Chai Qianning arrived first and waited for Sheng Muxi at the door for a while.
After the two entered, Sheng Muxi praised the restaurant's atmosphere and environment, but also guessed that the price must be high.
In the world of light and shadow, she turned her head to look at Chai Qianning. The shadows that kept jumping in the other's eyes made her pause for a moment, then she said softly, "Just find an ordinary restaurant to celebrate my birthday."
Chai Qianning pushed her inside: "Teacher Sheng, birthdays only come once a year, so of course we should make it a big celebration."
The two ordered some dishes, and after they finished eating, the waiter brought out a small cake. Considering that they might not be able to eat much cake right after dinner, Chai Qianning ordered the smallest size, which was only slightly larger than her palm.
The cake's style blends into the restaurant's theme, adorned with tiny cream hearts on the side. Small but exquisite, it can be placed on the table, contrasting with the cups and plates next to it. Even Chai Qianning herself couldn't stand it: "It's pitifully small."
Sheng Muxi didn't think so: "It's just enough for two people, there won't be any waste."
“Then, Teacher Sheng,” Chai Qianning said, resting her arm on the table and propping her head up, “let’s just live like this for now. Next year, on your birthday, I’ll invite people from all walks of life and fellow villagers to throw you a birthday banquet.”
"Please don't." Sheng Muxi clasped her hands together: "Please let me go."
Chai Qianning smiled and lit the candle.
Each table in the restaurant is independent, with an ambient light above and a control panel on the left.
When the bright lighting in the space was switched to starlight mode, Sheng Muxi belatedly realized something: "Is this a couples' restaurant?"
Chai Qianning blinked, lowered her eyes and smiled: "Yes."
"I knew it." Sheng Muxi glanced around: "Isn't booking a romantic restaurant for a birthday a bit too ostentatious?"
"How could that be? Not throwing you a birthday party for a hundred people is already considered low-key."
Well, this person has been insisting on inviting all sorts of people from the martial arts world, elders, and fellow villagers to host her birthday banquet.
"Teacher Sheng, how did you usually celebrate your birthday?" Chai Qianning asked casually.
"Not really."
She didn't celebrate her birthday much when she was a child, so naturally she doesn't care much about such holidays as an adult. Sometimes, if her friends don't say they want to give her a birthday present, she might even forget her own birthday.
“Not really…” Chai Qianning remembered something, then quickly changed the subject: “Hurry up and blow out the candles, they’re about to go out.”
After a slight tremor, the candlelight disappeared into a wisp of rising white smoke.
After making a wish, Chai Qianning sang a few lines of a birthday song for her, which made Sheng Muxi laugh.
"You sing the birthday song off-key."
Chai Qianning scratched her head: "Really? I even participated in singing competitions when I was in school. I'm not tone-deaf, am I?"
"Could it be an encouragement award?"
"Fifth place, I got fifth place!" Chai Qianning emphasized even more when she heard this.
“Okay, fifth.” Sheng Muxi nodded with a smile.
Chai Qianning cut the cake in half, pushed one half in front of Sheng Muxi, and then put her handbag on her lap, unzipping it as she said, "I prepared a gift for you."
She pulled out tissues, moisturizer, a keychain, and a black object from her bag.
Charging cables, power banks, earphone cables, wet wipes, essential oil, lipstick, and lip balm are all laid out on the table.
"There's too much stuff, let me look through it." Chai Qianning lowered her eyes and continued rummaging through her bag.
Sheng Muxi stared at the bright green bottle of medicated oil, utterly puzzled. Was she carrying medicated oil with her when she went out because she was afraid of falling asleep?
She rested her chin on her hand and looked at the other person: "Is the gift you gave me a super mini size?"
"Hmm...more or less, but it is indeed a rather small thing."
After a while, when she had almost emptied her bag, Chai Qianning finally grasped the dark green plush box. However, she didn't give it to Sheng Muxi immediately. Instead, she held it in her arms to shield her, and with a hazy smile, she raised her chin at her: "Why don't you guess?"
Sheng Muxi took a bite of cream: "I saw it, it's a dark green box, but I can't guess what's inside."
Then I tried to think of an answer: "Earrings?"
Chai Qianning shook her head, her gaze shifting downwards. She noticed that the other person had taken the keychain she had placed on the table and was now playing with it, the black swan pendant dangling from their fingertips.
"I really can't guess."
Seeing that Chai Qianning was staring at the keychain she was casually playing with, Sheng Muxi remembered that Chai Qianning had lost her keys twice before, both times on her. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not trying to take your keys."
"It's fine if you take it. I always have somewhere to sleep, don't you think?"
She placed the keychain in her palm, then it slid back onto the table. Instead of answering the other person, she casually asked, "Why do you always wear this charm?"
The other person almost subconsciously raised an eyebrow and said, "You have one too, it's a matching pair with mine."
Sheng Muxi paused, her scrutinizing gaze shifting to Chai Qianning: "When you bought it from me, you said it was a best friend's item."
"Is that so?" Chai Qianning's face showed no trace of panic or guilt at being caught red-handed. She retorted confidently, "When did I say that?"
Sheng Muxi glared at her, then smeared some cream on the tip of her nose with her finger. Chai Qianning couldn't help but laugh, and the cream on her nose trembled.
