The snow fell less and less.
The sky grew darker and darker.
On the rooftop next to the low house, Lin Qiye sat quietly, with two black boxes beside him, like a stone sculpture, motionless for a long time.
The city stretches to the horizon like the sea, growing farther and darker. At the horizon where the ground meets the sky, a slanting ray of the setting sun gilds the jagged shadows of the buildings.
The twilight glow shone on Lin Qiye, casting a long shadow over his back...
Those deep eyes, tinged with a soft sunlight, gazed at the busy family in the distance. A smile played on his lips, a gentle breeze ruffled the boy's black hair, and the air seemed to be filled with the aroma of food.
After an unknown amount of time, a man carrying a child slowly walked to his side, gazing at the house in the distance. After a long while, he slowly spoke:
"Do you regret it?"
As the sun set, Lin Qiye shook his head slightly. "No regrets."
"You won't be able to go back anytime soon. The more often you come back, the more people will notice this place," Leng Xuan said, sitting down beside him.
"I know."
"Actually, even if you hadn't come today, nothing would have happened to them."
Lin Qiye turned his head and looked at Leng Xuan with a puzzled expression.
"Do you think the captain's promise to protect your family is just empty talk?" Leng Xuan's lips curled slightly as he pointed to the low houses in the distance.
"That day, when the captain and the vice-captain came to your house to deliver materials, they put up a forbidden item called [Weiyang] on your door. This forbidden item looked like a semi-transparent strip of paper with a pattern on it, which could open up a small forbidden area."
"If anyone with malicious intent attempts to breach the protective range of [Weiyang], it will activate, teleporting all marked creatures inside to another marked point—the underground of the Peace Agency—to ensure their safety."
Lin Qiye was taken aback. He had never heard Chen Muye mention the existence of [Weiyang] before, and he had no idea that his aunt and Yang Jin were under the protection of forbidden objects.
"[Weiyang]..." Lin Qiye murmured to himself.
"Like the [Boundless Void], it's one of the few man-made forbidden zones created by the Night Watchers, but it's not cheap. Even within the Night Watchers, not many people can afford to use it."
At this point, Leng Xuan seemed to remember something, and his voice gradually softened.
"However, in our 136th squad, almost every family member has this protection."
Lin Qiye asked blankly, "Why?"
Leng Xuan gave him a meaningful look. "Why do you think... the captain is so poor?"
Lin Qiye's body trembled slightly, and he quickly realized something, staring blankly into the distance.
Leng Xuan patted his shoulder, slung the gun case over his shoulder, and turned to walk downstairs. His voice drifted to Lin Qiye's ears on the breeze.
"Go on, you won't be able to have New Year's Eve dinner at this house, but another home... will always welcome you."
Lin Qiye took a deep look in the direction of home, where his aunt was carrying plates of fresh, hot dishes and placing them on a small wooden table. Yang Jin sat beside her, smiling.
After a moment, he smiled helplessly, stood up, and walked towards the stairwell.
Just then, a small, black mangy dog appeared in front of him, huffing and puffing, and quickly ran over, rubbing its head against Lin Qiye's ankle.
"Little Black Tortoise?" Lin Qiye lowered down in surprise and gently rubbed its head with his hand.
The little black toad licked Lin Qiye's hand and let out a burp.
"What did you eat? You're even burping..." Lin Qiye laughed.
He picked up the little black toad and carried it all the way to the bottom of the low building, placing it on the stairs, and whispered:
"I'm leaving now, you should go home too. You're in for a treat tonight..."
He rubbed the little black toad's belly, stood up, picked up the two black boxes, glanced one last time at the closed door, and turned to walk towards the dim sky.
He stepped onto the pristine white snow, leaving a straight footprint that stretched into the distance…
...
Ding-dong!
"Welcome!"
As soon as Lin Qiye opened the door of the office, a rich aroma of food wafted out. The oil and ingredients sizzled and crackled rhythmically as the pot was shaken.
There is no sound in the world that brings the most peace of mind.
He could see Lin Xi Chen's back as she stood stirring batter in a bowl, glancing at the instructions before putting it into the oven.
Hongying sat at the dining table, her eyes fixed on the stewed goose on the table. She swallowed hard a few times, and her restless hands stealthily reached for the goose leg...
Slap!
Wu Xiangnan's chopsticks swiftly caught Hongying's hand. "Wait until everyone's here before you eat."
