NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Cheers
“Mmm…”
Xiao Yan, feeling a pounding headache, tightly furrowed his brows and struggled to open his eyes, looking at the familiar ceiling in front of him.
It was his own room.
With a somewhat clouded mind, Xiao Yan suddenly felt an uncontrollable wave of nausea, and instinctively turned his head towards the side of the bed, vomiting out everything in his stomach.
After vomiting, although Xiao Yan’s head still ached, it was much better than before.
“What… happened…”
Xiao Yan’s hazy mind tried to recall, but he couldn’t remember what had happened before.
At that moment, the figure of Yao Chen appeared, looking at Xiao Yan teasingly.
“Ah~ as someone who drank for the first time, you can really hold your liquor~”
“Senior Yao…”
Xiao Yan looked up at Yao Chen, and upon hearing her words, he suddenly remembered something.
It seemed… that Xiao Ning had invited him to drink…
“The two of us finished twelve barrels of liquor, and when we finished the last one, you passed out on the floor and couldn’t even call for help.”
Yao Chen chuckled, and Xiao Yan covered his head, a wry smile appearing on his lips.
“So, this is a hangover… I’ll never drink again next time…”
“Everyone says that after sobering up from alcohol~”
Yao Chen shrugged lightly. Perhaps it was human nature to forget the pain once the wound had healed. People tend to have short memories when it comes to the suffering they have experienced.
Having learned a lesson this time, he would dare not do it again next time.
“What time is it?”
Xiao Yan looked out the window and saw that it was already dark outside, suddenly becoming fully awake.
“Oh no! It’s dinner time!”
Xiao Yan jumped off the bed and started cleaning up the mess he had just vomited. Yao Chen floated in the air, looking at him with confusion.
“Is there any activity tonight?”
“We have lunch together as a whole Xiao Clan, and in the evening, everyone has dinner with their own families. My father and the others should already be waiting for me.” Xiao Yan finished cleaning the floor, put away the cleaning tools, and looked at Yao Chen with a light smile. “After dinner, we have a special program.”
Special program?
Yao Chen raised an eyebrow in confusion. In this remote city of Wu Tan, what kind of special program could they have?
But soon, Yao Chen dismissed her thoughts.
In the days she had spent in the Xiao Clan, there had been too many unexpected things.
What surprised Yao Chen even more was that in many aspects, they could make someone like her, who was at their level, feel envious.
After finishing cleaning the floor, Xiao Yan immediately left the room and headed towards the dining room in his house.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Xiao Zhan and the others already seated, the dishes on the table untouched. It was evident that they were waiting for Xiao Yan, chatting happily yet hiding a hidden agenda.
Wait… a hidden agenda???
Xiao Yan suddenly froze.
Was this the atmosphere during family meals?
After being dumbfounded for a moment, Xiao Yan carefully scanned the people sitting at the table.
There was his father, Xiao Zhan, his elder sister, Xiao Ying, his second sister, Xiao Li, Qing Lin who was brought back by Xiao Ying and Xiao Li, his younger sister, Xiao Xun’er, and… unexpectedly, Nalan Yanran?
Why… was Nalan Yanran here?
Nalan Yanran was an outsider and a guest of the Xiao Clan. They couldn’t neglect her.
They couldn’t just leave her hanging while the family was having a meal, right?
Moreover, Nalan Yanran was his fiancée. It was only natural for her to have dinner with them.
“Yan’er, you’re awake?” Xiao Ying, who was chatting with Xiao Zhan, noticed Xiao Yan standing at the door and smiled with concern. “Are you feeling better?”
“Well… I’m okay…”
Just as Xiao Yan replied, Xiao Li’s voice came from the table.
“Hahaha! I heard from Xun’er that you and Xiao Ning finished twelve barrels? Not bad, my little brother! You didn’t embarrass your second sister!”
Listening to Xiao Li’s boisterous voice, Xiao Yan’s head, which was not fully clear, became dizzy. His body couldn’t help but sway, causing Xiao Xun’er and Nalan Yanran to be startled. The two of them swiftly moved to Xiao Yan’s side, reaching out to support him, concerned.
“Brother Xiao Yan! Are you okay?”
“Xiao Yan! How do you feel?”
The two voices sounded simultaneously and then fell at the same time, both of them froze for a moment, their gazes locked on each other, showing a clear sense of hostility. However, they quickly smiled at each other.
“Miss Nalan, you are a guest. I’ll take care of Xiao Yan. How can we trouble you?” Xiao Xun’er said, her voice filled with respect.
“Little sister, what are you saying? I will be Xiao Yan’s wife sooner or later. It’s my duty, how can I let others take care of it?” Nalan Yanran replied with equal respect.
Their words were filled with reverence, but also with a thick scent of gunpowder. Their eyes met, sparking a dangerous atmosphere that filled the entire room.
Xiao Zhan and Xiao Ying looked at this scene with helplessness on their faces, while Xiao Li grinned excitedly, looking like she was enjoying the spectacle. As for Xiao Qing Lin, the young girl had never witnessed such a situation before. She curled up her small body, gripping the edge of the table, trembling in fear.
Xiao Yan also felt the faint dangerous aura emanating from the two of them. His whole body shivered, and his head cleared up instantly. He quickly broke free from their grasp.
“I’m feeling much better now! Don’t worry!” Xiao Yan said, pushing the two of them back to the dining table. He smiled awkwardly and said, “Oh~ I slept the whole afternoon, and I’m starving. Let’s eat!”
With Xiao Yan’s urging, the meal officially began.
“Father, please.”
Xiao Yan poured a glass of wine for Xiao Zhan from the jug. Xiao Zhan smiled happily, his face filled with a sense of contentment.
Then, Xiao Yan poured wine for Xiao Li and Xiao Li, and Xiao Li nodded with a gentle smile while Xiao Li looked at her little brother with teasing eyes.
“Little Yan, care to have a drink with your second sister?”
“Not today…” Xiao Yan refused with a pained expression. The headache that had finally subsided, he didn’t want to experience it again.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, Xiao Li burst into laughter again, reaching out to pat Xiao Yan’s head.
“Hahaha! Little Yan, you still have a long way to go!”
Hearing his second sister’s teasing, Xiao Yan felt a bit embarrassed and shrugged. He put down the wine jug and sat back in his seat.
Sitting in the main seat, Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan, who was directly opposite him, with a smile of satisfaction on his lips.
If there was one thing in this life that made Xiao Zhan feel the most satisfied, it was having such a sensible and mature son like Xiao Yan. The unity and harmony within the Xiao Clan now were all thanks to Xiao Yan’s efforts.
Without Xiao Yan’s hard work, the internal strife within the Xiao Clan would have continued until now. It would have been impossible to sit in the Xiao Clan courtyard at noon, enjoying a joyful atmosphere like they were now.
Thinking this, Xiao Zhan slowly lifted his wine glass, and the others also raised their glasses, listening to Xiao Zhan’s next words.
“To toast for a greater and better year for our family, cheers!”
“Cheers!”