The Mind-Read Heiress: From Impostor to Family Favorite-Chapter 597 - 331

The New Year’s Eve dinner concluded just after seven o’clock.

By that time, the sky had already turned pitch dark.

It was, after all, New Year’s Eve. Unlike usual, everyone gathered in the living room instead of going back to their own rooms after the meal.

Though the Shen family’s sofa was big and luxurious, with the five siblings sitting on it, a couple on this side and one on that side, it seemed especially cramped.

Su Yang particularly loved this family atmosphere. She took out her phone and snapped away until she was satisfied, then she put her phone away and asked the kids:

"What are your plans for later?"

Wenyan was browsing the celebration program online and casually replied, "We’ll watch the program together, then stay up for the New Year. Isn’t that the tradition?"

"Boring," Shen Jingchuan, who was nearby, chimed in, "Look at this program list, it’s all singing, not interesting. If I want to listen to music, there’s never a shortage of it."

Wenyan didn’t even glance at him: "It’s the atmosphere we’re after, you get that? Always the one with so many complaints. So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let’s go," Shen Jingchuan gestured outdoors, "I’ll take you for a drive."

"A drive?!" Wenyan’s eyes widened as she turned to look at Shen Jingchuan, who was very close by, "Don’t think I won’t scold you just because you’re handsome. Have you not seen how cold it is outside? Why would we go driving when we can stay at home and watch the programs comfortably?"

"Is that so?" Shen Jingchuan immediately struck a pose and stroked his chin, "So you’re saying I got handsomer, huh?"

"..." Responding to him was the palm Wenyan pushed against his handsome face.

"No, but seriously, you’re saying you don’t want to go out tonight?"

"Go out for what!"

"For a drive."

"Go by yourself."

"What fun is there in me going alone?"

"Isn’t that what you used to do all the time when you were never home? Driving around by yourself?"

"Well, now I have you to go driving with, don’t I?"

Wenyan: "..."

Shen Jingchuan: "Why are you staring at me without saying anything? Speak up."

Wenyan: "I just don’t know what to say at the moment."

Shen Jinghe: "Nag."

Wenyan looked incredulously at Shen Jinghe: "!! Are you talking about me, second brother?"

Shen Jinghe glanced toward Shen Jingchuan: "I was referring to him."

Shen Jingchuan: "Are you sick to attack me like that?"

Su Yang: "Hey~ With the New Year upon us, how can you talk like that? It’s not okay to curse someone as sick."

Shen Jinghe: "Hmph, exactly." After saying this, he turned towards the direction of Wenyan and Su Yang and continued, "How about we go out for fireworks, what do you think?"

"Yes," Su Yang clapped her hands in agreement, "I haven’t seen fireworks in a long time. Have you guys already arranged it?"

"Mm," Shen Jinghe nodded, "Big brother arranged it early in the morning."

"Then that’s great," Su Yang then sought the opinions of her two daughters, "Go or not? Though it’s a bit cold, it’ll be fine if we dress warmly."

"Go!" Wenyan immediately put away her phone, "Between the celebration program and fireworks, I choose fireworks. Yulong, how about you?"

"I’ll go with you guys."

"Then let’s hurry and get dressed!" Wenyan excitedly pulled Qin Yulong’s arm, and didn’t forget to tease Shen Jingchuan as she passed him, "You’re not going, right? I heard you’re planning to go driving."

"No way! I’ve done plenty of prep work for this, how can I not go?" Shen Jingchuan said, while eagerly wrapping an arm around Wenyan’s shoulder, "Let’s go, let’s go upstairs, I need to go to my room to put on more clothes too."

Shen Jinghe: "Flattery." Moreover, the more he looked at Shen Jingchuan’s paw on Wenyan’s shoulder, the more he found it displeasing to the eye.

But there was nothing he could do about it—especially not in public like this.

So, how could Shen Jingchuan be so shameless?

Having this thought, Shen Jinghe subconsciously glanced at Shen Jingxiu.

He was looking down at his phone, seemingly not paying any attention to Wenyan at all.

Half an hour later.

Two luxury cars from the Shen Family pulled up one after the other in a vacant area.

Wenyan didn’t realize they were at the lakeside until after she stepped out of the car.

She looked around and then asked Shen Jingxiu who was beside her, "Where is this, big brother? Can we set off fireworks here?"

Shen Jingxiu nodded and reached out to tidy up Wenyan’s hair that the wind had tousled.

"Yes, we can here. Are you cold?"

Wenyan shook her head: "It’s not as cold as I thought it would be. When did you guys prepare all this? Weren’t we all together the entire day?"

No sooner had she spoken than she felt her ears warm up. Looking up, she saw that Shen Jinghe had suddenly appeared and had put earmuffs on her.

She touched them with her hand, finding them fluffy and exceptionally soft to the touch.

"Thank you, second brother!" She turned around and gave Shen Jinghe a sweet smile, her sparkling, water-like eyes almost bewitchingly enchanting.

Shen Jinghe paused for a moment, his heart skipping half a beat. It took him a couple of seconds to find his voice again.

"We came and prepared everything in the morning. You must have slept until noon, so no wonder you didn’t know."

"I see. And the fireworks? They’re by the lake, right? I think I saw one that is almost as tall as I am. Are they really that big?"

"No," Shen Jinghe frowned, "Which one are you talking about?"

"That one over there!" Wenyan said, pointing in a direction.

Shen Jinghe, speechless: "What kind of eyesight do you have? That’s Yulong..."

"Ah? Oh no, I’m blind, haha. I’ll go find her!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Wenyan ran off in a flash.

By the lake, Qin Yulong was standing with Shen Jingchuan.

Not far away was Su Yang, who was consistently adjusting his camera angles.

Wenyan first went over to chat with Su Yang, then joined Qin Yulong and Shen Jingchuan.

"What are you two looking into?"

"We’re checking the fuses," Qin Yulong explained, "I’ve watched firework displays countless times since I was young, but I’ve never set them off myself. What about you? Have you ever set off fireworks?"

"Yes, I have!" Wenyan nodded. "I’ve set off sparklers and thrown firecrackers too, even used them to blow up ice cubes and beer cans."

Qin Yulong didn’t quite understand: "What are sparklers and thrown firecrackers?"

"Sparklers, well, they’re like a small box, and there’s that stuff on the edge—ah, I don’t really know the technical term for it—in short, when you rub the firecracker against it, it lights up, and after it’s lit, you throw it on the ground, and then it explodes.

Thrown firecrackers are even simpler to play with. If sparklers have some inherent danger, thrown firecrackers are practically risk-free. You just hold it in your hand, snap it down on the ground—it can be done with your foot, too. However, these little toys are really just for the sound; they’re not visually impressive."

Qin Yulong nodded: "I see, so I won’t get my hopes up. I prefer the visually impressive ones."

Just as she finished speaking, Shen Jingchuan’s voice rose: "Good that you’re not expecting them, because we didn’t buy any. And..."

Shen Jingchuan looked sideways at Wenyan: "When have you ever set off fireworks or firecrackers? Since when has our family allowed children to play with fireworks or firecrackers?"

"..." That, Wenyan blinked her eyes, "was before I came to the Shen family, I had set them off. You just didn’t know."

"Oh, right." Shen Jingchuan immediately remembered that Wenyan had spent her childhood in an orphanage and regretted asking the question.

"Then from now on, let’s set off fireworks together every year." He looked at Wenyan, sincerely wanting to make a promise to her.