Chapter 124 — Celebrating the New Year in Beijing

The plane arrived at the capital airport just after two in the afternoon.

Having been busy packing until late the previous night, she had gone to bed late. But once lying down, sleep did not come easily; Yishu’s mind replayed various question-and-answer scenes imagining meeting Xu Shixi’s parents.

Xu Shixi had woken up early. He knocked on the door, but there was no response inside. Opening it to check, he saw her still deeply asleep under the covers. So he stepped outside, picked up his phone from the table, and changed the morning nine o’clock plane ticket to noon.

Actually, Yishu preferred taking the high-speed train, as she enjoyed watching the scenery along the way. From Yun City heading north, passing through Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Hebei, and finally entering Beijing.

Though Shandong was still blanketed in heavy snow, Beijing was under a clear, endless blue sky.

Hearing it from the meteorologist’s report alone could hardly capture the wonder of this contrast.

Yishu sat by the window seat. After the plane pierced through the clouds, sunlight poured over the fuselage without obstruction.

Outside the window stretched a vast expanse of white, like billowing smoke spreading endlessly into a sea.

A few small birds, whose names she couldn’t recall, brushed past the plane’s body and flew backward. Seeing birds at this time of year in Yun City was rare indeed.

Inside the terminal, the crowd was dense and chaotic. The electronic display screen changed flight information every few seconds. Standing amidst it all, Yishu felt dizzy, as if she had arrived at a time-travel hub, where congested entrances and exits conveyed travelers back and forth.

The crowd pushed her to another spot, deepening her dizziness.

“Let’s go.” Xu Shixi retrieved the luggage from the check-in area and patted her right shoulder from behind. “We should take the subway; the roads will probably be congested now.”

Yishu nodded sluggishly, her delayed reflexes slowly returning.

“Are you feeling unwell?” He noticed something was wrong.

“I’m fine.” For some reason, Yishu suddenly felt as if she had entered a vast space where the crowd moved irregularly, like echoes bouncing through a valley, causing her mind to involuntarily drift.

They took the airport line to Sanyuanqiao, transferred to Line 10, and went straight to Jiaomen West.

The subway was not empty but far less crowded than usual.

Xu Shixi lived in Fengtai District. After getting off at Jiaomen West, it was less than a kilometer’s walk westward, then a turn, and they arrived at the Die Lian Hua residential complex.

The buildings here were modern in style. Looking around, only a few vendors selling candied hawthorn stood by the roadside.

Beijing’s winter was bitterly cold. The sun was like a lamp kept in an ice cellar; relying on it for warmth was impossible. At just three o’clock, it had already hastened to disappear beyond the western horizon.

The streets were adorned with New Year decorations—lanterns, Chinese knots, couplets… strings of festive lights hung under the street lamps in sequence.

There were also a few songs about the New Year playing on loop.

But hearing them too often inevitably became tiresome.

Xu Shixi’s mother had gone to a nearby supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner, while his father was waiting at the Jiaomen West exit to greet them.

He wore a thick military coat, black cotton boots, and a dark brown cap. Upon seeing them, he promptly removed his mask, revealing a weathered yet handsome face.

He was probably around sixty years old. Yishu guessed he looked no more than forty-seven or forty-eight. Aside from the unavoidable forehead and laugh lines, his vigorous spirit shone with the vitality of a man in his thirties.

“You’ve finally arrived.” Mr. Xu spoke in perfect Beijing dialect. “You must be Yishu? Shixi has mentioned you several times. It’s good to meet you at last.”

Yishu licked her dry lips, her face stinging from the wind, yet the nervousness rising in her head made her forget the physical discomfort. “Hello, uncle.”

Seeing her tension, Mr. Xu quickly added, “No need to be nervous. Shixi’s mother and I aren’t the kind of in-laws you see on TV who enjoy making life difficult for their daughter-in-law.”

Daughter-in-law? Yishu’s cheeks flushed crimson. That term felt premature, at least for now, making the situation somewhat embarrassing.

“Dad, stop it.” Xu Shixi rescued her, “Let’s go back inside; don’t stand here in the cold.”

“Oh, right, right!” Mr. Xu patted the back of his head. “We’ll talk inside, we’ll talk inside.”

Though less than a kilometer away, Yishu felt overwhelmed by his intense enthusiasm and the barrage of questions. He was eager to learn what kind of girl the one who had long existed in his son’s mouth really was.

