Chapter 17: Birthday Gift

Shi Muxi hurried downstairs in a few steps, rushing toward the school gate. Her eyes immediately locked onto Jiang Yihuai’s car parked by the roadside.

The man leaned against the car, wearing an off-white T-shirt under a long dark gray coat, paired with sleek black casual pants. He looked just like a university student—young and full of energy.

He turned heads wherever he stood.

Within three minutes, he checked the time on his watch three times. They agreed on 10 o’clock, but she was already late. Just as he was about to call her, a soft, fragrant presence clung to him.

Shi Muxi wrapped her arms around Jiang Yihuai’s neck, playfully whining, “Did I keep you waiting long?”

“You’re late.” Jiang Yihuai glanced at her with dark, piercing eyes, hands casually tucked in his pockets.

“I’m sorry, I promise I’ll be on time next time.” Seeing that he didn’t seem upset, Shi Muxi quietly sighed in relief.

“Get in.” Jiang Yihuai wasn’t oblivious to her little tricks—he just didn’t care to call her out on them. Shi Muxi quickly hopped into the passenger seat and chattered nonstop the entire drive. Jiang Yihuai kept his eyes on the road, responding with the occasional “hmm.”

At a red light, Shi Muxi glanced out the window. A massive LED screen was playing an ad for the newly opened Universal Studios. Her heart stirred. Tugging at his sleeve, she looked at him expectantly. “Babe, let’s go to Universal Studios today, okay?”

“Mm.”

Since today was Shi Muxi’s birthday, Jiang Yihuai didn’t care where they went. He casually handed her a bag with a luxury jewelry brand’s logo on it. “Birthday gift.”

Shi Muxi opened it and gasped. “Isn’t this the latest limited-edition bracelet from C? It’s super expensive and hard to get!”

Excited, she immediately took it out and put it on. The shell-shaped design, encrusted with sparkling white diamonds, gleamed on her wrist. She waved her hand in front of him. “Doesn’t it look good? How did you know I wanted this…?”

Her voice was sweet and soft, with a hint of playfulness, making the man’s bones melt.

The light turned green. Jiang Yihuai pressed the gas pedal.

Glancing sideways, he saw Shi Muxi taking photos of her new bracelet. He said offhandedly, “As long as you like it.”

—

Shao Yuwei told Su Yumian she’d take her somewhere, but Su Yumian didn’t expect her to come so early.

She had just woken up when she got the call.

Shao Yuwei: “Hurry up, Xiaomianmian! I can’t park downstairs. You’ve got ten minutes!”

Ten minutes later, Su Yumian got in the car, handing Shao Yuwei a sandwich. Shao Yuwei took a bite and smirked. “You’re never late, huh?”

The sports car sped off, racing down the streets before stopping outside Universal Studios. Su Yumian tilted her head. “…This is where you wanted to take me?”

“Come on~ You’ve been stuck studying all day! It’s the weekend—time to relax! I’ll go buy tickets. Wait here.”

She returned quickly, not only with two tickets but also two headbands.

“One for each of us.”

She handed Su Yumian a white fox ear headband while keeping the pink LinaBell one for herself.

After putting hers on, she noticed Su Yumian hadn’t moved. She urged, “Why aren’t you wearing it yet?” With no choice, Su Yumian put it on.

Shao Yuwei stepped in front of her, gave her a once-over, and nodded in satisfaction. “Fluffy. Not bad. You look like a little fox spirit who just descended from the heavens.”

She grabbed Su Yumian’s hand. “Come on, come on! I planned everything—we’re going to have the best time today!”

—

“Aaaahhh—!”

“Mom, save me!”

Screams filled the air for a full five minutes.

Su Yumian rubbed her ringing ears and looked at Shao Yuwei, who had just finished throwing up, her face pale as a sheet. She patted her back, both amused and concerned.

“Feel better now?”

“I—ugh—”

Seeing that she was about to vomit again, Su Yumian quickly handed her a tissue and a bottle of water. Only after Shao Yuwei rinsed her mouth and stopped gagging did she relax.

“They say this roller coaster is a devil’s playground. Now I get why people call it hell,” Shao Yuwei muttered, dabbing at her mouth and clutching her chest.

Su Yumian smirked. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to ‘push your limits’? This is what you get.”

Shao Yuwei had mild acrophobia, yet she insisted on riding. Talk about self-inflicted suffering.

“Ugh, fine, I regret it. Happy now?” She slumped against Su Yumian, exhausted.

After a short rest, Shao Yuwei was back to her energetic self. Just in time for lunch. Su Yumian suggested they grab a bite, but as they walked, they noticed a crowd gathering, everyone pointing at the sky.

“So many balloons! Is this a surprise event for the park opening?”

“Wow, companies are going all out these days. Imagine how long it took to inflate all those.”

Su Yumian looked up. The clear blue sky was filled with floating balloons, their colorful ribbons fluttering like butterflies in the wind.

Online, people watching the scene commented, “Mystery solved! Some rich guy planned this as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend in the central plaza.”

“Why don’t I ever witness something this romantic? Even my gossip timing sucks!”

Shao Yuwei, unimpressed by such grand gestures, nudged Su Yumian. “Come on, I’m hungry.”

“Mm.”

—

Universal Studios was packed on weekends. The pirate ship ride had two long lines snaking through the plaza.

Jiang Yihuai stood in line while Shi Muxi bought a slushie. She glanced at the crowd ahead. “Only ten more people! We’re almost there!”

The temperature had shot up to 32°C. Jiang Yihuai had taken off his coat and draped it over his arm, passing the time by playing on his phone. Suddenly, murmurs spread through the crowd.

Following their gazes, Shi Muxi saw a sea of balloons rising near the carousel. A man, holding a bouquet of red roses, walked toward a woman. They embraced, looking like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

“Is this a birthday surprise? So romantic…”

Shi Muxi’s heart fluttered. Today was her birthday too. Other than the gift, did Jiang Yihuai have any surprises planned for her?

Jiang Yihuai lazily glanced at the scene before looking back down at his phone, expressionless. What others found romantic, he only found dull. He knew what Shi Muxi was hoping for.

But he never did these meaningless gestures when he was with Su Yumian before—he wouldn’t start now.