Chapter 36: Jiang Xueli’s Birthday

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Jiang Xueli’s Birthday

The two of them stood facing each other at the complex entrance.

The girl with the pigtails pressed her lips together. Her heart was pounding so loudly it drowned out every other sound. At this tender age when love first blossoms, some things leave a lasting impression.

She looked up at the boy, her eyes glistening.

She couldn’t understand. "You... How did you know today was my birthday? I don’t remember telling you."

Lin Zhengran casually explained,

"You can be so dense. Don’t you know who’s always practicing singing with you? Or who’s the one that helps you check for any changes to the Child Star Studio’s application requirements? Of course I have all your personal information down pat. How else would I know when you were turning twelve?"

Lin Zhengran continued, paying her no mind, "Besides, I was going to call you this afternoon. I went to the mall yesterday and picked out a birthday gift for you. If you’re not in a hurry, I can go upstairs and get it right now."

"A gift? You... you got me a birthday gift?" Her voice was barely a whisper. An expression of pure happiness was plain to see on her face, and she seemed to be floating in a blissful daze.

Her mind went blank for a good ten seconds before she covered her mouth, hunched her shoulders, and stared at him shyly.

When she saw Lin Zhengran turn to go upstairs, she grabbed the corner of his shirt. Overcome with emotion, she closed her eyes and waved her arms frantically. "Wait, wait, wait! Explain the birthday thing first! I don’t think I understood!"

Lin Zhengran looked back. "What part don’t you get?"

Jiang Xueli’s face was pure joy. With her hands behind her back and cheeks flushed, she averted her gaze and asked,

"I just feel like... that’s not right. If you’ve known my birthday all this time... we’ve known each other for so many years, but we’ve never celebrated a birthday together. Doesn’t that contradict what you just said?"

"Well..."

Truth be told, Lin Zhengran didn’t know how to explain. After all, for guys, birthdays basically stop existing after you turn eighteen.

At least, that’s how it was in his previous life. Back then, Lin Zhengran had no family, not even a mom or dad. After he graduated, there was no one to remind him. So, even after being reborn, he felt celebrating birthdays was the most trivial of trivial matters.

"I don’t know if you’ll understand, but birthdays aren’t that important to me, so I don’t really pay them much mind."

"Not important?" Jiang Xueli knew he was an oddball, so she believed him. Still, something about it felt wrong. ’But where?’

"If you forgot all the other years, then why didn’t you forget this one? You even went out of your way to buy me... a gift..."

Her fingers fidgeted nervously behind her back. She bit her lip, seemingly lost in a fantasy.

"Is it because we’re in middle school now and you think we’re all grown up, so this year has some kind of special meaning...? I’m not that easy to fool, you know... I’m a girl, after all. At the very least... hehe..."

Seeing her pretentious act, Lin Zhengran was speechless. He mercilessly gave her a light chop on the head, shattering her fantasy.

"What are you ’hehe-ing’ about?!"

Jiang Xueli was instantly snapped out of it. She frowned. "Why’d you hit me?!"

Lin Zhengran explained, "I’m giving you a gift this year because you gave me something last year when my parents were celebrating my birthday."

That jogged Jiang Xueli’s memory. One day last year, she had gone looking for Lin Zhengran to hang out, only to stumble upon his parents celebrating his birthday. Flustered, she had rushed out to buy a gift and asked his mom to give it to Zhengran for her.

Lin Zhengran continued, "Of course, if you insist on there being a special meaning, I guess there is one. This is the year you plan to launch your singing career, after all. Think of this gift as my way of cheering you on."

Jiang Xueli clenched her little fists again and suddenly blurted out, "You... you big idiot!"

Confused, Lin Zhengran tapped her on the head again. "What are you yelling for? Are you nuts? Why are you shouting when I’m giving you a gift? You don’t want it?"

Mortified and annoyed, Jiang Xueli gritted her teeth. "Who said I don’t want it! You already bought it, so how could you not give it to me?! I called you an idiot because..."

