CH 35.2
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Jian Xingsui followed Shen Xingchen down, and when he went downstairs, he heard the sound of thunder exploding in the sky outside.
“Where are we going, Xingchen?” Jian Xingsui followed him and said, “It seems to be raining outside.”
Shen Xingchen responded, and finally brought him to the door of the classroom, and said, “Go in, I have something to discuss with you.”
When Jian Xingsui arrived, he didn’t notice anything wrong. After all, it’s not uncommon for Shen Xingchen to do something weird because of his eccentric personality. He pushed the front door.
“Squeak”
The door opened.
Before Jian Xingsui could see the inside clearly, he suddenly heard a loud crack, and then a handful of colorful streamers floated in the air, spun around and landed on Jian Xingsui’s body.
“Happy birthday!”
Cheerful voices greeted in unison.
Jian Xingsui opened his eyes, and found that Wen Shengge and Ning Ze were standing side-by-side near a table, and Shen Xingchen was standing behind them. The three of them were laughing, with a small party streamer in their hands.
“You, you…” Jian Xingsui didn’t react for a while, and even stuttered when he spoke: “What are you–?”
Shen Xingchen rubbed his nose as he swaggered, “What, you can’t tell what it is? Isn’t today your birthday?”
Jian Xingsui wanted to talk, wanted to ask how they knew, how they sneaked out, and where the little party streamer came from – thousands of questions spun inside his head, but in the end, he didn’t know what to say first. He hesitated for a while, lips still gaping without a sound. He hung his head, his eyes reddened in a visible speed.
Shen Xingchen hastily said, “Hey, no need to be thankful, brother. This is just how it should be, I’m just good like that, and as my younger brother, how can I not give you a birthday party?”
Jian Xingsui smiled through tears.
Why does this dumbass always have the ability to break the atmosphere in one sentence?
Ning Ze took Jian Xingsui inside and said, “Come here.”
Jian Xingsui followed them and saw the table behind a row of small ribbons. On the table was a table of hot dishes, which looked a little strange: fried shredded potatoes with tofu and green leafy vegetables, a bowl of mixed soup, all kinds of flavored rice piled in a haphazard manner…
Ning Ze said: “It’s all Xingchen’s suggestion. He said that for your birthday, we need to have home-cooked dishes.”
Wen Shengge complained, “But it’s really bad. He had zero cooking skills.”
Shen Xingchen blushed in shame, and grumbled, “What did you say?”
Wen Shengge shutted up.
In fact, he didn’t need to say it, Jian Xingsui knew that the food on this table probably didn’t taste very good. But seeing the steam coming out from the food also warmed up his heart. He was satisfied with the sincerity he felt.
Shen Xingchen said: “Don’t hate me, I will let you eat something delicious later.”
Jian Xingsui was puzzled: “Huh?”
A woman suddenly came inside. It was now late autumn. She wore an off-white woolen sweater with a light orange knitted coat. There was an exquisite and beautiful gemstone brooch pinned to her chest. Her black hair hangs down to her shoulders, wavy and neat. She looked like she should be nearly forty years old, with a palpable gentle feeling emanating from her.
The ribbons fluttered in the air, and they looked at each other from a distance, separated by some distance.
Jian Xingsui froze in place. A strange feeling bubbled up from his chest, making him speechless.
Shen Xingchen yelled: “Mom, why did you come here?”
“It’s raining, and there’s a traffic jam on the road.” Xu Enzhen said softly, her voice was also so quiet and gentle. She was carrying a lot of things in her hand, but she didn’t let it bother her as she continued to say, “I don’t want to miss it, but fortunately, I came in time.”
Shen Xingchen didn’t expect her mother to come here alone.
She was dressed very formally today, as if she got up early to put on delicate makeup, put on decent clothes, brought the things she had prepared earlier, and concentrated on coming to the party.
Shen Xingchen quickly walked over to pick up things: “Why do you buy so many things? Are they all for me? Which one of them is a gift for Suisui?”
