BNR Chapter 26

Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was the Eve of the Chinese New Year.

Mu Qi’s parents called to ask if she wanted to spend the New Year with them, but Mu Qi declined. Her father had formed a new family, and her mother was busy, so she didn’t want to add to the chaos.

A couple of days earlier, she had gone shopping for New Year goods with Hu Ying. Even though she would be spending the New Year alone this time, she still wanted to be prepared.

The next day was New Year’s Eve. Mu Qi got up early to clean the house, and it took her until noon to finish. Then she started to prepare the dishes she had prepared the day before. After a satisfying meal, before she could even rest, Hu Ying knocked on her door.

“Anything wrong?” Mu Qi asked.

Hu Ying pushed her way into Mu Qi’s house with a cheerful smile. Seeing the freshly cleaned home and shiny floors, Hu Ying changed into slippers and said, “I planned to come over to help you clean, but it seems you’ve finished it all by yourself.”

Mu Qi followed her inside, closed the door, and said with a smile, “Did you sleep until ten again this morning?”

Since the start of the holiday, Hu Ying had completely let loose, refusing to get out of bed until the sun had already risen high. Her mom didn’t urge her to wake up, and every time she did wake up, it was almost time for lunch.

Having her morning routine exposed, Hu Ying wasn’t embarrassed. She even proudly said, “Of course. I won’t give up sleeping in now. When school starts next year, I won’t have the luxury of sleeping in anymore.”

Next year would be the start of their senior year in high school, the most rigorous and crucial year.

On the other hand, Su Yanxi spent the whole day helping her mom clean the house. In the afternoon, they pasted couplets for the Spring Festival. In the evening, it was time for the New Year’s Eve dinner. After the feast, Su’s parents sat on the living room sofa, continuing to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Su Yanxi secretly went back to her room to send messages to Mu Qi.

To avoid being caught off guard by her parents, she refrained from making a phone call, although she really wanted to talk to Mu Qi.

The two of them continued chatting until around ten o’clock before finally putting down their phones.

Later, Su Yanxi went to the living room to accompany her parents for the night. At midnight, she sent a message to Mu Qi, who happened to send her a message at the same time. Although the messages were only a few words, Su Yanxi couldn’t help but smile.

Mu Qi had initially wanted to call the girl, but it was already late at night, so she decided to call her tomorrow.

On the other side, Su Yanxi also wanted to call Mu Qi, but she felt it might disturb her. Reluctantly, she placed her phone on the bedside table and closed her eyes to sleep.

That night, Mu Qi slept soundly. Despite not having her parents around this year, she felt satisfied with good friends and loved ones by her side.

The next day, as families woke up to celebrate the New Year, Mu Qi also sent New Year greetings to her parents. Shortly after, they transferred a considerable amount of money to her. She glanced at it and put her phone away, getting up to prepare to visit Hu Ying’s house to extend New Year greetings.

At Hu Ying’s house, only Hu Ying and her mother were present. When Mu Qi arrived, Hu Ying had just returned from visiting her aunt’s house. Seeing Mu Qi, Hu Ying greeted from afar, “Qi Ge, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year to you too,” Mu Qi said with a smile as she approached, hooking her shoulder. “I heard there’s a new movie releasing today. Want to go together? And bring along the little cutie.”

Hu Ying grinned and said, “I shouldn’t go, after all, my wattage is too bright.”

Mu Qi hadn’t initially grasped the situation, but seeing Hu Ying’s expression, she understood. She clicked her tongue and said, “Don’t worry, you’ve secured the role of the third wheel today.”

Hu Ying raised an eyebrow, “Really? Then I won’t be polite. Even if you try to kick me out later, I won’t leave.”

“Deal.”

Because Mu Qi and Su Yanxi had exchanged messages, in the afternoon, she and Hu Ying went to the entrance of Su Yanxi’s residential area to wait for her. Before long, the girl came running from a distance.

She was dressed in a bright yellow down jacket, wearing a white scarf, looking incredibly cute. From the moment Su Yanxi appeared, Hu Ying noticed that Mu Qi, her seventh brother, had his eyes fixed on her. She couldn’t help but nudge her with her elbow, teasing, “Qi Ge, snap out of it.”

When Mu Qi came to her senses, Su Yanxi had also arrived, sweetly saying, “Mu Qi, Hu Ying, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, little cutie!” Hu Ying replied with a smile.

Mu Qi adjusted her scarf for her and said, “Happy New Year, Yanxi.”

Hu Ying shivered at the side, clearly unable to handle the sweetness. To avoid being teased further, she quickly took the lead, saying, “Let’s go, or we’ll miss the movie.”

On the first day of the lunar new year, the cinema was bustling, attracting the largest crowd of the year. If Mu Qi hadn’t booked the tickets in advance, they wouldn’t have had any seats at this point.

Some people who came to buy tickets at this time found out that the next screening was scheduled for well past 9 o’clock in the evening. With a considerable amount of time until then, it was impossible for everyone to wait, so they could only shake their heads in disappointment and leave.

Mu Qi and her two friends arrived just in time for the ticket check. While they were having their tickets checked, Mu Qi noticed Qi Wei and her girlfriend behind her. They spotted her too and waved, and Mu Qi nodded in response before shifting her gaze away.

She didn’t tell Hu Ying. In this festive and lively New Year, she decided not to burden her with these sad matters.

After the ticket check, the three of them joined the crowd heading towards Theater 4. With the place being crowded, Mu Qi saw the girl getting bumped around by the people nearby. She immediately encircled Su Yanxi in her arms and slowly moved forward.

Su Yanxi lifted her head slightly, smiled at her, and then obediently nestled in her embrace, entering the movie theater together.

Before they arrived, Hu Ying had been thinking that she, as the third wheel, would hinder the two of them. Now she realized she had been overthinking it. It was her turn to contemplate her own status as a single person, as she was being bombarded with dog food from the couple.

The three of them had seats in the eighth row, with Su Yanxi in the middle and Mu Qi and Hu Ying on either side.

Just as the three sat down, Qi Wei entered with her girlfriend.

Mu Qi quickly engaged Hu Ying in conversation to divert her attention. At the same time, Su Yanxi noticed Qi Wei and the girl. As they approached, Su Yanxi suddenly stood up, blocking Hu Ying’s line of sight. She bent slightly, touching the chair, and said, “It seems like the seat is a bit uncomfortable.”

Mu Qi leaned over to ask what was wrong. Of course, she understood Su Yanxi’s intentions. In her peripheral vision, she saw that Qi Wei and her friend had already taken seats on the other side. Only then did she guide the girl to sit back down.

“What happened to the chair?” Hu Ying, still unaware of what had just happened, looked at Su Yanxi’s chair with some confusion.

“Nothing, just a bit dirty on top. I gave it a pat,” Su Yanxi explained.

“Oh.” Hu Ying nodded in understanding.

Gradually, every seat in the movie theater was filled, even the corners of the front row. It was evident that there were a lot of people coming to watch movies on the first day of the lunar new year.

At this moment, the movie began.

It was a New Year’s comedy film produced by a renowned director, receiving unanimous praise online. Mu Qi had already seen it, and one of the actors in the film happened to be her mother.

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Happy new year everyone~