Jiang Sixian’s birthday was on August 24th. Last year, Ning Wenying had actually invited Jiang Yi to the party. However, at the time, it was just after the seventh day of Jiang Yi’s mother’s passing, so Jiang Yi hadn’t gone.
This year, her birthday coincided with Jiang Yi’s confinement, so once again, Jiang Yi couldn’t attend.
Even though Jiang Yi couldn’t go out, Jiang Sixian still celebrated her birthday. Unlike last year’s grand party, this year, Jiang Sixian declined Ning Wenying’s offer to host a large gathering and instead invited her friends to her own villa for a smaller get-together.
Ning Wenying and Jiang Qionghua weren’t entirely comfortable with a group of teenagers left unsupervised. After all, with Jiang Yi’s incident fresh in their minds, who knew if another Alpha like Jiang Yi might emerge? Therefore, on the 24th, both Jiang Qionghua and Ning Wenying attended the party, even bringing along a private medical and security team. This left Jiang Yi alone at home.
Actually, for the past six months, Jiang Yi had mostly been alone at home. Weekdays were spent attending online classes or doing homework. In the evenings, she’d work out in the home gym, occasionally playing ball games with Jiang Qionghua and Ning Wenying.
After Jiang Yi’s hospitalization, Jiang Qionghua had renovated the house, converting the empty space behind the main villa into a smaller, separate residence specifically for Jiang Yi.
The two-story cottage housed Jiang Yi’s study, bedroom (the glass room), and living room on the first floor, with a gym and a small indoor court on the second. Although smaller than the main villa, it was fully equipped. Jiang Yi’s daily activities were essentially confined to this space.
When the little monitor and her friends first visited Jiang Yi’s cottage, they exclaimed that Jiang Yi was like Rapunzel, kept in a golden cage. They jokingly called it the “Panda House” and even had a custom doorplate made with Chen Wanzhou, labeling it as such. Jiang Yi, utterly speechless at her friends’ antics, simply rolled her eyes at them.
Perhaps because they lived separately, and because Jiang Yi had differentiated into a special Alpha, she and Jiang Sixian rarely saw each other.
Since moving into the glass room, they’d only met two or three times a month, always with Jiang Qionghua and Ning Wenying present. There were no opportunities for them to be alone.
While avoiding excessive contact with Jiang Sixian should have been a cause for celebration, Jiang Yi occasionally felt a strange sense of melancholy. But she quickly dismissed these feelings, pushing aside any thoughts about the bond between her and Jiang Sixian.
It wasn’t until last night, when Ning Wenying and Jiang Qionghua mentioned they’d be going out, that Jiang Yi belatedly remembered the person named Jiang Sixian in her life.
After realizing it was Jiang Sixian’s birthday, Jiang Yi tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to sleep.
Finally, at midnight, she picked up her phone, opened WeChat, clicked on Jiang Sixian’s profile picture, and transferred 9999 yuan. After sending the money, she typed, “Happy birthday.”
Jiang Sixian replied instantly: “Thank you, received.”
Seeing the immediate response, Jiang Yi felt inexplicably happy. Holding her phone, she typed, the blue light illuminating her smiling face: “I couldn’t buy a gift, so use this to buy yourself something.”
Jiang Yi felt birthdays were about practicality, not flowery gestures. Just sending money was the most straightforward approach.
However, Jiang Sixian, who wasn’t short of money, didn’t accept the transfer. She simply replied, “It’s enough that you wished me a happy birthday. I don’t need the money, and I don’t know what I want anyway.”
Jiang Yi was stunned. She couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting money. Then she remembered Jiang Sixian was wealthy and didn’t need it.
Jiang Yi typed, “I know you don’t need the money, but it’s for a gift! It’s your birthday!”
Jiang Sixian bit her lip and quickly replied, “Gifts are more meaningful when chosen by others. Buying something for myself isn’t the same.”
Jiang Yi scratched her head, feeling bewildered by the logic of the rich. Did this mean she wanted Jiang Yi to choose a gift and then give it to her?
The problem was, she’d only learned about Jiang Sixian’s birthday last night. Online shopping was out of the question; she’d have to go out and buy something.
But in her current situation, she couldn’t even leave the house. What if she went out and triggered a mass Omega frenzy, ending up… well, you know.
Was she supposed to sacrifice her virtue for Jiang Sixian’s birthday gift?
Jiang Yi felt inexplicably irritated. She scratched her head and replied, “Fine, whatever. Have fun today.”
Even through the screen, Jiang Sixian seemed to sense Jiang Yi’s frustration. She pursed her lips, feeling a twinge of disappointment. But she’d long accepted that Jiang Yi would never like her, so she quickly dismissed the feeling.
She simply replied, “Okay,” then put away her phone, no longer checking Jiang Yi’s messages.
On the other end, Jiang Yi, staring at the awkward conversation, couldn’t bring herself to continue. She scratched her head, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom.
After washing up, she ate the breakfast Grandma Xu Lan had brought over and started playing a new game.
As she played, her phone buzzed incessantly. She glanced at it and saw a flurry of messages from the little monitor in their 5A group chat.
Only then did Jiang Yi realize the little monitor and the others had attended Jiang Sixian’s birthday party and had even taken pictures with Ning Wenying.
Jiang Yi was surprised. “How did you guys end up there? Did Jiang Sixian invite you?”
The little monitor replied quickly, “Wow, Jiang Yi, you’re awake! We thought you were still asleep.”
What? You only sent all those pictures because you thought I was asleep?
Chen Wanzhou quickly chimed in, “No, Auntie Ning invited us. We were afraid you’d be sad if you couldn’t go, so we agreed not to tell you.”
