Must Bring Him Back

The days leading up to the New Year were lively and bustling, and in the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve.

This year, the Prince of Qin's Manor wasn't just home to Lily Evans and Alexander Hayes's family—it had a few new households as well.

There was Sean Hayes and Mrs. Penny, Belle and Steward Xiao Yuan, White Pete and his daughter White Lily, and next door, the renowned Dr. Rowan Lin, Madam Wang, and the Lin family, including Simon Yu.

Over at the Su residence, since Third Uncle had moved out, Lily brought her eldest uncle's family to the Prince's manor for New Year's. Fourth Uncle's family sent Wang Yaya over, so she could reunite with her cousins.

This year, the Prince of Qin's Manor was overflowing with joy. With so many new families, even the numerous separate courtyards didn't feel empty anymore.

Although everyone was celebrating together, each family decorated their own courtyard to be clean and festive.

Belle and April were experts at cutting window flowers, so Belle's courtyard, inside and out, was adorned with beautiful paper decorations.

Mrs. Penny, skilled in medicine, made plenty of herbal incense, filling her courtyard with a subtle, soothing fragrance.

White Pete crafted all sorts of toys for his daughter—swings, rocking horses, you name it. He'd even made several new outfits for White Lily well in advance.

White Lily's health had almost fully recovered; her eyesight was restored, her hearing was still a bit weak, but her speech had come back. She was just a little shy—apart from chatting more when with her father, she was only lively when seeing Simon Yu, who'd been treating her.

But this year, with April joining the fun, White Lily was no longer shy. The two girls quickly became close, whispering and giggling together, and White Lily even learned to make paper flowers from Belle and April.

Madam Wang took charge of organizing the New Year's Eve dinner at the Lin Residence. After the meal, each family returned to their own courtyard to welcome the new year.

Lily Evans made sure every family had their New Year's gifts and supplies ready. Alexander Hayes stayed home all day, playing chess with his father-in-law, enjoying the rare leisure.

Both the Prince of Qin's Manor and the Lin Residence were filled with laughter and joy—everyone was in high spirits.

The children played, the adults chatted, and the elders reminisced about the past. It was a truly festive atmosphere at the Prince of Qin's Manor.

Even the usually stern Dr. Rowan Lin couldn't help but smile as he watched his grandchildren run around, while Margaret Evans and Madam Wang exchanged stories and laughter.

Eldest Aunt Xia was quick and efficient, helping Madam Wang organize the New Year's Eve feast.

Everyone had humble beginnings and was used to doing things themselves. Especially with something like the New Year's Eve dinner, it just felt more like home when they made it themselves.

Lily had too much on her plate, so she sent her talented apprentice, Lingdang, to help in the kitchen.

Compared to the lively Prince of Qin's Manor, the Marquis Weiyuan's residence was quiet and deserted.

There were never many people at the Marquis Weiyuan's residence, and now that Alexander Hayes wasn't there and there were no visitors, it was even more deserted.

Marquis Wei Yuan paced anxiously, turning to Madam Lou: "You've been visiting Alex every day, haven't you? Surely he's moved by it, and he'll come home for New Year's Eve. But look at the time—he still hasn't sent word. What's going on?"

Madam Lou's face fell. "I honestly don't know. Alex has been kind to me lately—I thought he'd come home for New Year's Eve."

Marquis Wei Yuan slammed the table, voice rising: "You think? You think Alex will come home just because you feel he will? New Year's Eve dinner is a big deal—everyone's watching us! If Alex doesn't come back, people will say he's cut ties with our family. What good days will we have left? Listen, tonight is New Year's Eve. No matter what, you must bring Alex home—even if he won't eat, he must show up! Otherwise, the whole capital will laugh at us!"