The Sweetest Marriage Ch.278

Chapter 278 – A New Year

Chinatown was quite far from the estate, taking over an hour by car. During the drive, Chen Li couldn’t resist the drowsiness and fell asleep with his head on Wei Chen’s lap.

Chen Li slept soundly, holding Wei Chen’s hand, breathing evenly, no longer disturbed by nightmares.

Wei Chen lowered his head to observe Chen Li’s sleeping face. After a few days of rest, most of the fatigue had faded from Chen Li’s face. He had regained a healthy rosy complexion, and the dark circles around his eyes had diminished. Although he had lost some weight, the lost flesh would eventually be regained.

Wei Chen’s slender fingers gently stroked Chen Li’s face, his eyes filled with tenderness and concern. Without Lan Xiping, he wouldn’t be able to see the depths of Chen Li’s inner world or understand the intense pain he experienced in his dreams.

Rather than calling it a dream, it was more like a first-hand experience. The sensations felt too real—warm and sticky blood on his hands, the pungent smell of rust-like blood that even his nose could detect. The pain of the knife piercing the skin was sharp and persistent, and the fear of death was like a mountainous tidal wave, overwhelming.

Wei Chen found it difficult to imagine how Chen Li endured such pain, especially considering it wasn’t a one-time or two-time occurrence. Every time he closed his eyes, it haunted him like a relentless scourge, akin to a festering sore clinging to one’s bones, whipping at them over and over.

In a previous life, Wei Chen had experienced a similar pain once, so he could empathize more profoundly. Consequently, he felt even more distressed about Chen Li this time. With Lan Xiping’s appearance, he could now enter Chen Li’s nightmares and grasp his hand, reassuring him that they were alive and the nightmares were false.

In the shared nightmare, they found each other alive. Even the fourth intertwining, the moment of spiritual and physical union, washed away everything like a receding tide. The deathly silence and pain faded away together, and the tightly gripped heart found relief, beating lively once again.

Perhaps Wei Chen’s movements were too gentle, and Chen Li started to feel itchy in his sleep. Chen Li shifted a bit and reached out to hold Wei Chen’s hand, even in his dreams, adopting a position where their fingers intertwined.

Chen Li rubbed against Wei Chen’s leg but didn’t wake up.

Wei Chen’s eyes softened even more. He tightly held Chen Li’s hand, closed his eyes, and rested.

Chen Yunlan, glancing through the rearview mirror, saw the interaction between the two, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. This was a good outcome, wasn’t it?

With the cultural influence of China spreading, the Spring Festival in China gradually became an international celebration. Even on the streets of LD City in F country, decorations started to appear. However, the place with the strongest festive atmosphere was undoubtedly the Chinatown in LD City, where everywhere you looked, it was adorned in the vibrant red of China.

Abroad, Chinese families were still the ones with the most abundant New Year goods. Chen Yunlan had already prepared a shopping list in advance, but now he let Chen Li and Wei Chen explore on their own before diving into the lively atmosphere of Chinatown.

Chen Li and Wei Chen wandered aimlessly through the bustling streets. Chen Li wasn’t used to crowded crowds, tightly holding Wei Chen’s hand. However, his big eyes couldn’t help but curiously look around, as if he wanted to experience everything.

Wei Chen understood Chen Li very well. Wherever Chen Li’s eyes went, Wei Chen could understand what he was thinking and would take him to see and play without any conditions.

Today was New Year’s Eve, making Chinatown livelier than usual. People were coming and going, speaking the language Chen Li was familiar with, and gradually, Chen Li began to relax.

Chen Li was currently dressed like a ball, and no one could see his real body shape. Naturally, they couldn’t tell he was pregnant.

While indulging Chen Li, Wei Chen also took good care of him. Chen Li knew his own physical condition and instinctively protected the ball-shaped bump on his belly.

When Chen Li and Wei Chen reached a square, they heard the sounds of singing and dancing. Many people gathered upon hearing the music. Chen Li was a bit curious, and Wei Chen led him to watch a flash mob performance. Drones were even recording videos from above to celebrate the Spring Festival. The songs performed were patriotic and filled with love, longing, and endless praise for the homeland.

Chen Li and Wei Chen stood on the periphery, listening. Someone came over and distributed China’s national flags. After saying thank you, Chen Li took the flag and watched the performance in the center attentively.

The flash mob performers celebrated the prosperity of their homeland through singing and dancing. Even though some of them hadn’t returned to their homeland for a long time, and some had never set foot on the land that appeared countless times in their dreams, the songs they sang, every sentence, every piece, was filled with love, longing, and endless praise for that passionate land.

Chen Li, like those around him, didn’t know why tears started streaming down his face. In this moment, he couldn’t comprehend the emotions filling his heart—full and swelling. His gaze fell on the bright red national flag in his hand, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of solemnity and awe.

