CHAPTER 88: A Snowy Surprise and Secret Wishes

As the girls came out from their room, they saw it was snowing outside. They rushed out and saw the snow had piled up. The girls took a deep breath, and Xuanye elbowed Nian.

"Today, we should definitely play in this snow!" she said excitedly.

Nian laughed and nodded happily.

Just then, their mother came over and knocked both of them on the head.

The girls turned in unison and asked, "What happened, Ma?"

She replied, "What's the time now, huh? Is this how you used to wake up during your college days?"

Xuanye coughed and grinned. "Ma~ why are you bringing up those days?"

Nian nodded and said proudly, "Mother, now we're working women."

Her mother sighed with a smile and told them to eat. She gave a playful slap on their arms and walked off.

Nian and Xuanye groaned in pain.

Xuanye whispered, "Nian, from now on, we'll be getting these beatings from her again. I got goosebumps."

Nian laughed. "Yes, Xuanye. But we haven't been hit in years."

Xuanye added, "Yeah, instead of us, Dad must have gotten them all this time."

They laughed, but then their mother turned her head and asked, "Did you girls say something?"

Xuanye and Nian immediately fell silent and shook their heads.

Nian whispered, "Did she hear us? How could she hear from there?"

Xuanye rubbed her hands and said, "I don't know if it's the cold or our mom, but I have a bad feeling. If we stay here, she'll throw a broomstick at us. Come on, let's go!"

She dashed off while Nian tried not to burst out laughing.

---

As they sat down to eat, their father switched on the TV.

Their mother asked, "Did the boys reach their dorms safely?"

Nian nodded. "Yes, Ma. They even thanked you and Dad."

Her father's face lit up. "What else did they say, Nian?"

Xuanye chuckled. "Father, you're so happy, huh?"

He laughed. "Will they come here again?"

The girls looked at each other and sighed.

"They won't be coming here, Father. They'll be busy for the next few days," Nian explained.

Their mother nodded and said, "If you girls have time, go and visit them, okay?"

The girls dropped their chopsticks and looked at her with bright smiles. They jumped on her and hugged her tightly.

Their father smiled while their mother tried to tap them away.

Nian said, "Thanks, Mother! We'll definitely obey you," and kissed her cheek.

Xuanye added, "Ma~ I was waiting for you to say this! We'll definitely meet them!"

Her mother chuckled. "You two are really unbelievable."

They leaned back and resumed eating, their smiles brighter than ever.

---

Meanwhile, at the company…

The boys arrived for their shoot.

Manager Zhang was waiting. "Hey, listen up! Today, we're going to film New Year wishes," he said, handing them the script. "If you want to add something, you can include your ad-libs, okay?"

The boys scanned the script.

Joshua asked, "Manager, if we're adding ad-libs, then why give us this script?"

Wonwoo added, "We already have a lot of ad-libs in mind. What do we do with this?"

The members laughed, agreeing with him.

The manager looked confused. "Just go through the script and add your ad-libs where you want. We'll start shooting in 20 minutes." Then he left.

The boys sat at a table, brainstorming.

Woozi flipped through the script. "It's good, but our ad-libs will make it better."

The members nodded and began thinking.

DK suddenly said, "Boys, shall we secretly wish the girls and their family through the ad-libs? It'll be a surprise!"

The boys looked at him, stunned, then gave him a thumbs-up.

Jun asked, "But how do we say it so no one knows we're referring to them?"

DK nodded, and Boo chimed in:

"Guys, what if we say it like this:

'Happy New Year, Carats! We'll be waiting to meet you!'

Then DK says: 'Your presence made us happy and filled our hearts.'

Then Minghao adds: 'Yeah, if we have time, we'll meet you soon with new content!' and waves to the camera.

Then the rest of us say: 'We miss you and your chaos!' and we all show a heart."

Scoups and Woozi looked at him in shock.

Woozi said, "Boo, you're truly walking entertainment."

The others clapped.

Boo scratched his neck. "You guys are praising me too much~"

Everyone laughed.

Scoups asked, "Do we all agree with this, or should we add anything more?"

The boys shook their heads. "We like it!"

---

As they got ready, the shoot began.

The boys dressed in Santa Claus costumes and looked adorably festive. They went outside where the snow had freshly fallen, and the shoot was set on a snowy patch.

They excitedly played, tossing snow at one another.

The director said, "Look at them! They're really into it. This is great."

The manager watched proudly. At least they're behaving, he thought with a smile.

As the snow fell more heavily, the boys looked up in unison. They turned to the camera and said together:

"Happy New Year, Carats! We wish you success and prosperity!"

Scoups: "Carats, we're going to make this year unforgettable, like always!"

Mingyu: "Are you guys ready to join this journey with us?"

DK: "Your presence made us happy and filled our hearts."

Minghao: "Yeah, if we have time, we'll meet you soon with new content."

They all showed a heart gesture.

The manager stood there in shock. Only I know what they really meant, he thought.

"Cut!" the director yelled. "Good! That came out perfectly. Great job, boys!"

The boys laughed, and Jeonghan added, "The snow helped us with more ad-libs!"

The director nodded. "Alright, pack up!"

As the boys walked back, Scoups noticed Manager Zhang frozen in place.

"Zhang, are you cold? Why are you frozen?" he asked, laughing.

The members laughed too.

The manager blinked. "Guys, what exactly did you say in the ad?"

They responded in unison, "We added ad-libs, just like you said, Manager!"

DK grinned. "Look at us, being obedient for once — and you're still yelling at us!"

The manager sighed. "I know what you meant with those ad-libs. But why do you guys have to show your love for the girls in a public broadcast?"

The boys chuckled.

Woozi replied, "Don't worry, Manager. No one will know."

He rubbed his hands and added, "Manager, we're heading out now."

The boys gave him a mischievous smile and walked away.

The manager muttered under his breath, "One day, these boys will raise my blood pressure until I collapse…"