Chapter 52: N. New Year’s Gathering

Something didn’t feel right… the sensation was far too real.

Su Hui, half-asleep, felt a sudden tickle in his nose. Before he could stop it, he leaned forward and sneezed.

“Bless you.”

Ning Yixiao’s voice came from right beside him, doubling the sense of reality.

Su Hui was startled. Just as he was about to look up, a second sneeze escaped him: “Achoo—”

“Bless you.”

Ning Yixiao sat leisurely to the side, repeating the American idiom once more.

Having spent so many years abroad, Su Hui’s instinct was to reply with a “thank you.” But he froze, belatedly reaching for a tissue, only to suddenly recall that moments ago, he had reached out and touched Ning Yixiao…

His body reacted faster than his brain. He scrambled backward to put distance between them, and in his embarrassment, unable to think, he covered his face with a sofa cushion.

Ning Yixiao truly wondered where Su Hui’s years had gone. He still had the same face, but his personality seemed even more childish than before.

He didn’t bring up what just happened. He adjusted the glasses on his nose and said seriously, “Based on past experience, if you sneeze one more time, you’ll catch a cold.”

Su Hui’s hand moved down slightly, and the cushion lowered with it, revealing his large, pure eyes, which blinked in confusion.

“I don’t think I—”

Before he could finish, a third sneeze broke out.

Completely guessed.

“I’ll fix you some cold medicine as a precaution.” Ning Yixiao stood up, went upstairs to fetch the first-aid kit, and returned to the kitchen to get water. He noticed the many covered plates on the counter.

He was surprised. He knew Su Hui was trying to learn to make a cake, but he hadn’t known he’d made so much other food.

Feigning ignorance, Ning Yixiao returned to the sofa and handed him the cup.

“…Thank you.” Even though Su Hui didn’t want to drink it at all, refusing didn’t seem appropriate, so he complied obediently.

After he finished, Ning Yixiao reached out to take the cup. Su Hui looked at him, feeling awkward. “I made a mistake earlier…”

“What mistake?” Ning Yixiao looked at him, his lenses reflecting the light, making his expression difficult to read.

“I…” Su Hui couldn’t very well say he’d had a dream and mistaken the real Ning Yixiao for the one in his dream. He cleared his throat. “I was half-asleep and thought you were Xuegao.”

“Is that so?” The corner of Ning Yixiao’s mouth curled up slightly. “I thought you mistook me for one of your students.”

Su Hui’s expression shifted instantly. He whispered, “How could that be?”

“What?” Ning Yixiao hadn’t heard clearly and instinctively raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.” Su Hui set the cushion aside and steered the conversation to safer ground. “Did you just get off the plane? It’s already dark…” He checked the time, nearly 7:30 PM. “It’s so late.”

He stood up, his body feeling sore and numb. He braced himself against the refrigerator door, stretched his shoulders, and gave a long, full-body yawn.

As he stretched, Ning Yixiao looked over. A strip of Su Hui’s slender, pale waist was exposed, and the faint trace of the tattoo he’d gotten years ago was still visible.

It was still there. He had assumed Su Hui would have had it removed.

Ning Yixiao walked over. Despite having watched the entire process of Su Hui learning to bake on the monitor, he feigned ignorance. “So, where is my birthday gift?”

Su Hui pulled the refrigerator door open, the warm yellow light bathing him. He looked back, and that single glance pulled Ning Yixiao straight back into the past.

“It’s not finished yet. I’ve been trying really hard.”

Even the words were the same.

Ning Yixiao snapped back to reality, bowing his head and offering a wry, bitter smile.

“When will it be done?” he teased. “Teacher Su, you’re so slow. How do you teach your students?”

Su Hui’s heart raced. He said nothing, took the cake from the fridge, set it on the counter, and whispered a defense, “It takes time, you know.”

Ning Yixiao turned on the kitchen light. “And a cake, too.”

“It’s a birthday, after all.” Su Hui lied clumsily. “I bought it at the bakery downstairs. I don’t know if it’s to your taste.”

Ning Yixiao didn’t like the latter part of his sentence, but he didn’t say anything. He placed his hand on the ribbon of the cake box, knowing Su Hui had likely spent ages trying to tie it perfectly.

“Thank you.” Just as he opened the box, before he could offer a compliment, the doorbell rang.

Su Hui froze and looked at Ning Yixiao.

