Chapter 65 Surprise [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Gu Linzhao turns around.
It was already 2 p.m. when Fu Xianyin walked out of Beichuan Airport.
Beichuan is even colder than the United States. Fu Xianyin sneezed as soon as she stepped out of the airport. She wrapped her scarf tighter and hunched her shoulders.
She was smarter this time; she even put on a face mask on the plane, so she didn't look as unrecognizable when she landed as she did last time.
There was still some time before the afternoon dismissal time at No. 1 Middle School, so Fu Xianyin took a taxi to the hotel. After putting down her luggage, she took out her makeup bag, covered the dark circles under her eyes, and then took a lipstick before going out.
She took a taxi to a cake shop, picked the simplest design, and started making it step by step according to the picture.
She had never done these things before, and as a first-year junior high student, she was clumsy and awkward. The cake was crooked and uneven, with pieces missing here and there, and the cream was spread unevenly. The fruit filling in the middle even leaked out.
It took her quite a while to get the hang of it.
However, with the basics in place, no matter how well you figure things out, you still can't make a really nice-looking cake.
Looking at the cake where the cream couldn't be smoothed out, Fu Xianyin suddenly felt glad that she had chosen the simplest style.
She scraped off the fruit and cream on the side, replaced it with chocolate sauce, and carefully wrote the four big words "Happy Birthday" on the cake.
By the time she left the cake shop, there wasn't much time left before the afternoon dismissal time at No. 1 Middle School.
Holding a cake and records, Fu Xianyin stood outside the gate of No. 1 Middle School. There was still some snow in the flower beds by the roadside that hadn't melted completely from the snowfall a few days ago. Looking at the playground and teaching buildings inside the fence, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
She checked herself one last time. Her scarf was on, her hair was tidied, and she had applied a light layer of lipstick, which made her look more than just pale.
After doing all this, she put on her headphones and opened her chat history with Gu Linzhao.
The chat window remained frozen on a message she sent this afternoon after landing in Beichuan:
Could you call me after class this afternoon?
Inside the classroom, as the bell rang, Gu Linzhao finished writing the last few notes, took out his phone, and saw a message from Fu Xianyin.
It's still early morning in the United States, and I don't know if she's awake or not.
He probably couldn't sleep and wanted to hear him talk.
Gu Linzhao had just put on his headphones when he felt someone tap his shoulder.
She turned her head and saw Chen Nianke, Cheng Zhaozhao, and Lin Anxu standing beside her, looking at her with smiles.
Lin Anxu said, "Brother, it's your birthday today, let's eat outside of school?"
Gu Linzhao nodded and said, "Okay."
Chen Nianke and Cheng Zhaozhao exchanged a glance. The latter quietly took out her phone and sent a message in the group chat: [OK, plan successful.]
Lin Anxu only found out that Fu Xianyin was back at noon today. He knew that Fu Xianyin was going to the United States to take two exams. She had taken time out of her schedule to come back this time to celebrate Gu Linzhao's birthday.
Lin Anxu was still a little unsure: "Are you sure my sister is really back? She's really back in just two days?"
Cheng Zhaozhao said, "Absolutely true."
Lin Anxu: "Then why didn't you two tell me sooner?"
Chen Nianke: "With your leaky nature, do you think you can keep it a secret?"
Lin Anxu and his two companions walked ahead, while Gu Linzhao, wearing headphones, followed behind them at a moderate distance.
As soon as he left the classroom, he called Fu Xianyin, and she answered very quickly.
Gu Linzhao softened his voice and asked softly, "Can't sleep again?"
Fu Xianyin felt a pang of guilt and whispered, "Mm."
She said, "Turn on the camera."
Gu Linzhao complied and turned on the camera.
Fu Xianyin watched as he walked out of the teaching building little by little in the camera lens, while she herself mingled with the crowded people at the school gate and entered the school.
She hid behind a tree, peeking out cautiously.
Not long after, Gu Linzhao appeared at the end of the road.
The boy was wearing a black down jacket, headphones, and holding his phone up halfway. His short hair hung down smoothly, and his exposed ears were a little red from the cold.
This is what Fu Xianyin saw with her own eyes.
It's neither a photo nor a video on a phone.
This person, alive and well, appeared right in front of her.
Fu Xianyin felt her heart pounding.
Her breath trembled with excitement, and she dared not speak, afraid that she might make a sound that would alert Gu Linzhao to something.
She hid behind a tree across the street, watching Gu Linzhao approach and then walk away.
Fu Xianyin carried the things and ran over in small steps, following behind Gu Linzhao.
She held her breath and walked forward little by little, getting closer and closer to him.
