These past two days, Xiao Yufan had been thinking about whether to throw a birthday party. Although he didn’t truly have many friends, he figured he could still scrape together enough people for at least one table.
Perhaps turning twenty-five wasn’t a big deal for others, but for Xiao Yufan, it carried special significance. He dared not take it lightly. As the saying goes, good news can dispel bad luck—he wanted this birthday celebration to wash away all the misfortunes of the past twenty-five years.
In his heart, Xiao Yufan already had a rough idea of how the party would look. Of course, the guest list had also been decided—mainly just a few people like Ma Teng and his wife, and Fan Le.
“Boss…” Xiao Yufan got up early in the morning, watching Yu Yihan already washed and ready, and said innocently.
“Reason? You’re asking for leave on the fourth day of work—you might set a company record!”
“It’s because today is my birthday. I want to prepare for the party tonight. Do you think this reason works…” Xiao Yufan replied nervously. Taking leave so soon after starting work did seem somewhat unreasonable.
“Your birthday?” Yu Yihan hesitated for a moment, looked at Xiao Yufan’s sincere expression, her eyes flickering, and continued, “Fine, I’ll give you this chance—and also give myself a day off…”
“Give yourself a holiday? What do you mean…” Xiao Yufan first felt a surge of joy, but soon realized there was more behind Yu Yihan’s words.
“Isn’t it the responsibility of a tenant and an employee to invite me to your birthday?” she countered, casually tossing her handbag onto the sofa and picking up the phone.
“Ms. Li, please take care of the company today. Keep everything running as usual—I’m not coming in because I’m not feeling well…”
Xiao Yufan hadn’t expected Yu Yihan to be so adorable at times, especially when lying. A faint blush crept onto her face, and the cold, proud version of her seemed to have truly changed.
…
After much consideration, Xiao Yufan finally decided to hold the party at the Huan Cheng Hotel.
The reason he chose this place was because it was here that he had completely let go of the dream he once shared with Cheng Ying. Moreover, it was also the place where his relationship with Yu Yihan had turned a corner.
Yu Yihan had no objections to Xiao Yufan’s decision, though she was somewhat puzzled. After all, Huan Cheng was a four-star hotel—where was Xiao Yufan getting so much money from?
When everything was mostly settled, it was almost noon. This was also the first time Xiao Yufan considered using his gold card, since his master had mentioned it casually two days ago during a phone call.
He felt that since his master had given it with good intentions, he shouldn’t refuse. Besides, for this party, he wanted to do things in style. He wanted those who had once looked down on him to know—he could live well.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Xiao Yufan picked it up, wondering who would be the first to wish him a happy birthday today. Thinking of this, he once again thought of Cheng Ying, who had always been the first to send birthday greetings for the past five years.
“Yufan, happy birthday…” came Lin Jiayao’s voice from the other end of the line. A warmth spread through Xiao Yufan’s heart—despite being busy filming, she hadn’t forgotten his birthday.
“Thank you… How are you doing over there?” He smiled slightly, thinking of Lin Jiayao far away. A sense of missing her stirred inside him, though he wasn’t sure whether it was just the affection between friends or something more.
“I’m fine. The company is quite considerate to newcomers. Except for the tiring filming, everything else is okay.”
“That’s good. This is the life you chose. As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters…” Xiao Yufan knew Jiayao must be very tired indeed, but she didn’t want him to worry, so she spoke in such a comforting way.
After Xiao Yufan spoke, the two of them fell into a tacit silence, the atmosphere slightly awkward.
“If you ever feel bored or down, remember to call me. Just like now, talking like this—it’s nice, right?” Finally, Lin Jiayao broke the silence. That was just like her—always considerate and understanding.
“I understand. You should also take good care of yourself over there. Don’t let anyone try to take advantage of you!” Xiao Yufan felt touched, but he masked his emotions with a cheeky grin.
“Who dares to try that with me—I’ll make sure they never rise again…” Lin Jiayao’s voice sounded very casual, but Xiao Yufan had no doubt about her ability. After all, she came from a very influential background.
…
After hanging up the phone, Xiao Yufan gazed blankly out the window, momentarily lost in thought. He couldn’t figure out exactly what Lin Jiayao meant to him—was it just friendship?
Yu Yihan wisely didn’t disturb Xiao Yufan. She didn’t claim to understand the man before her. Sometimes, even she wondered—just which version of Xiao Yufan was the real one…
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