Shang Yunmiao thought she would recover quickly and then celebrate her birthday at the end of the year, but because she made a mistake and overestimated her physical condition, she spent her birthday feeling dizzy, feverish, and unconscious.
Because of her high fever and headache, her perception of time was not very clear.
After her afternoon nap on the 31st, the girl only vaguely remembered that it got dark once and it got light once outside.
Now, after a long rest, the girl finally felt more energetic. One evening, she stared blankly at the darkening sky for a while, then turned over and hugged Chen Bing beside her, saying, "I feel so much better..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Bing put down her book, picked up the fish and tofu soup that was placed beside her, and said perfunctorily, "Well, let's eat something first."
Perhaps because her condition had really started to improve, Shang Yunmiao's appetite was much better this time, and she finished a whole bowl of fish soup in no time.
"Phew..." After eating, Shang Yunmiao lay on the bed to rest for a while, then tried to cheer herself up, propped herself up on her arms and looked at Chen Bing, saying, "Hmm! No problem, I feel much better now. I'll take another fever reducer, and then we'll go out and buy a cake together in a bit!"
“That won’t do.” Patting the girl’s head, Chen Bing objected, “Even if you’re really better, you still need to rest properly, otherwise what if it relapses like before?”
"But it's almost evening now, and we won't be able to rest until the next day."
"What happened the next day?"
"The next day isn't my birthday." Shang Yunmiao leaned against the headboard, curled up, and hugged Chen Bing's arm. Although her headache had lessened considerably, she felt strangely cold.
After hearing the whole "the next day isn't your birthday" explanation, Chen Bing was momentarily confused. After a moment of stunned silence, he placed his hand worriedly on Shang Yunmiao's forehead and asked anxiously, "You don't think it's still December 31st, do you?"
Shang Yunmiao responded to Chen Bing's worried reaction with a light laugh. The girl thought to herself, she clearly saw the sky darken once, so today definitely isn't the 31st. "Chen Bing is really something," she thought, "taking me for a delirious little fool. Even if I'm lying in bed all day because of a fever, I wouldn't get the time wrong."
"Of course not." As if to prove something, Shang Yunmiao raised her head and said confidently, "Today is the first, right? Although it's a day later than our usual birthdays, it's still considered our birthday."
"Silly girl, you're really delirious from the fever. Today is already the 2nd."
"Number two!?"
Reaching out, Chen Bing gently patted Shang Yunmiao's head and pulled the blanket up, urging Shang Yunmiao to lie down and rest.
Lost in shock and frustration, Shang Yunmiao was completely dazed, as if she had lost her internet connection. She didn't react until Chen Bing covered her with a blanket, said some comforting words, and even left the room to buy groceries for dinner.
Shang Yunmiao...
After leaving the room, Chen Bing did not go out immediately, but stood on the balcony for a moment, feeling melancholy.
To be honest, it was a bit of a regret that he couldn't finish off his little girl on her birthday, a truly memorable occasion, and it was also a regret that they couldn't set their wedding anniversary on that day. But thinking about it carefully, it wasn't so bad. Chen Bing felt that he wasn't the kind of person who liked to pursue a sense of ritual, and neither was Shang Yunmiao, who had grown up with him.
The reason she reacted so strongly to missing her birthday was largely because she was the one who caused the outcome.
In other words, guilt.
So although there are regrets, it's okay. As long as the people you celebrate your birthday with are still by your side, it doesn't matter which day you celebrate your birthday.
There's a saying that perfectly describes family reunions: "The moon is fullest on the sixteenth day of the lunar month," so it doesn't matter if your birthday is a few days later.
From a macrocosmic perspective, these two days of transition between the old and new year are meaningless; they are merely the moment our planet orbits the center of our star system. Compared to this ordinary and commonplace romance, Chen Bing has another interstellar romance she wants to prepare before Shang Yunmiao recovers.
Thinking about this important matter, Chen Bing felt more excited about what was to come.
So he quickly packed his things and left his apartment complex, whistling as he went. However, he didn't head towards the supermarket where he usually buys groceries.
When it was completely dark, Chen Bing returned home carrying large and small bags.
After sorting the purchased ingredients and putting them in their proper places, Chen Bing washed her hands and went to the room to check on Xiao Shang's situation.
Upon entering, Chen Bing noticed that Shang Yunmiao wasn't lying obediently on the bed, but had instead moved a chair and curled up on the balcony.
From behind, the girl looked rather thin. Although the room was very warm, Chen Bing was still somewhat worried that she was only wearing a blanket.
The sound of the door opening clearly caught Shang Yunmiao's attention, or rather, Shang Yunmiao had already noticed Chen Bing as soon as she returned home.
So why was she sitting on the balcony?
Did they sit here before I came back, or did they sit here after hearing me return?
Seeing Shang Yunmiao turn her head and look at her with her eyes lowered, Chen Bing slowly moved closer to her.
Chen Bing placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and leaned down slightly, considering what to say. The girl looked so dejected; she must be thinking about something, so she needed to be careful with her first words.
Before Chen Bing could even think of what to say, Shang Yunmiao took the initiative to grab his collar with her small hand and said softly, "Pretending to be profound seems a bit difficult."
After saying that, she stuck out her tongue, looking coquettish and cute.
No, Xiao Shang is cute by nature.
Coming back to her senses from the adorable girl's attempt at cuteness, Chen Bing pulled Shang Yunmiao closer and asked, "Then... why are you pretending to be so profound?"
"I want to tell you that I'm really sorry I missed your birthday."
"Actually, there's more to it than that, isn't there?" After years of getting along, Chen Bing knew Shang Yunmiao very well. He immediately realized that Shang Yunmiao was definitely not the kind of person who would use sob stories to avoid being blamed.
After a brief silence, Shang Yunmiao replied in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Um...actually, there's another purpose...it's..."
"yes?"
Shang Yunmiao's face flushed slightly; clearly, what she was about to say would make her feel somewhat ashamed.
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