Jiang Cheng: "I'll come find you when I'm free in a while. If you ever come to China, you can come find me anytime."
Big Secret's message also caught Jiang Cheng's attention.
Big Secret: "Oh, I didn't expect to get one too. This isn't a mass-sent message, is it?"
After reading it, Jiang Cheng replied with a straight face and a steady heart: "How is that possible? How could you think of me like that?? If you don't believe me, I can show you my chat logs."
Anyway, he knew Big Secret wouldn't actually want to see them.
Even if she really did, Jiang Cheng wasn't worried.
He could just laugh it off as him being a smooth talker.
Besides, his relationship with Big Secret was never exactly proper to begin with.
She knew better than anyone what kind of person he was.
Big Secret: "Hmph, I didn't expect you to value me so much. Why would I look at chat logs? I believe everything you say~~"
It was just as he had expected.
Jiang Cheng didn't care whether Big Secret truly believed him or not.
He directly sent a 'kiss and hug' emoji.
Si Nian: "Happy New Year, I miss you a little~~"
Jiang Cheng: "Only a little? I miss you so much I can't even sleep."
Si Qing: "Did you send one to Si Nian too??"
Jiang Cheng: "If I said I sent it to you first, would you believe me?"
Si Qing: "I believe you. Happy New Year, I want to see you."
Jiang Cheng: "If you want to see me, then come back to Shanghai sooner."
While Jiang Cheng was busy replying to the messages from various Girls.
Inside a villa in Chengdu, An Xin was gently covering Annie with a blanket, as if afraid of waking this adorable little angel.
After tucking her in, An Xin carefully placed a red envelope under Annie's pillow.
As she leaned over, her silk nightgown traced a graceful waistline, and her collarbones, faintly visible at the neckline, looked like meticulously carved white jade, glowing softly in the warm light.
Placing New Year's money under the child's pillow for her to sleep on represented An Xin's deep blessings and love for Annie.
Watching Annie's steady breathing, An Xin's naturally watery almond eyes curved into crescents, and a smile unconsciously played at the corners of her lips.
Having done all this, An Xin tenderly touched Annie's soft, cute cheek before tiptoeing out of the room.
The door slowly closed behind her with a faint "click."
Just as the door shut, a crisp WeChat notification sound suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the night.
By reflex, An Xin quickly brought the phone in her hand before her eyes.
When she saw the message on the screen, she froze.
Her autumn-water eyes widened instantly, her thick eyelashes fluttering like startled butterflies, and her full lips parted slightly without her realizing.
Because it was a message from Jiang Cheng.
When she saw the message on the phone screen, she was completely stunned.
Those eyes, already beautiful and moving, couldn't help but widen.
Because it was a message from Jiang Cheng.
It wasn't just a countdown video of the Spring Festival Gala, but also four words.
Those four words were like a bolt of lightning, instantly striking An Xin's heart.
Her heart rate suddenly accelerated, and her slender jade hand, which had been on the doorknob, slowly moved to her chest where her heart was thumping like a startled fawn.
The undulating curves beneath the silk fabric betrayed her erratic breathing.
"Happy New Year, miss you..." These simple words left An Xin feeling a bit lost.
If Jiang Cheng had just sent a common "Happy New Year," perhaps she wouldn't have thought too much of it.
But what did those two words "miss you" actually mean? Did he really miss her?
Or was it just a polite greeting? Countless thoughts flashed through An Xin's mind in an instant, and she couldn't help but start overthinking.
On the other side, Fang Yuan was also in a similar state.
She was leaning lazily on a leather sofa, her well-maintained slender fingers holding a glass of red wine.
Her clean face looked exceptionally translucent under the warm lighting.
Without the embellishment of makeup, her naturally beautiful skin was highlighted even more.
Her slightly curly chestnut hair fell casually over her shoulders, the ends swaying slightly with her gentle motion of swirling the wine glass.
Her expression, which had been full of laughter as she chatted with Zhou Ying, suddenly froze when she saw the message Jiang Cheng had sent.
She glanced at Zhou Ying, who was looking down at her phone with a sweet smile.
Fang Yuan immediately closed the WeChat chat.
Her long fingers slid quickly across the screen, the pale pink pearlescent polish on her nails shimmering faintly under the lights.
Then, to cover it up, she let out a yawn, stood up, and said to Zhou Ying, "I'm a bit sleepy, so I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."
As she rose, her silk loungewear clung to her elegant curves.
When she stood straight, the hem of her nightgown brushed against her slender ankles.
Her pearl-like toes were faintly visible inside her plush slippers; she looked like a breathing portrait of a lady.
One could not tell at all that she was already the mother of an eighteen-year-old daughter.
"Okay, Mom. Happy New Year."
Staring at Zhou Ying's face, which closely resembled her own, Fang Yuan felt for a moment as if she were seeing herself from twenty years ago.
Zhou Ying's appearance was almost exactly the same as her own when she was young.
The same full apple cheeks, the same pink lip color.
It was just that Zhou Ying's skin still had that fine downy texture unique to young Girls.
Whereas Fang Yuan's skin texture was in a perfect state polished by time; even the areas around her eyes, which most easily show age, were as firm as ever.
Staring at Zhou Ying's face so like her own, Fang Yuan subconsciously smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on her loungewear.
She gave a bitter smile: "Happy New Year!!"
After returning to her room, Fang Yuan didn't turn on the light immediately. Instead, she walked to her vanity by the moonlight from the window.
She gently took off her hair tie, and her chestnut hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
Her hair was still soft, bright, and smooth.
She stared intently at the WeChat message, her long fingers unconsciously twirling a lock of hair.
For some reason, although she felt uneasy, she couldn't deny it.
When she first saw this message, a sliver of joy had risen in her heart.
She couldn't even deny that...
Sometimes in the dead of night, she would think about that scene in Zhou Ying's bedroom when Jiang Cheng mistook her for Zhou Ying.
Every time she thought of that scene, her hands couldn't help but do some wet and messy things.
This thought made her ears burn. She quickly grabbed a cotton pad soaked in expensive toner and pressed it gently against her slightly flushed cheeks.
Fang Yuan's hand swiped left, looking at the delete button for the chat history with some conflict.
Her round, perfectly trimmed nails tapped lightly on the screen, making a faint sound.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she swiped back.
She clicked into the chat with Jiang Cheng.
Originally, she wanted to type a few question marks. But after hesitating, she deleted them and changed it to: "Did you send this to the wrong person??"
After typing those words, Fang Yuan felt conflicted again.
Somewhat nervously, she stood up and walked to the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet, unconsciously sizing herself up in the mirror.
Fang Yuan bit her lower lip, an action that made her already full lips look even more enticing; her eyes rippled with the unique charm of a mature woman.
Her slender neck line, exquisite collarbones, and flat belly were all results of her years of yoga and strict dietary management.
She didn't know what to do.
If she sent this message and Jiang Cheng replied saying he did send it by mistake, should she feel relieved or disappointed?
But if Jiang Cheng said he didn't send it to the wrong person, how should she react then??