“I had Karl order some food. You have to have a New Year’s Eve dinner,” Ning Yixiao said, then added, “I didn’t know you’d made all this, or I wouldn’t have had him order.”

Su Hui immediately insisted it was fine. “My cooking isn’t very good anyway…”

“You’ve improved a lot since before,” Ning Yixiao said, walking to the entryway to open the door.

Su Hui stood alone by the island, Ning Yixiao’s words echoing in his mind. He was terrified of Ning Yixiao using the word “before,” yet he couldn’t help but let his mind drift, harboring delusions that he hadn’t yet been forgotten.

At the same time, a surge of bitterness stung his heart.

Ning Yixiao always had a good memory, but compared to their brief time together, six years was a long time. In that period, had he had other “before” moments with other people? Did Ning Yixiao remember those, too?

Su Hui always avoided thinking about it, but he had to admit that Ning Yixiao was a charismatic person with a never-ending line of suitors, even back when they were together.

So, when he found out Ning Yixiao was getting engaged, he hadn’t been surprised at all.

Having other feelings was normal; after all, he was so good.

Whenever these thoughts surfaced, Su Hui felt a wave of self-loathing.

Why do I still care about these things? Ruminating on this was already absurd, a product of his own overactive imagination, yet he felt troubled, as if he were truly harboring some delusion.

In the adult world, everything was a balance of pros and cons. Su Hui wasn’t entirely naive; he understood the rules. From every angle, he wasn’t the right choice, nor were they a match. He needed to have more self-awareness.

Su Hui bent over, resting his elbows on the counter, burying his face in his palms. He silently repeated the word “friend” over and over, trying to escape these dangerous thoughts.

Suddenly, he heard Ning Yixiao speaking at the entryway, but it didn’t sound like he was addressing the delivery person.

“Who told you to come?”

“I was afraid you’d be lonely! It’s the New Year!”

Jing Ming?

Su Hui straightened up and walked toward the door, peeking out with half his face.

Jing Ming caught sight of him immediately, raised his hand, and greeted him in French over Ning Yixiao’s shoulder.

Su Hui had no choice but to step out and smile. “Good evening.”

“I’m here to keep you company for the New Year.” Jing Ming, knowing how to invite himself, placed the wine he’d brought on the entryway cabinet and squeezed inside to change his shoes.

Ning Yixiao couldn’t do anything about him.

“Can you give a heads-up next time?”

Jing Ming didn’t care. “Why? Are you afraid I’m spoiling your fun?”

Su Hui awkwardly tucked his hair back. Feeling unkempt, he went to the living room, grabbed a hair tie from the coffee table, and tied half his hair up.

“It’s dark as a cave in here.” Jing Ming flipped on every light in the room. Coincidentally, as Ning Yixiao went to close the door, the delivery person arrived.

“Perfect!” Jing Ming was delighted. “I didn’t expect so much good food. Not bad, not bad—I came at the right time.”

He sat on the sofa with practiced familiarity, beckoning Su Hui to sit as well.

Ning Yixiao didn’t know what Jing Ming was up to, but just seeing the half-case of wine he’d brought told him this guy was up to no good.

Sure enough, as soon as Jing Ming sat down, his phone rang. He answered it and gave Ning Yixiao’s apartment address.

“Who else did you call?” Ning Yixiao glanced at him.

Jing Ming hung up. “Relax. I didn’t bring any dates. Today is a heart-to-heart session—I only called friends who are here to talk.”

His words struck a chord with Su Hui, making him laugh despite the awkward atmosphere.

Ning Yixiao turned to look at Su Hui. Su Hui quickly suppressed the smile and explained, “Jing Ming’s Chinese is really authentic.”

Jing Ming winked, earning a murderous glare from Ning Yixiao.

The doorbell rang. Jing Ming vaulted over the sofa to open the door. To their surprise, the guests were Bella and her girlfriend.

Seeing them brought back the memory of catching them kissing, and Su Hui’s hand shook, spilling water onto his knees.

Just as he reached for a napkin, one was already handed to him.

“So excited to see someone?” Ning Yixiao asked, his tone indifferent.

“Just an accident.” Su Hui cleared his throat, wiped the water, and put the glass down.

Why is he being so aggressive? Xuegao seemed hungry, so Su Hui placed his bowl on the floor while he joined the others at the table.

The cozy dinner for two had suddenly turned into a party of five. Ning Yixiao was unhappy, but Su Hui leaned over and whispered in Chinese, “Don’t look so sour.”

