...
Three days later
Today is An Ran's birthday, or you could say Jian Xing Sui's birthday.
He would get up from his dorm room in the morning and go wake Shen Xingchen up. He didn't know when this had become his task, because Shen Xingchen was impossible to wake up with an alarm clock; he had to rely on human intervention.
To his surprise, Shen Xingchen woke up on her own today.
Jian Xingsui was shocked: "Why did you wake up so early?"
"Who do you think you are?" Shen Xingchen scoffed. "Can't I get up early?"
"..."
I wonder who's always so lazy and unwilling to get out of bed.
I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I feel like Shen Xingchen has been acting strangely these past two days. It’s like he’s lost his mind. Sometimes I can’t see him for most of the day. Even when I do see him, he’s not as relaxed as before. He always looks preoccupied.
Jian Xingsui, fearing he might forget, specifically reminded him, "It seems the production team has made arrangements for us to go to the Great Hall of the People this afternoon."
As Shen Xingchen put on her clothes, she said, "It seems like there is such a thing."
Ning Ze was always the most diligent person in the dormitory. He had not only finished washing up long ago, but had even finished exercising. He came over and said, "Well, it's because I have to participate in the recording of An Ran's birthday party."
To ensure everyone could act out the story, the production team practically wrote a script and had everyone perform.
Jian Xingsui went to the pool inside to get a cup to brush her teeth, and said, "I've been watching the preparations at the Great Hall of the People these past two days. It should be quite grand. Try to find a good spot so the cameras can capture more shots."
Although Ning Ze was a man of few words, he was well-informed: "The Jian family ordered a very, very large five-tiered cake, which was just delivered this morning. They were worried that it wouldn't be enough for our group of more than 50 students, so I heard it was specially made."
Jian Xingsui paused in her brushing.
He tried to smile, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage a smile.
Shen Xingchen finished dressing and walked over, scoffing, "Who wants to eat that lousy cake? It's so disgusting. It'll probably all be left over, wasting food and air."
Jian Xingsui laughed after hearing this.
After washing up, the group came out of the dormitory, only to unexpectedly run into An Ran and her group.
Many trainees in the corridor knew that An Ran was definitely going to debut, and that her family was very powerful. So, many of them very politely went over to say hello, even if it was just to get acquainted with her, and offered their blessings verbally.
Happy birthday, Ranran.
"Happy birthday!"
"The birthday boy looks very handsome today!"
An Ran couldn't stop smiling, and he thanked everyone shyly, saying, "Thank you everyone. I'll treat you to cake later, please come!"
The other trainees naturally agreed, after all, they had done their part in making it seem like a formality.
Soon, An Ran walked up to Jian Xingsui. Just as the group was about to pass each other, Jian Xingsui tried to pretend she didn't see her, but An Ran's voice came out: "Suisui".
Jian Xingsui stopped in his tracks.
An Ran also greeted the others: "Hello, Brother Xingchen, hello, Brother Ningze."
Shen Xingchen's opening remark was anything but kind: "Not at all, not as nice as you, birthday girl."
An Ran was confused by his sarcastic tone, unsure whether it was a blessing or something else. But whatever it was, she could only accept it and gave an awkward smile.
However, he quickly remembered his main purpose, so he turned his attention to Jian Xingsui and said to everyone, "We have collaborated on several stages before and are friends. This time, I want to properly thank everyone for your support, so please don't be shy. I have also prepared gifts for you tonight, and I would like to personally deliver them to you."
Seeing An Ran's smiling face, Jian Xingsui felt a little tired for some reason. He was really tired of acting in this scene, especially on his birthday, and wanted to take a day off.
He was hospitalized a few days ago with a low-grade fever. Although he has been recuperating, he still coughs and feels weak from time to time. So he took the opportunity to say, "You guys go ahead. I'm not feeling well. I'll ask the director for leave this afternoon, so I won't go."
An Ran glanced at him sideways in slight surprise: "Are you feeling unwell?"
