Time passed in the blink of an eye while she waited.

On the morning of the 29th, Jiang Qiuqiu stretched lazily, put on the panda pajamas she’d bought at a clothing store, and padded around her home.

Her schedule for the day was to rest for a bit in the morning. Starting in the afternoon, she would begin preparing the more time-consuming dishes and upload the videos to her homepage.

For example, dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, soybean-stewed pig’s trotters, eight-treasure duck, and braised Gugu Beast meat could be prepared in advance. She could then save the giveaway slots and release them on the 30th. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

She had contacted Sister Mingmei last night. The virtual restaurant had already passed its inspection without any problems. As long as she entered all the dishes before the eight o’clock invitation time, the virtual restaurant could open for business as scheduled.

Everything was ready. Her company predicted that after the New Year’s Eve gala, Jiang Qiuqiu’s reputation would likely reach a new height, leaving a lasting impression on many people.

Of course, that was all still far in the future, and Jiang Qiuqiu hadn’t thought that far ahead. She wasn’t in the mood for Spiritual Training today, so she opened her terminal to check out the gossip and news instead.

The day before New Year’s Eve, the Star Network’s trending topics were filled with news about countdown galas, New Year’s balls, and year-end firework displays. Many celebrities and streamers were also posting New Year-related updates on their personal terminals.

The trending topics within various social circles also took on a festive flavor.

Much of the chatter in the gossip forums had shifted to news of family reunions, returning home, and small get-togethers with friends and classmates.

On every planet, aside from supermarkets and some shopping malls, most businesses had closed for the holidays.

People working off-world were rushing back to their home planets. There were also workaholics who, for the sake of a few more Star Coins, kept at it until the 29th. They assumed it would be easy to snag a ticket for a Teleportation Mecha, only to find that everything was fully booked.

[Damn! Are there that many of us poor folks?! Everybody’s waiting till now to buy tickets, sob... Don’t tell me I won’t make it home!]

[I really want to go home.]

[You must be new. That’s rough. Why didn’t you ask around earlier? Tickets for the 29th are super hard to get. You need to book at least half a month in advance. You’ll have to wait for the 30th or the 1st. Even the 30th will be tough, and the 1st is iffy. You might not get home until the 2nd.]

[...My vacation only lasts until the 5th, and I can’t afford the expensive Mechas either, waahhh. The trip takes a whole day each way. If I can’t get a ticket until the 2nd, there’s no point in even going.]

Jiang Qiuqiu felt a pang of sympathy for the young office drone. Fortunately, the original poster later updated: she had explained the situation to her company, and they had found her a cargo teleportation vessel that could take her home.

The entire thread was filled with a joyous atmosphere, and Jiang Qiuqiu couldn’t help but smile.

But what she didn’t expect was to see her own name in the thread.

[I really have to thank Jiang Qiuqiu.]

[Huh??? How did my favorite streamer randomly get involved?]

[The cargo Teleportation Mecha my company found for me is one that specializes in transporting Gugu Beasts. My home planet happens to be one of the major Gugu Beast breeding planets, you know? The transport crew told me it’s because this streamer made Gugu Beasts so popular. Otherwise, they’d never be dispatching a Mecha to ship them during the New Year’s holiday.]

[I might have to share a Mecha with a bunch of Gugu Beasts, but just being able to go home is good enough!]

[Yeah, yeah, getting home is all that matters.]

Even after 3,340 years, and even though human Genes themselves had been rewritten, mankind’s longing for home and love for the New Year had never changed.

Just as Qiuqiu was reminiscing about her own hometown, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, heavy snow was falling. ’Who would come at a time like this?’

She walked the few steps to the door and glanced at the security monitor. The dark screen lit up, and Mo Sirui’s sharp, imposing face appeared in view.

’Though, he doesn’t look so imposing today.’

He seemed to have been standing outside for a long time. The tip of his nose and the rims of his ears were both red.