As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

Suddenly remembering something, Lingdang raised her little head, her golden eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at Li Xian.

"By the way, Old Deng, what's Chinese New Year?"

Li Xian was taken aback.

"Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Many classmates are saying they're celebrating the New Year," Lingdang said.

"They said we'll be on holiday in a couple of days, and then it'll be Chinese New Year. What's Chinese New Year?"

Li Xian looked at her and remained silent for a second.

This girl came from another world. That world probably doesn't have the concept of the Spring Festival.

"It's Chinese New Year..." He thought for a moment and began to explain.

"It's the last day of the year, when everyone gathers together to eat delicious food, set off firecrackers, and put up Spring Festival couplets. Children can receive red envelopes, and adults will give them lucky money."

Lingdang blinked: "Red envelope? Lucky money?"

"Yes, it's money that elders give to younger people, put in a red paper packet, for good luck."

Bell's eyes lit up.

"Money? Give me money?"

"Um."

"How much...?"

Looking at her expectant little eyes, Li Xian couldn't help but chuckle.

"Not necessarily. It depends on the elders' wishes."

Bell started counting on her fingers.

Will my aunt give it to me?

"meeting."

Will Wanwan's mother give it to her?

"...She's not your elder."

"Then I'll recognize her as my godmother!"

Li Xian: "..."

This girl is really willing to go to any lengths for money.

"So, does that mean we don't have to go to school after the holidays?" Lingdang asked again.

Li Xian nodded.

"Of course. Winter break, a month without school."

The bell paused, stunned.

Then--

"yeah!!!"

She suddenly jumped up from the sofa, startling Fatty Orange.

"No school for a month! No cafeteria meals for a month! No early mornings for a month!"

Seeing her excitement, Li Xian couldn't help but want to laugh.

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course I'm happy!" Bell stopped and said breathlessly.

"The food in the cafeteria is awful! Getting up early every day is so painful! Not having to go for a month is pure bliss!"

Li Xian leaned back on the sofa, looking at her.

This girl is so happy she's practically showing her tail.

The chubby orange cat was thrown to the ground and meowed in dissatisfaction.

The bell ignored it and kept bouncing.

"I want to go to Wanwan's house! Wanwan's house has everything! Dried fish! Pudding! Ice cream! Unlimited supply!"

Seeing her excitement, Li Xian's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Fine, fine, you go ahead."

Li Xian thought for a moment and then added.

"Wanwan's house is big, but you shouldn't go there every day. She has her own things to do too."

Bell blinked: "Then let's go the next day?"

Li Xian: "..."

"Alright."

When Lingdang got tired of bouncing, she plopped back down on the sofa and hugged Fat Orange to continue rubbing it.

"Hey Fatty Orange, Fatty Orange, what do you want for Chinese New Year? I'll buy it for you!"

Fat Orange glanced at her, his eyes saying: Do you have money?

Lingdang ignored the mocking look in Fatty Orange's eyes and looked at Li Xian again.

"Old Deng, do you like celebrating the New Year?"

Li Xian was taken aback.

Like it?

To be honest, I didn't feel anything.

New year.

This word had never meant anything special to him.

When I was a child, Chinese New Year was a lively time when my parents were alive.

Later, his parents passed away, leaving only him and Li Yu.

Back then, we were poor. During the Lunar New Year, all we did was buy an extra pound of meat and cook a nice meal.

The year has passed.

Later, Li Yu became successful, and he also started writing novels to earn money, and his life improved.

But the Lunar New Year... is still the same.

Have a meal, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and go to sleep.

Nothing different from usual.

This year is different.

There's an extra bell.

That girl is so chattering and noisy, she could lift the roof off.

but……

It seems like it might actually make this year a little more interesting.

"It's alright," he said.

Bell blinked: "What do you mean 'okay'?"

"It's just...not that I dislike it."

Bell nodded, as if she understood.

Then she asked, "Will this year's Lunar New Year be different?"

Li Xian remained silent for a second.

"Probably."

Why?

Li Xian looked at her.

"Because of you."

The bell paused for a moment.

Then she grinned.

Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she laughed.

"Then I'll live my life well too!"

Li Xian reached out and rubbed her head.

