Chapter 18: May Every Birthday Wish Come True

Xu Sui’an blinked.

She suddenly remembered something.

In the novel…

It had been written that after Shi Yubai got together with Ruan Qingqing, he never made birthday wishes again.

How had it been worded?

Something like…

“Everything Shi Yubai wished for had already come true, so he no longer made birthday wishes.”

Xu Sui’an’s heart turned sour, bitter, and painfully tight.

Back then…

There must still have been regret hidden in Shi Yubai’s heart, wasn’t there?

To hell with that original plot.

I’m not following even a tiny bit of it.

“Ah Yu…”

“From now on, I’ll be with you on every birthday.”

“And every one of your birthday wishes will come true.”

Shi Yubai smiled warmly.

“A promise from my Suisui…”

“…is worth more than ten thousand pieces of gold.”

He lightly scratched her palm with his fingertip.

The sunset was breathtaking.

The number of people on Mount Nan visibly dwindled.

Those who remained were all planning to watch tomorrow’s sunrise.

Most of them were young couples.

Shi Yubai finished pitching the tent.

The blue tent, decorated with tiny stars, looked almost dreamlike beneath the golden sunset.

Shen Meng walked over to Xu Sui’an, her face full of excitement.

“Suisui!”

“I’m so happy today!”

“He ate the green mint candy I gave him!”

Xu Sui’an smiled knowingly.

“Mengmeng…”

“Did you add Brother Nanzhou as a friend yet?”

She lowered her voice.

The girl was overjoyed over nothing more than a tiny piece of candy.

“N-Not yet…”

“I’m afraid he’ll think I’m annoying.”

Shen Meng lowered her eyes nervously.

What if he refuses?

Wouldn’t that mean I won’t even have another chance to get closer to him?

She secretly glanced at He Nanzhou again.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, his profile was unbelievably handsome.

Unable to resist, she quietly snapped a photo of him.

Her heart pounded like a frightened little rabbit.

She was terrified he’d notice.

Watching the entire sequence, Xu Sui’an couldn’t help sighing.

“Mengmeng.”

“I think you should be a little bolder.”

“If you like someone, tell him.”

“Brother Nanzhou is single right now.”

“If you confess, you have a chance.”

“But if you only love him in secret…”

“How could he ever know?”

“How could he possibly know that, somewhere out there…”

“…you’ve secretly loved him for seven years?”

“Don’t wait until your male idol already has a girlfriend.”

“By then…”

“You won’t even have the chance to confess.”

“How many seven-year periods does a person have?”

“Don’t let today’s cowardice become tomorrow’s lifelong regret.”

Just then, Leng Ningxue quietly appeared beside Shen Meng and whispered into her ear.

“Mengmeng…”

“You know how popular Senior He is.”

“And in another year, he’ll graduate.”

“He’s already started working at the He Group.”

“By next year, he’ll probably spend most of his time at the company instead of school.”

“You don’t have much time left.”

“Don’t you want to give your seven-year crush…”

“…a proper ending?”

“And who knows?”

“Maybe He Nanzhou likes you too.”

Shen Meng looked conflicted.

Her long eyelashes concealed the anxiety in her eyes.

“Why would he ever like someone like me?”

“He’s so outstanding…”

“And I’m just… ordinary.”

Her heart ached.

How could she not want to bring seven years of secret love to a beautiful conclusion?

But if she really confessed…

She might lose even the chance to admire him from afar.

People with secret crushes were always like this.

Wanting to get closer…

Yet too afraid to take that final step.

Afraid of seeing annoyance in his eyes.

Even more afraid of hearing his rejection.

As though…

As long as she never confessed…

She could keep quietly loving him forever.

Xu Sui’an rolled her eyes dramatically before pinching Shen Meng’s fair cheeks.

“Shen Meng.”

“Do you have some misunderstanding about your own face?”

“You just never wear makeup.”

“And you’re always hiding behind those awful black-rimmed glasses.”

“Look into my eyes.”

“In my eyes…”

“You’re an absolute beauty.”

“When you smile…”

“You’re as warm as sunshine.”

“Who wouldn’t like someone like that?”

