We'll celebrate birthdays together in the future.
Shen Yu has been a little troubled recently.
Lin Qingyue had given him birthday gifts for three years in a row: supplementary credit cards with generous credit limits, expensive watches and clothing, all in a manner as formal as the company's year-end bonuses. But her own birthday seemed like a taboo that was never mentioned. Shen Yu had asked about it once, but as soon as the words came out, the ambiguous atmosphere between them suddenly dissipated. Lin Qingyue put on her clothes and left. She stayed at the company that night, and Shen Yu stayed awake all night.
In the first year, Shen Yu was still happy that he was worthy enough to be kept, and did not think much about it. In the second year, he made her angry by asking, and he did not dare to bring up the topic again. When he received a valuable gift from Lin Qingyue in the third year, he finally couldn't help but decided to ask for clarification.
"Sister Wang, why... I've never seen Mr. Lin celebrate his birthday?" He had no classes that day, so he secretly made an appointment with Wang Jing to meet at the coffee shop downstairs from her company.
"The boss doesn't like to celebrate her birthday, so you'd better not mention it in front of her."
"Why?" Shen Yu asked, with genuine confusion and worry in his eyes.
Wang Jing hesitated. She had witnessed how Lin Qingyue had established herself within the group with astonishing speed and determination, and she had also witnessed Lin Qingyue's "Ice Age," when she stripped herself of all emotional needs and lived almost entirely for her career. Because of this, when Shen Yu appeared and Lin Qingyue began to show subtle, human warmth and fluctuations, Wang Jing was the one who felt it most deeply and felt the most comforted by Lin Qingyue. Therefore, outside of work, she showed Shen Yu even more kindness and care.
"Qingyue, I am meddling in other people's business, but I am doing this for your own good. Please don't blame me." Wang Jing said to herself.
She told Shen Yu about Lin Qingyue's family.
Lin Qingyue was born into a marriage of pure profit—her parents were a typical business marriage, with little emotional connection. Her mother suffered a major injury during her birth, rendering her unable to conceive again, while her father desperately desired a son to inherit the family business. The marriage ended in its second year. Following their divorce, her father quickly married a beautiful, then-popular female painter. The following year, he finally achieved his wish, with the birth of his son, Lin Jinxuan.
Lin Jinxuan was three years younger than Lin Qingyue. The two siblings shared a warm childhood together. Young Lin Jinxuan loved chasing after his sister like a little tail, and Lin Qingyue gave this half-brother the most sincere care and attention.
As the children grew older, their father's favoritism became more undisguised. He gave Jinxuan everything he could, and early on, he expressed his intention to pass the family business on to his son. While he provided Lin Qingyue with a quality education, he often conveyed the message, "Just marry a good family and help your brother." This discriminatory treatment pierced Lin Qingyue's heart like a thorn.
However, Lin Jinxuan didn't develop the interest in business his father had hoped for. He was more like his mother: sensitive and quiet, he loved painting and art design, had no interest in numbers and spreadsheets, and even hated the business social events his father arranged. The more his father pushed him, the more rebellious and silent he became. Instead, he yearned for his sister's clear-headed, determined attitude, her relentless pursuit of her goals. He still admired his sister in his heart, but her gaze grew colder as she looked at him.
Lin Qingyue witnessed her father's favoritism and her brother's lack of ambition. On the one hand, she felt a sense of frustration, feeling that he had everything she desired but didn't cherish it. On the other hand, she felt a twisted sense of relief, thinking that if her brother were a business genius, her path would be much more difficult. This complex mentality prevented her from treating her brother with the same pure care she had as a child. Lin Qingyue knew that her brother was innocent and had never actively competed with her for anything. Her sense of alienation stemmed more from her own unwillingness to accept the situation—to accept her father's deep-rooted favoritism and to accept that she always seemed to have to work twice as hard to gain the recognition she deserved.
