"otherwise……"
Zhen Tian opened her big, round eyes and looked at Ye Qingyan expectantly.
"Or you could just give yourself to him, hahaha!" Ye Qingyan laughed so hard she bent over on a bench in the mall.
"Can't you just be a decent human being?" Yuan Yuan curled her lip in disdain.
"Say what? What are you saying?!"
"I've noticed you've been blushing way too much lately," Ye Qingyan teased her. "Have you realized you're hopelessly in love with your Zhizhi?"
"Qingyan!" Zhen Tian stomped her foot in embarrassment and indignation.
"Stop it!" Yuan Yuan felt like she had brought two kindergarteners on a picnic. "Or maybe we should buy wallets, belts, ties, or something. Aren't these the things we give as gifts?"
"No, no!" Zhen Tian shook her head hastily: "I've already sent them all."
"Well, there's nothing I can do about that," Yuan Yuan said, shrugging.
...
Zhen Tian went to several shopping malls but couldn't find anything she liked.
She lay sprawled on the bed, head tilted back, staring blankly at the crystal chandelier hanging above her.
It was only when she was shopping that she realized she really didn't know what Zhizhi liked.
She can rattle off all the things she likes.
Time quickly moved to Ji Yuzhi's birthday.
In previous years, he didn't care much about his birthday. He would either remember it by a phone call from his parents or by a sweet little surprise.
This year, however, he remembers it very clearly.
Because he had scheduled his driver's license test for himself on that day.
Taking a driving test is a very troublesome thing. He went to the test center early in the morning and waited until the afternoon before it was his turn.
Get in the car, shift gears—all in one smooth motion.
The coaches next to them were stunned.
You'll know whether you passed or failed on the day of the exam, so Ji Yuzhi certainly wouldn't fail any exam.
He pulled some strings and arranged the exam schedule very tightly, so after finishing his third driving test today, he'll take the fourth one tomorrow. That way, he can get his driver's license in less than a week.
It was already evening when I got home.
The moment Ji Yuzhi opened his door, the candlelight came on.
Happy birthday to you, I wish you...
Zhen Tian's sweet voice rang out in the room, followed by a chorus.
The smiling faces of Zhen Tian's parents and family were faintly visible in the candlelight.
"Happy birthday to you!" As the last line of the song ended, Zhen Tian shouted, "Zhizhi, make a wish!"
It was a pleasant surprise, but not a shock, since Zhen Tian has always been dedicated to creating surprises for him every year without fail.
He obediently closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and silently prayed in his heart.
I hope my family members are in good health.
I hope Tian Tian is happy and joyful.
His wish is the same every year: he just hopes that one of his wishes will come true.
"Whoosh..." He gently blew out the candle.
The indoor lights were turned on, and the bright light made everyone's smiles appear even more genuine in front of him.
"I haven't been able to celebrate my son's birthday for several years," Liu Ye said with a touch of emotion.
"Come on over here, your mother cooked a big feast this year." Ji Quanzhou beckoned to his son with an inscrutable expression.
When Ji Yuzhi heard these words, a crack appeared on his usually calm face, but it only lasted a moment.
"Why is Mom cooking herself?" If you paid attention when Ji Yuzhi spoke, you could see how heavy his steps were.
"You little rascal," Liu Ye said with a laugh, "You know you don't like what I make, so today your Aunt Lu taught me how to make it step by step."
"Oh~"
"Oh what? You deserve a beating!"
Liu Ye is a kitchen killer, a title jointly bestowed upon her by Ji Quanzhou and his son Ji Yuzhi.
It's not that her cooking is chaotic.
Rather, it's that her cooking always has a bit of... oddity.
The flavor was incredibly potent and left a lingering aftertaste.
Ji Yuzhi carefully picked up a piece of daylily with his chopsticks; it contained only a small piece of daylily.
This amused Zhen Tian, and she tugged at his sleeve: "It really is edible."
Is it just edible? Not delicious? Ji Yuzhi grasped the key point very accurately.
He put it in his mouth; it tasted ordinary, at least not enough to make his face contort.
"Okay, okay." He breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to Zhen Tian's annual birthday party, Ji Yuzhi's birthday celebrations are much simpler.
After dinner and cutting the cake, he accepted the gifts, and finally his gaze fell on Zhen Tian, who was twisting the hem of her clothes in the corner.
Perhaps feeling guilty, Zhen Tian waved to Ji Yuzhi, signaling him to follow her to the corner.
The adults were still washing dishes, chatting, and eating fruit together, and no one noticed Zhen Tian's unusual behavior.
"Um?"
"Zhizhi, I didn't prepare a birthday present for you."
He thought something serious had happened, that's why he was so nervous.
"It's alright." His eyes were gentle, and he had a smile on his face.
“But this year is your coming-of-age ceremony.” Zhen Tian sniffed, looking guilty as if she could cry at any moment: “No matter how I look at things, I feel that nothing outside is suitable for you.”
He looked at her amusedly: "Didn't you prepare a birthday surprise for me? It's okay if there's no gift, I don't mind."
"But I do care." Zhen Tian was quite disappointed.
"The gift I want is for you not to worry, not to be sad, and to always be happy. If you can do that, that will be the best gift for me."
Zhen Tian pouted, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Is it okay?" Ji Yuzhi pulled her into his arms and asked softly.
"Mmm." Zhen Tiantian nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist.
A moment later, she raised her head, the disappointment and guilt in her eyes vanished, replaced by a bright smile and a lively radiance.
"I've got it." She hugged Ji Yuzhi and swayed him back and forth. "I'll grant Zhizhi one wish. From now on, whatever you want, I'll find a way to give it to you. How about that?"
"A wish?" Ji Yuzhi was both amused and exasperated.
"Uh-huh!"
With her serious expression, Ji Yuzhi couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"Okay, that's settled."
He certainly wouldn't ask her for any wishes, but as long as she's satisfied and no longer upset, what difference would it make if he just agreed?
Because it was Saturday, Zhen Tian stayed at the Ji family's house until very late before going home to sleep.
Three days later.
Before Ji Yuzhi even woke up, he received one phone call after another.
"Hello Ji Yuzhi, this is the admissions office of Tsinghua and Peking Universities. Would you like to come to our school? The school can provide outstanding students with full tuition waivers, a monthly stipend of 2,000 yuan, and a single dormitory room."
"Sorry, I've already found my dream university."
"Hello Ji Yuzhi, this is the National University of Defense Technology. Would you like to join us? The university has specially arranged scholarships and various subsidies for you. If you are willing to list our university as your first and only choice, the university will give you a one-time grant of 500,000 yuan as an academic fund..."
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