“No,” Xu Enzhen clarified, “They are all gifts for Xingsui. “
Shen Xingchen stared at his mother in confusion.
Xu Enzhen walked slowly in front of Jian Xingsui. She raised her head and looked at the child in front of her. Jian Xingsui was standing under the light. He was a head shorter than Shen Xingchen and looked way thinner. He should be younger than Shen Xingchen, with baby fat still stubbornly clinging on his face.
If you look closely, Jian Xingsui’s and Shen Xingchen’s facial features were… quite similar.
As Xu Enzhen looked at Jian Xingsui in silence, the youth looked back in confusion and helplessness.
Xu Enzhen didn’t know exactly why, but her heart was overflowing with feelings of pity whenever she saw this child.
Jian Xingsui reached out and held the older woman’s extended hand without hesitation, with a soft and crisp voice: “Hello, Auntie.”
Warm hands wrapped around Xu Enzhen’s somewhat cold hands.
After Xu Enzhen felt the temperature, she gripped Jian Xingsui’s back back: “Hello.”
Shen Xingchen leaned over and said, “Mom, where is the cake you brought?”
Xu Enzhen recovered, and she was a little embarrassed when she mentioned this: “Well, Mom originally planned to make cakes by myself, but I didn’t know why, but I failed many times. In the end, I had no choice but to ask someone to buy it for me.”
Shen Xingchen said in disbelief, “Why would Auntie1not actual Aunt, but housekeeper/maid. let you bake by yourself? She knew none of us have any culinary talent, right?”
None of their family has any culinary talent. It was like a curse.
Xu Enzhen glared at him.
Shen Xingchen didn’t notice the hostile glare and continued to ask, “Then who do you ask to buy it?”
Xu Enzhen was about to speak when the outside door was pushed open again, and someone walked in with long strides. The man was clad in a black, striped suit and leather shoes. He should have come here from some kind of event. It’s been a long time since Fu Jinxiao wore such formal attire. His handsome face and elegant temperament made him instantly become the center of attention.
As everyone stared at the actor, he was holding something in his hand, and asked to nobody in particular with a smile, “Am I late?”
Xu Enzhen said: “No, you’re not. I just arrived too, thank you for your hard work tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” Fu Jinxiao walked in and said, “This was originally bought in advance, and should’ve arrived a long time ago. However, thanks to the uncooperative weather, this was almost late.”
Jian Xingsui was confused. But he immediately focused on the sentence “bought in advance”.
What’s the meaning?
Did Fu Jinxiao pre-ordered a cake already?
How do these people know? Jian Xingsui seemed to be hit by a pie falling from the sky2hit by a good thing out of nowhere., and he was at a loss for what to do now. On one hand, he felt overwhelming joy that burst into the top of her head; and on the other hand, he wondered whether this might not be true at all.
Fu Jinxiao stood in front of him, the tall and handsome man looked down at him, and said, “Long time no see.”
Jian Xingsui curled up his hands subconsciously by his side, and nodded slightly: “It’s been a while, indeed. Are you busy with work?”
“Well, I do have a few jobs lined up in advance,” Fu Jinxiao glanced at him: “Is your body recovering well?”
Jian Xingsui nodded, “Un. I’m fine now.”
“I think you’re not very good,” Fu Jinxiao’s voice was a little teasing, “It’s a good thing that this cake came in time. If you don’t celebrate your birthday after all this, you will miss this opportunity to make a wish today. Where else can you go to wish for good health?”
Jian Xingsui instantly smiled, his cheeks rosy from happiness, “Thank you.”
The two of them talked here, but they looked a little silly to others.
Shen Xingchen’s eyelids twitched. Ning Ze and Wen Shengge did not expect that Jian Xingsui and Instructor Fu could chat so naturally. They seemed to be so far apart as a person, yet able to communicate so smoothly.
Fu Jinxiao put the cake on the table and said, “Open it and see if it’s deformed.”
Ning Ze quickly stepped forward to take the cake.
