RIIDMDR chapter 118

 

In the following days, Nan Xu was busy knitting a sweater for Tingchuan while preparing the inn for the New Year.

It was his first New Year in the demon realm, and he wanted to make it lively so that the demons at the inn could experience some of the festive spirit of the human world.

During the day, he finished frying meatballs. At night, he stayed up knitting. However, calling it “staying up” was a bit of an exaggeration—after all, those night pearls, whatever they were made of, shone brighter the darker it got, lighting up a wide area. If one didn’t consciously keep track of time, it was easy to forget how late it was.

Nan Xu’s hands moved quickly as he worked. Tingchuan leaned against him and occasionally helped by massaging his legs or shoulders. His strength was just right, leaving Nan Xu with no excuse to vent any frustration.

After receiving his sweater that night, Zhi Xing was dragged back to his room by You An for a lecture. Only then did he realize how thrilling those ten minutes had been. For several days, Zhixing walked in circles around Tingchuan, afraid he might suddenly become jealous and start a fight.

Fortunately, Tingchuan seemed comforted by the owner and was in a good mood. Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief, but he still didn’t dare to wear the sweater in front of Tingchuan.

The night before New Year’s Eve, Nan Xu finished preparing all the ingredients, laying them neatly on the counter, and then began to decorate the inn.

Zhixing and You An stayed up late, sitting by the fireplace in the main hall and listening to Yao Lin gossip. When Nan Xu carried a pile of pre-prepared decorations out of the storage room, the demons all stopped chatting and got up to help.

All the demons in the inn shared one great trait: when they didn’t understand why something had to be done, as long as Nan Xu said it, they would join in with puzzled expressions.

After over an hour of busy work, the “not understanding but doing as they’re told” crew had properly placed all of Nan Xu’s decorations.

Since the shop didn’t sell New Year’s decorations and resources were limited, Nan Xu made small trinkets to create a festive atmosphere.

These included ornaments with phrases such as “Attract wealth and treasures” and “Good fortune and all wishes come true,” artificial flowers made of red cloth that resembled lucky fruits, a red mat inscribed at the entrance with “Safe travels in and out,” and traditional lucky ornaments made of chili peppers and more. Nan Xu didn’t leave out a single thing he could think of or make.

When all was said and done, the inn looked completely renewed. Even the wooden staircase railings were wrapped in red cloth. You An looked around and felt a strong sense of festivity. Yao Lin, unable to hold back, said, “It looks just like we’re preparing for an owner’s wedding.”

Nan Xu’s face instantly turned black.

The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Nan Xu tossed the sweater he had worked overtime to finish onto Tingchuan. Tingchuan held it up, studied it for a moment, then hugged and kissed Nan Xu twice, thanking him softly. He was about to hang it in the wardrobe when Nan Xu stopped him immediately.

“You’re not going to wear it?” Nan Xu asked.

Tingchuan froze, meeting Nan Xu’s serious gaze.

“I’ll wear it,” he replied almost without hesitation.

Nan Xu then sat on the bed and watched him put it on. Since he had agreed, Tingchuan didn’t hesitate—he simply slipped into it.

Tingchuan was already one of the most handsome beings in the demon realm, and bright colors made him even more striking. Although the sweater was rushed, Nan Xu put a lot of thought into its design and pattern. It was practically tailor-made for Tingchuan.

Nan Xu had never seen Tingchuan in such a vivid color before. His eyes seemed to glow as he stared, utterly captivated. He nearly drooled before Tingchuan stepped closer, lifted his chin, and closed his open mouth manually.

Nan Xu blinked, his throat moving as he swallowed. Tingchuan couldn’t help but laugh. “You forgot to blink.”

Nan Xu blinked several times belatedly, feeling his eyes sting a bit.

“If I’d known you looked this good in red, I would’ve chosen red for your pajamas, too,” Nan Xu murmured.

Hearing this, Tingchuan rubbed his messy hair in mock scolding. Usually, Nan Xu’s hair would puff up instantly when touched too much, but today he sat obediently, blushing slightly.

That surprised Tingchuan. How could a single sweater make Nan Xu so shy? Amusing indeed.

But before Tingchuan could tease him further, the love-struck owner, overwhelmed by how handsome his boyfriend looked, hurriedly fled the bedroom to prevent the imagined scene of red pajamas from causing a nosebleed.

When he opened the main hall door, a rush of cold, fresh air hit his face and cooled his flushed cheeks. Perhaps even heaven knew today was special—the long snowstorm had ended, and the sun was shining.

The winter sunlight wasn’t warm, but Nan Xu hadn’t seen the sun in a while, and his mood soared. He did something rare—he took the serow out of the firewood shed for a walk.

The serow looked reluctant, but Nan Xu was its keeper. For the hearty breakfast he’d given it that morning, the serow reluctantly walked a few steps.

