The Feilian Club’s annual gala was later than in previous years.
The Boss’s attention had truly shifted elsewhere. She held the esports club’s gala first before arranging the car team’s event.
As in past years, family members were welcome to attend.
However, the car team members were all young folks. Aside from Captain Jin, who brought his wife and kids every year, everyone else showed up solo.
Unlike previous years, Captain Xia had brought a plus-one.
Shen Jingsong had left Qifeng and turned down the invitation to her old employer’s gala. She hadn’t signed with Di Chen Company yet, so there was no invite from them either.
Shen Jingsong settled into the idea: This year, she’d go all-in as a family member!
Xia Zhuxi and Shen Jingsong arrived at the venue in matching formal gowns from the same color palette. Most of the club was already there.
Familiar faces exchanged greetings all around. Spotting Xia Zhuxi and her companion, they smiled and came over.
“Xia God, what’s your talent this year?” racer Skinny Monkey asked.
“With sister-in-law here, Captain Xia’s got to blow everyone away!” racer Yuyu chimed in gleefully.
Xia Zhuxi smiled back at each of them in turn. Shen Jingsong piped up: “You all prepared talent shows of your own?”
Yuyu grinned even wider. “Whoa, sister-in-law, Captain Xia didn’t tell you?”
Shen Jingsong’s interest was piqued. “Nope. Sounds like it’s going to be a highlight.”
Xia Zhuxi swiftly changed the subject. “It’s just your standard company gala fare. Every outfit has those poor souls dragged onstage.”
She wanted to rein in the folks about to dredge up her embarrassing past, but one person couldn’t possibly hush four, five, six, or seven eager mouths. Skinny Monkey jumped right in: “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. You’ll see Xia God’s show soon enough.”
The real bombshell came from her tightest confidante, Jian Ge. “Lemme dig up videos from the last couple years’ galas. Xia Zhuxi’s Dai dance was out of this world!”
Xia Zhuxi itched to haul her backstage for a spanking. “Who picked that dance? Rehearsing with my belly out in dead-of-winter cold? And the mastermind’s got the nerve to bring it up.”
Laughter rippled through the group, anticipation sparkling in Shen Jingsong’s eyes.
The venue was vast and open, its polished floor gleaming like a vast white mirror.
The sound system hummed through tests as the host took the stage. With a few crisp words, the event kicked off. Stage lights blazed to life, scattering across the pristine floor like fallen stars.
The Boss delivered the New Year’s address. The host then segued smoothly into the departmental performances.
It started with a new hire’s high-energy sing-and-dance opener, followed by the Feilian VP’s solo number, then the admin department’s musical skit…
When the car team’s turn came, Captain Jin led his crew in a comedic skit drawn straight from racing life.
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed something off: Where was Xia Zhuxi in the car team’s act?
Shen Jingsong felt a twinge of curiosity too. She gazed at the vibrant stage, her eyes flickering briefly.
The operations department wrapped up their group chorus. The host strode forward with a radiant smile, brimming with enthusiasm. “Next up, please welcome Feilian’s Car God and vice captain, Xia Zhuxi, with her dazzling performance—a magic trick titled ‘Fiery Red Auspicious Year!'”
Applause erupted like a wave. Shen Jingsong’s gaze locked on instinctively, glued to the woman who ascended the stage with graceful poise.
Xia Zhuxi had swapped into a performance outfit decked out in poker motifs, topped with a magician’s hat. She waved to her colleagues, then approached the prop table and picked up a long matchstick along with a stack of red paper slips inscribed with the character for “fortune.”
“I’m going to conjure a mystery gift. First, I need three lucky audience volunteers.” Xia Zhuxi scanned the crowd below.
“Xia God, pick me!”
“Captain Xia! Over here!”
“Outta the way, Xia God can’t see me through all these heads!”
Amid the boisterous scrum, Shen Jingsong sat serene in the front row, simply watching her wife bask in the glow of the colored lights.
“Monkey!”
“Big Brother Jian!”
Xia Zhuxi selected quickly. For the final pick, she paused. Her expression softened, brows relaxing like soda fizzing with joyful bubbles and a lingering sweetness.
She made a point of strolling to the stage’s edge, crouching slightly, and extending a black-gloved hand toward Shen Jingsong.
“Teacher Shen.”
Shen Jingsong rose amid shouts from behind her, letting Xia Zhuxi lead her onstage.
The lucky volunteers lined up in the order they’d been called.
Color-shifting spotlights bathed Xia Zhuxi as she struck the long match. When Skinny Monkey stepped forward, she lit the red fortune paper with a sharp “whoosh.”
The paper caught, flames leaping higher and higher until they devoured every bit of red.
