Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

He looked listless and lacked energy.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, wanting to smile to cheer herself up, but then felt it was unnecessary.

The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor and the doors opened.

The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps.

The entryway light sensed her movement and turned on automatically.

Entering the house by fingerprint unlocking, there are several pairs of high heels neatly arranged on a shoe cabinet, next to which is a crystal tray containing a key, lipstick, and an unopened tube of hand cream.

She changed into slippers, tossed her car keys into the tray, and went into the living room.

The living room is large, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the city's nightscape, with its myriad lights twinkling in the night.

The sofa was off-white, and a tea set was placed on the coffee table, next to which was a fashion magazine with a few pages flipped through.

Lin Man slumped onto the sofa, sinking into it completely. All she could hear was the hum of the air conditioner running, and the atmosphere was cold and desolate.

So she picked up the remote, turned on the TV, randomly changed to a channel, and let the sound fill the whole room.

No matter how loud the sound, it was difficult to dispel the loneliness in my heart.

She unlocked her phone, ready to chat with someone; the screen showed her earlier conversation with Baima.

【White Horse is Not a Horse】: Sister Man, are you in Changsha?

[Linhu Leads the Way]: Yes, what's up?

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: Are you busy?

[Lin Hu leads the way]: Not in a hurry.

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: Shall we go out for a late-night snack?

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: [Address]

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: My brother said this restaurant is especially delicious.

[Lin Hu Leads the Way]: Okay, I'll be right there.

Lin Man hovered her finger above the screen, beginning to think.

Why did she readily agree to go out for a late-night snack with Baima?

Is he the biggest financial backer of the gaming companion store?

I'm just too lonely and want to talk to someone...

Lin Man tossed her phone aside, continued to blank out her thoughts, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

She didn't know what was playing on TV; the sound was a buzzing noise, like background noise.

She suddenly remembered the way Ding Heng looked at Bai Zhiya at the dinner table earlier.

Calm, indifferent, without the slightest ripple.

It's like looking at something insignificant.

A strange feeling welled up inside her.

Did Ding Heng look at her with the same gaze?

She tried to recall it carefully, but couldn't remember.

It seems that... Ding Heng's attitude towards her changed at some point.

Unlike before, he wouldn't cooperate with her acting or play those ambiguous little games with her.

His gaze towards her grew increasingly indifferent, his words became more and more perfunctory, and he couldn't even be bothered to get angry.

Just like today.

She drove Bai Zhiya away in anger, and he didn't even utter a word of blame.

It's not magnanimity, it's simply indifference.

He didn't care what she did.

Lin Man suddenly felt a little cold.

She curled up her legs and huddled into a ball.

There were several unopened boxes of skincare products on the coffee table; they were samples given to me by a friend.

Next to it is a bottle of red wine, also a New Year's gift from a friend, a 12 vintage, worth over ten thousand yuan.

Unlike Baima, Lin Man has many, many friends, and her social circle is basically centered around her.

Whenever she has an idea, she posts it on her WeChat Moments and immediately receives countless likes and follows!

But now that the year is drawing to a close, I can only face the New Year alone.

Lin Man picked up her phone again and opened the family group chat.

The message count is already 99+.

She scrolled up and saw that her cousins ​​were sending out red envelopes, and everyone was having a great time grabbing them.

Some people are posting pictures of their New Year's Eve dinner menus, some are sharing videos of their homes putting up Spring Festival couplets, and several younger relatives are sending New Year's greetings in group chats, their words as sweet as honey.

Lin Man, are you coming back for Chinese New Year this year?

She scrolled down and saw that someone had tagged her.

I'm not replying, something's come up.

She typed, her tone polite yet distant.

It's so lonely being out alone. Come back home; it's lively there.

It was sent by her second aunt. It looked very affectionate, but Lin Man knew it was all just empty politeness.

As a parasite that the entire family cannot get rid of, she will immediately be met with countless scornful looks and criticisms if she goes back.

I have other things to do.

After posting this, she added a smiley face emoji.

There was no further reply.

She left the family group chat and aimlessly scrolled through her WeChat Moments.

The first post is Hua Qing's update.

In the photo, Hua Qing is not wearing Hanfu, which is rare for her. She is wearing a bright red sweater, which looks particularly festive.

She stood in front of a table full of dishes, with Hua Yue and several elders beside her, all of them smiling happily.

The caption reads: "Going home for the Chinese New Year."

Below are a bunch of likes and comments.

Lin Man stared at the photo for several seconds.

Hua Qing smiled naturally, unlike her usual cold demeanor, and seemed to be in a good mood.

The whole family was reunited, and it was a lively and joyous occasion.

But Lin Man only felt that it was dazzling.

She turned off the TV, put down her phone, and pulled the blanket over her head.

In the darkness, she could hear her own breathing.

It was very light and quiet.

Like this apartment.

Like this year.

Chapter 151: Chinese New Year

On New Year's Eve, Ding Heng opened his eyes at exactly six o'clock sharp, before the sky outside the window was fully bright.

He changed his clothes and went downstairs. Sister Jiang was busy in the kitchen, steaming something on the stove. White steam rose and the air was filled with the aroma of glutinous rice.

Ding Heng greeted her, "Sister Jiang, so early?"

Sister Jiang turned around, her hands still busy: "Little Ding is awake? Breakfast will be ready soon."

Ding Heng walked over and glanced at the steamer on the stove: "What are you steaming?"

"Sweet rice cake is a must-make for the Spring Festival in my hometown of Suzhou and Hangzhou."

Sister Jiang lifted the lid of the steamer and glanced inside: "The boss wants to have good luck for the New Year and has something sweet to eat, so he asked me to make some pastries. I don't know if they'll suit your tastes."

Ding Heng said politely, "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Jiang. It's the New Year, and you're still busy."

"Hey, what's so hard about this?"

Sister Jiang waved her hand: "The overtime pay the boss gave me is enough for me to live at home for three years. I should thank you all."

As she spoke, she took the steamed rice cakes out of the steamer, cut them into evenly thick slices, and arranged them on a plate.

Ding Heng then asked, "Sister Jiang, will you be busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner by yourself tonight?"

"No, that's not it."

"How to say?"

"The boss will arrange a professional chef team to come over at two or three in the afternoon to prepare, and the banquet will start at seven in the evening."

Sister Jiang counted on her fingers: "Seven dishes, two soups, and a dessert, just to make it perfect. I've already checked the menu with the chef several times. It's mainly Hunan and Sichuan cuisine, which should suit your family's tastes."

Ding Heng nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

Footsteps approached from afar, and Pema yawned, calling out lazily.

"Sister Jiang! Is breakfast ready yet?! I'm starving!"

"Alright, alright, shall we prepare the milk?"

"Of course you need to. How can you grow taller if you don't drink milk?"

Baima ran downstairs with her short legs, picked up a piece of sweet rice cake and put it in her mouth: "Mmm...delicious, as expected, the best snacks are from Suzhou and Hangzhou!"