Chapter 25: The Gift

After Ming Can finished her oath, she took a moment to catch her breath. Reflecting on it, even she felt the vow was unusually harsh.

In the past, she would have considered swearing as the most insincere way to prove something—how many promises are broken in an instant, after all? But now, they were facing an event that defied science and was utterly bizarre. She truly didn’t know how else to prove herself, so she resorted to using mysticism to counter mysticism.

Why was the drink taking so long?

Ming Can felt her body heating up, her mouth dry. She fanned herself subtly, her eyes discreetly scanning the person across the table.

Ever since she had pulled out the paternity test reports, Chi Xiao’s expression had lost its earlier composure. After hearing her vehement and harsh oath, his pale eyes seemed to be caught in a storm. This was the first time Ming Can had seen anything resembling shock on Chi Xiao’s face.

Chi Xiao knew exactly what kind of person Ming Can was—smart, capable, rational, and clear-headed. Anyone who knew her would never associate her with wild fantasies or baseless lies.

When Ming Can had delivered her long speech earlier, Chi Xiao hadn’t been completely unmoved. It was just that everything she said was so far-fetched, so contrary to his worldview, that he didn’t know where to begin believing it.

Until now.

Chi Xiao lowered his head to examine the documents on the table. The one on the right, the paternity test report, listed the subject under the pseudonym “cx”—presumably him.

His mind was in chaos—

Why would Ming Can go to such lengths to fabricate such an elaborate lie? Even going so far as to produce a paternity test report? What could she possibly gain from this deception? A driver? She could have asked anyone to be her driver. Why him?

The more Chi Xiao thought about it, the more he realized the logical flaws in his earlier assumptions about Ming Can. On the other hand, the fantastical story she had described seemed to align perfectly with her recent behavior and was far more believable.

A colossal lie that could be easily exposed had no reason to exist.

Unless it wasn’t a lie at all.

So…

From a logical standpoint, was this scientifically impossible time-travel scenario actually the truth?

Chi Xiao took a slow breath, replaying Ming Can’s words in his mind.

She had said that Miaomiao looked a lot like him. He couldn’t help but recall the child’s appearance. Miaomiao had eyes like black grapes, with deep double eyelids—almost as if Ming Can’s eyes and his own had been blended together.

Beyond that, Miaomiao’s brow, nose, lips, jawline, and the overall contours of his face seemed to carry a faint resemblance to his own childhood photos. Not identical, but at least a fifty to sixty percent match.

He also remembered that day during the basketball game when he had been holding Miaomiao. More than one teammate had mistaken the child for his younger brother, saying they looked alike.

Those involved are often blind, while outsiders see things more clearly.

…

Ming Can leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. Her rosy lips were pressed together, filled with frustration and a hint of anger.

Yes, what she had said was outrageous—enough to shatter anyone’s worldview.

But she was Ming Can. Since childhood, she had been a prodigy, excelling in both character and academics. In Chi Xiao’s eyes, did she really have no credibility at all? Were her words not worth believing?

Ming Can could understand Chi Xiao’s feelings, but that didn’t stop her from being upset and annoyed.

Was having a child with her really that hard to accept?

And was he made of wood? Did he not have a mouth? When was he going to say something!

Finally, just as the knot of frustration in Ming Can’s chest was about to burst, the human ice block across from her finally deigned to speak—

“You and I… have a child in the future?” Chi Xiao repeated Ming Can’s earlier words, his voice slightly hoarse. “He traveled back in time from over a decade in the future?”

From any angle, this was an absurd joke.

Ming Can: “Exactly. That’s the truth—a truth more solid than gold, unafraid of any test.”

Chi Xiao looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the girl’s radiant face.

His mind suddenly went blank, an overwhelming sense of unreality washing over him like a silent tide.

Ming Can stared at him intently.

After a long pause.

Just as she was about to say something, her tongue suddenly twisted.

“Wait,” Ming Can’s eyelid twitched. “Why are you smiling?”

Chi Xiao, who had been resting his head on one hand, lowered it and denied, “I’m not.”

“You’re not?” Ming Can narrowed her eyes. “Then am I seeing things?”

Chi Xiao: “Hmm.”

His body, which had been leaning toward the table, suddenly tilted back into the chair. His handsome features, illuminated by the overhead light, shifted from half-shadowed to clear and distinct.

Ming Can continued to stare at him intently.

But just moments later.

She saw him lower his head, as if he had reached his limit. He raised a hand to cover the corner of his mouth and, right in front of her, actually laughed out loud.

