UCS Chapter 145

Today was Lunar New Year’s Eve.

 

This was the first New Year since the main plot had been resolved. With Gao Gusheng strengthening his body and cultivating magic—meaning he no longer exuded an irresistible allure or faced the risk of being abducted for marriage by a scumbag “top”—Gao Shi could finally celebrate the holiday without a single worry.

 

“Dad! Daddy! Hurry up!”

 

Gao Gusheng was clutching a large stack of Spring Festival couplets. He was wearing a white down jacket—custom-made by Grandma Gao—that featured a fluffy fur-trimmed hood, making him look incredibly soft and fuzzy. Right now, he resembled an agitated giant rabbit, restlessly stomping his feet.

 

“Alright, let’s go.”

 

Ying Bujie and Gao Shi took the items from Gao Gusheng’s arms, and Gao Shi casually ruffled his son’s hair.

 

Ying Bujie, who was munching on a skewer of candied hawthorns, fixed his gaze on the tuft of hair atop his son’s head—the one his partner had just mussed up—and pressed down on it with a touch of spiritual energy.

 

Specks of white light bobbed up and down like a seesaw, pushing the tuft of hair flat before letting it spring right back up.

 

“Daddy?”

 

Gao Gusheng turned his head, causing the tuft of hair to split into two strands that swayed back and forth with his movement. Hmm, he looks just like a little rabbit—awfully cute.

 

The unscrupulous dad said nothing about the tuft of hair sticking up on the boy’s head; instead, he produced a skewer of candied haws from his “sleeve-space” and held it out. “Want some?”

 

“I want the red bean paste filling!”

 

Gao Shi got into the car and started the engine. He tilted his head to bite into a candied haw offered by Ying Bujie; the crisp crackle of the maltose shell and the sweetness on his tongue made him squint contentedly. Watching him, Ying Bujie’s index finger twitched slightly—he couldn’t help but feel his lover resembled a big cat.

 

Gao Gusheng poked his head through the gap between the front seats and grinned. “Dad, it’s a deal—we’re going to the big market.”

 

In truth, Uncle Chen had already prepared everything they needed, so they could have simply gone straight to the old family estate. However, having been confined for the first eighteen years of his life, Gao Gusheng was now eager to let loose and visit lively, bustling places.

 

He had never been to a big market before.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Gao Shi smiled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one, too.”

 

Although the Gao family usually had their daily necessities custom-made and delivered to their doorstep, they were surprisingly down-to-earth. Not only did Grandma Gao often seek inspiration among ordinary folk, but Gao Shi—despite being the God of Autumn—also had a particular fondness for the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

 

That said, Gao Shi was a busy man; the last time he had visited a market, it was to stake out a supernatural creature.

 

When the three of them arrived at the market entrance, the crowd was so dense there was barely room to set foot down; it was only thanks to Gao Shi’s superb driving skills that they managed to squeeze into a parking spot.

 

Gao Gusheng spotted the stalls lining the way. “I want to buy that!”

 

It was a handheld lantern.

 

“Let’s get it.”

 

Gao Shi looked over the selection and bought a rabbit-shaped one for Gao Gusheng.

 

Gao Gusheng was overjoyed, clutching the rabbit lantern to his chest. Passersby smiled kindly as they saw a grown young man cradling a lantern.

 

Gao Shi glanced at Ying Bujie beside him; seized by a playful impulse, he picked out a large rabbit-shaped lantern and handed it to him. “Here, this one is for little Ying.”

 

Ying Bujie possessed an air of ethereal, otherworldly grace—even in the biting cold of winter, he seemed as though he might ascend to the heavens at any moment. Yet, the sudden addition of a rabbit lantern to his hands instantly grounded him in the mundane world.

 

Gao Shi couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at Ying Bujie’s bewildered expression—made all the more amusing by the candied hawthorn skewer still in his mouth.

 

The trio was incredibly eye-catching; many people, drawn in by their striking appearances, noticed the exquisite craftsmanship of the stall owner’s lanterns and bought some for themselves.

 

The stall owner was swamped with customers. Seeing the three of them about to leave, he hurriedly grabbed another large rabbit lantern—identical to the one Ying Bujie held—and thrust it into Gao Shi’s hands. “This one’s on the house—Happy New Year!”

 

By the time they turned around, the stall owner had already been swallowed up by the crowd.

 

Gao Shi gave a helpless, good-natured shrug and held up the lantern, calling out, “Happy New Year!”

