If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Xi Song asked Xi Wen and Wang Jue why they were also going out at this time.

Xi Wen: "On New Year's Eve, there are many people and a lot of gossip. My godfather saw that you were late in returning, so he sent me to meet you."

Xi Song nodded, then looked at Wang Jue, "Is the Second Young Master also here to meet us?"

Wang Jue shrugged noncommittally, "With your older sister protecting you, nothing will happen."

Xi Song was indignant. "What do you mean my older sister is protecting me? If anything happens, it's definitely me protecting her, okay?"

Xi Lingxian interrupted, "I want to shop around a bit more. If you like arguing, go home and argue."

As the sun gradually set, the bustling activity on the streets showed no signs of abating.

Stalls selling sugar paintings, clay figurines, and all sorts of trinkets filled the streets with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Xi Lingxian and Xi Song walked at the front. The siblings looked six or seven parts alike and were both exceptionally good-looking. They were seen by countless people along the way.

Several bold passing girls even threw their handkerchiefs to Xi Song, who was so frightened by this that he hid behind Xi Lingxian.

"This is terrifying. These girls are terrifying. Even though I'm good-looking, I don't need to be this unreserved."

Xi Lingxian, who was once even less reserved, glanced at him with a lingering look.

Xi Wen followed closely behind the siblings, as an old woman selling velvet flowers enthusiastically hawked her wares. He went straight up to her, picked out two plain-colored velvet flowers, and, half flustered and shy, handed them to Xi Lingxian, "Sister-in-law, do you like them?"

Xi Lingxian's dressing case contained all sorts of exquisite silk and velvet flowers, but since her sworn brother had given her these as a token of his affection, she was bound to give him face.

"It's so beautiful, I love it."

Xi Wen's ears turned slightly red. "How about I have A Song put it on you?"

Xi Song heard this and called him back, saying, "What is it? Let me see."

"These velvet flowers are so plain, who bought them..." Before she could finish, she was glared at. "You think you're the only one who likes all sorts of bright colors, like a peacock with a flowery face?"

Xi Song stared in disbelief, thinking to himself, "How dare you say such a thing?"

Xi Wen scratched the back of his head. "I just think that after seeing my stepsister wearing such bright colors so often, it's refreshing to see her in something simple and understated."

"If my sworn sister doesn't like it, then give it to a maid."

"Brother, don't listen to Ah Song's nonsense, it's quite good."

Xi Wen laughed and pointed to a fruit-flavored candied fruit stall ahead, "I'll go buy some to eat while staying up late tonight."

After a long silence, Wang Jue stared at Xi Wen's retreating figure, then suddenly leaned close to Xi Lingxian's side and asked, "That Wanbaolou restaurant just now, it seemed to have imported crystal balls?"

Xi Lingxian turned to look at him.

"Don't you like that stuff?"

In his previous life, he returned from a business trip to Jiangnan with five crystal balls. Before his elders could even speak, they were snatched up by his younger sisters and nieces.

On the surface, she appeared magnanimous and forgiving, like an elder sister-in-law, saying that the younger generation could do as they pleased; but back in their own courtyard, she was seething with rage and almost strangled him; fortunately, he had a backup plan and took out the last crystal ball with tiny specks of sand floating in it from his personal bundle.

Then he clearly experienced what it meant to "change faces as easily as turning the pages of a book".

The hands that were gripping his neck suddenly loosened their grip and changed direction, wrapping their arms around his shoulders. She nestled into his arms with a grin, murmuring, "My husband is so good."

These trivial matters were ignored by everyone at the time, and he was often the one who got so angry that he jumped up and down in frustration.

But many years after she left, these things became clearer and clearer in his mind.

It's like a thorn lodged in my chest; it hurts to pull it out, and it hurts to even touch it.

Xi Lingxian's gaze lingered for a moment as she recalled the story of the crystal ball.

Just as he said, regardless of whether their feelings were genuine or not, as long as they didn't get jealous or quarrel, they had a period of harmonious marriage.

He couldn't argue with her, and he couldn't hit her, so he had no choice but to give in.

She, on the other hand, is most adept at testing the limits of his boundaries. If he doesn't react, she'll go further; if he gets angry, she'll run away.

Xi Lingxian tightened her grip on the ivory comb, avoiding his gaze. "Once you've played with it, you won't find it special anymore. You won't want it anymore."

"Once you've played with it, it's no longer special?"

It's no wonder he overthinks things; there's clearly a deeper meaning behind those words.

Xi Lingxian meant exactly that, pursing her lips: "Don't you know I'm fickle? There are so many new things out there, I just like things I've never seen before."

Wang Jue: "..."

When he is unhappy, Xi Lingxian is happy.

Xi Lingxian loved to annoy him; she'd be happy if he got so angry he died.

As dusk settled over Guangling City, the streetlights lit up one by one. When the four returned home, the house was already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the character "福" (fortune) on a large red background could be seen everywhere.

Xi Rui had personally pasted several of them. Seeing them return, she said proudly, "Qingyu wrote them by hand, and I pasted them by hand. How about it, isn't it?"

