Chapter 52: Happy Birthday, Qi Yanjing

Wen Zhixian fed the rib to Qi Yanjing, who ate it without hesitation.

The rib was there, so why not eat it?

After dinner, Qi Yanjing used the treadmill Wen Zhixian had bought earlier to run for a bit, while she went to take a shower. After her shower, she remembered Zhou Qishi from the afternoon’s recruitment and sent Yue Qi a message: [How’s Zhou Qishi doing?]

Yue Qi replied: [He’s doing well. Very smart, learned everything quickly. He’s a bit chatty though, sometimes he does impromptu rap and asks me if it sounds good.]

Wen Zhixian smiled: [That’s fine. Just make sure he only raps with you guys, not in front of the customers.]

Yue Qi replied: [OK.]

Seeing the reply, she closed the chat.

Normally, Qi Yanjing went to bed around 10:30, but tonight, after turning off the lights, he couldn’t fall asleep until 11. He lay quietly beside her, not making any moves, careful not to disturb her while turning over.

Wen Zhixian, on the other hand, was still awake, thinking about which cake to order for tomorrow. After making up her mind, she gently turned over to lie closer to Qi Yanjing, knowing that he had light sleep, so she moved carefully.

“Still not asleep?” came Qi Yanjing’s deep voice, which sounded particularly soothing in the quiet night, like the rich tones of a cello.

Wen Zhixian whispered, “Did I wake you?”

She cursed herself silently for disturbing him.

“No, I’m not asleep yet.”

“Insomnia again? Let me make you a cup of tea.” Just as she was about to sit up and turn on the light, Qi Yanjing tightened his arm around her and pulled her into his chest. “Can you talk to me?”

It sounded almost like a plea.

Wen Zhixian lay still in his arms. “What do you want to hear?”

“Anything. I love everything you say,” he replied, not picky, just wanting her to speak to him and calm his mind.

Wen Zhixian hummed, then started talking about some childhood memories and stories from college.

Qi Yanjing listened, occasionally letting out a short, low laugh.

She noticed that Qi Yanjing seemed restless, his mood low. “Yanjing, are you feeling a bit better now?”

Qi Yanjing let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Much better.”

---

The next morning, Wen Zhixian went to order the cake and then stopped by the mall to buy some ingredients. By the afternoon, she was back at home, busy preparing dinner.

At 4 PM, she went to the bakery to pick up the birthday cake for Qi Yanjing.

She arranged everything—setting up the cake and the birthday gift. After finishing most of the preparations, she sent Qi Yanjing a message at 4:30: [What time will you be home tonight?]

Qi Yanjing replied immediately: [I have some things to take care of tonight, might be a bit late. You can eat first.]

Wen Zhixian stared at the words on her screen, feeling a bit disappointed. She asked anyway: [Are you having dinner with someone else tonight?]

Qi Yanjing replied: [No, not with anyone. It might be late though, don’t wait for me, you can eat first.]

He had been about to send her a message telling her to eat first, but she had asked him first.

Wen Zhixian felt relieved when she saw his reply. As long as he said it, she would believe him: [Then come back early.]

She wondered if he even remembered his birthday. Or maybe his ID had a different birthday than the one he celebrated?

When Qi Yanjing saw her message, a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He replied, [Okay] and put his phone away as he left the school gate.

As he was about to get into his car, he was stopped by Shen Zhi.

He glanced at her, his gaze sharp and cold. Immediately, Shen Zhi felt a sense of unease.

For some reason, Qi Yanjing seemed to carry a heavier, more intimidating aura today. His presence felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped, making her feel nervous.

“Qi Yanjing, I need to talk to you about something.” Given his intimidating demeanor today, she didn’t dare call him Yanjing casually anymore.

Qi Yanjing raised his left hand, glancing at his watch. “Three minutes.”

Shen Zhi felt a lump in her chest, both frustrated and angry. “Qi Yanjing, I’m in the account business. I’ve accumulated a decent fan base and earned quite a bit. With your looks and professional background, all you need is a little packaging, and you could go viral. I can help you; we can both win together.”

So, she just wanted to make money.

Qi Yanjing gave her a cold glance. “I don’t need money, and I’m not interested in messing with other things.”

Saying that, he took a few steps forward, ready to get into his car.

“Your wife has great conditions. Do you really want to be overshadowed by her? Besides the fame, how much can you earn as a professor? You already have better conditions than I do. Now, clearly, there’s a gap between us. I drive a supercar worth over a million; what about you? Economically, I’ve surpassed you. I tried to get you to go into business, but you didn’t listen. Now, I’m offering to help you make money, and you still won’t listen.” Shen Zhi sneered.

Qi Yanjing got into the car and glanced out the window. “You just want me to help you make money. Don’t make it sound so noble.”

What she called wanting to help him was just for her own benefit, and she made it sound so good.

He wasn’t interested.

Shen Zhi watched the car drive away in frustration. She cursed Qi Yanjing under her breath. What good would it do to help her? He could still make money on his own.

---

Qi Yanjing held a bouquet of white roses in one hand and a Lego model in the other as he entered the cemetery.

He stopped at the highest point of the cemetery, the most important spot on the hill.

There were a few bouquets in front of the tomb, which meant someone had come before him.

The tombstone was engraved with the name “Xie Daoran.”

The tombstone was clean, and he wiped it once more with a tissue before placing the Lego model in front.

He crouched by the tomb for a long while, and after many unsaid words, he finally sighed and said, “Twenty-eight.”

---

Wen Zhixian was leaning on the balcony, looking down below. It was already dark at seven o’clock.

She rested her chin in her hand, bored, watching a few older women dancing in the square.

Under the dim streetlights, a familiar figure appeared, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

That tall and elegant figure—there was no mistaking it, it was Qi Yanjing.

Today, he was dressed solemnly, perhaps for some important occasion.

It was fine if he came back a little later.

Qi Yanjing opened the door and entered, immediately seeing Wen Zhixian, who looked especially beautiful. She was wearing a pale purple long dress, graceful and stunning.

He forced a smile and asked, “Why didn’t you eat earlier?”

“You said you weren’t eating with anyone else today, so I waited for you.”

Qi Yanjing placed his hand on her shoulder and bent down to kiss her forehead. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

His overall demeanor was usually cold, but when he spoke to her, his voice was so gentle. The stark contrast made it hard not to feel moved.

It wasn’t until Qi Yanjing saw the cake on the table and the beautiful gift bag beside it that he stopped in his tracks, realizing what was going on.

“Qi Yanjing, happy birthday,” Wen Zhixian smiled at him.

The faint smile on Qi Yanjing’s face slowly faded away.

Wen Zhixian paused, sensing that something wasn’t right. Though she wasn’t sure why, it seemed Qi Yanjing wasn’t happy. Perhaps… he didn’t celebrate his birthday for some reason.

However, she didn’t regret what she had done. Relationships always required time to adjust, and they would gradually understand each other.