With Vil-V's enthusiasm, the main hall was transformed into the desired effect in the blink of an eye.
"So, today's magic trick is—Ultimate Blast! With a snap of my fingers, fireworks capable of blowing up the entire building will launch!"
Vil-V's spotlight accurately followed her everywhere she went. Enjoying the stage spotlight was essential for a great magician.
Dressed in an evening gown, she spread her arms, basking in the attention: "Can I get some applause?"
"..."
Only silence answered her. Not even sparse applause.
"Vil-V... I don't think anyone wants to blow up the building." Eden, seeing no one speaking, intervened to ease the awkwardness. "Do you have any other tricks?"
"How about Great Living Division?"
"And what's that?"
"Cutting a person with a chainsaw..."
"Alright, that's enough for the magic segment."
Eden successfully prevented a performance with a chaotic splatter of ketchup on New Year's Eve.
While one thing concluded, another began. Kevin held a handful of icy-cold, rock-hard ice cream, asking everyone: "Doesn't anyone want ice cream?"
However, let alone the ice cream, everyone around him instinctively avoided getting close.
"I'll take one!" Just then, Kalpas appeared at the wrong time and place and did the wrong thing. He grabbed one of the ice creams from Kevin's hand, lifted his mask slightly to expose his chin.
Pardo, who was eating candy, swallowed the wrapper whole when she saw this: "Brother Kalpas is taking off his mask?"
Kalpas extended his tongue to lick the smooth surface of the ice cream. Kevin, for a rare moment, looked at him with anticipation, waiting for his review of the flavor.
"Mmph?"
A strange, confused sound came from Kalpas's throat.
He tugged stiffly at the ice cream stick, which only produced a "Mmph mmph mmph" sound.
"Oh no, his tongue is stuck!"
"Mmph mmph mmph!"
So Kevin went to pour hot water to defrost Kalpas's tongue, but before he could bring the hot water to Kalpas, it all turned into ice water.
Another flurry of chaos ensued.
"It feels like everyone is gradually getting used to life here."
Hua smiled at the man, who was sitting in the corner puffing on his pipe, watching the scene.
"...What about you?" The man exhaled a wisp of smoke, glancing sidelong at Hua, looking at the glasses on her face. "Didn't you say you were going on a trip?"
"Me? Did I say that?"
"..."
"Sorry, Lin."
"No need to apologize. It's just starting over. It's not the past anymore. We have a chance to start over." The man pointed his pipe at the cold-faced Kevin. "You can learn from Kevin."
"Starting over? Easier said than done." Hua couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. "Ice and snow can melt, but the frost in a person's heart—how can mere sunlight melt that?"
"Haven't you also started speaking poetically?"
"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention..."
"No need to apologize," the man repeated. He put down his pipe and placed his hand on his mask. "I can discard this mask, yet I'm used to covering my face. Compared to all of you, I fall short."
"Why are we talking about this on New Year's Eve? Isn't it nice that everyone is finally together, watching some magic, eating some ice cream, and setting off some fireworks?" Elysia walked up behind Lin in her cotton slippers, scolding them affectionately.
"It feels good to be home~" She stretched deliciously, then plunged headfirst into the sofa, half her body sinking in, struggling helplessly. "Waaah, Lin, help me up..."
Sakura chuckled involuntarily. Even the pink fox on her neck giggled.
"Can't you get up yourself? Or did you get too fat?" Mobius, tying an apron and carrying a dish with a subtle color onto the dining table, rolled her eyes irritably. With one hand, she grabbed the back of Elysia's collar and lifted her out. "So heavy... You really did get fat."
Elysia pinched the skin on her abdomen and swallowed: "No way~ I specifically weighed myself when I picked up my clothes today!"
"It's a problem with the scale."
The man asked Mobius, who was arguing endlessly with Elysia: "How is Su doing?"
"Him?" Mobius's annoyed tone grew louder. "I don't understand why you all voted for me and a patient to cook together? He can barely stand, let alone cook! And with Kosma helping him, the kitchen is almost full."
Griseo, who had been drawing on a piece of paper nearby, lifted her small head: "Aunt Mobius, do you need help?"
"It's 'Sister Mobius'," Mobius corrected. "Anyone can help. Just get that patient out of the kitchen quickly. You can go, you're the best cook."
She pointed to the man who was smoking, but after he nodded and prepared to put away his pipe and go to the kitchen, two other people stood up first.
Sakura threw the fox to Pardo, who had been eyeing it, and stood up: "I'll go. Lin is usually in charge of cooking. He should rest for a bit today."
"I'll go too. Three should be enough," Aponia also stood up, lowering her eyes.
"..." Mobius stared at them, then reluctantly squeezed out a single word: "Fine."
...
It was drizzling. After eating and drinking their fill, the already noisy residence became even louder. Several people who couldn't handle their alcohol ran around the house, pulling others into drinking games. Only the man sat quietly in the courtyard, watching the rain and sipping clear sake.
The pure rainwater fell into his cup, disturbing the calm surface of the wine. He paid it no mind, drinking it in one gulp.
"This is what the Shenzhou people call the 'flavor of the New Year,' isn't it?" Elysia picked up another cup of sake from the table. Her cheeks were flushed with the wine, as sweet as melted brown sugar. She sipped the clear liquid delicately. "Everyone gathers together and plays. Even the Nian Beast would be scared away."
"That's not what it means..." The man tried to correct Elysia, but paused mid-sentence and didn't continue. "The Nian Beast, huh... Maybe we should go look for one."
"Heh heh, that's only in Shenzhou. Do you want to go visit Shenzhou?"
"We haven't been to the Taixu Mountain Hua mentioned. Let's go see it after the New Year."
"Sounds great. Should we all go together?"
"Eden has work, Su hasn't fully recovered, Kevin..."
"But didn't everyone come back at the same time today, unprompted? Regardless of our status, we're all just friends to each other. If Lin just suggests we go out and have fun together, everyone will definitely agree."
A drop of rain fell on the side of his mask, slowly sliding down.
"Is that so... Then let's go together."
"Swoosh!"
Pardo lit a firework. A beam of light shot up from the darkness, exploding into a dazzling array of colors above the man's head.
His long hair spiraled onto the ground, like an ink-black painting. Under the light, the gloom was dispelled, as if bright light had sprinkled over the bamboo grove, casting countless dappled spots of light.
His hair had unknowingly grown long.
But there was no longer any need to cut it short.