Lin Qingyue chose the most challenging path: speaking with absolute strength. She studied incredibly hard, earning a double degree in economics and finance from a prestigious university after studying abroad, and graduating with top honors for her master's degree. During this time, she constantly sought opportunities to participate in the research and analysis of family projects, often submitting reports that were more insightful and thorough than those of regular employees.
Lin Jinxuan struggled in his own world. He tried to express his passion for fashion design to his father, but was only rebuked for "not pursuing his profession." He passively resisted his father's demands, and their relationship became strained. He would sometimes message Qingyue, sharing sketches of his designs or asking, "Sister, when will you be home for dinner?" These messages often fell on deaf ears or received only brief replies.
Old Master Lin watched all this with a cold eye. He witnessed his granddaughter's ruthlessness and remarkable abilities, but also his grandson's incompetence and his son's shortsightedness. Ultimately, out of concern for the family's future, he defied all odds and gradually transferred power to Lin Qingyue after she graduated with a master's degree.
After Lin Qingyue came to power, she carried out reforms in a vigorous and resolute manner, cleaning out some incompetent elders appointed by her father. This naturally affected her father's interests, and the relationship between father and daughter dropped to freezing point.
"Shortly after she returned to China to take over the group, she had a big fight with Mr. Lin and moved out on her own. I rarely see her back. She doesn't like occasions like birthdays that require family warmth, and she doesn't have them."
Through Wang Jing's words, Shen Yu seemed to see how the young Lin Qingyue, in a family that favored boys over girls, tried her best to gain recognition, but she might never be as good as her younger brother who was favored simply because of her gender. Her current coldness, strength, and even alienation from emotions seemed to have vague answers.
A fine, dense pain spread across his heart. He suddenly felt that Lin Qingyue, who always seemed high and mighty and omnipotent, was actually very lonely.
He remembered her birthday, having stumbled upon it while filling out emergency contact information. He began secretly preparing, using his saved allowance to order an exquisite cake. After comparing several shops, he chose a simple, elegant, and unforgettable silk scarf. He also meticulously planned the menu, preparing several innovative and exquisite side dishes.
He wanted to make this night special, so he searched online for "how to create a romantic atmosphere" and, taking advice, bought several uniquely designed and elegant scented candles, specifically choosing the cool scent she often used, and even prepared some soft background music.
On his birthday, he confirmed Lin Qingyue's schedule in advance and knew she had no social engagements that evening. With a mixture of trepidation and excitement, he began his grand project in the apartment.
Cooking was a breeze for him; the dishes were quickly prepared and perfectly warm. The cake arrived promptly and was placed in the center of the table. Then he set the scene.
That's where the problem lies. He was trying to arrange his fancy scented candles in a graceful arc around the dining table, but he accidentally knocked one over. The scalding wax instantly spilled, staining the light-colored tablecloth he'd specially found and dripping a few drops onto the polished floor. He frantically tried to straighten the candle and wipe off the wax, but ended up accidentally knocking over another one...
Amidst this chaos, the sound of a door opening could be heard from the entrance. Lin Qingyue finished work earlier than expected today.
As soon as she entered the room, she smelled an unusual scent in the air—the aroma of food, the sweet aroma of butter, and... a hint of wax? Puzzled, she walked towards the living room and saw this scene:
On the dining table sat an open, exquisite cake box, containing a small birthday cake. Next to it were wrapped gift boxes and several clearly carefully prepared dishes. But the scene, which should have been warm and inviting, now seemed a bit messy—the beautiful light-colored tablecloth was splattered with solidified wax, and there were a few noticeable wax stains on the floor. Meanwhile, her Shen Yu was squatting on the floor, tissue in hand, trying to clean up the mess. Her face was a mixture of panic, annoyance, and embarrassment, and beads of sweat even formed on her forehead from her anxiety.
When their eyes met, the air froze for a moment.
Shen Yu's face flushed all of a sudden, and he stammered to explain: "I... I wanted to light a candle... but... I knocked it over... I messed it up..." The more he spoke, the smaller his voice became. Looking at the mess, he felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, I stained the tablecloth and the floor..."
