Chapter 21: So Many Questions

Xu lowered his gaze, and for some reason, the words he’d said to Lu Yiqi at noon drifted back into his mind. She’d really just come to ask about the progress, nothing more—so innocently, almost comically so. There were countless people who’d tried to add him on WeChat and failed, yet she’d managed it and didn’t even realize the value. Tsk.

The next moment, the WeChat notification chimed again.

Lu Yiqi: Um... actually, there’s one more thing I haven’t said.

Xu: What is it?

He waited about ten seconds before her message arrived.

Lu Yiqi: Well... thank you.

A few seconds later, a sticker appeared on his screen—a duck bowing, with the word “Thanks” written above it. It was an adorably silly sticker. He stared at it for a while, and inexplicably, a quiet laugh escaped his throat.

Without bothering to type a reply, he pressed the voice button and sent Lu Yiqi a voice message.

...

After sending the sticker, Lu Yiqi waited a while without receiving a reply. She assumed Xu wouldn’t respond, so she set her phone aside—only for it to ding again moments later.

She opened WeChat.

Xu: [Voice message]

Lu Yiqi tapped the audio bar.

“No need to thank me. Just don’t forget what you promised me.”

What had she promised him? Oh, right—she’d agreed to prepare a birthday gift for him. But he’d only mentioned that his birthday was next month, not the exact day. Should she ask for clarification?

As she pondered, she replayed the voice message. Was it her imagination, or did his lowered voice sound strangely flirtatious?

Meanwhile, Lu Yiqi sent her question to Xu.

Lu Yiqi: Oh, by the way, what day next month is your birthday? Let me know so I can prepare your gift ahead of time.

Xu replied quickly.

Xu: 10.27.

Lu Yiqi counted—nearly fifty days until Xu’s birthday.

On the other side, after sending his birthday to Lu Yiqi, Xu paused for a moment. Ever since that incident, he hadn’t liked celebrating his birthday. Yet somehow, today, he’d told Lu Yiqi he didn’t need her to treat him to a meal—just that she should prepare a birthday gift.

Lu Yiqi had joked that maybe he was afraid no one would give him presents, so he wanted her to do it.

In truth, after that incident, for the next two years, he received plenty of gifts from friends and family, and the Xie family would host birthday parties. But he never attended. Gradually, the parties stopped, and gifts dwindled—except for He Shi, who stubbornly prepared something for him every year, even when Xu told him not to. He Shi would force the gift into his hands, and next year, he’d do it all over again.

So He Shi became one of his few friends, his brother.

Yet after meeting Lu Yiqi, it was as if he’d been enchanted—he found himself looking forward to this year’s birthday.

This time, after his birthday, he’d be eighteen.

He wondered what kind of coming-of-age gift that silly girl would prepare for him.

When he looked at WeChat again, Lu Yiqi had sent two more messages, two minutes prior.

Lu Yiqi: Okay.

Lu Yiqi: And, are we going to school together tomorrow morning? Should I wait for you or you for me? Where should we meet?

Xu silently grumbled about her endless questions, all while tapping his reply on his phone.