Chapter 38 The Party
After battling the parrot for eight hundred rounds, Luo Xincheng called the servants to tidy up the room, and then sent the droopy-headed parrot that was secretly watching it to Fang Shiyue's room.
"You've made a complete mess of my dressing table." She touched her arm, which the parrot had pecked at, and it still ached slightly. "You need to take better care of it!"
Fang Shiyue held the parrot, affectionately tidying its feathers that had become messy during the fight. "Wasn't it you who let it into the room first? It's naturally lively and active, so it's normal for it to accidentally break some bottles and jars."
Luo Xincheng: "?"
Luo Xincheng: "A loving mother often loses her chickens."
"What can we do? You've already hit it..." Fang Shiyue shoved the parrot in front of her, seemingly unfazed, and said, "How about you hit it again?"
Luo Xincheng looked down into the parrot's eyes, and the parrot immediately turned its head and shouted at Fang Shiyue, "Help! Help!"
The next second, Fang Shiyue hugged the parrot and pretended to cry, "It's because Mommy is useless, I can't protect you, baby!"
"..." Luo Xincheng was speechless for a moment, then turned and left dejectedly, "Mother and daughter are both like dogs."
Back in her room, she glanced at her phone and saw that Fu Zhiheng had asked her earlier about whether she had a key to the pendant lock.
She replied, "[I don't know where I put the key, don't worry about it.]"
After a long pause, the other end replied: [Okay, got it.]
But she went to take a shower at that time, and it was a long time before she saw the message. She felt that there was nothing to reply to, so she just read it and skipped it.
Soon it came to Luo Xincheng's birthday.
Her family left gifts at her bedroom door before leaving the house, and she slowly opened them after waking up at noon.
Her mother gave her a house, not very big, about 200 square meters, but in a good location, very close to the company, about a 15-minute walk away. She guessed that her mother had heard Luo Xincheng complaining that her commute to work took more than an hour, so she gave her a house like this.
She looked at the property certificate, scratched her head, and became conflicted.
On the one hand, she felt that living at home was fine, and she was used to the maids. Moving out would mean hiring someone else, which would be a hassle.
On the other hand, she felt that moving out would give her more freedom, with no one to control her. Moreover, she had never lived alone before, and when she went to study in Chicago, she lived with her aunt who had settled there. She had never lived alone for so many years, and she longed for it.
After much deliberation, she finally decided to alternate between living at home and in apartments near her workplace.
You can have your cake and eat it too.
The gifts Fang Shiyue and her stepfather gave were pretty much the same as in previous years; one gave her a watch and the other a car. As for her biological father's gift... since he was still out of town on an inspection tour and hadn't returned, she had no idea what gift he had prepared.
Luo Xincheng collapsed onto the bed and sent several cheesy emojis to her family to thank them for their gifts, but they were all probably busy with work and no one replied.
I am bored.
She put down her phone and rolled around in bed wrapped in the blanket.
It's probably because her period is about to start; for the past two days, she's been inexplicably feeling down and depressed.
I woke up today feeling bloated in my lower abdomen. Although I was hungry, I didn't have much of an appetite and didn't want to eat.
...Never mind, it's all the hormones' fault.
She huddled under the covers for a while, then picked up her phone and started harassing a few of her cronies.
Luo Xincheng: [What are you doing @All Staff]
Luo Xincheng: [I'm so bored, come chat with me @Everyone]
Jiang Xu: [At work.]
Luo Xincheng: [???]
Luo Xincheng: [It's Jia Yan's and my birthday, and you're still at work? You didn't even ask for leave?!]
Jiang Xu: [Why can't I go to work? As long as I can make it to the party, that's fine.]
Luo Xincheng: [...]
Luo Xincheng: [Admiration/bowing in respect]
Jiang Xu: [I'm not the only one at work.]
Jiang Xu: [Guess who I saw at the seminar?]
Before Luo Xincheng could reply, he messaged her privately and sent her a photo.