“What are you laughing at?” Ming Can watched as his shoulders shook slightly, his laughter soft but audible. She widened her eyes. “Is what I’m talking about funny to you?”

Unbelievable.

How could someone be so infuriating?

“It’s not funny,” Chi Xiao removed his hand, his voice slightly hoarse, the curve of his lips quickly fading. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and leaned closer to Ming Can, his voice low. “I’m a bit emotionally overwhelmed. Give me a moment to process.”

Ming Can eyed him suspiciously.

She reached into her bag, pulled out a sealed bag, and pushed it toward Chi Xiao. “I know it’s hard for you to fully believe me based on my word alone. So, I’ve prepared a genetic sample of Miaomiao for you. Take it to a trusted institution and have it tested. Don’t worry about me forging the sample—if you don’t have a biological child, I couldn’t possibly produce a sample that would show a father-son relationship with you.”

A biological child.

He was only 20 years old, hadn’t even been in a relationship, and now he had a biological child?

And that child.

Was with Ming Can.

Chi Xiao nodded, pocketing the sealed bag containing a few strands of hair with follicles. “I’ll have it tested.”

At that moment, footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway.

Their drinks had finally arrived.

The waiter placed a Piña Colada in front of Ming Can and a glass of iced soda water in front of Chi Xiao.

After the waiter left, the two of them almost simultaneously picked up their glasses.

Chi Xiao held his glass with one hand, tilting his head back to drink.

Ming Can, on the other hand, cradled her glass with both hands, sipping through a straw.

The Piña Colada wasn’t strong, tasting more like a sweet and tangy fruit juice. Ming Can’s throat was parched, and she gulped down half the glass in one go, finally feeling some relief.

Putting the glass down, she glanced at the person across from her.

Good grief.

In just a few seconds, his glass was empty.

Chi Xiao signaled the waiter for another round.

Overall, Ming Can was satisfied with his reaction today.

Faced with such an unbelievable, thunderbolt-like revelation, he hadn’t lost his temper, complained, or called the police. He had only questioned her briefly, showing remarkable emotional stability.

Moreover, judging by his current state, he seemed to believe her words about seventy to eighty percent.

Had he even considered how much this child might disrupt his life going forward?

Ming Can’s primary goal today was to convince him to share the responsibility of raising the child. So, she put on a gentle expression, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him: “Senior, I know you are unfamiliar to this child. When I first found him, I felt the same way. I was completely overwhelmed, wondering why something like this had happened to me. It took me a long time to adjust…”

In truth, that wasn’t entirely accurate. Ming Can had always liked children, and after finding Miaomiao, she had only been confused for a few days before accepting the situation. While she did have moments of frustration, they weren’t the norm.

She said this to emphasize that she could empathize with him. They were both in the same boat and should support each other and work together.

“I’ve already arranged Miaomiao’s official identity as my aunt’s adopted son. Besides you, I’ve only told my aunt about this, and she’s someone I trust completely. Unfortunately, she works in Shencheng and can’t help me take care of Miaomiao.”

Ming Can paused, her tone growing more serious.

“Senior, we’re both in Beicheng, and our schools are just a wall apart. Once you get the test results and confirm that Miaomiao is your son, I hope you can help me share some of the responsibilities of raising him.”

Chi Xiao didn’t respond immediately, as if lost in another train of thought. Instead, he asked a seemingly unrelated question: “If Miaomiao is our child, does that mean in that timeline, you and I got married?”

Ming Can was taken aback, not expecting him to ask this. “Maybe.”

She didn’t know much about the future and couldn’t elaborate.

“But that’s a matter of another timeline,” Ming Can emphasized. “It has nothing to do with the present. What we need to do now is simply fulfill our responsibilities as parents.”

It was easy to imagine that Chi Xiao, realizing he might have married someone as smart and beautiful as her in the future, would be pleasantly surprised. But Ming Can didn’t want him to dwell on that possibility. She had no interest in romance and no desire to explore any kind of relationship with him ahead of time.

Besides, there was no way to know if their current world would follow the same path as Miaomiao’s future.

In this world, everything was uncertain. The future her might not marry Chi Xiao, so there was no point in borrowing the dynamics of another timeline. That had nothing to do with them now.

Ming Can: “Senior, you haven’t answered me about sharing the responsibility of raising Miaomiao.”

He had suddenly changed the subject earlier—was he trying to avoid responsibility?

Ming Can couldn’t help but brace herself for the worst-case scenario.

Honestly…

Even now, Chi Xiao hadn’t fully regained his composure. His mind was still in a fog, a jumble of thoughts leaving him dizzy, his heartbeat erratic, his palms sweaty, and his facial muscles twitching as if they had a mind of their own, threatening to break into a smile.

