Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

The 28th day of the twelfth lunar month marks the approaching end of the Chinese New Year.

After a whole year, Beijing is finally starting to look like it's Chinese New Year these few days. Red lanterns are hung on both sides of the street, festive New Year songs are playing on a loop in shopping malls, and even the usually hurried office workers have a more relaxed look on their faces as they prepare for the holiday.

Lin Yuan took a rare long vacation.

The promotional campaign for "To Live" has come to an end, and the buzz surrounding "Young and Promising" has gradually stabilized. He still has a lot of work to do at Tianxing Entertainment, but he's temporarily postponed it all with the excuse, "Let's talk about it after the New Year."

The Spring Festival is finally here, so we can't keep focusing on work every day.

That morning, Lin Yuan drove Gu Zhiwan to a large nearby New Year's market to do some shopping before going home to spend the New Year with his parents.

"Lin Yuan, do you think we should make a list first?"

In the passenger seat, Gu Zhiwan looked down at her phone, carefully studying online New Year's shopping guides.

Lin Yuan gripped the steering wheel and casually said, "No need. Spring Festival couplets, 'Fu' characters, fruits, candies, and some dried fruit gift boxes will be enough."

"What about the lantern?"

"purchase."

"Where are the paper-cut window decorations?"

"Buy it too."

"And there's also a New Year's gift from Matuan!"

"How can a cat spend the New Year alone?"

Gu Zhiwan immediately turned to glare at him: "Why can't cats celebrate the New Year? Ma Tuan is also a member of our family."

Lin Yuan suppressed a laugh and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, buy it for it, buy two. Other people's cats eat canned food for the New Year, but our Matuan gets gifts for the New Year. It gets better treatment than me."

"Who told you to bully it every day?"

"I swear to God, it's clearly the one that hogs my pillow every day."

The two bickered all the way, and the car soon drove into a parking lot near the market.

As soon as I got off the bus, a strong festive atmosphere greeted me.

A row of large red lanterns hung at the market entrance, and stalls lined the street one after another, selling Spring Festival couplets, candies, dried fruits, and various preserved meats and cooked foods. The vendors' shouts rose and fell. Several children gathered around a toy stall, picking out New Year's gifts, while adults nearby carried bulging shopping bags, their faces full of smiles.

Gu Zhiwan clearly liked this lively place. She had only walked a few steps when she was attracted by a stall selling New Year decorations.

"Lin Yuan, come here quickly!"

She picked up a fluffy tiger pendant and waved it at him with a smile.

"Look at this, isn't it especially cute?"

Lin Yuan glanced down at it: "It's quite cute. Shall we buy it and hang it in the car?"

"no."

Gu Zhiwan tiptoed and hung the little tiger directly on the zipper of his coat. She took two steps back, looked it over, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm, that looks much better."

Lin Yuan looked down at the little tiger dangling from his chest, his expression somewhat helpless: "Miss Gu, I'm a public figure, you expect me to walk around with this thing hanging on my chest?"

"What's wrong? Doesn't it look good?"

"nice."

"Then you are not allowed to pick them."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gu Zhiwan was amused by his serious expression and picked out two more of the same ornaments. She kept one for herself and planned to hang the other on the key cabinet at home.

Next, the two explored almost the entire market.

Gu Zhiwan was in charge of picking, and Lin Yuan was in charge of carrying.

She bought two pairs of Spring Festival couplets, a pair of door gods, four large red lanterns, and also purchased window decorations, the character "福" (fortune), candies, and dried fruit gift boxes. When they arrived at the candy stall, Gu Zhiwan specially picked out a large bag of milk candies and secretly slipped two into Lin Yuan's coat pocket while he was paying.

Lin Yuan noticed the commotion and looked down at her, asking, "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing."

"Then why were you putting your hand in my pocket?"

"Here's a New Year's bonus for you."

Lin Yuan pulled out some milk candy, both amused and exasperated: "You think two candies are enough to get rid of me?"

Gu Zhiwan said seriously, "Be content, others don't have that yet."

Lin Yuan peeled one open and held it to her lips. After she opened her mouth and ate it, he put the other one into his own mouth.

When they came across the pet supplies stall, Gu Zhiwan picked out a small red collar and a plush fish for Ma Tuan.

When the two finally returned to the parking lot, Lin Yuan's hands were full of shopping bags, and even the trunk was packed to the brim.

He leaned against the car door, watching Gu Zhiwan still counting her spoils, and couldn't help but sigh, "Are we buying New Year's goods, or are we planning to open a small shop?"

Gu Zhiwan smiled and stuffed the last bag of candy into the box: "It's Chinese New Year, of course it should be lively and festive."

Seeing her enthusiastic expression, Lin Yuan also laughed.

"Okay, whatever you say."

……

It was almost noon when I got back to my hometown.