The flash mob performance quickly ended, and reporters came for interviews. Wei Chen, tall and handsome, drew attention. The reporters wanted to interview him, but Wei Chen politely declined, holding Chen Li’s hand as they left the square.

“Achen, I think I just cried,” Chen Li said, although the tears on his face hadn’t dried up yet.

“I know.” Wei Chen reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Chen Li’s eyes. He understood Chen Li’s feelings. Some emotions were deeply buried in the heart, but at a certain moment, they could be infinitely triggered. In a foreign land, emotions could be uncontrollable, and it was normal.

…

In the evening, the couple met with Chen Yunlan and returned to the estate. Chen Li found a place and solemnly placed the bright red flag in his hands. His gaze lingered on it for a long, long time.

As soon as Chen Yunlan returned home, he headed straight to the kitchen to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. Wei Chen went in to help, while Chen Li sat in the living room watching TV. He mindlessly flipped through the channels until he found an animated series. The protagonists were a group of rabbits who fearlessly faced any difficulties to protect their flower-filled home.

After over an hour, when Wei Chen and Chen Yunlan had finished preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner and came out, Chen Li was on the sofa sobbing.

Chen Yunlan and Wei Chen were alarmed and quickly approached, asking about Chen Li’s condition.

Chen Li just shook his head. “I’m fine, just watching TV.”

The animated series had already ended, and the TV was playing advertisements. Wei Chen didn’t know what had been on before. He sighed, took a tissue, and wiped away the tears from Chen Li’s face.

“Alright, let’s go eat,” Wei Chen said. When did his Li Li become so sentimental?

As soon as he heard the words ‘go eat,’ Chen Li’s eyes lit up.

Seeing Chen Li like this, Chen Yunlan finally felt relieved.

The two had prepared a rich New Year’s Eve dinner for over an hour. Chen Yunlan and Wei Chen were both skilled in cooking, so the table was naturally filled with a variety of delicious dishes. When Chen Li saw the spread, his eyes sparkled, displaying a look of mouth-watering desire.

As expected, Chen Li ended up eating too much. He sat on the chair, not even wanting to walk. His initially round belly seemed to have become even rounder.

However, this time Wei Chen didn’t prepare digestive pills for Chen Li. As it was snowing outside, Wei Chen took Chen Li’s hand and walked up and down the stairs several times. Only then did Chen Li feel less bloated.

Actually, Chen Li didn’t eat as much this time as usual. As his belly gradually grew, Chen Li’s appetite naturally became smaller, but he also became more prone to hunger. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, Wei Chen had to get up to cook midnight snacks for Chen Li, or else he would toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep due to hunger.

After dinner, Chen Yunlan and Wei Chen gave Chen Li a large red envelope. Chen Li smiled and graciously accepted the red envelopes, treating them with utmost seriousness.

Due to the time difference, the live broadcast of the Chinese New Year’s Gala had already ended, but that didn’t stop them from watching the replay.

The fireplace burned fiercely, isolating the cold air outside. The TV displayed lively performances. Perhaps compared to previous years, this Spring Festival Gala lacked a bit of its original flavor, but the sentiment remained unchanged.

Chen Li couldn’t quite catch the humor in the comedy sketches and watched the entire show with a blank expression. He then looked at Wei Chen with confusion, as if asking, ‘What’s so funny?’

Wei Chen, equally puzzled, shook his head at Chen Li.

Later in the evening, Chen Li couldn’t hold on any longer and felt a bit sleepy. He rubbed his eyes.

“Tired?” Wei Chen noticed Chen Li’s movements and asked, tilting his head.

Chen Li nodded, “I want to sleep.”

“Dad, I’ll take Li Li upstairs to rest. You should rest early too,” Wei Chen said to Chen Yunlan. The word “dad” rolled off his tongue naturally, without any awkwardness.

“Okay, go upstairs to rest first,” Chen Yunlan responded. It dawned on him later that Wei Chen had just called him “dad.” He raised his head in astonishment, but Wei Chen was already leading Chen Li upstairs.

Chen Yunlan smiled, his eyes softening.

Did Wei Chen calling him “dad” mean that Wei Chen had already accepted his identity as Chen Li’s father?

At midnight, Carl lit fireworks. The colorful display illuminated the dark night sky.

Chen Yunlan looked out through the window, raising his head to gaze at the night sky.

The new year had arrived, and everything in the future was new, including his life.

…

When Wei Chen and Chen Li returned to their room, it was exactly midnight. Chen Li, watching the colors burst in the night sky, tiptoed and kissed Wei Chen on the lips.

A light, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water, carried Chen Li’s smile.

“Achen, Happy Spring Festival.”

Wei Chen reached out, pulling Chen Li into his arms, smiling, “Li Li, Happy Spring Festival.”

Bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; a year had passed, and with it, all the misfortunes and sorrows would disappear. What awaited them was a new year full of hope and the strong growth of the little baby growing inside Chen Li’s belly.

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