After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: The Eve of New Year’s Eve
By Strawberry-Flavored
After their mountain hike, the four friends holed up at home cramming their homework. Chen Mengyin finally pulled two all-nighters and managed to finish her winter holiday assignments.
The day after finishing, she dragged Xie Zhirou out with her, hoping to try some of the food places listed in Ye Siying’s food guide before the New Year.
Unfortunately, being so close to New Year’s Eve, many of the places listed were already closed. Even on the streets, only a few stores remained open.
Standing in front of a closed shop, Chen Mengyin let out a tragic scream, “No way—!” deeply regretting not coming earlier. The sign posted on the door said the shop had closed two days ago!
Too late now. The two of them ended up settling for lunch at a small local eatery.
Come New Year’s Eve, even workaholics like Chen Lin and Tang Jingxue put their jobs aside to spend the holiday preparing with family.
Knowing how busy Tang Jingxue usually was, Li Ran had picked up extra New Year groceries a few days earlier, saying it was a thank-you gift for Tang Jingxue looking after her daughter Mengyin last year. Tang Jingxue, familiar with Li Ran’s temperament, didn’t argue and accepted the gesture with a smile.
But Li Ran hadn’t forgotten a certain daughter at home, who’d been going on and on about spending New Year’s with Xie Zhirou ever since she came out to her.
To save her ears, Li Ran decided she’d betray her own little sister this time.
Lounging on the sofa chatting with Tang Jingxue, she casually said, “Jingxue, why don’t you bring Yunzhao and Zhirou over to ours for dinner tonight? Neither of you cooks much, and now that the housekeeper’s gone home for the holidays, don’t go serving poor Zhirou something pitiful for New Year’s.”
Tang Jingxue blinked in surprise. “Wouldn’t that be imposing on you?”
Her housekeeper had indeed gone home for the holidays. While Tang Jingxue could manage some simple dishes and Xie Yunzhao was a bit better at cooking, it still felt too plain for a holiday like New Year’s Eve.
As Li Ran had said, it was one thing to eat casually themselves — but Zhirou was different. Tang Jingxue couldn’t let her be slighted.
Seeing the hesitation, Li Ran doubled down. “Come on, with how close our families are, what’s this talk of imposing? We’d be thrilled to have you. And don’t feel bad — aside from Zhirou, you two are helping in the kitchen, got it? Think of it as me putting you two to work.”
Tang Jingxue chuckled, recognizing Li Ran’s intention to ease her worries. She smiled and accepted the invitation.
Li Ran beamed. “Now that’s more like it. Come after lunch. Anything you want to eat, just say — Lao Chen’s got it covered.”
Tang Jingxue laughed. “Great, then I’ll be relying on you and Brother Chen.”
“Oh, no trouble at all,” Li Ran said cheerfully. “We’re family. Don’t be so polite.” After a bit more chatting, Li Ran remembered other things she needed to do at home. She repeatedly reminded Tang Jingxue not to forget before hurrying home.
Back at the Chen household, father and daughter were putting up Spring Festival couplets on the door. Chen Lin was standing on a stool, following Mengyin’s frantic directions — “a bit to the left, no, right, no, back to the left!” All nonsense.
When Li Ran came over, she found out they’d only just managed one side of the couplets. Furious, she shooed Mengyin away. “You’re just getting in the way!”
“Oh, by the way,” Li Ran said offhandedly, “Zhirou and them are coming over for dinner tonight.”
Like a bombshell.
“WHAT??” Chen Mengyin was stunned. “Wait wait wait—who’s coming for dinner?”
If it weren’t for her dad standing right there (or rather, if she weren’t afraid of being smacked), she would’ve tackled her mom right then and there, begging her to clarify: was it that Zhirou? Not some distant cousin or a random friend?
Li Ran just gave her a side glance and didn’t answer. Chen Mengyin was left internally combusting, flailing behind Li Ran while Chen Lin calmly moved on to decorating the windows.
Ha! Let the brat stew!
Chen Mengyin followed closely behind, clinging to her mom’s arm like a suck-up. “Mom, you don’t need to worry about these little things. Me and Dad can handle the window decals. You should go rest!”
“Please, you?” Li Ran snorted, pushing the oversized puppy clinging to her away. She yelled to Chen Lin, “It’s crooked! Rotate clockwise 15 degrees!”
Chen Lin silently adjusted the decal.
Meanwhile, Mengyin kept giving her mom puppy-dog eyes, hoping to awaken a trace of maternal mercy.
“Pathetic!” Li Ran smacked the back of her head. “Yes, it’s that Zhirou. Now go check if the curtains are done in the washing machine. If they are, swap in the next batch.”
“Yes ma’am!” Chen Mengyin, now beaming, skipped off to do chores.
After hanging the washed curtains and starting the next load, she eagerly pulled out her phone to text Zhirou.