"What else could be bothering you? It can't be because seeing your eyes bothers you, can it?" Shen Xingchen couldn't resist teasing him: "Anyway, I'm just uncomfortable."
An Ran glared at him angrily.
Jian Xingsui found it amusing, but didn't show it. She simply said to An Ran, "That's about it. Sorry."
An Ran felt a little disappointed. He knew it was Jian Xingsui's birthday today, but Jian Xingsui hadn't mentioned it, so he didn't want to say anything. What if other students asked them to celebrate their birthdays together? Not only was Jian Xingsui more popular than him now, but the money they had invested and the birthday party they had organized might have benefited someone else. And if Jian Xingsui stole his thunder, it would be a complete loss.
Therefore
After thinking it over, An Ran actually felt that it might be better if Jian Xingsui really didn't come, so she said, "Alright then, Suisui, you should get some rest."
Jian Xingsui nodded, and the two of them let each other off the hook.
...
As the afternoon drew to a close, most of the students went to the birthday party, while Jian Xingsui stayed in the library reading.
The library was one floor above the auditorium. He sat by the window and could see what was happening in the auditorium. It was brightly lit, and the colorful ribbons and balloons were so dazzling that they seemed to dazzle anyone's eyes. The noise and bustle were loud. Jian Zhi was there, and he heard that Jian Kuo was also there. The family reunion was very touching, and the photographer was carefully recording this beautiful moment.
Jian Xingsui rested his chin on his hand and watched. From the initial sadness upon hearing the news, he had now calmed down. He looked at his former relatives now gathered around another person and felt somewhat numb.
Xiaomi came over and said, "Sui Sui."
Jian Xingsui was somewhat surprised to see him coming over.
"I brought you a phone." Xiaomi sighed. "I only found out it was your birthday from the director. The planners didn't arrange anything for you this time, so they asked me to bring you a phone. They said you can use it freely today."
Consider it compensation.
Xiaomi was unable to say those words.
Jian Xingsui took the phone, smiled, and said, "Thank you."
Xiao Mi looked at him and suddenly felt a little sad. It was the same birthday, but some people were basking in the glory, while others could only sit alone in a quiet corner and spend their days in silence. They were clearly the same age, but they lived completely different lives. However, no matter how much she pitied them, she was powerless to help.
Xiaomi said, "Then I'll go first."
Jian Xingsui said politely, "Thank you for your trouble."
After he left, Jian Xingsui turned on his phone. This was the first time he had ever had his phone in a long time. After opening WeChat, he found that the person who had sent him the most messages was his manager, Brother Wang. His messages could be roughly divided into several categories:
"You're definitely not going to debut anyway, so stop trying and just quit the competition."
"We've already received the one million for you, so you can't breach the contract."
"Think about the consequences yourself, otherwise I can't help you."
Jian Xingsui silently read through all of this without replying to a single word.
In fact, he had already thought it through before participating in "Starlight". An Ran, as the protagonist, had a halo. If he didn't want to die a tragic death like in his previous life, the most important thing he should do was to avoid her. So he had always thought that after getting a sum of money, he would leave the entertainment industry and go to other cities or abroad to develop his career and leave this place completely. He didn't care how the agency treated him. At worst, he would be frozen out and terminated. He didn't care much about any of that.
Scrolling further on, there was surprisingly little more news.
Jian Xingsui opened the text messages on his phone and was saddened to find that the only people who sent him birthday wishes were 10086 (China Mobile's customer service number) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Even the Zhang couple hadn't sent him any messages.
...
Upon seeing this, Jian Xingsui's heart sank little by little, but he wasn't that sad. Perhaps he had already prepared himself mentally, so facing this situation naturally wasn't that difficult. He just felt a little lonely, but he would slowly learn to get used to this feeling.
He was looking at his phone when someone came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder: "What are you doing here?"
Jian Xingsui shuddered and turned around in disbelief: "Xingchen?"
Shen Xingchen leaned against the table, picked up Jian Xingsui's book, and said, "What's this? Grimm's Fairy Tales? What a lousy book. Stop reading it and come with me for a moment."
