"Ding-dong."
Mo Qingyun ran excitedly to open the door, but as soon as the person revealed their face, the smile on Mo Qingyun's face vanished.
Xie Youlin quickly blocked the door frame with his hand.
Xie Youlin: "Xiao Yun, listen to me..."
Xie Youlin: "Hiss..."
The moment Mo Qingyun tried to close the door, she pinched Xie Youlin's hand, causing him to hiss in pain.
Mo Qingyun also felt a bit nervous, seeing Xie Youlin's pained expression.
Mo Qingyun opened the door, and Xie Youlin was finally let in.
Xie Youlin carried the birthday cake to the dining room. Mo Qingyun knew what he was there for, but she wasn't receptive. She didn't want to say a single word to Xie Youlin.
Xie Youlin: "Xiao Yun, I really know I was wrong. Look, I brought your favorite cake. I want to wish you a happy birthday."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I received it. You can go now."
Xie Youlin proceeded to stick the candles into the cake himself. He fumbled in his pocket and lit the candles with a lighter.
Xie Youlin: "Make a wish?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I don't want to spend my birthday with you. Ou Yunchen will be here to see me soon. Can you leave quickly?"
Xie Youlin put down the cake he had lifted.
Xie Youlin: "Xiao Yun, I just want to talk to you. Besides you, I have no other family I can trust."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "You still have your adoptive parents."
Xie Youlin: "My adoptive father... passed away not long ago..."
Mo Qingyun's expression finally softened. She hadn't known about Xie Youlin's adoptive father's passing. Perhaps she had been too harsh on Xie Youlin...
Xie Youlin: "Xiao Yun, I want to make it up to you."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "You don't owe me anything."
Xie Youlin: "Because I couldn't take good care of you, and you lost your job. During that time, I was also going through a lot of changes, so I didn't consider you..."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "It's not your fault. You don't need to blame yourself. On the contrary, I think I implicated you and your education center."
Xie Youlin: "Do you have money now?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I have some savings."
Xie Youlin: "Trust me one more time, okay?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Do you need money?"
Xie Youlin: "Invest the money in the education center's stocks. It will rise soon. I've already received news that the education center's stocks will double in value before long."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Even though I dislike you, we both grew up in orphanages. If you need help, I will help you, just like you gave me a job back then..."
Xie Youlin: "I don't know what I can do to make you forgive my recklessness back then. I truly regret it now."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I really like Ou Yunchen, so I won't accept you..."
Xie Youlin: "I know. I can wait for you. Even if we just go back to being friends, as long as you don't treat me like a stranger."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Wait for me for a moment."
With that, Mo Qingyun returned to her bedroom. She took out a bank card from the bedside drawer. It contained her savings.
Mo Qingyun handed it to Xie Youlin.
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I don't understand how to invest in the stock market. Consider this money as payment for helping me find my brother."
***
Just downstairs from Mo Qingyun's apartment, Ou Yunchen's car pulled into the residential complex.
Ou Yunchen glanced at Mo Qingyun's window. The light was on. The thought of Mo Qingyun's appearance made Ou Yunchen's lips curl into a smile.
The little mute must be waiting impatiently.
— Ou Yunchen's WeChat —
Ou Yunchen: "I'm downstairs at your place. Come down."
— End of Ou Yunchen's WeChat —
After waiting for a few seconds without a reply, he looked up at the light in the apartment, which remained on.
Just as Ou Yunchen was about to make a call, the light upstairs suddenly turned off.
A moment later, Mo Qingyun came downstairs.
Ou Yunchen got out of the car and opened his arms. Mo Qingyun ran a few steps and nestled into Ou Yunchen's embrace.
Ou Yunchen: "Why did it take you so long to come down?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I was tidying up."
Ou Yunchen's senses were heightened. He had a persistent feeling that someone had walked down with Mo Qingyun from a dark corner of the building, but that shadowy figure hadn't revealed themselves.
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "What are you looking at? I'm so hungry, let's go eat."
Ou Yunchen gently rubbed Mo Qingyun's cheek, and then, as if on purpose, hugged her waist and gave her a passionate kiss.
A loud "smack" echoed.
Ou Yunchen licked his lips, which felt a bit sticky.
Ou Yunchen: "Did your lipstick expire? Why is it so oily?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "No way! It's lip gloss!"
As Ou Yunchen fastened Mo Qingyun's seatbelt, his peripheral vision kept scanning the shadowy figure in the hallway.
Mo Qingyun quickly reapplied her makeup, as if that kiss had smudged it.
As the car turned, Ou Yunchen deliberately glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the shadow emerged. How could he not recognize him? It was Xie Youlin!
Ou Yunchen drove in silence for a while. He still smiled when Mo Qingyun looked at him, but his mind was preoccupied with Xie Youlin.
He worried that Xie Youlin had found some new information about Mo Qingyun's brother. Ou Yunchen suspected Mo Qingyun might have another secret.
Finally, after driving along Binhai Road, Ou Yunchen parked the car by the boardwalk, looking down at the bioluminescent sea.
The waves crashing against the shore glowed with a faint blue light, like natural neon lights flashing in the sea.
Mo Qingyun excitedly leaned over the railing, looking down. It was so beautiful. The bioluminescent sea only appeared during this season each year. They were truly lucky tourists!
Ou Yunchen hugged Mo Qingyun from behind. He smelled her faint floral scent today, making him want to bury his face in her neck.
Ou Yunchen: "Happy birthday."
Ou Yunchen's warm breath tickled Mo Qingyun's skin, making her feel giddy. The surroundings were dark, and only in such darkness could the bioluminescence of the sea be clearly seen. This made Mo Qingyun feel both romantic and thrilled.
After kissing for a while, Ou Yunchen suddenly covered Mo Qingyun's eyes.