Up close, you could see the fluffy decorations on his down jacket, and even closer, you could see the tiny mole on his earlobe.
Then she opened her mouth and softly called out, "Gu Linzhao."
The boy in front of her suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Gu Linzhao raised his hand and pressed the earphone, seemingly stunned, or perhaps in disbelief.
The scene felt like a return to that day at the airport in Beijing.
It's just that the roles and identities have been reversed.
Fu Xianyin suppressed the sob in her throat and said again:
"Gu Linzhao".
"Turn around."
The snow started falling sometime ago.
It might have just started raining, or it might have been raining for a while, but he didn't notice.
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, Gu Linzhao saw the person who was so close yet shouldn't have been there.
She wore a light-colored coat and a pale yellow plaid scarf around her neck. That bright and vibrant yellow added a touch of elegance to the dreary winter.
The girl's nose was red from the cold, and a thin layer of snowflakes covered her hair. Her pink lips curved slightly as she smiled at him.
This was the first time Gu Linzhao had ever felt speechless.
My throat was choked up, and my mind was blank.
He opened his mouth, but found himself clumsy and helpless, unable to utter a single syllable.
A smile spread across Fu Xianyin's face. She seemed quite pleased with Gu Linzhao's reaction. She leaned forward, tilted her head, and said, "Happy birthday."
It took Gu Linzhao a while to find his voice. He asked, "Why are you here? Don't you still have an exam?"
Fu Xianyin saw him silently stand to the outside of her, blocking a patch of wind and snow.
She moved closer to Gu Linzhao, so close that her coat sleeve touched his down jacket.
She said, "There are exams, but today is your birthday, your eighteenth birthday, the most important birthday in a person's life."
She said, "I wanted to celebrate your birthday, so I came back."
Gu Linzhao asked, "Are you still going to take the exam?"
Fu Xianyin said, "Go take the exam. I'll take a flight tomorrow morning."
Gu Linzhao's heart suddenly softened completely.
A round trip from the United States takes nearly thirty hours.
She flew for more than 30 hours just to come and celebrate his birthday.
Just to see him.
This realization nearly caused Gu Linzhao's heart to explode.
Fu Xianyin said, "How about it? Surprised? Didn't expect me to come?"
Gu Linzhao said, "A pleasant surprise."
"What?" Fu Xianyin pouted and said, "You don't seem very surprised. You're acting so calmly."
Gu Linzhao just smiled.
How could there not be a surprise?
He never imagined that Fu Xianyin would come back to celebrate his birthday.
Fu Xianyin said, "Don't you want me to come back and celebrate your birthday?"
Gu Linzhao said, "How could that be?"
How could I not want to?
It was something he dared not even think about.
He said, "I thought it would be good enough that you remembered my birthday and wished me a happy birthday today."
Fu Xianyin asked, "So you thought I called you to wish you a happy birthday, but when you answered the phone you didn't hear me wish you a happy birthday, were you very disappointed?"
Gu Linzhao shook his head: "No."
Fu Xianyin tilted her head.
She heard Gu Linzhao say, "I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to sleep over there, so I wanted to hear what I had to say."
Fu Xianyin suddenly felt uneasy.
She bit her lip and said, "Why do you think like that? Even if you don't think I'll come back, you should at least think I should wish you a happy birthday."
Gu Linzhao suddenly asked, "Is it okay to think of it this way?"
Fu Xianyin said, "Of course you can, you can think of even more."
Gu Linzhao suddenly smiled.
Fu Xianyin said, "What, you're satisfied with this? You're too easily satisfied. You should be hoping I'll give you a birthday present now."
Gu Linzhao said, "There's also a birthday present."
She came back specifically to see him and celebrate his birthday, which was already a very unexpected birthday gift for him.
Fu Xianyin said, "Of course there is. They came all the way back to celebrate your birthday, how could there not be a birthday present?"
She seemed to take it very seriously, insisting on going through this ritual.
"Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."
Gu Linzhao said, "Then I hope Fu Xianyin will give me a birthday present now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Linzhao felt a chill in his hand.
The next second, a gift bag was placed in his hand.
Fu Xianyin smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Here, your birthday present."
She said mysteriously, "This is something I prepared carefully; I'm sure you'll like it."
After saying that, she raised her fist and said in a half-threatening tone, "You have to like it whether you like it or not."
How could I not like it?
Gu Linzhao felt that Fu Xianyin had no reason to have such thoughts.
He would like whatever she gave him.
He would like it even if you gave him nothing.
Gu Linzhao was carrying the record bag, while Fu Xianyin was holding the small cake she had made herself.
