Chapter 20: A Heartfelt Birthday and a Lasting Friendship

Before long, Saturday finally arrived. Due to the bustling business at the shop, Lin Duo arrived a little later at Gu Xuexuan’s home.

“Happy birthday!” Lin Duo’s face was adorned with a sweet smile. “This is for you!”

“Thank you!” Gu Xuexuan happily accepted the gift box, but didn’t rush to open it. “Come in quickly, everyone’s already here!”

Lin Duo slipped on a pair of slippers and stepped into the living room. Inside, six girls of similar age, varying in height and build, were either seated on the sofa or standing and chatting.

Gu Xuexuan led Lin Duo over, enthusiastically introducing them to each other. Though Lin Duo couldn’t commit all their names to memory, she politely greeted each one.

Gu Xuexuan’s home was a two-story apartment, spacious and exquisitely decorated. Lin Duo, arranged by Gu Xuexuan, took a seat on a chair, yet found herself at a loss for conversation.

Most of the other girls present had familiar companions, chatting merrily among themselves, effectively leaving Lin Duo sidelined.

Even though three of the girls attended the same school and grade as Lin Duo, the social circles of middle schoolers are typically small, largely confined to their own classes. Consequently, Lin Duo, from Class 2, and the girls from Class 5, found themselves without much in common.

Gu Xuexuan, keenly sensing Lin Duo’s awkwardness, proactively suggested: “There are eight of us here in total. How about we play Werewolf?”

“Oh, excellent!” The others enthusiastically agreed.

Only Lin Duo’s voice struck a discordant note. “Um, what exactly is Werewolf?”

A tall girl, visibly impatient, declared: “The rules are too troublesome to explain. Let’s just have those of us who know how to play!”

Gu Xuexuan voiced her objection. “You can learn if you don’t know. Here, Duoduo, I’ll explain the rules to you now.”

Unfortunately, Lin Duo’s comprehension wasn’t quite up to par; after one explanation, she remained utterly confused.

Noticing the slight impatience in everyone’s eyes except Gu Xuexuan’s, she voluntarily stood up. “Xuanxuan, could I use your computer for a bit? I want to browse the internet.”

Gu Xuexuan had no other recourse. She smoothly led Lin Duo to her bedroom.

This surely counted as a quintessential girl’s room. Pink curtains, adorable trinkets scattered everywhere, and a rabbit-eared pillow filled the space with a sweet, girlish charm.

Especially noteworthy was a plush teddy bear, a full meter tall, perched beside the spacious bed. Lin Duo couldn’t resist picking it up and hugging it close, playfully squeezing its nose and rubbing its ears. She longed to have one just like it.

Just then, her gaze fell upon the wardrobe. ‘What truly lay inside a girl’s wardrobe?’ After ensuring the door was securely closed, she quietly opened the closet door.

Indeed, it was filled with numerous beautiful dresses; so many, in fact, that some couldn’t be hung and had to be neatly folded and laid on the bottom shelf. Lin Duo felt a pang of genuine envy. ‘When would she ever have so many lovely new clothes herself?’

****

Approximately an hour later, a knock sounded from outside the door. “Duoduo? Come out and sing with us!”

Gu Xuexuan’s living room boasted a complete home theater system, complete with microphones. Two girls were currently singing into them, facing the colossal LCD screen, and the sound quality seemed impressive.

“Hey, Duoduo, why don’t you sing the next one? What song do you want to pick?” Gu Xuexuan sat down beside Lin Duo.

Lin Duo lowered her head, a blush of embarrassment creeping onto her cheeks. “I… I’m not really good at singing…”

Another girl chimed in, trying to persuade her: “It’s fine, this isn’t a talent show! We’re just here to have fun, so it doesn’t matter how you sing!”

Lin Duo, crestfallen, continued to shake her head. In truth, it wasn’t solely due to nervousness; her life had always been rather dull, and she rarely listened to music, leaving her unable to recall any songs on the spot.

“How dull. And she’s so pretty too.” The girl muttered a few words under her breath, then ceased to pay her any mind.

Lin Duo sat there awkwardly, watching the other girls happily sing and joke around.

While Gu Xuexuan made an effort to include her, she had other guests to attend to, making it difficult to divide her attention.

‘A sudden pang of regret struck Lin Duo. Perhaps she shouldn’t have come at all?’

****

Around six in the evening, the main event began as a large cake was brought to the table.

Everyone busied themselves turning off the lights and lighting the candles.

Then, amidst a chorus of good wishes, Gu Xuexuan closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candles.

“Xuanxuan, what did you wish for?” A girl with twin pigtails asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing much, just that we all get into our ideal high schools next year!”

“Hehe, then I’ll take that as a good omen!”

The group of girls once again erupted into chattering conversation, leaving Lin Duo still feeling excluded.

However, Gu Xuexuan had been keeping an eye on her and spoke up. “Um, Duoduo, you said your goal was Nanli Affiliated High School, right? That’s a key municipal school, not easy to get into, so you really have to work hard!”

“Mm!” Lin Duo nodded emphatically, a flicker of warmth spreading through her heart.

After the cake was divided, the girls began to depart one by one. As third-year middle school students, and all girls, their parents would undoubtedly worry if they stayed out too late.

Lin Duo was about to bid farewell, but Gu Xuexuan persuaded her to stay. “Duoduo, would you mind staying to help me clean up?”

****

Ultimately, only Lin Duo and Gu Xuexuan remained in the spacious room.

The living room floor was strewn with fruit peels and snack wrappers. Lin Duo diligently tidied everything, meticulously wiping every inch of the floor.

Meanwhile, Gu Xuexuan was in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

“Um, Duoduo, thank you for today.” Gu Xuexuan’s voice drifted from the kitchen.

Lin Duo paused for a moment, then offered a wry smile. “Are you serious? I feel like I completely ruined the mood for everyone.”

“I am very serious.”

Gu Xuexuan wiped her hands, then walked over to Lin Duo, her gaze exceptionally sincere.

“We’ve known each other for over two months now, and I understand your personality better than anyone.”

“You’re the kind of girl who’s kind-hearted and caring, but not very good at expressing it.”

“I also know you don’t particularly enjoy boisterous gatherings, yet you still agreed to come to my birthday party today. That shows how much you truly care about me, and that’s why I’m thanking you.”

“Xuanxuan…” Lin Duo’s eyes welled up slightly. ‘It was truly heartwarming to have someone who understood her so deeply.’

Gu Xuexuan extended her arms and gently embraced her.

“Perhaps nothing from this party will be particularly memorable for you, but I want to tell you one thing: I want to be your friend forever, the kind of best friend who lasts a lifetime. Will you agree to that too?”

“Mm!” Lin Duo nodded vigorously, striving to keep the tears from spilling over.