Chapter 1618: Best New Year’s Gift
Gu Nianzhi did not care whether Qin Yaoguang was comfortable or not. It was a prison, after all. Did she think it was a five-star hotel?
Moreover, Qin Yaoguang was temporarily locked up in a heavily guarded military prison. Gu Nianzhi was not worried that someone would do something to her.
If even the military prison could not keep an eye on Qin Yaoguang, Gu Nianzhi truly felt that the He family could all go to hell.
Therefore, she left the courtroom with ease and went straight to the parking lot to get her car.
When she arrived at the parking lot, she saw He Zhichu, dressed in military uniform, sitting in front of her car, waiting for her.
His long legs were stretched out in front of him, his arms were crossed, and his bright, almond-shaped eyes quietly watched her approach. He bent over slightly and said calmly,”… Today is New Year’s Eve. Where do you want to go play? I’ll accompany you.”
Gu Nianzhi took out her keys and opened the car door remotely. She smiled and said, “No need. I’m not going anywhere. I’m too tired today. I want to rest at home alone.”
“Really?” He Zhichu stood up straight and looked at her intently for a while.
She had been really tired these past few days. Her cheeks had a strange flush as she walked out of the courtroom.
Her lipstick had already faded, making her lips appear waxy pink and white.
Her bright eyes were a little tired, and dark circles had even appeared under her eyes.
He Zhichu rubbed her head with some heartache, “Alright, go back and have a good rest. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is the New Year.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded and opened the car door to get into the car. She smiled and asked, “What about you, Young Master He? It’s New Year’s Eve. It’s also a good opportunity to party.”
He Zhichu smiled and said, “I have a social engagement tonight. I’m going to have a party with a group of childhood friends. We’ll count down the time together.”
Gu Nianzhi gave him a satisfied look. “Bingo! I’m happy to see you happy, Young Master He. Have fun tonight! I’ll tell you happy New Year’s tomorrow!”
“Happy New Year’s.” He Zhichu waved at her and watched her drive off.
He Zhichu’s smile faded only after Gu Nianzhi’s car drove off.
He touched his face and felt his cheeks ache.
It wasn’t easy to maintain a smile at all times.
He got into his car and received a call from a few friends. He confirmed his schedule for the night with a faint smile.
“Okay, no problem. I’ll definitely be there. Prepare some red wine and let’s have a good time today.”
..
Gu Nianzhi pushed open the door to her house. As expected, Lu Jin and Lu Yuan both looked up from the sofa and looked at her with concern.
Gu Nianzhi felt her exhaustion disappear. She threw her laptop bag and briefcase onto the sofa, then rushed to the kitchen refrigerator to get a can of ice-cold milk. She drank half a bottle of milk in one go.
“Nianzhi, how can you drink ice-cold milk in such a cold day?” Lu Jin quickly followed her in. “I’ll heat up a bottle of milk for you.”
Gu Nianzhi grimaced. “Dad, my heart is warm. Didn’t you see how I dissed Qin Yaoguang in court?”
“I’m all ears,” Lu Jin said with a smile. His expression was calm, but he was actually very worried.
Gu Nianzhi returned to the living room with a smile and recounted everything that had happened in court that day.
She was in the mood for flamboyance, so she dramatically acted out all of today’s court proceedings.
Lu Jin was very engrossed. As description of the court proceedings went on his reaction changed appropriately as well, he was a very qualified audience.
Lu Yuan was a little more composed than Lu Jin, but he was also intrigued.
When he found out that this case was not completely closed and that they still had to wait for new evidence for her to be retried, he quickly nodded and agreed. “There are still many suspicious points. Indeed, we should continue the trial.”
Lu Jin was so angry at Qin Yaoguang’s words in court that his face turned red. He slammed the table angrily and said, “Did this woman become retarded after adding a chip to her brain? Who has a crush on her? ! If I had known she would say such nonsense, I would have confronted her in court even if He Chengjian found out!”
Gu Nianzhi smiled and pushed his arm away. “Dad, don’t you see that I helped you fight back? Don’t worry, I’m here. I won’t let you suffer any more losses!”
“My daughter!” Lu Jin was so excited that he didn’t know how to thank her. His eyes sparkled as he, wishing he could give everything to her, looked at Gu Nianzhi.