Ning Yixiao turned to him, flashing a grin. “Like this?”

Su Hui thought he looked cute and intentionally picked a flaw. “A bit fake.”

Ning Yixiao’s mouth hooked up.

“That’s better,” Su Hui pointed out.

Ning Yixiao’s heart beat faster, and he turned his head away. Bella, Chloe, and Jing Ming laid the food out, and as the wine flowed, the atmosphere turned lively. It really felt like the New Year.

“This is my first Spring Festival,” Bella said, fascinated, gripping Chloe’s hand. “I’d thought about it before, but Chloe said it was weird with just the two of us, and we couldn’t run off to Chinatown.”

Ning Yixiao was blunt. “You should just celebrate Valentine’s Day. Don’t go crashing the Chinese New Year.”

Bella clicked her tongue. “Look at that mouth. No wonder he’s single.”

Jing Ming glanced at Su Hui, noticing he instinctively lowered his head at the word “single.” He found it amusing and teased him. “Hey, Eddy is single too, right?”

Called out, Su Hui looked up. “Uh, yeah…”

“That’s not normal!” Bella propped her chin on her hand and tapped the table. “How can you be single? You must have tons of people chasing you.”

Chloe squeezed her hand, looking at Su Hui in agreement. “Indeed.”

Su Hui felt uncomfortable and was about to deny it when Ning Yixiao spoke up.

“There are plenty.” He raised an eyebrow. “Not to mention the past, but there’s that doctor from before, and the student you have now—what’s his name? Wright? Lete? Lei…”

“Ryan,” Su Hui corrected.

Ning Yixiao picked up his wine glass and swirled it. “You know it well, don’t you.”

Jing Ming loved a good show. Excited, he egged him on. “Really? A university student? A student-teacher affair?!”

Su Hui hurried to explain. “No, he’s just talking nonsense.”

Ning Yixiao took a sip of red wine and arched an eyebrow.

Chloe caught the nuance. “Before? Did Shaw know Eddy before?”

Bella didn’t know the specifics. “I think they were classmates.”

Su Hui was relieved that she’d glossed over it, so he stayed silent.

Suddenly remembering something, Bella held Chloe’s hand and apologized to Su Hui sincerely. “I lied to you before. Actually, Shaw and I have no relationship at all. I have a girlfriend…”

“Ex-girlfriend at the time,” Chloe corrected.

Bella glanced at her. “Fine, whatever. I lied to Eddy. Eddy is too earnest; I felt bad about it.”

Su Hui had known all along, but he didn’t call her out. He smiled and said, “It’s okay. But you’ve already paid. What about the installation art?”

Bella took a bite of food, covering her mouth in delight, and answered Su Hui after a beat. “Oh, that. Our current plan is to move the engagement from public to a private, small ceremony. We’re changing the venue from a hotel to my family’s estate in the suburbs of New York so the media can’t photograph it. The initial publicity is already out, so we don’t need them anymore.”

She continued, “I figure only my parents will attend, plus a pastor. I don’t even want to invite friends. According to my father’s agreement, I get my trust fund within a week after it ends. Then I’ll go and lay my cards on the table. He already promised me. The art installation you made is so beautiful, of course we can’t waste it on a fake engagement ceremony.”

Bella looked at Chloe, her eyes full of love. “The venue remains the same, and everything will still follow your design, only I’ll turn it into Chloe’s first solo photography exhibition.”

Su Hui understood now. A faint smile appeared on his face, infected by their sweetness.

When he had first negotiated with Bella, he’d noticed all her requirements had nothing to do with Ning Yixiao’s tastes. Now it was clear: it had all been for Chloe from the start.

“My pleasure.” He looked at Bella. “But aren’t you worried Mr. Jones will give you a hard time when he finds out the truth?”

Ning Yixiao glanced at Su Hui.

“Not worried.” Bella shrugged. “This isn’t the first scandalous thing I’ve done. He’ll be angry for a while, but he’ll forgive me eventually. Besides, even if he doesn’t forgive me, my share of the property won’t change. I can still do whatever I want.”

Su Hui envied Bella’s ease and confidence. Behind it lay a lifetime of indulgence and acceptance. If she had ever faced real hardship, she wouldn’t be able to turn the tables without fearing the consequences.

I really envy her.

Ning Yixiao suddenly asked, “Do you need wine?”

He held the decanter. Su Hui nodded, letting Ning Yixiao pour him a glass. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Pour me one, too.” Jing Ming extended his glass, but Ning Yixiao set the decanter back on the table.

