Chapter 23: Birthday

After leaving the hospital, the car drove smoothly back to the apartment building. Miaomiao, nestled in Ming Can’s arms, was fast asleep. Even when the car door opened and Chi Xiao leaned in to carry him, Miaomiao only fluttered his eyelids slightly, showing no signs of waking up.

As he was transferred from the back seat to Chi Xiao’s arms, Miaomiao loosely wrapped his arms around Chi Xiao’s neck, his round face resting on his shoulder. His lips moved as he mumbled in his sleep, “Mom, don’t hit… don’t hit Dad…”

…

Ming Can’s scalp tightened. She had no idea what kind of dream this child was having to say something so absurd.

As they entered the building, Chi Xiao slowed his steps and hesitantly asked Ming Can, “Does Miaomiao’s mom have a tendency toward violence?”

Ming Can: “…”

“Of course not!” Ming Can’s cheeks flushed inexplicably. “How can you believe a child’s dream talk? His mom has a great temper—gentle, refined, and understanding. In my eyes, she’s the kindest woman in the world.”

“Oh,” Chi Xiao nodded.

He had only asked casually and didn’t understand why she was getting so worked up.

When they reached the upstairs apartment, Ming Can pressed her finger on the fingerprint lock, and the door clicked open. The smart lighting system instantly illuminated the foyer and living room.

Ming Can stepped inside first, taking off her heavy coat and stuffing it into the entryway cabinet. After changing into slippers, she stepped onto the clean hardwood floor.

Turning around, she saw Chi Xiao following her inside but stopping politely at the entrance, not bothering to change his shoes.

Quite considerate.

Ming Can took Miaomiao from his arms and carried him to his room. She removed his outer clothes and gently laid him on the bed.

It was already 11 p.m., and as soon as Miaomiao touched the pillow, he curled up under the blanket, clearly missing his soft little bed.

Ming Can didn’t forget about the person still waiting outside.

Since she had decided to come clean with him once the paternity test results were out, Ming Can didn’t bother thanking him. After all, he would soon realize that these were things he was supposed to do anyway.

Under the warm glow of the living room lights, Ming Can’s face was clean and natural. She wore a cream-colored chunky knit sweater and a pair of peach-shaped fluffy slippers. Her long hair, loosely pinned up with a clip, had started to come undone, with a few strands hanging down, catching the golden light. She looked gentle and soft, a side of her Chi Xiao had never seen before.

It seemed even more impolite to look around someone else’s home, so Chi Xiao kept his gaze on Ming Can’s face and asked softly, “Is there no one else at home?”

Ming Can: “There’s a daytime nanny.”

From the sound of it, apart from the nanny, this large apartment really only housed her and Miaomiao.

Just by looking at Chi Xiao’s expression, Ming Can could guess that he found her family situation quite strange. But out of politeness, and his natural tendency to stay out of matters that didn’t concern him, he wouldn’t overthink it or ask questions. He’d simply pretend not to notice.

At this point, Ming Can no longer expected Chi Xiao, a man whose mind was filled only with logic and science, to figure anything out on his own.

She sighed softly and casually chatted with him, “When does your exam week start, Senior?”

Ming Can’s exam week would begin in two days, with six exams in six days—a fairly tight schedule.

Chi Xiao: “It’s already started. I had one this morning.”

“Oh… huh?” Ming Can’s voice suddenly rose. “What about the next one?”

Chi Xiao: “Tomorrow morning at eight.”

He said this with complete calm, his amber eyes steady and unruffled, as if the person about to walk into an exam in nine hours wasn’t him.

Ming Can had assumed that since he could rush over as soon as he got her call, he must have had some free time.

She was the impatient type, and hearing that Chi Xiao had an exam the next morning made her even more anxious than he seemed to be. She hurriedly ushered him out, “Then you should go! Why are you still standing here?”

“Right.”

The young man nodded in farewell and turned to leave.

“Hurry, hurry!”