 

Gao Gusheng, his arms full of various trinkets, spotted an ice cream cart up ahead. His eyes lit up, and he eagerly tugged Gao Shi and the others toward it—only to realize upon closer inspection that it was actually selling *re naibao* (hot milk-soaked sticky rice in a crispy shell).

 

“We’ll take three.”

 

Gao Gusheng held up three fingers, his eyes crinkling into happy crescents. The wind had flushed his fair complexion a soft pink, making him look breathtakingly beautiful; the vendor, flustered and blushing himself, lowered his head and vigorously scooped a generous helping of sticky rice onto the crispy shell. “What flavor do you want?”

 

“One chocolate… Dad, Father, what flavors do you two want?”

 

Gao Shi said, “I’ll have matcha.” He looked at Ying Bujie, who nodded.

 

The freshly made *nainaibao*—warm, sweet, and chewy—was a delight, and Gao Gusheng was happily tucking into his. Gao Shi took a bite, only to see Ying Bujie looking down at him. “I want to taste yours.”

 

Gao Shi held it out instinctively. “Go ahead.”

 

He suddenly realized, “But aren’t they both matcha…”

 

The rest of his question dissolved into a fleeting, matcha-flavored kiss.

 

…

 

Ran Qiu: [Happy New Year, everyone!]

 

Chang Yang: [Hehe, Happy New Year! I bought a special Lunar New Year edition—chili-flavored cola. I’ll bring it back for you guys to try after the break.]

 

[Ran Qiu poked Chang Yang.]

 

Ran Qiu: [Drop dead, Yangzi!]

 

Huang Shan: [Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all happiness, health, and a wonderful Year of the Rabbit!]

 

Xiong Xiong: [Same here!]

 

Chang Yang: [Whoa! Big Bear, that is way too half-hearted.]

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu: [Happy New Year, everyone! Who’s on duty today? I made a ton of dumplings; I’ll drop some off for you guys when I pass by the department on my way to my parents’ place.]

 

Ran Qiu: [Me! It’s me! Thanks, Xiuxiu~]

 

Ran Qiu: [I seriously can’t stomach the food Yangzi ordered anymore—stir-fried *zhe’ergen* (fish mint) with cilantro, snail rice noodle dumplings, durian-flavored sparkling water… I don’t deserve this kind of punishment!]

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu: [Terrified.JPG]

 

Chang Yang: [Ahem, well… just trying something new, you know? I’m on duty tomorrow, so I’ll be the one to brave the food from this place! By the way, where’s Boss? How come he hasn’t popped up?]

 

Gao Shi: [Happy New Year]

 

Gao Shi: [New Year’s Red Envelope]

 

[This red envelope has been fully claimed]

 

Huang Shan: [Thanks, Captain (sheepish grin).JPG]

 

Chang Yang: [Thanks, Captain!]

 

Ran Qiu: [Sob, sob, sob… thanks Boss, you’ve saved my life. Yangzi, I’m practically being poisoned to death here—just you wait, I’m gonna beat the crap out of you after the New Year!]

 

Xiong Xiong: [Hehe, thanks Brother Gao.]

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu: [Thanks, Captain!]

 

Private Chat:

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu: [Captain, I managed to get my hands on some books; I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested.]

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu: [Image]

 

Gao Shi opened the image and spotted a book titled *Thirty-Six Stratagems for a Counterattack* amidst the stack.

 

Gao Shi: …

 

Gao Shi: [Looks really interesting. Thanks, Xiuxiu—I’ll come pick them up from you after the New Year.]

 

Gao Shi’s father stood solemnly before him, wearing an apron and brandishing a rolling pin as if preparing for a major battle. “Xiao Shi, it’s time to make dumplings. Come on, let’s roll out the wrappers.”

 

Gao Shi hurriedly put his phone away.

 

The men of the Gao family were gathered in a circle, rolling out dumpling wrappers.

 

The Gao family always prepared their New Year’s Eve dinner themselves, believing it made the holiday feel more authentic. Gao Shi rolled up his shirt sleeves, but before he could even start, Grandma Gao thrust a piece of dough into his hands. Grandma Gao smiled warmly and said, “Good boy, Shanshan—take this dough and go play over there.”

 

Gao Shi felt his face heat up as he protested, “Grandma, I’m twenty-seven years old!”

 

As the head of the household, Gao Shi looked around for allies, only to see Ying Bujie and Gao Gusheng—each holding a lump of dough—squatting by a small table nearby.

