She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

Early on New Year's Eve, Yan and Jue Jue were already up.

The last day of the year meant there was much to do, following traditions they'd upheld since childhood.

Yan and Jue Jue wrote Spring Festival couplets and pasted the character "Fu" (fortune) on their door, then tidied up the house.

Truth be told, after days of cleaning and with the house always bustling, everything was already spotless. Now, they prepared fruits, nuts, and snacks for the day.

The adults were busy cooking the grand lunch, while the younger ones took care of smaller tasks, staying alert to help where needed.

For Yan and the others, the New Year routine was familiar, yet excitement lingered—they were a year older, edging further into adulthood!

Yan’s family kept to northeastern customs: the "reunion dinner" was served at noon on New Year’s Eve, the most lavish meal of the day. After lunch, adults and kids alike were free to relax until evening, when they’d gather to wrap dumplings while poking fun at the Spring Festival Gala.

So when Chu Shen arrived at Yan’s place early that day to join the feast, he came prepared.

Over the past few days, Yan’s parents had repeatedly warned him not to bring gifts—their home was already overflowing.

But Chu Shen… Chu Shen still brought something.

Showing up empty-handed on New Year’s Eve? Unthinkable.

Besides, he was staying alone at a hotel—it wasn’t like they could toss his offerings out, right?

Chu Shen was clever, though. Knowing the couple had just received a mountain of gifts from their "big sister," he avoided fancy packages or anything too valuable that might be refused.

So—

Yan, who’d been directing Jue Jue to paste the "Fu" character at the door, gaped as Chu Shen approached with a large bag of assorted candied hawthorns.

"You bought all these this early?"

"What’s the big deal?" Chu Shen opened the bag. These were made by the upscale hotel restaurant where he was staying, using higher-quality fruit than street vendors.

Bringing perishable treats was a safe bet—hard to reject. Chu Shen filed the tactic away for future use.

"Five for the parents, five for us, plus two extra to sample flavors," he explained.

"Last chance to eat these this year."

Zhu Jue chuckled. "Everything we do today is the ‘last time’ this year."

Still in their comfy home clothes, Yan and Zhu Jue ushered Chu Shen inside, where he greeted the elders with cheerful "Uncle! Auntie!"

When Madam Yu spotted Yan nibbling a strawberry candied hawthorn, she scolded, "Eating something so cold first thing in the morning!"

"Chu Shen bought them—there’s some for you too," Yan deflected instantly.

Madam Yu’s expression did a complete turnaround as she turned to Chu Shen. "Ah, Xiao Chu, you shouldn’t bring gifts when visiting for the New Year! No need to stand on ceremony with us."

"Honestly, child, you’re staying with us tonight. No one spends New Year’s Eve in a hotel! These two will fetch your luggage after lunch."

On the sofa, the couple nodded in unison between bites of hawthorn, adding, "We’ll go with you to the hotel after eating."

Chu Shen: !!!

Was this the price of a bag of candied fruit?

Yan whispered beside him, "If you hadn’t come, we’d have had to sneak off to your hotel tonight."

"Our parents would’ve doubted how close we really are," Zhu Jue added.

Chu Shen: …

Fine. If closeness meant staying over, so be it!

"But won’t this disrupt your family traditions?" Chu Shen scratched his head. Customs varied—back when his grandparents were alive, his family would escape tourist crowds during the holidays, quietly enjoying Bin City’s lakeside views.

"Not at all. After lunch, everyone does their own thing," Yan said.

"Mom and Dad might visit neighbors. Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Aunt Tan have elder relatives to see. Jue Jue and I always go out to play on New Year’s Eve afternoon."

Chu Shen blinked. "You two go out on New Year’s Eve?"

Zhu Jue nodded. "That’s why we invited you today. Tourist spots are packed starting tomorrow, but today? We’ll have the places to ourselves."

With national holidays beginning on New Year’s Day, many attractions remained open on the eve—perfect for crowd-free excursions.

"It’s our annual tradition," Yan said, eyes crinkling.

"We’re going to Jingshan Park to watch the year’s final sunset. You’ll join us—and double as our photographer."

"Deal," Chu Shen agreed readily.

Their ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍last trip to the Forbidden City was supposed to include Jingshan Park, but running into Yuan Ye and that trending detour had scrapped the plan. Today, they’d finally see the panoramic view of the Forbidden City.

All morning, Chu Shen’s attempts to help in the kitchen were rebuffed—until he asked about lunch’s staple food. Suddenly, an electric rice cooker materialized in the living room.