Lu Yuan didn’t even look at her. He made a disgusted expression and said, “Lu Jin, speak properly. Otherwise, don’t talk about the case. Your rational mind has already left its home.”
Lu Jin waved his hand. “Don’t interrupt. Hurry up and cook. It’s New Year’s Eve today. You have to cook something delicious for us!”
Seeing Lu Yuan’s face darken, Gu Nianzhi quickly tried to smooth things over. “Uncle Lu, no matter what you cook, it’s delicious! Dad, right?”
She used her eyes to warn Lu Jin to stop talking nonsense.
Lu Jin was not afraid of anything, but he was afraid that his daughter would be unhappy. He quickly changed the topic and nodded. “Not bad, not bad. Boss Lu’s culinary skills are really impeccable!”
“At least you know how to be grateful.” Lu Yuan snorted and stood up to go to the kitchen to prepare the New Year’s Eve feast.
Gu Nianzhi rubbed the back of her neck and said to Lu Jin, “Dad, I’m going to take a bath. It’s been a long day.”
“Go, go, I made you another bottle of lavender essential oil. I added a special ingredient that I’ve researched. Not only can it help you sleep, but it can also relieve muscle soreness.” Lu Jin smiled as he pointed in the direction of the bathroom.
Gu Nianzhi hugged him happily. “Thank you, Dad!”
Then she happily ran to the bathroom to soak in the lavender essential oil that Lu Jin had personally developed for her.
She soaked in it for half an hour before getting up. Then she started her skincare routine. When she was finally done, she changed into loose domestic attire and went to the living room. It had already been more than an hour.
Lu Jin saw her come out and quickly said, “Nianzhi, the food is ready. Come and eat.”
Gu Nianzhi happened to be hungry. The bottle of milk from earlier had been completely digested after she had taken a bath.
She walked into the dining room and saw that Lu Yuan had indeed prepared a feast.
The table was filled with exquisite white brandy and porcelain cutlery. In the middle of the table was a purple clay stew cup. When the lid was lifted, she got a whiff of the delicious aroma.
Lu Jin happily pointed at the pot and said, “This is ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’! It’s Boss Lu’s specialty! But he’s only made it once in all these years. Today is the second time. Thanks to my daughter, I can eat it again!”
“So this is ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’?!” Gu Nianzhi was pleasantly surprised as she leaned over to take a closer look.
She saw a purple clay pot with a purple sea cucumber on the top. Next to it were two round abalones, jade-colored flower glue, white, vermicelli-like shark fins, soft jade pillars, and red prawns.
Using a spoon to remove the top layer, she could see the deer tendons, duck gizzards, pigeon eggs, turtle skirt, and razor clams at the bottom. At a glance, one could tell that the pot was already stewed to a high temperature.
Moving down, she could see the bottom of the ham, along with ribs, pork bellies, hoof tendons, and ground chickens, ground ducks, as well as the bottom of the soup made from mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, and apricot mushrooms.
The aroma was just right to arouse one’s appetite, and Gu Nianzhi could not help feeling excited.
From the ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’, it could be seen that Lu Jin and Lu Yuan had been preparing this new year’s Eve feast for a long time, because it wasn’t something that could be made in an hour.
Gu Nianzhi was very touched and sat down. She called out to Lu Yuan and Lu Jin, “Uncle Lu, Dad, quickly sit down, let’s have a New Year’s Eve feast together!”
On the dining table, the ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’ was surrounded by all sorts of dishes made by Lu Yuan.
A plate of deep-fried meatballs was placed on the left side of Gu Nianzhi’s hand. On the right side was a plate of steamed bass with finely chopped green scallions on it.
The meatballs were followed by a plate of chicken with lemon juice. It was fragrant but not greasy, crisp but not sticky.
Beside the chicken was a plate of steaming lychee meat. It was even more appetizing under the contrast of the snow-white porcelain.
Next to the steamed bass was a bowl of shark sliders. Although the shape did not look good, Gu Nianzhi took a bite and finished off the small bowl of shark sliders Lu Jin had served her.
Lu Yuan smiled and said, “Eat slowly. There are also peanuts and mashed taro for dessert.”
Gu Nianzhi was so busy that she could only give him a thumbs up to show her appreciation, because she was busy eating.
Gu Nianzhi felt like she was overeating, but she still couldn’t stop eating.
The atmosphere in the dining room was happy and harmonious. Lu Yuan appeared a little dazed, as if this was the first time in so many years that he had experienced the joy of family.
