Chapter 58 Online Romance with a Bad Beta: Happy Birthday
It had just rained in the cemetery, and the ground was still damp.
Every Wednesday at 1 p.m., artificial rain is brought to the Red Tea Star, ending at 2 p.m. It's 3 p.m. now, and the water stains on the ground haven't dried yet.
Xi Congshuang stepped off the aircraft. At her feet, a puddle reflected the azure sky and the tall, elegant figure carrying a bouquet of flowers.
This was her first time here. She never expected that people in the interstellar era would express their remembrance of the deceased in such a similar way. Xi Congshuang's parents were buried here.
The adorable robot guarding the cemetery brightened its eyes, instantly recorded the facial information, identified the visitor, and said gently, "Visitor, please turn left after entering. The white daisies and sunflowers you brought today are very beautiful."
Xi Congshuang was surprised; the robot was unexpectedly human-like. She replied, "Thank you."
The gatekeeper robot's eyes lit up again: "Do you need me to show you the way?"
Xi Congshuang shook her head: "No need, I want to walk there by myself."
"OK."
As soon as he finished speaking, a flying vehicle stopped not far behind them. This time, a family of three got out, dressed in simple clothes.
The young girl tugged at her clothes, pouted and said something. The lady next to her patted her shoulder and whispered words of comfort, which made the young girl's expression improve.
Xi Lianghan, who was leading the group, spotted the figure in front of the door at a glance and called out, "Xiaoshuang, you've arrived."
The figure in front of the cemetery gate moved, turned around, and revealed a bouquet of flowers in their arms.
At first, the three of them thought they were seeing things. But as they got closer, the exquisitely packaged bouquet came into view, and they could smell the fresh scent of grass and trees, which could not be imitated by artificial perfumes.
Madam Xi exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Shuang, what's wrong with you...?"
"A gift for visiting." Xi Congshuang held the flowers, but looked at the three people's empty hands with a puzzled expression, but she didn't say anything.
Because plants became precious during the interstellar era, every effort was made to keep a fresh flower alive. No one would buy an expensive bouquet and casually place it in front of a tombstone, letting it rot and be collected by patrolling robots.
Most people are willing to buy bouquets and water them with various anti-aging agents to keep them alive as much as possible, but few people choose to place a bouquet of flowers in front of the grave. The high price is one thing, but they just feel it's a waste.
When Xi Congshuang appeared carrying flowers, the three women who were empty-handed seemed strange. No matter how you looked at them, they couldn't possibly be people without money, and the things they had wasted were definitely more than just a bouquet of flowers.
Xi Congshuang didn't think too much about it. She was used to acting according to etiquette, but she didn't expect that the people of the interstellar era would be even more impolite: "Since we're here, let's go in."
After she finished speaking, she turned and entered the cemetery. The three of them were about to follow when they saw the person in front of them stop and suddenly turn around to look in one direction.
The three of them tensed up and looked over, repeatedly asking what was wrong.
There was nothing in the direction she was looking. In the clean and tidy square stood only an angel statue. The angel in a pure white dress had her hands folded over her chest, her face lowered with a look of pity, and her eyes half-closed as she looked at the fountain at her feet.
Near the angel, there were flowerbeds covered in lush green grass, and without exception, all of them were plants so realistic that they could be mistaken for real ones.
Red Apple whispered in Xi Congshuang's ear, "Angels have wings, and so do I. So, I'm practically an apple angel!"
"..."
Xi Lianghan asked, "Did you see anything?"
Xi Congshuang suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and shook her head, saying, "Nothing, I just feel like someone is secretly taking pictures of this place."
She is always overly sensitive to other people's gaze and cameras. She has been teased for being more sensitive than a big star, even though she is not a big star living in the spotlight.
Almost no one could make her insensitive to anyone's gaze, nor could anyone be by her side to provide "desensitization therapy," thus bringing this problem into the world.
Xi Yanjun couldn't help but say, "That's a square, you can't hide people there, why are you so nervous? Did you do something shady...?"
Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled back by the lady beside her and glared at by her own father, forcing her to swallow her words and grunt twice.
Xi Yanjun was never a well-behaved person to begin with. After Xi Congshuang embarrassed her that day and even asked her father for money in public, she unilaterally turned against her and returned to the state of mutual animosity with Xi Congshuang.
She'd been ridiculed by her friends for so long, so what was wrong with her saying a few words to her? If it weren't for her parents' sake, she wouldn't have let it go so easily.
The lady smiled and said, "Don't take it to heart, Cong Shuang. She's just being immature. I'll give her a good talking to when I get back."
Red Apple flapped its wings: "Yes, yes, I'm only a few months younger than you, so I'm just immature. You've been too tolerant of me."
