# 1011
Chapter 1012: New Year and Parting
Shao Pingge stared at Lin Qiye for a long moment, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. He glanced behind Lin Qiye.
"They didn't follow you here, did they?"
"I didn't tell them."
"Good."
Shao Pingge relaxed and let out a breath. "The last family New Year—if my leaving ruined the atmosphere, my sin would be enormous."
Shao Pingge listened to the欢声笑语 coming from behind the door, his eyes revealing a gentle warmth.
"Can't you leave after the New Year?" Lin Qiye couldn't help but ask.
"I'm going to the front lines so that everyone in Great Xia can celebrate this New Year without worries." Shao Pingge smiled. He turned and walked toward the distance, his steps lighter than before.
He waved his hand and said:
"The next time we meet, it should be at the front lines. Thank you for your blessing, anyway, 七夜.
Happy New Year."
Watching Shao Pingge leave, Lin Qiye sighed and turned back to the courtyard.
"七夜, where did you go?" Baili Pangpang set a plate of braised fish head on the table, rubbing his hands as he looked at the returning Lin Qiye.
"Nothing, seeing off a friend."
"Friend?" Baili Pangpang thought about it and didn't ask further.
"By the way, where's Lu Baoyou? I don't see him."
"Just finished bandaging his wound, he left on his own. He probably wasn't comfortable with the atmosphere here."
"Oh..."
"对了, 叫他们都过来吧, it's time for the New Year's Eve dinner."
"Sure."
Amidst the laughter, everyone took their seats. Chen Han sat close to Lin Qiye on the side, staring at the lavish dishes on the table, unable to hide his hunger.
He hadn't eaten such a sumptuous meal in a long time.
Next to him was Baili Pangpang, cheerfully handing out Rolex watches as New Year gifts to each member of Squad 006, Cao Yuan silently munching on melon seeds, Jiang Er floating in the air chatting with the female members of Squad 006, and Shen Qingzhu holding a can of beer, gulping it down.
An Qingyu crouched in the center of the courtyard, carefully fiddling with a black iron box, whatever that was.
Across the table sat Squad 006, full of noisy chatter and laughter.
Li Zhenzhen held the white cat Fang Mo, gazing distractedly at the empty seat at the very center of the table, worry flickering in her eyes.
"真真, don't worry. 绍队长 should be back soon." Zhang Zhengting patted her shoulder. "Come on, eat!"
DONG— DONG— DONG!!
As the New Year's bells rang, everyone paused what they were doing and turned toward where the sound came from.
An Qingyu raised an eyebrow and gently patted the iron box in her hand. With a sharp whistling sound, a dozen fireworks shot up from the box into the sky, disappearing into the pitch-black night.
BOOM—!!!
An earth-shaking explosion rang out as gorgeous rainbow-colored fireworks, like falling meteor fire rain, rapidly spread in all directions, covering the entire sky of Shangjing City in the span of a breath.
In an instant, the night sky was completely illuminated, dreamlike and magnificent.
"Whoa! Is that a firework?!" Lu Hu's eyes went wide. "This... if you set this on the ground, it could level all of Shangjing, right?"
"Don't worry about those details."
Yuan Gang stood up from the table, glass of wine in hand, scanning everyone with a含笑 expression as he raised his glass:
"To the new year, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
...
The brilliant fireworks bloomed in the sky.
Rainbow-colored light and shadows intermingled, casting down onto the underside of a bridge in the suburbs of Shangjing City. A little beggar girl huddled in a tattered blanket,抱膝而坐, gazing up at the magnificent fireworks with eyes full of wonder.
Then her gaze fell upon the overgrown wasteland before the bridge. A figure wrapped in bandages, stumbling along, was slowly walking under the glow of the fireworks.
It was a one-eyed black-haired boy.
The little beggar's eyes lit up.
She scrambled to her feet and watched as Lu Baoyou walked into the bridge, leaning against the opposite wall and sitting down. She couldn't help but speak:
"I thought you wouldn't come back."
"I told you I'd be back for dinner tonight." Lu Baoyou said flatly.
The little beggar's gaze fell on the blood-stained bandages on his body, her lips pressing together.
"Your injuries..."
"Minor wounds." Lu Baoyou rubbed his starving stomach, falling silent for a moment. "The instant noodles, did you buy them?"
"I did!"
The little beggar pulled out two boxes of instant noodles from under her blanket in the bridge, cradling them like treasures as she gently set them on the ground beside the campfire.
Above the flickering campfire, a discarded veteran cadre's teacup was perched, a pot of hot water bubbling away. The little beggar wrapped her fingers in her blanket and carefully lifted the teacup down, pouring the water into the instant noodles.
Lu Baoyou sat against the wall, quietly watching this scene.
A few minutes later, the aroma of instant noodles wafted through the bridge. Lu Baoyou swallowed, about to reach for his box of noodles, when the little beggar suddenly spoke:
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
Lu Baoyou looked at her in confusion. The little beggar scurried back to her blanket and carefully pulled out a packaged piece of ham sausage. She walked over to Lu Baoyou with a brilliant smile.
She forcefully snapped the sausage in half—one piece bigger, one smaller.
She handed the bigger half to Lu Baoyou.
"Here, for you."
"I don't remember telling you to buy sausage."
"I bought it with my own money!"
Lu Baoyou took the sausage, hesitating for a moment. "You bought this yourself. Why give me the bigger piece?"
"You protect me, I take care of you. Isn't that fair?"
The little beggar smiled softly. Under the dazzling fireworks, her eyes shone like stars. She raised her instant noodles and gently clinked it against Lu Baoyou's:
"Happy New Year, my hero."
Lu Baoyou froze.
...
New Year's Eve had passed. A brand new year had arrived.
While most people were still沉浸在 the joy of the New Year, the busy new recruits had already begun packing their belongings, preparing to return to training camp.
"Fang Mo, have you finished packing?" Li Zhenzhen asked.
"Mm, almost. Let's go."
Fang Mo, who had reverted to human form, shouldered his tactical pack and carried the black box as he walked out of the side room of the courtyard, heading toward the gate together with Li Zhenzhen.
"I'm off! In seven days, I should be back!" Li Zhenzhen waved at the members of Squad 006 as she walked, looking back over her shoulder.
Zhang Zhengting and the others waved farewell with smiles.
"Tch, why do I suddenly feel like my daughter was stolen by someone..." Lu Hu muttered beside them. "That cat kid is becoming more and more insufferable..."
"I second that." Zhang Zhengting quietly raised his hand.
Fang Mo and Li Zhenzhen had barely stepped out of the courtyard gate when they froze in place.
Beside the gate, covered in snow, sat a figure they never could have expected.
"Lu Baoyou? What are you doing here? Why didn't you come inside?" Li Zhenzhen said in surprise.
Lu Baoyou looked up at them, silently standing up. After some hesitation, he gritted his teeth and extended his hand toward the two of them...
"Can... can I borrow some money?"