 

Gao Gusheng was busy shaping his dough, first into a little tiger, then into a little rabbit.

 

Finally, struck by a sudden burst of inspiration, he molded it into a “buff rabbit” with bulging muscles.

 

Ying Bujie took one look at Gao Gusheng’s masterpiece and quietly moved a bit further away with his own piece of dough.

 

Gao Shi said with disdain, “You’re eating whatever you make yourself.”

 

Gao Gusheng happily snapped a photo and posted it to the group chat.

 

One Punch Shakes the World: [Look at this! My rabbit!]

 

Burning Clouds: [Hmm, looks like this rabbit could punch two Nian beasts into tears with a single blow.]

 

Goal is Ma Liang: [Very artistic ^^]

 

L’Hôpital’s Rule: [Happy New Year! By the way, isn’t that unleavened dough for dumplings? Are you planning to steam it or boil it?]

 

Birch: [Does it have a filling?]

 

Gao Gusheng glanced around, then pressed a red bean onto the buff rabbit’s chest, took a photo, and sent it.

 

The group chat responded with a string of ellipses; an outsider might have thought someone was setting off digital fireworks.

 

…

 

After the dumplings were eaten, it was time to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Gao Gusheng quipped, “I’ve already figured out the content for this year’s Spring Festival Gala—it’ll definitely be everyone making dumplings together.”

 

Great-Grandpa Gao, though over eighty, still held his back straight; as he brewed tea in his dark red outfit, his hands remained steady—steadier, in fact, than those of many young people.

 

Great-Grandma Gao smiled and said, “So what if we make dumplings? What kind of Lunar New Year would it be without them?”

 

She and Great-Grandpa Gao exchanged a smile, recalling the rocky path they had traveled and the decades they had spent hand in hand.

 

Grandpa Gao, now in his sixties, still acted like a child. “Eww—Mom, Dad, you two are getting on in years; stop showing off your affection. It’s embarrassing to watch.”

 

In his youth, Grandpa Gao had been a dashing, romantic figure, while Grandma Gao had shone like a brilliant pearl; their love story could be summed up in a book title: *One Night of Passion: The Domineering Bad-Boy Heir Falls for Me—The Charming Heiress Can’t Escape*.

 

Grandpa Gao’s personality had never resembled his father’s, and even in old age, his roguish charm remained undiminished.

 

He wrapped his arm around Grandma Gao’s waist. “My dear heiress, come—let’s watch this together.”

 

Grandma Gao, blushing with annoyance, gave his waist a playful pinch.

 

Gao’s father watched the scene, gave a soft cough, and took his wife’s hand in his own; she blushed slightly and leaned gently against his shoulder.

 

Indeed, Father Gao’s personality was nothing like Grandpa Gao’s; his and Mother Gao’s story would likely be titled *The Iceberg CEO’s Academic Genius Assistant*.

 

Gao Shi sat with his legs crossed, long accustomed to this annual display of public displays of affection.

 

Just as he reached out to ruffle the head of his “dog-son,” he felt a slight chill beside him. Turning around, he saw Ying Bujie leaning against his side; noticing Gao Shi looking his way, Ying Bujie gazed back at him with a hint of nervousness. Over the past year, Gao Shi had long known exactly what kind of person Ying Bujie was—words like “pure-hearted” or “shy” certainly didn’t apply to him—yet whenever he saw his partner wear that particular expression, his heart would soften.

 

He reached out, grabbed a handful of macadamia nuts to hand to Ying Bujie, and relaxed, leaning half his weight against him.

 

Ying Bujie smiled faintly; seeing that everyone else’s attention was fixed on the television, he lowered his head and kissed the crown of Gao Shi’s head.

 

As for young Lele…

 

Lele was leaning against his giant stuffed monkey, clutching a handful of sunflower seeds while watching the Spring Festival Gala. He was blissfully, carefreely happy—a happy “single dog.”

 

…

 

As the clock neared midnight, Uncle Chen, the housekeeper, lit the fireworks outside; the moment the chimes rang out, the fireworks burst into bloom.

 

*The east wind blooms a thousand trees of light; it scatters stars like rain.*

 

Firecrackers and fireworks have always held a special magic for the Chinese people.

 

Gao Gusheng dashed outside, holding an incense stick to light the firecrackers.

 

Amidst the crackling and popping sounds, Gao Gusheng laughed and shouted up at the sky.

 

“Happy New Year!”

 

Gao Shi and the others shook their heads with soft smiles.

 

“Happy New Year.”

 

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