“Pour it yourself.”

Jing Ming had nothing to say to this “friend over morality” traitor. He clicked his tongue. Dinner was nearly finished, but he felt something was missing. His eyes wandered, and he spotted the cake box on the island. The French gene for dessert kicked in.

“What’s this? Cake?”

Ning Yixiao stood up instantly and put the box back in the fridge before Jing Ming could touch it. “This is mine.”

Su Hui’s ears burned. Whether it was the alcohol or not, his face felt hot.

“What? So stingy.” Jing Ming felt something was off. He thought for a moment—it was nine times out of ten from Su Hui. He joked, “What haven’t I eaten before? Is this from someone you like?”

Chloe had been drinking soup, but upon hearing this, she was curious. “Does Shaw have a crush?”

Bella blinked. “I don’t know, but he had tons of people chasing him at S-University, both boys and girls. You know who? That fashion director, Julian? His mother runs a magazine…”

Su Hui couldn’t focus on the conversation between Bella and Chloe. His heart was pounding violently, hanging in his chest, as if he were afraid of something.

Ning Yixiao chose to remain silent. There was no defense—it felt more like a tacit admission.

“I guessed it!” Jing Ming bumped his shoulder intentionally, feeling satisfied by Ning Yixiao’s discomfort.

Ning Yixiao glanced at him and uttered a simple, “Whatever.” His attitude was casual, carrying a kind of offhanded sexiness.

He retrieved ice from the fridge, added it to his glass, and leaned against the fridge, drinking wine while his eyes locked onto Su Hui.

It wasn’t that Su Hui didn’t feel it. He felt uneasy and looked away, picking up his own glass and taking a small sip. He lifted his eyes, looking toward Ning Yixiao.

The moment their gazes were about to touch, Ning Yixiao looked away again, watching Jing Ming’s antics.

Jing Ming had a new idea. He carried his glass and the decanter to the sofa and invited everyone to sit. “Let’s play a game.”

“Play what?” Bella stood up. “I can play bridge.”

“Who plays bridge, missy? Do you live in the eighteenth century?” Jing Ming teased. He offered his own idea: “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”

Ning Yixiao sneered. “Your ideas aren’t very original.”

“I don’t care, I want to play.” Jing Ming took the empty red wine bottle and placed it on the coffee table. “Whoever it points to answers a Truth or picks a Dare. Very simple.”

He sat on a single armchair; Bella and Chloe took the loveseat. Ning Yixiao claimed the idea was stupid, but he pulled a chair over for Su Hui, then took another chair himself, sitting about thirty centimeters away—neither too far nor too close.

“Do you want a blanket?” he asked.

Su Hui shook his head, but Ning Yixiao tossed a blanket over him anyway.

He wrapped it around himself and checked the time—it was past nine. He was still worried about Ning Yixiao’s birthday, so he leaned in,貼近 his ear, and whispered, “Aren’t you going to tell them about making up the birthday celebration?”

Ning Yixiao drew back visibly, then suddenly turned his face.

The two of them were now face-to-face. Su Hui’s heart rate spiked.

“I don’t want to celebrate with so many people. It’s weird,” Ning Yixiao said quietly.

Su Hui pulled back a little, belatedly. “Okay…”

He couldn’t help but suggest, “We could share it with everyone; otherwise, we won’t be able to finish it. It’s two pounds, it’s quite big.”

Ning Yixiao, uncharacteristically, acted childish. “No way.”

Su Hui began to wonder what Ning Yixiao had gone through in these six years, what kind of people he’d met, to make him end up like this.

Just as they were whispering, Jing Ming started the first round. The bottle began to spin, slow then fast, then slowly coming to a halt—right in front of Ning Yixiao.

“Shaw!” Jing Ming was practically cheering, making a huge scene. “You really are the lucky one today! Hurry, hurry, pick one! Truth or Dare?!”

Xuegao seemed to understand the interaction and spun in circles excitedly.

Bella and Chloe were also expectant.

“I think Shaw will pick Truth,” Bella decided based on her stereotypes. “He’s the type who isn’t afraid to speak.”

“Not necessarily,” Chloe countered. “Shaw is a man of action.”

Ning Yixiao squinted, uncooperative. “I don’t want to pick any. You’re the one who suddenly wanted to play; I haven’t agreed yet.”

Su Hui couldn’t help it. He glanced at him. “Why are you like this?”