“Any mystery gift in there?” Xia Zhuxi teased.
Skinny Monkey eyed her theatrics, feigning shock. “Captain Xia, you aren’t gonna fumble this one, are you?”
Xia Zhuxi hung her head in mock shame. “My skills aren’t quite up to snuff. Might come up empty.”
Skinny Monkey’s eyes bugged out as he watched the paper transform. The flames licked away the final corner. Xia Zhuxi swung her arms to snuff it out and spread her hands wide.
Nothing.
Skinny Monkey clutched his head. “Oh no!”
Grinning, Xia Zhuxi handed him a piece of crisp candy wrapped for the New Year. “Happy New Year, Monkey. Here’s to cracking the top twenty next season!”
Skinny Monkey accepted it with both hands. “Thanks, Captain Xia.”
From his seat below, Captain Jin bellowed: “Xia Zhuxi! You got this! Nail the next one!”
Xia Zhuxi waved at her, giving a gesture of thanks.
Jian Ge came over, and Xia Zhuxi repeated the process, striking a match and setting a sheet of red blessing paper alight.
Everyone watched tensely as the paper burned to ash. No surprise appeared. Xia Zhuxi shook out the embers.
“Tch~~~ You got any skills or what?” Jian Ge scoffed in disdain.
Xia Zhuxi handed her a piece of New Year’s crisp candy. “Happy New Year. Here’s to Big Brother Jian finding true love soon and tying the knot~”
Jian Ge cupped her hands in a New Year’s bow. “Thanks, thanks.”
The spotlights shifted abruptly, warm white light flowing across the stage like rippling water.
Shen Jingsong approached Xia Zhuxi. Her slender waist swayed gently beneath a long skirt, while the ornaments on her earrings and upswept hair glimmered faintly.
“Shall we begin?” The hall fell silent, filled only with the clear, resonant tone of Shen Jingsong’s voice.
Xia Zhuxi knew they had captured everyone’s attention. “Look at me.”
Shen Jingsong’s gaze followed her movements.
Xia Zhuxi picked up a long matchstick and struck it, sending sparks flying. In her other hand, she held a sheet of red blessing paper pinched between her fingers at waist height.
With a scratch, orange-red flames erupted, consuming the crimson paper. Slowly, so slowly.
Xia Zhuxi shook off the burning paper and turned her palm over. The flames blossomed into a vivid red rose.
“Shen Jingsong, Happy New Year.”
The LCD screen on stage suddenly blazed to life, bursting with digital fireworks and scrolling text: With you every year, spring every year.
A high-pitched “Ooh yeah!” erupted from the audience, quickly multiplying into a chorus of cheers. Confetti flew everywhere amid thunderous applause.
Chu Yun, seated right up front, yelled, “That was on purpose!”
Laughing, she beckoned others onstage and surrounded Xia Zhuxi, spraying more confetti. “Admit it—wasn’t it totally on purpose?”
Shen Jingsong hurriedly ducked behind Xia Zhuxi. The air crackled with pops as colorful paper scraps rained down onto her hair and dress. Xia Zhuxi held up her jacket to shield her, shouting back at Chu Yun and the rowdy crowd, “Yeah, it was totally on purpose!”
~~~
The performance ended, and dinner was served.
Boss Chu was incredibly generous, loading the table with every delicacy from mountain and sea. If nothing caught their eye, they could order anything they wanted.
Xia Zhuxi and Shen Jingsong went around clinking glasses with everyone before returning to their seats to eat.
Jian Ge sat to Xia Zhuxi’s left. She glanced at Shen Jingsong on Xia Zhuxi’s right and slyly switched places to sit beside her.
Xia Zhuxi went on alert. “Big Brother Jian, what are you up to?”
Shen Jingsong bumped elbows with Jian Ge, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “I want to chat with Jian Ge.”
Jian Ge grinned smugly. “Exactly!”
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Xia Zhuxi declared, “I want in on the chat too.”
“No playing with you.” Jian Ge dodged away from her, angling her body to show Shen Jingsong her phone’s photo album.
Shen Jingsong flipped through the pictures one by one with evident curiosity, sometimes hiding a smile behind her hand, other times widening her eyes in surprise. At the end, she quietly asked Jian Ge to send her all the photos and videos.
A snippet of audio leaked from one video: the classic hulusi melody 《Phoenix Tail Bamboo Under Moonlight》.
Xia Zhuxi: “……”
She grabbed Jian Ge’s sleeve. “Give back that New Year’s candy!”
Jian Ge burst into unrestrained laughter. “Nope! What, you dare to dance but won’t let your wife watch?”
