Mark's house.

It was almost dusk when we arrived. Pei Shi Yu thought his family would all be there, but in fact, only Mark was home.

He was sitting in the garden, leisurely enjoying the last warmth of the sun. He stood up immediately when he saw us.

As I approached carrying Xiao Lai, my daughter immediately greeted him, "Merry Christmas."

Mark was a little surprised for a moment, then enthusiastically kissed Xiao Lai's cheek and replied, "Merry Christmas, baby!"

The first thing I noticed was the Christmas decorations in the garden, which created a very festive atmosphere, so I asked with a smile, "Did you set this up for us?"

Mark immediately laughed and said, "Do you like it?"

"Not bad. Where's your wife?"

"She went to her mother's house."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I had work. Just finished."

I pointed to myself and said, "Me too."

Then Mark said to Pei Shi Yu without any hesitation, "You can help us make dinner. I've prepared the ingredients."

"I brought a pizza," Pei Shi Yu replied with a smile.

"Homemade?"

"Of course."

Mark immediately gave her a thumbs up, as he usually did.

I also held up the bottle of red wine in my hand and said, "Is this enough to drink?"

"We have a lot of red wine at home."

"Try the one Pei Shi Yu bought."

Then I deliberately said in a boastful voice, "Lafite."

"Okay."

After Pei Shi Yu went inside, we sat down together and talked a lot, discussing world affairs and the current international situation, because these were all closely related to our trade.

Watching Mark speak eloquently broadened my worldview, and I said to him with a smile, "Only globalization can benefit mankind."

Xiao Lai, who was interested in the Christmas tree Mark had decorated, immediately ran to our side after hearing our conversation and said fluently, "One world, one Earth."

Mark looked surprised when he heard this, and I immediately explained to him, "We often talk about it at home."

He kissed my daughter again, looking very pleasantly surprised. Actually, it was just a catchphrase for the child. As for what she really understood, I don't think she understood much.

Pei Shi Yu made a pretty elaborate dinner: steak, pizza, hamburgers, and salad, paired with Lafite. He even specially prepared fried chicken for Xiao Lai. I looked at the food on the table and asked, "Didn't you make fries?"

"We can't finish them," Pei Shi Yu replied.

Mark gave Pei Shi Yu a thumbs up again in his usual way of praising people. Pei Shi Yu looked at Mark and joked, "Today we're here to celebrate Christmas with you."

Mark laughed after hearing this and replied smoothly, "Just keeping each other company."

I've always liked Mark. The first impression he gives is that he's very friendly and kind. He doesn't beat around the bush when he speaks, and his business cooperation with Pei Shi Yu is based on integrity.

We didn't stay long that day. When we were leaving, I gave Mark a big hug and said, "I hope we continue to be happy and that everything goes smoothly next year."

I thought Mark would be very happy, but he just shrugged in surprise and didn't say anything.

Feeling puzzled, we left his house. On the way, I asked Pei Shi Yu, "I feel like Mark isn't very optimistic about next year's situation."

"The international situation isn't up to him. People abroad generally don't say things they're not sure about, let alone speak insincerely."

"I have the same personality, so I'm quite suited to living in the United States," I replied, deliberately exaggerating.

"Then don't go back," Pei Shi Yu said, looking at me with anticipation.

"I'll decide then."

...

I went to bed early that night, probably because I had a few too many glasses of wine. Before Pei Shi Yu and Xiao Lai went to bed, I was already fast asleep. I slept restlessly for the first half of the night, dreaming of my deceased grandfather and Lin Yang. They seemed to be trying to say something to me thoughtfully, and then they turned around and disappeared.

After being awakened, I went to the bathroom feeling a little melancholy. Before long, I fell asleep again. This time, the dream was very peaceful. I dreamed of the scene from three years ago. I was floating in the clouds again, in the same sky, the same scenery. The old man with the horsetail whisk appeared in my dream again. I saw him holding a mirror-like object, facing it downward so I could look at it with him. The images inside were all demons and monsters.

Just as I was feeling scared, the old man suddenly spoke, saying to me in an aged voice, "Don't be afraid. Let them dance for a while longer. I will soon take them away."

After he finished speaking, I looked at the old man with a surprised expression. At that moment, I saw a very dazzling light suddenly appear on the surface of the mirror. After the light disappeared, the scene returned to peace, presenting a peaceful atmosphere. Before I could speak, the old man disappeared again without a trace.

The next day, I was silent all day long. The images from the dream kept disturbing me, as if something was about to happen. Even when Xiao Lai pulled me to play, I resolutely refused.

Pei Shi Yu finally noticed my abnormality and asked, "Are you okay?"

After thinking about it, I replied in a firm tone, "I'm not going home for the New Year."

"Why?"

"There's no why. I'll talk about it after graduation. Let's go to Japan for the New Year."

"That's fine too. It'll be a good opportunity to inspect Japan."

The terrifying dream I had last night made me worry about encountering a plane crash, especially with our family of three all on the same flight. The risk and cost were too great. I didn't want to end up like Pei Shi Yu's brother, with no burial place.

Before long, Wang Rui called me and told me that an epidemic had broken out and that we shouldn't go back. In the spring of the following year, the epidemic raged around the world, and our trade was severely hit. We almost lost everything. Pei Shi Yu's mood was also very anxious. I thought there was no point in being anxious, we could only slowly endure it and see how things were after the epidemic passed.

...

Bad news came one after another that year. First, there was Lin Hai. Due to the trend of state-owned enterprises advancing and private enterprises retreating in China, the older generation of entrepreneurs was unable to continue to develop their businesses, and they directly announced their closure.

Then there was Pei Xianglong. That year was also a cold winter, and private enterprises were severely hit. The company was forced to give way. Pei Shi Yu was hit by both blows and fell ill all of a sudden. It took him a month to recover.

The most pitiful was my mother's restaurant. Due to the controls during the epidemic, almost all restaurants were wiped out. She sounded very guilty when she called me, saying that she had originally planned to leave all of this to me, but now she had lost almost all the money she had earned before.

Recently, our family has been shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. After all, it was a family business built with painstaking effort. At the same time, she was also worried about Pei Xianglong's health. Seeing her looking so depressed, I felt that I had to get out of the shadows first and said to her with an open mind, "It's okay, we'll start all over again. If we can't make a living, I'll go to a restaurant in New York or Japan and wash dishes to support you."

She had been frowning, but after hearing my words, she finally showed a long-lost smile, and then replied, half-crying and half-laughing, "It's not that bad."

I held her tightly in my warm arms. I believe that tomorrow will be better. At this moment, my eyes were a little wet. Given the current situation, besides Si Mian, I think there is no other choice.

"The End."