At night.

In front of a luxurious villa, a tall and handsome young man in a white shirt and black trousers stood at the door.

He held a bouquet of fresh, vibrant flowers in his arms and carried a small gift bag.

After ringing the doorbell, Zhou Nanye felt a little nervous.

It was his first time visiting Mianmian’s home…

Before long, a middle-aged woman came to open the door.

Zhou Nanye greeted her politely, “A-Auntie… h-hello… I-I’m here t-to see Mianmian…”

“You must be one of Xiaomian’s friends. I’m the housekeeper here,” the woman replied, smiling knowingly as if she understood everything.

“I just helped Xiaomian prepare a table of dishes. Now that my work is done, I’m heading out. You can go right in; just walk straight ahead to the house.”

“O-Okay… th-thank you, Auntie…” Zhou Nanye nodded slightly in gratitude.

Hearing the housekeeper mention Mianmian, Zhou Nanye felt a sweet sense of nervousness.

Mianmian had also helped prepare the food?

Zhou Nanye stepped inside the villa. He wasn’t awestruck, flustered, or overly curious. He simply followed the housekeeper’s directions and walked straight ahead.

For some reason, even though it was his first time entering such a luxurious villa, faint images of grand, exquisite rooms flashed through his mind.

They weren’t of Mianmian’s villa but seemed to belong to another villa…

Zhou Nanye blinked lightly, dismissing those images from his thoughts.

All his attention was focused on seeing Mianmian soon, and he didn’t want to be distracted by unrelated thoughts.

Perhaps he had seen pictures of similar villas before, he reasoned to himself.

As he walked inside and stepped into the dining room, the moment he saw the girl, Zhou Nanye froze slightly.

She was wearing comfortable and casual home clothes with an apron tied around her waist, holding a cake in her hands. There was even a smudge of cream on her face, making her look especially sweet and adorable…

When Jiang Mianmian saw Zhou Nanye, she called out cheerfully, “Xiao Nanye, you’re here!”

“Mm… M-Mianmian…”

Seeing that she had gotten cream on her face while making a birthday cake for him, Zhou Nanye couldn’t help but feel a little shy.

Instinctively, he walked toward her, placing what he was holding on a nearby surface.

Approaching her, he spoke softly, “M-Mianmian, don’t m-move… There’s cream on… your face…”

Without thinking, he leaned closer to her and gently used his knuckle to wipe away the cream on her face.

Jiang Mianmian was momentarily stunned, watching as the handsome boy leaned in so close, carefully wiping the cream off her face with his hand.

After cleaning her face, Zhou Nanye suddenly realized just how close they were.

In the spacious house, a faintly ambiguous atmosphere lingered.

Looking at her delicate, beautiful face so close to his, Zhou Nanye’s heart began pounding wildly.

He quickly backed away, flustered. “M-Mianmian… It’s… it’s clean now…”

“Mm. Xiao Nanye, come and see the cake I made myself, as well as the dishes Auntie and I prepared together~”

Not wanting him to feel embarrassed any longer, Jiang Mianmian quickly took his hand and led him to the dining table.

On the table were four dishes, one soup, and the cake Jiang Mianmian had just finished decorating.

It was evident that a lot of thought had gone into the preparations.

Zhou Nanye felt deeply moved. Looking at the girl’s expectant expression, his eyes even grew a little misty, though a smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of his lips.

He had never considered himself a lucky person, but ever since meeting Mianmian, he felt fortunate.

“Th-thank you, Mianmian… I-I really like it…”

“I-I brought something… f-for you, Mianmian…”

As Zhou Nanye spoke, he picked up the bouquet and small gift bag he had set aside.

“This is… for you…”

Jiang Mianmian accepted the bouquet and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Xiao Nanye, it’s your birthday. Why are you giving me a gift instead?”

The girl held the flowers in her arms, her bright smile radiant and charming. She was even more beautiful than the flowers she held.

Looking at her, Zhou Nanye felt slightly shy. “I-I thought it… suited you, M-Mianmian, so… I bought it…”

“Can I open it and take a look?”

Jiang Mianmian was curious about the gift.

“Y-Yes.” Zhou Nanye nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.

When Jiang Mianmian opened the bag, she found a pair of exquisite and elegant earrings.

They were from a luxurious brand often worn by the daughters of wealthy families—sophisticated and worth tens of thousands.

Seeing this, Jiang Mianmian couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

This silly boy… She had already told him not to spend his money on her, yet he still found ways to give back to her.

Faced with such a sincere, earnest heart, how could Jiang Mianmian not cherish him?

She needed to win him over quickly so she could openly care for him.

Since he had already given the gift, Jiang Mianmian decided not to scold him for spending money recklessly. Instead, she smiled with delight.

“I really like these earrings. Xiao Nanye, do you want to help me put them on?”

“M-Mianmian…” Zhou Nanye was visibly flustered.

But seeing the girl’s expectant gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

“Mm…”

Zhou Nanye’s movements were gentle as he helped her put on the earrings, fearing he might accidentally hurt her.

As he brushed against her earlobes, he couldn’t help but feel both shy and focused.

When the earrings were finally on, Jiang Mianmian looked even more beautiful. The touch of elegance and maturity added to her charm made her truly dazzling.

Zhou Nanye couldn’t help but stare in awe.

Seeing her wearing the gift he had chosen for her filled him with immense satisfaction.

“You… you look beautiful…” Zhou Nanye praised softly.

Jiang Mianmian smiled contentedly. “Hurry up and get ready to blow out the candles and make a wish, or the cake will melt.”

“Okay…”

Zhou Nanye sat down, the cake placed right in front of him.

That was when he noticed the words Mianmian had written on the cake—

“Happy Birthday, Xiao Nanye. Your future will be sweet, sweet, sweet~~”

The boy’s lips curved upward, his heart filled with warmth.

Jiang Mianmian placed a candle at the center of the cake, lit the flame, and urged him, “Xiao Nanye, close your eyes and make a wish.”

Following her instructions, Zhou Nanye closed his eyes. Beside him, he could hear her sweet, melodious voice singing the birthday song.

On this birthday filled with happiness and sweetness, he made his wish—

To spend the rest of his life with Mianmian!