"no……"
Caught off guard, Jian Xingsui was pulled outside by him and hesitated, asking, "Where are we going? Aren't you filming the show? Why are you out here?"
Shen Xingchen said matter-of-factly, "I snuck out."
Jian Xingsui fell silent. He might have been surprised if someone else had done such a thing, but Shen Xingchen's actions gave him a sense of righteous indignation. Perhaps it was because the young master was usually willful, so he simply accepted it.
…
Jian Xingsui followed Shen Xingchen downstairs, and as they went down, they could hear muffled thunder rumbling in the sky outside.
"Where are we going, Xingchen?" Jian Xingsui said as she followed him. "It looks like it's raining outside."
Shen Xingchen responded and finally led the person to the classroom door, then said, "Come in, I want to discuss something with you."
When Jian Xingsui arrived, she hadn't noticed anything amiss. After all, given Shen Xingchen's unreliability, it wasn't surprising that he would do anything. Although she felt a little puzzled, she still stepped forward and pushed open the door.
"Squeak"
The door opened.
The moment Jian Xingsui opened the door, before she could even see what was inside, she suddenly heard the "bang bang" of popping fireworks, followed by colorful ribbons fluttering in the air, spinning once, and landing on Jian Xingsui.
"Happy birthday!"
A cheerful and orderly sound rang out from inside the room.
Jian Xingsui opened her eyes and found Wen Shengge and Ning Ze standing on the two sides, with Shen Xingchen standing behind them. The three of them were laughing and chatting, holding small confetti in their hands.
"You, you guys..." Jian Xingsui was momentarily stunned, even stammering as she spoke, "What are you doing here?"
Shen Xingchen touched his nose and said in a cool manner, "I didn't realize it. Is this your birthday? Isn't today your birthday?"
Jian Xingsui wanted to speak, to ask how they knew, how they sneaked out, and where the little fireworks came from. A thousand words welled up in his heart, but in the end, he didn't know what to say first. He stammered for a long time, but then lowered his head and his eyes secretly reddened.
Shen Xingchen quickly said, "Oh, oh, don't be grateful to me. I'm just a legend. Please don't repay me with your body. I only treat you as a younger brother."
"..."
Jian Xing burst into laughter after a tearful New Year.
Why does this goofy guy always have the ability to break the ice in a second?
Ning Ze led Jian Xingsui inside and said, "Come here."
Jian Xingsui followed them forward and saw a table behind a row of small ribbons. On the table were steaming dishes that looked rather strange, such as burnt potato shreds, tofu with green leafy vegetables, and even a bowl of mixed soup. Various kinds of rice were piled together, making it look somewhat incongruous.
Ning Ze said, "It was all Xingchen's suggestion. He said it was your birthday and he wanted to cook for you himself."
Wen Shengge complained, "But it really tastes awful."
Shen Xingchen's voice was full of threat as she shouted, "What did you say?"
Wen Shenge shut up.
Even without him saying it, Jian Xingsui knew that the food on the table probably wouldn't taste very good, but as the steaming aroma of the food rose out, his heart was warmed, and he felt content amidst the lively atmosphere.
Shen Xingchen said, "Don't look down on me, I'll make sure you get something good to eat later."
Jian Xingsui asked in confusion, "What?"
Shen Xingchen was smug. Jian Xingsui turned around and saw a woman standing at the door not far away. It was late autumn, and the woman was wearing a white wool sweater underneath a light orange knitted cardigan. She had a delicate and beautiful gemstone brooch on her chest, and her black hair was loose and slightly curly. She looked to be close to forty years old, but she exuded a gentle aura.
The ribbons fluttered in the air, and though separated by some distance, their eyes met, gazing at each other from afar.
Jian Xingsui stood frozen in place, feeling a strange sensation that left him unsure how to react and speechless.
Shen Xingchen called out, "Mom, why did you take so long to come?"
