Chapter 17

If every photo in their chats were printed out, the stack of pictures Bai Zining sent could probably be several dozen centimeters thick. He would photograph every little thing and send it to Zhu Shizhou, like the new dish he learned to make tonight: cold shredded chicken salad.

Ferry: 【Amazing! It looks so appetizing.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Gege, can you cook?】

Ferry: 【I only know how to make corn and rib soup; I learned it in high school.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Wow!】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【I really want to taste the food you make, gege.】

Ferry: 【There will be a chance.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【What are you doing, gege?】

This time, it took about twenty minutes before Zhu Shizhou replied: 【Eating cake.】

???

Bai Zining quickly asked: 【Is it your birthday today?】

Ferry: 【Yes.】

Hawthorn Porridge: 【Happy birthday!!! Are you out celebrating with friends?~ I’ll call you later then.】

Ferry: 【No.】

Ferry: 【Alone.】

So pitiful? Spending his birthday alone? What about his parents and friends? Bai Zining thought to himself, his fingers brushing against the screen. In the end, he couldn’t resist and dialed Zhu Shizhou’s voice call.

It connected quickly, but Zhu Shizhou didn’t speak.

Bai Zining offered his sincere wishes: “Gege, happy birthday! In this new year of your life, I hope you stay healthy, happy every day, achieve success in your studies, and have all your worries stay far away from you. Oh, and also, like me just a little bit more.”

Zhu Shizhou chuckled, his voice low, and said, “Thank you.”

“What did you have for dinner?” Bai Zining asked.

“Fried rice and a hamburger.”

“What a magical combination.”

“Tell me about your day.”

“I told you already, I went shopping with my mom. She always says my dad and I don’t spend time with her, but our tastes and aesthetics are completely different. She thinks I look better in light-colored clothes, says it makes me look more spirited. But how can a guy…” As he spoke, Bai Zining almost slipped up and quickly corrected himself, “How can anyone stick to just one fixed style? She’s been buying me pink clothes since I was little, so when I grew up, I wanted to try other colors.”

Zhu Shizhou seemed to be pondering. After a while, he said, “I also think you look good in light-colored clothes, such as light blue or white. But what’s important is that you like them.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll try it next time.”

During the conversation, Bai Zining could only hear Zhu Shizhou’s breathing on the other end, cold and quiet, completely different from the lively birthdays Bai Zining had always experienced.

Zhu Shizhou had mentioned before that his parents were busy with work and rarely at home. But what about his friends? He remembered that Xie Cheng was also from City A.

So, he cautiously brought it up, “The guy who joined us in the voice chat last time, I remember his name was Xie Cheng, right? Gege, why didn’t you ask him to hang out with you?”

“My ID card’s birthday isn’t the same as my real one. The one on my ID is in September, so that’s the birthday I celebrate with friends.”

So that’s how it was. A moment ago, Bai Zining had felt a little worried for Zhu Shizhou, though he still was. Not having his parents around on his real birthday must feel lonely.

Thinking of something, Bai Zining asked, “Does that mean only your mom, dad, you, and I know your real birthday?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great,” Bai Zining cheered.

“Hmm?” Zhu Shizhou let out a soft hum, expressing his confusion.

“Your friends don’t know, so this is our little secret.”

After a few seconds, Zhu Shizhou chuckled softly and affirmed Bai Zining’s words, “Yes, it’s our little secret.”

“By the way,” Bai Zining slapped his forehead, “Did you finish your cake?”

“I haven’t started yet.”

“Then could you take a selfie with your cake and send it to me?”

Although he didn’t know why Bai Zining made such a request, Zhu Shizhou still turned on the front camera, held up the small cake, and took a photo to send over.

He used the default camera app, and the only light in the living room came from recessed ceiling lights, casting a dim glow. Yet, it couldn’t hide the sharp, handsome features of the boy in the photo.

On Bai Zining’s side, there was silence. Five minutes later, Zhu Shizhou received a photo.

It was the same picture he had sent to Bai Zining earlier, but in the empty space next to him, a stick figure had been added.

The stick figure was genderless, with a big smiling face, its right hand making a “peace” sign. On its clothes was a single letter: “N.”

In the photo, the stick figure was leaning closely against Zhu Shizhou, looking very intimate, like two people who shared a deep bond, capable of sharing secrets, savoring sweetness, or enduring hardships together.

“Alright, now you can make a wish,” a sweet voice came through the receiver.

It was only then that Zhu Shizhou noticed there was now a candle on the cake, a golden stem with a small red flame.

He placed his phone on the table, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes, sincerely making a wish to the drawn candle. Then, he gently blew toward the screen. At that moment, the phone’s screen dimmed and went black due to the auto-lock feature, as if someone had silently heard his wish.

When he reopened the phone, he stared at the profile picture of the little polar rabbit and softly said, “Thank you, baby, for spending my birthday with me. I’m really happy.”

Now that he knew Zhu Shizhou’s real birthday, he couldn’t just ignore it.

The saying goes, “A day’s bond as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of gratitude,” and even being a couple for a day is meaningful.

Bai Zining carefully recalled the brands of clothing Zhu Shizhou usually wore and went to a physical store to buy a T-shirt and a matching necklace.

As he passed by a perfume shop, a bottle displayed outside caught his eye. After testing the scent, he inexplicably felt it suited Zhu Shizhou perfectly.

Thus, the gift now included a bottle of perfume.

He asked Zhu Shizhou for a delivery address, but Zhu Shizhou declined when he mentioned sending a birthday gift. “Baby, you don’t need to spend money on me. I’ve already received your birthday gift.”

“What?”

“The photo.”

“How does that count?” Bai Zining was momentarily at a loss. “Just send it to me. I’ll call the courier to pick it up later.”

“You really don’t have to. You can save the money to buy something you like.”

“If you keep this up, I’m going to get mad,” Bai Zining said, frustrated after trying for so long to get the address. In his anger, he blurted out, “I already bought it. If you don’t want it, I’ll just give it to some other guy.”

Zhu Shizhou laughed, his voice genuinely joyful. He asked, “Are you pouting at me, baby?”

Bai Zining suddenly realized that Zhu Shizhou was shameless. The word “pouting” left him flustered and overwhelmed, and after a long pause, all he could do was let out a soft hum.