"Yes, live well."

Li Xian watched as Lingdang and Pangju "discussed" what to eat for the New Year, and suddenly asked a question.

"Lingdang, what do you want to eat for Chinese New Year?"

The bell raised its head, its eyes sparkling.

"Pudding! Cake! Ice cream! Braised pork! Sweet and sour pork ribs! Grilled fish! And—and—"

She counted a whole string of names on her fingers.

Li Xian listened, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"So much food, can we finish it all?"

"I can finish it all!" Bell nodded vigorously.

"I'm eating with Wanwan! And with Auntie! And with Uncle Chen Zhe! And with Fatty Orange!"

The chubby orange cat meowed in agreement.

Li Xian thought for a moment.

"Alright."

The bells cheered.

"Old Deng is the best!"

She pounced on him and gave Li Xian a quick kiss on the cheek.

Li Xian paused for a moment, then reached out and rubbed her head.

"Alright, alright, go have fun."

Bell was satisfied and lay down on the sofa to watch cartoons.

Li Xian leaned against the side, watching the cartoon characters jumping around on the TV screen.

But my mind was wandering to other things.

New year.

A month later.

I'll have to buy this girl a new outfit then.

You also need to prepare red envelopes.

Li Yu will definitely give it to him, and he can't give less.

As for how much...

We'll talk about it later.

There's also the chubby orange.

That fat cat has been running around outside a lot lately, so we need to make it stay home during the Chinese New Year.

As for Lin Wanwan, since Lingdang wants to visit her every day, we should prepare some return gifts.

Although Su Wenjin is not short of money, she cannot neglect etiquette.

and also……

As Li Xian was thinking, he suddenly realized something.

He seems to be starting to look forward to the Chinese New Year.

A feeling I've never had before.

Is it because of this girl?

He turned to look at the bell.

The girl was lying on the sofa, swinging her legs back and forth, humming an unknown tune.

Li Xian withdrew his gaze, a slight smile curving his lips.

---

The next day, in the rapid response team's office.

As soon as Li Xian sat down, Xiao Yuan came over.

"Brother Xian, have you heard?"

Li Xian glanced at him: "What?"

"About the New Year!" Xiao Yuan said in a low voice, looking mysterious.

"The bureau said they're having an annual party with a raffle! I heard the first prize is—guess what it is?"

Li Xian was too lazy to guess.

"What?"

"A whole month of paid leave!" Xiaoyuan's eyes lit up. "A whole month! No work!"

Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

A month of paid leave?

This prize is quite interesting.

"What about second and third prizes?" he asked.

"The second prize is the latest superpowered auxiliary equipment, and the third prize is a shopping card," Xiaoyuan said.

"Anyway, they're all better than what we usually send out."

Li Xian nodded without saying anything.

Xiao Yuan continued, "Brother Xian, are you participating?"

"Annual meeting?"

"yes!"

Li Xian thought for a moment.

"We'll see."

Xiaoyuan was a little disappointed, but she didn't ask any more questions.

After he left, Li Xian leaned back in his chair and began to stare blankly.

Annual meeting.

lottery.

Paid leave.

It sounds pretty good.

But he has never been interested in these group activities.

There are many people, it's noisy, and you have to deal with all sorts of social interactions.

trouble.

It's still more comfortable to lie at home.

-

school.

As soon as Lingdang entered the classroom, she sensed that something was off.

At this time of day, everyone is either doing homework, chatting, or secretly eating snacks.

But today, everyone was gathered around Lin Wanwan's seat, chattering away.

Lingdang leaned closer and squeezed into the crowd.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Lin Wanwan sat in her seat, holding a thick notebook in her hand, her expression serious.

In front of her was a...

The bell blinked and looked at it carefully.

It was a strangely shaped thing made of cardboard, covered with stars and moons.

"What is this?" Bell asked.

Lin Wanwan raised her head and looked at her, her eyes filled with a hint of pride.

"This is my 'Star Observation Log' prepared for the winter break."

Bell: "..."

A boy next to her whispered, "She said it's for recording unusual celestial phenomena she saw during winter break."

Another girl added, "She also said that there will be a day of astral energy burst during winter break, so we need to prepare in advance."