Ning Yixiao looked at him. “What am I like?”

“No, no, no. It’s your turn. If everyone does this, why am I even hosting this game?” Jing Ming spent a long time persuading him.

“Oh, come on. You’ll be able to watch someone else’s humiliation later.”

Ning Yixiao paused, feeling Jing Ming would surely cheat with the Truth questions. “Dare.”

“You sure? Can’t change it now,” Jing Ming said, pulling out a phone app and having Ning Yixiao tap the screen to randomly generate a Dare requirement.

Ning Yixiao tapped it casually. “Is that it?”

“Wait, the system needs to roll it.”

“So slow. Who wrote this code?” Ning Yixiao began critiquing the code.

“Alright, alright.” Jing Ming looked at the Dare requirement on the screen and burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Bella was dying of curiosity and changed seats to look. “What is it? Let me see.”

After reading it, she laughed too, giving Ning Yixiao a very ominous premonition.

Jing Ming couldn’t stop laughing and had Bella read the content aloud: “Please call your ex and say to them: ‘I hate you.'”

Chloe ate a chip, unable to help but sigh, “Isn’t that a bit too harsh?”

Bella’s focus was eccentric. “Which ex are we calling?”

“How many do you have, Miss Jones?” Jing Ming couldn’t resist teasing her.

Chloe laughed to bail her out. “It should be the last one. Let’s not go too far back; that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

The person in question was exceptionally quiet, not saying a word.

Su Hui didn’t dare look at him, his own emotions complex.

Not long ago, he had been troubled by this very issue. He hadn’t expected it to be revealed so soon, like fate—preordained. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, as the truth approached, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of sorrow.

“Makes sense. The last one it is,” Bella urged Ning Yixiao. “Hurry, hurry.”

“Exactly. A bet is a bet,” Jing Ming lamented. “This was decided by artificial intelligence.”

Ning Yixiao held out for a moment, then took out his phone, attempting to bargain. “I can make the call away from you guys, right?”

“Of course not! How would we know if you’re properly accepting your punishment?” Bella argued.

Su Hui bit his lip instinctively, unaware that he was doing it. He had nearly finished half a glass of wine, but he still couldn’t bring himself to look at Ning Yixiao’s face.

Chloe considerately offered a new plan. “You can make the call over by the floor-to-ceiling windows. We won’t go over there.”

The two on the sofa nodded in unison.

Bella whispered a joke, “At a time like this, saying ‘I hate you’ might actually get you beaten up.”

“Hahahaha!”

Ning Yixiao had no choice. He agreed and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, lowering his head to unlock his phone.

The glass was empty. Su Hui’s heart felt as if it were about to leap out, hitting his chest with violent force.

Perhaps it was the alcohol; his face burned, his heart was in a panic, and his brain was struggling to function. Just a glance at Ning Yixiao’s back squeezed a sense of sour sorrow from him.

Who could it be?

I’m so curious. I wonder what kind of person they are.

His thoughts began to slip out of control, manipulated and amplified by the alcohol. He wanted to flee.

Ning Yixiao held the phone to his ear. The sofa trio began to gossip; Bella didn’t even dare to look, shrinking into a ball behind Chloe in excitement.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Su Hui’s palms.

He feared the moment of arrival—the moment Ning Yixiao opened his mouth.

But faster than that came the sound of a ringtone.

Everyone but Jing Ming froze.

“Eh?” Bella was confused. “Whose phone is ringing?”

Chloe realized what was happening, ruled out the two people next to her, and looked at Su Hui across from them.

The ringtone kept playing.

Sure enough, the half-tipsy Su Hui suddenly stood up, leaning on the chair for support, his face flushed with a soft pink. Head bowed, he walked toward his room, leaving everyone in total shock.

With every step, Su Hui’s heart hammered harder, but his mind was a complete blank; he couldn’t think of a single problem.

Until he reached the table, picked up his phone, and supported himself with his other hand, clicking “Answer”—a jolt like electricity coursed through his entire body.

The call connected. Ning Yixiao didn’t speak immediately, and neither did he. The silence between them was like a glass of red wine poured to the brim—the surface tension had reached its limit; one more drop, and it would all spill over.

Finally, Ning Yixiao broke the silence.

His voice was very low, slightly hoarse, carrying a very faint, faint trace of a smile. But he didn’t follow the rules of the game. Under the gaze of everyone, he took the liberty of changing the sentence.

“Su Hui, Happy New Year.”