Fried rice tastes best when made with cold rice, so cook it in a hurry and let it cool first.

"Sis, sis~~~"

It wasn't even lunchtime yet, but Tan Xiaobao was already pestering Yan.

She had changed into the new clothes they bought together while shopping earlier and was now sitting at Yan's desk, poking at the little trinkets in the makeup box.

"Sis, does this color look good on me? I want something sparkly."

Xiao Bao picked up one lip gloss after another, examining the shades.

"Sure," Yan replied as she braided Xiao Bao's hair while the younger girl sat on the chair.

Though Da Bao and Xiao Bao had already entered college early and become university students, they were only seventeen in traditional age this year after the New Year.

Their family wasn't overly strict with them, but growing up in the faculty residential compound, they were taught that students should behave like students, and adults like adults.

Even though their family's wealth could easily buy out entire cosmetics counters, Xiao Bao usually just washed her face with water, applied a layer of baby lotion, and at most used a simple lip balm. Still, she was a little curious about makeup.

She'd watched makeup tutorials before—her brain got it, but her hands couldn't be bothered. If someone else did her makeup, great. But if she had to do it herself? Nah, that time could be spent solving a few math problems instead.

Yan and Xiao Bao painted each other's nails a creamy color and admired them once dry.

"Nice, saved some money on a manicure," Yan said.

"And at least an hour of time," Xiao Bao added.

"Sis, one of my classmates once invited me for a manicure, but you had to book in advance. Since we went spontaneously, we spent three hours waiting and getting it done. And if you add eyelash extensions? Even longer."

"Being beautiful really consumes time, money, and energy," Xiao Bao sighed, cupping her cheeks.

"Of course. Beauty is a scarce resource. But doing it a few times a year for special occasions is manageable," Yan said.

"True. I heard good manicurists are fully booked during the New Year, and the same goes for hair salons. Da Bao went to get a trim at Uncle Huang's place near our neighborhood, but the shop was packed—no chance of getting in line," Xiao Bao grumbled.

"It's the first month of the lunar year—folklore says it's bad luck to cut your hair then. Of course it's crowded. We know it's actually about mourning the past, but most people believe the 'cut your hair in the first month, and your uncle dies' version. Pretty sure that was a conspiracy by old-time barbers," Yan joked.

By the time they finished talking, Yan had finished Xiao Bao's braids, making sure they weren't too tight to avoid discomfort.

Xiao Bao checked her new look in the mirror and gave her sister a thumbs-up. "Sis, your skills have leveled up again."

Since early the next morning—New Year's Day—Da Bao and Xiao Bao would be visiting elders in another district with their mom, they had to prep their looks in advance.

Even if the tiny braids got a little frizzy overnight, they could just undo the hair ties and turn them into cute little curls.

Yan also styled her hair with a curling iron, looking picture-perfect for their trip to Jingshan later. After a night's sleep, the curls would settle even more naturally.

When the two girls finally stepped out of the room, the aromas wafting from the kitchen made their stomachs growl incessantly.

"I'm already dizzy from the smell, and we haven't even eaten yet," Xiao Bao said, rubbing her belly.

Ever since they could remember, their New Year's celebrations in the Ning University faculty housing had been like this.

They only learned later that the first year their mom brought them there was also the first time the Yan and Zhu families celebrated together. It was mainly for Aunt Tan, who was raising kids alone—the others didn’t want her to feel awkward, so they made up a reason to gather. That was how three families ended up sharing New Year’s Eve dinners for over a decade.

The world was strange yet warm. Some people bound by blood schemed and scraped for petty gains, while strangers with no shared lineage became true family over time.

Xiao Bao darted between the two open apartments across from each other, the scents from both kitchens dancing at the tip of her nose. The hallway was alive with the festive atmosphere of every household.

Dish after dish made its way to the table. Chu Shen was the last to step into the kitchen, contributing his modest effort to the grand New Year's feast.

The round table was laden with Father Zhu’s signature dishes—salted pork and bamboo shoot stew and tofu soup—Father Yan’s specialties, pan-fried hairtail fish and chicken stewed with mushrooms, and simply steamed seafood... Aunt Tan’s secret-recipe pickled cucumbers and Madam Yu’s platter of fresh veggies with dipping sauce handled the table’s need for something light. The canned yellow peaches, which Yan had smacked on the bottom before Jue Jue pried them open, were the unchanging star of the show for over ten years.

For Chu Shen, it was his first time seeing such an eclectic yet harmonious New Year's spread. His addition—a heaping plate of fried rice—pushed the feast into even quirkier territory.

