Chapter 37
At this moment, no amount of words could accurately express Shen Bining's excitement. She thought she understood why girls feel such intense happiness when they see the romantic surprise their boyfriends have created.
It's not that girls are love-struck or easily satisfied; it's just that the feeling of being valued is truly wonderful. The fact that he goes to great lengths to create surprises for you is itself a happy thing.
That day, Shen Bining and Tang Hui spent the entire day at Disneyland, and only left after watching the fireworks show in the evening.
Shen Bining had to admit that this was one of the most special and happiest birthdays she had ever had. Tang Hui accompanied her in a very gentlemanly and gentle manner throughout, and with his tall and handsome appearance, the two of them, a good-looking man and a good-looking woman, frequently attracted admiring glances from passersby.
While satisfying her vanity, Shen Bining felt the joy of being pampered by a man for the first time. This feeling was completely different from the happiness brought by her father, and there was a unique sweetness in it.
Before leaving, they met a couple who were visiting Disneyland to plan their wedding. Seeing the bride's excitement, like a child, Shen Bining suddenly felt a pang of emotion and blurted out, "Tang Hui, have you ever imagined what your future wedding would be like?"
The question left both of them stunned. Tang Hui was surprised, while Shen Bining was somewhat embarrassed.
She cursed herself inwardly for asking such a misunderstanding question; anyone who didn't know better would think she was going to have a wedding with Tang Hui.
She just hoped Tang Hui wouldn't overthink it and think she was just a lovesick fool. Shen Bining prayed silently.
Tang Hui smiled, and whether he didn't realize there was anything wrong with Shen Bining's question or was trying to save face for the girl, he simply shook his head.
Shen Bining immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, "That's right. Usually, it's girls who like to dream about what their future wedding will be like; men rarely think about these things."
She thought she had saved face for her inappropriate question, but Tang Hui's answer took her by surprise.
He said, "I probably won't get married."
*
The return journey was even quieter than the way there. On the way there, Shen Bining had been sleeping the whole time, so it was understandable that the two of them didn't talk. But on the way back, even though they were both awake, neither of them spoke.
Shen Bining's mind was filled with Tang Hui's words, "I probably won't get married." For some reason, she felt a tightness in her chest, and her nose felt sore and her eyes were burning.
She remembered when she was in kindergarten, she inexplicably wanted to be friends with the girl sitting behind her, but that girl disliked her for some reason.
Once, she held up a bright red apple, presented it to the girl like a treasure, and said with joy and anticipation, "This apple is so crisp and sweet, shall we each have half?"
Then the girl said to her indifferently, "I don't like apples."
Shen Bining's feelings now are almost exactly the same as they were back then; she feels incredibly lost and has a sense of sadness at being abandoned.
She didn't know what was wrong with her. She felt that she shouldn't have fallen in love with Tang Hui, but why did she feel angry and sad, as if she had been deceived by a scumbag, when she heard him say "I probably won't get married"?
She desperately told herself not to overthink things, and kept reminding herself that she and Tang Hui were just in a contractual relationship.
However, these self-brainwashing tactics suddenly stopped working. She couldn't muster any energy at all, and at that moment she felt so wronged that she even wanted to burst into tears.
Shen Bining's unusual behavior naturally caught Tang Hui's attention. While driving carefully, he asked, "Why aren't you saying anything? You were having a great time at Disneyland, but suddenly you seem very unhappy. Did I upset you?"
Shen Bining was surprised by Tang Hui's keen insight, but she did not want Tang Hui to know why she was unhappy, as if if he knew, she would be at a disadvantage and would incur his resentment and contempt.
So, Shen Bining suppressed her emotions, pretended to be very tired, and said with a smile, "I'm too tired from playing. I stayed up all night watching dramas last night, and you woke me up early this morning. I only slept for three hours in total. I had so much fun at Disneyland that I forgot I was tired, but now that I'm in the car, I can't stop feeling tired."
Tang Hui, unsuspecting, considerately said, "Since you're tired, go back to sleep. I'll wake you when we get home."
"Okay, then I'll take a nap. Drive carefully." Shen Bining couldn't wait to pretend to be asleep, so she quickly followed Tang Hui's lead and closed her eyes.
She didn't want to have an awkward conversation with him; she needed to be alone and think carefully about her relationship with Tang Hui.
Tang Hui didn't make a sound to disturb her anymore. At first, Shen Bining pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed, her mind a mess. Later, whether she was really tired or just easily dozed off in the quiet environment, she actually drifted off to sleep again.
When she woke up again, the car was already parked at the entrance of the residential area. Tang Hui gently patted Shen Bining, "We're home."
Shen Bining opened her eyes, feeling a little dazed for a moment, until she saw the familiar neighborhood and realized she was home.
"Thank you for driving me home. You've had a hard day," Shen Bining said quietly as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
Before falling asleep, she had already figured it out: she and Tang Hui were just in a contractual relationship, and he had no obligation to take responsibility for her. Her inexplicable question about where he wanted to hold the wedding was really abrupt, and Tang Hui's answer was probably because he was frightened.
Next, she will seriously consider how she feels about Tang Hui. If it was just a fleeting attraction or feeling touched, she will naturally calm down after they separate, and they can still be friends.
But if she really falls in love with Tang Hui, she will take the initiative to pursue her own happiness.
