The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

The midday sun was so intense it was blinding, making one's back feel hot.

As soon as Shen Qingyao stepped out of Shen Yu's courtyard, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She took off her cashmere coat and draped it over her arm, revealing a beige knitted sweater underneath. A gust of wind finally dispelled some of the heat.

Shen Qingyao sent Meng Jiangyu a voice message, "I've finished playing cards and I'm getting ready to go home."

Meng Jiangyu's reply came almost instantly, his voice tinged with laughter coming through the receiver: "How's the battle going?"

"One to three, I lost fifty dollars!" He said with a helpless expression.

The next second, my phone chimed, "50,000 yuan has been deposited into your Alipay account!"

"Hey bro, you're getting tons of coins again!"

"Uncle may not have much else, but he's got plenty of money." His tone was full of indulgence. "If you lose, you have to make it up to us, otherwise our Yao Yao will feel wronged."

"I'm not upset at all, I just feel a little embarrassed." She walked home, the stone pavement in the alley was scorching hot from the sun, and her feet felt warm. "I'm almost home, I'll talk to you later."

"Uh-huh!"

When I got home, my father, second father, and third father had all gone out to chat and play cards with their childhood friends.

Grandma and Mom are still playing cards.

As soon as Shen Qingyao sat down, she saw Dandan, who was in her stepmother's arms, reaching out his little hand to grab her hair, so she took the opportunity to pick up the little guy. "Where are Lili and Yangyang?"

The stepmother took Shen Qingyao's coat, "This coat is so lightweight!"

"They're playing video games in their room!" Mom replied while drawing cards.

"You're the eldest sister, go and do something about it. They came back from visiting relatives for the New Year and are now playing games inside. They won't listen to anything we say! We tell them to come out and get some sun while they play games, but they won't come out," the second aunt said.

"It's too bright outside, I can't see the phone screen clearly," Shen Qingyao replied politely.

As soon as she reached the door, she heard the sound of buttons being pressed inside.

Pushing open the door, I saw my two cousins ​​huddled together in front of their phones, teaming up to fight monsters; the screens were so bright they were almost blinding.

Shen Qingyao carried Dandan inside, saying, "Stop playing on your phone, come out and play cards."

"Coming, coming!" Lily quickly saved the file, and Yangyang immediately put away his phone as well. The two of them followed her outside like little tails.

Just then, my younger brother and cousin came in from outside after setting off firecrackers.

"It just so happens that the four of you are playing cards!"

Shen Qingyao sat on the veranda, holding Dandan in her arms, with her back to the sun. The warm sunlight made her feel like her bones were melting.

Egg perched on her shoulder, its little head bobbing up and down. Soon after, it yawned, its eyelashes glistening with golden sunlight.

Soon after, the child started wailing, "Stepmother, what should I do?"

"He's probably hungry. Wait here, I'll go make him some milk!"

"good!"

"Egg, don't cry, dinner's coming right away!" Shen Qingyao soothed him skillfully.

A moment later, the stepmother came out with a baby bottle. "Now you don't have to worry about gas anymore, you can just feed her directly."

"Okay!" Shen Qingyao fed him clumsily.

Egg wentbble down the milk.

We ate a lot of snacks in the morning, so no one complained of being hungry. For lunch, we simply heated up some leftover dishes from last night's New Year's Eve dinner.

The children, however, continued to eat candy and melon seeds without stopping, their mouths bulging like little squirrels hoarding food.

The days that followed flew by. Tomorrow we'll visit my maternal grandfather and uncle's house for the New Year, and the day after tomorrow we'll visit various relatives.

After that, they began to hold a banquet to entertain guests.

At the dinner table, there's always a toasting and drinking. The elders chat about their work and children, while the younger generation gathers together to talk about funny things that happened at school. The days slip by amidst the noisy clinking of glasses.

During this time, Shen Qingyao found a moment to chat with Lili and Yangyang.

When Lily was brought up by her stepmother's constant talk about "dating," she blushed and hurriedly defended herself: "It's not true at all. I just borrowed a notebook from a boy in the next class, and the teacher saw it and started making wild guesses, and even called my parents."

"Second Aunt was too hasty; she accused you without asking clearly." Shen Qingyao tidied the stray hairs from her forehead. "The more you argue with her, the more anxious she becomes. You should talk to her properly and make things clear."