Xi Congshuang ignored him and continued walking into the cemetery with the flowers in her arms. Xi Yanjun was annoyed again and was about to say something when she was intimidated by Xi Lianghan's gaze and finally shut up.
Xi Lianghan: "Xiaoshuang, don't take it to heart. She's always like this. I had her follow you before so that she could learn from you, but I didn't expect her to still be so useless and not learn any of your good points."
Xi Congshuang said calmly, "I know. It's just because I don't give her money. Everyone's like this. They're only nice to me because they want my money."
"I used to think I didn't need a lot of money, just a lot of love... Sigh..."
"..."
The rich kid, suffering from youthful pain, just spouts lines like that.
Red Apple marveled at how Xi Congshuang's extensive film viewing experience came in handy; she truly is an elite, capable of presenting herself in any situation.
Xi Lianghan opened his mouth and closed it again, feeling that it would be wrong to say anything at this moment, so he shut up.
He had a premonition that if he continued talking, he would hear Xi Congshuang call him "uncle," a term that sent chills down his spine.
Then she asked, "Uncle, are you also after my money?"
The group silently approached the tombstone. Xi Congshuang bent down to offer flowers and carefully examined the photo on the tombstone.
The tombstone was spotless, polished by the robot in charge of its care, and surrounded by incredibly realistic plants. A bunch of white daisies and sunflowers were placed in the center, making it look vibrant and full of life.
The couple died in a vicious hijacking incident. The spaceship and the space pirates were blown to pieces in space, and no one's remains could be found. The grave in the cemetery is just a cenotaph.
A butterfly flew over the heads of the group and then disappeared into the distance.
Every year, Xi Lianghan and Xi Congshuang have a tradition of visiting each other's parents' graves, and this year was no exception. He used to find it troublesome, but now he finds it convenient.
After that day in the conference room, he always felt that something was wrong, as if things were about to get out of his control, and he secretly guarded against it for quite some time.
But then Xi Congshuang did nothing. She stayed in the hospital with her lover every day, never leaving the hospital and not caring about the company. He thought he was wrong.
A few days ago, she started investigating past events again, leaving him confused about what Xi Congshuang was trying to do.
Looking at it today, he realized he was wrong; Xi Congshuang was clearly not a threat.
only……
Xi Lianghan looked in the direction the butterfly had flown away. Who would have thought that the unnoticed butterfly was actually an alien camera, faithfully capturing the scene it saw?
He had intended to leak this matter to the media outlets he was working with, publish a news article praising Xi Congshuang, and solidify his image as a kind and gentle person who valued old friends. This way, even if Xi Congshuang had an accident later, no one would think of him.
However, due to a momentary lapse in judgment, Xi Congshuang brought flowers, while they hadn't thought to bring flowers. Comparing the two, it all seemed inappropriate.
He always cares about his image and is more detail-oriented than most people, being overly cautious.
We can only temporarily give up on including pictures in this year's news, and we can't worry about whether text-only articles are persuasive enough.
*
The sun had long since set, and dusk was growing. The exceptionally bright moonlight of the night streamed into the room, making the person in the hospital bed appear hazy.
Recently, Tan Yicheng's medication was changed to a new batch, and after taking it, she became even more lethargic and drowsy.
Professor Wei Lin knew that alphas were energetic and active, so she specially used medication to make Tan Yicheng fall asleep frequently, so that sleep could repair the damaged glands.
At first, Tan Yicheng resisted this kind of drug that numbed the mind. No alpha would want to be restricted like this. Later, she also realized that a healthy and clear-headed alpha could control his pheromones very well, which she could not do now.
Then you might as well just fall asleep. If you're asleep, you won't cause trouble for yourself or others.
As she drifted off to sleep, she vaguely thought that she would probably sleep through her birthday this year.
She only remembered that tomorrow is her birthday after being reminded by a nurse yesterday.
It's been a long time since she celebrated her birthday. The few birthdays she remembers being celebrated were either for her mother who passed away early or for the neighbor who always took care of her.
The neighbor's mother also has her own children, so I can only help her occasionally; any more would be too much of a burden.
When she's half-awake, she tends to think about things from the past. She remembers that she loved celebrating her birthday when she was little.
Only at this time could she eat a nutrient solution with a better taste, sweet like fruit juice, which was completely different from the muddy nutrient solution she usually ate.
Many people buy a cake to celebrate their birthday, but Tan Yicheng celebrates her birthday by receiving a bottle of juice-flavored nutritional drink.
Families who can only afford the cheapest near-expiry nutritional supplements naturally can't afford a cake, and young Tan Yicheng didn't even know what a cake was.