Thankfully, it was not deformed. It was a two-layered blue cake, with a golden star inserted on the top of the cake, which was dazzling and eye-catching.
Ning Ze and Wen Shengge helped put in the candles, and the cake lit up with a yellow candlelight. The shimmering glow bounced, giving the room warm light. The two of them stood by the table and smiled happily: “Suisui, happy birthday.”
The candlelight gave the room a feeling of familial warmth.
Fu Jinxiao stood beside him and called his name: “Jian Xingsui.”
The youth turned around.
Fu Jinxiao hooked his lips up. He took out a small golden crown from nowhere, folded the crown, and he waved to him: “Come here “
Jane Xingsui walked over in a few steps to the front of the actor. With every step, his heart became hotter.
The ribbon fluttered, and the young man standing below looked at his idol with some hesitation. This person who was once unattainable to him stood in front of him, and everything seemed like a dream.
Fu Jinxiao looked at him and said, “Birthday gift.”
When he got closer, Jian Xingsui realized that this little crown was not made of paper, and there seemed to be an inscription on the inner wall. It was an abbreviated F.
He instantly recognized it at a glance. Others may be confused, but he was Fu Jinxiao’s hardcore fan, after all. This was a souvenir from when Fu Jinxiao won the championship in 2007 when he challenged the variety show again as a repeat contestant.
This was the crown of glory that only the C-position3center position / number 1 in ranking. can have!
Jian Xingsui didn’t care about any pretense anymore, he stammered and said: “This, this is…”
Fu Jinxiao’s eyes darkened, and he whispered: “You know this.”
Jian Xingsui stammered even more. For a while, I didn’t know if he should admit it or not.
“This is a souvenir I got when I won in ‘The King of Songs’ in 2007.” Fu Jinxiao played with the crown in his hands, and slowly narrated in a low and magnetic voice, “At that time, I was not famous and only had a few fans. When I participated in the first season of ‘The King of Songs’ in 2005, I failed in the competition, which resulted in many of my fans quitting. Even I myself began to doubt whether I could be a successful singer.”
Fu Jinxiao curled his lips up while talking, recalling a fond memory, “Then, there was this little fan. They diligently sent me private messages of encouragement every day. They often said that my elimination was not because I was inadequate. They made me believe in my own ability again, made me believe that I still have a bright future in this industry.”
At that time, Jian Xingsui was still young, and what he said was naive. He never thought deeply about what he sent. He just followed his enthusiasm and composed whatever he felt inside his heart. Who would’ve known that it was that sincerity that helped his idol from his low period? It was precisely because of his firm companionship that Fu Jinxiao regained enough confidence to continue his career and eventually became who he is today – someone on top, shining with gold.
Fu Jinxiao approached him and whispered: “Now I will also give you this crown.”
Jian Xingsui’s heart was overwhelmed, and he looked at the person in front of his in disbelief.
Fu Jinxiao’s fickle eyes were always stained with a smile, even with a gentleness that he didn’t realize. His voice is low and magnetic: “Happy birthday.”
Shen Xingchen from behind came over and said, “Oh, hurry up and blow out the candles, we are waiting for dinner!” “
“…”
There was a moment of silence in the air.
Jian Xingsui quickly regained his composure, ran back and chuckled, “Okay, okay…”
He stood by the cake, saw Xu Enzhen standing there and smiled at her. He clasped his hands together, making a wish. He did not wish for good health. Instead, he wished for this moment of happiness to stretch into the future, and for everyone present today to have good health.
It was so quiet inside the room, in sharp contrast to the howling winds and roaring thunder outside. Xu Enzhen continued to look at the boy next to her with an unblinking eye. His facial features were 50% or 60% similar to Shen Xingchen, especially the lowered eyebrows and eyes. When his eyes were closed, they looked exactly the same.
In a trance, Jian Xingsui’s figure overlapped with the child Xu Enzhen dreamed of in her dream.
