Olivia Carter glanced up, then lowered her head to continue looking at her iPad, and answered, “A celebrity.”

Grace Bennett sneered at these words, casting a mocking look at David Carter.

David Carter refused to accept it. He took out a pile of accumulated tissues, all printed with Ethan Carter, and prompted, “No, no! Olivia Bennett, think carefully—why would Dad buy so many tissues!?”

Olivia Carter looked up again, this time seriously pondering for a long while, trying hard to recall the details of their shopping trip, and answered honestly, “Because there was a discount that day, and Dad wanted to get a bargain.”

“……” David Carter stared at his completely out-of-sync daughter, as if he could hear the footsteps of death approaching.

Grace Bennett suppressed her anger, trying to stay calm as she said, “Olivia Bennett, go back to your room and play for now.”

Olivia Carter didn’t say another word, hugging her iPad as she left. She had just returned to her room when furious voices erupted in the living room.

“David Carter—Olivia Bennett is so smart. If you’d even mentioned it once, would she have forgotten? What kind of father are you!?”

Inside her room, Olivia Carter calmly continued watching cartoons, quietly sighing to herself, “Dad is so dumb, messed up again…”

She didn’t know why her dad was being scolded by her mom, but figured it was just some other little mistake—like using the cutting board for raw meat, or accidentally throwing Mom’s lesson plans in the trash, and so on.

Grace Bennett unleashed a storm of criticism on her husband, while inwardly cursing herself for being careless, actually fooled by his good behavior in recent years. With a headache, she rubbed her forehead and casually asked, “Does Ethan Bennett know about Olivia Bennett?”

David Carter instantly held his breath, not knowing how to answer, feeling like the next round of doom was about to begin. Suddenly, David Carter’s phone rang on the coffee table, and a message popped up on the lit screen, breaking the deadlock just in time.

David Carter hurriedly picked up his phone, eager to escape the scene, only to find it was a message from his eldest son. Ethan Carter’s message was brief and to the point, not even an emoji—just one sentence.

YI: I haven’t had any work since the Spring Festival Gala this year.

The men of the Chu family never spoke plainly; their messages were always cryptic, full of hidden meaning, like underground agents speaking in code, or lovers in a flirtatious phase—every word needed interpretation, every sentence was shrouded in mystery.

If someone else saw this message, they’d think Ethan Carter was texting his agent. David Carter looked at the out-of-the-blue sentence, but accurately deciphered its meaning and reported to his wife, “Ethan Bennett will probably be able to come home for the Spring Festival this year!”

Grace Bennett was stunned, then her face lit up with joy. “Really? When will he arrive?”

David Carter: “Not until after the Spring Festival Gala, at least!”

Grace Bennett: “That’s perfect. At least the two of them can meet this year. Ethan Bennett was just too busy the past couple of years…”

Seeing his wife’s attention shift, David Carter quickly lowered his head and played it humble, finally muddling through the situation.

Meanwhile, after sending the message to his father, Ethan Carter put his phone aside, but couldn’t help glancing at it. He tried to look calm, but was inexplicably anxious, unsure what David Carter would reply. He didn’t want to seem too eager to come home, so he sent this “no work” hint, but also worried his father wouldn’t give him an out.

The way father and son interacted was always awkward, as if something was always off. Ethan Carter didn’t know why—he’d grown up under his father’s strong authority, but now that David Carter’s personality had softened, he found it even harder to communicate with his gentler father.

Ethan Carter waited a long time for a reply, muttering to himself, “Why is the old man so slow at texting back?”

His agent, Brian Clark, urged, “They need to go through the process over there. Let’s head over now.”

Ethan Carter still hadn’t received a reply from his father, so he simply shoved his phone into Brian Clark’s hand, saying, “Here, you hold it for me.”

Ethan Carter still had to wait backstage to perform, and didn’t want to spend the whole time anxiously checking for a reply. It was better to wait until after the Spring Festival Gala. Because of his avoidance, he didn’t see his father’s message right away.

At home, Olivia Carter was forced to sit in front of the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala, and her beloved iPad was confiscated. She was full of complaints, muttering, “I don’t want to watch this…”

David Carter saw the little girl trying to get up and run, and quickly pressed her shoulder, coaxing, “Olivia Bennett, it’s New Year’s Eve—everyone should watch the Spring Festival Gala together!”

This year was Ethan Carter’s first time performing on the Spring Festival Gala stage, and David Carter wanted to take the opportunity to formally introduce the older brother to Olivia Carter.

Olivia Carter wanted to ask her mom for help, but Grace Bennett was also siding with him: “Olivia Bennett, you’ve been glued to your iPad all day and I haven’t said a word. Now sit a bit farther back and watch TV.”

Great-uncle chimed in with a regional accent, “Right, right, it’s not the Year of the Pig this year, don’t keep watching pigs!”

Great-uncle wasn’t very educated; he didn’t know what “Peppa Pig” was about, only that Olivia Carter loved watching pigs.

David Carter: “This is the highest-rated show tonight!”

Olivia Carter was sullen, bluntly pointing out, “Because there’s nothing else on today, right?”

Olivia Carter pouted so much you could hang an oil bottle from her lips, sitting soullessly on the sofa, staring blankly at the TV, completely unable to understand the bright red and yellow images on the screen.