Zhou Yang was secretly amazed, but even more so, he was moved.
"Come, come, birthday boy, make a wish and blow out the candles!"
Xu Yao pulled Zhou Yang to the cake, and everyone else gathered around with smiles.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...
Amidst the cheerful singing of the crowd, Zhou Yang closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and silently made several wishes.
Then, he blew out all the candles in one breath.
"Clap clap clap!"
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted.
"Zhou Yang, try this!"
Xu Yao presented a delicate blue-and-white porcelain bowl from the side, as if it were a treasure.
Inside was a bowl of steaming noodles, topped with a golden poached egg and garnished with a few pieces of bright green vegetables. The soup was clear and the aroma was enticing.
"Longevity noodles! I made them for you myself, but... I asked Sister Yuexin to keep an eye on the heat while they were cooking."
She stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed.
In order to keep it from Zhou Yang, she did not show any unusual behavior that day.
She kneaded the noodles herself, but asked Li Yuexin to cook them for her.
"Did you make this yourself?"
Zhou Yang felt a warmth in his heart again, took the bowl, and picked up his chopsticks.
He picked up a noodle and was immediately dumbfounded.
That noodle was... incredibly long!
He picked up his chopsticks, and the other end of the noodle was still deeply buried in the bowl. Judging by its appearance, this one noodle must be at least two meters long!
Holy crap! A two-meter-long noodle?
Is this noodles or a belt?! How am I supposed to eat this?
Zhou Yang's lips twitched, both amused and exasperated.
Xu Yao looked at his expression, covered her mouth and chuckled, but her eyes were full of anticipation: "You have to go all the way to the end to live a long and healthy life!"
"Okay, I'll do anything to live to be a hundred!"
Zhou Yang took a deep breath and looked at the noodles in the bowl, which were as long as a hanging rope.
Looking at Xu Yao's bright eyes, he gritted his teeth, buried his head, and started eating.
He couldn't slurp the noodles like he would regular noodles; he could only nibble them in with his front teeth, like a little rabbit gnawing on a carrot. His cheeks soon started to ache.
The neighbors couldn't help but laugh at his comical eating habits, and the good-natured laughter filled the entire living room.
At this moment, Zhou Yang didn't care about his image anymore; he only had one thought in his mind: finish it!
We can't let Xu Yao's good intentions go to waste!
He chewed and swallowed with great effort, feeling as if his mouth was no longer his own, his cheeks stiff with exhaustion.
Only then did they finally finish off that long, winding noodle.
"You've finished your longevity noodles, Zhou Yang. You'll definitely live to be a hundred!"
Xu Yao was laughing so hard she was shaking, and the neighbors were also trying not to laugh, making the atmosphere in the living room extremely joyful.
After the laughter and merriment, it was time for the gift-giving.
"Happy birthday, Zhou Yang! This is just a little something from your older sister, please don't mind it!"
Li Yuexin handed over a small, exquisitely packaged box containing a pair of gemstone cufflinks.
"Zhou Yang, I wish you many happy returns of the day! I didn't know what you liked, so I just chose something you often use."
Another neighbor gave him a designer backpack.
The others also presented their gifts, including branded keychains, custom-made insulated water bottles, and imported chocolate gift boxes.
Although it's not an earth-shattering or extremely valuable item, it's valuable because it's practical and shows thoughtfulness.
Zhou Yang accepted them one by one with a smile, thanking them repeatedly.
He caught a glimpse of Xu Yao out of the corner of his eye; she stood there quietly to the side, empty-handed, showing no sign of bringing out a gift.
What is this girl up to?
Could it be that they've prepared some grand finale gift?
Zhou Yang muttered to himself, his curiosity piqued, but he couldn't ask directly in front of everyone.
"Come on, come on, have some cake! Have some cake!"
Seeing that Xu Yao had no intention of giving a gift, Zhou Yang quickly and warmly greeted the others.
"Such a big cake, it would be a waste not to eat it!"
He picked up the cake knife that Xu Yao had prepared and carefully cut off the first piece.
Then they divided the pieces among their neighbors.
The neighbors, to their credit, finished their meal.
Although they are all wealthy women and men who have seen all kinds of grand occasions and have tasted all kinds of delicacies.
But they were eager to get closer to Zhou Yang, their young neighbor with a mysterious background and amazing cooking skills.
After finishing the cake, Li Yuexin stood up with a smile.
"Zhou Yang, handsome young man, you've eaten the cake and given us your blessings, so we won't bother you any longer. You young people have a great time!"
"Yes, yes, you work hard setting up your stall, get some rest tonight!"
Another neighbor chimed in with jokes, his eyes darting ambiguously between Zhou Yang and Xu Yao.
"Zhou Yang, Xu Yao is so dedicated, you must treat her well!"
Zhou Yang's face flushed slightly as they spoke, as if he and Xu Yao had something going on.
He escorted several friendly neighbors to the door.
"Click".
The soft sound of the door closing shut out the noise from the outside world.
The living room fell silent instantly, leaving only Zhou Yang and Xu Yao, and a faint, alluring atmosphere seemed to fill the air.
Just as Zhou Yang was about to ask Xu Yao what the surprise she had prepared was, Xu Yao spoke first, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible nervousness and shyness.
"Zhou Yang, you...you wait for me."
"Um?"
Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "Of course."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yao suddenly turned off the main light in the living room with a click.
Suddenly, everything went dark, with only the colorful glow sticks on the walls and the flickering string lights emitting a hazy glow.
The entire space is bathed in a dreamlike glow, as if you've stepped into a scene from a romantic movie.
Holy crap, what's going on here? All the lights are off, could it be...?
Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat, and a strange sense of anticipation surged up like a tidal wave.
He almost imagined that Xu Yao would appear before him with a real gift, like in some idol dramas, or make a heartfelt confession.
However, to his surprise, in the dim light, he only saw Xu Yao's figure, like a startled deer, quickly run into her own room, and with a "bang," the door was gently closed.
"Well……"
Zhou Yang stood there, feeling both amused and exasperated, his anticipation suddenly frozen in mid-air.
What mysterious game is this girl playing now? Is this the way to keep people in suspense?
He shook his head helplessly, but he was too embarrassed to go and knock on the door to urge them. He could only suppress his burning curiosity and sit down on the sofa.
He looked around the living room that Xu Yao had carefully decorated, at the twinkling colored lights, floating balloons, and banners, and a warm and indulgent smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
Never mind, whatever surprise she prepared, the sentiment itself is more precious than any gift.
Zhou Yang thought to himself that he was moved at the door before, and now the feeling of being moved was even more intense.
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