Everyone said that he was dead, everyone said she had a mental problem. Every time Xu Enzhen dreamed of that child, she could hear her baby following her around, crying out “Mom, Mom.” in a soft, childish voice. He wasn’t a noisy child, but quite sensible and obedient. In her dream, he grew up slowly.
Her dream always engulfed her in a melancholic mood. She knew it wasn’t healthy.
But… it’s only in her dream that she could see her baby growing up. From watching him tumbling around as a toddler, speaking his first words, slowly growing up… even watching him being bullied by his peers but not being able to help. As her baby grew older, his figure became hazier. His face was unclear. But she missed him even more.
Shen Xingchen said: “After making your wish, you can open the presents. Mom, what did you buy?”
Xu Enzhen came back to her senses, her eyelashes trembled slightly. After calming down her turbulent emotions, she walked to the table to pick up the things she brought. She turned around and smiled at Jian Xingsui and said, “Auntie doesn’t know what you are missing, so I just buy everything that comes to my mind. Xingsui, come here and see what you need, I hope you like them.”
Jian Xingsui came over, staring at the pile of gifts on the table. He said in a low voice, “This… must cost you a lot.”
Xu Enzhen shook her head. She slowly took the various items out of their packages, and showed it all to him, “This is a knee pad for dancing. When I watched your live broadcast, I saw that you always bumped your knees when you danced. I hope you find this useful. As for this, this is a calcium supplement. You are still growing and your body needs nutrition to keep up, especially because you’re too thin. Plus, I heard that you were sick some time ago. You must pay attention to your body. And as for this–”
She pointed out the items and its function, while Jian Xingsui just stood in front of her and patiently listened.
After Xu Enzhen finished speaking clumsily, a pair of gentle eyes greeted her. Jian Xingsui was holding something, a little stiff and shy, and finally nodded and said, “I like them all.”
“Although… isn’t this too expensive?” Jian Xingsui held these things and said softly, “I’ve never received so many gifts…”
Xu Enzhen looked at the thin child in front of her, looking lost amidst the pile of gifts. His trembling hands made her feel distressed.
For many years, she had a hard time getting through this day, because she always thought–
If that child hadn’t died, today would be his birthday. What would he look like? What kind of things does he like? What kind of gift should she prepare for him? How tall is he now? Does he have a good life?
However, today, for the first time, she did not have that sense of loneliness. When she saw Jian Xingsui, she felt a strange feeling in her heart, as if her heart was filled.
“Boom!”
There was another muffled thunder outside, which made Xu Enzhen’s heart tremble.
She looked at Jian Xingsui in front of her, subconsciously stretched out her hand, and asked in a low tone, “Can I… hug you?”
Without resisting, he put everything in his hand aside, then nodded and smiled: “Yes.”
The sound of the rain outside was pattering, and the young man was under the dim light, with a faint smile in his eyes, looking directly at her with an honest eye.
In a trance, Xu Enzhen seemed to see her grown-up baby.
In the dream, he followed her step-by-step and shouted “Mom, Mom”. And then, that child was slowly swallowed by the darkness, and left her just like that.
She couldn’t catch him. She saved him. No matter what, she always lost him.
Xu Enzhen’s hand trembled. She pulled Jian Xingsui into a loose hug, as if pulling her child in a dream.
She failed to do this in her dream.
But this time, a warm figure hugged her back. His body was distressingly thin, but it was warm and filled with breaths.
She caught him this time.
Xu Enzhen’s breathing became erratic, and the sadness in her heart was churning like a stormy sea. She hugged Jian Xingsui tightly, and couldn’t control her tears any longer. She said tremblingly: “My son… My child…”
Jian Xingsui originally just wanted to give an ordinary hug, but when the older woman hugged him with such sad eyes, his heart tied into a knot. Strange emotions bubbled up into his throat, making him uncomfortable. Not knowing what to do, Xu Enzhen’s trembling call sounded in his ears, making Jian Xingsui’s eyes tremble slightly. His hands seemed to be out of his control, and he subconsciously hugged Xu Enzhen back, and murmured—
“Mom…?”