The sound of her urging followed him. Chi Xiao licked the corner of his lips, feeling an inexplicable urge to smile.

The difficulty of A University and B University’s final exams was notorious nationwide. Even if you were a prodigy or a top scorer in the college entrance exam, you couldn’t coast through with just a sharp mind. In an environment filled with top-tier students, the slightest slip-up could mean a crash. Ming Can didn’t want Chi Xiao to drop in the rankings because he’d wasted some time here tonight. That was a responsibility she and Miaomiao absolutely wouldn’t take.

As Chi Xiao’s figure disappeared around the corner of the elevator lobby, Ming Can closed the door.

Back in the living room, she glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was 11:15.

She’d study for another hour and go to bed after midnight.

—

In late January, the heavy snow in Beicheng had just melted, leaving the city in a deep freeze.

When the bell signaling the end of the final exam rang, the classroom was filled with sighs and groans. The exam paper had been incredibly difficult, completely mismatched with the key points the professor had emphasized. Everyone looked as if they had just survived a major ordeal, with little of the usual joy that comes with the start of a holiday.

As they packed up and left the classroom, Xu Jiayun walked beside Ming Can, holding three pens in her hand. She bowed repeatedly to Ming Can as they walked, chanting, “Oh great Volcano Goddess, please bless me with at least a B in this course. I beg of you…”

“You’re such a weirdo,” Ming Can laughed, pushing her away. “If you don’t work hard when you’re young, you’ll end up praying when you’re old. You’re on your own.”

“I did work hard, though! Who knew Professor Xie’s key points would be so off?” Xu Jiayun sighed. “Ah, forget it. Since the New Year is late this year, the winter break is pretty long. What are your plans?”

Ming Can: “Let me hear yours first.”

Xu Jiayun: “Me? Well… after packing up and going home, I’ll sleep for three days straight, lying in bed without moving until my mom gets completely fed up with me. Once she starts finding me annoying, I’ll get up and figure out what to do next.”

“You call that a plan?” Ming Can, a quintessential planner, felt her vision darken at the thought.

Xu Jiayun: “Hehe.”

Ming Can had a lot on her plate for this winter break—studying, entrepreneurship competitions, orchestra activities, family gatherings… But the main event, which she hadn’t told Xu Jiayun about, was enrolling Miaomiao in some extracurricular classes.

She was leaning toward sports-related activities for Miaomiao, like toddler fitness classes, horseback riding, fencing, or ball sports. The final decision would depend on what Miaomiao enjoyed after trying them out.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ming Can pulled out her phone.

She had turned it off during the exam and had just turned it back on. A new email notification popped up—an electronic copy of the paternity test report, received a little over an hour ago.

Ming Can immediately opened it, scrolling to the bottom of the report where a conspicuous line read:

“Supports CX as MM’s biological father.”

For privacy reasons, Ming Can had chosen a private testing agency, and the names of the individuals tested were only represented by initials.

The result was already a foregone conclusion, so the official confirmation didn’t stir much emotion in Ming Can.

The email also mentioned that the physical report would be delivered to her home today via same-day courier. Ming Can checked her messages and, sure enough, found a notification from the property management that they had received a document on her behalf.

So, the next step was to come clean with Chi Xiao.

By around 5 p.m., the sky had already darkened. Ming Can and Xu Jiayun stepped outside, where a cold wind hit them head-on, nearly knocking them off balance.

Ming Can claimed she had something urgent to attend to and bid Xu Jiayun goodbye. She braved the wind alone, walking quickly to a distant building and finding a quiet, warm corner to call Chi Xiao.

For Ming Can, once she decided to do something, she would complete it as quickly as possible, without delay, to avoid adding future burdens.

Coincidentally, her final exams had just ended, leaving her in a relaxed state of mind, with her mental and physical energy at their peak. She wanted to take advantage of this moment to tackle this headache-inducing matter, so she could return home and rest completely.

Holding her phone, Ming Can stood at the end of a long corridor, facing a small frosted glass window that barely revealed two withered trees outside.

