Chapter 42: Birthday Celebration

Old Sixth Gu turned on the light, and the room was instantly filled with brightness. The candle flames flickered up and down, casting a warm glow everywhere.

The number “19” was on the cake, surrounded by a circle of red cream petals, with “Happy Birthday!” elegantly written in flowing English beneath.

“Happy birthday!” she silently recited in her heart, her thoughts already drifting far away.

It had been a long time since she had celebrated a birthday.

In her previous life, Su Nianmei had encountered an earthquake the moment she was born. Her parents had died, leaving behind only a grandmother. The older generation had little concept of birthdays, referring to the celebration as “a dog on the wall.”

When she was young, on her birthdays, the elders would often make a bowl of noodles and add an egg, considering it to be the celebration of “a dog on the wall.”

At that time, the family was not very well-off, living on pension money and her grandmother’s modest skills. Su Nianmei could still vividly remember that bowl of steaming noodles drizzled with a few drops of sesame oil, glistening with oil, and topped with a few sprigs of green onions.

Inside the noodles was a hidden egg, cooked just right so that when she slurped it down, the warm, runny yolk filled her belly, making her feel cosy inside.

After finishing her noodles, her grandmother would always rub Su Nianmei’s head with her hand, her eyes staring out the window. When Su Nianmei was a child, she would curiously follow her grandmother’s gaze outside, only to see the moon hidden behind dark clouds, unable to discern whether it was round or flat. She only remembered the yellowish halo of clouds lurking in the deep blue sky, which was so vividly blue.

Gradually, the one gazing at the moon became herself. She often wondered if she had never been born that day, would her parents have lived?

As the years passed, she stopped celebrating her birthdays. She would take a small stool and sit under the big tree, staring at the moon in a daze. She finally grasped the essence of the moon, feeling its cold and desolate light chill the heart.

But now, her entire family was gathered together, and the one she loved stood right there in her heart.

Su Nianmei looked on, feeling her heart gradually warming.

Like the flickering candlelight, it danced up and down.

“Mom!” Gu Xiaobao’s voice rang out brightly, and Su Nianmei snapped back to reality.

“Thank you!” Su Nianmei’s voice was soft, standing in the center yet surrounded by a joyous atmosphere.

Gu Xiaobao chattered excitedly, “Mom! Our classmate, Little Fatty, told me that foreigners make wishes when they eat birthday cake!”

The little guy lifted his leg, trying to step over the candle to walk toward Su Nianmei. He was so small that his pant leg almost brushed against the flame.

Su Nianmei gasped in alarm.

Gu Xiaobao’s arm was swiftly pulled up by Gu Xichao.

The little bun was startled as well, one leg resting behind the candle while the other dangled in the air, wobbling unsteadily, his expression somewhat dazed.

Immediately, Gu Xiaobao withdrew his foot and squatted down, puffing out his cheeks as he blew out the candles in front of him.

His face was all puffy and round, eyes sparkling. “Mom, hurry and make a wish!”

Uncle Ji maintained a serious demeanor, dressed elegantly in a Zhongshan suit, his voice stern as he chimed in, “Xiao Mei, make a wish.”

Su Nianmei closed her eyes, bringing her hands together, silently wishing for something in her heart.

When she opened her eyes again, Gu Xichao stood right before her.

Su Nianmei felt that Gu Xichao was a little different.

As for what was different, she found it hard to articulate. His appearance remained the same, but the aura surrounding him seemed to have transformed as if he had become different.

Gu Xichao smiled at Su Nianmei. From the moment the light turned on, he had been observing her. The young girl’s eyes were filled with emotions—there was dullness, bitterness, surprise, and shyness, but the one expression that was notably absent was confusion.

He held his breath, his hands and feet feeling cold.

His heart ached, each beat feeling like a painful squeeze as if it were stuck. He thought he was going mad, allowing himself to fantasize, yet his very existence was a living example.

His little girl had returned to his side.

He found it hard to believe, yet he had to believe.

But he wanted to believe.

Gu Xiaobao shouted beside him, “Dad, Mom!”

Grandma Ji chuckled, saying, “This young couple is wonderful as if they’re soaked in a honey pot, their eyes and hearts only for each other.”

Su Nianmei was startled by this remark, and she coughed in embarrassment.

Gu Xichao didn’t react much. He walked over to stand beside Su Nianmei, just behind her, maintaining a distance of a fist’s length, allowing him to glimpse the delicate, slender back of her neck. His throat bobbed up and down slightly.

After noticing the girl’s shyness, Uncle Ji tried to ease the atmosphere, saying, “This cake was specially ordered from a Western master. If it hadn’t been for our sudden visit, we wouldn’t have known today was Xiao Mei’s birthday. The cake would have looked even more beautiful. Our birthday star today has to try its flavor.”

Gu Xiaobao chimed in, “I want to eat cake too!”

Jin Chunfen playfully pinched Gu Xiaobao’s little nose and laughed, “You little glutton!”

Gu Xiaobao retorted, “I’m not a glutton! I just want to taste it for my mom; the birthday cake must be really delicious!”

Unaware of his mixed-up words, Gu Xiaobao scratched his head, not understanding why everyone was laughing. But seeing everyone else smile made him laugh, too.