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Jian Xingsui followed Shen Xingchen down, and when he went downstairs, he heard the sound of thunder exploding in the sky outside.
“Where are we going, Xingchen?” Jian Xingsui followed him and said, “It seems to be raining outside.”
Shen Xingchen responded, and finally brought him to the door of the classroom, and said, “Go in, I have something to discuss with you.”
When Jian Xingsui arrived, he didn’t notice anything wrong. After all, it’s not uncommon for Shen Xingchen to do something weird because of his eccentric personality. He pushed the front door.
“Squeak”
The door opened.
Before Jian Xingsui could see the inside clearly, he suddenly heard a loud crack, and then a handful of colorful streamers floated in the air, spun around and landed on Jian Xingsui’s body.
“Happy birthday!”
Cheerful voices greeted in unison.
Jian Xingsui opened his eyes, and found that Wen Shengge and Ning Ze were standing side-by-side near a table, and Shen Xingchen was standing behind them. The three of them were laughing, with a small party streamer in their hands.
“You, you…” Jian Xingsui didn’t react for a while, and even stuttered when he spoke: “What are you–?”
Shen Xingchen rubbed his nose as he swaggered, “What, you can’t tell what it is? Isn’t today your birthday?”
Jian Xingsui wanted to talk, wanted to ask how they knew, how they sneaked out, and where the little party streamer came from – thousands of questions spun inside his head, but in the end, he didn’t know what to say first. He hesitated for a while, lips still gaping without a sound. He hung his head, his eyes reddened in a visible speed.
Shen Xingchen hastily said, “Hey, no need to be thankful, brother. This is just how it should be, I’m just good like that, and as my younger brother, how can I not give you a birthday party?”
Jian Xingsui smiled through tears.
Why does this dumbass always have the ability to break the atmosphere in one sentence?
Ning Ze took Jian Xingsui inside and said, “Come here.”
Jian Xingsui followed them and saw the table behind a row of small ribbons. On the table was a table of hot dishes, which looked a little strange: fried shredded potatoes with tofu and green leafy vegetables, a bowl of mixed soup, all kinds of flavored rice piled in a haphazard manner…
Ning Ze said: “It’s all Xingchen’s suggestion. He said that for your birthday, we need to have home-cooked dishes.”
Wen Shengge complained, “But it’s really bad. He had zero cooking skills.”
Shen Xingchen blushed in shame, and grumbled, “What did you say?”
Wen Shengge shutted up.
In fact, he didn’t need to say it, Jian Xingsui knew that the food on this table probably didn’t taste very good. But seeing the steam coming out from the food also warmed up his heart. He was satisfied with the sincerity he felt.
Shen Xingchen said: “Don’t hate me, I will let you eat something delicious later.”
Jian Xingsui was puzzled: “Huh?”
A woman suddenly came inside. It was now late autumn. She wore an off-white woolen sweater with a light orange knitted coat. There was an exquisite and beautiful gemstone brooch pinned to her chest. Her black hair hangs down to her shoulders, wavy and neat. She looked like she should be nearly forty years old, with a palpable gentle feeling emanating from her.
The ribbons fluttered in the air, and they looked at each other from a distance, separated by some distance.
Jian Xingsui froze in place. A strange feeling bubbled up from his chest, making him speechless.
Shen Xingchen yelled: “Mom, why did you come here?”
“It’s raining, and there’s a traffic jam on the road.” Xu Enzhen said softly, her voice was also so quiet and gentle. She was carrying a lot of things in her hand, but she didn’t let it bother her as she continued to say, “I don’t want to miss it, but fortunately, I came in time.”
Shen Xingchen didn’t expect her mother to come here alone.
She was dressed very formally today, as if she got up early to put on delicate makeup, put on decent clothes, brought the things she had prepared earlier, and concentrated on coming to the party.
Shen Xingchen quickly walked over to pick up things: “Why do you buy so many things? Are they all for me? Which one of them is a gift for Suisui?”
