Chi Shuo couldn’t quite describe her current feelings—truly couldn’t. Perhaps… surprise dominated.
She hadn’t expected He Lindi to remember her birthday just from a glance at her ID card back then.
The feeling was somewhat strange, like someone remembering something you mentioned casually.
Being remembered.
Even though it was possible He Lindi just had a good memory, Chi Shuo still calmed her emotions, no longer feeling the earlier anxiety and irritability.
Even if she truly held no romantic feelings for He Lindi now, Chi Shuo still clung to her past wish—becoming friends with He Lindi would be wonderful. Looking back over the past few years, they hadn’t met infrequently, but they weren’t friends.
How long does it take to become friends? Chi Shuo didn’t know the answer, but judging by the current situation, she had succeeded.
It was just that her past insistence on seeing He Lindi as an imagined rival because He Lindi had “stolen” her crush, and later, when they actually interacted, Chi Shuo wasn’t unwilling to communicate more, but… the truth was, Chi Shuo valued face too much.
In her own heart, and in Han Yu’s eyes, she had successfully brainwashed herself into disliking He Lindi.
Not hate, just dislike. But in reality, her repeated provocations towards He Lindi were solely aimed at getting more contact, like the day He Lindi laughed at her blind date incident. Chi Shuo could have done nothing, just forgotten about it, yet she insisted on going upstairs to supposedly intercept her.
And later?
“Shuo Shuo, what are you thinking about?” Zeng Guai’s voice interrupted her memories. Chi Shuo snapped back and looked at her.
Chi Shuo asked, “What is it?”
“Nothing, just saw you were silent, thought you fell asleep,” Zeng Guai joked.
Chi Shuo sighed, picked up the soy milk in front of her, took a sip, then seriously started eating the delicious food on the table.
Chi Shuo hadn’t told Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai her birthday. They had asked before, but Chi Shuo always made excuses, either the lame “I don’t celebrate my birthday” or the even lamer “Honestly, I don’t even know it myself.”
After a few times, Xia Zhou and the others stopped asking.
But… Chi Shuo thought of a crucial problem: If He Lindi knew, but Xia Zhou and the others didn’t, what would the consequences be?
Chi Shuo didn’t even need to guess to imagine the scene. Zeng Guai and Xia Zhou would definitely be on the verge of a volcanic eruption. Once the lava spurted out, Chi Shuo felt she would be finished.
So, starting from when she got home, Chi Shuo began thinking about how to tell Xia Zhou and the others that her birthday was approaching.
“Approaching” specifically meant Friday. There were only five days left. Given her friends’ personalities, if she didn’t give them time to prepare gifts, Chi Shuo felt her life might be in danger.
Monday, work began again. Seeing Zeng Guai in the morning, Chi Shuo felt somewhat absentminded. She still hadn’t figured out how to bring it up without being awkward. If she suddenly stopped Zeng Guai and said her birthday was coming up, that would… definitely rank in the top 3 awkward moments of the year.
Zeng Guai initially didn’t think much of it, but seeing Chi Shuo hesitate and say nothing made her a bit nervous. During a break, she pulled Chi Shuo into a corner and asked directly, “Shuo Shuo, did I make you angry these past two days?”
Chi Shuo shook her head, looking innocent. “No.” She showed her white teeth. “How could you make me angry?”
Zeng Guai pressed her lips together slightly, seriously asking again, “Then why were you looking at me strangely today?”
Chi Shuo suddenly became like a mute, saying nothing, offering no answer.
“Hohoho!” Zeng Guai pointed at Chi Shuo, her face seemingly etched with the words “I knew it.” She said, “Did you start dating someone and are afraid of hurting me, a single dog, so you’re hesitating whether to tell me?”
“What?”
“Or did you do something wrong behind my back, like secretly eating the dried mangoes hidden in my drawer?”
“What are you talking about!” Chi Shuo pushed her hand down, unable to hold back her laughter. “That’s not what I wanted to say.”
“Spit it out!”
Chi Shuo met her eyes. After a moment, Chi Shuo sighed and waved her hand. “I forgot.”
She wished she had forgotten about it; then she wouldn’t be so conflicted. It was really too difficult to bring up.
During work that afternoon, Chi Shuo thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with a plan. Finally, she opened the chat dialogue with He Lindi and typed a line: 【Teacher He, are you practicing today?】
He Lindi had been reporting her learning progress to her these past two days. From initial slow progress to now being able to walk independently, He Lindi had still spent some time on it.
【Yes.】
【Then let me drive you there, I can teach you other things too.】
【OK, thanks for the trouble, Teacher Chi.】 He Lindi didn’t refuse.
Chi Shuo pondered for a moment, then sent another message: 【There’s something I want to tell you.】
【Go ahead.】
【Let’s talk in the car later.】
“Later” wasn’t really “later”; at least two hours passed before He Lindi got off work.
Her quitting time was half an hour later than Chi Shuo’s. But this time, Chi Shuo didn’t go to the milk tea shop first as before. Instead, she waited directly at Xiyu Company’s front desk for He Lindi to come out.