"It's raining, and there's a traffic jam on the road," Xu Enzhen said softly, her voice calm and gentle, carrying a lot of things in her hands. "I was worried that I wouldn't make it, but thankfully I arrived in time."
Shen Xingchen hadn't expected her mother to come alone.
She was dressed very formally today, as if she had gotten up early to put on exquisite makeup, wear appropriate clothes, and bring everything she had prepared in advance, all with a focused mind for the event.
Shen Xingchen quickly walked over and picked up the things: "Why did you buy so much stuff? Is it all for me? Which of these is a gift?"
“No,” Xu Enzhen said, “they are all gifts for Xing Sui.”
Shen Xingchen stared in disbelief: ?
Xu Enzhen slowly walked up to Jian Xingsui. She looked up at the child in front of her. Jian Xingsui was standing under the light, with his back to it. He was a head shorter than Shen Xingchen and looked much thinner. His face was also more childish. At this moment, his face, which had five or six parts similarity to Shen Xingchen's, looked at her with some confusion and helplessness. He looked very well-behaved and pitiful.
No matter when, whenever Xu Enzhen stood in front of him, she would feel a surge of tenderness welling up inside her: "You..."
Without hesitation, Jian Xingsui reached out and grasped the outstretched hand, her voice soft and clear: "Hello, Auntie."
Warm hands enveloped Xu Enzhen's somewhat cold hands.
Feeling the warmth, Xu Enzhen unconsciously returned Jian Xingsui's handshake: "Hello."
Shen Xingchen leaned closer and asked, "Mom, where's the cake you asked me to bring?"
Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about?
Xu Enzhen snapped out of her reverie and said somewhat awkwardly, "Well, my mother originally planned to bake the cake herself, but I don't know what happened, she failed many times at the last minute, and in the end she had no choice but to ask someone to buy it."
Shen Xingchen said, "How could I not know what happened? With your cooking skills, how could the housekeeper dare to let you cook?"
None of them have a knack for cooking.
Xu Enzhen glared at him.
Shen Xingchen asked, "Then who did you ask to buy it?"
Just as Xu En was about to speak, the door opened again, and someone strode in. The man standing at the door was dressed in a suit and tie; he must have rushed over from some event. His striped black suit was impeccably tailored. It had been a long time since Fu Jinxiao had appeared before everyone in such formal attire. His handsome face and elegant demeanor instantly made him the center of everyone's attention. The man was carrying something and smiled at the person inside: "Am I late?"
Xu Enzhen said, "I just arrived too. Thank you for your hard work tonight."
"Not at all, Madam, you're too kind." Fu Jinxiao said as she walked in, "It was originally a reservation, and I should have arrived much earlier, but the weather at the event delayed me a bit, and I was almost late."
Jian Xingsui was confused, but she caught one sentence: "It was originally planned."
What's the meaning?
Did you originally order the cake for yourself?
How did these people know? Jian Xingsui felt like she had been hit by a pie falling from the sky. She was completely at a loss. On one hand, she felt overjoyed, but on the other hand, she wondered if it was even real.
Fu Jinxiao stood in front of him. The tall, handsome man looked down at him and said, "Long time no see."
Jian Xingsui's hands unconsciously curled up at her sides, and she nodded gently: "It has indeed been a while since we last met. Have you been busy with work?"
"Yeah, I have a few announcements to attend." Fu Jinxiao glanced at him. "How's your recovery going?"
Jian Xingsui said, "It's alright."
"I don't think you're up to it." Fu Jinxiao's voice was teasing. "It's good that you arrived in time. You still don't want to celebrate your birthday even in this condition. If you miss this chance to make a wish today, where else can you pray for good health?"
A smile unconsciously crept into Jian Xingsui's eyes: "Thank you."
The two of them talking here made everyone else look a bit silly.
Shen Xingchen was relatively thick-skinned, but Ning Ze and Wen Shenge were terrified that Jian Xingsui and Teacher Fu could chat so naturally. Moreover, it seemed that Brother Fu treated Jian Xingsui differently than he treated them.