When she accidentally saw a cake in an advertisement, her birthday wish changed from "to eat a better-tasting nutrient solution" to "to eat a cake".
Her daily hobby turned into deliberately taking detours to see cake advertisements over and over again, imagining the taste. The advertisements were placed on a rather high screen, so she had to stand on tiptoe, grip her backpack straps, and look up to see them.
Then, she smelled the sweet aroma of the cake.
The person on the bed slowly opened their eyes, the weariness in their eyes fading slightly, but their hearing awakened first, taking in the low voices of conversation.
"Okay, have someone keep an eye on him, but don't let him get too close and get spotted by the old dog..."
Instantly, Tan Yicheng recognized Xi Congshuang's voice; she couldn't distinguish the voice she was speaking to.
It was definitely not the voice of those two overly smiling assistants; the person was much more cautious.
Seemingly sensing that the person on the bed had woken up, Xi Congshuang quickly ended the conversation, and the room fell silent again.
The sweet fragrance continued to spread, and Tan Yicheng finally realized belatedly that she seemed to have asked Xi Congshuang to bring something back last night.
She had actually forgotten what it was.
Could it really be a cake?
Just when Tan Yicheng thought Xi Congshuang hadn't noticed he was awake, the person sitting on the chair by the bed spoke up: "Really not awake?"
Tan Yicheng opened her eyes, and she often had countless questions for Xi Congshuang: "How did you know I was awake?"
It's amazing, really. Just two weeks ago, she never thought she would be able to talk to Xi Congshuang calmly for even a day.
At that moment, she had only one thought in her mind: to kill him.
They didn't manage to kill anyone, but seeing Xi Congshuang signing countless bills day after day, spending money like water, they wondered what Xi Congshuang was really thinking. She had already given up on herself.
Xi Congshuang raised her hand and turned on the bedside lamp: "Your breathing rate has changed."
Tan Yicheng propped himself up and sat up, turning his head to look at her: "You're still talking about breathing rate? Did you watch me sleep the whole time?"
In the darkness of night, the other person's gaze seemed surprisingly gentle.
Xi Congshuang didn't continue the topic, but instead said, "I bought the cake you asked me to buy, it's on the table, do you want to get up and eat it?"
She pointed and saw a blueberry cake on the table in the ward, covered with a glass dome.
Tan Yicheng: "..."
You actually bought it?
Wait, she actually said it?
As if by some strange twist of fate, Tan Yicheng actually threw off the covers, got out of bed, and walked towards the table.
When she actually saw the cake topped with blueberries, her expression became complicated. She never expected that her first birthday cake would be bought by Xi Congshuang.
How could she have bought it? How could she have bought it?
With countless questions swirling in her mind, Tan Yicheng, unsure of what emotions to adopt when facing the cake, glanced at Xi Congshuang.
Xi Congshuang didn't understand what that look meant. She stepped forward, lifted the lid, and completely revealed the cake to Tan Yicheng.
She asked, "Did I buy the wrong blueberry cake that you told me to buy?"
"..." Tan Yicheng shook his head.
Xi Congshuang looked at her for a while, and decided to take the shake of her head as meaning that she meant no problem.
As a child, Tan Yicheng always longed to eat cakes, but now that she's come to Central Star, they're everywhere. They're never as rare and precious as she remembers them. Tan Yicheng admits that she has long since lost interest in cakes.
Kids love these sweet, brightly colored things.
She disregarded the longing in her memory and threw herself into daily study and training.
It's impossible to say she's never eaten cake at the academy, but she hasn't bought a birthday cake specifically for her yet.
Tan Yicheng doesn't care about her birthday and has never told anyone about it, so she never gets a chance to be celebrated. Occasionally, when she goes home, her neighbor's mother will invite her to stay for a meal.
That's all, nothing more.
As if bewitched, she sat down at the table, where an exquisitely designed cake was pushed in front of her, with a knife and fork placed to the side.
Tan Yicheng felt a vague sense of anticipation. She wasn't quite sure how to celebrate her birthday, perhaps because she was a bit dazed from taking the medication. She looked at Xi Congshuang with a confused expression.
"What should I do?" Tan Yicheng asked.
"..."
Xi Congshuang, who originally only intended to put down the cake, inform the other party of the contents of the document on the table, and leave, suddenly changed her mind and stopped by the table.
Unlike Tan Yicheng, Xi Congshuang has had too many birthdays celebrated. As the heir of two families, her birthdays are no longer simple celebrations, but rather a disguised arena for fame and fortune.
She both loathed the hypocrisy and clearly remembered every step.
The candles were lit and then blown out. The cake, which could only be eaten once before being divided up, was cut into pieces. The next day, the nannies informed them that the cake that had been left overnight could not be kept and had already been disposed of.