He Lindi was one of the least punctual people Chi Shuo had ever met when it came to leaving work. She always left ten or more minutes later than others. But today was unprecedented; the first person Chi Shuo saw emerge from Xiyu was He Lindi.
Exactly six o’clock, she clocked out right on time.
Chi Shuo was incredibly shocked. She followed He Lindi into the elevator and pressed B1.
Other people leaving work also squeezed in. Those who knew both of them paused for a moment upon seeing them together, then offered somewhat stiff greetings.
The atmosphere was like this all the way down to the first floor. The crowd finally thinned out. Chi Shuo sighed in relief, feeling liberated. Soon, they reached B1.
The damp coldness of the parking lot remained unchanged. Chi Shuo, wearing mid-sleeves, couldn’t help rubbing her slightly chilled arms.
This wasn’t her first time driving He Lindi’s car. Chi Shuo felt quite familiar with it and even remembered He Lindi’s usual parking spot.
After turning a corner, the two got into the car.
He Lindi fastened her seatbelt while asking, “What’s the matter?”
Chi Shuo still didn’t know how to begin. She placed her hands on the steering wheel, opened her mouth under He Lindi’s gaze, and slowly said, “Later.”
Another “later.” He Lindi touched her chin, didn’t press further, and turned to look out the window.
It was peak rush hour. The road was congested, annoying everyone. Horns blared incessantly.
Chi Shuo rolled up the window tightly, shutting out some of the outside noise.
She licked her lips, rolled her throat nervously again, then turned her head slightly to look at He Lindi, who was playing on her phone with her head down.
This time, she didn’t hesitate, speaking directly, “That… about my birthday, have you mentioned it to Xia Zhou and the others?”
He Lindi slowly looked up, somewhat puzzled. “Why would I mention that?”
Chi Shuo smiled faintly, relieved. “That’s good then.”
Seeing her like this, He Lindi hesitated before speaking, “They… don’t know?”
Remnants of twilight still sprinkled the ground, casting patches of earthy yellow light in front of the car.
Chi Shuo stared at one spot, slowly nodding. “Yes… that’s what I wanted to say. They don’t know my birthday, but you do.” Chi Shuo finally said it, trying her best to keep her tone calm. “But I haven’t celebrated my birthday in a long time.”
“So you mean…” He Lindi frowned slightly. “Wait, let me ask you first, do you want to celebrate your birthday this year?”
Chi Shuo replied with a hum, “Not really thinking about it for now.” She said, “Time is a bit tight now. If I tell them now that my birthday is on Friday, I might get beaten up.”
Chi Shuo finished speaking in a half-joking tone but didn’t get the expected reaction. Instead, He Lindi’s expression grew somewhat solemn.
Chi Shuo felt her breath catch. She rolled her throat again amidst the cacophony of horns, pretending to be calm. “It’s not that I don’t want to treat you to a birthday meal, I just… I just…”
Chi Shuo couldn’t find the answer.
How should she put it? Say she wasn’t used to it? Or say she was used to celebrating birthdays alone and didn’t need anyone else?
He Lindi’s expression returned to calm. She tilted her head slightly, looking at Chi Shuo, whose lips were pressed tightly together. “It doesn’t matter. It’s your birthday; you have the right to choose whether to celebrate it or not.”
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Chi Shuo had initially just wanted to tell He Lindi not to mention her birthday in front of Zeng Guai and the others, letting her bring it up herself so she might avoid criticism from her two friends.
But things developed beyond expectation. Chi Shuo had overestimated her own mental fortitude.
She had long grown accustomed to quietly cooking a meal at home and then sleeping on her birthday, not needing to be with other friends.
Perhaps it was just because things were too sudden; Chi Shuo hadn’t had enough time to prepare herself.
The car fell silent again. For a moment, only the incessant honking outside remained. Fortunately, cars ahead were finally moving, and the traffic flowed smoothly. Chi Shuo sighed. “Finally moving.”
She drove the car towards the VIP roller skating rink they had visited last time. But before reaching the intersection ahead, He Lindi, who had been silent, spoke up: “Feeling a bit tired today, not practicing. Take me home.”
Chi Shuo reacted for two seconds, said “Oh,” didn’t try to persuade her. “Okay.”
So this time, she just acted as a driver. Chi Shuo couldn’t quite describe her feelings.
Perhaps… disappointment dominated. She had thought she could teach He Lindi more basic roller skating skills, but now it was all for naught.
Chi Shuo really didn’t tell Xia Zhou and the others her birthday. She had long felt birthdays weren’t that important.
Time seemed to accelerate again, and soon it was Thursday night. After work, Chi Shuo didn’t linger outside and went straight home.
There were five hours until her birthday. Chi Shuo felt no emotional fluctuations.
At 8 PM, Chi Shuo, having just cooked herself a bowl of instant noodles in the kitchen, heard her phone ringing in the living room.
She carried the bowl of braised beef noodles into the living room, picked up her phone, glanced at the caller ID, then answered, putting it on speakerphone.
It was Han Yu calling. She sounded excited. “Shuo Shuo, are you home? I’m coming over to give you your present.”
