Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Happy birthday to you!
Wen Yu had two days of bereavement leave remaining. She no longer had to worry about Wen Yu's affairs, but she wasn't planning on canceling her leave and returning to work. She had already applied for leave, and she wanted to use it all.
After returning from Xiahe Village, Wen Yu's fever gradually subsided. She stayed at home all afternoon, taking her temperature three or four times, and each time it was within normal range. Wen Yu felt like she was stinking from sweating last night, so she got up and quickly took a shower. As she emerged from the bathroom, Yan Qianqian called her, "Sister Wen Yu, I found another delicious restaurant. Let's have dinner together tonight!"
Wen Yu hesitated. She hadn't fully recovered yet, and she was hesitant to go out. She'd planned to make a bowl of wontons tonight. But after a long day of sitting or lying at home, Wen Yu wanted to get out for a walk. She also remembered that she'd previously wanted to treat Yan Qianqian to a mountain hike and a farm dinner, but she'd been unable to do so because of Jiang Jin. So, she decided to just treat her this time.
"Okay, then I'll treat you." Wen Yu said.
"No, no, I'll treat you." Yan Qianqian said, "You helped me get rid of this big burden, Jiang Jin, and I haven't even thanked you properly!"
"You're welcome. It's every citizen's duty to rid the people of harm."
"Thank you, thank you! I know every time you help me, it's actually quite dangerous for you. I'm so embarrassed." Yan Qianqian said quickly, as if she was afraid that Wen Yu would refuse again. "Anyway, it's my treat, so let's just say it! I'm waiting for you at your door now!"
"You're at my door?"
Wen Yu walked to the French window and looked downstairs. There was no one downstairs. Only then did she realize that the doorway Yan Qianqian mentioned must be the villa.
"I'm not in the villa." Wen Yu said.
"Then where are you? I'm coming to pick you up now."
"Pick me up? How are you going to pick me up? You don't have a car, and you don't know how to drive."
Yan Qianqian chuckled and said, "I borrowed my father's driver. Sister Wenyu, tell me the address and we'll be there soon."
After Wen Yu was dressed, Yan Qianqian sent her a WeChat message to tell her that she had arrived.
Qianwanfuweng: Sister Wenyu, I suddenly need to go to the bathroom. Can I borrow yours?
Wen Xiaoyu: Okay, come up.
Wen Yu told Yan Qianqian the exact house number, and Yan Qianqian rushed upstairs. As soon as Wen Yu opened the door, Yan Qianqian covered her stomach and rushed to the bathroom.
“…That’s the study.”
"Oh oh." Yan Qianqian tapped her feet, running on the spot, and asked anxiously, "Where is the bathroom?"
Wen Yu pointed it out to her. After a burst of pumping sounds, Yan Qianqian came out with a refreshed look on her face. While washing her hands, she casually said, "Sister Wen Yu, your house is so beautiful! I envy you so much. I also want to move out on my own, but my parents won't agree."
Wen Yu smiled and said, "You are too young, wait a few years."
The driver dropped them off at the restaurant. Yan Qianqian was very polite and ordered a table full of dishes. The restaurant was very new and the dishes were exquisitely presented. Wen Yu couldn't help but take out her phone to take pictures of the dishes with Yan Qianqian.
At this time, Pan Xianchen sent her a WeChat message: I will pick you up for dinner in the evening.
Wen Xiaoyu: I’m already eating with Yan Qianqian.
Pan Xianchen didn't reply. He scrolled down his WeChat list, found Yan Qianqian, and asked: What are you doing now?
Yan Qianqian was taking a beautiful photo when she suddenly received a WeChat message from Pan Xianchen. She didn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning behind the word "again," nor did she grasp the intolerable tone of his words. She happily replied, "I'm having dinner with Sister Wenyu!"
Then attach three pictures.
Pan Xianchen received two food photos taken by Yan Qianqian and one photo of him taken by Wen Yu. He first right-clicked the photo of himself and saved it into the album, then continued to question Yan Qianqian: Didn’t I tell you not to bother Wen Yu?
Qianwan Rich Man:? Why did I bother her when I invited her to dinner?
Pan Xianchen didn't reply again. He switched to Wen Yu's chat and texted: "When will you finish eating? I'll drive you home."
Wen Xiaoyu: No need, Qianqian brought Mr. Yan’s driver. [Cute][Cute][Cute]
Pan Xianchen: “…”
There is no chance at all.
Pan Xianchen posted again: It’s my birthday this Friday, and I plan to go to Ning Kai’s private restaurant for a gathering. Are you coming too?
Wen Yu thought about it and replied: Okay.
After dinner, Wen Yu and Yan Qianqian went shopping. Yan Qianqian bought so many clothes and cosmetics that she couldn't even carry them all in her four hands. She called the driver and asked him to help carry them to the car. Before long, Yan Qianqian grew tired of shopping, squeezed her high-heeled feet, and wiggled her way to the bathroom.