Lu Jin turned on the television and saw that the New Year’s Eve programs were being broadcasted on the television. He said with interest, “Nianzhi, today is your first New Year’s Eve here. How do you want to spend it?”
“How?” Gu Nianzhi shrugged and continued to eat. “I haven’t thought about it. I just want to eat my fill and sleep at home.”
Gu Nianzhi had just gone to court today and had fought a tough battle with Qin Yaoguang and Wen Shouyi. She was tired.
“The only way to solve my worries is to eat and sleep.” Gu Nianzhi smiled as she scooped up a bowl of peanut and mashed taro with a spoon and started eating dessert.
As for New Year’s Eve, could it still be called New Year’s Eve without Major General Huo? No way.
As they spoke, the television was broadcasting the customs of the various countries on New Year’s Eve, especially the countdown to New Year’s Eve in Times Square in the United States.
“… it is estimated that more than two million people will attend New Year’s Eve in Times Square in the United States, twice as many as in previous years.”
“Because the President of the United States will also attend the countdown to New Year’s Eve in Times Square in New York. At that time, he will invite friends from all over the world to watch it together.”
Lu Jin saw that her mood had suddenly dropped, and he did not know how he had said the wrong thing, so he quickly thought of a way to make up for it. He pointed at the television and said, “Why don’t we also go to New York in the United States? Every year in Times Square in New York, in the last ten seconds of New Year’s Eve, everyone counts down the countdown to watch the Big Apple fall. How interesting!”
The time difference between the Huaxia Empire and the United States was exactly 12 hours. If they walked quickly, they would still have time to watch the New Year’s Eve countdown in New York.
Gu Nianzhi tried hard to smile and shook her head. “No need. I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to spend New Year’s Eve at home with my father and President Lu. Is that okay?”
“Yes! Yes! Of course!” Lu Jin did not expect Gu Nianzhi to say that. His heart felt warm and he rubbed his hands happily. He quickly said, “Look at you, you’re tired. Have a good night’s sleep after dinner. I’ll call you over to grab the red packet when the countdown starts!”
Gu Nianzhi nodded, but when she saw the food on the table, her eyes darted around and she said, “CEO Lu, you’re so good at cooking. Is it because you learned from your family, or did you learn from a famous teacher?”
Who was Lu Yuan? Not to mention a young girl like Gu Nianzhi, even a wily old man would not be able to get information from him.
Therefore, when Gu Nianzhi said that, Lu Yuan calmly said, “I learned from myself.”
The smile on Gu Nianzhi’s face involuntarily widened. “Really? You came up with the three-dish fried rice yourself?”
“Of course. It’s such a simple fried rice. You just have to scratch it a few times.” Lu Yuan calmly smiled and beat around the bush. “Okay, go rest for a while. Your eyelids are drooping.”
Gu Nianzhi rubbed her eyes. She felt sleepy after eating and drinking.
She yawned and dragged her tired body back to her room to sleep.
Perhaps it was because she had been too nervous and tired recently.
Once she went back to her room to lie down, she couldn’t be awoken.
It was midnight when the countdown started. Lu Jin went to her bedroom and tried to wake her up for a long time, but she was still sound asleep.
Lu Jin didn’t want to use too much strength to wake her up, so he didn’t continue trying to wake her up.
He thoughtfully turned off the lights and gently closed the door to let Gu Nianzhi sleep.
In the end, Gu Nianzhi slept until almost 1 pm the next day.
She rushed out of the bedroom and said with exasperation, “Dad! You told me we would do the count down and snatch the red packets together!”
It had been half a day since the new year, and she had missed out on 100 million!
Lu Jin quickly coaxed her, “Nianzhi, you were too sleepy yesterday. I wanted to call you, but I decided that sleeping was more important. Look at your complexion!”
“Hmph! I don’t want an explanation!” Gu Nianzhi hugged her panda pillow and sat cross-legged on the sofa. She huffed and puffed, “I don’t care! I don’t care! I want the countdown! I want the red packet! Give me the red packet for the New Year!”
“Huh? You really want the countdown?” Lu Jin scratched his head. “I didn’t invent a time machine…”
How could he give her a countdown? Was he going to wait until next year?
Suddenly, Lu Jin had an idea. He turned on the curved wall-mounted TV in the living room and said with a smile, “Okay! I’ll give you the countdown for the New Year!”
