At night, the warm yellow glow from the bedside lamp was exceptionally alluring, casting a soft light over the two figures nestled close together on the bed.
Shrinking into the young man’s embrace, the girl looked incredibly petite.
Tonight, they had talked much longer than usual; without realizing it, they had already passed midnight.
Lin Xinyuan was starting to feel sleepy, but she forced herself to stay awake, her eyelids drooping every now and then.
Qin Nanfeng’s deep, gentle voice echoed in her ear as he shared interesting stories from his childhood.
Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan’s interest was piqued once again.
However, the exhaustion was real. She had to pinch the flesh of her thigh through her pajamas to barely muster enough energy to listen closely.
She didn’t want to miss a single opportunity to learn more about this “stinky blonde”…
But… she was just so sleepy…
Especially while listening to his voice, the girl felt a profound sense of security, which only made her sleepier.
In her daze, the young man’s voice stopped. Thinking she could finally sleep, Lin Xinyuan prepared to say something.
But just then, Qin Nanfeng called out to her: “Xiaoyuan…”
His voice was strangely husky, seemingly filled with an irrepressible emotion. It gave a sudden jolt to Lin Xinyuan’s waning spirit, clearing her consciousness slightly.
“Mm… what is it?”
Her voice carried a mix of confusion and grogginess, her eyes holding a trace of pure reliance.
As she spoke, she lifted her head from Qin Nanfeng’s chest, her gaze meeting a pair of eyes shimmering with a smile.
“Xiaoyuan, do you know what day it is today?”
“Ah… what day?”
Lin Xinyuan’s eyes were blank; she hadn’t processed why he was asking this.
Isn’t today just today? The sixth day of the Lunar New Year—is there something special about it?
The girl’s confused and dazed look was incredibly cute, but seeing her like this made Qin Nanfeng’s heart feel heavy and complicated.
He pulled his thoughts together and chuckled: “You little dummy, did you even forget your own birthday?”
After saying that, he gave her small head a gentle flick, causing her to let out a soft “Ouch!”
Lin Xinyuan was about to snap back at him, but when she realized what he had said, she froze.
Today is my birthday?
It took her a good long while to recall the date. After half a minute, she managed to squeeze out a single word: “Oh…”
Ever since her grandmother passed away, “birthdays” had ceased to exist for her. After all, celebrating a birthday all by oneself was truly meaningless…
Setting “that man” aside, before her relationship with her mother had thawed, her mother would simply send her money every year and tell her to buy something for herself. Furthermore, she basically had no friends in the past…
Gradually, in her mind, birthdays had become something optional, until she eventually forgot them herself.
So, upon hearing Qin Nanfeng’s reminder, her initial reaction was relatively flat.
But very quickly, memories of past birthdays seemed to revive, flashing through her mind…
Disappointment, resentment, nostalgia, until finally… numbness.
“You… how did you know…”
The girl felt her mouth go dry. Following the initial surprise, an indescribable feeling of heartache and suffocation washed over her.
Yet these negative emotions quickly dissipated, replaced by a sweetness like dripping honey. The bridge of her nose stung with a sharp, sour ache.
How did he know…
How could he have known?
Feeling Lin Xinyuan’s body trembling slightly, Qin Nanfeng didn’t answer her question. Instead, he stroked her head and said softly, “Can you sit up for a moment?”
Lin Xinyuan remained silent, still immersed in that sudden rush of emotion…
Though reluctant to leave his warmth, she obediently let go of her embrace to let the young man get up.
The girl’s watery eyes were bright, staring blankly at Qin Nanfeng without blinking.
She watched him get out of bed and walk toward the coat rack, appearing to search for something in the pocket of his jacket. Lin Xinyuan seemed to guess what was happening.
Finally, Qin Nanfeng quickly found the object in the dark and paced back toward her.
His steps were steady and powerful, each one feeling as if it were stepping directly on Lin Xinyuan’s heart. her small face was already flushed; her fatigue had vanished, replaced entirely by anticipation.