Jiang Yi rolled her eyes, tapping furiously on her phone screen. “Oh, thanks a lot!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t tell me? Why are you sending pictures now? Just to rub it in?”
The little monitor sheepishly replied, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Auntie Ning is too amazing, I had to show off.”
Jin Duolai added, “Yinxi is so mean. She said you’d be green with envy at home, and this was our only chance to tease you.”
Zhang Tiantian summarized, “The monitor has no heart.”
Chen Wanzhou joined in, “No heart +1.”
Jiang Yi knew they were ganging up on her. She sneered and replied, “Oh, please. Lin Yinxi is a menace, but you’re no better. Get lost.”
Jiang Yi put away her phone, ignoring them. But shortly after, the little monitor sent a video with the caption: “Qin Miaomiao confessing to Xianxian with a piano performance.”
Jiang Yi glanced at it, then, unable to resist, clicked on the video. She saw Qin Miaomiao, dressed in a floral bellflower dress, her long hair elegantly styled, sitting at a piano in the villa’s back garden, playing a melody.
Jiang Yi didn’t recognize the piece, so she used a music identification app. The result: Moonlight Sonata.
Well, well, a true confession song. How bold…
At the end of the video, Qin Miaomiao lifted her hands from the keys, smiling at Jiang Sixian. “This is my birthday gift to you, Xianxian… I hope you like it.”
In the video, Jiang Sixian wore a sky-blue dress, her hair styled in an updo, a sprig of bellflowers tucked behind her ear. She looked incredibly elegant and refined.
Jiang Yi couldn’t help but feel that, compared to six months ago, Jiang Sixian seemed more alluring.
She seemed to have matured, a hint of future charm and grace now visible.
Jiang Yi, almost unconsciously, replayed the end of the video, watching Jiang Sixian.
In the little monitor’s carefully composed shot, Jiang Sixian’s exposed skin glowed, as radiant as a fairy’s.
Jiang Yi’s gaze lingered on her snow-white neck, and she licked her teeth, thinking that spot must be delightful to bite.
Shortly after Jiang Yi finished watching the video, a female Alpha played a saxophone piece, also confessing to Jiang Sixian.
Jiang Yi realized these weren’t just birthday gifts; they were veiled confessions.
Jiang Yi felt slightly exasperated, commenting, “Isn’t this a birthday party? It feels more like a matchmaking event, everyone lining up to confess to Jiang Sixian.”
The little monitor quickly replied, “Well, you have to understand, Jiang Sixian is incredibly popular. Most of her admirers don’t expect to date her. Take Qin Miaomiao, for example. She’s liked Jiang Sixian for years, but she’s never actually confessed her feelings.”
“For someone as desirable as Jiang Sixian, just being able to say ‘I like you’ is the best possible outcome for their secret crushes.”
“They still want to be her friend, so this is their way of confessing.”
Jiang Yi thought about it and agreed. However, perhaps because she’d differentiated into an Alpha, she’d been feeling easily irritated lately.
She decided to ignore the little monitor, but the monitor persisted, asking, “By the way, Jiang Yi, what did you get Xianxian for her birthday?”
Jiang Yi’s irritation flared. She replied curtly, “Money.”
The little monitor was shocked. “Money? Why money?! She doesn’t need money! She needs a thoughtful gesture! It’s Jiang Sixian’s birthday! You’re so careless!”
Jiang Yi glanced at the message and replied, “I’ve always been careless with her.”
After sending the message, Jiang Yi put down her phone and picked up her game controller. But as she played, Jiang Sixian’s words about gifts being more meaningful when chosen by others echoed in her mind, making her feel strangely uncomfortable.
Lost in thought, she couldn’t focus on the game.
Jiang Yi sighed, put down her controller, took off her headphones, opened her contacts, and called Sister Xiao Qin.
Sister Xiao Qin was surprised to receive the call. Jiang Yi also felt she was being impulsive, but she still asked, “Sister Xiao Qin, could you go to the nearby mall for me? I need you to buy me a panda plushie.”
Jiang Yi vaguely remembered seeing many plushies in Jiang Sixian’s room, so she figured Jiang Sixian must like them.
Sister Xiao Qin, though puzzled, quickly agreed and went to the mall.
Jiang Yi spent the entire afternoon on a video call with Sister Xiao Qin, virtually visiting every plushie store in the mall.
Finally, they chose a giant panda, even bigger than Jiang Yi herself, and had it delivered.
By then, it was already past 6 pm.
Jiang Yi, holding the giant panda, went to the main villa and headed straight for Jiang Sixian’s room on the third floor. Since they both used the default password, Jiang Yi easily entered.
Upon entering, she saw the wall lined with plushies.
Looks like I chose the right gift. Jiang Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
She then unwrapped the panda, carried it over, and placed it neatly on the bed.
Jiang Yi stood by the bed, admiring the adorable panda, feeling quite satisfied.
But something was missing.
Jiang Yi looked around, her gaze landing on a stack of sticky notes on Jiang Sixian’s desk.
She thought for a moment, walked over, tore off a note, and wrote a message.
After writing, she stuck the note on the panda’s forehead, looked at it for a while, and chuckled.
“Looks like a zombie panda.” Jiang Yi muttered to herself, then tiptoed out of the room and returned to her own glass cottage.
In the room behind her, a giant panda, almost as tall as herself, sat quietly on the bed, awaiting its new owner.
The setting sun cast long shadows through the window, illuminating the panda’s black and white fur, making its dark eyes gleam.
Just above those gleaming eyes, a comical sticky note was attached, bearing seven characters:
“Be happy every day, Jiang Sixian.”
Help me decide what to translate next by voting for the novels you’re most interested in reading or suggesting ones you’d like to see translated.
If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.