Lin Qingyue's eyes swept over the cake, gifts, and dishes on the table that had obviously been carefully prepared, then fell back to Shen Yu's annoyed and flushed face, and finally looked at the messy accident scene. She was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand something. She did not show any displeasure or sarcasm as Shen Yu feared.
Instead, she walked over silently, first looking at the dishes, and then at the cake on the table with "Happy Birthday" written on it.
Suddenly, she let out a very soft laugh. It wasn't the usual distant chuckle, but a sound that truly came from her throat, with a hint of helplessness, yet inexplicably soft.
She reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across his sweaty forehead.
"You're so clumsy." Her tone sounded like a rebuke, but it was strangely gentle. "Aren't you a good cook? How come you ended up like this after fiddling with candles for a few times?"
Shen Yu stared at her in a daze, his heart pounding.
Lin Qingyue didn't look at the mess anymore, but walked to the dining table and looked at the cake: "It looks good." She picked up the plate and spoon prepared beside her, cut a small piece of cake and tasted it.
"It tastes okay." She commented, then cut a small piece with a spoon and handed it to Shen Yu's mouth, "You try it too."
Shen Yu opened his mouth mechanically and ate it. The sweet and creamy taste melted in his mouth, but he couldn't taste it at all. He was immersed in a huge, unreal trance. Lin Qingyue was so gentle tonight.
Lin Qingyue picked up the gift box again, opened it, saw the silk scarf inside, touched the material, then casually wrapped it around her neck and walked to the mirror in the entrance to look at herself.
"That's right," she said.
That night, they enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Shen Yu. Lin Qingyue ate nearly half of the cake and wore the silk scarf until she went to bed. As for the wax stain, a professional cleaning staff came to clean it up the next morning, as if it had never happened.
She didn't say "thank you" or show any excitement or joy. But Shen Yu could feel that her usual cold and distant feeling had dissipated a lot that night. She even stayed up late on the sofa with him to watch a boring movie.
After Shen Yu fell asleep, Lin Qingyue looked at the scarf in silence for a long time.
…
The next afternoon, the internal phone rang. Wang Jing picked it up: "Boss."
"Are you free tonight?" Lin Qingyue's voice came from the receiver.
"Boss, please give your instructions."
"Seven o'clock, Yukino." Lin Qingyue gave the name of a restaurant. It was a high-end Japanese restaurant where they would occasionally discuss things. It was very private. "Let's have dinner together."
At seven o'clock in the evening, Wang Jing entered the private room on time. Lin Qingyue had already arrived. When she saw her come in, she raised her chin and motioned for her to sit down.
Lin Qingyue picked up the wine glass, glanced over, and fired directly: "Wang Jing, when did you become so talkative?"
Wang Jing nearly choked on her sake and quickly put the cup down, putting on a heartbroken expression: "Boss, I did this because I love you!"
Lin Qingyue looked at her acting like a fool and snorted unhappily, "You're just causing me trouble." She took a sip of wine, and her tone seemed to soften a little. "That brat... he never stops causing trouble."
"What...did he do?" Wang Jing's gossipy heart was in turmoil.
Lin Qingyue's gaze drifted out the window. She remembered that last night, Shen Yu told her seriously that he had not prepared well for her birthday this year, and he would definitely satisfy her next year. He wanted to celebrate her birthday with her every year in the future.
She averted her gaze and summarized it simply: "What else can we do? We've been noisy all night."
But Wang Jing had been with her for so long that she was so familiar with every subtle expression and change in tone that she could almost imagine the intentions and scenes behind the "noisy" scene.
After quietly taking a few bites of food, Lin Qingyue suddenly put down her chopsticks and said in a calm but clear voice, "Thank you, though. If you hadn't been so nosy, I would probably be working overtime alone until late at night like before, pretending to have forgotten anything special about that day."
Wang Jing waved her hand: "It's better to give a large sum of money than to ask about my well-being."
"roll."
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