Xia Zhuxi buried her face in her hands. Her dancing really was mortifying—her limbs completely out of sync. Everyone else moved like graceful peacocks; she lumbered like an elephant.
“Xiao Xi.” Shen Jingsong called her name softly.
Xia Zhuxi jumped at the chance to pause the Dai dance video. “Yeah?”
Shen Jingsong offered her sincere assessment. “You look like Dumbo the little flying elephant. Adorably cute.”
Xia Zhuxi thudded her forehead onto the table. “Aaaah……”
Shen Jingsong and Jian Ge both doubled over laughing.
Xia Zhuxi raised her head and leaned close to Shen Jingsong’s ear. “Please, can we save it for home?”
With their hair brushing together at that intimate distance, Shen Jingsong whispered, “Will you dance it for me at home?”
Xia Zhuxi’s ears grew hot. “Deal.”
Shen Jingsong’s lips curved in a smile as she gave the rose resting on her lap a little shake.
Jian Ge sat off to the side, idly scrolling through her album for a moment before finding a screenshot. She called out to Xia Zhuxi, “Xia Xia, did you see this post?”
Xia Zhuxi and Shen Jingsong leaned in. The screenshot was from a report on Xia Zhuxi’s speech at J University’s centennial celebration.
Xia Zhuxi shook her head. “I don’t keep up with that stuff.”
Jian Ge pulled up the actual post. “Here it is.”
The blog post announced Feilian Racing God’s attendance at J University’s 100th anniversary gala, accompanied by a close-up photo of Xia Zhuxi.
She stood at the podium, vibrant and full of spirit as she spoke into the microphone, her long neck graced by an exquisite choker.
The comments were full of people raving about how stunning the choker was, begging for a purchase link.
Someone had identified it as Birmingham Bespoke jewelry, infamous for its endless waitlists. Replies poured in from people who’d tried sourcing one in Britain—hilariously, no luck getting an appointment.
Unlike branded jewelry, Birmingham Bespoke pieces bore no logos. Authentication depended on the designer’s subtle mark.
Take Xia Zhuxi’s snowflake, for instance: nestled within the inky floral patterns of its transparent band was a tiny floral signature.
That was the name of Birmingham Bespoke’s exclusive designer, seamlessly integrated into the pattern. Unless a jewelry enthusiast online pointed it out, no ordinary person would ever notice.
Jian Ge said, her voice full of envy and excitement, “Whoever gives me jewelry this romantic, I’ll marry them on the spot!”
Xia Zhuxi paused for a moment and glanced at Shen Jingsong. Memories of the neon balloons and racing car model from her twenty-fourth birthday floated to the surface.
So this necklace was that special.
As the banquet wound down, the lights merged with the shifting shadows of the crowd.
Someone lightly tapped a glass.
Jewels glittered everywhere, catching the eye.
Xia Zhuxi leaned over Shen Jingsong from behind, her body pressed against the back of the chair, her voice slightly husky. “When did you go to Britain to commission this necklace?”
Shen Jingsong leaned back in her seat and thought for a moment.
Xia Zhuxi stared at her curled lashes. Shen Jingsong tilted her head, her cheeks blooming pink. “A little too soon.”
Xia Zhuxi pressed, “How soon?”
Shen Jingsong looked up at her, a sweet smile lighting her face.
~~~
It was snowing by the time they left the venue.
A world of white drifted down from the horizon.
Xia Zhuxi opened her umbrella and drew Shen Jingsong close, her arm around her shoulders.
A cold, damp wind carried the crisp scent of snow.
It was different from the fresh cedar fragrance that clung to Shen Jingsong.
Only then did Xia Zhuxi realize that the scent she’d caught ten years ago had been cedar—not just plain snow.
Snowflakes collected on the clear umbrella as Shen Jingsong walked slowly, cradling the vivid red rose named Bathfire Bloom, gently twirling it between her fingertips.
Xia Zhuxi focused her camera and snapped a shot of the rose passing through the falling snow. She opened Weibo, swapped out her snowflake profile picture for the new photo, and posted.
@Feilian Racing Team – Xia Zhuxi
The flawless season and the flower I love
Rose Passing Snow.jpg
Shen Jingsong’s phone chimed. She checked it right away, always eager for updates.
She saw Xia Zhuxi’s post.
She held up the rose in her hand.
Shen Jingsong leaned in to sniff the petals. “Is rose your favorite flower?” Hadn’t she bought hyacinths before?
Xia Zhuxi cupped her hands around the rose. “That depends on who’s holding it.”
Her smile sparkled like stars in her eyes.
At the street corner, someone secretly set off fountain fireworks.
Sparks cascaded in a rustling shower.
In the swirling snow, countless eyes glowed with delight.