“No,” Xu Enzhen clarified, “They are all gifts for Xingsui. “
Shen Xingchen stared at his mother in confusion.
Xu Enzhen walked slowly in front of Jian Xingsui. She raised her head and looked at the child in front of her. Jian Xingsui was standing under the light. He was a head shorter than Shen Xingchen and looked way thinner. He should be younger than Shen Xingchen, with baby fat still stubbornly clinging on his face.
If you look closely, Jian Xingsui’s and Shen Xingchen’s facial features were… quite similar.
As Xu Enzhen looked at Jian Xingsui in silence, the youth looked back in confusion and helplessness.
Xu Enzhen didn’t know exactly why, but her heart was overflowing with feelings of pity whenever she saw this child.
Jian Xingsui reached out and held the older woman’s extended hand without hesitation, with a soft and crisp voice: “Hello, Auntie.”
Warm hands wrapped around Xu Enzhen’s somewhat cold hands.
After Xu Enzhen felt the temperature, she gripped Jian Xingsui’s back back: “Hello.”
Shen Xingchen leaned over and said, “Mom, where is the cake you brought?”
Xu Enzhen recovered, and she was a little embarrassed when she mentioned this: “Well, Mom originally planned to make cakes by myself, but I didn’t know why, but I failed many times. In the end, I had no choice but to ask someone to buy it for me.”
Shen Xingchen said in disbelief, “Why would Auntie1not actual Aunt, but housekeeper/maid. let you bake by yourself? She knew none of us have any culinary talent, right?”
None of their family has any culinary talent. It was like a curse.
Xu Enzhen glared at him.
Shen Xingchen didn’t notice the hostile glare and continued to ask, “Then who do you ask to buy it?”
Xu Enzhen was about to speak when the outside door was pushed open again, and someone walked in with long strides. The man was clad in a black, striped suit and leather shoes. He should have come here from some kind of event. It’s been a long time since Fu Jinxiao wore such formal attire. His handsome face and elegant temperament made him instantly become the center of attention.
As everyone stared at the actor, he was holding something in his hand, and asked to nobody in particular with a smile, “Am I late?”
Xu Enzhen said: “No, you’re not. I just arrived too, thank you for your hard work tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” Fu Jinxiao walked in and said, “This was originally bought in advance, and should’ve arrived a long time ago. However, thanks to the uncooperative weather, this was almost late.”
Jian Xingsui was confused. But he immediately focused on the sentence “bought in advance”.
What’s the meaning?
Did Fu Jinxiao pre-ordered a cake already?
How do these people know? Jian Xingsui seemed to be hit by a pie falling from the sky2hit by a good thing out of nowhere., and he was at a loss for what to do now. On one hand, he felt overwhelming joy that burst into the top of her head; and on the other hand, he wondered whether this might not be true at all.
Fu Jinxiao stood in front of him, the tall and handsome man looked down at him, and said, “Long time no see.”
Jian Xingsui curled up his hands subconsciously by his side, and nodded slightly: “It’s been a while, indeed. Are you busy with work?”
“Well, I do have a few jobs lined up in advance,” Fu Jinxiao glanced at him: “Is your body recovering well?”
Jian Xingsui nodded, “Un. I’m fine now.”
“I think you’re not very good,” Fu Jinxiao’s voice was a little teasing, “It’s a good thing that this cake came in time. If you don’t celebrate your birthday after all this, you will miss this opportunity to make a wish today. Where else can you go to wish for good health?”
Jian Xingsui instantly smiled, his cheeks rosy from happiness, “Thank you.”
The two of them talked here, but they looked a little silly to others.
Shen Xingchen’s eyelids twitched. Ning Ze and Wen Shengge did not expect that Jian Xingsui and Instructor Fu could chat so naturally. They seemed to be so far apart as a person, yet able to communicate so smoothly.
Fu Jinxiao put the cake on the table and said, “Open it and see if it’s deformed.”
Ning Ze quickly stepped forward to take the cake.
