The cake shop is just ahead, not far away.
Song Jianchu said, “It’s just the two of us eating, no need for too much, it will be wasteful.”
Mu Ye planned to inform the neighbors about this early birthday celebration, so they wouldn’t disturb their private time together. He asked, “What flavor do you want?”
Song Jianchu chose a dark chocolate cake, so it wouldn’t be too sweet.
The shop assistant said, “The cake production will take about an hour.”
Mu Ye replied, “Okay, thank you.”
One hour would be just enough time to buy the things they needed for tonight.
Song Jianchu hesitated and glanced at Mu Ye. When their eyes met, he awkwardly turned his face away.
Mu Ye asked, “What else should we do? We can stroll around for another hour.”
Song Jianchu pinched his sleeve with his fingers and looked towards the bookstore across from the cake shop. He said, “I want to go to the bookstore.”
Mu Ye smiled and said, “I’ll accompany you.”
After obtaining permission from the bookstore owner, Song Jianchu entered the store and filmed a vlog, recommending a few good books to his fans while speaking softly, so as not to disturb other customers.
Mu Ye mischievously disrupted things a bit. While Song Jianchu was recommending books, Mu Ye stood next to him, holding a book, pretending to be a composed and mature boyfriend, making sure he appeared in the background of the video. Although he seemed to be flipping through the book, Mu Ye’s gaze was constantly on his boyfriend.
Song Jianchu secretly caught Mu Ye’s stolen glances through the display screen, and he slightly curled his lips, pretending not to notice anything.
The store had a reading area where they could sit down, have coffee, and rest while reading.
Song Jianchu turned off the camera, took Mu Ye to the resting area, and ordered two cups of coffee.
Perhaps yesterday’s verbal education had an effect because in public places, Mu Ye sat close to him, holding a book, and sat across from him.
Song Jianchu stealthily lifted his eyes from the book pages and saw that Mu Ye was already immersed in the book. He discreetly took out his phone and placed it in between the pages, preparing in advance for some things that would happen during their upcoming date.
He had mentioned the need to prepare some things in advance, but he needed to search online for how to choose, brand reputation, user experience, and other details.
The waiter came to deliver the coffee and lingered on the two of them for several seconds. “Here are the coffees for both of you.”
Song Jianchu closed the book, covering the phone screen. He rarely got distracted while reading, but now his heart was beating inexplicably fast, similar to playing with a phone during class.
Mu Ye casually glanced at the opposite side and politely nodded at the waiter. “Thank you.”
Song Jianchu had almost finished his research, so he put down the book, put his hands in his pockets, and casually said, “I’m going to the supermarket, I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Mu Ye lifted his gaze from the book page, casually glanced at the reddened earlobes of the young man, and asked seemingly unintentionally, “What are you buying?”
Song Jianchu’s gaze drifted for a moment, and he replied, “Chewing gum.”
Mu Ye put down his coffee and said, “I’ll come with you.”
Song Jianchu’s ears turned completely red, but he remained calm and said, “It’s right next to us, I can go by myself.”
Mu Ye looked at him for two seconds, and a hint of laughter appeared in his eyes. “Fine.”
Mu Ye was unusually accommodating and clingy today, even though it was his birthday. However, Song Jianchu always felt that there was something strange about this person.
In a hurry to buy things, he was being too considerate.
Unknowingly, it was already dark outside, with streetlights illuminating the road and more pedestrians around.
Leaving the coffee shop alone, Song Jianchu stood at the entrance, exhaled a breath, lowered his cap, and entered the adjacent supermarket.
A few seconds later, Mu Ye followed, walking leisurely a short distance behind Song Jianchu.
As it was the end of working hours, the supermarket was a bit crowded.
After all, it was their first time purchasing supplies in this area. Song Jianchu felt bold enough to get straight to the point and first wandered around the food section, grabbing a few packs of snacks.
Mu Ye stood nearby, observing.
The young man stood in front of the shelves, his actions of selecting items appearing completely normal. However, one of the bags of snacks in his hand was his favorite.
Song Jianchu had a very specific taste in snacks, and Mu Ye remembered them all.
Mu Ye squinted slightly.
There were a few students next to Mu Ye who kept stealing glances and whispering.
“Look, that young man dresses so well.”
“He also has a great figure.”
“Those sneakers are super expensive.”
“Get closer and take a look. If his eyes are attractive, I’ll ask for his WeChat.”
Mu Ye’s gaze darkened, and he spoke softly, “Excuse me.”
The girls stopped in their tracks and looked at him, curious.
