Bonus Chapter 2: Birthday Surprise and "Shock"
Lin Jun's birthday is in winter. Jiang Zhao started secretly planning a month ago, determined to give him an "unforgettable" surprise.
He secretly contacted several of their friends in China, including Su An and Jiang Qi (although Jiang Qi was not very interested, she agreed after being persuaded by Su An), and planned a secret birthday party at their apartment.
On her birthday, Lin Jun went to work as usual. Jiang Zhao took the day off and, together with Su An, decorated the apartment like… well, in Jiang Qi's later words, “like the scene had been robbed by Santa Claus and rainbow candy.” Streamers, balloons, and an exaggerated “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” banner were hung everywhere.
"Is this... really okay?" Su An asked hesitantly, looking at the huge, tacky gold balloons displaying the numbers "2" and "5". He remembered Lin Jun as someone who preferred simplicity and refined taste.
"Of course!" Jiang Zhao said confidently. "Brother Jun is usually too quiet, his birthday needs to be lively! You know what a surprise is!"
In the evening, Jiang Zhao timed it perfectly, having Su An, Jiang Qi, and the others hide in advance, while he stood at the door, ready to give Lin Jun a warm "surprise attack".
The sound of a key turning in the lock filled the air. Jiang Zhao took a deep breath and assumed a ready position.
The door opened, and Lin Jun walked in, wearing a sharp black overcoat and exuding a chill. He was clearly not expecting the scene at home; he paused for a moment, then looked at the decorations throughout the house and Jiang Zhao standing in the center of the living room, smiling like a sunflower, and raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
"Surprise! Happy birthday, Jun-ge!" Jiang Zhao shouted, rushing over to give him a bear hug.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
Perhaps Jiang Zhao's movements were too large, or perhaps the balloon was of poor quality, but the huge, golden "2" balloon suddenly broke free of its restraints and slowly, yet with a clear purpose, floated toward Lin Jun's face, then "smack!" it covered his face.
Time seemed to stand still.
Su An, hiding in the kitchen, covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly. Jiang Qi, standing in the corner, twitched her lips, a rare occurrence.
Lin Jun stood there, his face covered by a huge golden "2", making his expression impossible to see.
Jiang Zhao froze in mid-air, his smile also froze, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
A few seconds later, Lin Jun slowly raised his hand and removed the annoying balloon from his face, revealing his expressionless face with terrifyingly deep eyes.
"Jiang Zhao." He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a sense of impending doom.
Jiang Zhao swallowed hard and chuckled dryly, "Ha, ha...unexpected...a birthday surprise..."
Lin Jun didn't speak, but took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the colorful decorations in the room before finally settling on Jiang Zhao.
The atmosphere at the ensuing "party" was quite awkward. Jiang Zhao, like a schoolboy who had done something wrong, followed closely behind Lin Jun, serving her tea and water with utmost attentiveness. Their friends tried to liven things up, but although Lin Jun remained polite and considerate, the oppressive atmosphere lingered.
When it came time to cut the cake, Jiang Zhao took out a gift he had carefully prepared for a long time—a limited edition mechanical watch with their initials and the words "My Anchor" engraved on the back of the dial.
“Brother Jun,” Jiang Zhao scratched his head, his ears turning a little red, “I know I’m sometimes quite unreliable and always cause you trouble… but, but you’re my anchor. Happy birthday, and please continue to guide me in the future.”
Lin Jun looked at the watch, then at Jiang Zhao's unusually awkward yet sincere expression, and the frost on his face gradually melted away. He took the watch, put it on his wrist, and it fit perfectly.
"Hmm." He responded, reached out, and vigorously ruffled Jiang Zhao's hair, turning his carefully styled hair into a mess. "Next time, let's do it in a different way."
Although it started off a bit "frightening," this birthday, thanks to Jiang Zhao's clumsy yet sincere wishes and the warmth of friends gathered together, ultimately became a unique and vivid memory for Lin Jun. As for the "2" balloon smeared on her face, Lin Jun later kept it, ostensibly to "remind Jiang Zhao of his aesthetic sense," but in reality, it was another sweet joke between them that they couldn't share with outsiders.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
