Mo Lian snapped out of his daze, "I can hear you now."
Xi Jia repeated what she had just said and asked him where the party was.
Mo Lian was certain that Xi Jia wasn't joking with him.
Over the years, he has not felt much warmth and kindness, one of whom was Xi Jia, and another was a little girl named Yu An.
He had to rush back to Shanghai that night to handle some follow-up matters at Mo's Real Estate, so he couldn't delay and arranged to celebrate his birthday with Xi Jia at noon.
He thought for a moment and then gave Xi Jia a restaurant name.
Xi Jia smiled and said, "It's my second brother's restaurant. I'll have someone clear the place right away."
Mo Lian refused, saying, "No need to trouble yourself, it's just a small birthday celebration."
Xi Jia: "It's because I don't like crowds. I'll have the restaurant decorate it simply for you."
Mo Lian now understood what was going on. Her memory was probably out of control and all jumbled up, which was why she thought of celebrating his birthday.
After the call ended, Mo Lian instructed the driver not to go to the airport.
He then informed his secretary to reschedule his flight.
Upon receiving the message, the secretary assumed something had gone wrong in the process. "Mr. Mo, what happened?"
Mo Lian: [Before leaving, I had a meal with Xi Jia.]
The secretary stared at her phone, unable to process what was happening for a long time. She didn't want to pry into her boss's affairs, so she immediately rescheduled her flight for the evening.
Mo Lian looked out the window; today was a rare day, with clear skies and a vast expanse of blue.
Xi Jia left her house and headed straight for the bakery. She asked Mo Lian, "How many classmates went over at noon?"
Mo Lian played along: "They all have classes, it's just you and me. Thank you for remembering my birthday."
Xi Jia: [Since we're friends, I'll just order a small cake, enough for the two of us.]
At ten o'clock, Xi Jia's alarm rang once. At that time, she was scanning a QR code to pay at the bakery and simply swiped the alarm on. She forgot to check it afterwards.
Mo Lian arrived at the restaurant earlier than Xi Jia. The restaurant was cleared out, and he sat alone in the large dining area.
Today is not his birthday; his birthday is still more than two weeks away.
He hasn't celebrated his birthday for many years; the scenes from his childhood left a shadow on him.
One year, on his birthday, his mother prepared a table full of dishes and repeatedly urged his father to come home early. But that night, his father did not return.
The mother called the father, but his phone was later switched off.
The table of food was overturned; not a single plate was spared. The cake also fell to the ground, the cream smeared together, and the toy car was completely ruined.
He couldn't hold back and started crying.
His mother gave him a severe beating.
That night, he didn't get to celebrate his birthday and went back to his room feeling aggrieved until midnight.
At that time, he didn't understand why his father was so busy that he didn't even come home, not even for his birthday. Later, when he grew older, he understood.
My father is having an affair.
A woman who is younger and more beautiful than her mother.
To outsiders, my mother seems to be doing quite well these past years. But only she knows the true extent of her hardships.
He became his mother's dumping ground, kicked and shoved around.
My mother had long lost her self-respect because of my father, but she still clung to that shattered marriage and never thought about divorce.
He was a bargaining chip in his mother's marriage.
She was certain that even if her father continued his misbehavior outside, with her grandparents there, he wouldn't dare to easily get a divorce again.
Finally, when her father got older, had enough fun, and settled down, she was able to have a moment of peace.
Her mother thought she had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but little did she know that her father was always wary of her and had no idea how many investments he had made outside.
A few days ago, my mother said she wanted a divorce and had already asked a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. She said she didn't care about living like this anymore.
He ignored it; it was none of his business.
In the Mo family, the only ones who truly cared for him were his grandparents. But most of their love was reserved for Mo Yushen.
This Chinese New Year, his grandparents gave him a red envelope, saying they wouldn't give it to him anymore once he got married and grew up.
He wasn't short of money, but he accepted it anyway.
Grandma used the word "grown up," perhaps because only they treated him like a child. His parents never did, not even when he was a child.
He couldn't sleep on New Year's Eve, repeatedly asking himself, what did he have left besides money? He unconsciously recalled Jiang Qin's words, "You were clearly very kind when you were a child."
"You're here so early! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Mo Lian's thoughts were interrupted by Xi Jia. He turned his head and said, "I'm free this morning, and my home is close by." He glanced at the cake Xi Jia was carrying.
It's a small race car, similar to that cake from many years ago.
"You still remember?"
Xi Jia: "Didn't you say that the car cake was your obsession? Today I'll exorcise it for you."