Mengyin: What time are you coming over? =w=
Zhirou: After lunch, Mom said we’ll head over to your place.
Mengyin: ![excited doge.jpg] I’ll be waiting~~
Zhirou: ![pat-pat puppy.jpg] Okay~
Chen Mengyin hugged her phone and grinned like a fool.
Lunch was seafood noodles made by Chen Lin — crab-broth soup base with shrimp, clams, and oysters. The flavor was out of this world. Mengyin ate two big bowls and collapsed on the sofa, too full to move.
“You little sloth,” Li Ran teased.
Mengyin didn’t even flinch.
Not liking her lounging like that, Li Ran called her to feed the cats — Zhao Cai and Jin Bao.
These two were now living the high life, far beyond Mengyin’s social rank. When Mama Li gave an order, Mengyin dared not disobey. Even if she had to crawl, she got up and went to open a can for them.
While mixing water into the wet food and putting it in their bowls, she muttered, “Zhao Cai, Jin Bao, I’m your big sis, okay? Look how good I am to you two. If Mom ever wants to beat me up, you guys gotta shield me, alright?”
The cats just scarfed down their food in silence.
Mengyin sighed. Life at the bottom of the food chain was tough!
Around 1 p.m., Tang Jingxue and her family rang the doorbell. Mengyin, who had been flopped on the couch like a dead fish, instantly sprang to life and rushed to the door.
Outside, Tang Jingxue wore a stylish but practical outfit, her makeup soft and warm — not the usual stern look she had at work.
Zhirou stood behind her, hair loose, dressed in fluffy clothes with matching fluffy bunny-shaped earrings. Her lips were lightly glossed and smelled faintly of strawberries.
Chen Mengyin’s heart melted. If Tang Jingxue weren’t there, she would’ve reached out to pet Zhirou’s “fur” and test if those lips really tasted like strawberries…
“Hi Auntie, you’re here! Please come in.” Thank goodness Mengyin still had enough sense not to act on those thoughts in front of Zhirou’s mom. She smiled sweetly. “Auntie, your outfit looks amazing today! So youthful and elegant!”
Tang Jingxue beamed. “Such a sweet talker, our Mengyin.”
From the kitchen, Li Ran emerged, wiping her hands on her apron. “You’re finally here! Why are you all standing at the door like bodyguards?”
Seeing Xie Yunzhao carrying tons of bags, she frowned. “Why’d you bring so much stuff? So formal with me?”
Tang Jingxue laughed. “Just a little something. Oh, and we’re here to help — what were you working on?”
Li Ran knew better than to argue and simply told Mengyin to help carry the gifts to the kitchen.
“We’re just prepping ingredients for dinner. Perfect timing — come help Lao Chen.”
Turns out, the best cook in the Chen family wasn’t Li Ran, but the elusive Chen Lin. On holidays, he always handled the meals.
Li Ran turned to her daughter. “Mengyin, after you finish, go hang out with Zhirou. Keep an eye on the cats — don’t let them push everything off the table.”
Every holiday, the two cats loved knocking things off the table.
Mengyin, of course, was dying to spend time alone with Zhirou. She quickly dropped off the gifts, then zoomed out of the kitchen like a bird, flinging herself into Zhirou’s arms.
In a spot where Tang Jingxue couldn’t see, she sneakily kissed Zhirou’s neck, grinning like a cat who stole cream.
Zhirou hugged her back, eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Jie, look how close they are,” Tang Jingxue said happily, watching her daughter being led away. “I’m so glad Zhirou has such a good friend.”
Li Ran: ………
Please, just destroy me already.
“Haha, yeah, super close,” she said awkwardly.
Tang Jingxue: “Let’s go help the others.”
Li Ran: “Yup yup yup, let’s go.”
If she stayed there any longer, her poor heart wouldn’t take it. Sis, your daughter and mine aren’t just close — they’re entangled.
Just like people say, day can’t understand night — and Mengyin had no idea about her mom’s inner turmoil. She was too busy staring at Zhirou, head full of thoughts.
“What’s wrong? You’re so quiet,” Zhirou asked, petting the cats.
Mengyin blushed. “Thinking about you.”
Zhirou laughed. “But I’m right here. Still have to think?”
“Of course,” Mengyin said matter-of-factly. “I think about you every day.”
“So sweet?” Zhirou said with a smile. “Want a reward?”
Before Mengyin could even say “yes,” Zhirou leaned in.
In the corner where the parents were busy in the kitchen and might walk out at any second, strawberry-flavored lips pressed against hers.
Just a light kiss — enough to leave her lips sparkly with gloss.
Then Zhirou cupped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss.
Soft, sweet — a kiss.
And Mengyin, feeling dazed and dizzy, thought: So it really does taste like strawberries.