Thankfully, it was not deformed. It was a two-layered blue cake, with a golden star inserted on the top of the cake, which was dazzling and eye-catching.
Ning Ze and Wen Shengge helped put in the candles, and the cake lit up with a yellow candlelight. The shimmering glow bounced, giving the room warm light. The two of them stood by the table and smiled happily: “Suisui, happy birthday.”
The candlelight gave the room a feeling of familial warmth.
Fu Jinxiao stood beside him and called his name: “Jian Xingsui.”
The youth turned around.
Fu Jinxiao hooked his lips up. He took out a small golden crown from nowhere, folded the crown, and he waved to him: “Come here “
Jane Xingsui walked over in a few steps to the front of the actor. With every step, his heart became hotter.
The ribbon fluttered, and the young man standing below looked at his idol with some hesitation. This person who was once unattainable to him stood in front of him, and everything seemed like a dream.
Fu Jinxiao looked at him and said, “Birthday gift.”
When he got closer, Jian Xingsui realized that this little crown was not made of paper, and there seemed to be an inscription on the inner wall. It was an abbreviated F.
He instantly recognized it at a glance. Others may be confused, but he was Fu Jinxiao’s hardcore fan, after all. This was a souvenir from when Fu Jinxiao won the championship in 2007 when he challenged the variety show again as a repeat contestant.
This was the crown of glory that only the C-position3center position / number 1 in ranking. can have!
Jian Xingsui didn’t care about any pretense anymore, he stammered and said: “This, this is…”
Fu Jinxiao’s eyes darkened, and he whispered: “You know this.”
Jian Xingsui stammered even more. For a while, I didn’t know if he should admit it or not.
“This is a souvenir I got when I won in ‘The King of Songs’ in 2007.” Fu Jinxiao played with the crown in his hands, and slowly narrated in a low and magnetic voice, “At that time, I was not famous and only had a few fans. When I participated in the first season of ‘The King of Songs’ in 2005, I failed in the competition, which resulted in many of my fans quitting. Even I myself began to doubt whether I could be a successful singer.”
Fu Jinxiao curled his lips up while talking, recalling a fond memory, “Then, there was this little fan. They diligently sent me private messages of encouragement every day. They often said that my elimination was not because I was inadequate. They made me believe in my own ability again, made me believe that I still have a bright future in this industry.”
At that time, Jian Xingsui was still young, and what he said was naive. He never thought deeply about what he sent. He just followed his enthusiasm and composed whatever he felt inside his heart. Who would’ve known that it was that sincerity that helped his idol from his low period? It was precisely because of his firm companionship that Fu Jinxiao regained enough confidence to continue his career and eventually became who he is today – someone on top, shining with gold.
Fu Jinxiao approached him and whispered: “Now I will also give you this crown.”
Jian Xingsui’s heart was overwhelmed, and he looked at the person in front of his in disbelief.
Fu Jinxiao’s fickle eyes were always stained with a smile, even with a gentleness that he didn’t realize. His voice is low and magnetic: “Happy birthday.”
Shen Xingchen from behind came over and said, “Oh, hurry up and blow out the candles, we are waiting for dinner!” “
“…”
There was a moment of silence in the air.
Jian Xingsui quickly regained his composure, ran back and chuckled, “Okay, okay…”
He stood by the cake, saw Xu Enzhen standing there and smiled at her. He clasped his hands together, making a wish. He did not wish for good health. Instead, he wished for this moment of happiness to stretch into the future, and for everyone present today to have good health.
It was so quiet inside the room, in sharp contrast to the howling winds and roaring thunder outside. Xu Enzhen continued to look at the boy next to her with an unblinking eye. His facial features were 50% or 60% similar to Shen Xingchen, especially the lowered eyebrows and eyes. When his eyes were closed, they looked exactly the same.
In a trance, Jian Xingsui’s figure overlapped with the child Xu Enzhen dreamed of in her dream.