Passing an intersection, they turned left onto a side street. Both sides were lined with various medium and small vehicles. Bare branches of sycamore trees stretched toward the pale sky, and the large roots beneath had pushed the pavement tiles into uneven peaks and valleys.

The gate was ajar, and Mrs. Xu was busy in the kitchen. She had just returned from the supermarket and started working without a break.

Xu Shixi called toward the kitchen.

Mrs. Xu put down the vegetables, wiped her hands on her apron, and came out. She wore a dark red pullover and styled her hair into a neat bun. She looked just over forty, but based on Xu Shixi’s age, she must have been in her fifties.

“You’re finally back!” Mrs. Xu was delighted, standing on tiptoe to hug Xu Shixi. Her gaze passed through his hair to see Yishu standing behind him. “Yishu, I hope I’m right?” She took a step forward and gently embraced her. “Welcome.”

Yishu was moved by their warmth and let down all her guard. She had feared that what had happened with Yan Lu would be a forewarning for herself. Last night and on the way here, all sorts of dreadful scenarios had played out in her mind.

But now, perhaps she had worried unnecessarily.

She hoped the future would unfold favorably.

Xu Shixi took Yishu to his room and unpacked the two large suitcases.

Only then did Yishu notice how simple his home was, decorated in an extremely minimalist style. Aside from the usual furniture and appliances, there were no excessive adornments.

Instead, it gave a feeling of solidity.

Xu Shixi’s bedroom was equally plain. The only notable feature was the mountain of awards and certificates piled on the bookshelf opposite the bed.

— Gold Medal, International Junior Mathematical Olympiad.

— First Prize, Beijing High School Literary Speech Contest.

— Second Place, Autumn Athletics Meet, Men’s 1000m Run.

...

— Third Prize, Langtao Cup Fashion Design Competition.

On the back of these trophies and certificates, Yishu found a somewhat incongruous certificate.

“Aren’t you studying finance?” she asked him, holding the certificate.

“That’s right, I am.” Xu Shixi was folding clothes.

“So you also design clothes?” She walked over with the certificate.

He took it from her and looked at it thoughtfully. “I barely remember. I think I just doodled for fun, and the teacher submitted it to a contest. Unexpectedly, I won by accident.”

“What did you draw? I want to see.” Her eyes sparkled.

“I don’t know where I put it.” He raised his eyebrows. “Check the drawer against the wall; maybe it’s there.”

But however hard she searched, she couldn’t find it and gave up disappointed.

Dinner started before five, serving authentic Beijing dishes. The centerpiece was a steaming pot of lamb hotpot.

Mrs. Xu kept offering Yishu food, so much that her bowl was no longer visible beneath the pile of vegetables rising three centimeters above the rim.

Yishu ate awkwardly and dared not meet their eyes, mechanically repeating “thank you” while focusing on her food.

Xu Shixi thoughtfully peeled the lamb slices and picked out the scallions and garlic she disliked.

Seeing this, Mr. and Mrs. Xu wholeheartedly approved of their relationship.

When two people are together, leaving aside all external factors, societal prejudices, family backgrounds, differences in status and identity, as long as love remains in the heart, no one can stand in the way.

Yishu was surprised they did not ask about the details of her relationship with him. Perhaps Xu Shixi had already explained everything carefully over the phone, so there was no need for further inquiry.

She was glad not to have to delicately recount the joys and sorrows of the past year. After all, once others’ judgments enter a couple’s story, the sweetness inevitably fades.

After dinner, Yishu helped Mrs. Xu clear the table. She believed that showing initiative was the first step to winning favor. She hadn’t helped with dinner preparations, but at least she should take on the cleanup.

Mrs. Xu naturally didn’t agree to her working on her first day at the house, but Yishu was unexpectedly stubborn. They argued without resolution until Xu Shixi intervened, suggesting he and Yishu wash up while the elders sat on the sofa, focused on watching the Spring Festival Gala.

Looking back, Yishu realized it had been four or five years since she had watched the gala in its entirety. During the New Year spent at Yan Lu’s house, they had left shortly after dinner, riding an electric bike home with Yihui.

Along the way, fireworks lit up the night sky, painting a colorful path.

Not a single pedestrian was in sight; only the white birches and camphor trees swayed in the wind, rustling softly. There was loneliness, solitude, and a subtle sorrow.

She wondered whether they were all gazing up at the same night sky.

Lying in bed, Yishu once again found herself unable to sleep.

In Beijing, where fireworks were banned, this year’s New Year was especially quiet. So quiet that a chill crept into her heart. Yet the bedroom radiator was on full blast, suggesting there were other reasons as well.