The ringtone played for nearly a minute before the other end finally picked up.

“Hello, Ming Can?” The cool, magnetic voice of the young man came through, though it sounded noisy around him.

Ming Can remembered that Chi Xiao’s exams had started a few days earlier than hers. Since she was done, he was likely finished as well and should have time to meet with her.

Ming Can: “Senior, where are you right now?”

There was a pause on the other end before he replied, “In Tongping District.”

“Tongping District? That’s so far!” Ming Can was surprised. “Where in Tongping District?”

Chi Xiao: “Yunxiao Mansion.”

Ming Can fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

She had heard of Yunxiao Mansion—a well-known upscale club in Tongping District, popular among the wealthy and their carefree offspring, a place for indulgence and revelry.

For a brief moment, Ming Can felt a flicker of disappointment in Chi Xiao. However, she still trusted her judgment and wasn’t about to let this small detail change her overall impression of him.

“Yunxiao Mansion… It’ll take me about an hour to get there,” Ming Can said while checking the map. “Senior, do you have time to meet me now? I have something very important to discuss with you.”

“You’re coming over?” Chi Xiao sounded surprised.

Of course, Ming Can didn’t want to travel that far, but given the circumstances—she was the one with an urgent matter to discuss—it made sense for her to take the initiative. Of course, if he were kind enough to leave his friends at the club and come to her instead, she’d be more than happy.

Ming Can: “Yes, I’ll come over. Or, if it’s convenient for you to come out…”

“Ming Can,” Chi Xiao suddenly called her name.

Only then did Ming Can realize that the noisy background sounds around him had faded, as if he had moved to a quiet place to talk to her.

Ming Can: “What is it?”

“Today is…” He paused, his voice low. “My birthday.”

…

Ming Can was completely stunned.

In a daze, she glanced down at the date: January 22nd.

She vaguely remembered that Miaomiao had mentioned a few days ago that his dad’s birthday was coming up. He had even gathered some cardboard to make a birthday gift for him. However, kids are easily distracted, and after a visit to Zhao Zihao’s house, Miaomiao’s mind was filled only with dogs, toys, and cartoons, completely forgetting about his dad’s birthday.

The phone line was filled with the faint crackle of static and the shallow, almost imperceptible rhythm of breathing, like tiny plankton drifting in the sea.

Chi Xiao was the first to break the silence. “You pick a place.”

It seemed he was willing to leave the club to meet her.

Ming Can thought about it and decided it wasn’t a good idea. Today was his birthday, and he probably had many friends around him. She didn’t want the birthday boy to abandon his friends just to meet her—it wouldn’t be fair.

Besides, what she needed to discuss with him was likely not going to be good news. Once he heard it, he probably wouldn’t be in the mood to celebrate anymore. Before that, it was better to let him enjoy his time with his friends and savor the last moments of his carefree “single” life.

“No, no, I can’t let the birthday boy run around,” Ming Can politely declined. “You guys keep having fun. I’ll come to you. I should be there in about… an hour and a half.”

Chi Xiao: “Alright.”

Ming Can guessed that there might be people there who knew her, so she added, “Senior, I’m only coming to see you. I’m not joining your party, so don’t tell anyone I’m coming.”

Chi Xiao: “Got it.”

On his end, it was a gathering of guys—smoking, drinking, playing pool, and card games, all in a chaotic, smoky atmosphere. Even if she wanted to join, he wouldn’t allow it.

He just couldn’t figure out what this “important matter” was that she couldn’t discuss over the phone and insisted on meeting him in person, even traveling all this way.

Before hanging up, Ming Can suddenly called out again, “Hey, Senior,” stopping Chi Xiao to ask, “Have you been drinking today?”

Chi Xiao: “A little.”

“Oh,” Ming Can said. “Then don’t drink anymore.”

Chi Xiao: “…”

“Stay calm, absolutely stay calm,” Ming Can said. “You can drink after we’ve talked.”