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Back then, the Xie family was not the desolate place it would become later.

During the Lantern Festival, the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and servants moved about like clouds.

Grandfather Xie Jing, though elderly and vigorous, sat upright in the main hall, though his hands, which had been restoring ancient books, were no longer steady due to age and he could no longer do it himself.

But whenever the eldest grandson came to pay his respects, he would always pull the little boy to his side, point to the precious tattered scrolls spread out on the ground, and in an ancient tone, narrate the long-lost techniques of repairing and coloring.

Little Xie Jing listened attentively, his eyes filled with utter admiration for his grandfather. The stern old man, however, only showed a rare tenderness in the wrinkles around his eyes when facing this intelligent eldest grandson.

At that time, the Xie family also had a second and a third branch.

The second wife, Xie Wenbo, and his wife would also bring Xie Xu, who was two years younger than Xie Jing, to pay their respects.

Xie Wenyu, the third son, is the most carefree and unrestrained. He is unwilling to marry and have children and travels all over the world. He rarely returns home during festivals, but he always brings back some strange and unusual overseas gadgets for the younger generation.

The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival, and it is an even bigger event for the Xie family, who are known for their adherence to tradition.

Often, several tables are set up for the banquet. In addition to the main family, there are also children and nephews of appropriate age from affiliated families such as the Lin, Wen, and Han families who are dependent on the Xie family.

Lin Zhou, who was only ten years old at the time, had already been doing odd jobs for Xie Jing's grandfather for many years.

He remembered that Xiao Xiexu was the most lively, and before the banquet started, he would always laugh and play with the other children.

At that time, Xie Jing's schoolwork was already very heavy. During the rare Lantern Festival holiday, he was still very quiet. He would often sit on the porch and gently stroke the little orange cat that had appeared out of nowhere.

That was a truly beautiful and auspicious time.

Warm lanterns hung under the eaves. Under the lanterns, adults chatted, while children laughed and shared snacks, waiting for the feast to begin.

However, that beautiful moment was shattered in a single night.

The eldest son's family was destroyed overnight, leaving only nine-year-old Xie Jing alive.

The second wife was swiftly and decisively purged, expelled from the clan, and banished from the family.

The third wife was heartbroken and went overseas, refusing to return home.

The once illustrious and bustling Xie family quickly fell silent.

From then on, the Lantern Festival, or any festival for the Xie family, was no different from any other day.

It was even more desolate and painful than usual.

Now, twenty years have passed since the Lantern Festival's full moon shone, but it no longer brings any joy.

All that could be seen was the empty courtyard, the cold ancestral hall, and the Xie family heir who had swiftly shed his childishness and was forced to grow up overnight amidst blood and snow.

Until today.

It's still the Lantern Festival, and the full moon still hangs high in the sky.

The old lanterns that suddenly shattered under the corridor have become the warm landscape lights of today, illuminating the towering peak of this modern city.

The guests were no longer the adults and children of the affiliated family, but a group of young people who had no connection with the Xie family in the past.

There were no cumbersome formalities, no clinking of glasses with differing intentions, only a young man named Shang Song, along with his carefree and unrestrained friends, who brought vibrancy and warmth to the room.

Lin Zhou turned his gaze away from the full moon in the sky and put the Wagyu beef that Shang Song had sent him into his mouth. The steam from the beef had dissipated, but the rich aroma of the fat still melted on his tongue, bringing a sense of satisfaction from the comfort of the food.

He had just swallowed the beef in his mouth when Shang Song ran over with a serving of crab roe xiaolongbao. The thin, cicada-wing-like dough held the sweet and savory crab roe, and it was steaming hot.

Shang Song picked one up, blew on it, and eagerly fed it to Xie Jing's lips: "Blow on it again! Be careful, it's hot! Blow on it a couple more times!"

Xie Jing's smile deepened. He blew on the bun again and again until it was no longer hot, then he ate the crab roe soup dumpling with Shang Song's help.

As Lin Zhou watched this scene, he vaguely thought to himself that this was probably the most lively Lantern Festival the patriarch had ever experienced in the past twenty years.

Or perhaps it could be said that this is... the Lantern Festival closest to "happiness".

"Brother Lin Zhou! Have some crab roe xiaolongbao! They're so delicious!" Just as Lin Zhou was thinking this, Shang Song had already picked up two crab roe xiaolongbao and carefully placed them on the plate in front of Lin Zhou. "Be careful, they're hot! They'll burst with juice!"

Lin Zhou looked at the two paper-thin steamed buns on the plate, then glanced at Shang Song's eyes as he shared the food. The melancholy he felt because of the past was silently dispelled.

He gave a smile, a casual thank you, but also something else entirely: "Thank you, Mr. Shang."

Shang Song laughed and ran off again, while Xu Zhao was inviting him to try his newly baked "Xu's Barbecue".

On the terrace of the 85th floor of Genting Highlands, laughter and joy filled the air under the full moon.

In another corner of the city, the moonlight remained, but the place was eerily quiet and desolate.

In the living room of the Zhou family villa, a huge crystal chandelier cast a stark white light on the otherwise empty space.

On the long dining table, the housekeeper nervously set out the Lantern Festival meal.

Several exquisite dishes, a bowl of glutinous rice balls, and only one set of bowls and chopsticks.

Zhou Yun sat in front of the set of bowls and chopsticks, her hair simply tied up haphazardly.

Her makeup was still exquisite, but it couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes and the weariness in her eyes.

She stared blankly at the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, motionless.

It was too quiet in the room.

It was so quiet that you could hear the laughter and chatter of other people outside the window.

In previous years, no matter how much her son would fuss with her, he would come home at this time.

She would criticize her son's clothes and nag him to drink less alcohol. Her son might get impatient or give her a perfunctory answer... but at least there was some noise in the house.

But now, his son is in a detention center.

She tried countless connections, but she couldn't even get a single meeting with him.

The news that Liu Lu brought was getting worse with each passing day.

The game company that the son painstakingly built, even by unscrupulous means, is in turmoil.

Internal factions are engaged in a frantic power struggle, vying for control and profit, each trying to extract more resources and benefits from this precarious situation so that they can better protect themselves when the empire collapses.

But she was at a loss.

No matter how many connections she used or how much money she spent, she couldn't get a single clue as to who was suppressing her son.

She thought, she always is like this.

When her husband got into trouble, she was completely lost and, along with her son, was kicked out of the Xie family home.

Now that her son is in trouble, she still can't help much.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yun suddenly sobbed and wiped away her tears haphazardly.

She came from a merchant family; her family was in the spice business.

She was born to her parents in their middle age, and being the youngest, she was the apple of their eye.

Everyone doted on her.

She was beautiful, lively, and even a bit rebellious because she was spoiled.

Tired of the monotonous school life, he pestered his father to take him traveling all over the country.

It was during one of her trips south that she met Xie Wenbo.

Xie Wenbo was a young man at the time, and he was used to the dullness of the Xie family. When he first saw her, such a bright and lively girl, he was almost instantly smitten.

She had never seen such a scene before. The other party came from an excessively prominent family. He was a true scion of a noble family, elegant and knowledgeable, completely different from the merchant sons she had ever met.

The marriage was arranged quickly. Although the parents were somewhat uneasy, they agreed because they saw their daughter was happy and the Xie family's betrothal gifts were generous.

On the eve of her wedding, her mother combed her hair, wiping away tears, and said with a smile:

"Our daughter is born lucky. Marrying into such a prestigious family means she's going to enjoy a life of happiness. From now on, she'll have a wonderful life."