Xi Congshuang simplified things and said, "To celebrate a birthday, you need to blow out candles and make a wish. I told the shop assistant that there can't be any open flames in your room, so I asked her for a different kind of candle that's even more special."
She held a candle in her fair fingers and stuck it in the center of the cake. When she snapped her fingers, the candle lit up with an orange light.
This is a voice-activated electronic candle.
The light in Tan Yicheng's eyes shone as the candlelight illuminated, casting a warm yellow glow on her face. She stared intently at the light from the electronic candle.
Xi Congshuang reminded him, "The candle is lit. Now you can close your eyes and make a wish, using a voice that only you can hear."
While thinking to herself, "Is this some kind of childish nonsense? Who would read their wish out loud in front of others?" Tan Yicheng actually closed her eyes and awkwardly made a wish.
With her inner thoughts quieted down, Tan Yicheng opened her eyes and went to blow out the candles.
She knew it was an electronic candle that would never go out, but she had a feeling it would eventually go out.
"clatter."
Sure enough, the snap of fingers rang out again, and the candle went out.
Tan Yicheng's breath hitched slightly as the moonlight bathed her. If she were to recall, she would remember that her heartbeat had coincided with the snap of her fingers at that very moment.
The conscientious birthday party host, Xi Congshuang, said, "Okay, the candles are out. Now you can pick up the knife and cut your cake."
She raised her hand and took the electronic candle that was stuck in the middle.
The cake Xi Congshuang bought wasn't big, just enough for Tan Yicheng to finish by herself. The reason she said that was because she was used to dividing food into small, delicate portions before she started eating.
Then she remembered that there was a knife next to her, so Tan Yicheng picked up the knife and cut the cake into two pieces.
Before she could speak, she heard Xi Congshuang say, "This is your application to resume your studies. I've already processed it and just received it today."
There's not much she can do right now; on the road to restoring things to normal, she can only prioritize resuming school.
The alpha who caused her this is about to be found. Her family is on the central star; they can't hide forever.
Tan Yicheng stared at the things on the table in disbelief, then suddenly looked up: "You... how did you do that?"
Applying to resume her studies is not so simple. Her classmate's family is from the Central Star, and she also has acquaintances working in the academy. She had long been prepared for the many hardships on the road to resuming her studies.
Now the signed document is laid out in front of her, with even the resumption date blank, which she can fill in as she pleases, as long as she signs Tan Yicheng's name it will be effective.
Xi Congshuang didn't seem to care, crossing her arms and leaning against the table: "It's just about sponsoring a batch of medicines; the academy won't refuse sponsorship lightly."
She never mentioned how her reputation in the company had changed, and she often disregarded outside opinions when it came to achieving her goals.
If she cared too much, she would have gone crazy when she was young. People who think too much are prone to going crazy and dying, and she wouldn't be alive now.
Xi Congshuang said, "Whether you accept it or not, happy 20th birthday."
Happy birthday, Tan Yicheng.
"..."
The smart device on her wrist vibrated, reminding its owner that her birthday had arrived. The sound, which was usually ignored, became particularly noticeable at this moment.
Tan Yicheng's gaze shifted from the documents to Xi Congshuang. Her lips moved, and the question buried deep in her heart finally came out: "Xi Congshuang, are you...?"
"No." Xi Congshuang answered quickly, raising her eyes to look directly at the person opposite her, and repeated, "I'm not."
"..."
Taking advantage of the system's absence—its tendency to overreact and harbor ulterior motives—Xi Congshuang placed one hand on the table, leaned towards her, raised a finger to her lips, and silently whispered, "Shh—"
Don't say it.
The bewitched Tan Yicheng remained silent, her mind filled with images of another person leaning towards her, and she didn't come to her senses for a long time.
Putting everything else aside, Xi Congshuang is indeed beautiful, with delicate eyebrows and eyes and light-colored lips. This can easily give people a misunderstanding, making them subconsciously look at the most colorful part of her face.
When they came to their senses, they found themselves trapped in the other person's eyes, unable to extricate themselves.
After a while, Tan Yicheng suddenly asked, "Wait, how did you know it was my birthday?"
Xi Congshuang: "...?"
So it turns out she had no idea what she had said to him last night?
For the first time, Xi Congshuang found herself laughing in anger, and flicked her forehead: "What are you thinking? Didn't you tell me yourself?"
Tan Yicheng covered his forehead, lost in thought.
Did you say that yourself?
Did I actually reveal my birthday?
She actually succumbed to Xi Congshuang's sweet talk to this extent?
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Happy May Day holiday everyone! Where are you all planning to go? I'm thinking of going out to soak up some sun; I'm getting bored of staying home writing all day. [crying emoji]
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