under the table and gently shook Chen Dapeng's hand.

He sensed her movement, glanced down at her, smiled slightly, said nothing, and took her hand in his.

The New Year's Eve dinner lasted almost two hours.

Chen's mother was busy serving food to everyone.

He Yi occasionally chimed in with a comment, while Chen Yang teased Li Zilong from the side.

Li Tianqin and Chen Dapeng clinked glasses several times, drinking tea the whole time.

Chen Dapeng was going to drive, and Li Tianqin was also going to drive. The two tacitly agreed to drink tea instead of alcohol.

It was almost nine o'clock when the party ended.

Several people helped pack up the things.

Chen's mother held He Ying's hand and said a few words at the door, the gist of which was not to overwork during the New Year and to take care of her health.

He Ying agreed to everything and only let go of her hand after she finished speaking.

Mr. Chen stood to the side without saying a word, but before leaving, he glanced at He Ying and nodded as a greeting.

Chen Yang's family left first. Li Zilong was carried into the car by Li Tianqin. He leaned against the car window, waved to He Ying, and called out:

Goodbye, Auntie.

He Ying waved to him until the car drove out of the hotel gate.

Next were Chen Dapeng's parents.

Before getting into the car, Chen's mother gave one more piece of advice:

"Dapeng, take good care of Yingying."

Chen Dapeng replied, "I understand," and only after his parents' car had driven away did he turn to look at He Ying.

He Yi had already reached the hotel entrance. He stood on the steps with his back to the two of them, as if deliberately giving them some space to talk.

He Ying walked over, and He Yi turned around when he heard the footsteps:

"I'll just take a taxi back."

"Dad, I'll take you."

"No need, it's not far."

He Yi glanced at Chen Dapeng, who was standing not far away, then looked back at He Ying.

"Today was great."

He paused for a moment.

"Dapeng's parents are good people."

He Ying's lips curved slightly:

"Um."

He Yi didn't say anything more, turned around and walked down the steps, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and bent down to get in.

He Ying stood there for a while, until the car was completely out of sight, before turning around and walking back to Chen Dapeng's side.

Chen Dapeng reached out and put his arm around her shoulder:

"Sister Ying, let's go back."

He Ying turned her head to look at him and said with a smile:

"Dapeng, you had a good Spring Festival this year."

Chen Dapeng nodded: "Yes, we'll do it like this every year from now on."