Chapter 11.1 Adapting to His Shoulder

Shi Miao sat beside Min Ting, and since her designated seat was taken, Fu Yanzhou had no choice but to reluctantly sit across from Min Ting.

“Uh-oh, the birthday candles at home are used up, I forgot to buy more,” Min Xi said, focusing on making the cake, completely forgetting about the candles.

Shi Miao was about to say it didn’t matter since she had already made a wish at noon, but at that moment, Min Ting said, “There’s some.”

The candles and gifts were placed together in the living room, and the butler brought them over.

Two number candles, “2” and “8,” were placed on the cake by Min Ting. He casually grabbed a lighter nearby, and with a “ding,” followed by the distinctive sound of the wheel, the flame ignited.

Shi Miao’s attention was drawn to the crisp, melodious “ding” sound, and she looked at the lighter in the man’s hand. It was a diamond black and rose gold combination. She wasn’t familiar with lighters and couldn’t recognize the brand.

Once the candles were lit, Min Xi asked her to wait a moment before making a wish. She took her phone, asking the butler to turn off all the lights in the dining room. For her, the sense of ritual was as important as eating and sleeping. How could she make a wish and blow out the candles with the lights on?

“Brother, move closer to Sister-in-law, otherwise, I can’t take the picture.”

Min Ting looked up: “You should rotate your phone.”

It wasn’t just rotating the phone that would solve the problem; there was a distance between the two of them.

Min Xi didn’t want to explain further and decisively ordered, “You sit closer, I don’t like horizontal screens.”

As the most pampered sibling in the family, Min Ting had obviously gotten used to fulfilling any request from his sister, whether reasonable or not.

Min Ting stood up and shifted his chair half a step toward Shi Miao.

Min Xi tried several angles and then decided: “Brother, you should move back. If I capture you too clearly, it will ruin the atmosphere of Sister-in-law’s wish.”

“…”

“Just be the background,” Min Xi started directing her brother, asking him to move to a dimmer spot beside them, “But you should rest your left hand on the cake. Make it look natural; I’ll capture your ring.”

Min Ting didn’t want to keep shifting around. He leaned back into his chair, trying to stay as far away from the table as possible.

“Brother, this still shows too much of you!” She took out her trump card, “I’m in a special period now. You better let me have my way.”

“Am I not already letting you?” Min Ting replied.

Min Ting stood up again, placed his chair back into position, sat down, and naturally placed his left hand on the table, fiddling with the lighter from earlier.

Shi Miao clasped her hands under her chin, staying silent, but curiously watching Min Ting move around, completely following his sister’s orders. Tonight, she finally witnessed his patient and devoted side as a doting brother.

The piano music began to play, and Min Xi smiled at Shi Miao: “Sister-in-law, you can make your wish now.”

Shi Miao’s wish was simple: “I hope I can sleep well.”

Min Ting: “…”

Min Xi laughed and said, “I hope that wish comes true tonight.”

The candles were blown out, and the butler turned the lights back on.

Min Ting removed the candles, and the housekeeper, holding a tray and knife, was ready to cut the cake. He extended his hand, “Let me do it.”

While her brother was cutting the cake, Min Xi added Shi Miao on WeChat and sent the photos she just took. “No filters, straight from the camera.”

Shi Miao opened the photos one by one. In the pictures, she slightly lowered her head, her eyes downcast. The candlelight was just right, and behind her, the rose cake gave a rare sense of relaxation. Min Ting’s deep features were hidden in the dim lighting, only someone very familiar with him would recognize him, while his left hand, clearly in the frame with his wedding ring, complemented the atmosphere perfectly.

Min Ting served the first slice of cake to Shi Miao, then cut another piece, scraping off the cream and handing it to his sister.

“Thank you.” Min Xi took the piece with both hands. Since she was pregnant, she no longer liked cream, and had mentioned it once without expecting her brother to remember.

The silent Fu Yanzhou finally spoke, as if casually chatting, asking Shi Miao, “You have another brother, don’t you?”

Shi Miao nodded while eating the cake. “Yes, he’s in the neurosurgery department at our hospital.”

“Did your brother get mad when you had a flash marriage?”

“A little,” Shi Miao replied truthfully.

Fu Yanzhou continued, “With your conditions, you shouldn’t settle. If I were your brother, I’d be mad too.”

Shi Miao: “…”

He really doesn’t treat her like an outsider.

Under the table, Min Xi kicked Fu Yanzhou’s leg and gave him a look, signaling him not to tease Min Ting.

Min Ting glanced up, then slowly spoke to Fu Yanzhou: “Now you know why I opposed Min Xi dating you back then. It’s because I didn’t want her to settle.”

Fu Yanzhou: “…”

The boomerang quickly came back at him.

Min Xi said to Shi Miao, “Don’t mind them, let’s eat.”

She raised her juice cup in a mock toast, “Happy birthday, may you always wake up naturally.”

That was such an extravagant wish.

Shi Miao smiled lightly, “Thank you.”

She had to return to the hospital to continue her shift and couldn’t drink, so the glass contained juice. She took a sip and was about to put it down when Min Ting gently tapped his wine glass against hers. His left hand held the wine glass, slightly lower than hers, and they made a brief, crisp clink. It wasn’t as melodious as the sound of the lighter, though.

He only clinked glasses, not saying any words.

Shi Miao replied, “Thank you.”

The meal was finished with only her and Min Xi’s voices filling the air, while the two men mostly stayed silent.

After the meal, Min Xi accompanied Shi Miao to the living room to chat.

The housekeeper brought in a fruit platter, featuring kiwi and figs cut in creative ways, paired with mulberries and blueberries, garnished with fragrant wood and pansies. The presentation was as thoughtful as the birthday cake Min Xi had made, fresh yet lively.

Min Xi’s fruit was a large glass bowl of grapes, which the housekeeper said were the most sour grapes available at the market.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Min Xi said.

She peeled a grape and tasted it. It was sour with just a hint of sweetness, which suited her perfectly.

She passed the bowl of grapes to Shi Miao, “Sister-in-law, do you want to try one? They’re really sour.”

Shi Miao waved her hand, eating a piece of kiwi instead, and watching Min Xi eat the sour grapes without changing her expression. “Do you like sour food?”

“I didn’t used to,” Min Xi said. “But my tastes have completely changed now that I’m pregnant. I’m almost three months in, can’t tell, right?”

“If you didn’t say anything, I wouldn’t have noticed.” Shi Miao congratulated her first, then said, “You shouldn’t have made the cake, standing for so long is tiring.”

“It’s fine, I don’t feel tired when I’m happy.”

As they got more comfortable with each other, their conversation became more casual.

“As for my brother,” Min Xi objectively evaluated, “Although he seems a bit cold, if you spend enough time with him, you’ll see he actually has a lot of good points.”

Shi Miao smiled faintly, “I’ve already noticed a lot.”