Lin Anxu was shrewd. During the last class, he secretly made an appointment with the shop owner to have lunch in the afternoon. When the group arrived, the food was ready, saving them the trouble of waiting.
When Fu Xianyin placed the cake box on the table, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
She cleared her throat and said, "Let me preface this by saying, this is my first time making a cake, and it looks terrible."
Lin Anxu said, "It's okay, sister. Even if you put arsenic in it, I can still eat it."
Cheng Zhaozhao rolled her eyes at him: "Didn't you even think about whether I made this for you?"
Lin Anxu chuckled and looked at Gu Linzhao.
Gu Linzhao said, "Me too."
He added, "Even if it's contaminated with arsenic, I'll still eat it."
Fu Xianyin was satisfied with the assurance.
She lifted the lid, revealing the ugly little cake.
To be fair, both Cheng Zhaozhao and Lin Anxu are the type who are very good at providing emotional value.
Both of them are incredibly eloquent.
Lin Anxu: "Sis, you're being too modest. This stuff looks delicious."
Cheng Zhaozhao: "That's right, Yinyin, where is she ugly?"
She took out her phone to take a picture and said, "Now many craft shops specialize in making this. They use a spatula to make marks on the cream. It's so cute."
Fu Xianyin laughed: "You guys know how to talk."
She lit the candles, took out a lighter she'd bought at the cake shop from her pocket, shielded the candles from the wind, and then folded up the birthday hat, handing it to Gu Linzhao, saying:
"Come on, birthday star, make a wish!"
Gu Linzhao put the birthday hat on his head. Lin Anxu clapped his hands and sang "Happy Birthday to You" to him: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!"
Fu Xianyin also sang softly.
The candlelight shone on Gu Linzhao's face. His eyes were closed, and his eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.
Fu Xianyin looked at him greedily yet cautiously, as if she wanted to etch this scene into her mind.
After the "Happy Birthday" song was sung, Gu Linzhao made a wish, opened his eyes, and blew out the candles.
The cake wasn't very big; each of the five people got a slice, and in the end, Lin Anxu even scraped the cream off the base.
After finishing their meal, Chen Nianke pulled Lin Anxu and Cheng Zhaozhao ahead, giving the two some space.
The snow is still falling; a thin layer has already accumulated on the ground in the short time it took.
Fu Xianyin walked slowly alongside Gu Linzhao.
She anticipated that time would pass quickly, but when the moment actually arrived, Fu Xianyin found that time was actually passing much faster than she had expected.
She kept her head down, stepping on the thin layer of snow on the ground, without saying a word.
Gu Linzhao noticed that she was in a bad mood and asked in a low voice, "When did you get your plane ticket?"
Fu Xianyin said in a low voice, "We'll go to Beijing tonight and fly to the United States from Beijing first thing tomorrow morning."
She sniffed, her eyes welling up with tears.
Gu Linzhao suddenly asked, "Are you cold?"
Fu Xianyin couldn't hold back any longer.
It was just an ordinary expression of concern, but Fu Xianyin's taut string suddenly snapped completely at that moment. She stretched out her hand, her fair fingertips already red from the cold, and held it under Gu Linzhao's eyes, her voice trembling with tears: "It's cold, it's freezing! Beichuan is even colder than there, I'm about to freeze to death."
Gu Linzhao suddenly grabbed her hand.
His hands were large and warm, able to completely envelop her hands.
Fu Xianyin bit her lip, her fingertips shrinking slightly in his palm.
Gu Linzhao wasn't very strong. She only moved slightly, and she felt that Gu Linzhao's grip on her loosened a lot. There was a large gap between their hands, which were originally touching, and they were about to separate.
Fu Xianyin suddenly straightened her fingers, her five fingers passing through Gu Linzhao's fingers, and then grasped him.
She sensed that the person next to her paused for a moment.
Then, her hand was tightly grasped in return.
The snow suddenly started falling heavily.
Cheers rang in her ears, and Fu Xianyin pulled that hand closer to him.
The cuffs were pressed together, and beneath the cuffs were two hands with their fingers intertwined.
The swirling snow quickly blanketed the entire world in white, covering the emerald green pines and the brown ground.
The world's chaos and complexity seemed to have been erased with a single click, as if returning to the initial settings.
Everything is like a cloud that is both close at hand and yet worlds away.
She gripped Gu Linzhao's hand tightly and greedily, as if she wanted to draw more warmth from him, or as if she wanted to melt him into her flesh and blood, and carve him into her bones.
The heavy snow concealed her wretchedness and baseness, as if she could be as pure and white as the snow itself.
Only the force in her hands proved her desire.
[Author's Note]
Their surprise routine is the same: they sneak over, stand quietly behind each other, and say, "Turn around."
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