Chapter 41: Avoiding Him

When evening arrived, Wen Xiao watched as the cake was rolled out from the kitchen.

Wen Yu walked over with a birthday hat and placed it on Wen Xiao’s head.

"Happy birthday, little brother."

After whispering this, Wen Yu took a beautifully wrapped gift box from a nearby table and placed it into Wen Xiao’s hands.

"I’m not sure if you’ll like this," Wen Yu said, looking conflicted. He had never been good at choosing gifts and worried about what he would do if Xiao Xiao didn’t like it.

Hugging the beautiful gift box to his chest, Wen Xiao suddenly reached out and tugged at the hem of Wen Yu’s shirt.

"I said it before—no matter what you give me, brother, I will like it."

Luo Anlan patted Wen Yu’s shoulder from the side and said with a smile, "Xiao Xiao doesn't really care what gift you give him, Ah Yu. He cares about the person giving it."

The birthday gift from Wen Tianhe was a mobile phone. Wen Xiao was not surprised at all, as his father had specifically asked him about the gift previously. Because his father always appeared cold and stern, there was no flashy packaging; it was as simple and direct as ever.

"Happy birthday," Wen Tianhe said.

Wen Xiao took the phone box and noticed it was the same model as the ones Song Jingbai and the others had. He reflected that, at this point in time, smartphones were only just beginning to become popular. The variety of brands and models was limited, and his father had clearly chosen the one with the best performance for him.

"Thank you, Dad." Wen Xiao lowered his head, gazing at the cake.

The cake had a forest animal theme, with trees made of cream and icing along the edges. Inside the forest, a group of small animals huddled together, staring at a smaller cake in the center as if celebrating a birthday for one of their own.

Wen Xiao stared at the cake for a long time, thinking it felt a bit like a nesting doll. They were surrounding this big cake, while the tiny animals on the cake were surrounding a smaller one.

Luo Anlan remarked from the side, "I thought of this when I saw you all coming down from the mountain. Isn't it just like these little animals living in the forest?"

If Xiao Xiao could really live so carefree in a little forest, he would surely have a group of animal friends to celebrate his birthday with, too.

Wen Xiao looked at the fox, the big brown bear, the little wolf, the rabbit, and the kitten standing beside the cake. Because they were cartoon figurines, their shapes remained intact. The big brown bear had been deliberately shrunk, while the smaller animals, like the rabbit and the kitten, had been enlarged, giving everyone cute, big-headed, two-headed-tall proportions.

Beside the little white cat was a big black cat.

"That bear is definitely me!" Huo Zhanyan pointed at the bear and shouted.

Song Jingbai looked at the large cake, his watery eyes flickering slightly. "It does look like you—bear-like."

Huo Zhanyan felt that what Song Jingbai said probably wasn't a compliment, but he couldn't quite tell. "Bear-like"—that didn't seem like a problem.

Luo Anlan took out the candles, intending to place them on the cake. Song Jingbai looked at her and asked, "Auntie, may I help with the candles?"

"Of course."

As Luo Anlan handed the candles to Song Jingbai, she saw the other children raising their hands to help as well, so she had to distribute them one by one.

"Don't put too many on; just put six," Luo Anlan pointed to the smaller cake surrounded by the animals and smiled. "Because there’s already one candle on the small cake."

Once the candles were placed and lit, the room lights suddenly went dark, leaving only the seven candles flickering. The small candles provided only a narrow circle of light, making it difficult for Wen Xiao to see the faces of those around him.

Huo Zhanyan’s voice was the loudest as he began to sing "Happy Birthday." However, he was tone-deaf and sang completely off-key without even realizing it. Wen Xiao was about to tell him to quiet down when he remembered Song Jingbai’s fear of the dark.

He reached out to the side. Although it was dim, he could see the general outline of a body. When he grasped Song Jingbai’s hand, he felt the other boy stiffen.

"Xiao Xiao." Song Jingbai seemed to turn his head, moving slightly closer. No one else noticed them holding hands.

"Aren't you afraid of the dark?" Wen Xiao knew he couldn't see clearly anyway, so he stopped trying and focused on the dancing candlelight on the cake.

"Little brother, make a wish," Wen Yu’s voice came from nearby.

Wen Xiao closed his eyes. Even with them closed, images kept flashing through his mind, preventing him from feeling lost in the darkness.

*I wish that we can celebrate our birthdays together again next year.*

*Next year, I'll wish for the year after, then the year after that, and on and on, forever.*

"I will always remember you," a tiny voice whispered in his ear.

Wen Xiao looked toward Song Jingbai, recalling the strange question he had asked earlier in the room. He felt foolish for having asked it. So, Song Jingbai had heard him.

"If you ever disappear, I will come to find you," Song Jingbai squeezed Wen Xiao’s small hand. "Because when you are here, I don't have to be afraid of the dark anymore."

"Xiao Xiao, who are you whispering to!" Huo Zhanyan tried to squeeze in. Wen Xiao certainly couldn't let Huo Zhanyan run around in the dark; what if he tripped and fell into the cake?