Bell looked at the thick notebook, then at the cardboard object, and fell silent.

She turned to look at Lin Wanwan.

"Wanwan, do you know what winter vacation is?"

Lin Wanwan nodded: "Of course I know. The one-month vacation is for recuperation and consolidation of my cultivation."

The bell remained silent for a second.

"So you plan to spend the entire month observing the stars?"

"Indeed," Lin Wanwan said matter-of-factly. "If the Star Realm doesn't take holidays, neither will I."

Bell: "..."

She suddenly felt a little sorry for Wanwan's mother.

Having such a quirky daughter must make Chinese New Year quite lively.

Someone next to me asked, "Lingdang, what are your plans for winter break?"

Bell thought for a moment.

"Eat, sleep, play."

Everyone fell silent.

Such a stark contrast is truly astounding.

Lin Wanwan slowly raised her head, looked at the bell, and said softly, "Observer, your winter vacation plan is quite... simple."

Bell blinked her bright, lively eyes and asked with a puzzled look, "Is something wrong?"

Lin Wanwan gently shook her head.

"Nothing much, everyone has their own ambitions."

Although Lingdang didn't fully understand the meaning of the sentence, she didn't think it was anything bad.

She patted Lin Wanwan on the shoulder.

"Wanwan, if you see anything interesting on your 'Star Observation' app, remember to let me know."

Lin Wanwan's eyes lit up.

"Would you like to participate?"

"Yeah, just listen to it."

Lin Wanwan nodded and said solemnly.

"Good. I will report the observation results to you regularly."

Bell smiled with satisfaction.

The people around them looked at the two of them with various expressions.

But I've gotten used to it.

Anyway, these two have never been normal.

The school bell rang.

Everyone dispersed and returned to their seats.

Lingdang sat down and suddenly remembered something.

There are only two days left until the holiday.

Then I can sleep in every day.

You can also go to Wanwan's house every day to get free pudding.

Well enough……

As she thought about it, a smile spread across her face, and she laughed out loud.

Lin Wanwan, who was next to her, glanced at her but didn't say anything. Instead, she silently made a note in her notebook.

"The observer laughed for no apparent reason today, possibly influenced by astral energy."

-

Two days later.

Winter break has begun.

Lingdang rushed out of the school gate with her schoolbag on her back, unable to suppress the smile on her face.

"It's holiday time!"

The children nearby cheered along.

Lin Wanwan walked beside her, her expression still calm, but the corners of her mouth were slightly curved.

"Observer, I will begin my 'Astral Observation' tomorrow. Would you be willing to come and observe?"

Bell thought for a moment.

"Tomorrow... I'm going to sleep in."

Lin Wanwan was silent for a second.

"That afternoon?"

"This afternoon is fine."

"good."

The two girls parted ways at the school gate; one got into a black car, while the other followed Li Xian home.

On the way home, the bell kept chirping.

"Old Deng, Old Deng, I'm sleeping until noon tomorrow!"

"Um."

"Then we'll go to Wanwan's house to play!"

"Um."

"Then come back for dinner tonight!"

"Um."

"Then continue the next day!"

Li Xian looked at her and suddenly asked, "Aren't you tired?"

Bell blinked: "Tired of what?"

"Run every day."

Bell thought for a moment.

"Not tired. Wanwan's home is fun."

Li Xian nodded.

All right, just be happy.

When she got home, Lingdang threw down her schoolbag and rushed to the balcony.

"Fat Orange! I'm on vacation!"

On the balcony, Fat Orange is lying down sunbathing.

Hearing the sound, it lazily raised its head and glanced at the bell.

Then lie down again.

The bell squatted down next to it and started chattering away.

"Hey Fatty Orange, I'm on vacation for a month! I can stay home with you every day! Aren't you happy?"

Fat Orange's ears twitched.

No response.

Bell continued, "I can take you to Wanwan's house every day! They have lots of delicious food!"

Fat Orange opened one eye and glanced at her.

That look, translated, probably means: What's it to me?

I didn't understand the bell, so I kept rubbing it.

Li Xian leaned back on the sofa, watching this scene, a slight smile curving his lips.