Chapter 61 A high-end private club in Seoul...
A high-end private club in Seoul. Kwon Ji-yong sat in the dressing room, his eyes closed as the makeup artist touched up his makeup. His manager checked the schedule beside him: "...Cut the cake at 7 pm, live broadcast at 8 pm, ends at 9:30 pm. After that, a private party."
"Hmm," Kwon Ji-yong responded with a low, guttural sound, without even lifting his eyelids.
His personal cell phone on the table vibrated slightly. Almost reflexively, he reached out and touched it, squinting at the screen: "Training is over."
A slight, uncontrollable upward curve appeared at the corner of his mouth as he replied with a joy he himself didn't realize: "I missed you!"
He stared at the screen and added, with a hint of playful coquetry, "Today is my birthday."
He could almost imagine the hint of helplessness, or... something else, that might flash across her cool and aloof face when she saw the message.
A few seconds later, the screen lit up again.
"I know. Happy birthday."
He stared at those simple six words, without any emoticons or extra greetings, just like Ren Xiyao's usual style.
He sighed softly, tossed his phone back onto the table with a soft "thud." The makeup artist paused, glanced at him cautiously, and didn't dare say a word.
He knew, of course, that she wouldn't come. National-level athletes need to report in advance if they want to go abroad. Besides, high-altitude training had just ended, and she needed time to recover and adjust. Then came preparations for the new season. He knew that time was more precious than gold to her. He didn't even dare to actually ask her to come, afraid of adding to her burden and affecting her performance.
He understands the principles. He understands them better than anyone else.
He understood, but he couldn't control the disappointment in his heart. This was his first birthday since they officially got together. He had so many expectations.
Meanwhile, Ren Xiyao stood at the international departure security checkpoint, glancing down at her watch. There were still forty minutes until boarding. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, her long hair simply tied in a low ponytail.
Lin Shan, standing to the side, asked speechlessly, "When did you submit this report?"
"Six months ago, before I joined the national team this year, my passport was still in my hands and I reported directly to the provincial bureau."
"I don't even know what to say to you. Theoretically speaking, there's no problem, and it's not against the rules, but aren't you afraid that someone will find fault with you?"
Seeing that Ren Xiyao remained silent, Lin Shan yawned widely beside her: "Are you sure you want to just rush over like this without telling him beforehand?"
"Mmm," Ren Xiyao responded, her voice flat.
"Playing a surprise?" Lin Shan perked up and nudged her with his elbow: "You're doing great, Ren Xiyao, you're getting better and better!"
Ren Xiyao's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the plane ticket: "He probably...didn't guess I would go."
Lin Shan raised an eyebrow: "Tsk, you two are really interesting."
Ren Xiyao ignored her teasing, took out her phone from her pocket, and checked the address on the screen again. It was the address she had asked Li Enjing to provide; the location wasn't a secret among fans, but she needed to get in discreetly. Li Enjing and the assistant who had asked her for contact information had a pretty good personal relationship. Therefore, she needed to find a way to get Ren Xiyao into this private club in Cheongdam-dong. Looking at the message on her phone, Ren Xiyao found it somewhat amusing. She didn't deny Lin Shan's teasing; this roundabout way was genuinely intended to give him a surprise.
"It's almost time, let's go in." She suddenly remembered something and lowered her voice, "Are you really planning to wear that ring with you?"
She nodded: "Yes. It's all done."
"He's absolutely ecstatic!" Lin Shan said with certainty, her eyes sparkling with gossipy enthusiasm. "Let me tell you, what kind of good things hasn't Kwon Ji-yong seen? He's got mountains of gifts from fans and brand partners! But what you gave him is definitely different!"
"It's not that bad," Ren Xiyao said calmly.
Lin Shan rolled her eyes: "Why don't you understand! You're usually so invisible, like a shadow! And now you suddenly give him a ring, a jade ring that you personally picked out and had made!" She exaggeratedly made an explosion gesture: "He'll absolutely explode on the spot, believe it or not, he'll be so happy he'll ascend to heaven!"
Ren Xiyao's lips twitched, finding Lin Shan's description absurd: "...Shut up. Is he the kind of person who lacks these material possessions?"
She didn't want to listen to Lin Shan's exaggerated analysis anymore. She picked up her suitcase, turned around and walked towards the security checkpoint, her movements swift and decisive, without looking back.
"Ren Xiyao! You're such a womanizer!" Lin Shan's voice rang out from behind, laced with laughter and scolding.
Kwon Ji-yong felt he had checked his phone at least eight hundred times that afternoon. But there were no calls, no new messages, nothing at all.
"Ji-ryong." Taiyang pushed open the door to the lounge and saw that Ji-ryong looked like he was in a daze. He couldn't help but laugh. "The gifts outside are almost overflowing. What should we do?"
Quan Zhi didn't even raise his head, waving his hand weakly: "Anything is fine."
Sun raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Why do you look so glum on your birthday?"
"fine."
Missing your girlfriend?
Kwon Ji-yong finally raised his head, met his brother's knowing gaze, and admitted with some helplessness, "...Is it that obvious?"
“You’ve been completely out of it since this afternoon; you’re practically glued to your phone screen,” Taiyang said, sitting down on the sofa next to him. “If you weren’t waiting for her message, who else would you be waiting for?”
Kwon Ji-yong rubbed the back of his neck irritably: "She's too busy with training..."
"So, you couldn't come?"
"Mmm." The voice was so low it was almost inaudible.
Sun patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Try to understand, athletes have it tough, especially before big competitions."