Having stayed in the sheltered woodshed for days, the serow shivered as soon as it felt the cold wind and snorted a few times.

Nan Xu led the trembling serow around the yard a few times before returning and rolling up his sleeves to start cooking lunch.

The ingredients had been prepared the day before, and with all the pots in use, the meal came together quickly. Zhixing and Yao Lin soon joined in, speeding up preparations for the New Year’s Eve feast.

Zhixing wore the sweater Nan Xu had knitted for him. Although he’d received it a week ago, he only wore it today.

Yao Lin tried to add other ingredients to the stewing pot to unleash his creativity, but Nan Xu saw him and kicked him out of the kitchen.

Close call—the New Year’s reunion feast almost turned into a poisoning incident.

Once the rice was in the pot, Yao Lin returned with the Spring Festival couplets they had written earlier. “Owner, how should we stick these?” he asked.

Nan Xu smacked his forehead—he’d nearly forgotten! Since the inn didn’t have any double-sided or transparent tape, he rummaged through boxes and found a small clay pot. He scooped in a few spoonfuls of flour, added water, and heated it on the stove while stirring constantly. Soon, he had a thick paste, which he carried out of the kitchen.

By then, Tingchuan and the others had cleaned the snow from the courtyard. You’an and Yaolin had even used the snow to make several snowmen, each adorned with rosy cheeks and red flowers. They looked quite adorable.

A large lantern hung at the gate, and the courtyard was filled with red and gold decorations. Red ribbons fluttered on the branches of the loquat tree—the New Year’s spirit filled Nan Xu’s eyes all at once, though a bit messy.

It reminded him of New Years in the human world. The difference was that none of those decorations had anything to do with him back then. But this time, everything before him was for him.

Since he wanted to celebrate the New Year, the demons were celebrating it in their own way—a festival that otherwise had nothing to do with them.

Even with all the red decorations, Tingchuan stood out most to Nan Xu. Like a teenager newly in love, Nan Xu was touched by his friends’ efforts and distracted by beauty and love. He couldn’t stop glancing at Tingchuan.

Tingchuan was hanging a lantern on the eaves; he was tall enough to reach it easily while standing on a small stool.

Hearing the commotion, the serow poked its head out. Nan Xu noticed a bow tied to its horns. It looked ridiculous, and he couldn’t help but laugh and point. “Who did this?”

You An immediately confessed, “Yao Lin.”

Nan Xu turned to Yao Lin, but before he could speak, Yao Lin blurted out, “It was You An! He tied a red cloth to the dog’s tail first!”

Nan Xu instantly scanned the courtyard for the dog. Behind a snowman, he spotted a black shape—Guan’er, lying miserably and trying to bite the ribbon tied to its tail.

Seeing Nan Xu, Guan’er lifted its head. Its eyes were full of pitiful innocence, and it wagged its tail—and the red ribbon swayed along with it.

It actually looked kind of cute.

Nan Xu quickly stopped that thought and silently chanted, “Guan’er is pitiful,” a few times before untying the ribbon. Just as Guan’er brightened up, Nan Xu swiftly re-tied the ribbon around its neck.

Guan’er: ?

Its tail drooped.
Nan Xu said quickly, “Real men wear red. Look, Tingchuan’s wearing red today.”

Guan’er tilted its head toward Tingchuan, looked down at the ribbon on its chest, thought for a few seconds, and regained its confidence. It raised its head proudly and strutted out from behind the snowman.

The red ribbon hung like a little pouch under its sturdy neck. It looked just as funny as the serow’s horn bow, and it made everyone in the courtyard burst out laughing.

Afterwards, they went back to sticking the couplets. As You An pasted them, he suddenly asked, “It’s winter, with all this snow and wind—shouldn’t we use magic to hold them in place?”

Nan Xu waved his hand. “No need. Paste will do just fine. Couplets are meant to bring luck and festive cheer. If they fall after a while, so be it.”

You An looked regretful. The courtyard gate wasn’t like the wooden doors of the house—it had no eaves to block the snow and rain. He suddenly felt that winning first place and earning the right to post his couplet there might not have been such a good thing.

They pasted one door after another until they reached the sheep pen. The little sheep seemed to have been waiting for them, and Nan Xu stared at it for a while, making it nervous. Nan Xu handed You An the couplets, asking him to put them up, and went inside to get a red ribbon. He tied it gently around the lamb’s neck.

“Everyone gets one—no favoritism!” Nan Xu said, patting its back.

When all the couplets were up, lunch was ready. They moved the small dining table aside and put the rarely used big one in its place for the reunion feast. Plates of dishes were brought out, and the exquisite tableware made its first appearance. The various delicacies on the plates made the demons’ eyes light up.

Once the dishes were set and everyone was seated, Nan Xu brought out the homemade grape wine. He had warmed it up the day before, but after sitting on the counter overnight, it had cooled again. Still, the room was warm, and after a busy morning, no one minded the chill.

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