Yang Qi, his grandmother, Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard all sat together.
His grandmother kept placing food on Yang Qi's plate, a kind and satisfied smile on her face as she looked at her grandson and his furry kids.
The dogs lay obediently by the table, each with its own bowl filled with a hearty dinner of meat and bones.
Xiaojiu, meanwhile, was perched elegantly on the empty chair next to Yang Qi, nibbling at the fish that had been prepared especially for it.
However, Yang Qi couldn't enjoy his New Year's Eve dinner in peace.
His phone had been ringing non-stop since evening, a constant chorus of text alerts and incoming calls.
There were calls from his peers, like Lu Gangsheng and Yu Xiulian.
Also from police officers like Xiao Jun, Sun Zhenghong, and Li Hongqi.
In addition, there were friends he'd made in Donghua, such as Yang Pan and Chen Hao.