Fu Jinxiao placed the cake on the table and said, "Open it up and see if it's deformed."
Ning Ze quickly stepped forward to unwrap the cake.
It wasn't deformed, and it was a two-tiered azure blue cake with a dazzling golden star on top.
Ning Ze and Wen Shengge helped put on the candles, and soon the cake was lit with a warm yellow candlelight, which looked very touching in the room. The two of them stood by the table and smiled: "Sui Sui, happy birthday."
Jian Xingsui only felt a sense of reality after experiencing the warmth of the candlelight.
Fu Jinxiao stood beside him and called his name: "Jian Xingsui".
Jian Xingsui turned around.
Fu Jinxiao curled his lips into a smile. He produced a small golden crown from somewhere, the kind that birthday celebrants wear, and one that Fu Jinxiao himself had folded and put on. He beckoned to him and said, "Come here."
Jian Xingsui walked over in a few steps and stood in front of the man. With each step, her heart burned even hotter.
Colorful ribbons fluttered in the breeze as the boy standing below looked at his idol with some hesitation. This person, who had once seemed unattainable to him, was now standing right in front of him, and it all felt like a dream.
Fu Jinxiao looked at him and said, "Birthday present."
As she got closer, Jian Xingsui realized that the small crown was not made of paper, and there seemed to be an engraving on the inner wall, an abbreviation of F, which was very clear. If it were someone else, they might be confused, but Jian Xingsui recognized it at a glance. It was a souvenir from 2007 when Fu Jinxiao, as a repeat student, won the championship when she challenged that talent show again.
This is the crown of honor that only those in the center position receive!
Jian Xingsui couldn't care less about pretense at this point. He stammered, "This, this is..."
Fu Jinxiao's eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice, "You know this."
Jian Xingsui stuttered even more, unsure whether to admit it or not.
“This is a souvenir I received when I participated in ‘King of Singers’ in 2007.” Fu Jinxiao played with it in his hand, and slowly narrated in a deep and magnetic voice: “At that time, I was not famous and had very few fans. When I participated in the first season of ‘King of Singers’ in 2005, I failed the competition and many fans left. Even I began to doubt whether I could do it.”
Fu Jinxiao smiled as she spoke: "Later, a little fan of mine would send me private messages every day to encourage me. He often said that being eliminated was not because I was not good enough. He made me believe in my abilities and that there would definitely be a bright future for me."
At that time, Jian Xingsui was still young and his words were naive. But he never thought that it was his youthful enthusiasm and his sincere words that gave an artist who was going through a low period of life encouragement. It was also because of his steadfast companionship that he later became a shining star at the top of the pyramid.
Fu Jinxiao moved closer and whispered, "Now I'm giving you this crown too."
Jian Xingsui's mind was in turmoil as she stared at the person in front of her in disbelief.
Fu Jinxiao's usually indifferent eyes softened with a smile, even carrying a tenderness he himself didn't realize. His voice was deep and magnetic: "Happy birthday."
As the blessings fell close to her ear, Jian Xingsui's eyes welled up with tears.
Shen Xingchen, who was behind them, said, "Hey, can you hurry up and blow out the candles? Everyone's waiting to eat!"
"..."
There was a moment of silence in the air.
Jian Xingsui quickly snapped out of her daze and ran back, saying, "Okay, okay..."
He stood next to the cake, saw Xu Enzhen standing there, smiled at the woman, then put his hands together and began to make a serious wish. He didn't wish for good health as he had said before. Instead, by the gentle candlelight, he wished that the happiness of this moment could continue, and that everyone present today would be healthy and have all their wishes fulfilled.
The room was quiet, but outside it was pouring rain and rumbling thunder ripped through the sky. Xu Enzhen stared intently at the boy in front of her. His profile and features were about 50-60% similar to Shen Xingchen's, especially when his eyebrows were lowered, his eyes were exactly the same.
In a daze
Jian Xingsui's figure overlapped with the child Xu Enzhen dreamed of.
