On the first day of the New Year, around noon, Vivian Frost arrived at Ethan Reed's apartment.
She wasn't alone.
Rachel Quinn, Daniel, Ryan Cole, and Evan Cross came with her. They carried grocery bags filled with meat, vegetables, sauces, beer, and snacks. The plan was simple — celebrate together with hotpot.
Northstar Games was rising fast. Too fast.
When a company entered rapid growth, holidays didn't mean much. Management staff had to remain available even during the New Year.
Daniel had only managed to secure two days off. After that, he would immediately return to continue development on Cyberpunk 2077.
Ryan Cole and Evan Cross had temporarily joined the Cyberpunk 2077 team as external support. Even though they had no urgent assignments, they still volunteered to help.
That was the atmosphere inside Northstar.
Work wasn't forced.
It was chosen.
But besides the Northstar crew, there was someone unexpected sitting inside Ethan's apartment.
Victor.
Vivian's father.
Victor had decided not to leave Lumen City immediately. He wanted to stay a few extra days for the New Year before flying back home.
He had listened carefully to Ethan's business updates.
But more importantly—
He had heard something personal.
Victor looked at Ethan seriously.
"So… you and my daughter made it official?"
"Yes, Uncle. We're officially together."
Victor paused for several seconds.
"You're both adults. I won't say much. Just treat her well."
That was it.
Ethan had received the father's approval.
And on the first day of the New Year, he could not stop smiling.
---
Vivian walked toward Sienna, who was sitting beside Rachel.
"Hey. Isn't there something you should say to me?"
Before Sienna could respond, Rachel jumped up dramatically.
"Happy New Year, Boss! May you be rich and successful! Red envelope please!"
"Get lost," Vivian replied instantly. "Didn't you get your annual bonus?"
"Then why are you asking Sienna?" Rachel asked suspiciously.
Sienna glanced at Ethan, who was smiling while chatting with Victor.
Her eyes lit up.
She understood immediately.
She stood up properly.
"Happy New Year, Sister-in-law. I wish you happiness, good luck, and everything you want. Red envelope, please."
Silence.
From the kitchen, Daniel, Ryan, and Evan—three grown men wearing aprons—stared in shock.
Vivian's face turned slightly red, but she still pulled out a thick red envelope and placed it in Sienna's hand.
"What are you all staring at? Go cook!"
The three immediately returned to the kitchen.
Rachel rushed over to Vivian.
"Wait, when did this happen? Why didn't I know first?"
Vivian rolled her eyes.
"Didn't all of you think Ethan and I should be together? Why are you acting surprised now?"
Rachel leaned closer.
"Was it the night your dad came?"
"Go peel garlic."
---
At two in the afternoon, they moved the sofa to the corner. A square table was placed in the center. Hotpot steam filled the room.
Beer cans stacked high beside two bottles of strong liquor.
Vivian raised her glass.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year!"
Victor sat quietly, watching.
He had once worried whether Vivian could truly lead a company.
Now he saw it clearly.
The respect in their eyes wasn't fake.
Northstar was built on loyalty, not fear.
They ate until five in the evening.
Victor checked the time and picked up his suitcase.
"You're leaving today?" Vivian asked.
"Yes. If I leave now, I'll reach home in time for dinner."
"I'll take you to the airport."
"No need."
He shook his head.
"I've seen enough. I'm satisfied."
He left calmly.
After he left, the atmosphere became much louder.
The teasing began.
Rachel led the attack.
"So when are you announcing it publicly?"
Vivian frowned.
"Announcing what? We're not celebrities."
Daniel coughed awkwardly.
Ordinary people?
Northstar's boss clearly misunderstood what "ordinary" meant.
Rachel continued.
"At least post on the Official Blog. Fans are analyzing every interaction between you two."
Vivian placed a meatball in Rachel's bowl.
"Eat."
Ethan smiled slightly.
"We'll think about it."
For him, the world felt different these past two days.
Waking up early didn't feel annoying anymore.
The city lights looked brighter.
Even small irritations didn't bother him.
Being in love changed perspective.
---
Around six in the evening, Sienna went to take a nap.
When she woke up, it was nearly ten.
She opened her bedroom door slightly.
Voices came from the living room.
"These onboarding problems are simple," Vivian was saying. "Let new employees follow seniors directly."
Rachel replied, "Can I borrow some people? I want to finish Pick Love during the holiday."
Daniel added, "The Cyberpunk 2077 demo still has frame drops in certain shadow areas."
Ethan responded calmly.
"Lower the shadow intensity. Frame rate first. But key scenes must stay visually strong."
"I understand."
The living room had transformed.
Laptops covered the table.
Code scrolled across screens.
Concept art glowed under LED lighting.
Empty beer cans stood between keyboards.
Vivian leaned slightly against Ethan as she reviewed a document.
Ryan Cole typed rapidly, writing code in real time.
Evan adjusted lighting parameters.
Rachel discussed character expressions.
Even during the New Year holiday, they chose to work.
Sienna quietly closed her door again.
She understood the atmosphere.
This was not pressure.
It was passion.
Half an hour later, she stepped out.
"You slept long," Ethan teased.
"Did we wake you?" Vivian asked.
"No," Sienna replied quickly before rushing to the restroom.
If not for her urgent need to use the bathroom, she might have stayed inside all night.
Compared to going out and having fun—
Wasn't this moment more important?
Northstar's success was not accidental.
It was earned through countless nights like this.
---
Meanwhile, in the gaming community, players were celebrating too.
Northstar hadn't released a brand-new major title this holiday.
But previous games were enough.
Many players finally had time to dive into Stardew Valley, enjoying peaceful farming life.
Street Fighter's numbers had decreased slightly, but it still maintained around forty thousand daily active users.
Before the holiday, Northstar had held a massive offline press conference.
The biggest highlight?
Cyberpunk 2077.
The forum for Cyberpunk 2077 already had over thirty thousand registered users.
For an unreleased game, that number was astonishing.
Then, on the first working day after the holiday, a new game quietly appeared on Skybound's homepage recommendation.
The cover looked simple.
Almost childish.
A blonde girl.
A dark-haired boy.
It didn't look impressive.
But once players clicked—
They understood.
---
Pick Love
Developer: Northstar Games
Genre: Romance / Simulation / Narrative
Price: 10
Sales: 140,680
---
The discussions exploded.
The story felt real.
The choices felt meaningful.
The emotions felt sincere.
It wasn't flashy.
It wasn't loud.
But it was honest.
Pick Love became an unexpected holiday success.
Inside Ethan's apartment, he refreshed the backend data and saw the numbers climbing.
140,680.
Vivian looked at him.
"Not bad."
He nodded.
Not bad at all.
Northstar was no longer just a rising studio.
It was becoming a name players trusted.
And with Cyberpunk 2077 still on the way—
This was only the beginning.
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