Mu Ye lowered his mask and smiled gently, asking, “Excuse me, have you seen a man with very little hair?”
Ah, it’s Mu Ye!!!
What incredible luck!
The girls gasped, covering their mouths to suppress their screams, their attention completely diverted from the young man in the snack aisle.
“Yes, we have seen him,” one girl said regretfully, taking out her notebook and excitedly asking in a hushed voice, “Teacher Mu, can we have your autograph?”
Mu Ye took the notebook and pen, saying, “Of course.”
The girls blushed, their eyes fixed on Mu Ye’s face, seemingly in a daze.
After signing the autographs, Mu Ye made a gesture to the girls, silently signaling them to keep it low-key, and quickly searched for the person who had disappeared from his sight.
The girls stared blankly at Mu Ye’s figure, still in disbelief.
“Teacher Mu is so handsome, and his eye color is so beautiful.”
“I was deceived. Those contact lenses claiming to be the same couldn’t replicate that effect at all.”
“Stars really aren’t ordinary people…”
Mu Ye walked around several sections nearby, and in the fresh produce section, he found the person he was looking for.
Song Jianchu continued with his casual tactics, stopping in front of the foggy shelves for food preservation and picking up several boxes of fruit to put in his shopping basket.
He already had those fruits at home, and the basket in Song Jianchu’s hand seemed to be getting a bit heavy.
Mu Ye hid behind the seasoning shelves, watching the young man whose actions clearly showed his mind wasn’t focused, suppressing a smile in his eyes.
A young boy rode by on a skateboard and stopped next to Song Jianchu, staring up at him.
Song Jianchu lowered his head and met the boy’s gaze for a few seconds. “Is there something I can help you with?”
The boy had sharp eyes and asked, “Are you the richest person on Weibo?”
“…,” Song Jianchu calmly replied, “No, I’m not.”
“Oh,” the boy quickly gave up, “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”
Song Jianchu lifted the basket and prepared to leave but suddenly felt his clothes being tugged.
He stopped and lowered his head once again.
The boy looked up at him politely and said, “Big brother, can you help me find my mom? I got separated from her.”
Song Jianchu looked around.
Mu Ye immediately hid behind the shelves.
“Come with me,” Song Jianchu held the boy’s skateboard and walked toward the customer service desk.
The boy stood on the skateboard obediently, letting Song Jianchu lead him. “Thank you, big brother.”
After an announcement was made over the intercom at the customer service desk, the boy’s parent hurriedly arrived and expressed gratitude to Song Jianchu. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I couldn’t see my child anywhere. It scared me to death.”
Song Jianchu replied, “You’re welcome.”
The boy waved, “Goodbye, rich Brother”
Song Jianchu: “…”
“Sorry, the child has been playing with phones too much lately.” The parent felt ashamed and scolded, “He’s just a big brother, why are you calling him something else?”
The little boy, being dragged away by his mother, muttered, “I’m calling him something else.”
“You be quiet! You’re not allowed to play with my phone anymore…”
Mu Ye leaned against the beverage refrigerator, arms crossed, eyes filled with a smile, watching the increasingly nervous boy not far away.
Next to the service counter was the household essentials section, their target destination for this mission.
Song Jianchu carried the now full shopping basket and slowly walked towards the household essentials area. It seemed as if he was casually taking a look, naturally stopping in front of a shelf with various small boxes, calmly surveying the products with his hands tucked in his pockets.
Mu Ye raised an eyebrow and slowly tightened the corners of his mouth.
This supermarket had a wide variety of products in that category. Song Jianchu picked a box of the highest-rated product based on online reviews and another box with good reviews.
Mu Ye was itching with excitement, stealing glances at this scene, biting his lip.
Fortunately, this area wasn’t crowded, and Song Jianchu’s shopping process went smoothly.
As he left, his pace noticeably quickened. He stuffed the items at the bottom of the shopping basket, covering them with plenty of snacks and fruits, and proceeded to the checkout counter.
The payment process went smoothly too, and the cashier didn’t pay any special attention to him because of the items he purchased.
In the end, Mu Ye also caused a slight disturbance. From a distance, he accompanied his boyfriend through the final steps of their shopping, silently planning ahead for the bookstore.
The service staff in the bookstore’s rest area thought they had already left, so they cleared the empty coffee cups. But then, one of them returned.
“Sorry,” the staff member said, “We’ve already cleared your coffee. Do you still need it?”
Mu Ye remained seated, holding a book, and cheerfully said, “No, thank you.”