"I...I'll just have one bite, just one bite!" Hongying cautiously extended one finger.
"No."
Hongying lowered her head in grievance, placed the chopsticks in her hand on the table, and lay limply on the table like a salted fish whose dreams had been drained.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Lin Qiye entering the room out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes lit up again.
"Qiye, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Lin Qiye shook his head. Lin Xi Chen's eyes lit up instantly as she ran over to her brother, noticing that he was splattered with melted snow and a bit of blood. Yet, his spirits seemed significantly lifted; before she could even ask anything, he ruffled her hair—a gesture meant to brush her suspicion off—causing her to pout.
"Has the archer been caught?"
Hongying pursed her lips, shook her head with a bitter face, "No, that guy ran too fast. I didn't dare to use the Forbidden Ruins to chase him in broad daylight in the city, so he got away..."
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully, "It's alright, he probably meant no harm, it's just his identity..."
Lin Qiye had always been concerned about the identity of that mysterious person. Not many people knew the location of his house, and he also knew that the Mad Scorpion Squad had ambushed there. If he wasn't a Night Watchman, then who had such great power?
"Is the captain still cooking?" Wen Qimo asked as he came up from the basement, rubbing his empty stomach.
"I've been busy for almost two hours, and that's with Xiao Nan helping me out. I have no idea how many dishes he's planning to make; I'm starving!"
Hongying said with a mournful face.
A few minutes later, the kitchen finally quieted down. Chen Muye came out carrying a large basin of fish soup, followed by Si Xiaonan carrying a full load of bowls and chopsticks.
Finally, everyone took their seats.
A long table, eight seats, and sixteen delicious dishes and a fluffy cheesecake made by Lin Xi Chen filled the room with an irresistible aroma.
Chen Muye, Wu Xiangnan, Hong Ying, Wen Qimo, Lin Qiye, Lin Xi Chen, Si Xiaonan, Leng Xuan... and an empty chair. Originally, a man named Zhao Kongcheng should have been sitting there.
Chen Muye slowly raised the glass in his hand, the orange-yellow beer shimmering faintly under the light, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"This year, many things have happened: old friends have passed away, new friends have joined, and so on..."
"However, we successfully protected this city once again, for a whole year."
"As the captain of Squad 136, and as a night watchman, I want to express my gratitude to everyone present on behalf of the countless lives lost in Cangnan City."
Chen Muye straightened up, bowed deeply to everyone present, then raised his head, his eyes filled with seriousness:
"I hope that this time next year, those sitting here will still be us... not one less."
"Everyone,
Happy New Year."
Everyone stood up from their seats, raised their glasses high, and clinked them together, making a crisp, tinkling sound. The wine swirled in the different glasses like golden waves of wheat, all connected to each other.
"Happy New Year!!"
...
Whoosh—!
Pop—!!
The sound of firecrackers echoed from afar, and dazzling fireworks rose from every corner of the city, blooming in the black night sky. The colorful fireworks swayed in the wind and gradually disappeared without a trace.
"Hey bro, looks like the three of us will be spending Chinese New Year together this year."
Baili Pangpang handed the canned beer to Shen Qingzhu, who stared blankly at the magnificent sky before snapping out of his daze.
"No drinking during work hours," Shen Qingzhu shook her head.
"Have a drink. Even Cao Yuan, that half-monk, has had some. What are you, a working-class guy, fussing about?" Baili Pangpang grinned, pointing to the ceiling above him. "Besides, my bodyguard team is already here. Even if you pass out, no one in Cangnan City can hurt me."
"But..."
"This is the boss's order!"
"...Okay."
Shen Qingzhu pulled the tab on a soda can, making a bubbling sound, and Cao Yuan, also holding a beer, walked over...
In the cramped and damp love hotel, three teenagers sat by the window, watching the fireworks fill the sky, and clinked their beers together.
"Happy New Year!"
...
In the dimly lit underground cavern.
An Qingyu, draped in a black cloak, sat quietly on the stone platform. The chessboard in front of him was gone, replaced by a bottle of Sprite that was already half-empty.
The hazy moonlight streamed down through the overhead netting, illuminating a small portion of the underground space, while the distant sounds of fireworks echoed through the empty space.
An Qingyu gazed at the moonlight overhead, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly raised the Sprite in his hand.
"Happy New Year."
He muttered to himself.