In the photo, Fu Zhiheng leans casually against the back of the chair, his long legs crossed, his hands clasped on his lap. Cool light pours down from above, making his profile even more vivid and three-dimensional.
In the bright light and shadow, his eyelids drooped slightly, his long, thick eyelashes fell down, and a trace of drowsy laziness inexplicably appeared on his expressionless face.
Jiang Xu: [Pretentious.]
Jiang Xu: [pointing and gesturing.jpg]
Luo Xincheng immediately retorted: [He's probably just wondering when the seminar will end. He looks very tired; he probably wants to go back and catch up on his sleep.]
Jiang Xu: [???]
Jiang Xu: [Did you use a magnifying glass? How did you manage to glean so much information from such a blank face?]
Luo Xincheng: [Can't I be observant enough?]
Jiang Xu: [You haven't seemed to observe us much, have you? You're prioritizing your girlfriend over your friends, aren't you?]
Luo Xincheng: [...]
But it must be said that Jiang Xu is quite good at taking photos; he made Fu Zhiheng look like someone he couldn't afford to approach.
At that moment, she received a @ message in the group chat and promptly ended her private chat with Jiang Xu.
Xu Peiyi: [I don't know what to wear tonight, can you guys give me some suggestions? @Luo Xincheng @Jiang Wei]
Luo Xincheng: [Whatever, it's not a very important occasion.]
Jiang Wei: [I'm wearing all black, you can use that as a reference.]
Xu Peiyi: [...]
Xu Peiyi: [Asking you is pointless.]
Luo Xincheng scrolled through the group messages, yawning one after another, and inexplicably fell asleep again.
When I woke up again, it was already 2 PM.
She ate something to fill her stomach, and just as the stylist finished her makeup and hair, Wang Jiayan came to pick her up.
After getting into the car, she glanced at Wang Jiayan's black suit, then looked down at her own black dress, and suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
"They must have been influenced by Jiang Wei." She laughed speechlessly. "It would be funny if everyone wore all black."
Wang Jiayan clicked his tongue, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
When they arrived at the yacht an hour later, they found that the other three were also dressed in black, which was not surprising.
However, there are still some slight differences between them. For example, Jiang Xu's suit is blue-black, Xu Peiyi's skirt is red-black, and only Jiang Wei's windbreaker and work pants are pure black.
When the five of them got together, they couldn't help but laugh at each other's outfits.
"Hey, no, it's one thing for us to be dressed like this, but you two are the birthday celebrants, shouldn't you be dressed more festively?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Xincheng adjusted the red pointed crystal under her ear, while Wang Jiayan loosened his red tie.
How about that, is it festive enough?
"..."
Xu Peiyi and Jiang Weiyi each took Luo Xincheng's arms and helped her into the yacht.
Sunset.
The orange-red sunset gradually sank below the horizon, and the golden rays of the sunset reflected obliquely on the sea, creating shimmering waves like golden scales.
There were already quite a few people on the yacht, and they all greeted the two birthday celebrants warmly.
Luo Xincheng wandered from the bow to the stern of the boat but did not see Fu Zhiheng. He must not have arrived yet.
Just as I was thinking this, my phone suddenly rang.
Fu Zhiheng: [I've arrived.]
Fu Zhiheng: [Where are you? I'm returning the charm you left in my car.]
Luo Xincheng replied to the message, then sat on the sofa in the rest area at the stern of the boat and waited.
The temperature in late March wasn't warm, and the evening sea breeze was damp and chilly. She rubbed her arms, trying to remember where she had thrown her warm shawl.
A series of light footsteps grew closer and closer. She looked up and, the instant her gaze fell upon Fu Zhiheng, she keenly noticed that he had changed his clothes.
In the photo Jiang Xu sent at noon, he was wearing a dull dark suit, but now his coat has been replaced with a linen mid-length trench coat, though it's unclear whether his inner layer has been changed.
Why are you here all alone?
As he spoke, he placed the gift bag he was carrying on the table, then took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. The series of movements were so smooth and natural that Luo Xincheng, enveloped in warmth, was stunned for a long time before she reacted.
"...I'm not cold."
