"Yes, yes, yes, little Flandre is super amazing!" Everyone at the table laughed and chimed in, their voices filling the backyard of the Governor's Mansion with warmth.
"Speaking of which, we should also offer a toast to little Flandre," Lady Fumizuki said, her eyes twinkling with genuine affection. "After all, if it wasn't for her arrival in spring, we probably wouldn't have known about the Reunion Movement and Talulah. Thanks to the news she brought, we learned about Talulah's situation far away in Ursus, which led to the subsequent support plan. Therefore, I suggest we all toast to little Flandre. What do you say?"
Lady Fumizuki raised her glass high. Seeing this, Ch'en, Hoshiguma, and Beatrice all followed suit. Flandre Scarlet beamed, raising her own glass of milk and drinking along with everyone. On the television, the New Year's programs they had watched during the day were being rebroadcast. Flandre immediately turned into a "spoiler queen," excitedly shouting out what the performers were about to do next. Fortunately, everyone was just watching for the festive atmosphere and didn't mind her "wicked" behavior in the slightest.
As it approached midnight, the distant rumble of fireworks began to go off across Lungmen. Fumizuki pointed toward the door and said, "We've bought quite a few fireworks ourselves. Shall we all go out and have some fun?"
The group cheered as they walked into the crisp night air of the backyard. Accompanied by the rhythmic countdown on the TV inside, every household in the city began to set off firecrackers at once. Flandre didn't just stay on the ground; she took to the sky, holding a string of firecrackers in each hand, creating a series of loud, crackling explosions that followed her like a trail of stars.
She then grew mischievous, using pop-its to conduct "high-altitude bombings" on Little Tiger and the others below. Facing Flandre's aerial provocation, Beatrice Schwire picked up her own fireworks and began a colorful anti-aircraft counterattack. Flandre laughed wildly, darting through the smoke and sparks. This prompted Ch'en Huijie and the others to join in the fray, turning the backyard into a chaotic battlefield of light and laughter.
The fireworks continued until nearly one in the morning. After landing, Flandre was completely exhausted from the excitement. She lay down in Lady Fumizuki's arms and fell fast asleep instantly. Lady Fumizuki looked at the young girl sleeping peacefully, a flash of maternal affection softening her features. "This little one is truly wild when she plays, but she's so well-behaved when she's quiet!"
Saying this, she carried Flandre inside. "I'll take her to the guest room to sleep. It just so happens I bought her an outfit that she can wear when she wakes up tomorrow." Beatrice had originally intended to say she would carry Flandre back to their home, but seeing Lady Fumizuki's doting attitude, she ultimately dropped the idea.
The next morning, Flandre woke up and saw the clothes placed carefully beside her bed. It was a very festive set of quilted red flowery jacket and pants, along with an official's hat that had the character for 'Blessing' written right in the center. Flandre recalled that she didn't have this type of clothing, so she happily put it on.
After dressing, she examined herself in the mirror. Not bad. The bright red clothes and hat matched her long golden hair perfectly. With a pair of soft cotton shoes on her feet, although she looked a bit rounder, she felt quite nice. Flandre happily opened the door and walked out.
"Little Flandre is up. Let me see... how beautiful!" Fumizuki reached out to pick her up, noticing how her skin looked even fairer and more delicate against the vibrant red. Her red eyes no longer had a fierce look; instead, they appeared somewhat dorky and cute. Coupled with the two hat wings on the official's hat that bounced with every movement, she looked even more adorable.
Meanwhile, in Gensokyo, Remilia looked at her sister's outfit on the screen, unsure whether to roast it or praise it.
"I didn't expect that Terra would also have the concept of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity," spoke Huo Qing'e(Seiga Kaku) . As someone skilled in Eastern Taoist arts, she had come to help watch the "broadcast." After Flandre arrived in Lungmen, she was one of the people who frequently came to watch the TV, aside from the sister-obsessed Remilia. Her reason was to study the Yan Empire, which felt so familiar.
"That doesn't prove anything!" Eirin Yagokoro shook her head nearby, though she remained focused on the screen. The group continued their grand endeavor of voyeurism.
Back on Terra, Flandre was carried to the breakfast table by Fumizuki.
"Aren't we going to wash hands and face?" Flandre asked, confused because Beatrice always insisted on strict hygiene before meals. Fumizuki laughed and picked up a pack of wet wipes from the table.
"What is this!" Flandre's eyes widened at the "moist paper."
"A new product from Columbia, they're called wet wipes," Lady Fumizuki said as she carefully wiped Flandre's face and hands before tossing the wipe into the bin.
Then, a servant brought breakfast—glutinous rice balls. Flandre's portion was a specially made, blood-filled rice ball. She looked at the rice ball, which almost took up the entire large bowl, and for a moment didn't know how to start.
"What's wrong?" Fumizuki asked.
"Nothing, it's just so big, I'm thinking about how to eat it!" Flandre said, her hat wings fluttering. Fumizuki demonstrated how to break it open with a spoon to let the heat escape. Flandre followed suit and took a bite. "Delicious!"
After she finished, Lady Fumizuki pulled a red envelope from her bosom. "Happy New Year!" Flandre happily accepted it. At that moment, Wei Yenwu walked down from upstairs. He saw Flandre staring at him with wide, expectant eyes.
"You little money-grubber, you already got one from Fumizuki and now you want to squeeze some out of me too?" Wei Yenwu teased.
"Then I won't give you New Year's greetings," Flandre pouted. Wei Yenwu was choked up by her logic and helplessly handed over another red envelope. "Happy New Year, Uncle Wei!" Flandre's face changed instantly to a sweet smile.
After saying goodbye, Flandre walked out and met Beatrice. The little tiger laughed so hard she doubled over at the "Fortune God" outfit. She spun Flandre around and handed over two more envelopes—one from herself and one from her grandfather, Adams.
Next, they headed to see Ch'en Huijie. "Happy New Year, Sister Ch'en! May you be prosperous!" Flandre shouted as the door opened. Ch'en, fresh from a workout, realized she had no red envelopes. She stuffed money into a plain yellow envelope.
"But this isn't a red envelope!" Flandre noted with a roast.
Beatrice smirked. "Pink Sausage Dragon, isn't this matter simple?" She whispered to Ch'en, who then took a pen and dashingly wrote the characters 'RED ENVELOPE' on the yellow paper.
"Here, your red envelope!" Ch'en said. Flandre looked at the writing, dazed. "This works too?"
"Why wouldn't it!" Beatrice said, before they explained they were heading to the supermarket. Flandre decided to visit Lee's Detective Agency next.
Inside the agency, Lee woke up with a bad feeling. Sure enough, Flandre burst in: "Uncle Lee, Happy New Year, may you be prosperous, hand over the red envelope!"
Lee painedly realized he had to pay up. But as he fished out one envelope, Waai Fu and A appeared with the same expectant gaze. "Uncle Lee, may you be prosperous, hand over the red envelope!" they chanted in unison.
With a twitching mouth, Lee retreated and brought out two more. "Here, here, here! You three little ones." The three thanked him dutifully, which calmed his pained heart a tiny bit. Hung, smiling, then proactively took out three more envelopes for them.