...
New Year's Eve night.
After everyone finished bathing, they all changed into new outfits.
When that neglected coat was draped over Lucian, it surprisingly captivated the horse girls' gazes.
Silence Suzuka finished serving the dishes and returned to the kitchen, quietly whispering close to Lucian: "Don't forget about tonight, Lucian-kun, and get drunk."
"Won't happen, don't worry."
He was just drinking a bit with his father, not socializing.
The previous times he got drunk were complete accidents.
"But how will Lucian-kun guarantee the others won't come over? Don't let it end up like during training camp."
"Isn't that simple? Just reverse lock the door."
After going back and forth, Lucian naturally developed some precautions.
He thought with it reverse locked, no horse girl would blast the door open, right.
"Then what about the windows? Can't dismantle them now." Silence Suzuka said again, "And what if Sky gets reverse locked outside and happens to run into the others?"
"Good question." Lucian pinched his chin, as if stroking a nonexistent mustache, "Let's eat first; I'll think while eating."
...
Before eating, Lucia handed out the red envelopes she had prepared earlier one by one to the horse girls, "Kids, happy new year."
"Auntie, you've already bought us new clothes; we can't accept the red envelopes too." Dextrous Bailey waved her hands, refusing.
"Auntie, you've given too much." Silence Suzuka also politely declined.
"Trainer, quickly tell Auntie to take them back." Tokai Teio said to Lucian.
Lucian always felt this scene was familiar, but accepting red envelopes was good intentions; he hoped they'd take them, "How can you refuse this red envelope? Watch closely; I'll demonstrate once."
The horse girls' gazes gathered on Lucian.
Lucia puzzledly looked at Lucian; she remembered the year high school exams ended, the first thing her son shared in the family group wasn't his scores, but asking if college students still got red envelopes.
"Lucian, no red envelope for you this year?" Lucia had naturally prepared one for Lucian too.
Even though Lucian was working, in her eyes, as long as he wasn't married, he was still a kid.
"Mom, no need, really no need; it'd be too embarrassing." Lucian waved his hand while sideways pulling the pocket on his coat.
Lucia's misunderstanding of Lucian was instantly cleared; she gave him a look and stuffed the red envelope into his pocket.
Special Week watched Lucian's operation, "Trainer-san, didn't you say to refuse? How come you still..."
"This is refusing, but refusal failed, so had to accept." Lucian said shamelessly, "If you don't want them, I'll take them for you~"
"Then I'll accept it; thank you, Auntie!"
"Thank you, Auntie!"
"Thank you, Auntie; Rice-chan wishes Auntie good health and all the best in the new year."
Lucian's eyes lit up, "Rice-chan's Chinese has improved so much?"
Rice Shower shyly smiled, "Learned it together with Urara."
Lucian looked at Haru Urara, "Then what has Urara learned?"
"Um... let Urara think." Haru Urara racked her brain; unfortunately, the greetings she was good at had all been said by Rice Shower, "Oh! Got it!"
Lucia also expectantly looked at Haru Urara.
"I wish Auntie studies every day and strives to improve!"
"Pfft——" Lucian couldn't hold back and laughed without grace.
Lucia also laughed because of Haru Urara's words.
"Trainer, what's wrong? Why laugh at me." Haru Urara looked at Lucian confused; was what she said wrong?
"Said great; paired with what I taught you last time, even better."
"Trainer still saying! I figured it out later; that was clearly a curse word." Haru Urara huffed and crossed her arms, "Stinky Trainer."
"Lucian, don't lead Urara astray anymore." After Lucia finished, she looked at Haru Urara again, "Auntie received Urara's intentions."
"Auntie, so that was a congratulatory phrase?"
"Yes, but you used it wrong."
...
Tonight's dinner was extremely sumptuous; the space in front of everyone was very narrow, arms couldn't even rest on the table.
Seiun Sky ate with relish, but her gaze occasionally glanced toward Lucian.
Earlier when no one was paying attention, Lucian quietly told her to come to his room at a certain time.
Trainer is calling me over so proactively for the first time... bu-but what will happen?
Seiun Sky just thought of long kissing sessions, then hugging Lucian to sleep.
...
"Lucian." Lu Fengzhou shook the baijiu in his hand, asking if he wanted to drink.
"Have some, to accompany you." Lucian passed his cup over.
Silence Suzuka worriedly glanced at Lucian, muttering inwardly: "Still drinking... doesn't Lucian-kun have a clear grasp of his own tolerance?"
Under the table, her slender tender foot rubbed Lucian's leg, reminding him not to get drunk.
Lucian gave a reassuring look, clinked glasses with Lu Fengzhou, then sipped the alcohol in small mouthfuls.
He smacked his lips; this baijiu was really strong. He'd have to drink more later, then pretend to fall asleep... this was the plan he came up with on the spot.
Seeing him drunk and passed out asleep, Haru Urara and Dextrous Bailey should give up; the remaining Special Week, Rice Shower, Tokai Teio, and others didn't need much worry from him.
Moreover, on New Year's Eve, Lucia and Lu Fengzhou would probably stay up late tonight; Haru Urara and Dextrous Bailey wouldn't dare be so bold... at least not tonight.
...
In previous New Years, Lucian's family would prepare sumptuously too, but the dishes usually couldn't be finished and were saved for the next day.
But this time with the horse girls joining, all the dishes were swept clean.
Seeing everyone eat so cleanly, Lucia was naturally overjoyed.
And Lucian also put on a drunken appearance, slumping on the table pretending to nap.
"Old Lu, look at you; nothing better to do than drink so much with him." Lucia chided.
"Didn't expect his tolerance hasn't improved at all, and after one bowl, he even asked for more himself." Lu Fengzhou said helplessly.
"Send him back to his room to sleep; sleeping here he'll catch a cold."
"Mm, but I think I can't manage alone right now." Lu Fengzhou was also somewhat drunk.
"Uncle, I can help you send Trainer back together." Tokai Teio beat everyone else to it from the side.
Having been influenced for so long, she naturally picked up some things.
"Teio? Can you?" Lu Fengzhou's words easily conveyed doubt.
"Yes, Trainer on the bag... on the chair, I can lift him up no problem." Tokai Teio patted her chest badge, swearing confidently.
But she almost said something strange just now.
"Alright then, trouble Teio."
...