Later, she mentioned it to her second uncle, who sighed and said he would have a good talk with her second aunt.

Two days later, when her stepmother was serving Lily some food, she said, "If anything happens in the future, just tell the family clearly." Lily didn't say anything, but she obediently ate the food, and the matter was considered closed.

On the morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, Meng Jiangyu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the top-floor office of Hanhai Capital, his fingertips swiping across the project reports on the tablet.

The city outside the window was just waking up from the festive atmosphere of the New Year, with traffic gradually spreading out, while his schedule was already fully booked.

An urgent report from Switzerland indicates that HanHai's new energy project in Zurich is experiencing technical integration issues, requiring his personal presence to coordinate.

"Apply for flight routes immediately." He instructed his assistant over the intercom, his tone calm and composed as always, as if the relaxation of the Spring Festival was just a brief respite.

As he turned around, his gaze swept over the peace knot that Shen Qingyao had woven by hand on the corner of the table. The red string gleamed warmly in the morning light. He reached out and stroked it a couple of times, a faint smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

After a flight of more than ten hours, the snow in Zurich had not yet melted, and the snow-covered streets made the church spires appear even more solemn.

Meng Jiangyu walked out of the airport and drove directly to the laboratory of the project partner. A layer of fine snow fell on his black coat, but he didn't bother to brush it off. He went straight to the conference room as soon as he entered.

"The core issue lies in matching the battery life parameters. The other party insists on adjusting according to European standards, which will affect the compatibility of our equipment." The project leader handed over the data report, his tone filled with anxiety.

Meng Jiangyu pointed his finger at the key data in the report, his brow furrowing slightly: "Have the technical team compile the test reports from the past three months. I need to see all the parameter comparisons by 3 PM this afternoon. Also, contact the local third-party testing agency and arrange on-site verification tomorrow."

He spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic, instantly calming the team's panic.

For the next two days, he spent his time between the lab and the conference room, working non-stop to coordinate technology and negotiate details. Occasionally, when he could catch his breath, he would send a message to Shen Qingyao.

The time difference left gaps of several hours in their conversations, so he took a picture of the snow outside the window and sent it to her: "The snow here is denser than in Yu Garden. Next time, I'll take you to the foot of the Alps to see the forest."

Shen Qingyao's replies usually came after he finished work late at night, with a slightly coquettish tone: "You're busy until midnight again? Remember to eat on time."

Looking at the caring words, Meng Jiangyu felt his fatigue quietly soothed.

He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, looking at the outline of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

He wanted to get the project underway as soon as possible so he could return to Beijing before her school started.

The project finally reached a consensus on the fourth day. At the moment the agreement was signed, the sunlight outside the window pierced through the clouds and shone brightly on the snow.

Meng Jiangyu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately made a video call to Shen Qingyao. On the screen, she was sitting under the eaves of her old home, basking in the sun, holding her sleeping child, Dandan, in her arms.

"Are you done with your work?" Her voice was soft, like the warmth of sunshine.

"Yes," he smiled and loosened his tie, the weariness in his eyes replaced by tenderness, "I can be back in China as early as the day after tomorrow. I can pick you up at the airport when you return to Beijing."

"Okay, I'm going back to school on the sixteenth of the first lunar month!"

"Okay, I'll have Jason book the tickets for you."

"good!"

"I see you don't have classes this first week. Would you like to go to the South of France for a few days?"

"Going abroad? I don't have a visa!"

"That's easy. Do you want to go?"

"I kind of want to!"

"It's summer there now, so warm! Let's treat it as a vacation."

"good!"

The snow is still falling in Zurich, but Meng Jiangyu's heart has already flown back to the place where she is.

Before we knew it, it was the Lantern Festival. In the afternoon, the whole family went to pay respects to our ancestors and send off the old year.

The family reunion dinner that evening was exceptionally lavish.

The whole family sat together, bowls filled with sweet glutinous rice balls, while fireworks occasionally exploded outside the window, illuminating everyone's faces.

Looking at the smiling faces all over the table, Shen Qingyao suddenly felt that this year was truly complete.

Just like the glutinous rice balls in the bowl, they symbolize reunion, sweetness, and the hopes for the whole year.

Aside from the four kids who are starting school tomorrow, who are complaining that they don't want to go back to school because the Spring Festival went by too fast.

They all looked worried and dejected.