She stood there, cheeks puffed out. "You shouldn’t try to guess what a girl is thinking..."

’I knew this idiot wouldn’t catch on that easily,’ she thought. ’I really thought he was going to confess to me. I got so nervous for nothing... I didn’t even know how I would agree—pah! I mean, I didn’t even know how I would turn him down.’

’And this is what I get?’

Ignoring her, Lin Zhengran turned and started walking upstairs again.

"Just wait here. I’ll go upstairs and get it. And since I’m at it, I’ll grant your wish and go see a movie with you."

Seeing this, Jiang Xueli quickly ran after him, a wide grin on her face as she followed. "I’ll come with you."

"No, you don’t have to. Isn’t it a hassle to go all the way up just to come back down?"

"What do you care if it’s a hassle? I want to," she huffed, skipping along behind him.

A little while later, Lin Zhengran gave Jiang Xueli the gift he’d bought the day before.

It was a fairly large gift.

"It’s so big! What is it? Can you tell me?" Jiang Xueli asked, cradling the gift like a precious treasure.

Lin Zhengran replied, "Why don’t you open it and find out? It’s a pair of over-ear headphones."

"Really? That’s perfect! My old pair is about to break. From now on, I’ll use the ones you gave me." She didn’t actually care what Lin Zhengran had given her. He could have given her a rock, and she’d probably have said:

"My balcony was missing a rock. You have great taste."

Jiang Xueli carefully hugged the gift, saying she wanted to drop it off at her house first, or else they wouldn’t be able to go to the movies.

Lin Zhengran reminded her that she could open it to see if she liked it. The store owner had said they could exchange it for a different style if she didn’t.

But Jiang Xueli just hugged it tighter. "No, I want this one."

After dropping the gift off at her house, Jiang Xueli and Lin Zhengran headed straight for the movie theater. Jiang Xueli was a nervous wreck on the way there.

’She’d known this big idiot for so many years, yet this was the very first time they were going to the movies alone together.’

She was so nervous she could barely walk in a straight line.

Lin Zhengran noticed she looked a bit off. "Did you sleep poorly last night? I feel like you’re in some weird state between hyper and half-asleep."

Jiang Xueli replied guiltily, "Not at all. I slept great last night. Like a log."

And so, no more than three minutes after they had bought two tubs of popcorn and settled into their seats, Jiang Xueli was asleep, still clutching her popcorn.

She was out like a light, for no apparent reason. Her earlier excitement had completely drained what little Energy she had.

Lin Zhengran really had no idea what she had been up to the night before.

In her deep slumber, Jiang Xueli’s head came to rest on Lin Zhengran’s shoulder. He didn’t wake her. He wasn’t about to disturb her on her special day.

She didn’t sleep for long, but she slept soundly.

But when the movie ended and Lin Zhengran woke her with a gentle tap, Jiang Xueli clutched her head in deep regret.

"I... I fell asleep?! I fell asleep during the movie?! I didn’t see a single thing! Then what was the point of agonizing over it all night?!"

Fortunately, Lin Zhengran then suggested they grab a bite to eat, which made Jiang Xueli happy again. She feigned reluctance as she agreed.

They spent the whole day together. When they parted ways that afternoon, Jiang Xueli ran home and returned with a large slice of cake for him.

"Here, you big idiot. This slice of cake is your reward for spending the day with me."

Lin Zhengran heard the system’s voice as he took the cake. "Thanks. Happy birthday."

Jiang Xueli gave a shy smile and waved goodbye to him at the entrance to her complex.

Watching until Lin Zhengran’s figure completely vanished in the distance, Jiang Xueli turned with a flick of her pigtails. She stretched her arms out to her sides and began to walk along the curb bordering the complex’s lawn, balancing carefully.

"You big idiot... you big idiot... you big idiot..."

She took a few steps before hopping off the curb. With her hands behind her back, her pigtails bounced with every skip as she made her way home.

"’Twinkle, twinkle, sparkling bright, all the sky is filled with...’ Her voice slowed, full of joy. ’...little stars~’"