"I apologize to you. I misspoke. I'm sorry."

Zhong Xuyang grabbed Xiao Yao's hand and sincerely admitted his mistake. He didn't know why he said those things. He had never had such thoughts before, even though he had been with Xiao Yao for so long.

Xiao Yao looked at him, but couldn't bring herself to say that it was okay.

At that moment, the waiter pushed the cake in, and everyone in the private room immediately looked at Zhong Xuyang.

"Xuyang, come and cut the cake."

His friends teased him, but Zhong Xuyang didn't move; he simply sat there holding Xiao Yao's hand.

Apart from Yu Bowen, no one knew about the current stalemate between Zhong Xuyang and Xiao Yao.

"For the sake of my birthday today, please forgive me this once, okay?" Zhong Xuyang pleaded in a low voice.

Seeing that Zhong Xuyang's friends were all watching them, Xiao Yao said, "Go cut the cake first, we can talk about it later."

Zhong Xuyang stared at Xiao Yao. He knew he had made a big mistake and couldn't force her to calm down immediately, but he was afraid she would leave while cutting the cake. "Would you like to come with me to cut the cake?"

Friends had already come up to them, asking what was wrong, but Zhong Xuyang just kept looking at Xiao Yao, waiting for her answer.

Xiao Yao could only nod in the end and follow Zhong Xuyang to the cake.

Everyone surrounded them, and the accompaniment of the birthday song filled the private room. Zhong Xuyang kept looking at Xiao Yao until the song ended. When it was time to blow out the candles and make a wish, he clenched his fists, bowed his head to the candlelight, and made a wish.

"I hope Xiao Yao won't be angry with me. I can always stay by her side."

Zhong Xuyang's public display of affection inevitably caused a stir among the crowd.

"Xuyang, aren't you being a bit too high-profile?"

"I didn't do well, I just made Xiao Yao angry." After saying that, he glanced at her cautiously.

Xiao Yao sighed inwardly. Seeing Zhong Xuyang behaving subserviently towards her in front of so many people, she couldn't help but soften her heart again and began to reflect on herself.

Did she not do a good job just now? Zhong Xuyang was hurt by Lin Wenwen and Liu Yang. Shouldn't she consider his feelings more and avoid suspicion with his brother? She did seem to ignore Yu Bowen when she was chatting with him just now.

Thinking this way, Xiao Yao's anger subsided a bit.

Everyone started giving Zhong Xuyang gifts. Xiao Yao also prepared a gift and went to the seats they had just been sitting in to take out a box from her bag.

As soon as she approached, Zhong Xuyang's gaze fell expectantly on her, and the people around them tactfully moved away, giving them some space to be alone.

Xiao Yao handed him the gift box, saying, "Happy birthday."

Zhong Xuyang's eyes lit up. "You prepared a gift?"

Xiao Yao was still a little upset, giving him a cold glare, "When have I ever not prepared a gift for your birthday?"

Zhong Xuyang was amused by her glare and accepted the gift with both hands. "May I open it and take a look?"

"See?"

Zhong Xuyang opened the small, square box and found a leather belt inside.

He gently stroked the uniquely designed belt buckle and asked Xiao Yao, "Do you know what it means to give someone a belt as a gift?"

Xiao Yao was taken aback. Could there be another meaning behind giving a belt as a gift?

"What's the meaning?"

Zhong Xuyang laughed and said, "You mean you want to keep me tied down."

When they were together, Xiao Yao would give Zhong Xuyang all sorts of gifts during holidays, including shoes, clothes, ties, cakes, and several different kinds of items.

She thought this belt was quite nice while shopping that day, and since she had never given it as a gift before, she bought it as a birthday present. She never expected it to have this kind of meaning.

Xiao Yao explained, "I don't know, I just happened to see something that suited you."

Zhong Xuyang said ingratiatingly, "But I really like this meaning, and I also like being tied down by you."

Xiao Yao sighed and took Zhong Xuyang's hand. "Xuyang, we don't need to tie each other down. I hope our relationship is relaxed and enjoyable. Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhong Xuyang held her hand tightly. "I understand. I will change. Please believe me."

Xiao Yao pointed at his chest and said, "Today is your birthday, so I'll let bygones be bygones for now."

Zhong Xuyang smiled happily, and then he led Xiao Yao around the private room, introducing her to his friends and cousins.

Zhong Xuyang was being chatted with by his friends. Xiao Yao listened for a while but then got a little bored. She noticed a glass door on one side of the private room that seemed to connect to a balcony outside, so she decided to go out onto the balcony for some fresh air.

However, when she opened the balcony door, she saw a person already standing on the balcony, and that person was Yu Bowen.

Xiao Yao paused as she was about to close the door, but Yu Bowen turned around and was also taken aback when he saw her.

He subconsciously looked behind her to look for Zhong Xuyang, but didn't see him. Then his gaze returned to Xiao Yao, and he smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Xiao Yao stood there, unsure whether to go in or not.

She couldn't help but resent Zhong Xuyang's stupid actions. There was nothing wrong at first, but now he had made everyone so embarrassed.

"Why did you come out?" Yu Bowen asked.

Xiao Yao opened the door and went in. "Xu Yang is chatting with his friends. I can't join in the conversation, so I came out for some fresh air. Why did you come out too?"

"Come out and answer my girlfriend's call." Yu Bowen waved his phone.

Xiao Yao paused. Although this might be true, Yu Bowen seemed to be intentionally implying something.

She smiled, walked to the railing, and stood a distance away from Yu Bowen, a distance from which she couldn't even reach out and touch him.

The two of them stood together, completely losing the desire to chat as before. The surroundings were so quiet that Xiao Yao could almost hear Yu Bowen breathing.

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