"A gentleman uses words, not fists." Chai Qianning grabbed a tissue and wiped off the cream. "Why did you use your hands?"
Sheng Muxi: "I am not a gentleman."
She stared at the other person's eyes and brows for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thought: "Tell me, when you bought it, did you actually know it was a couple's set, and then deliberately told me it was a best friend's set so I would accept it?"
"You noticed that."
".."
Sheng Muxi scooped up a bite of cake and silently put it in her mouth: "Is there anything else I haven't discovered?"
"You'll discover it slowly."
".."
Their conversation seemed to be on completely different wavelengths.
“You’re different in bed and out of bed, and…” Sheng Muxi paused for a moment, tilting her head as if trying to think of something: “Actually, you’re not afraid of thunder at all, you just used that as an excuse to get me to go to your house, right? Also, you said you were scared when you watched horror movies before, but I saw the playback history of your TV, and there were several horror movies.”
Chai Qianning tried her best to suppress her laughter, but a few soft sounds still escaped her throat.
Sheng Muxi glared at her, embarrassed and annoyed: "Tell me honestly, were you trying to get close to me from the very beginning?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Chai Qianning lay on the table and laughed, her hair trembling with each laugh.
Worried that the other party might smear a cake on her face, Chai Qianning restrained herself slightly, cleared her throat, and pretended to be serious: "Teacher Sheng, if you had found out earlier, we would have gotten together long ago."
Sheng Muxi was speechless.
"Wait a minute." Chai Qianning seemed to have grasped some key point, leaning forward: "You said my bed and out of bed are different, what's my bed like?"
Sheng Muxi met the other person's eyes. That seemingly harmless face lingered in her gaze for a long time. It was an appearance that could easily deceive someone if they weren't careful. He spoke in the most natural tone about the most embarrassing questions.
However, she wasn't as thick-skinned as Chai Qianning, who could say such things so matter-of-factly. But her face flushed red again, so Sheng Muxi had to turn her face away and look to the other side.
Chai Qianning didn't continue the topic. Instead, she pushed the dark green plush box she was holding in front of Sheng Muxi and looked at her expectantly: "Open it and see?"
Running her fingers along the edge of the box, she felt a very textured sensation. Sheng Muxi simply asked, "Do you want me to open it now?" After receiving Chai Qianning's nod, she opened it almost without hesitation.
The first thing that catches the eye is a ring. The thin band seems to be covered with a layer of silver frost, with a touch of embellishment in the middle that sparkles. It is a rather simple and elegant style, understated yet sophisticated.
Time stood still at this moment.
Sheng Muxi's fingers curled up slightly.
At this moment, my heart is mostly filled with shock.
She knew the other person came from a wealthy family, so she thought the gift he would give her might be an expensive item. She considered all sorts of things, bracelets and necklaces, but she never imagined it would be a ring.
The first gift she received on her 27th birthday was a ring.
This may be the most unforgettable and profound birthday of her life.
She looked up, her emotions reflecting in the other woman's bright eyes.
I have so much to say, but for a moment, I can't utter a single word.
"Do you like it?" Chai Qianning gazed at her gently.
Sheng Muxi nodded slowly, seemingly still reeling from the shock: "Yeah, I'm a little surprised..."
Chai Qianning reached into the box, took out the ring, and gently put it on her hand.
The other person's fingers were slender and fair, and wearing the pendant was like adding icing on the cake, giving them an indescribable charm.
Chai Qianning held her hand and looked her over from left to right.
Overall, it looks better.
The ring fit perfectly. Sheng Muxi ran her fingertip over it, her excitement still lingering: "When did you buy it?"
"Some time ago."
Sheng Muxi held her hand up to the light, carefully examining and admiring the exquisite carving on the ring: "How did you know my size?"
"Because I can tell fortunes, it's not difficult for me to do that." Chai Qianning raised her eyebrows.
Sheng Muxi opened her mouth, wanting to refute the absurdity of the words, but couldn't find a reason to do so, so she couldn't utter a single word.
Chai Qianning smiled and said, "Just kidding. I'm not that powerful."
"I secretly measured it for you while you were asleep."
Retracting his finger, Sheng Muxi solemnly told her, "I will take good care of this ring."
After all, the ring's value far exceeds what money can measure.
Chai Qianning replied casually, "Just keep it safe. You can wear the ring if you want, or leave it if you don't."
“However,” Chai Qianning walked over from the opposite side, sat down next to her, and leaned close to her face, “if anyone pursues you in the future, just say that you already have a family, the kind with elderly parents and young children.”
Sheng Muxi chuckled: "Where did I get the small part from?"
Chai Qianning tilted her head, thought for a long time, and finally came up with a name in her mind that was not entirely suitable but had some connection to being young. On this important holiday, she should nominate a "great contributor": "My sister."
"Your sister?"
"She's not young?"
"Fine." Sheng Mu's eyes curved into a smile: "So soon you want me to take care of your child?"
"Taking care of a child?" Chai Qianning lowered her eyes and smiled. "The child is almost an adult."
"Okay, I'll keep a close eye on her at school for you."
Chai Qianning thought about it for a moment. It seemed that Chai Shuqing was quite pitiful? But she was also very happy—her homeroom teacher was her sister-in-law.