Middle-aged tycoon: Twins come knocking on his door when he goes home for Chinese New Year

After finishing his cigarette, Li Ze calmed himself down and turned back into the lively courtyard.

At this time, two large folding round tables had been set up in the middle of the courtyard, which were put together and were just enough for the whole family to sit.

Although it was in an open courtyard, the wind was quite strong on a February night, and it was a bit chilly on the face.

But the eldest brother, Zhang Jianguo, was a thoughtful man, and had already lit two large braziers next to the table.

The charcoal inside was burning bright red, making the surrounding area warm and cozy, so you didn't feel cold at all.

Everyone sat together, their faces glowing red from the firelight.

A white cloth was hanging on the wall, and the older brother had somehow gotten hold of a projector, which was projecting the image onto the white cloth.

The familiar and rousing opening music played from the speakers.

"Dear viewers, this is the live broadcast of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala. We are in Beijing extending New Year's greetings to Chinese people all over the world!"

The moment that sound came out, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was instantly there.

Although not many people actually watch the Spring Festival Gala these days, the habit of these decades cannot be changed.

It's as if only with this background noise can the New Year's Eve dinner be enjoyed in peace, and only then can it truly feel like celebrating the New Year.

"Come on, come on! Fill it up, fill it up!"

Zhang Jianguo, the eldest brother, with a ruddy complexion, stood up and raised his glass:

"Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and it's a rare occasion for our whole family to gather together like this. Let's raise this first glass to wish our entire family good health and peace!"

Everyone stood up and clinked glasses, even the children joined in with their drinks.

Li Ze raised his wine glass, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on Zhang Ruoran across from him.

Zhang Ruoran happened to look up at him.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Zhang Ruoran seemed to have been burned, quickly averting her gaze and taking a sip of her drink.

But a slight, embarrassed smile played on his lips.

Everyone sat down to eat.

At this moment, Li Ze noticed Zhang Zixuan sitting in the corner.

The girl had her head down, her hands clenched tightly together under the table, and they were even trembling slightly.

The more lively the surroundings were, the more uncomfortable she seemed to become. Her delicate face was expressionless, and she even looked like she wanted to run away.

Jiang Qiuyan, the eldest sister-in-law, who had been watching her daughter closely, sighed upon seeing this.

He took an empty bowl, filled it with a lot of Zixuan's favorite dishes, and handed the bowl to her.

"Zixuan, if you're not used to it, just take it back to your room to eat, okay?"

Zhang Zixuan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She picked up the bowl, lowered her head and didn't look at anyone, and quickly went back to the west wing.

Watching his daughter's retreating figure, Zhang Jianguo's smile froze for a moment, and he let out a heavy sigh.

Li Ze saw this and his heart sank.

This child's depression is indeed quite severe; he can't even adapt to family gatherings like this.

It seems that the matter of that special medicine needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible; it can't be delayed any longer.

However, tonight was a happy night, so no one lingered on this heavy topic.

After a few drinks, Zhang Jianguo, the eldest brother, started talking.

He looked at Li Ze, his tone filled with emotion:

"The biggest joy in our family this year, as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, is that Li Ze is back."

"Li Ze, although you have indeed been a scoundrel for the past eighteen years, I am sorry to Ruoran."

"But no matter what, it's good that he's back."

"You just said you would make it up to Ruoran. We all heard you say that."

"Whether Ruoran accepts you or not is Ruoran's business, we won't interfere."

"But!" Zhang Jianguo slammed his wine glass on the table.

"We, your older brothers and sisters-in-law, will have to keep a close eye on you from now on! If you dare to kick again, we'll break your legs!"

Li Ze immediately picked up his wine glass, his face full of sincerity:

"Don't worry, big brother. Don't worry, brothers and sisters-in-law."

"I've come back this time to atone for my sins."

"I will definitely do my best to warm Ruoran's heart."

As he spoke, Li Ze glanced at Zhang Ruoran again.

Zhang Ruoran was just picking up a small green dragon with her chopsticks when she heard this, and rolled her eyes at Li Ze.

Although her face still showed disdain, the smile in her eyes and brows was undeniable.

Only Li Menghan, standing to the side, remained expressionless, silently gnawing on a crab leg, ignoring Li Ze's statement.

Li Ze didn't mind. Looking at his son's stubbornness, he thought to himself that he would have to put more effort into his son in the future.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Seeing that the food was almost cooked, Li Ze put down his chopsticks and turned to Li Mengli beside him, saying:

"Daughter, stop eating. Come with Dad to the car and get something."

Everyone was a little puzzled, and Tang Dan, the second sister-in-law, asked with a smile:

"Hey, brother-in-law, you're already ordering your daughter around as soon as you get back?"

Li Ze smiled mysteriously:

"No way, there are good things there."

After saying that, the father and daughter left their seats and walked towards the parking area outside the yard.

As the father and daughter walked away, the people at the table began to murmur among themselves.

"What's all this secrecy about? Where have you been?"

Third Sister-in-law Geng Qi, cracking sunflower seeds, nudged Zhang Ruoran with her elbow:

"Hey, Ruoran, tell me the truth."

"Have you forgiven him or not?"

Zhang Ruoran put down her chopsticks and smiled somewhat awkwardly:

"Well... I can't say for sure either."

Before Zhang Ruoran could finish speaking, Li Menghan interrupted:

"Forgive what?! Forgiveness is impossible!"

"Third Aunt, you all know how much my mother has suffered in these eighteen years. How can we just let it go like this?"

