Penelope.
Happy New Year from Brazil.
Elena paused only briefly before replying with a polite greeting. The message was set aside like a postcard from a distant traveler.
Soon after, her phone rang again.
Yang Xia.
"Oh my god, Xiulan!" Yang Xia exploded the moment Elena answered. "The elders are unbearable! They've been criticizing you nonstop! Saying you're unfilial for not attending! And they're targeting Big Brother Fu too!"
Elena leaned back comfortably.
"Are they now?"
"They shut up when Uncle Tengfei walks by, but the moment he leaves, it's like a pack of hyenas!" Yang Xia huffed. "If I didn't want to stay with my aunt, I would've left! I'd rather celebrate with you than with that circus!"
Elena smiled faintly.
Firecrackers burst outside again, bright and loud.
Inside the mansion, laughter rose.
Elsewhere, in banquet halls heavy with tradition and tension, words sharper than sparklers cut through silk-clad air.
