Lawrence Winters struggled for a while, but after a hot bath, he felt much better.
The next day was New Year’s Eve.
Many people got up early, starting to prepare for the noon or evening New Year’s Eve dinner.
This year, Gabrielle Winters didn’t have to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner at home.
Because Gabrielle’s two sisters, Lucy and Lillian Winters, surprisingly announced in advance they would bring their families to celebrate the New Year with Gabrielle this year.
In the past, their families would only visit Gabrielle’s place on the second day of the New Year, treating her home as their maternal home.
This year, for some reason, they insisted on having New Year’s Eve dinner together, and said they would return to their in-laws on New Year’s Day.
Gabrielle thought that since they were coming earlier, it didn’t matter and agreed, as she only saw these two families once a year anyway.
Lawrence Winters didn’t get along well with his cousins from his second and younger aunts, so he didn’t want them to come home.
Gabrielle Winters discussed with Nick Zeller and decided to have this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner outside.
They booked a private room early in the best restaurant in River City, "One Heaven," and ordered the top-class New Year’s Eve dinner.
The private room had a big TV and a mahjong table and could be booked from 5 PM until the Spring Festival Gala finished ringing in the New Year at midnight.
So today, Lawrence didn’t get up early like usual to help his mom prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner, but instead stayed in bed until noon. He only got up slowly when Kenneth Osborne called him.
"Nora, are you guys going out for New Year’s Eve dinner this year?" Kenneth Osborne called Lawrence Winters from his room.
In the living room and dining room, Kenneth’s parents and Brooke Osborne were bustling around, preparing today’s New Year’s Eve dinner.
Lawrence, wearing a Bluetooth headset and slippers, spread his hands and laughed, "Yeah, because my second aunt and little aunt’s families insisted on celebrating with us this year."
Kenneth Osborne knew Lawrence didn’t get along with his two cousins, but during the New Year, it’s unavoidable for relatives to meet.
"Until what time will you be at the restaurant?" Kenneth was calculating when to send Lawrence a New Year’s red envelope.
Lawrence walked into the bathroom to freshen up, wrapping his hair in a towel, squeezing toothpaste onto his electric toothbrush, and smirking, "My uncle said we booked the room until after midnight, so we won’t be back until after twelve."
Kenneth’s family would also be spending New Year’s with his aunt’s family and relatives from his dad’s side, so the house would be crowded, and he would have to socialize with his parents, which meant he couldn’t immediately send Lawrence a New Year’s red envelope.
He thought for a moment, then sent a big red envelope of 888.88, saying, "I’ll wish you a Happy New Year in advance then. May Little Heavenly Master have great fortune and thriving business in the new year!"
Seeing the big red envelope and hearing the auspicious words, Lawrence Winters’ previously gloomy mood instantly brightened, and he hurriedly sent Kenneth a big red envelope of 666.66, saying, "I wish you, Brother Yuan, all your wishes come true and everything goes smoothly in the new year!"
"All wishes come true?" Kenneth chuckled softly; his gentle voice was like a clear spring flowing over jade stones. "Then, I’ll count on Little Heavenly Master’s kind words. If my wishes don’t come true next year, will Little Heavenly Master take responsibility?"
"Hahaha... That depends on what you wish for... Surely, if you want to be the president of the United States, I can’t guarantee it’ll come true, right?"
Lawrence made a funny face in the bathroom mirror, "Brother Yuan, with rights come obligations; I don’t have that kind of power, hahaha... I’m just a quirky storm in the Celestial Master Realm, what kind of misunderstanding do you have about my abilities?"
He hung up the phone in a great mood.
Kenneth Osborne heard the sudden disconnection in his earphones, and the smile on his face grew even more meaningful.
Around five in the evening, Lawrence Winters went with his mom, Gabrielle Winters, in Nick Zeller’s Grand Cherokee to the restaurant where they had booked their New Year’s Eve dinner.
This was the largest restaurant in River City, called "One Heaven," and Nick Zeller had chosen the name after checking the feng shui.
Initially, no one thought highly of this restaurant.
But as it gradually grew, taking down the surrounding restaurants street by street, it became a dark horse in River City’s catering industry.
Now, everyone hosting a meal or holding a wedding banquet would go to One Heaven.
Today, on New Year’s Eve, many people were heading to One Heaven for dinner.
Everyone drove there, clogging the streets in front of One Heaven completely.
One Heaven specially sent staff out to direct traffic and show people where to park.
Lawrence leaned against the car window, watching the lively scene, waiting for Nick Zeller’s car to enter the parking lot.
With so many people outside, illuminated by the big red lanterns hanging at the entrance of One Heaven, the festive New Year atmosphere was fully alive.
Lawrence smiled broadly, just about to suggest to his mom that they get out of the car first and let Uncle Nick park, when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure.
In their front diagonal direction, there was a tall-looking SUV.
With its door open, a man leaned out from the driver’s seat, kissing a girl standing by the car door.
The girl stood on tiptoe, eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying the kiss.
In River City, a third-tier city not much more liberal than an eighteenth-tier county town, everyone watched the kissing couple like they were watching a show.
Lawrence snickered and tapped his mom’s shoulder, "Mom, who is that girl?"
They didn’t know the man in the kiss, but the girl was quite familiar.
Gabrielle Winters frowned, "Isn’t that your second aunt’s daughter, Sun Qianjin? Isn’t she just in sophomore year?"
Lawrence nodded, affirming, "It’s her."
Though they only met once a year, Lawrence had a good memory, and Sun Qianjin hadn’t changed much since last year.
"...That guy’s driving a Mercedes G-Wagon..." Gabrielle Winters gazed, her eyes settling on the SUV’s standout emblem.
Such an attention-grabbing car badge was hard to miss.
Lawrence took out his phone and snapped several photos of the car.
Nick Zeller also glanced over, chuckling slightly, and quickly drove through the cleared path by the restaurant staff to find a parking spot.
"Looks like your second aunt and little aunt’s families have arrived; let’s head up quickly."