The Stars In Your Eyes

The cold weather outside gradually became warmer with so many people going outside on this day. The sea of red colour could be seen everywhere, adding the contrast in the layer of white grey mists. The light rain poured in the morning, welcomed by the citizens with a great smile. This New Year is merrier than previous year.

Bai Yutang's family received so many guests compared with last year. His father, Bai Haoran is the only child. But his mother, Lu Hua, had one younger brother. Bai Yutang's uncle lived with their parents. Every new year he will drive from his hometown with his wife and children, along with Bai Yutang's grandparents.

Bai Yutang's grandfather from his father is still alive, he lived in the small city two hours from W city. Both of Bai Yutang's grandparents from his mother are still alive and they live next to his paternal grandfather. Bai Haoran is the one who bought the big house for his parents in law. Bai Yutang's uncle and his family also lived there..

In both of their big families, Bai Haoran is one of the most successful people. He had a small construction company. Start with a very small project and gradually further develop. He had few workers under him, and all of them came to their house every new year.

After all the merry and the night gradually wrapped them in the blanket of stars, their big family had their new year's dinner in peace.

Lu Hua only can cook simple things like appetisers and the dessert. Bai Yutang and his sister already wrapped a lot of dumplings yesterday with their parents. The juicy pork and cabbage filled the dumplings skilfully wrapped by them. It was served with soy sauce and vinegar dipping sauce.

They also made sticky rice balls yesterday, the filling this year is chocolate ganache, black sesame paste, and red bean paste. The sugary clear soup tastes fresh and lightens the sticky rice ball's heavy taste.

The spring rolls are also prepared by Bai Yutang and his parents. His sister only helped to roll them. The rolls are stuffed with prawn and cabbage with a bit of carrots to complement the prawn's sweetness.

His aunt and grandmother cooked the rest of the dinner. The new year's dinner is quite complicated and his mother can't cook them well enough. So every new year, this cooking task will fall into his grandmother and his aunt.

The usual menu for New Year is red braised pork belly filled with scallions and soy sauce. Soy sauce whole chicken, roasted until honey coloured glazed on the surface. The green baby bok choy cooked with braised shiitake mushroom. The steamed whole fish cooked with ginger cilantro and scallion over the top. And the last is the beef broth noodles with broccoli, smelled fresh and it represents all the new year wishes and blessings.

Bai Yutang's cousin is still in his third year junior high school. Unfortunately his grade might not be enough for him to register in both Bai Yutang and Bai Yuren's high school. Bai Haoran already promised he can live together here in W city if he accepted. But it seems impossible for him now looking at his grade and how much his parents scold him.

Bai Yutang feels pity for this unfortunate cousin. Every year, his uncle and aunt like to compare him with Bai Yutang and Bai Yuren. So after the dinner he invite his cousin to go upstair to avoid this further torture and playing games together.

Bai Yuren popped her head up not long after, and joined the game together with them. While playing games, Bai Yutang saw the notification pop up. It was a message from Jian Ge, who replied to his new year's message.

Bai Yutang asked his sister casually, "I already told Jian Ge about your intention to go to medical school. He welcomes the idea, so do you need me to introduce you to him later?"

Bai Yuren answered with her eyes still glued to her mobile phone's screen, "Yes! Can we have a video call? I am really curious about this older friend of you, Ge. You praised him so much. I want to see him too."

Bai Yutang frowned, "Does video call necessary? I could introduce you after you're accepted."

"Of course I need to introduce myself now. You said that he's so smart, maybe he has some tips and tricks to be accepted there. You know T university requirement is quite high." Bai Yuren argued. "And I'm really really really curious to see his face!"

His cousin's ear perked up listening to this conversation. "JieJie, you'll apply for T university medical faculty?"

Oh it was bad news for him. His parents will scold him more if they heard this. It was really unlucky to have these superior cousins in your life. Even though his grade is not really that bad and he tried so hard, his brain capacity is on a different level with these two.

They chat and finish the dungeon in the next thirty minutes. Bai Yuren keeps pestering him to have a video call, along with his cousin who is now also curious.

Bai Yutang could never reject his sister. So he finally sent messages to Jian Kang Lu.

[WhiteMist] Thank you, Jian Ge. We enjoy our new year's dinner well. I eat so much. By the way, I apologised before if I offended you. My sister begged me to introduce her to you and even asked for a video call. If you don't mind, can we call you?"