Xi Lingxian looked at it and saw that the red paper was neatly cut, the handwriting was vigorous, the strokes were sharp, the style was outstanding, and the power was penetrating the back of the paper.

Xi Song praised, "Who dares to say that the calligraphy of the Langya Wang family is bad? Not to mention that my second brother is one of the best in the Langya Wang family."

Wang Jue nodded and smiled slightly: "You'an just told me yesterday that I wrote it in a hurry and that I'm making a fool of myself."

Xi Song complained, "Being too low-key is annoying, huh?"

The flower hall was warm and cozy, like springtime.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats. Zhou Feng, Liu Kuang, and the others were all alone. Whenever the Xi family was in Guangling, Xi Jian would always have them stay to celebrate the New Year together.

The bond forged in adversity will never fade or change over the years.

The atmosphere at the banquet was peaceful and warm. Xi Jian, Liu Kuang, and others were drinking heartily, and their loud voices could be heard from three miles away.

This was the first time Wang Jue had left the palace and spent New Year's Eve at someone else's residence.

In previous years, the Wang family's New Year's Eve celebrations were filled with servants and relatives, a grand affair that was always bound by rules and regulations and filled with insincerity.

The more bustling and noisy the place, the colder and more alienated I feel inside.

The Xi family in front of them had only a handful of people, less than half the number of people at the Wang family's New Year's Eve dinner, but their liveliness and tranquility were in no way inferior.

According to the customs of this dynasty, people usually sit at separate tables at banquets. Today, because it is New Year's Eve and people are reunited, everyone is sitting around a round table made of sandalwood.

The seats next to Xi Lingxian should have been occupied by Xi Rui and Xi Song, but Xi Rui, being the disappointing one, was snatched away by Wang Jue.

They are guests, so you can't just tell them, "You shouldn't be sitting here, get up!"

By the time Xi Lingxian wanted to move, the elders had already taken their seats, and making a move at that point would only make her seem guilty.

With the candlelight flickering, Wang Jue slowly and meticulously picked out the tiny fish bones from the fish meat, not even sparing the soft bones hidden under the muscle fibers;

He was patient and meticulous, carefully selecting all the pieces before gently placing the boneless fish meat into the white porcelain bowl in front of Xi Lingxian.

Xi Lingxian held her chopsticks, seemingly oblivious.

Ignoring her reaction, Wang Jue took another steamed shrimp, removed its shell and vein, and handed it to her.

Seeing this, Xi Wen's gentle eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness. He immediately picked up the serving chopsticks, chose a piece of stewed tendon that was tender and put it steadily in front of Xi Lingxian.

"Sister, this dish is quite good, you should try it."

Wang Jue looked up and his gaze met Xi Wen's.

In an instant, sparks flew in the air, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Xi Lingxian felt confused. What did they take her for?

Are they prey that males compete for?

She dumped all the food in front of her onto Xi Song's plate next to her, annoyed. "I'm full, you can have some."

Xi Song: "..."

"Eat quickly, then we'll set off fireworks."

The chopsticks in Xi Song's hand flew into the air instantly.

As the banquet ended, the evening breeze carried the fragrance of flowers from the courtyard.

The palace lanterns cast a warm glow under the eaves, while fireworks piled up like small mountains on the open ground slabs of bluestone.

Xi Lingxian and Xi Song each took a firecracker and quickly lifted the largest firework.

"I'll order!"

Xi Lingxian is very daring; she can handle fireworks and firecrackers with ease.

The fireworks were set up on wooden stools brought by the servants. She held her breath and brought the tinder in her hand to the fuse. With a hiss, a spark ignited, and a bluish flame quickly flew into the fireworks tube, followed by a "bang".

Fireworks soared into the sky, bursting into countless golden fragments against the inky night, while sparks fell softly, illuminating the entire courtyard.

After the fireworks ended, several servants brought over bundles of sparklers.

Xi Lingxian, accompanied by Xi Song and a group of maids, each held a sparkler in both hands, their wrists twirling to create arcs of light.

Under the silvery-blue starlight, the girl's smile was bright and clear, charming and graceful, embodying the purest romance of a young girl.

Not far away, under the eaves, Wang Jue and Xi Wen stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the vibrant figure in the center of the courtyard.

Xi Wen was the first to withdraw her gaze, turning her head to look at the man beside her, whose aura was somber. "Does Young Master Wang have feelings for his sworn sister?"

Wang Jue's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the person not far away. Upon hearing this, he casually raised an eyebrow.

"Why does Vice General Xi ask a question he already knows the answer to?"

"What a coincidence, me too." Xi Wen's smile remained unchanged, but his gentle eyes held an unyielding determination.

Wang Jue smirked, his gaze disdainful: "So?"

"In truth, I am no match for Young Master Wang." Xi Wen paused, then looked again at the girl laughing freely in the courtyard. "But I dare say that I understand my sworn sister's heart better than Young Master Wang, and I have far more tenderness and patience than Young Master Wang. Young Master Wang is good in every way, but when it comes to the trivialities of love and affection, I'm afraid you have no time to care."

Wang Jue remained calm and composed, his eyes showing not even a hint of contempt or disdain.

"Does Vice General Xi know me very well?"