Chi Shuo swallowed the noodles in her mouth and replied, “At home, come on over.”
“Coming, at your complex entrance now.”
Chi Shuo chuckled. “So fast, didn’t even say anything.”
“Anyway, you don’t want me to celebrate your birthday with you. I come and go like the wind.”
Chi Shuo waited at home for five minutes before hearing a knock at the door.
Half of the noodles in her bowl remained. Chi Shuo got up to open the door, but didn’t see Han Yu’s face, only her outstretched hand holding out an exquisite bag.
Chi Shuo took the bag, unable to hold back her laughter. “Really going to be like the wind? Just drop off the gift and leave?”
Han Yu stopped playing hide-and-seek. She stood at Chi Shuo’s doorway, smiling at her. “Yeah, hasn’t it been like this these past two years?” Her tone held a hint of grievance. “I’d like to stay longer, but wouldn’t that be disturbing you?”
Chi Shuo was speechless, then moved her lips, lifted the bag slightly, and said to Han Yu, “Thanks.”
“I’m leaving then.”
“Shuo Shuo, be happy tomorrow, and keep being happy in the future.”
Hearing her blessings, Chi Shuo replied, “Okay.”
Han Yu left, not even stepping inside. Chi Shuo closed the door and returned to the living room.
The noodles in the bowl had become somewhat soggy. Chi Shuo pressed her lips together, having lost her appetite.
She looked at the bag beside her, slowly reached out, took it, and opened it.
Inside was a beige box tied with a ribbon. Chi Shuo lowered her head slightly and smelled a faint woody scent.
Chi Shuo curved her lips into a smile and opened the box.
Sure enough, inside lay a bottle of perfume—the woody scent Chi Shuo liked.
Beside the perfume lay a greeting card. The handwriting on it was somewhat sloppy: Happy Birthday to our Shuo Shuo!
Next to it were drawings of “Yay” and “OK” finger gestures, representing the number 23.
Chi Shuo touched the perfume bottle. Not eager to try the scent yet, she placed it aside and messaged Han Yu again: 【Thanks.】
Thank you Han Yu for remembering her birthday, and thank you Han Yu for their many years of friendship.
Chi Shuo’s mood inevitably dipped slightly, but she still chatted normally with Xia Zhou and the others.
As midnight approached, she opened the WeChat dialogue with her mother, but the message history stopped at the last time she transferred money to her mother.
Chi Shuo’s fingertips slid across the screen. Then, she transferred 2000 yuan to her mother.
Her mother accepted the transfer instantly, with no other reaction.
Chi Shuo waited five minutes, ten minutes, but still didn’t receive a “Happy Birthday, daughter” from her mother.
What was she hoping for? Since her parents divorced, she had never received this message again, nor heard the term “daughter,” only the stiff, distant “Chi Shuo.”
As midnight struck, Chi Shuo’s eyes gradually reddened, and then tears streamed down like a breached dam, completely uncontrollable, impossible to stop.
She had said she didn’t care about birthdays, but in reality, she still craved warmth. Chi Shuo knew herself too well.
Amidst her suppressed sobs, another sound rang out—her phone ringing again.
Chi Shuo wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, picked up the phone. It was a call from an unknown number, the location Yuncheng.
Chi Shuo sniffled, didn’t think much of it, and answered.
She said “Hello?”, hearing her own thick nasal tone. Fortunately, no sobs, otherwise she would have completely exposed herself.
“Happy birthday to my ex-girlfriend, Chi Shuo.”
Chi Shuo: “…”
“Eh? What? Not even a thank you? You used to say thank you.”
Chi Shuo: “Shen Qu, is there something wrong with you?”
“Just diagnosed with depression recently, no need to worry.”
Working in the entertainment industry without a strong mentality easily leads to breakdowns. For someone like Shen Qu, who faced daily insults and rumors from anti-fans, her heart needed to be even stronger; otherwise, problems easily arose.
Chi Shuo saw her always smiling on the surface, thought she was very strong, didn’t expect her to have depression, like many other celebrities.
Chi Shuo covered the phone, turned her head away, sniffled, then spoke into the phone again, “I’m going to sleep.”
She didn’t want to show any concern, because Shen Qu would definitely push her luck.
Shen Qu quickly said, “Wait!” Her voice held laughter. “You didn’t believe it, did you?”
Chi Shuo: “…”
“I’m filming a new drama next week. Still have time to hang out now. Where are you? It’s just the start of the weekend, come out for a late-night snack?”
Chi Shuo refused: “No.” She repeated, “I’m going to sleep.”
She hung up, but didn’t blacklist Shen Qu this time, because she was too lazy. Several of Shen Qu’s phone numbers were already lying in her blacklist.
This person changed phone numbers really frequently.
Chi Shuo tossed the phone aside again. Just as she was about to get up and wash her face, it lit up again.
It was a WeChat message. Chi Shuo blinked, picked it up again, and opened it.
It was from He Lindi.
【Tried calling you just now, kept saying you were busy.】
【Asked Xia Zhou and the others for your address, the security guard won’t let me in.】
【Come down and get me.】
If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.