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "What are you doing?"
Ou Yunchen: "Close your eyes."
Mo Qingyun obediently complied. Ou Yunchen took her hand and slowly led her to the trunk of the car.
The moment the trunk opened, Mo Qingyun's eyes lit up with the sight of twinkling fairy lights and clusters of roses surrounding a beautiful cake.
Mo Qingyun excitedly hugged Ou Yunchen's neck. This was the most romantic trunk she had ever seen!
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "When did you prepare this?"
Ou Yunchen: "I took the car to the flower shop this afternoon. Do you like it?"
Mo Qingyun nodded vigorously and took out her phone to take a picture.
Ou Yunchen: "I'll help you."
Ou Yunchen then wrapped his arms around Mo Qingyun's waist. With their backs to the trunk, they raised their phones and, at the moment of pressing the shutter, their thoughts converged, and they kissed.
Ou Yunchen took out a glowing "Happy Birthday" crown from beside the cake in the trunk. When he pressed the button, it emitted colorful lights.
Mo Qingyun put it on her head. Then she watched as Ou Yunchen opened the plastic cover of the cake and lit the cold fireworks candles.
Ou Yunchen clapped and sang "Happy Birthday." Mo Qingyun initially smiled shyly, then earnestly closed her eyes to make a wish.
A minute later, she opened her eyes as the cold fireworks candles extinguished.
Ou Yunchen: "What did you wish for?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "If I say it, it won't come true!"
Ou Yunchen: "Even if you don't say it, I know. You probably wished for a long-lasting relationship with me."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "No way!"
Ou Yunchen cut the cake, laughing. He confidently said, "It is."
Before Mo Qingyun could retort, Ou Yunchen smeared some cream on her face!
Mo Qingyun quickly retaliated by picking some cream from the cake, but Ou Yunchen, having anticipated this, dodged. Mo Qingyun chased him, wanting to get back at him.
Ou Yunchen: "Alright, alright. It was just a joke."
Ou Yunchen grabbed Mo Qingyun's wrist, making it impossible for her to smear cream on his face anymore.
Ou Yunchen: "Look at you, you're still angry. Fine, you can smear some."
Just as Ou Yunchen was about to let go, Mo Qingyun thought she had an opportunity. However, Ou Yunchen tightened his grip, and the cream Mo Qingyun had prepared ended up on her own face.
Now Mo Qingyun was truly determined to chase Ou Yunchen and give him a good thrashing!
As they chased and playfully fought, they were unaware that someone in a car in the distance was watching it all.
Xie Youlin's car was parked there. He had prepared a cake for Mo Qingyun, and he had canceled his evening meeting for her. Yet, he could only grovel like a dog, trying to win over Mo Qingyun who clearly wasn't interested.
Ou Yunchen, on the other hand, seemed to get everything he wanted from Mo Qingyun without doing anything, and had already celebrated her birthday in the car?!
Xie Youlin slammed on the accelerator and drove recklessly, almost hitting Mo Qingyun as she ran across the road!
But as the car sped past, it was Ou Yunchen who pulled Mo Qingyun back. It was a close call, but they were safe.
Ou Yunchen: "Little idiot, why were you running around on the road? What if you got hit by a car?"
Mo Qingyun pouted. It was Ou Yunchen who started running around first!
Ou Yunchen took out a tissue and carefully wiped the cream from Mo Qingyun's face.
Mo Qingyun held up her fingers, indicating he shouldn't forget to wipe the cream from her fingers too.
But Ou Yunchen didn't pay attention. He pretended to lick his fingers and make a "pew pew" sound.
Mo Qingyun got angry again. Before she could hit Ou Yunchen's chest, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her ear.
A shiver ran down Mo Qingyun's spine, and she surrendered. She was always made to feel giddy by this rascal, but he didn't take things any further.
Ou Yunchen: "I've decided. I can't stand other men touching you. So, let's do it today."
Mo Qingyun's cheeks flushed even hotter. If it wasn't dark, her face would have been as red as a tomato!
She remained silent, resting her head on Ou Yunchen's chest, a silent consent.
Ou Yunchen drove fast, occasionally stealing glances at the shy Mo Qingyun. She kept her head down, nervously rubbing her thumbs.
Just as Ou Yunchen was about to reach out and stroke Mo Qingyun's head to comfort her, his phone rang.
— Ou Yunchen on call —
Sister Lan: "Where are you?"
Ou Yunchen: "Is something wrong?"
Sister Lan: "It's very urgent. I'm coming to find you."
Ou Yunchen glanced uneasily at Mo Qingyun beside him. If Sister Lan saw Mo Qingyun, it would undoubtedly expose the little mute.
Sister Lan, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly contacting him must mean something serious had happened.
Ou Yunchen: "I'll come to you."
— End of Ou Yunchen on call —
In his haste, Ou Yunchen had to change direction.
Ou Yunchen dared not look at Mo Qingyun's expression. Had he just stood her up?
Ou Yunchen: "I... I have an urgent matter. I need to go back to the company. I'll take you home first, okay?"
Mo Qingyun's eyes widened. She was worried about the urgent matter Ou Yunchen mentioned, but also disappointed that their first time wouldn't happen.
Ou Yunchen: "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you next time."
Mo Qingyun was amused by Ou Yunchen's sudden display of affection. She pretended to pout, but her resolve broke in less than three seconds.
Ou Yunchen seized the opportunity to pinch Mo Qingyun's pouting lips and spoke in a Donald Duck voice, "It's okay."
This was probably what love was like: being angry yet smiling; wanting to possess yet reluctant to let go; entangled yet forgiving.
No matter what Ou Yunchen did or said, Mo Qingyun accepted it all because she loved this rascal too much.