Ni Sitian was full of questions, but seeing Xu Tingchuan's expression, she was too embarrassed to ask, afraid of touching a sore spot.
The two remained silent as they walked down the mountain step by step.
We got into the car and drove towards the Xu family mansion.
At this time of year, with lush vegetation, Ni Sitian felt that the Xu family mansion was even more beautiful than when she first visited last year.
Unfortunately, Xu Tingchuan had a somber expression the whole way, so she wasn't in the mood to appreciate the scenery.
The car was parked in the garage. Xu Tingchuan got out of the car, and Ni Sitian also got out of the car carrying the birthday gift she was going to give to Jin Rulan.
Usually, Xu Tingchuan would offer to help her carry her things, but he didn't this time.
Was it because he knew it was a gift for Jin Rulan?
Even if he and Jin Rulan didn't get along before, it wouldn't affect her. The tense atmosphere today is really too obvious.
Puzzled, Ni Sitian followed Xu Tingchuan into the house.
The maid came forward, took the gift box from Ni Sitian's hand, and placed it on the coffee table.
"Brother, you're here!" Xu Jiayue came downstairs and skipped over to the two of them.
"Mm," Xu Tingchuan replied.
Ni Sitian then noticed that Xu Tingchuan's gaze had softened somewhat. This was the first time he had looked like this today, indicating that he genuinely loved his younger sister, Jiayue.
“Dad is still in Jiangcheng. He’ll drive back this afternoon. Mom went somewhere early this morning and we haven’t seen her since. We’ll probably just have lunch with her. We’ll celebrate Mom’s birthday tonight.” Xu Jiayue said to Xu Tingchuan, then took Ni Sitian’s hand. “Sitian, let’s make a cake and give Mom a surprise.”
Ni Sitian glanced at Xu Tingchuan, who had a slightly somber expression and remained silent.
"Come on," Xu Jiayue said, pulling her into the kitchen without further ado.
Xu Tingchuan sat down with a stern face, and a servant brought out tea and snacks.
The Xu family's kitchen is very large, like a professional restaurant kitchen, with clearly defined functional areas.
Xu Jiayue pulled Ni Sitian to the dessert counter, where Ni Sitian saw that many eggs had already been beaten in a bowl but had not yet been stirred.
Ni Sitian had previously learned how to make small cakes for Xu Tingchuan's birthday, and she still remembered the general steps.
Xu Jiayue, on the other hand, is quick-witted and can grasp things immediately by just glancing at the steps.
The two of them made the fruit-filled cake very quickly, finishing it in two hours and writing a blessing on it.
"Done." Xu Jiayue wiped her face, smiled at Ni Sitian, and noticed the flour and cream on Ni Sitian's face. "Look at you, you look like a little kitten."
"You're still blaming me." Ni Sitian picked up a stainless steel shovel and made her look at herself in the mirror.
Xu Jiayue laughed even harder, untied her apron, and pulled her along, "Come on, let's go wash our faces."
The two were washing their faces in the bathroom on the first floor. While wiping her face, Ni Sitian remembered the morning's memorial service and tentatively asked Jiayue, "Besides Mom's birthday, is today any other special day?"
"What's so special about it? It's just May 16th, isn't it?" Xu Jiayue didn't understand what Ni Sitian was talking about, and joked, "Oh, the moon is especially round on the 16th."
Ni Sitian smiled, threw the wet wipe into the trash can, and felt even more puzzled. Xu Tingchuan went to pay respects to the people, but Xu Jiayue didn't know? What was going on? Was it because Jiayue was only three years old at the time?
And Jin Rulan, today is Saturday, and it's also her birthday. She left early this morning and hasn't returned by noon yet. What is she busy with? And who put those white chrysanthemums on the tombstone?
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