Leng Ningxue nodded vigorously and pinched Shen Meng’s other cheek.

“Exactly!”

“You completely amazed us today.”

“From now on, stay this beautiful every day.”

“Throw away those black glasses.”

“Looking this adorable…”

“I guarantee you’ll receive so many love letters on Monday that your hands will ache from holding them.”

While rubbing her cheeks, Shen Meng mumbled softly,

“I don’t want anyone else’s love letters…”

Xu Sui’an and Leng Ningxue simultaneously leaned toward her ears and teased in unison,

“We know.”

“You only want a love letter from He Nanzhou.”

Shen Meng’s ears instantly turned the color of the evening sky.

Her heartbeat sped up.

An image suddenly formed in her mind.

He Nanzhou…

Holding a bouquet of red roses.

A pink love letter tucked among the flowers.

Walking toward her through falling snow…

The image was so beautiful that her cheeks flushed crimson.

Xu Sui’an waved a hand in front of her face.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Are you feeling hot?”

Shen Meng snapped back to reality, her eyes darting around.

“I-I…”

“It’s a little hot.”

Oh no!

What was I just imagining?

That beautiful scene lingered in her mind…

Before she carefully tucked it away in the deepest corner of her heart.

Leng Ningxue smiled mischievously.

“Really?”

“Then why am I not hot at all?”

“Um…”

“I-I’m going to get my backpack.”

Like a startled rabbit, Shen Meng fled.

Xu Sui’an tapped the bridge of her nose thoughtfully.

“Xue’er…”

“Do you think Mengmeng was imagining… something she probably shouldn’t have?”

Leng Ningxue’s eyes sparkled with gossip.

“Suisui.”

“We really are on the same wavelength.”

“I’d bet anything she was imagining her male idol.”

Shi Yubai’s phone suddenly rang.

On the screen flashed two words:

Her Majesty.

(“The Empress Dowager”—his nickname for his mother.)

“Xiaobai!”

“You’re already dating now.”

“So when are you bringing my Suisui home?”

“Do you have any idea how much I miss her?”

Shi Yubai smiled helplessly.

“Mom.”

“Suisui is my girlfriend.”

“We only just started dating.”

“In a few days, I’ll bring her home to visit you.”

His eyes filled with resignation.

Mom’s trying to steal my Suisui again.

“I want to see Suisui within a month.”

“If you dare lie to me…”

“I’ll let you experience what a mixed doubles beating feels like.”

Mother Shi’s energetic threat echoed through the phone.

“Message received.”

“I’ll remember Mom’s threat.”

After hanging up, Shi Yubai discovered that his game character had already died while he’d been talking.

He tapped the screen and exited the game.

“Brother Shi!”

“Let’s play a game together.”

“The more people, the more fun.”

Ruan Qingyang walked over with a smile.

“Sure.”

As the saying went, you don’t slap a smiling face.

Shi Yubai didn’t refuse.

“What should we play?”

Zhuang Yan grinned.

“Truth or Dare!”

Ruan Qingyang held up an empty beer bottle and looked around at everyone.

“What do you think?”

“Sounds good!”

No one objected.

Everyone gathered into a circle.

Ruan Qingqing had just been about to sit beside Shi Yubai—

Only for He Nanzhou to calmly take that seat first.

Shen Meng quietly sat beside He Nanzhou.

Her heart immediately began making its presence known again.

Zhao Yuejiao sat down next to Zhuang Yan.

Before she could even speak—

Zhuang Yan exchanged a glance with Leng Ningxue.

The two wordlessly switched seats.

Zhao Yuejiao remained silent.

Her lowered eyelashes hid the emotions in her eyes.

The scene felt painfully familiar.

There had once been someone else…

Someone who had always done the same thing.

Someone whose entire world had revolved around her.

But that person…

Had long since walked away.

I clearly forgot about him already…

Then why…

Why does my heart still hurt?

Ruan Qingyang spun the beer bottle in the center of the circle.

“Let’s begin!”

The bottle spun rapidly.

Everyone watched eagerly, wondering who would become the first unlucky—or lucky—person to be chosen.

The bottle gradually slowed…

Until, at last—

It stopped, pointing directly at Xu Sui’an.