Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 471 - 312: Xu Ruyan’s Cunning Move

As the Chinese New Year drew near, companies began to wrap up their projects. Those preparing to go home had booked their tickets early, and when the company issued the holiday schedule, it sparked a peak in ticket booking.

Over at Dragon Lake Splendid Community, Xu Qingqiu unusually didn’t go to the studio today. She had just completed the second major rehearsal yesterday, and the show had virtually no issues. Today was a day off, but tomorrow she would attend the third major rehearsal. This time, the video produced with the TV station’s help would be out, so she paused practice to stay fresh and give her best performance tomorrow.

After settling things at the company, Chu Tian also took some time off today. One reason was to discuss the company’s annual meeting with Xu Qingqiu, and the other was to inquire about her plans for the New Year.

"When does Yiyi plan to go home? Have you discussed it with her family?"

In the past, Yiyi would have already gone home for the New Year by now, especially since Xu Qingqiu rarely worked at the end of the year, so there was no need to keep her around. But because of her participation in the Spring Festival Gala this year, she definitely couldn’t go back.

"We’ve talked about it, but she can only go back on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year," Xu Qingqiu said.

"The fifth day? Why?"

The Spring Festival Gala is on New Year’s Eve night, and by the first day of the Lunar New Year, there’s usually nothing much left to do. Normally, people who take time off on New Year’s Eve go home on the first or second day. But what’s up with the fifth day?

Seeing the confusion on Chu Tian’s face, Xu Qingqiu hastily explained to prevent him from saying something wrong, "Yiyi’s hometown is a bit remote; the buses don’t operate during the New Year and only start running on the fifth day."

"Oh, that can be quite inconvenient. Didn’t you give her a few more days off?"

"What do you think? Am I that insensitive?"

It wasn’t until Xu Qingqiu rolled her eyes at him that Chu Tian realized he had asked another dumb question. It was mainly because he had always lived in cities from a young age. Except for traveling and work, he had hardly visited the countryside. Although his so-called hometown city was just a small county town, no matter how small, it was still a city. For someone like him who had never lived in rural areas, certain details would definitely be unclear. For instance, with things like buses, who but a local would know their schedule, when they didn’t operate, or how many days off they took during the New Year? Even locals, if they hadn’t taken the bus for a long time, probably wouldn’t be sure themselves. Of course, he had indeed asked a rather foolish question. He knew Yiyi couldn’t go home for a while, and Xu Qingqiu was so close to her; naturally, Xu Qingqiu would have been flexible with her leave.

Chu Tian awkwardly smiled and quickly changed the subject. "What about us? When are we going back?"

Upon hearing his question, Xu Qingqiu, who was just wiping the table after pouring water, froze completely. Her heart filled with endless joy on one hand and a sense of relief on the other, as if a burden had been lifted. She had always worried about taking Chu Tian home for the New Year. Would he feel awkward? Would he be embarrassed or become melancholic from being alone in a new place during the festivities? For this reason, she had been agonizing over whether to discuss the New Year plans with Chu Tian. If she didn’t mention it, with the New Year approaching, it would soon be too late to prepare. But if she brought it up without understanding Chu Tian’s thoughts, she feared she might hurt his pride. She never imagined that while she was still so unsure, Chu Tian would casually use the words "we" and "go back." Especially seeing Chu Tian’s relaxed yet puzzled expression, Xu Qingqiu’s heart lit up like fireworks, incredibly resplendent.

"What did you just say?"

"Hm? What did I say? I was asking when we’re going home. Don’t you plan to go back?" Chu Tian replied, looking genuinely confused.

"Go back, of course, we’re going back! I was just worried that you might feel uncomfortable. I didn’t expect... What were your thoughts?"

"Huh?"

Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s hopeful yet anxious eyes, Chu Tian belatedly realized what she had been worried about.

"Heh," he chuckled, then sighed. "You’re overthinking it. We’re already like this; what else could I possibly be thinking?"

As Chu Tian gazed at her passionately, Xu Qingqiu’s cheeks turned red. She sneakily glanced at Yiyi, who was checking her phone nearby, and then shot Chu Tian a sharp look.

"Tsk, what are *you* thinking about?"

"I’m not thinking anything. What do *you* think I’m thinking?"

With her hand caught by Chu Tian’s, Xu Qingqiu suddenly felt her strength leave her, and she sat down next to him as if compelled by some mysterious force. She felt somewhat embarrassed, yet she truly cherished this atmosphere.

Gently wrapping an arm around Xu Qingqiu’s waist, Chu Tian was, of course, aware that Yiyi was nearby, so he didn’t make any further moves.

"We can’t go back on New Year’s Eve, but we should still go home for the New Year. Do you want to leave on the first day or wait until the second?"

"What do you think?"

"I don’t know the specifics of your family’s situation back home. How about we go back on the first day? We have nothing else to do here anyway, and you can get home earlier to spend a few more days with them."

Chu Tian himself had no home to return to anymore; he couldn’t see his parents from his previous life. But Xu Qingqiu’s parents and family were still there. Only those who have experienced loss can truly understand what it means to cherish. He couldn’t change his own circumstances, but deep down, he still wanted Xu Qingqiu to spend more time with her family. After all, she was busy working all year round; not going home for the New Year would be too unreasonable.

"Okay, let’s go back on the first day then."

"That’s settled then. We’ll buy a lot of gifts when the time comes. What do your parents like?"