"Hmm," Kwon Ji-yong responded listlessly. He thought to himself, "Of course I understand." But understanding is one thing, and the sense of loss in his heart is another.
As night fell, the club gradually came alive. Most of the invited guests were close friends from the industry and core members of the team, creating a lively atmosphere.
He excused himself to go to the restroom and temporarily escaped the crowd. He was lost in thought and didn't notice what was in front of him, almost bumping into someone.
The person standing in front of him stunned him instantly, his mind going completely blank.
Ren Xiyao.
She stood quietly before him, wearing the most familiar, simple white T-shirt and jeans, her long hair casually tied back, her face so clean she hadn't even applied any foundation. She looked travel-worn, her eyes slightly bloodshot, yet still bright.
Kwon Ji-yong stood there, stunned. He even wondered if he was hallucinating because he missed her so much.
Seeing his stunned expression, Ren Xiyao tilted her head slightly, her cool voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible teasing: "What? Don't you recognize me?"
The familiar voice was like a key, instantly unlocking his frozen body and mind. An unbelievable ecstasy erupted like a volcano, violently shattering all his reason and pretense.
He lunged forward, grabbing her wrist with such force it felt like he was about to crush her bones. His voice trembled slightly with emotion: "You... how did you get here?! You're not... you..."
"Didn't you send me?"
“Last month, you said you wanted to see me on my birthday.” Ren Xiyao looked at him. “I said yes.”
Quan Zhilong's breath hitched.
He did say that. During a late-night phone call, she simply responded with a soft "hmm," which he assumed was just a casual remark and didn't take it seriously.
But she... actually remembered it. And she came.
"You...you're not allowed to travel abroad freely?" His voice was still trembling.
"I've reported it." Ren Xiyao said casually, "Two days is enough."
Kwon Ji-yong stared at her clear yet weary eyes for a few seconds, all the words stuck in his throat. The next second, he suddenly grabbed her hand, dragged her into an empty lounge next door without saying a word, slammed the door shut, and locked it behind him.
Kwon Ji-yong's kiss was urgent and fierce, with an almost out-of-control force, as if he wanted to release all the longing, worry, loss and the overwhelming joy that had accumulated over the past two months through this kiss.
Ren Xiyao was stunned by his sudden attack. The back of her head was pressed against the door through his palm, and she could clearly feel the heat and slight trembling of his hand. She subconsciously tried to push him away, but he held her even tighter in his arms. His unique scent made her brain feel oxygen-deprived, and her breathing gradually became erratic.
She could feel his intense emotions—the ecstatic joy of finding what she had lost, the long-suppressed longing—which almost melted her. She stopped struggling, slowly raised her hands, and gently hugged his lean waist.
After an unknown amount of time, until both of them were almost suffocating, the kiss, filled with a thousand unspoken emotions, finally came to an end.
Their foreheads touched, they breathed heavily, their chests heaving. Only the sounds of their erratic heartbeats and breathing filled the rest room.
Kwon Ji-yong pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes shining brightly in the dim light, churning with complex and intense emotions. His voice was terribly hoarse, tinged with lingering fear and an incredulous vulnerability: "I thought... I really thought you didn't care."
Ren Xiyao tried to calm her breathing and looked at his face, which was still filled with shock and ecstasy, so close to hers. Suddenly, she felt that this trip was... well worth it.
A very slight smile played on her lips, her voice still a little unsteady: "...So now, are you surprised?"
"A surprise?" Kwon Ji-yong chuckled softly, his voice husky and sexy, carrying a sense of relief at surviving a disaster: "It's... almost driving me crazy."
She was amused by the seriousness in his tone, gently pushed him away a little, and then took out the dark blue velvet box from her pocket and handed it to him.
"Nuo, happy birthday."
Kwon Ji-yong's gaze was instantly drawn to the small box. He held his breath again, his eyes filled with anticipation and an almost reverent solemnity. He reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly as he took the box.
He took a deep breath and slowly opened the box.
A ring lay quietly inside the soft lining.
It was a black jadeite saddle ring. The entire piece possessed an extremely rich, deep color, a black tinged with green, like a bottomless lake. Understated yet textured, it perfectly complemented the steadiness and mystery of black jadeite.
Kwon Ji-yong's pupils contracted sharply. He reached out a finger and gently touched the cool, smooth surface of the jade. Black jade... he recognized it; it was a special and precious variety of jadeite. And it was a classic men's saddle style.
He abruptly raised his head, looking at Ren Xiyao with eyes filled with shock and disbelief: "This...this is..."
“Black jade, wearing jade can bring peace.” Ren Xiyao’s tone remained calm, but her gaze was fixed on his reaction: “You are very busy, so busy that your life is irregular and you have to travel around. You think… this meaning is quite good.”
He stared at the ring for a long, long time. He looked up, his dark, bright eyes gazing intently at her: "Ren Xiyao, you know... what it means to give someone a ring, right?"
Ren Xiyao met his gaze without flinching and answered clearly, "I know."
"Then why are you still giving it to me?" His voice carried a hint of amusement and a touch of probing.
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying her characteristic subtle provocation: "Why can't I send it?"
Kwon Ji-yong took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress all the surging emotions in his chest. The next second, he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace again, with such force that it was as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
"Ren Xiyao." He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled, yet carrying an unprecedented solemnity and clarity.
"Hmm?" She was a little out of breath from his embrace and responded softly.
"I love you."
The three clear words, without any embellishment, resounded in her ears like a thunderclap.
Ren Xiyao froze. She rarely heard him say those three words so directly and solemnly. Her ears slowly turned red. She raised her hand to hug him back and whispered, "...Happy birthday."
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