Mo Lian smiled, a rare occurrence, but the smile was very faint. He didn't know what had happened to her memory, nor did he ask further.
Their food wasn't ready yet, so Xi Jia chatted with Mo Lian. "Are you still going to pursue your doctorate?"
Mo Lian: "I've already started my own business."
“That’s good.” Xi Jia explained her plans: “I might not even pursue a master’s degree. I plan to become a professional horse racer after graduating with my bachelor’s degree. I’ll go on to graduate school after I retire.”
Mo Lian echoed her, "That's good. Athletes are naturally subject to age requirements. You're in your prime right now."
Xi Jia: "Don't just focus on work. You need to take action and pursue the girl you like."
Mo Lian's expression froze for a moment, then he said dismissively, "It's all in the past."
A man like him should stay single, lest his children find out about his background and feel ashamed to have such a father, thus avoiding burdening them.
Xi Jia wanted to talk to Mo Lian about something pleasant, but found herself at a loss for words. She felt quite familiar with Mo Lian, but forgot exactly how.
Xi Jia rubbed her temples. "I probably didn't sleep well last night, and my brain isn't getting enough blood. That's why I can't remember those things from before."
Mo Lian: "You only remember to celebrate my birthday?"
Xi Jia nodded. It was midnight. Her alarm rang again, reminding her to check her notes. Just as her conversation with Mo Lian had reached an awkward point, she turned on her phone.
After reading the memo, I felt really bad.
Xi Jia looked up. "Today isn't your birthday."
Mo Lian: "Passing it two weeks in advance is the same."
Xi Jia said apologetically, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
Mo Lian comforted her, "If you don't buy me a cake, I won't have any cake for my birthday this year."
Xi Jia's memories returned to reality, but Mo Lian felt like a complete stranger to her. "We must have been very familiar with each other before, right? I remember buying you a cake like this."
Mo Lian: "I was talking to you about my parents and the girl I had a crush on. Do you think we're familiar with each other? But ever since you got sick, your memory has been all over the place."
Xi Jia: "Did I meet you while I was sick?"
Mo Lian nodded; he had encountered this more than once.
Sometimes her reaction was indifferent, as if they had only met briefly and exchanged nods. Sometimes she could recall some things he had said to her before, but only a little bit.
He was quite surprised that she could still remember him after she fell ill.
I was surprised and moved.
He had only shared those secrets with Xi Jia, probably because he thought she was kind and wouldn't tell anyone else.
Mo Lian then told Xi Jia, "After I finished my master's degree, I was busy starting my own business, so we contacted each other less and less." Not only did they contact each other less, but their social circles gradually changed.
Later, the contact information just lay in the address book, covered in dust.
After hearing this, Xi Jia said, "No matter what, thank you. I don't know when I'll get better from this illness. If I have delirium again in the future, please remind me to check the memo."
The waiter brought them their food.
Xi Jia opened the cake box; inside was an exquisite six-inch cake. She lit the candles. "Make a wish; sincerity is key."
Mo Lian himself didn't have any wishes. "I hope you recover soon."
Xi Jia laughed, "It won't work if you say it out loud."
Mo Lian: "Didn't you just say that sincerity brings results?"
He had stopped eating sweets long ago, but he ate a piece today. He changed his flight to eat this meal and this cake to repay Xi Jia for her past kindness to him.
That numb and indifferent heart seemed to stir a little, and a glimmer of life returned the moment the driver turned around.
Xi Jia ate her cake and asked, "Have you been in the country the whole time?"
Mo Lian: "I've been back for over two years. But I'll be going back soon, and I probably won't be coming back often in the future. If you want to have dinner with me, you'll have to go to New York."
Xi Jiaxiao: "Your uncle and aunt have also settled abroad?"
Mo Lian didn't want to talk about his parents, so he nodded and brushed it off.
Xi Jia: "Once I recover, I'll definitely visit you and treat you to a few extra meals."
She clinked glasses with Mo Lian, saying, "I hope everything goes well for you over there."
Mo Lian: "Thank you."
——
Xi Jia heard news about Mo Lian again two days later, when she saw it on the news.
Mo Lian resigned as president of Mo's Real Estate and took the initiative to take charge of the overseas business of Mo's Group, which he was familiar with, thus moving away from the power center of Mo's Group.
This news came as a complete surprise, not only to the media but also to the Mo Group's board of directors.
The meeting ended, and Mo Lian cut off the video call.
After the other directors left, only Mo Yushen and Chairman Li remained in the meeting room.
Chairman Li was filled with emotion, but suddenly found himself speechless.