He looked at Ming Can, took a deep breath, and even though he hadn’t fully processed everything, he still agreed: “Okay.”

Hearing that single word, Ming Can’s nerves, which had been tightly wound for so long, suddenly relaxed.

She let out a long sigh, her mind racing with thoughts—

Coming to Chi Xiao today to come clean had been the right decision. He seemed even more reliable than she had imagined, his emotional stability almost superhuman.

Ming Can: “We can discuss the specifics of how we’ll divide responsibilities after you get the test results.”

Chi Xiao: “Okay.”

At that moment, the waiter brought another glass of iced soda water.

Ming Can leaned forward slightly, sipping her drink through a straw, her eyes lifting to watch as Chi Xiao downed the entire glass of soda water in one go.

It seemed.

His emotions weren’t as calm as she had thought.

Chi Xiao set the glass down, his tongue darting out to lick the moisture from the corner of his lips.

At the same time, their eyes met in mid-air.

An inexplicable wave of awkwardness washed over Ming Can. They were now the child’s father and mother, their relationship undeniably strange. The boldness Ming Can had felt earlier when confronting him had softened, and she suddenly felt unsure how to face him.

Unexpectedly, Chi Xiao broke the silence at this critical moment: “Junior.”

“Ah… what is it?”

“Can I drink now?” he asked.

Ming Can’s eyelid twitched, and she unconsciously bit down on the straw, flattening it.

He was drinking alcohol, but because of her sudden request over the phone, he had been restraining himself from touching any alcohol?

Why was he so obedient? It made her seem like a tyrant.

Ming Can thought that, given the current situation, he really should have a drink to vent his emotions.

“Sure, you…”

But then, as if remembering something, Ming Can abruptly stopped mid-sentence and changed her tone. “Wait a second.”

She bent down to rummage through her bag. “There’s something I need to give you. You can drink after you’ve seen it.”

Chi Xiao: “What is it?”

“A… birthday gift,” Ming Can said vaguely. “From Miaomiao.”

When Ming Can went home in the evening to get the documents, she reminded Miaomiao that today was his dad’s birthday. Miaomiao was deeply remorseful and rushed to his little study to pull out a cardboard cutout with a hidden mechanism. On it was a colorful three-tiered cake, a birthday gift he had prepared for his dad.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten about his dad’s birthday halfway through, and the cake on the cardboard wasn’t fully colored yet.

So, Ming Can stayed home to help Miaomiao finish coloring the cake, which was why she had been late leaving the house.

On the way over, she had already decided that if the conversation with Chi Xiao went well, she would give him the gift. If it didn’t, she’d have to let Miaomiao’s efforts go to waste.

Soon, Ming Can pulled out the square cardboard from her bag, on which a colorful and beautiful cake had been drawn with watercolor markers.

She pushed the cardboard cake to the center of the table, her fingertips gently pulling the mechanism behind it. Instantly, a few colorful candles popped up from the bare cake.

The tops of the candles were already painted with little flames.

Ming Can cleared her throat. “Ahem, get ready. It’s time to sing the birthday song.”

She would never sing it to Chi Xiao here, but fortunately, someone had already recorded it for her.

Ming Can opened her phone and clicked play on a recording.

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday~~~”

A child’s innocent, cheerful voice filled the quiet lounge, carrying a sense of pure joy.

Ming Can sat stiffly like a wooden post. Perhaps feeling that staying completely still in this situation was too awkward, she reluctantly raised her hands and clapped lightly to the rhythm of the song.

On the table, a small real candle flickered gently, its warm light reflecting on Chi Xiao’s face.

His long, straight eyelashes fluttered slightly, his breathing becoming very light. His pale eyes were filled with astonishment.

The candlelight softened the sharp edges of the young man’s features. His lips pressed together, and the usually composed and indifferent person now showed a rare glimpse of confusion and youthful vulnerability.

The song was short, ending in less than twenty seconds.

The atmosphere fell silent again.

Ming Can reached out and touched the cardboard cake on the table, reminding Chi Xiao: “Time to make a wish.”

She always liked to see things through to the end. The birthday boy had to make a wish and blow out the candles before she could smoothly make the candles disappear again.

Chi Xiao: “…”

He couldn’t remember the last time he had made a birthday wish. As he grew older, his birthdays were always spent with friends. Guys didn’t bother with rituals, and most of the time, there wasn’t even a cake.

Under Ming Can’s silent urging, Chi Xiao closed his eyes briefly.

A wish did flash through his mind—

He hoped that everything that had happened today wasn’t a dream.