Chu Shen had assumed that in a family like this, casual as they might be normally, the New Year’s dinner would at least call for a few ceremonial words.

But all Aunt Yu said was, "Every year, I think of the same four words: peace and health. Let’s eat, drink, and not overthink things. Alright, dig in!"

The adults had a little too much to drink. Chu Shen’s table was cluttered with bowls of soup, dishes, bone plates, and rice… At first, he felt a bit embarrassed, but somehow, the atmosphere got to him, and he ended up finishing everything that was served to him.

He had originally prepared himself to spend the New Year alone at home, but this year, having such a reunion dinner turned out to be a wonderful experience.

After the meal, Yan and Jue Jue first went to Chu Shen’s hotel to fetch his luggage and bring it home, then the three of them set off for Jingshan Park together.

When they arrived at the foot of Jingshan, they saw the sparse crowd trickling out of the Forbidden City, and even the streets were unusually empty. Chu Shen was taken aback.

“Damn, there’s really no one here. This is such a stark difference from last time,” he remarked.

The famous milk tea and coffee shops near Jingshan were closed for the holiday, much to Yan’s disappointment.

She had seen online that one of the milk tea shops here offered cups with the phrase “A Toast to the Forbidden City,” which would have made for a great photo.

By the time they had lunch, it was already past one in the afternoon. After eating and cleaning up, it was three o’clock by the time they made the trip back and forth from the hotel. Now, it was past four, and sunset was still a while away.

Yan and Jue Jue led Chu Shen up the hill, and there wasn’t a single person in sight.

“There’s really no one here,” Chu Shen marveled. This was the first time he had ever seen Ning City so deserted.

“It’s especially empty today. In previous years, there were still a few people around—you’d bump into someone after walking a while,” Yan said.

But the higher they climbed, the more surreal it became—not a single soul crossed their path. Even Yan and Zhu Jue were astonished.

“We’ve really lucked out this year,” Yan declared confidently.

Winter nights came early, and most families probably preferred staying in for their New Year’s Eve dinner. As her mother had put it, “What’s the point of going out during the New Year?”

At the same time, Yuan Ye stealthily set out from his hotel, arriving at the foot of Jingshan Park.

Today was the final day of his “hanged ghost” mission, and after much deliberation, Yuan Ye had decided to come take a look.

There was no helping it—the rewards for this PK mission were just too good.

Plus, having an unfinished task hanging over his head was unbearable.

Yuan Ye figured that, since it was New Year’s Eve, even locals in Ning City would be home celebrating. Waiting until nightfall when Jingshan would be empty seemed like a solid plan.

To ensure he could blend into the darkness and avoid startling any potential stragglers, Yuan Ye had scouted the park in advance to pick the perfect spot—the crooked-neck tree mentioned in the mission.

At 4:40 PM, Yuan Ye arrived at Jingshan, pleased with the complete lack of people, and immediately headed for the tree.

Sunset on New Year’s Eve was at 5:40 PM, after which the temperature would drop sharply. Yan had already prepared by sticking warming patches all over herself.

Though she didn’t know why Jingshan was completely devoid of other visitors today, she wasn’t complaining—it meant no one would be fighting her for the best photo spots!

Jingshan was small, and the trio reached the summit in just ten minutes. Yan’s backpack was fully stocked—camera, thermos, warming patches—everything was ready. All that was left was to wait for sunset.

What they didn’t know was that at 4:50 PM, signs announcing the park’s closure had been posted at both the east and west gates.

By 5:00 PM, Ding Ling arrived at the entrance of Jingshan with the rest of the group. In one hand, she carried a large bag containing two exquisite ritual bells borrowed from Yan.

Tonight, New Year’s Eve, was the true climax of the Ascension Assembly.

From sunset until sunrise, they would spend the entire night atop Jingshan—which was why prior arrangements had been made with the park authorities.

Or rather, the previous days of trials had been mere formalities. Tonight was the real “Ascension.”

Ding Ling observed the young disciples of the mystic arts—some excited, some nervous, others exuding an air of calm. She couldn’t tell whether their confidence was genuine or just bravado.

She scanned the area, but due to the unique nature of Jingshan, she couldn’t fully extend her spiritual senses to detect any newcomers.

The team leader had mentioned that a mysterious expert at the Dao-entry level would be attending this Ascension Assembly, but so far, Ding Ling had sensed no trace of them.

She murmured to herself, “A Dao-entry expert… I wonder who it could be?”