Everyone said that he was dead, everyone said she had a mental problem. Every time Xu Enzhen dreamed of that child, she could hear her baby following her around, crying out “Mom, Mom.” in a soft, childish voice. He wasn’t a noisy child, but quite sensible and obedient. In her dream, he grew up slowly.
Her dream always engulfed her in a melancholic mood. She knew it wasn’t healthy.
But… it’s only in her dream that she could see her baby growing up. From watching him tumbling around as a toddler, speaking his first words, slowly growing up… even watching him being bullied by his peers but not being able to help. As her baby grew older, his figure became hazier. His face was unclear. But she missed him even more.
Shen Xingchen said: “After making your wish, you can open the presents. Mom, what did you buy?”
Xu Enzhen came back to her senses, her eyelashes trembled slightly. After calming down her turbulent emotions, she walked to the table to pick up the things she brought. She turned around and smiled at Jian Xingsui and said, “Auntie doesn’t know what you are missing, so I just buy everything that comes to my mind. Xingsui, come here and see what you need, I hope you like them.”
Jian Xingsui came over, staring at the pile of gifts on the table. He said in a low voice, “This… must cost you a lot.”
Xu Enzhen shook her head. She slowly took the various items out of their packages, and showed it all to him, “This is a knee pad for dancing. When I watched your live broadcast, I saw that you always bumped your knees when you danced. I hope you find this useful. As for this, this is a calcium supplement. You are still growing and your body needs nutrition to keep up, especially because you’re too thin. Plus, I heard that you were sick some time ago. You must pay attention to your body. And as for this–”
She pointed out the items and its function, while Jian Xingsui just stood in front of her and patiently listened.
After Xu Enzhen finished speaking clumsily, a pair of gentle eyes greeted her. Jian Xingsui was holding something, a little stiff and shy, and finally nodded and said, “I like them all.”
“Although… isn’t this too expensive?” Jian Xingsui held these things and said softly, “I’ve never received so many gifts…”
Xu Enzhen looked at the thin child in front of her, looking lost amidst the pile of gifts. His trembling hands made her feel distressed.
For many years, she had a hard time getting through this day, because she always thought–
If that child hadn’t died, today would be his birthday. What would he look like? What kind of things does he like? What kind of gift should she prepare for him? How tall is he now? Does he have a good life?
However, today, for the first time, she did not have that sense of loneliness. When she saw Jian Xingsui, she felt a strange feeling in her heart, as if her heart was filled.
“Boom!”
There was another muffled thunder outside, which made Xu Enzhen’s heart tremble.
She looked at Jian Xingsui in front of her, subconsciously stretched out her hand, and asked in a low tone, “Can I… hug you?”
Without resisting, he put everything in his hand aside, then nodded and smiled: “Yes.”
The sound of the rain outside was pattering, and the young man was under the dim light, with a faint smile in his eyes, looking directly at her with an honest eye.
In a trance, Xu Enzhen seemed to see her grown-up baby.
In the dream, he followed her step-by-step and shouted “Mom, Mom”. And then, that child was slowly swallowed by the darkness, and left her just like that.
She couldn’t catch him. She saved him. No matter what, she always lost him.
Xu Enzhen’s hand trembled. She pulled Jian Xingsui into a loose hug, as if pulling her child in a dream.
She failed to do this in her dream.
But this time, a warm figure hugged her back. His body was distressingly thin, but it was warm and filled with breaths.
She caught him this time.
Xu Enzhen’s breathing became erratic, and the sadness in her heart was churning like a stormy sea. She hugged Jian Xingsui tightly, and couldn’t control her tears any longer. She said tremblingly: “My son… My child…”
Jian Xingsui originally just wanted to give an ordinary hug, but when the older woman hugged him with such sad eyes, his heart tied into a knot. Strange emotions bubbled up into his throat, making him uncomfortable. Not knowing what to do, Xu Enzhen’s trembling call sounded in his ears, making Jian Xingsui’s eyes tremble slightly. His hands seemed to be out of his control, and he subconsciously hugged Xu Enzhen back, and murmured—
“Mom…?”
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