“Catrina was also engaged to another man in a fit of anger.”


  “Until the day she gave birth to me, my mother didn’t know about Catrina’s existence.”


  “After that, when I was five, right? Catrina broke off her engagement with her fiancé because his fiancé had violent tendencies. My father and my mother had always treated each other with respect after their marriage, and their lives had been flat. They attended all kinds of social events like every royal couple. Gradually, the hearts of my father started to flutter.”


  “His former first love and her fiancé broke off their engagement, and my father just happened to be tired of married life. They met at a few banquets coincidentally, and the old lovers met. They threw flirtatious glances at one another, and reminisced the beauty of the past. It was very easy for the old love to rekindle.”


  “They got back together. They dated secretly for three years before my mother found out about this. After knowing about this, my mother could not take the humiliation and wanted a divorce. However, my grandfather and the R Nation’s royal family did not allow them to break off their marriage. You know, the divorce of the prince and the princess consort will cause social shock.”


  “They were no longer in love, but they had to live together. My father became more and more blatant. He even brought Catrina to the royal family’s private banquet. Gradually, my mother became depressed. All kinds of reasons made her lose weight. She suffered from depression.”


  At this point, Suzanne’s expression turned cold.

  Wei Xin’s heart sank.

  The distant sunset had already set.

  Wei Xin looked at the slightly red clouds in the west and asked Suzanne, “As far as I know, the princess died of cancer, right?”


  “Ha…”


  Suzanne snorted in her arms and a mocking smile appeared on her face. She said, “No, she killed herself.”


  Wei Xin’s eyes darkened.

  Suzanne’s voice had not stopped. She said, “She was lying on the bed in their bedroom. She cut her wrist artery and the blood ran dry. She died of pain.” Suzanne leaned her head on Wei Xin’s shoulder. She said, “And I was the first person to see her body.”


  That night, Suzanne really couldn’t sleep and was flustered. In the middle of the night, the butler was asleep, and the nine-year-old Suzanne quietly came to her mother’s room. She pushed the door open hard and stood in the dark room, calling for her mother a few times.

  Her mother did not answer her.

  Suzanne turned on the light and saw the dark red bedsheets and her pale mother. She couldn’t help but scream in shock. When they found Suzanne’s father, he was still in Catrina’s bed. The two of them were hugging each other and doing something that only a couple could do. The next day, the entire Country R knew about the death of the princess consort. Wei Xin trembled when she heard this. “Your father is too inhumane!”


  Suzanne didn’t reply.

  She only sighed. “So men…”


  “I don’t know if it’s true for all men. At least the friends I have around me are loyal people to their relationships. But my father really ruined the image of men in my heart.” So Suzanne hadn’t been in love in twenty-six years.

  Until she met Wei Xin, this pest.

  Hearing this, Wei Xin raised her eyebrows and said, “In the future, at my fashion press conference, your sister can forget about stepping in.”


  Suzanne was speechless.

  “Speaking of which, you’re my sister’s favorite fashion designer.”


  Hearing this, Wei Xin did not hesitate and answered smoothly, “Then what I hate the most is seeing Margery wearing the clothes I designed.” She rubbed Suzanne’s face and said, “You’re my favorite.”


  Suzanne opened her eyes and glanced at her, sending her one word. “You’re flirtatious enough.”


  The two of them spent their honeymoon shamelessly, and the group of people far away in Binjiang City were also very lively.

  At the end of the twelfth lunar month, other than New Year’s Eve, there was also a small New Year. The small New Year’s Day in the north and south was different. The south had their New Year’s day on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and the north had in on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. The customs of the two places were also different. The New Year in Binjiang City was on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.

  Originally, Fang Yusheng had planned to let Wei Shuyi come to his house as a guest and wrap dumplings while he was at it. In the end, he and Beauty Wu were still recuperating at Zhuang Long’s house in America and would only be back on New Year’s Eve. Helpless, Fang Yusheng could only make dumplings with Qiao Jiusheng.

  Qiao Jiusheng knew how to make dumplings, but the taste of the dumplings she made was unsatisfactory.

  Aunt Jin’s grandson was already four years old. She had to go back to her hometown after the new year. She had her own family too, and it was impossible for her to stay at Fang Yusheng’s house forever. Early in the morning, Fang Yusheng called Qi Bufan. After knowing that he did not need to go to the base today, he asked him to come over for the holidays at home and bring some vegetables over from the market.

  Qi Bufan had reason to suspect that Fang Yusheng did not ask him to eat, but to help him buy groceries.

  When Qi Bufan arrived, Fang Yusheng had just finished kneading the dough. Auntie Jin was chopping the meat while Qiao Jiusheng was rolling out the noodles. Qi Bufan looked at the noodles under Qiao Jiusheng’s hand with an indescribable expression. “Madam, it’s better if I do it.”


  Qiao Jiusheng quickly threw down the rolling pin and moved a stool over. She sat at the side and wrapped the dumplings.

  Yan Nuo and Ji Yinbing went for a jog in the morning. They returned to the house covered in sweat. Seeing that the kitchen was busy, Ji Yinbing walked over to take a look. She was a little surprised. “Dumplings?”


  “Yeah.”


  No one in India ate this. When Ji Yinbing lived in America, she would occasionally go to a Chinese restaurant to eat. She had eaten dumplings a few times, but Yan Nuo had never eaten any. He was filled with curiosity about dumplings.

  “I’ll help you.” Yan Nuo felt that making dumplings was a simple task, so he walked towards Qiao Jiusheng.

  Yan Nuo washed his hands and Ji Yinbing brought him a small stool.

  Yan Nuo sat down. His legs were too long, so he felt uncomfortable.

  “Forget it. I’ll just squat.”


  When Yan Nuo arrived, the originally spacious kitchen instantly became crowded.

  Qiao Jiusheng said, “Let’s just go to the courtyard to wrap it. There are too many people, and we can’t even stand in the kitchen.”


  Hence, they moved the pots and pans into the courtyard. Yan Nuo imitated Qiao Jiusheng’s actions and wrapped a dumpling. He stared at the dumplings he made and revealed an awkward expression. Ji Yinbing really could not stand it anymore, so she said, “Yan Nuo, you better not cause trouble.”


  Yan Nuo was a little hurt.

  He said to Ji Yinbing, “Why don’t you try it?”


  Ji Yinbing waved her hand and rejected him. “I don’t have as much courage as you.”


  Only then did Yan Nuo stand up and let go of the pitiful skin and meat fillings. Ji Yinbing asked Fang Yusheng, “What festival is the new year?” She had never heard of it.

  Fang Yusheng said, “Furnace Festival.”


  “What?”


  Fang Yusheng and Ji Yinbing explained the origins of the furnace festival. Ji Yinbing had always known many myths in China, but she had never understood them, so she listened with interest. Early in the morning, when it was almost nine o’clock, Fang Yusheng and the rest finally made a big pot of dumplings.