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nTranslator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

nThe Spring Festival was coming and the festivities were well underway on New Year’s Eve, with every household hung spring couplets on their walls and the streets rang with the sound of firecrackers. Everyone was dressed in brand new outfits and smiled broadly.

nThis was a Chinese traditional festival and was also the most festive of all festivals. It was the day where everyone would return home to rejoin their families for a meal known as the reunion dinner, then stay up late together to welcome the lunar new year as a family.

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nHe Xiyan walked the street by the river. This was the largest food street in Shen City and one could feast on all kinds of delicious food here. Every cuisine under the sun could be found here, from Chinese regional cuisine to international cuisine.

nThis place was extremely popular in the evening and many families had already made reservations for their reunion dinners along this stretch of road. Hotpot restaurants proved to be the most popular and almost every hotpot restaurant was packed to the brim.

nThere would be a 30-minute firework show by the riverside later this day, and so many had already gathered by the riverside with their families.

nShe was the only person who was alone.

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nUnlike Ye City, Shen City was located down south so the temperatures were moderate at about 10 degrees Celsius even in winter. People here were fond of outdoor activities even in winter, unlike Ye City which would probably be covered in snow, its temperature in the negatives at the same time.

nHe Xiyan snapped a photo of the scenery with her camera, including the smiling faces all around her.

nShe noticed that many people had brought their children along, there were families of three, five and even seven and looked like a perfect picture of familial bliss.

nShe was the only person who was alone.

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nA little girl of about four suddenly came to stand beside her. She wore a small pink quilted jacket and her hair was tied back in two little neat braids.

n“Aunty, could you help us take a picture?” The little girl said as she looked up at her. Her tiny delicate face was flushed from the cold which made her look extremely cute and her parents and grandparents were nearby. Her whole family had gathered in this place.

nHe Xiyan felt a stabbing pain through her gut as she was consumed with jealousy.

n“Sure!” She smiled at the little girl and walked toward the little girl’s family. They handed their phone to her for the photo.

nAs someone who enjoyed designing, she also had excellent photography skills. The girl’s mother was very satisfied with the few shots she took.

n“Thank you!” That family thanked her politely and she merely nodded in response with a small smile on her face. However, she could not get rid of the bitterness from her smile.

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nChild, are you a boy or a girl?

nShe stroked her stomach hopefully.

nThe fireworks show started right on the dot at 8PM and its sounds filled the night air.

nThe fireworks shot up in the air and gradually spread across the sky. As everyone exclaimed in surprise, dazzling sparks of all colors lit up the sky in a myriad of colors, including red, yellow and green. The theme of this fireworks display was ‘A Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring’ and thus there was a dazzling variety of fireworks on display, colorful and bright.

nAfter the fireworks show, river lanterns floated down the calm river and every tiny river lantern contained a family’s dreams and hopes for the future. She bought a river lantern and wrote a few words of blessings on it.

nShe sat on the steps by the riverside and as she watched the river lanterns slowly floating past, she sometimes laughed, or cried, or stared at them in a daze.

nAt the night grew deeper, the surrounding crowd started to disperse. Finally, only her solitary figure remained under the street lamps.

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n“Yan Yan…”

nFaraway, in another city, a man suddenly sat up, his face scarily pale and his forehead dripping with cold sweat.

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