Everyone said he was dead, that she had mental problems, but whenever Xu Enzhen dreamed of him, she would always dream of that child. He would follow behind her, crying and calling "Mommy, Mommy" in his childish voice. He wasn't a noisy child; on the contrary, he was always very sensible. In her dreams, he was slowly growing up.
Xu Enzhen always dreams about him. In her dreams, she is a third party and can only watch him from afar.
Watching him take his first steps, watching him babble, watching him grow taller, watching him cry while she was powerless to help, watching him be bullied while she couldn't do anything to help, as time went on, the image of this child in her dreams slowly became blurred, and she missed him even more.
Shen Xingchen said, "Now that I've made a wish, I can open my presents. Mom, what did you buy?"
Xu Enzhen snapped out of her daze. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. After calming herself down, she walked to the table, picked up the things on it and tidied them up. Then she turned to Jian Xingsui and smiled, saying, "Auntie didn't know what you needed, so I just bought it myself. I don't know if you'll like it."
Jian Xingsui walked over and stood beside her, saying, "Thank you for the expense."
Xu Enzhen shook her head, slowly unpacked the product, and showed it to him: "This is a knee brace for dancing. I saw you always bumping your knees while dancing on your live stream, so I thought you might need it. And this, this is for calcium supplements. You're growing, so you need to get enough nutrition. You're too thin. I heard you were sick recently, so you must take care of yourself. And also, and this, I don't know if you'll like this, this is..."
She kept muttering to herself, but the young man standing in front of her listened patiently the whole time.
After Xu Enzhen finished speaking somewhat awkwardly, she was met with a pair of gentle eyes. Jian Xingsui, holding the item, was a little reserved and shy, but finally nodded and said, "I like it."
"Yeah, isn't this a bit too expensive?" Jian Xingsui said somewhat hesitantly, holding the gifts. "I've never received so many gifts before..."
Xu Enzhen looked at the thin child in front of her, who was holding the things somewhat helplessly, and felt a little sorry for him because of his flattered appearance.
For many years, she found this day very difficult to get through, because she would always think, if that child hadn't died, today would be his birthday, what would he look like, what would he like, what gift should she prepare for him, how tall would he be now, and whether he would be living a good life.
However, today, she didn't feel that loneliness for the first time. When she saw Jian Xing Sui, she felt a strange sensation in her heart, as if her heart was filled.
"Boom!"
Another rumble of thunder sounded outside, making Xu Enzhen's heart tremble.
She looked at Jian Xingsui in front of her, and unconsciously reached out her hand, tentatively asking, "Can I hug you?"
Jian Xingsui was taken aback. He didn't know why Xu Enzhen would make such a suggestion, but he didn't object. He put down what he was holding, nodded, and smiled, "Okay."
The rain was pouring outside. Under the lamplight, the boy had a faint smile in his eyes as he looked directly at himself.
In a daze, Xu Enzhen seemed to see that little child again, following her step by step in her dream, calling "Mama, Mama." Then, the child was slowly swallowed by darkness and left her like that. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hold on to him or keep him. She could only accept the emptiness one after another in despair.
Xu Enzhen slowly moved her feet, step by step walking towards Jian Xingsui, as if she were in a dream, reaching out to pull the child, opening her arms to embrace him. But in the past, she could only rush into emptiness, but this time, she fell into a warm embrace. The body was somewhat thin, but it was tangible and warm.
She didn't miss her target.
She actually caught it.
Xu Enzhen's breathing rose and fell, her heart churning with sorrow like a raging sea. She hugged Jian Xingsui tightly, unable to hold back her tears any longer, and stammered, "The child..."
Jian Xingsui had only intended to give her a simple hug, but when their bodies actually touched, especially when he met those sorrowful eyes, a strange and unfamiliar feeling welled up inside him. He didn't know what to do. Hearing Xu Enzhen's trembling voice, Jian Xingsui's eyes trembled slightly, and his hands, as if beyond his control, unconsciously embraced Xu Enzhen. He couldn't help but murmur softly, "Mom..."
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