He bluntly said, "But I think I see you trembling."
"..." Luo Xincheng choked, but stubbornly said, "You've misunderstood."
He smiled, subconsciously reaching for his pocket, only to find it empty, before saying, "That ornament is in my coat pocket. Look for it yourself."
Luo Xincheng said "oh", then bent down, lifted the hem of her clothes, and reached inside, finding a pack of tissues.
Not on this side, she reached her hand to the other side, her fingers clenched, and she paused.
Besides the metallic lock, there was also a small velvet box in my palm.
She looked up at the person opposite her, and saw Fu Zhiheng resting his chin on his hand, smiling at her.
The afterglow of the setting sun and the colorful lights inside the yacht intertwined, reflecting on his face. The shifting light and shadow, like an oil painting, made his face look like a product of careful lighting and a photograph.
"Take it out."
His eyes curved slightly, with a shimmering halo in their depths, like the ripples on the sea.
For a moment, Luo Xincheng was captivated by the beautiful scene and actually did as he was told, taking out the lock ornament and the velvet box together.
This size...
Her hands were trembling.
Could it be a ring...? No way...? Maybe it's just a pinky ring?
"It's a birthday present for you." He looked at her tense expression and trembling hands, and made a rare joke. "It's not a dangerous item that will explode when you open it."
Although it won't explode, it's still very dangerous.
Luo Xincheng glanced at the gift bag he had placed on the table. "I thought the gift inside was the one you gave me."
“Actually, they are all.” He shrugged, his gaze on her filled with a gentle smile. “But they’re not a set, so I put them apart… Oh, by the way, I just delivered your cousin’s gift.”
Who cares whether his gift was delivered or not...?
Luo Xincheng squeezed the jewelry box, still feeling that given his personality, he wouldn't be so rash as to give her a ring before they had even re-established their romantic relationship.
So she took a deep breath and opened the jewelry box.
It wasn't a ring after all.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but the moment she exhaled, she seemed to hear Fu Zhiheng chuckle, a very soft and short sound, so fleeting that Luo Xincheng mistook it for an illusion.
It wasn't until she looked up and met his upturned lips that she realized that smile had truly existed.
What's so funny...
She muttered to herself, glancing down at the bird-on-stone brooch in the jewelry box. She poked the main stone, about the size of a fingernail, with her fingertip; it was a pigeon-blood red rubellite tourmaline.
His gaze lingered on her earrings, and he said, "What a coincidence, they match your earrings perfectly today."
Luo Xincheng didn't understand his implication, nodded and said "indeed," and then slammed the jewelry box shut again.
Fu Zhiheng pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.
At this moment, Luo Xincheng looked at the gift bag on the table, her eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.
Seeing this, Fu Zhiheng pushed the gift towards her, indicating that she should open it. Seeing that he didn't seem to have any objections, she quickly opened the gift box.
Inside is a relatively understated set of jewelry. The necklace, bracelet, watch, and earrings are all set with clusters of colorless diamonds of different cuts. Although they are still quite sparkly, compared to the huge colored diamond earrings that were given last time, this set of jewelry has a simpler and more everyday design, and it won't attract too much attention when worn out.
"These gifts are all very suitable for wearing out," he said, then scratched his cheek a little embarrassedly. "I feel like the gifts I give are all so unoriginal, they're always pretty much the same."
Luo Xincheng subconsciously replied, "No, it's only been these last two deliveries."
The gifts they gave me before were always unexpected, like sweaters I knitted myself or glass ornaments I made myself...
As soon as she said it, she realized something was off. Meeting his thoughtful gaze, she quickly tried to smooth things over, "What I meant was, we've only exchanged gifts twice. It's too early to talk about creativity. Besides, what I gave you was also jewelry. We're pretty much the same."
He twitched the corners of his mouth, but there was no smile on his face. Instead, he looked a little disappointed. "You must receive a lot of interesting gifts every year. The ones I gave you are all so ordinary. I guess you'll forget about them after today."
He said with a nonchalant self-deprecation, "I wonder where you'll put it to gather dust."