Everything happened so suddenly that she couldn't accurately judge her feelings. So she decided not to act impulsively in a moment of passion and wait until she calmed down before making a judgment.
It's all Tang Hui's fault for taking her to Disneyland for her birthday – that was too "ruthless" of a move. She was so moved that she mistakenly thought she had fallen in love with Tang Hui. After all, not many girls can resist such a surprise.
In short, she will make plans after today's excitement has cooled down and she has thought things through.
Shen Bining glanced at her phone; it was almost midnight. She quickly said, "It's so late, I won't treat you to a late-night snack. I'll make it up to you another day. You should go back and rest too. You must be exhausted after driving for so long and spending the whole day with me."
Tang Hui smiled and said, "Okay." Then, as if remembering something, she bent down and rummaged through the small cabinet in the car, taking out a jewelry box from a luxury brand. "This is a birthday present. I almost forgot to give it to you. But it's not midnight yet, so it's still your birthday. Happy birthday."
Holding her birthday present, Shen Bining got out of the car, feeling dizzy.
Just as she was about to close the door, she suddenly remembered something, stopped closing the door, leaned down, and asked, "Tang Hui, what's your birthday?"
After a moment of hesitation, Tang Hui gave a date.
Shen Bining perked up immediately upon hearing this, "Isn't that ten days from now?"
"Yeah, when you told me your birthday was on Saturday, I thought to myself that our birthdays are quite close together," Tang Hui said with a smile.
"How about I celebrate your birthday this year?" Shen Bining tilted her head and said excitedly.
Tang Hui felt as if an invisible hand had gently touched his heart, and then his whole heart felt as if it were being soaked in hot water, an indescribable warmth and comfort.
Therefore, the mouth, which is more honest than the heart, is the first to give a response.
"I'm really looking forward to my birthday this year."
*
Ten days seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and Tang Hui celebrated his 29th birthday.
On the eve of his birthday, Tang invited his two good brothers, Song Ziyi and Qi Wang, out for dinner as an early birthday celebration.
The two already knew that Tang Hui had made plans with Shen Bining for his birthday this year. While they were happy for him, they couldn't help but complain a few times.
The three of them went to a quiet bar with a great atmosphere, the kind where they could eat and drink. The bar was dimly lit and not too crowded. There was a live singer on stage softly singing a very soothing song.
Qi Wang was the last to arrive. He was led to his seat by a waiter, by which time Tang Hui and Song Ziyi had already started drinking.
"Here, a gift. You're such a womanizer, I feel bad even giving you a birthday present." Qi Wang tossed the gift to Tang Hui, teasing and complaining as soon as they met.
Song Ziyi, with his sharp eyes and quick hands, snatched the gift first. Upon opening it, he saw that it was a limited edition cufflink from a luxury brand, which must have been quite expensive. Song Ziyi gave a thumbs up and praised, "As expected of our Young Master Qi, he's really rich and powerful."
Tang Hui snatched the gift back, glanced at it, closed the lid, shook it at Qi Wang, and said with a smile, "Thanks."
"So, did you really win over Dr. Chen? Did you two take your on-screen romance into real life?" Qi Wang plopped down and couldn't wait to start gossiping.
Song Ziyi took a sip of his drink and said with a grin, "I just asked that question before you came in."
The two looked at Tang Hui together, their eyes filled with irrepressible gossip, craning their necks to wait for Tang Hui's answer.
Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Hui gave a straightforward negative answer. "No, we're just ordinary friends. She mentioned that her parents were away on a business trip and no one would be there to celebrate her birthday with her, so she contacted me. I felt obligated to agree. Perhaps out of gratitude, she wanted to celebrate my birthday as well."
Upon hearing this answer, it was clear that there was no chance for the two of them, and Qi Wang and Song Ziyi both let out a disappointed groan.
Song Ziyi, too lazy to pay attention to his "good-for-nothing" brother, continued drinking alone. Qi Wang, however, curiously pressed for details, "Tang Hui, why haven't you dated anyone? I've never seen you date either a man or a woman. Honestly, you know so many people, isn't there really no one who makes your heart flutter? Even if you haven't taken a liking to other girls, Dr. Shen is such a good catch, you're not dissatisfied, are you? What kind of person are you looking for?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ziyi perked up, instantly sitting upright from his semi-slumped position on the sofa. He said enthusiastically, "Yeah, you need to have some standards for what kind of girl you like. Like, mature women or cute girls, long legs or big breasts, fair skin or a hot body? Tell me! I'm going all out, I'll use all my connections to find someone who fits your taste, okay? I'm begging you, please start dating already, otherwise if we hang out together all the time, my wife will start to think we're having an affair… damn it…"
Before he could finish speaking, Tang Hui grabbed a watermelon from the table and shoved it into his mouth. Afterward, Tang Hui said disdainfully, "Get out of here. Who's having an affair with you? How disgusting!"
Watermelon juice spilled on Song Ziyi's clothes, and he pulled out a tissue to wipe it off while cursing.
Qi Wang remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on Tang Hui, as if trying to see right through him, or as if he wouldn't give up until he got a satisfactory answer tonight.
Seeing his brothers' insistence, Tang Hui knew that he wouldn't be able to get through this without giving a response tonight. He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass, and taking advantage of the alcohol's effect, he said with a wry smile, "Are you sure you want to know? Fine, then I'll tell you."
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