Hearing a response, Yu Yingze pushed the door open and curiously looked at Yuanyuan. “Why do you sound so nervous? What are you up to?”

“Nothing! Not doing anything, I’m just getting ready for bed,” Yuanyuan replied, her wide-eyed attempt to act casual only making her seem more suspicious.

Yingze wasn’t sure what kind of mischief she was up to.

“Isn’t it still early?” Yingze reached out and patted her head. “Wanna play for a bit?”

“No playing, Yuanyuan’s very busy,” she said, pushing Yingze towards the door. “Second Brother, go back to your room. Don’t disturb me while I do serious work.”

Yingze was confused.

Did he hear that right?

A little bean who hadn’t even started kindergarten yet was saying she had serious work to do? What kind of important task could she possibly have?

Yingze suspected she just wanted to sneak off and eat some snacks.

Heh, like he’d want her snacks. He was just bored and wanted someone to play with.

“Yu Yuanyuan, are you secretly eating snacks?” Yingze smirked, thinking he had caught her red-handed. “I don’t want your snacks, I just—”

Before he could finish, Yuanyuan grabbed a bag of her favorite fruit gummies and shoved it into his arms. “Here, take it. I have to get back to work.”

With that, he was pushed out of the room.

The door closed in his face, and although it wasn’t locked, a heavy feeling settled in Yingze’s chest.

Yuanyuan, who usually gave him whatever he asked for, had just pushed him away.

For a moment, he felt like the extra one in the family.

His birthday had gone unnoticed, and it seemed like no one cared about him.

Kids can be sensitive, even if they don’t always show it. While Yingze usually acted carefree, he also had things he cared about.

He wished Dad would spend more time with him, that people would value him more, and that he could feel like someone important in the family.

But…

No one even remembered his birthday.

Yingze sighed deeply, frowning as he walked back to his room.

The next morning, although Yingze seemed a bit better than the night before, he still didn’t look happy.

He thought he had grown used to it, but somehow, it was still hard to accept. Deep down, he must’ve been holding onto some kind of hope.

Around ten in the morning, Gao Zhou returned with the sturdy card stock Yuanyuan needed. He excitedly asked her to make a card for him too, one he could keep in his car.

Yuanyuan immediately felt an important sense of responsibility and nodded seriously.

She spent the whole afternoon drawing, finishing all twelve cards.

The soccer class that was rescheduled for today meant Yingze wouldn’t be back until later, giving them the perfect window to finish their plans.

“Wow, Yuanyuan, these look great,” Mingxi praised, patting her head. He secretly wanted to keep one for himself. “Now we just need to write the names, and we can start handing them out.”

Mingxi wrote down the names of the kids, and once the cards were ready, the two of them set off to deliver the invitations.

By that time, most of the kids were already home. Mingxi handed each invitation personally, explaining to the parents that they wanted to surprise Yingze with a birthday party, so it had to be kept secret.

The kids loved the idea of a secret plan and eagerly agreed to keep it hush-hush.

Everyone was thrilled to receive hand-drawn invitations, especially the boys who often played with Yuanyuan. They promised to come and even said they’d bring presents!

Yuanyuan’s invitation mission: success.

Next step: the birthday gift.

After delivering the invitations, Mingxi and Yuanyuan held hands as they headed home.

But before they even reached the house, they ran into Yingze.

“What are you two doing, coming from that direction?” Yingze asked, his question catching them off guard.