"Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year!"

While the host of the Spring Festival Gala was stirring himself up over the year behind them and the year ahead, the four of them at the New Year's Eve table raised their glasses together and toasted the new one.

Firecrackers had been going off since three or four in the afternoon, and as it got dark they had risen to a peak. Every household set off a string of them outside while the New Year's Eve dinner was under way. That was the rule, for as long as any of them could remember.

"To Dad and Mom. Good health this year, and everything the way you want it. And to me — big luck and big money."

Then Xu Ye turned to Chen Qingqing. "And to you staying eighteen forever, and a better temper this year. No more pushing me around."

Chen Qingqing heard that and had no idea how to answer without embarrassing herself. She wrinkled her small nose, and while Xu Ye was drinking, her hand went under the table and gave his thigh a vicious pinch.

Xu Ye took her hand without a flicker showing on his face, and cheerfully put food in her bowl.

Nothing on this year's Gala was worth watching, and Xu Ye had no memory of any of it. He ate until he was about half full, then got his phone out and started sending New Year wishes to everyone he had on WeChat.

The class group came first.

Xu Ye put two red packets of two hundred yuan each into the group, which flushed every last classmate out of hiding, then @-ed everyone with a Happy New Year.

They claimed the packets and came back one after another with New Year wishes of their own.

After that he messaged his counselor Su Tong privately. It was short, but at least he had not copied it from the internet.

Su Tong sent back a simple And to you.

Then the company group.

Xu Ye said nothing at all in there. He just sent a dozen or…