Michael Quinn: "These things are better used than left unused, they’re energy-saving and eco-friendly." Joseph Sutton: "What about that pile that can be burned?" Michael Quinn: "Burn a few occasionally to liven up the holiday atmosphere, no problem, right? We’ll just play around in the yard. Close the door, and nobody will know." Joseph Sutton: "You handle it." Michael Quinn: "What did you come over for?" Joseph Sutton: "To eat hot pot." Inside the house, after a moment of silence, the door was pulled open. Michael Quinn came out carrying a bunch of colorful lights, with a unique pose. Joseph Sutton wore a stern face, holding a bundle of ground lights shaped like fireworks. "You guys are back." Michael Quinn didn’t waste words, waving to the two timely laborers, "Brothers, come on, lend a hand." The two exchanged a silent glance, then looked at Nora Scott in unison, seeking her approval. Nora Scott nodded slightly. The decorative lights and ground lights were all sent over by Jesse Johnson in the afternoon, a heap of miscellaneous stuff, which Nora Scott gave a quick overview of. Besides these lights, there should also be some balloons and fireworks. Nora Scott hadn’t planned on using them, but as Michael Quinn and Joseph Sutton dug them out to play with, she just let them be. Leaving the yard to the four of them, Nora Scott thought of Laura Collins, who was probably still in the living room, and went in first. Due to "the conversation between Michael Quinn and Joseph Sutton" that day, although Nora Scott didn’t proactively inquire about Laura Collins, she tried to avoid Michael Quinn and Laura Collins contacting each other; now at this moment, Michael Quinn came to the house... Switching her thoughts. Nora Scott saw the living room filled with balloons, densely packed, colorful, covering the entire ceiling. The moment she entered, Laura Collins had just secured a new balloon, and when she let go, the balloon floated up automatically, colliding and drifting among the bunch of balloons above her head. The dreamy scene in the living room caught Nora Scott off guard. Laura Collins picked up a new balloon and explained, "Had nothing to do, so I blew a few balloons." Noticing that Antonio Easton’s bedroom door was open, but the lights were off inside and no one was there, Nora Scott furrowed her brow slightly, "Where’s Easton?" "He was picked up by their grandpa." "They" referred to Joseph Sutton and Michael Quinn, of course. After Nora Scott and Marcus Shaw left, Laura Collins had nothing to do and opened Antonio Easton’s bedroom door, blowing balloons while chatting with Antonio Easton. Soon after, both the old and young had come to visit; the elder borrowed Antonio Easton, saying they would spend the new year together, while the younger ones stayed behind to eat hot pot and stay up for the New Year with Nora Scott and others. They said that because of the age gap, they had a generation gap and each should celebrate the New Year in their own way. Nora Scott nodded slightly. She glanced outside at the figures, seeing Michael Quinn busily at work. Michael Quinn usually couldn’t be bothered with these things. She pushed aside a few balloons and sat on the sofa, munching on nuts to stave off hunger. They were now temporarily setting up the lights, who knows when they would get to eat hot pot. A message came on the phone. [Pedro Langley]: Finished the hot pot? Through the glass window, Nora Scott casually snapped a picture of the yard scene and sent it to Pedro Langley. [Nora Scott]: Busy here. [Pedro Langley]: Zombie invasion? Four words, plus a symbol, revealed Pedro Langley’s true thoughts. [Nora Scott]: If you can’t speak nicely, just shut up. Pedro Langley, being rebellious, not only didn’t shut up but also sent several pictures over. A sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner, photographed beautifully, easily outshone Nora Scott’s "casual shot." Nora Scott gritted her teeth. [Nora Scott]: Looking for trouble? [Pedro Langley]: Yes. Such a straightforward response left Nora Scott at a loss for how to retort. The phone vibrated again. [Pedro Langley]: Staying up for the New Year? Outside, Nora Scott didn’t have the habit of staying up for the New Year. But in the alley, in her memories, on this day they always stayed up for the New Year. Saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. It was just her and Antonio Easton, but Antonio Easton would make a table full of dishes. After dinner, Joseph Sutton and Michael Quinn would play with her for a while, and when everyone went to their homes, she would see Antonio Easton laying out a bunch of snacks and fruits, then she would naturally sit over. Not much to talk about between the grandfather and granddaughter, most of the time was silent. The TV would usually be on, playing the Spring Festival Gala, and after that was over, it would switch to movies, and they were mostly war films. When she was little, Nora Scott usually couldn’t stay awake until dawn, falling asleep unknowingly in the middle of the night... Her gaze fell on the open door of