"I've made my wish," Wen Xiao said quickly, then leaned down to blow out the candles with the others.

The lights flickered back on a second later. Huo Zhanyan cheered loudly, looking even happier than if it were his own birthday, the small incident already forgotten.

Everyone began to cut the cake. It was beautiful, covered in a thick layer of white cream, with plump, layered fruit fillings visible—strawberries, mangoes, grapes, and blueberries.

Wen Xiao took a piece of cake, but after one bite, he felt something cool on his face. He looked up to see Huo Zhanyan’s grinning face.

*Was Huo Zhanyan smearing cream on his face?*

Wen Xiao widened his eyes, only to see Song Jingbai scoop up a handful of cream and press it directly onto Huo Zhanyan’s face. Huo Zhanyan, refusing to be outdone, retaliated by smearing some on Song Jingbai.

Because it was Wen Xiao’s birthday, everyone was careful not to be too rough, but it soon devolved into a cream-smearing battle. Huo Zhanyan would sneak a smear onto him every now and then, making it impossible to defend against.

Leng Shucheng, who had been sitting with a stiff face, stared at the cream, struggling with himself for a long time. Eventually, his desire to get back at Huo Zhanyan won out, and he grabbed a handful of cream and smeared it on Huo Zhanyan’s nose.

"Unfair! You’re all ganging up on me! I’m not playing anymore!" Huo Zhanyan shouted. He was being besieged by several people, and he ended up with the most cream on his face.

And Wei Nanxing, who was supposed to be a coward, was quite fierce too. *He only smeared a little on Xiao Xiao's face! He wasn't bullying him; he had seen everyone else play this way at birthdays!*

"Who started it first? Huo Zhanyan, you can't handle losing, can you?" Song Jingbai laughed.

"Who says I can't handle losing!" Huo Zhanyan, ignoring the cream on his face, jumped up and smeared some more on Song Jingbai.

Leng Shucheng wiped his own face, frowned at the cream on his hands, and stood there looking incredibly conflicted.

Hearing a *click* nearby, Wen Xiao looked up and saw Luo Anlan taking photos of them. When she saw him looking, she gave him a soft smile.

Finally, Huo Zhanyan and the others, sporting cream-smeared faces, ate a little cake before lining up to head upstairs to wash up.

Wen Xiao didn't have much cream on his face, so he stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, watching them wash.

The small animals on the cake were not made of cream, but were small figurines. After washing them clean, Wen Xiao placed them in a row on the windowsill. There were six in total, sitting right next to the daffodils.

The empty shelf by his desk suddenly didn't look so empty anymore. It held a palm-sized white conch, a snow globe, and the heart-shaped lamp made from a 3D puzzle.

Wen Xiao opened the gift Wen Yu had given him and found a small doll—a smiling little boy. He wore a giant red mushroom hat, cute bloomers, and a beautiful cape pinned with a bow at his chest, holding a magic wand in his hand.

There was a note in the box: "This is Mage Xiao Xiao. In front of Mage Xiao Xiao, all unhappiness will disappear like magic."

Wen Xiao clutched the note tightly and placed the doll on the desk. *So, this doll was him.*

He loved every gift he received. He had never received so many gifts in his life before.

When they were leaving, Huo Zhanyan held Wen Xiao’s hand and said, "Xiao Xiao, you have to come to my birthday party next year!"

Song Jingbai stood by and added, "Xiao Xiao, see you at school next week."

Leng Shucheng stood at the doorway of Wen Xiao’s house, his young face very serious, and bowed to Wen Tianhe and his wife. "I am very happy to have been able to come and celebrate Xiao Xiao’s birthday today. Thank you, Uncle and Auntie."

Luo Anlan couldn't help but laugh. "You child, why are you being so formal? Xiao Xiao was very happy to have you here."

Wen Xiao stood to the side, kicking his legs awkwardly, but he didn't argue.

Wei Nanxing waved at Wen Xiao, his face flushed, and whispered, "Goodbye, Xiao Xiao!"

Wen Xiao returned to his room, washed up, and lay down on his big bed. Although he was exhausted, he felt incredibly happy—a completely different mood than when he had woken up that morning.

Through the moonlight streaming in from the window, Wen Xiao could see the animal figurines sitting neatly on the windowsill. They were very quiet, yet they looked as if they were huddled together sharing secrets.

Wen Xiao thought back to the lively scene he had just experienced. He buried his head in the soft pillow, clutching the fluffy quilt, and closed his eyes.

"Good night."

Sitting in the car, Wei Nanxing watched the scenery receding outside, moving further and further away from Xiao Xiao’s house. He couldn't help but press his hand against the window, his eyes fixed on the distant, glowing lights of the house, feeling a sense of reluctance.

The driver in the front suddenly spoke, "Young Master, we are not going home today. The Mistress has ordered me to take you to the old family estate."

Wei Nanxing looked blank.

The driver explained patiently, "The old estate is where your grandfather lives, Young Master."

Wei Nanxing lowered his head, sitting in his seat, his hands clenched tightly over his clothes. He had never been to the old estate before, because his grandfather did not like him and had never even looked at him properly.