As soon as the courtyard gate opened, Jiang Wanqing came out to greet them.

"You're back? Why did it take you so long?"

"Mom, Zhiwan almost brought back the entire New Year's market." Lin Yuan complained as he took things out of the trunk.

Gu Zhiwan immediately retorted, "It's not that exaggerated!"

Jiang Wanqing looked at the New Year's goods piled up on the ground and couldn't stop smiling: "You bought a lot. The New Year should look like the New Year. Come on, Zhiwan, go inside and rest for a while. Let Lin Yuan carry it himself."

Lin Yuan immediately objected: "Mom, who is your biological son?"

"You're my biological son, that's why I'm making you do chores."

Gu Zhiwan stood to the side, laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Liguo came out of the house and saw his son carrying large and small bags. He took the two gift boxes from him.

"Alright, stop joking around and hurry up and get ready. We still need to put up the Spring Festival couplets this afternoon."

The family chatted and laughed as they busied themselves decorating the house.

Lin Yuan was in charge of climbing up and bringing a ladder to paste Spring Festival couplets and hang lanterns; Gu Zhiwan stood below to help hand over tape, hold the ladder, and also direct the work.

"A little to the left."

Lin Yuan moved to the left.

"A little more to the right."

Lin Yuan moved to the right again.

"It still seems a little crooked."

Lin Yuan looked down at her: "Comrade Gu Zhiwan, isn't your command ability somewhat lacking?"

Gu Zhiwan suppressed a laugh: "It's clearly because you didn't put it on well."

"Then why don't you come up?"

"I'm in charge of technical guidance."

Lin Yuan shook his head helplessly and readjusted the position of the Spring Festival couplets. But as soon as he reached out to press the tape above, the ladder under his feet wobbled slightly.

"Hey, watch out!"

Gu Zhiwan was startled and quickly reached out to hold the ladder.

Lin Yuan stood firmly, looked down and saw her nervous expression, and smiled to reassure her, "It's okay, the ladder just wobbled a little."

"Stop laughing! Stand still."

"Understood, Supervisor Gu."

Jiang Wanqing happened to be passing by with a fruit platter when she saw this scene and couldn't help but laugh, "Zhiwan, stop teasing him, or he'll really put the Spring Festival couplets up crooked."

"Mom, you see, there are still people speaking up for me." Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows smugly.

Jiang Wanqing then added, "But you too, taking your time putting up the Spring Festival couplets. Hurry up and finish so you can come inside and eat some fruit."

Lin Yuan immediately lost his temper.

In the living room, Lin Liguo was fiddling with the newly bought colored lights. After studying them for a long time, he finally managed to hang the light strip next to the TV cabinet.

He stepped back a few paces and looked around, then suddenly sighed, "A family is much more lively when there are more people."

Jiang Wanqing, who was putting up paper-cut window decorations, casually remarked upon hearing this, "What, isn't it lively enough now?"

"Not really." Lin Liguo cleared his throat. "It's just that I ran into Old Wang next door the other day, and his grandson can already call me grandpa."

Jiang Wanqing paused, immediately understanding her husband's meaning.

Stop beating around the bush.

Lin Liguo turned to Lin Yuan, who had just entered, and said, "Son, shouldn't you and Zhiwan consider this too? Look at Old Wang, he takes his grandson out for a walk every day. Now I can only walk the cat."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Tuan, who was lying on the sofa, raised his head and let out a lazy whimper.

Lin Yuan chuckled: "Dad, Ma Tuan will be heartbroken if he hears this."

"What's it sad about? It eats better than I do every day!"

Gu Zhiwan stood to the side, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan smiled and took over the conversation: "There's no rush, let nature take its course. You should get the colored lights set up first, so you don't plug them in the wrong way later."

Lin Liguo glared at him: "I'm talking to you about serious business!"

"Let's get down to business."

Jiang Wanqing finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Alright, why are you rushing us during the New Year? The children have their own plans."

Lin Liguo muttered a couple of things, but didn't continue.

Just then, Ma Tuan somehow slipped into the decorative bag, grabbed a string of small red ornaments, and ran under the sofa.

"Sesame balls!"

Gu Zhiwan quickly chased after her.

The little guy thought its owner was playing with it, so it ran around the living room with the ornament in its mouth, until Lin Yuan finally cornered it next to the coffee table.

"Still running away? It's the New Year and you're still not behaving properly."

Lin Yuan bent down and picked up the cat. Gu Zhiwan took the opportunity to take the ornament back from its mouth and put the newly bought red collar on it.

Ma Tuan was clearly not happy with its new look, shaking its head and meowing in protest.

Gu Zhiwan, however, loved it so much that she took several photos while holding it.

"Lin Yuan, look, aren't these sesame balls especially festive?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the cat's lifeless face and commented seriously, "It's certainly festive, but it looks rather unwilling."