Zhang Ruoran reached out and patted her son, gently scolding him:

"Children should refrain from interfering in adult matters."

Li Menghan retorted, her neck stiff: "I'm eighteen already, not a child anymore!"

The older sister-in-law smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "In your mother's eyes, you're still a child even at eighty."

Zhang Ruoran sighed and said seriously:

"Actually, after watching these past two days, what Li Ze said and did seems to be true."

"But this is just the beginning; the time is too short."

"I can't just believe him so easily because he's good with words and I'll buy him some things."

"I need to take another look."

Uncle Zhang Jianmin slapped his thigh and pointed at his sister, saying:

"Sis! You're absolutely right!"

"We absolutely cannot give in easily! We must set a probationary period for him!"

"Don't worry, our whole family will keep an eye on him and see how long he can keep this up!"

Zhang Ruoran smiled and nodded: "Thank you everyone."

Just then, footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

Li Ze and Li Mengli are back.

Both of them were carrying shopping bags of all sizes and colors, which looked festive.

Everyone looked over curiously.

Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dan, with their sharp eyes, pulled Li Menghan aside and said:

"Brother Menghan, look, your dad brought us gifts too?"

Zhang Jianguo, the eldest brother, had sharp eyes and immediately spotted the "CHANEL" bag in Li Ze's hand. He muttered to himself:

"This kid really spent a lot this time, huh?"

The second sister-in-law also whispered to the eldest sister-in-law:

"Judging from this pile, I'm afraid it's all for Ruoran, right?"

The older sister-in-law's eyes were shining:

"I think it's possible!"

Li Ze led his daughter to the table.

He first placed the bag he was carrying on the empty stool, then smiled and said to everyone:

"I came back in a hurry this time and didn't have time to visit everyone one by one."

"Since everyone is here today, I prepared some small gifts for my three sisters-in-law."

As he spoke, he took out the two exquisite jewelry boxes and handed them to his eldest and second sisters-in-law:

"Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, this is for you."

The two opened it and found a pair of jade bracelets with excellent clarity inside.

Although I don't know much about these things, I can tell from their bright green color that they must be expensive.

"Wow! This is so valuable!"

The eldest and second sisters-in-law were both surprised and embarrassed.

Then, Li Ze handed the Chanel bag to his third sister-in-law, Geng Qi:

"Third Sister-in-law, Mengli said you like to dress up, so I picked out a coat for you. I don't know if it fits."

When Geng Qi saw the sign, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Chanel!

She only had two Chanel pieces at home, which she treasured like precious gems. She never expected that Li Ze would give her a Chanel piece!

She had just been a little annoyed with Li Ze, but now her smile was brighter than a flower's:

"Oh, brother-in-law! You're too kind! This is too much for your wife!"

But it's not over yet.

Li Mengli also distributed the bags in her hand:

"Uncle, this is a belt I bought for you."

"Second Uncle, here's your tea."

"Uncle, this is for you..."

"Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dan, here are your sneakers and bags."

Finally, Li Mengli stuffed several large bags into Li Menghan's arms:

"Brother! This is for you!"

"I noticed your black clothes are all worn out, so I bought you a lot of trendy brands. You have to look your best for the New Year!"

Li Menghan was holding a pile of clothes. Although she didn't say thank you, she held them tightly and her eyes were full of joy.

Even Zhang Zixuan, who was hiding in the house, was involved.

Li Mengli ran to the window with a pair of Balenciaga shoes and waved them around.

Zhang Zixuan peeked out and saw the shoes. A glimmer of light flashed in her dim eyes, and she whispered a thank you.

Watching this scene, Li Ze thought to himself:

This girl is so generous when it comes to buying gifts for others; she doesn't even blink at thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

Why is it that when it's her turn, she thinks spending two thousand on gold is too expensive?

No, I need to change her poor habits. Raising a daughter well is not just a saying.

Just as everyone was happily holding their gifts.

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly became somewhat subtle.

All eyes turned to Zhang Ruoran.

Because everyone noticed that among all the people present, from older brothers and sisters-in-law to nephews and nieces, and even Zixuan who didn't show up, there were gifts.

Zhang Ruoran, however, had nothing in her hands.

The eldest sister-in-law, being straightforward, couldn't help but ask:

"Li Ze, you didn't prepare a gift for Ruoran, did you?"

The second and third sisters-in-law also chimed in:

"Yeah, they've taken care of us all, how could they forget about the main character?"

Zhang Ruoran sat there, a faint smile still on her face, happy to see everyone happy.

But as a woman, I still feel a little disappointed at times like this.

She lowered her head and pretended to tidy the tablecloth.

Li Ze smiled as he looked at Ruoran's forced composure.

"How could I forget?"

"Ruoran's gift is the grand finale."

As he spoke, Li Ze bent down and, as if by magic, pulled up a black briefcase from behind him with both hands.

This is a very high-quality leather suitcase; it looks quite heavy.

Li Ze placed it in the center of the table.

"If so, this is for you."

Everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to the suitcase.

What's in this box?

It doesn't look like clothes, nor does it look like jewelry.

Li Mengli, being the most clever girl, immediately moved the simple table lamp next to her and shone it on the suitcase.

"The moment to witness a miracle has arrived!"

Seeing her daughter being silly, Zhang Ruoran's curiosity was piqued, and she looked at the box with anticipation.

Li Ze took a deep breath.

A "click" sound.

The latch was pressed open.

He slowly lifted the lid of the box.

As the box was opened, its contents were revealed.

In an instant, the courtyard fell silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their mouths slightly agape.

Inside the box...