As someone who prioritizes killing others, I'm forced to stream a death game.

Hearing Liu Ren's wistful words, Yao Qing smiled and said, "Out with the old, in with the new. It's okay if you lose your old friends. You'll meet many more suitable 'friends' in the future."

"That's quite fitting for the atmosphere tonight," Liu Ren nodded.

A new year brings new beginnings.

Everything can have a fresh start.

I hope the future of this world can also have a reasonably good ending.

At the end of the New Year's Eve dinner, Yao Qing didn't continue to say anything about insisting on staying in Liu Ren's room.

Instead, he gladly accepted Liu Ren's suggestion.

She could make do in Bingyu's room for the night, while Bingyu would be able to sleep with Liu Mucheng for the first time in a long time.

After finishing their meal and cleaning up the dishes, the four of them left home satisfied.

The evening of December 31st was very lively.

According to Jiuhuang's custom, fireworks will be set off on this night, and in places other than big cities, the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks may resound all night long.

Liu Ren found a few bicycles nearby and started riding along the route he had planned in advance.

Yao Qing seemed to have drunk a bit too much; she was a little unsteady on her feet when she first got on the horse.

"Are you alright? Don't ride on the car's face later," Liu Mucheng reminded her.

"Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing. My head is just a little dizzy." Yao Qing shook her head and demonstrated her little trick of lighting a cigarette while riding a bike with one hand. "Phew... I feel much better now!"

"Go smoke in the back if you want, I don't want to inhale your secondhand smoke." Liu Mucheng sped up a bit and rode in front of the group.

The night breeze was refreshing, carrying the chill of early winter as it constantly ruffled the ponytail that swayed behind her head.

"Turn left," Liu Ren said as they passed the intersection.

"Why not go straight?" Liu Mucheng did as she was told, but still asked casually.

"If you go left, you can go to the river embankment. The view is wide open there, and there should be a fireworks show after 10 p.m. tonight," Liu Ren explained.

"Oh," Liu Mucheng replied with a nonchalant "oh," sounding uninterested.

"It's almost ten o'clock now. If we're going to see the fireworks show, why don't we ride faster?" Yao Qing seemed quite interested, and immediately started to speed up after saying that.

"We can catch up! Why are you riding so fast?" Liu Ren said, but no one listened.

He could only speed up a bit to avoid being completely left behind, as he would have to find someone later.

There were quite a few people on the road.

They weren't the only family out having fun.

As Liu Ren and Chang Bingyu increased their cycling speed, Liu Mucheng thought for a moment and also sped up to catch up.

Fortunately, she has been training consistently and has also been taking care of her diet, so her physical condition is quite good.

Although it can't compare to the three monsters in front, it can still keep up at a distance.

Liu Ren isn't made of steel; he wouldn't actually leave his sister behind and ride far away by himself.

A group of people sped past on the bike path, drawing frequent glances from passersby who were also out cycling.

To be able to ride a shared bike so fast, one has to be in really good physical condition.

Ten minutes later, Yao Qing, whose breathing hadn't even worsened, was the first to arrive near the river embankment.

"arrive!"

"Slow down when we get there. There are a lot of people here, so don't bump into anyone," Liu Ren reminded him from behind.

"Hey, Captain, do you think I'm that clumsy?" Yao Qing glanced back at Liu Ren with dissatisfaction, then nimbly rode her bike through the crowd.

Although it was already 10 p.m., there were still many people on the river embankment.

Everyone came to see the fireworks show.

Yao Qing ran forward until she found a quiet place to stop.

"Want some street food? I saw someone selling it over there..." she suggested, turning her head.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Liu Ren, Chang Bingyu, and Liu Mucheng already had their hands full of grilled snacks.

The bicycle had long since disappeared.

"When did you guys buy this?! Why didn't you call me?!"

"I was just about to ask you something, but you kept pushing your way forward and I couldn't stop you," Liu Ren replied, handing over the skewers from the bag. "Want some?"

"want!"

Yao Qing's resentment vanished instantly, and she found a place to sit down.

The view here is very open.

Looking ahead, you can see the river surface shimmering under the starlight.

"Did you return the car?" Yao Qing asked while eating.

"Otherwise what?" Liu Mucheng said.

"So how are you three going to get back later? Walk back?" Yao Qing asked with amusement.

"Anyway, there are a bunch of shared bikes over there that have been ridden over. We can just grab one later, right?" Liu Ren didn't care and demonstrated a bit of Machiavellianism.

Anyway, as long as he can get back soon, that's fine.

As for others?

Those who didn't manage to grab one, well, they're just unlucky.

"What if you don't manage to catch one?" Yao Qing asked.

"Then you can come back with us." Liu Ren smirked.

"No way! Why would I walk when I have a car?"

“Even if you go back, you won’t have the key, so you’ll still have to wait at the door,” Liu Ren reminded him.

"Then give me the key!" Yao Qing stretched out her hand.

"Dream on." Liu Ren rolled his eyes.

"Captain, you're being a bit too cunning."

"Hmph, the struggle for the crown prince position has always been like this! Do you know what it means to be concerned about inequality rather than scarcity? There is no future in hoarding food."

"Then you guys hurry up and grab it later, don't drag me down with you."

"Don't worry, we can apply it in advance before the others realize what's happening."

"If we leave early, what will happen to the fireworks show?"

"A wise person never eats the last grain of rice in the rice jar. Why would a good person wait until the performance is over before leaving?"

"Since we're already here... why not try to catch the turn point first? I heard that the climax of the performance is when the turn point is reached."

“Then you can wait here by yourself at the transfer point, we’ll head back first,” Liu Mucheng suddenly said.

"How cold-hearted, little Orange."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Yes, yes, but to your older sister, you're not much different from a little kid, are you?" Yao Qing said with the composure of an older sister.

"Hmph." Liu Mucheng snorted coldly, not to be outdone, "You're just an old woman in your twenties. The little girl will grow into a beautiful lady one day, while you will only slowly turn into an old lady as time goes by."

After hearing this outrageous statement, Yao Qing felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart.

"I'm only twenty-five this year, I'm not old at all," she argued.

However, this explanation is nothing more than a forced attempt to maintain appearances when faced with genuine young people.

"For a teenage girl like me, being in my twenties already makes me feel like an aunt."

"..."

Yao Qing remained silent.

Yao Qing broke her silence.

Even the most mature woman can only bow to the passage of time and has to admit one thing.

Even the most beautiful women will one day turn into skeletons.

But there is one thing that is unrelated to this.

“Well, you’re right. To you, I’m already old.” Yao Qing moved closer to Liu Ren, who seemed indifferent, and nudged him with her shoulder with a smile. “But to a certain thirty-year-old uncle, I’m still a young, beautiful woman of just the right age. Right?”

The gap between teenagers and thirties is too large.

Twenty-five and thirty are about the same.

This is the difference between being able to stand at the starting line and only being able to watch the game.

Liu Mucheng sat on the other side of Liu Ren. After hearing Yao Qing's words, she silently raised her eyes to look at Liu Ren.

Liu Ren stared at the distant river, pretending not to notice his sister's gaze, and echoed Yao Qing's answer: "Yes."