It was almost one o’clock in the afternoon now.
On the TV, it happened to be broadcasting the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square in the United States.
Because of the time difference, it was exactly ten minutes till midnight in the United States, which was the countdown for the New Year.
Lu Jin was beaming with joy. He pointed at the television and said, “Look! They’re still counting down! As for the red packet, come, here’s your red packet!”
Gu Nianzhi: “…”
She was actually speechless.
With one hand supporting her head and the other holding the small panda pillow, Gu Nianzhi could only watch the grand New Year’s Eve celebration in New York on television to relieve her boredom.
On New Year’s Eve, the temperature in Times Square could be as low as minus twenty degrees Celsius, but such low temperatures could not dampen everyone’s enthusiasm for watching the Big Apple fall on New Year’s Eve.
On television, the host, wearing a fashionable down jacket, excitedly announced, “The President has come out! The President will count down with you all today! He will share the joy with the people!”
Then she said, “Today, the President will do the New Year’s countdown with international friends. In addition to Yeltsin, the Municipal Party Chief of the Soviet Union’s Capital Moscow and the Soviet Union’s Youth Affairs Standing Committee Chairman Gorbachev, there are also diplomats from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.”
The camera on the television turned and focused on these “diplomats”.
These people were all fully dressed, wrapped in all kinds of fur coats, down jackets, scarves, and hats. Only their protruding bellies and thick waists could be seen.
Among this group of people, Gu Nianzhi saw Peter, the Ace of the Far East, at a glance. The Deputy Chief Counsel, Huo Shaoheng, was standing in the shadow next to Yeltsin and Gorbachev.
Even if he wasn’t standing in front of the camera, no one would be able to ignore him.
He was wearing a well-fitting Soviet Union military coat and boots. He was 1.9 meters tall. He was wearing a military cap.
Just by standing there, he looked like someone from a famous painting.
The bright lights in Times Square seemed to accentuate his presence. Gu Nianzhi admired the beautiful scenery, but in her heart, she was thinking about Major General Huo. She didn’t know who he was spending New Year’s Eve with.
As she thought about it, her mood sank. She didn’t want to watch the countdown anymore.
She picked up the remote control and was about to change the channel when she suddenly saw another person beside the Ace of the Far East.
This person was in an even darker shadow, but when he was talking to the Ace of the Far East, he just happened to look up at the camera.
It was only a 0.1 second shot, but Gu Nianzhi was struck by lightning. She was in a terrible state.
Before she could react, her fingers had subconsciously pressed pause.
The man’s face was frozen on the big screen of the television.
He was a man in his thirties. He wasn’t tall, nor was he strong. His eyes were always squinting, as if he hadn’t woken up yet.
Gu Nianzhi stared at the man’s extremely familiar face. In her muddled mind, it was as if a beam of light had suddenly pierced through the fog of darkness and was pointing her in the right direction.
He looked exactly the same as Peter in the other world!
This Peter should be Peter’s counterpart in the parallel dimension, right?
But if this person who always looked like he was sleepy was the real Peter, then who was the Ace of the Far East, “Peter”, who was standing beside him? !
In that instant, everything that had happened since she had met the Ace of the Far East, “Peter”, replayed in front of her eyes. All of a sudden, every word, action, and movement of his had a new meaning.
Gu Nianzhi’s heart pounded wildly. Could it be what she had thought?
Her body felt cold and hot, like she had gone through 10 kilometers of cross-country training in the hot summer sun, and like she had fallen into an ice hole in the extreme north in the cold winter months.
She covered her mouth with her hand. She wanted to cry, but she also wanted to laugh. Tears streamed down her face, but the smile on her lips was beautiful.
She vaguely wondered if the real answer was already on the tip of her tongue?
Was he already by her side, and silently accompanying her in his way while she did not know?
Lu Jin turned his head and saw Gu Nianzhi’s state. He could not help but be terrified. He quickly asked, “Nianzhi, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me… I didn’t tell you to get up last night. It was my fault. I know I was wrong. You…”
“No! No! I’m not unhappy!” Gu Nianzhi threw away the panda pillow in her arms and got up from the sofa. She threw herself into Lu Jin’s arms and hugged him as she cried and laughed. “Dad! I’m so happy! This is the best New Year’s present! Thank you! Thank you!”