Once Qin Nanfeng was back on the bed, they leaned against the headboard together.
Finally, he opened his palm, revealing the object completely to Lin Xinyuan.
“This is… a hairpin…” Lin Xinyuan stared at the long, slender object resting on his broad palm. She tilted her head slightly, her mouth parting in surprise.
“Yes. From now on, it belongs to Xiaoyuan. Do you like it?”
Pinching the girl’s soft cheek, Qin Nanfeng stared straight into her eyes.
There was no grand surprise, no suspense, and certainly no sense of “ceremony”…
But having been a boy in the past, Lin Xinyuan’s expression of emotion was relatively direct. This was more than enough to make her extremely happy.
Or rather… as long as it was a gift from this guy, she would love it.
She had cherished the red string—which only cost a dozen yuan—so much that she still wore it every day. To say nothing of this object, which clearly looked quite valuable.
“Mmm, I love it!”
The girl’s voice was soft and sweet, her tone light and happy. Her bright eyes seemed to sparkle even in the night.
The surge of joy temporarily broke through her long-standing shyness. She lunged at Qin Nanfeng in a bear hug, her fuzzy head nuzzling against the crook of his neck, letting out irrepressible “whimpering” sounds from the sheer force of her emotion.
Feeling Lin Xinyuan’s soft, boneless body and the ticklish sensation of her hair against his neck, Qin Nanfeng’s nose was filled with her fresh fragrance. Yet, he felt no lust; he only looked at her tenderly.
“As long as you like it.”
It was always yours, and only yours…
“Uh, right…”
Just then, as if remembering something, the girl pushed against Qin Nanfeng’s chest to sit up slightly.
Her gaze returned to Qin Nanfeng’s open palm, staring at the white jade hairpin that emitted a faint white glow under the lamp. The face that had just become lively was now shadowed with hesitation: “This thing… it must be very expensive…”
“Maybe… maybe we shouldn’t…”
Even though it was her birthday, and she knew he likely wasn’t short on money, Lin Xinyuan felt uneasy about accepting such a precious gift.
“It’s fine. If you wear it, it has value. Otherwise… it’s just a piece of junk…”
The young man’s words were firm, not sounding like a cliché line at all. His eyes held an intense, restrained emotion that made her heart tremble.
Lin Xinyuan’s face turned even redder, her heart thumping wildly. She almost accepted it on the spot.
But she barely managed to restrain herself, her voice stuttering slightly: “It’s not good… how about…”
“Are you sure you don’t want it, Xiaoyuan?” Before she could finish, Qin Nanfeng interrupted her.
He paused slightly, his gaze toward her turning playful: “This belongs to my future wife…”
He chuckled softly: “Since you don’t want it, I’ll save it for someone else later.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the girl suddenly pounced again, trying to snatch the jade hairpin from his hand.
Qin Nanfeng didn’t resist, watching her grab it.
“You… you’re not allowed to give it to anyone else!” Lin Xinyuan bit her pink lip, clutching the item tightly, her eyes glaring fiercely at him.
This guy actually had such a thought… how could he!
She was truly anxious; the moment she heard that “stinky blonde” say such things, she couldn’t control her emotions at all.
But seeing Qin Nanfeng’s teasing expression, Lin Xinyuan gradually realized what she had just done!
Her already restless face turned a deep crimson. She racked her brain for a while before stammering: “I… I’m just helping you keep it safe! It’s not like I actually want it or anything…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was like a mosquito’s hum, and her head lowered involuntarily.
Qin Nanfeng pulled her petite body back into his arms, lay down, and affectionately pinched her nose: “Mhm… I understand, wifey…”
“Mmm…” Hearing that title, the girl’s body shivered. She was so embarrassed she didn’t dare speak another word.
“Xiaoyuan is so cute.”
“Ugh… go… go away…”