While Yan Qianqian was in the restroom, Wen Yu went into a nearby store to pick out a birthday present for Pan Xianchen. This evening's shopping gave Wen Yu a lot of thought. She couldn't choose something too expensive for Pan Xianchen, like a designer watch. She couldn't choose something too intimate, like clothes, pants, or shoes. But small items like teacups seemed inappropriate given Pan Xianchen's age and experience. After much deliberation, Wen Yu settled on something practical for Pan Xianchen.
On Friday night, Wen Yu took a taxi to Ning Kai's private restaurant. Pan Xianchen was going directly from work, so Wen Yu didn't ask him to take a detour to pick her up. Since she didn't have work, she left early, and the streets were clear, so she was the first to arrive. The front desk staff had received instructions long ago, and when Wen Yu arrived, they enthusiastically led her directly to the private room they had reserved. Unlike the previous room, this one was larger, less delicate and elegant, and more bold and unrestrained. The same decoration style, different space sizes, and design ingenuity, gave people a surprisingly different experience.
Wen Yu sat in his seat and looked around. After a while, the door opened and Pan Xianchen walked in.
They hadn't seen each other in ages, and suddenly, sitting and standing, they stared at each other, neither of them speaking for a moment. After a long pause, Wen Yu smiled. Pan Xianchen approached her, but seeing that the table wasn't set with tea yet, he went to the counter to get some. There was a porcelain pot on the counter, and Pan Xianchen picked it up; it was empty.
Wen Yu stood up and walked over, saying, "Would you like some tea? The waiter just asked me, but I didn't. I'll ask the waiter to get it for you."
Before reaching the counter, Wen Yu turned and headed out. The door to the private room had barely opened when a hand reached out from behind and closed it again. Pan Xianchen said from behind, "I'm not that hungry for tea, either."
"Oh." Wen Yu nodded.
Pan Xianchen lowered his head to observe Wen Yu's face and said, "Is that all?"
Wen Yu looked up: "What?"
"So cold." Pan Xianchen curled his lips and smiled, saying lightly.
His towering figure blocked Wen Yu's path, instantly making the vast space seem cramped. Wen Yu's surroundings were suddenly filled with the scent of Pan Xianchen—he had washed his hair and showered before leaving for his birthday, leaving him with the refreshing scent of bath products; his clothes, freshly dried in the sun, exuded the warm fragrance of the sun. Wen Yu watched him with a pounding heart, her breath thick with the scent of Pan Xianchen.
"Are you nervous?" Pan Xianchen found it amusing. Wen Yu was so comfortable giving presentations in the spacious auditorium in front of so many leaders and colleagues, and she never showed any fear during business trips, inspections, or cross-departmental collaborations. Yet, now, in front of him, he could sense she was nervous.
Her expression was normal, and the person standing before him looked exactly the same as always. But strangely, so close, Pan Xianchen could almost hear the thumping of her heartbeat. It was beautiful. He loved hearing it.
"Maybe we haven't seen each other for several days." Wen Yu said.
"Really? Then I seem to be nervous too." Pan Xianchen took Wen Yu's hand and placed it on his chest. "Touch it, my heart is beating fast."
Wen Yu: “…”
Like a galloping horse, a whirring train, the throbbing beat of drums. Wen Yu felt her palms instantly burning hot. She tried to pull her hand back, but Pan Xianchen wouldn't let her, instead moving closer. Wen Yu felt as if Pan Xianchen's dark eyelashes were reflected on her face.
"Are you completely recovered?" he whispered.
"Um."
"Why didn't you let me come and keep you company when you were sick?"
"It's nothing serious. I'll be fine soon after taking some medicine. There's no point in you coming over. What if I infect you?"
"I'm in good health and not easily infected."
As Pan Xianchen spoke, his arm wrapped around Wen Yu's waist. Wen Yu pressed against the door, and he pressed against her. Pan Xianchen thought back to when she was so weak in the bar. This wouldn't work. He turned his head to look, then exerted force, pinching Wen Yu's waist, lifting her up, and placing her on the counter.
Wen Yu: “…”
"What are you doing? Let me down." She kicked her legs and tried to slide down from the service counter.
Pan Xianchen pushed her against the counter, locking her tightly. This way, Wen Yu was taller than him. Pan Xianchen looked up at her, a charming smile on his face: "We haven't seen each other for a few days. Should we get to know each other again?"
Wen Yu was like a kitten caught by a big dog, powerless to resist. She watched Pan Xianchen take her hands and place them on his broad shoulders, asking, "Why do you feel so familiar?"
Pan Xianchen smiled but didn't answer. Wen Yu looked at his face and, without him having to say anything, she instinctively lowered her head and kissed him on the lips.