Luo Xincheng waved his hand and said awkwardly, "It's not that bad. I usually use what I can, and I won't leave it to collect dust."
"Really?" He looked directly at her, his eyes somewhat blank, eager for her approval. "Will you wear these things I gave you?"
She lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze, her fingertips digging into the edge of the gift box, and said ambiguously, "Maybe next time we meet, I'll be wearing the jewelry you gave me."
He lowered his head slightly and asked very seriously, "So when will we meet again?"
Her gaze wandered, her eyes shining especially brightly in the evening glow, and the evasiveness in them was glaringly obvious, making Fu Zhiheng unable to suppress a smile.
Luo Xincheng wanted him to stop laughing, but just as she opened her mouth, she suddenly heard her stomach rumble.
She looked embarrassed and immediately covered her stomach with her hand.
She admitted expressionlessly, "Yes, it's my stomach growling, I'm hungry."
He raised the corner of his eye slightly and suggested happily, "Shall we go get something to eat? When I came over, there were already servers serving food in the self-service area."
Luo Xincheng rubbed her stomach and said reluctantly, "I am indeed hungry, but I really don't have much of an appetite..."
Fu Zhiheng glanced at her still flat stomach after she sat down and tentatively asked, "Are you really not hungry, or are you afraid that eating too much will make your stomach protrude and look bad?"
"?" She raised an eyebrow, feeling underestimated. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would care about that kind of thing? And who would stare at my stomach for no reason?"
Fu Zhiheng, who had been staring at her stomach, silently looked away, his tone becoming more anxious, "Is that why you have no appetite?"
This time, Luo Xincheng didn't deny it. Rubbing her stomach, she said nonchalantly, "Anyway, we're going to eat cake soon."
Just as he finished speaking, the phone on the table lit up.
She glanced at the screen; it was Wang Jiayan calling her to cut the cake.
"It's time to go."
She stood up, casually took off the coat she was wearing and put it back, and her shoulders involuntarily shivered as soon as they came into contact with the cold air.
Fu Zhiheng frowned, but remembering that the yacht was heated, he simply said, "You can return it to me later."
Luo Xincheng was impatient with his rambling, so she waved her hand and stuffed all the things in her hands into her handbag. Then she lifted her skirt and quickly walked into the yacht.
She wouldn't listen to reason, and Fu Zhiheng had no choice but to straighten his trench coat slightly and drape it over his arm.
Upon entering the cabin, a wave of heat immediately hits you, and loud music assaults your senses. Neon lights, dancing to the music, dart around wildly, hurting your eyes.
Standing at the edge of the dazzling light and shadow, Fu Zhiheng expressionlessly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, which had almost been blinded by the brilliance.
When she put her glasses back on, she saw that Luo Xincheng had already sat down next to her friend.
People around them set off fireworks over the heads of the two birthday celebrants, and colorful ribbons rained down, quickly soaking Luo Xincheng until she was glistening all over.
She clapped her hands happily, but soon became annoyed by the colorful ribbons on her body, clapping and sweeping them away.
Her cousin was sitting to her left, and Jiang Xu was next to him. But even though there was someone in between, Jiang Xu still reached past him, reached out to Luo Xincheng, and affectionately wiped away the ribbon at the corner of her eye with his fingertip.
He smiled at her, his lips moving slightly, and soon she laughed too. The two of them just stood there laughing, facing each other, as if they only had eyes for each other.
Fu Zhiheng watched this scene from afar, his face darkening.
Are you crazy? Why would someone who's so far away insist on going over there?
But he had no right to say anything.
What is there to say?
They were childhood sweethearts, so what's so strange about them laughing and joking around? And you, their ex-boyfriend of four years, are making a judgment?
Do you deserve it?!
Thinking of this, Fu Zhiheng took off his glasses in frustration.
Author's Note: I wanted to write more, but I haven't been feeling well these past few days [crying emoji]. I'll be giving away 30 small red envelopes in the comments section. Sorry for keeping you all waiting [cat paw emoji].
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