Chapter 86 Spend Time Together
As soon as the car drove into the city, Si Yankai's schedule was quietly filled.
During the day, I am busy studying, writing reports, preparing for competitions, participating in company decision-making, etc.
At night, after Tang Ximian fell asleep, he would quietly sit in the study and repeatedly revise the proposal plan on the computer - from the color scheme of the venue layout to the style of the customized ring, every detail was hidden with careful thoughts.
He thought that his frequent "late return" and occasional "distraction" would attract Tang Ximian's attention.
The result is: Tang Ximian didn't notice anything at all.
Because Si Yankai’s birthday is coming.
Participating in competitions is already busy, and Tang Ximian has long been accustomed to it.
In addition, part of her attention was focused on preparing gifts, secretly pondering them every day behind Si Yankai's back: Give him a custom bracelet? I'm afraid it's not special enough; prepare a handmade photo album? I feel it lacks a bit of a surprise.
Sometimes Si Yankai would deliberately mention, "I don't seem to see you lately," and Tang Ximian would just wave his hand vaguely, "No, I've been thinking about my paintings lately, so I'm pretty busy."
As she spoke, she quickly stuffed the gift list hidden behind her into the drawer, completely unaware of the smile that Si Yankai was trying to suppress in his eyes.
Until the day before his birthday, Tang Ximian was still frowning at the gift recommendations on his phone. Si Yankai gently hugged him from behind and said with a smile: "In fact, having you by my side is the best gift."
Tang Ximian's ears turned red, and she thought he was coaxing her, so she waved her hand and told him to go away, so that he could not see the "surprise" in advance.
On Si Yankai's birthday, Tang Ximian got up quietly at dawn and tossed around in the kitchen for more than an hour.
The fried egg is fried until slightly charred on the edges and has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture inside. The emerald green Shanghai greens and carrots with "Happy Birthday" carved on them are neatly placed on the steaming noodles.
There are also a few refreshing cold dishes on the side.
"Si Yankai, happy birthday!"
"Thank you, babe."
Looking at the breakfast on the table that was filled with love, Si Yankai couldn't hide the smile in his eyes and teased him deliberately: "When did our Mianmian secretly learn cooking? And she cooks so well?"
Tang Ximian's ears turned red, and she urged him to eat quickly.
Si Yankai ate up all the food made by Tang Ximian without leaving a single bite, and praised her in Tang Ximian's ear for a long time.
After breakfast, Tang Ximian took Si Yankai on the subway, and after many twists and turns, they arrived at the alley entrance of the old city.
The bluestone pavement remained the same as he remembered, and the creepers at the base of the wall had climbed taller than before. He pointed to the shop not far away with the wooden sign that read "Lao Zhou's Bookstore," his eyes shining like stars. "Do you still remember? In high school, you always helped me find out-of-print picture albums here. Once, when it was raining, we huddled under the eaves at the door for half an hour."
Si Yankai followed him into the bookstore, where the wooden shelves still carried the distinctive scent of ink from old books. The owner looked up and saw them, then smiled and joked, "Young man, it's been a while since you've been here. Are you here to find a book for the person next to you?"
Tang Ximian smiled at the uncle, waved his hand, and walked with Si Yankai to the corner where they usually stood. He took out a velvet-wrapped box from his backpack, and his hands trembled slightly as he handed it to him. "I originally wanted to make a photo album, but it seemed too ordinary. I wanted to customize a bracelet, but I was worried you wouldn't wear it often... Finally, I decided to carve a wooden plaque myself. You can hang it on your keys or hang it in the car."
Si Yankai took it, and the moment his fingertips touched the wooden sign, he felt a delicate touch - the edges were polished without any sharp corners, obviously having been repeatedly polished with sandpaper.
After opening the velvet cloth, the three characters "Si Yankai" were engraved on the front of the wooden sign. The font was his favorite official script, with a small heart hidden in the strokes. On the back was the name "Tang Ximian", and the two names were connected by a curved line, as if the two names were enclosed in the same circle.
"I'm always afraid of making a mistake when carving. Once I accidentally cut my hand and it bled a little. I quickly covered it with a Band-Aid, afraid you wouldn't notice..."
Tang Ximian was still explaining in a low voice, and as he spoke, his voice became a little hoarse. "If you don't think it looks good, I'll carve it again, and this time I'll definitely be more careful."
Si Yankai didn't say anything, but reached out and held him tightly in his arms.
With my chin resting on the top of his head, I could smell the faint scent of shampoo on his hair, exactly the same as the smell I remembered from high school.
He thought of the nights when he hid in the study to work on his proposal plan, and of when he secretly went to the jewelry store to customize the ring, repeatedly confirming the appearance of the word "lifetime" engraved on the inner ring of the ring. He originally wanted to say the "proposal" today, but suddenly he felt that he should wait a little longer - he wanted to wait until the game was over, stand in a scene without hustle and bustle, hold the ring, and seriously ask Tang Ximian if she was willing to be together for the rest of her life, instead of making such an important moment seem hasty in the bustle of her birthday.
"It's very beautiful," Si Yankai's voice was slightly hoarse. He put the wooden sign to his lips and touched it gently, then put it back in his pocket. "It's better than any gift. I will always carry it with me, no matter when."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and placed a light kiss on Tang Ximian's forehead. His gaze fell on the corners of his red eyes, and his heart softened.
Tang Ximian leaned in his arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, and her heart, which had been hanging in the air for several days, finally settled down.
He was still happy that his gift was liked, and he didn't notice that Si Yankai's other hand quietly touched the ring box in his pocket - the coldness of the metal box formed a sharp contrast with the warmth of the person in his arms, but both made him feel at ease.
Later, the two went to an old noodle shop at the end of the alley and ordered two bowls of beef ramen that they used to eat, with double the amount of cilantro and beef.
Si Yankai passed the soft and glutinous stewed beef tendon in his bowl to Tang Ximian. Seeing that he was sweating from eating, he smiled and handed him a tissue.
In the evening, they sat on the Ferris wheel by the river to watch the sunset. The setting sun dyed the surface of the river golden red, and the wind carried the moist scent of the river water.
After singing the birthday song, Si Yankai made a wish and blew out the candles, Tang Ximian rushed over and kissed him in Si Yankai's arms. Si Yankai hugged him tightly.
After letting go, Tang Ximian leaned on Si Yankai's shoulder and said contentedly: "Very good, today ended perfectly."
Si Yankai held his hand tightly, his fingertips gently stroking his knuckles, his eyes full of tenderness: "Well, it's perfect. If there is another one... it will be even more perfect."
Tang Ximian immediately sat up straight, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "What is it? I'll go buy it for you right now!"
Si Yankai smiled and shook his head, then pulled him back into his arms, resting his chin on the top of his head. His voice was as soft as the setting sun on the river: "I'll tell you after my competition is over. By then, I hope you can promise me."
Tang Ximian didn't ask any more questions, thinking that Si Yankai wanted something special. She nodded obediently and leaned back on his shoulder.
The river breeze blew his hair and brushed against Si Yankai's wrist, while the ring box in Si Yankai's pocket was lying quietly, waiting for its most solemn moment.
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