The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Zhuangzi once said, "Life between heaven and earth is like a white horse flashing by, gone in an instant."

When I was a child, I often read the phrase "time flies like an arrow" in textbooks or extracurricular books to describe how quickly time passes and how fast it is impossible to grasp.

But Ye Shu always felt that this metaphor was not quite appropriate.

Ye Shu felt that time was not like a fast horse galloping by, but rather more like a giant turtle.

When you stare at it, it just lies there, curled up in its shell, and doesn't move.

But as soon as you turn around to do something else, it immediately crawls out of its shell and scurries out very quickly, just like the four-wheel drive cars we played with as kids. By the time you turn back, it has already crawled far away.

This feeling is especially pronounced as the year draws to a close.

It seems like just yesterday I was enjoying the cool autumn weather, and now, in the blink of an eye, the end of the year has already slipped away.

The air was filled with that cool, slightly restless feeling that's unique to the end of the year, like the restlessness of working the last hour before a long holiday after a week of hard work.

The surrounding environment has also quietly become more red.

Strings of large red lanterns hung from the lampposts lining both sides of the street. Many "Fu" (good fortune) characters and paper-cut window decorations were pasted on the glass windows of the shops along the street. Red signs stood at the shop entrances, announcing year-end promotional offers.

The loudspeakers were either playing Andy Lau's song "Farewell to the Old Year, Welcome the New Year! Lanterns and decorations for the Spring Festival!"—a song Ye Shu never knew the name of, but heard every year during the Lunar New Year.

Today is Ye Shu's last day working at Corner Tea House this year.

He was standing in the shop, smelling the aroma of coffee, and wiping the coffee machine with a rag in his hand.

In the blink of an eye, he has been working here for almost half a year.

At first, I just wanted to find a temporary place to stay. But as I gradually became familiar with each bag, learned to do latte art, listened to Sister Chen Xing's various absurd life philosophies, and got used to the rhythm of the place.

Chen Xing, unusually, did not slip away early today. She was wearing a very festive red sweater, which made her seem even more energetic.

She sat behind the bar, beaming, one hand supporting her chin, seemingly enjoying herself immensely.

"Sister Chen Xing, aren't you going on a date with your husband today?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xing turned his head with a smile:

"This is called finishing what you start, standing guard until the very end. Don't you understand the importance of ritual? Xiao Ye, life needs a sense of ritual."

You're not just standing your last shift properly, you're just standing your last shift, okay?

Of course, Ye Shu didn't say these words aloud; he just smiled.

"Alright, stop wiping. It's clean enough. Even a fly would have to do the splits if it landed on it."

Chen Xing beckoned him over, then bent down and took out a thick red envelope from the large bag under the bar counter, handing it to Ye Shu.

"Here you go, Xiao Ye. This is your year-end bonus, oh no, I mean New Year's money."

After spending so much time together, Ye Shu had figured out Chen Xing's temperament quite well. She seemed carefree, but she was actually very perceptive and genuinely good to him, without any pretense.

He didn't refuse, as that would be too pretentious, and readily accepted it.

The red envelope felt surprisingly heavy in his hand; he squeezed its thickness and was somewhat surprised.

"Thank you, Sister Chen Xing. This... is this much?"

"What do you mean by 'a lot'? It's not much."

Chen Xing waved his hand, his eyes crinkling with laughter:

"Compared to the money you've earned for me these past few months, this is just a drop in the ocean."

As she spoke, she held up a finger and waved it in front of Ye Shu's eyes.

Ye Shu cooperated, leaning closer and holding up a finger, squinting her eyes and whispering:

"Was it worth, a single hair?"

"Wow, you're pretty knowledgeable!"

Seeing that they had exchanged the secret code, Chen Xing patted him on the shoulder:

"Alright, stop joking around. Hurry up and pack up, get ready to close. You can come back to work after the 15th, have a good holiday."

The two chatted and laughed, then checked the electrical appliances and plumbing one last time before locking the shop door.

Standing outside the glass door, which already had a sign that read "Closed for Chinese New Year, open after the holiday," Chen Xing tightened his scarf and waved to Ye Shu:

"Goodbye, Xiao Ye. This year has come to a successful end. Happy New Year, see you next year."

Happy New Year, Sister Chen Xing.

Ye Shu waved and watched Chen Xing walk towards the car parked next to him. His brother-in-law in the driver's seat nodded to him, and Ye Shu nodded in response, watching the car gradually drive away.

Many shops on this street were closed. Ye Shu turned around and took one last look at the sign of Corner Tea House. Under the lights, the little shop looked particularly cozy.

He took a deep breath; a faint aroma of coffee wafted from the crack in the door into the cold air, mixed with the indescribable sense of anticipation unique to the end of the year.

Ye Shu tugged at his collar, put his hands in his pockets, touched the thick red envelope, and turned to walk slowly towards home.

Ye Shu's phone vibrated in his pocket, but he ignored it, simply savoring the tranquility of the end of this ordinary day.

The neon lights of the shops along the street lit up, and the pedestrians seemed to walk a little faster than usual.

The New Year is really coming.

Ye Shu exhaled a breath of white air. Unlike previous years when it was just a milestone, this year's New Year was very memorable for him.

If I were to describe this year as a curve, especially the second half, it would be like taking off from a rocket, literally taking off from the spot.

At the beginning of the year, he was still worried about his graduation thesis, internship prospects, and uncertain future. He lived in an old, partitioned room with a shared bathroom, saving every penny to make ends meet and looking for all sorts of unreliable jobs.

Then, my life took off.

I moved into a mansion I'd only ever seen in movies and TV shows, and I could enjoy the feeling of sunshine on my face every day. I experienced the joy of soaking in a bathtub until I was swollen, and I understood what a bed that could swallow you whole was like.

I found a very satisfying job. It's easy, has a great atmosphere, and my boss, Sister Chen Xing, treats me like a younger brother. My income is enough to live on and I even have some to spare.

Following that, his social circle expanded, and he met someone who didn't seem like an upper-class person, Qin Lili.

I've seen the building of the local leading company, and their vice president who is also their spouse.

I've witnessed kidnappings and encountered scammers...

And the starting point and core of all these changes are them.

It is Xiao Nuan, it is Xia Qing, it is Zhi Qiu, it is Xiao Xue.

This complex and unique love story was a script he had never experienced or imagined in his more than twenty years of life.

What made it even more unreal was that both sets of parents expressed their approval, without any of the resistance he had imagined.

Life, work, social life, emotions... in every dimension of life, he seemed to have been kissed by Lady Luck.

Is this really...my life?

Sometimes, he would ask himself this question.

Everything was going too smoothly, too beautifully, like it was all an illusion.

Ye Shu shook his head. Who cares? Why can't he have a bit of good luck?

He touched the bulging red envelope in his pocket and became even more certain of his idea.

Just then, the phone rang again. Ye Shu took out his phone and answered it directly:

"Feed?"

On the other end of the phone, Xia Qing shouted urgently to Ye Shu:

"What are you feeding me for? Didn't you see my message? Come back right now, it's urgent!"