Antonio Easton’s bedroom, and the long-sealed memories sneakily resurfaced, stirring her emotions bit by bit, with all the previous relaxation and ease vanishing in an instant. The TV was playing the Spring Festival Gala. Nora Scott let out a slow breath. Later, whatever messages Pedro Langley sent, Nora Scott didn’t know. She didn’t check, nor did she reply. By the time the four of them finished busying around in the courtyard, it was already past ten o’clock. The hot pot was brought to the table, a divided pot with a variety of ingredients, both meat and vegetables, as well as staple foods. Once the pot boiled, a whole plate of beef went in, steaming hot, and in no time, everyone’s chopsticks had whisked away every last piece of beef. Someone complained, someone calmly picked new food, and someone indulged contentedly. The indoor space gradually became lively. In the courtyard, the snow had not yet melted, and flakes started to fall again. In the glow of rows of bright ground lights and colorful decorations, the snowflakes were tinted with various colors, descending like a magical dream to the ground. Perhaps they were too hungry for too long; all six turned into gluttons. By the end of the hot pot feast, little was left of the ingredients on the table. They were all stuffed, satisfaction spreading throughout their bodies. Slumping in their chairs, they looked at each other, and no one moved. "What’s the next activity?" Michael Quinn suddenly asked. As the hostess, Nora Scott thought for a moment and proactively replied, "We have cards at home." Oliver Scott suggested, "We could play games in teams." Laura Collins said, "I’ll watch TV." Joseph Sutton gave his opinion. Marcus Shaw was the last to speak, "Anything’s fine." With things to do, time wasn’t hard to pass. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥 After tidying up the table, Nora Scott and Laura Collins settled down to watch TV, while Michael Quinn and the other three did whatever they liked. "If you’re sleepy, you can go to sleep." Carrying a plate of sliced fruit, Nora Scott placed it on the coffee table and sat beside Laura Collins. Laura Collins used a toothpick to pick an apple slice, paused briefly, glanced at the lively dining table, and said again, "I can handle it." Nora Scott responded absentmindedly. On TV, there was singing and dancing, a scene of hustle and bustle. Curled up on the sofa, Nora Scott, with Sleepy Rose lying drowsily in her arms, watched the show silently. From a certain angle, those people on TV were her peers. She used to know quite a few of them, but after two years away from the circle, she didn’t recognize any of the young celebrities. All the faces were unfamiliar. It felt tedious to watch. The phone was vibrating. Not knowing where it was placed, Nora Scott listened for a while before identifying the direction. Laura Collins found the phone first, glanced at the screen, and tossed the phone to her. She raised her eyebrows and chuckled softly, "Your boyfriend." Nora Scott was speechless when she saw the words "Pedro Langley" on the screen. Picking up the call listlessly, Nora Scott put the phone to her ear and asked flatly, "What’s up?" "I’m lost, will you come to pick me up?" The deep and strong voice of Pedro Langley came through, accompanied by the sound of the wind. Nora Scott was slightly stunned. Then she sneered sarcastically, "Who are you trying to fool?" Having just been with his family for a New Year’s Eve dinner, during a family gathering, how could he possibly be out alone? "Then just let me be lost." He said it casually, with a hint of playfulness. Nora Scott opened her mouth, about to say something to him. However, Pedro Langley didn’t give her a chance, hanging up the phone immediately. Nora Scott took a deep breath. Holding back her temper, she called him back, but this time, Pedro Langley directly turned off his phone. On such a big day, was he just messing with her? Nora Scott ignored it, tossed the phone aside, and looked up, focusing on the Spring Festival Gala program. However, as before, feeling restless, she couldn’t concentrate on anything. Nora Scott gently placed Rose aside, put on her slippers, and got up to grab her phone and coat. Seeing her actions, Laura Collins asked instinctively. "I don’t know." With the phone slipping into her pocket, Nora Scott shrugged her coat over her shoulders and said indifferently, "Going out for a walk." Laura Collins initially thought to ask ’should I come along?’ but remembering that phone call, she swallowed back the words. Not planning to stroll for long, Nora Scott just wore a coat, changed her shoes, and stepped out of the door. In the courtyard, lanterns and colorful lights were everywhere, dazzling to the eyes. The snowflakes drifted with the wind, hitting her face and melting instantly, feeling chilly. With her hands in her pockets, Nora Scott looked around, then walked through the yard and opened the main door. She took a step out the door. The next moment, a voice laced with laughter came from beside her, "Worried about me that much?"