Su Nianmei blew out the candles and cut a piece of cake, placing it on a plate. She held it out to Gu Xiaobao, admiring the cute child. “Xiaobao, would you like to try this first piece of cake?”

Gu Xiaobao blinked his eyes rapidly, but his mind was racing even faster. He shook his head and said, “Our teacher taught us to be polite. If there’s food, we should let the elders eat first.”

Saying this, he tried to pass it to Grandma Ji.

Grandma Ji took the cake, pleasantly surprised, and patted Gu Xiaobao’s head, feeling very happy. Yet, her disappointment lingered; such a good child was not from their Ji family.

She glanced at Su Nianmei, who was graciously sharing the cake with everyone. She was a polite and well-mannered girl radiating a scholarly aura. The two girls looked strikingly similar, as if carved from the same mould, yet she wasn’t her cherished daughter.

The last time she celebrated her birthday, she could fool herself, but today, she wanted to see this child for some reason. However, it turned out to be Su Nianmei’s birthday. Grandma Ji knew she could no longer deceive herself.

As she thought this, Grandma Ji pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, though no tears fell.

Uncle Ji noticed the old lady’s expression and gently held her hand.

As the night grew late, the gathering began to disperse.

Su Nianmei stood at the door, watching the Ji family’s car grow smaller in the distance. A warm breeze blew her way, and she instinctively looked up at the sky.

The moon was big and round.

Happiness and joy often clouded one’s mind. Su Nianmei forgot that June 8th was her birthday, not the original owner’s birthday.

The room was quiet, and Gu Xichao was coaxing Gu Xiaobao to sleep before he returned to the room.

The door was ajar, and when Gu Xichao peeked inside, he saw Su Nianmei sitting obediently on the edge of the bed, her legs neatly together, sitting properly and demurely.

“Good girl, good girl,” he said softly.

Su Nianmei looked at Gu Xichao, her eyes a bit dazed. She walked over, wanting to support him, and caught a faint whiff of alcohol on him.

“You’ve been drinking?” Su Nianmei grasped Gu Xichao’s arm.

Gu Xichao avoided the question, sitting on the edge of the bed. In a swift motion, he pulled Su Nianmei into his embrace, his gaze unfocused as he murmured, “Wife, what’s today’s date?”

Su Nianmei looked at him, her dark eyes slightly misty. She found it amusing that he was truly drunk. He had just celebrated her birthday and had forgotten the date.

“It’s June 8th. Did you forget? You just celebrated my birthday,” she replied.

Gu Xichao raised an eyebrow, his heart clenching. He smiled gently, his voice tender as he grasped Su Nianmei’s hand. He was about to express his true feelings, the warmth of his breath brushing against Su Nianmei’s earlobe.

Yet, just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them back.

It was then that Su Nianmei confirmed Gu Xichao was genuinely intoxicated.

Gu Xichao pretended to be asleep with his eyes closed, breathing in a steady rhythm. Yet, his hand held tightly onto Su Nianmei’s.

He wanted Su Nianmei to love him.

But more than that, he wanted her to love the real and complete him.

That version of him who had once fallen into darkness and mire.

She was his only light in her past life, and he had thought that light had vanished.

He wanted to say something but feared that once the words left his mouth, it would be too late to take them back.

He squinted his eyes open just a crack, secretly watching the little girl bustling around him, cleaning and caring for him. It felt like he had returned to a time long gone.

His heart thudded loudly, and he truly felt he was losing his mind.

From the first moment he saw Su Nianmei, he had set a trap, using tenderness as bait to lure her into his embrace.

He believed that miracles could happen a second time. The moment he met Su Nianmei, his long-silent heart began to beat again, and he felt that she was the one.

Even though their identities and appearances were different, deep within their souls, a voice told him that this person was indeed her.

The little girl he had loved for ten years was back by his side. He loved her humbly but wanted to give her the best of everything.

Today, he was the one validating this suspicion. He set a trap using her birthday to confirm his guess.

When they got married, he had seen on their marriage certificate that Su Nianmei’s birthday was August 3rd, but he knew his little girl’s birthday was June 8th. He had deliberately organized a birthday celebration today.

And the result was that it was true.

The excitement of reclaiming what he thought he had lost filled his entire chest.

Yet, he felt a bit flustered and confused. Who did he really love?

The present Su Nianmei, or the one from the past?

Even he couldn’t clarify that for himself.

—o—o—o—

In June, the weather began to warm up gradually. After taking two days off, Gu Xichao was busy again, often not home all day.

However, Su Nianmei felt that Gu Xichao had recently grown somewhat distant from her. During the time she had moved out to focus on preparing for the college entrance exams, although they hadn’t seen each other, they had still exchanged letters and phone calls. Now that the exams were over and she had some free time, Gu Xichao seemed to have disappeared.

It could be due to heavy training and a busy work schedule, but Su Nianmei sensed it didn’t feel that way.

A vague worry began to rise within her.

It felt more like a woman’s intuition.

Su Nianmei’s heart grew heavy again. She spent her days lost in thought, feeling physically weak.

She often dreamed when she fell asleep; in those dreams, she would encounter her past—the time before she became the current Su Nianmei before she knew Gu Xichao.

 

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