"Look, you really know how to be familiar."
He also wants to tell her the truth.
"Aren't you tired?" Wen Yu tilted her neck slightly and separated from him.
He frowned and pressed the back of her head down again with dissatisfaction: "What's so tiring?"
After a while, Wen Yu separated again and asked, "Isn't your neck sore?"
Pan Xianchen didn't bother to answer her. He just roughly pulled her legs back to his waist and said, "Hold tighter."
After a few minutes, Wen Yu shifted her butt and complained, "I'm not feeling well. This cabinet is so hard, my butt is hurting from sitting on it."
"Give you a cushion?" Pan Xianchen pointed at the cushion on the chair.
Wen Yu glanced over and shook his head: "That can't be taken off."
"Can't take it off?"
"Yes, it's fixed to the chair. It's your best friend's shop, how come you didn't know about it?"
"I know what this is for."
They kissed for a while, rested for a while, and chatted for a while. An inexplicable amount of time passed before Pan Xianchen finally took Wen Yu down. He looked at Wen Yu's lips and blamed her: "How come they're so tender? They're swollen after just two kisses."
Wen Yu glared at him. How could he be so shameless as to say such a thing?
They all sat down on the chairs. Two or three minutes later, Ning Kai came with Hu Jingjing.
Wen Yu saw Hu Jingjing for the first time, and his gaze lingered on her. Hu Jingjing came in with her hands folded and a frown on her face, standing a foot away from Ning Kai. Ning Kai greeted Wen Yu while cautiously stealing glances at Hu Jingjing.
Pan Xianchen asked with a smile, "Did Ning Kai provoke you again?"
Hu Jingjing snorted coldly: "Why would he provoke me? I am meddling in his affairs and interfering with his freedom."
Ning Kai hurriedly said: "You are not meddling in other people's business, and I am not free either."
Hu Jingjing rolled her eyes at Ning Kai: "Really? That's not what you said when you left the house just now. Didn't you want to sing the song of the liberated serfs? Go ahead and sing."
Ning Kai: "I can't sing. I can't even turn over."
"Come on. Two-faced."
"I'm your loyal servant, okay?"
The two of them sat down arguing. Hu Jingjing saw Wen Yu, put on a smile, and greeted her. Wen Yu smiled and introduced herself to Hu Jingjing. Ning Kai interrupted and said to Wen Yu, "Don't be afraid, this is how we are. We quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed."
"Who made love with you?"
Hu Jingjing finished her sarcastic remarks and pulled Wen Yu over to list Ning Kai's ten crimes. Today's crimes were: Ning Kai dressed too casually when he went out, Hu Jingjing asked him to change into something more formal, Ning Kai was lazy, Hu Jingjing tried to reason with him, Ning Kai acted like a spoiled child, Hu Jingjing got angry, Ning Kai demanded freedom, and Hu Jingjing completely turned against him.
"You can wear whatever you want, but you don't even consider what day it is," Hu Jingjing concluded.
Ning Kai said with a playful smile: "What day is it?"
Pan Xianchen said, "Excuse me, it's my birthday." Actually, his birthday was nothing special. He and Ning Kai had celebrated it together before, no cake, no candles, no gifts. Just a meal, some wine, some banter, and that was it. But today was different—today he had a woman by his side.
Wen Yu said, "Happy birthday to you, Pan Xianchen."
She took out an exquisite gift box from her bag and handed it to Pan Xianchen.
"Oh! There's a gift! Happy birthday to you! Pan Xianchen!" Ning Kai imitated Wen Yu's tone.
Pan Xianchen stared at him.
Hu Jingjing was very excited: "Open it quickly and see what it is."
Pan Xianchen looked at Wen Yu, who nodded. Then, in front of everyone, Pan Xianchen opened the gift box. Wrapped in black velvet was an expensive fountain pen.
Wen Yu said, "You have a lot of gel pens in your office, all issued by your company. Those pens are of poor quality and always run out of ink. I thought giving you a fountain pen would be very practical. I compared several when choosing, and this one feels the best and won't make me tired when writing."
"Thank you." Pan Xianchen smiled, closed the gift box, and carefully put it aside.
"Wow! Pan Xianchen, so practical!" Ning Kai exclaimed.
"Wow! Pan Xianchen, you are so thoughtful!" Hu Jingjing also exclaimed.
"Yeah." Pan Xianchen's face was full of smiles.
Wen Yu: “…”
"My gift isn't as practical or thoughtful." Ning Kai spread his hands, took out his cell phone, and said, "I'll give you some money."
Ding Dong—Pan Xianchen received a transfer from Ning Kai. Ning Kai took back his phone and said, "Hu Jingjing and I are together. Happy birthday, Pan Xianchen." The author has something to say:
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