There are ten minutes without any reply. Bai Yutang feels uneasy, he doesn't want to offend Jian Ge or make him feel uncomfortable. He decided to apologise again and cancel his request, but the reply came before he sent his message.

[JianKangLu] Sure. Wait, I'm going upstairs first.

Five minutes later, the incoming video call flashed on his screen. He slid the screen to accept the video call. In that small screen he saw Jian Kang Lu's white jade face smiled with his beautiful peach blossom eyes curved upward. 

Bai Yutang feels like his name didn't live up to the meaning. Bai could mean white, but his own skin is not as white Jian Kang Lu's skin.

"Happy new year! May all your wishes come true, and joy fill your days!" Jian Ge smile's so bright. Suddenly Bai Yutang afraid his sister would fangirling or might do something inappropriate if she saw those smiles.

"Hello, Jian Ge. Happy new year, good luck and great success in the coming new year."

Bai Yuren's head already popped up behind him and Bai Yutang can see her surprised face reflected on the small screen below. His cousin's head also popped up in the lower right corner.

"Jian Ge, let me introduce you with my sister and my cousin. She's the one who wants to try applying for medical faculty this year." Bai Yutang signalling his sister and cousin to introduce themselves.

Bai Yuren's voice suddenly sounds shy and with a blushed face saying, "Nice to meet you, and happy new year. May prosperity be with you. My name is Bai Yuren, i'm Bai Yutang's little sister."

Bai Yutang could not believe this was the same person with his devil sister. Who was this blushing maiden suddenly taking over his sister's body?? His cousin also politely introduced himself while saying the new year's greeting.

Jian Ge politely smiled and asked his sister about her plan and her tryout score, and they chatted for a bit. He also said, since it was years ago for him, maybe he's not suitable for giving her the tips and tricks. But his colleague's son was accepted into T university medical faculty this year, and he promised Bai Yuren to ask him for the important pointer.

Bai Yutang remembered, it seems the same person Jian Ge mentioned when he accompanied him in the shopping mall to buy the acceptance gift.

Four of them chatted for about thirty more minutes and stopped by his aunt's voice calling to come down and eat some dessert downstairs. Bai Yutang can't help to admire Jian Ge more. No matter with whom, he always manages to hold a lively conversation and make them feel like they already know him for a long time.

"Ge, why didn't you tell me that this Jian GeGe is so handsome? Oh luckily i still wear this new year dress. Or else he will see me in my miserable usual state! Is he really over thirty years old? He even looks younger than the counselor." Bai Yuren's voice still excitedly echoed after he finished the video call.

Bai Yutang frowned, "I told you that he's a person i admired so much. Instead of his successful story, why do you focus more on his face?"

Bai Yuren waved her hands, "You won't understand a pure maiden heart like mine. No wonder you're still single until now! Oh seeing that face definitely encourages me to study harder. Maybe I can find a lot of handsome faces like that in T university."

Bai Yutang didn't want to shatter his sister's beautiful imagination. Most students in T university are geeks and nerds. Just a few of them look handsome like Tang Yuxuan or Liu Xiang. And definitely he never met someone as charming as Jian Ge in the university for his whole two and half year studying there.

They enjoy the sticky rice balls and still chat about Jian Kang Lu. Bai Haoran and Lu Hua also heard this conversation and asked them who they were talking about.

Bai Yutang's cousin suddenly felt a bad premonition. And he was right. When both of his cousins lively told their parents about this amazing and handsome doctor that inspired Bai Yuren to apply for medical faculty, he suddenly felt both of his parents stare at them. He can feel those eyes of his parents say 'Why didn't you study harder and be a doctor too later?'

'Please cousin, stop talking! You can talk about this more when i already going back home with my parents!'

Bai Yutang's mother said, "It seems this man helps you a lot, TangTang. Then when you come back to university later, you need to bring him gifts from our family. Let me prepare the local specialty from our city."

Bai Haoran nodded, "And he also helped our RenRen, send my regards to him. We'll thank him personally when we visit you in B city."

Bai Yutang nodded, and their family talked a bit more. His grandparents also warn Bai Yuren to take care of her body and eat more nutritious food for the brain to help her prepare for her exams.

Bai Yutang looked at his family, and tried to remember Jian Ge's words. It was his luck to have this harmonious family, and he silently prayed inside his heart.

May this harmonious state and prosperity last for a long long time.