"Wow~"
"So many dishes! They're all my favorites~~"
As soon as she got home and slipped into her fluffy rabbit slippers, Mia Quinn's eyes lit up with excitement as she stared at the table filled with food.
At that moment, her earlier aloof demeanor had completely disappeared. She was nothing but a full-on foodie now.
"Come, come~"
"Time for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
Dolores Su called everyone to the table. Blake Su brought out hot drinks, poured a cup for each person, and said with a smile, "Mom, Aunt Charlotte, Quinnie.
Tonight is our reunion night.
Let's make a toast. Leave all worries behind and stay happy and healthy every day."
"Oh~"
Clink, clink, clink~~
The four of them raised their glasses and enjoyed a warm, cheerful New Year's Eve dinner together.
People always say to eat your fill during the New Year, but despite the table full of delicious dishes, none of them actually ate that much. It was almost as if they had never planned to eat until they were full.
After dinner, Dolores Su and Charlotte Quinn cleared the table.
Blake Su and Mia Quinn stayed in the living room, watching TV and snacking. Dolores Su had barely touched the snacks Blake Su had sent back earlier.
8:00 p.m.
The Spring Festival Gala began.
The four of them watched the show while playing mahjong.
"Two Bamboo."
"Pong. Three Characters."
"I'll take it."
"Kong."
"Self-draw. I win again!"
Mia Quinn said, "Hey, Blake, your mahjong skills have improved. Do players in the U.S. play mahjong too?"
Blake Su laughed. "That's just talent."
Mia Quinn rolled her eyes. "Stop showing off."
Blake Su said, "Aunt Charlotte, you're a lawyer with such a sharp mind. How come you're not very good at mahjong?"
Mia Quinn said, "Look at him getting cocky."
Charlotte Quinn sighed. "This is bad. Even Blake Su has started mocking people. Just like I thought, gambling really can ruin someone."
Dolores Su added, "Blake, you've changed."
Mia Quinn chimed in, "Blake, you've gone bad."
Blake Su shrugged. "Is it that hard to admit I'm good?"
Mia Quinn said, "Look at him showing off. I really want to hit him, but he does win the most. It's so annoying."
Everyone burst into laughter.
The lively mahjong game continued alongside the Spring Festival Gala, filled with laughter all the way until midnight.
"10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1!"
"It's the New Year!"
As the host counted down, the new year officially arrived.
"Yay~"
"I won!"
Right at that moment, Mia Quinn won another hand, which made her even happier.
"Mia is amazing!"
Dolores Su praised her with a smile.
"Quinnie."
Blake Su pointed at the fireworks they had bought earlier and said with a grin, "Let's go downstairs and set them off."
"Okay. Do Mom and Aunt want to come?"
"We'll stay here. You two go ahead. We'll watch from upstairs like VIPs."
"Alright."
Downstairs.
"Fireworks! Fireworks!"
Mia Quinn bounced around as she set up the fireworks, then stepped aside. Blake Su walked over and lit two at once.
He quickly moved to another spot and lit two more.
"Sizzle, sizzle~"
"Whoosh, whoosh~"
"Whoosh, whoosh~"
The four boxes of fireworks burst open, spraying sparks into the air. They did not shoot very high, only about seven or eight meters, but the cascading sparks looked like falling meteors, lighting up the night.
"Wow, so beautiful~"
"Quinnie, make a wish."
Mia Quinn happily clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a wish. Blake Su also closed his eyes.
He hoped to win the championship this year.
He also hoped that the girl beside him would be happy every day.
"Quinnie, want to set off more?"
"Yes."
For Blake Su, this New Year's Eve was busy and noisy, yet incredibly joyful, fulfilling, and satisfying.
...
The next day.
February 3rd.
The first day of the Lunar New Year.
However, due to the schedule, Blake Su had to return to Phoenix today.
"Mom, Aunt Charlotte, do you want to come along?" Blake Su asked.
Dolores Su shook her head. "We still have relatives and friends to visit, so we won't go this time. We'll visit later when we have time.
We're already very happy that you came back for New Year's Eve."
"Alright."
Blake Su nodded.
Charlotte Quinn looked at Mia Quinn. "Mia, stay close to Blake on the way. Even if you're older, he can still look after you."
"Got it."
Mia Quinn nodded repeatedly and smiled. "Mom, Aunt, take care at home. If anything happens, call us right away."
"Alright."
"Okay, we're leaving."
Blake Su did not linger and headed straight for the airport.
10:00 a.m.
Blake Su and Mia Quinn boarded the plane.
In first class, each of them lay on a spacious, comfortable seat. Blake Su smiled and asked, "Quinnie, why didn't you stay home a few more days?"
"Uh..."
Mia Quinn thought for a moment. "It's boring staying home alone. At least I can hang out with you if I come along."
"I see."
Blake Su did not press further.
Mia Quinn, resting with her eyes closed, felt a faint sense of confusion. Thinking it over again, she found it a little strange.
"I really wanted to come home before.
I could have stayed longer... so why did I follow him without even thinking?"
...
Blake Su and Mia Quinn flew back to the U.S.
Because of the time difference, it was still February 2nd in the U.S., around 9:00 p.m. At the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets and the Thunder were about to tip off.
After the game began, the NBA officially announced the January Player of the Month, along with the Rookie MVP rankings, MVP rankings, and Defensive Player of the Month.
Last December, Howard and Blake Su were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month respectively.
In January, Howard did not repeat as Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Instead, the award went to the Heat's "King James," LeBron.
He averaged 27.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks, leading his team to second place in the East, just one game behind first.
Notably, he achieved these numbers while sharing touches with "Flash" Wade and "CB4" Bosh, which made the performance even more impressive.
In the Western Conference,
Blake Su was selected again, making it back-to-back wins.
He averaged 36.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.9 steals, and 3.1 blocks, continuing to lead the league in scoring, steals, and blocks.
He also led his team to the best record in the West.
With stats and results like these, if Blake Su did not repeat as Player of the Month, who would?
In addition, Blake Su continued to lead both the Rookie MVP rankings and the overall MVP rankings, outperforming superstars like Kobe, LeBron, Howard, and Rose.
As a rookie, he was dominating the charts.