Soon, Song Jianchu came back with a supermarket shopping bag and said, “Let’s go. Let’s pick up the cake and go home.”
Mu Ye seemed surprised as he looked at the bag in Song Jianchu’s hand and asked, “Why did you buy so many snacks?”
Song Jianchu naturally explained, “Just stocking up on some things.”
Mu Ye took the shopping bag and said, “I’ll carry it.”
Having already hidden the important items in his shoulder bag, Song Jianchu didn’t mind at all and let Mu Ye take the bag that was no longer important.
After picking up the cake, they headed home by car.
Song Jianchu was dozing off when Mu Ye suddenly asked, “Did I see chewing gum in the bag?”
Song Jianchu suddenly woke up, his pupils twitching for a moment.
D*mn it… I forgot.
Song Jianchu grabbed the strap of the shoulder bag, looked out the car window calmly, and came up with an excuse, saying, “Hmm, it’s a flavor I like.”
“Do you still want to eat it?” Mu Ye asked with a smile. “I can buy it for you.”
Song Jianchu lowered his eyes and said, “I’ll buy it another day. Let’s go home.”
“Okay, I’ll bring it for you tomorrow.”
Mu Ye tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel, took a slow deep breath, barely suppressing the restlessness in his heart, and silently increased the speed of the car.
Finally, they arrived home and Denglu pounced on Song Jianchu, sobbing.
Song Jianchu embraced him and asked, “Is someone causing trouble at home?”
Mu Ye put down the shopping bag and the cake, unable to bear it any longer, and hugged Song Jianchu from behind. “Hug me first.”
After being sufficiently hugged by the owner, he was put back on the ground, biting on his father’s pants in dissatisfaction.
Song Jianchu: “…”
After enduring for a long time, Song Jianchu took the initiative to embrace Mu Ye.
Mu Ye tightly embraced him in the entrance for a long time, without speaking.
Song Jianchu allowed Mu Ye to hold him and recharge. He whispered, “Mu Ye, do you want to eat cake?”
Mu Ye’s voice was slightly hoarse, his face buried in Song Jianchu’s shoulder as he softly replied, “Mmm.”
It was a very simple and warm birthday.
It was Song Jianchu’s favorite birthday in the past nineteen years.
Song Jianchu opened the cake box on the dining table, and Mu Ye turned off the lights and helped him light the number-shaped candles.
The gentle candlelight reflected in Mu Ye’s eyes as he lightly kissed Song Jianchu’s face and said, “Happy 19th birthday, Chu Chu.”
Song Jianchu smiled.
“What is your birthday wish?” Mu Ye wrapped his arm around Song Jianchu’s waist and said affectionately, “I’ll make all your wishes come true.”
Song Jianchu shook his head. “I already have everything.”
All his wishes had already come true.
He wanted everything to be by his side like a beautiful dream.
Having too much, far beyond what he had in the beginning, he was even afraid that being too greedy would result in punishment.
Mu Ye kissed his ear and asked, “Do you want to receive a gift?”
Song Jianchu’s face gradually became flushed, and he pretended to ask, “What?”
Mu Ye reached out and embraced him, pressing him close. “Mu Ye brand chewing gum.”
The description was so fitting that Song Jianchu couldn’t help but suppress a laugh.
“Don’t you like it?” Mu Ye raised an eyebrow.
Song Jianchu held back his laughter. “Of course not.”
Mu Ye lifted him onto the table and embraced his neck, kissing his lips.
In the man’s eyes, there was tenderness and affection. “Am I your favorite flavor?”
The atmosphere created by the candlelight felt like a beautiful dream, and the man before him was so perfect that he almost felt unreal.
Song Jianchu hesitated for a moment and replied, “Yes.”
Mu Ye held his hand, placing his palm against his chest through the fabric of his shirt, right above his strong heartbeat.
Beneath the calm surface, there was a wildly beating heart.
Song Jianchu, too, was affected by the intense palpitations. Just locking eyes and breathing made his breath quicken unconsciously.
Mu Ye placed his hand on the button of Song Jianchu’s shirt collar and whispered against his ear, “If you like it, you can open your gift now.”
Song Jianchu’s hand trembled slightly, suddenly feeling unfamiliar with buttons.
Mu Ye wasn’t in a hurry. He kissed Song Jianchu’s face with great care, patiently waiting for the gift to be unwrapped.
As the gift was partially unwrapped, Song Jianchu’s lips were kissed again. Mu Ye’s kiss was passionate and intense, his lips as fiery as their flushed color, making Song Jianchu’s scalp tingle.
As the candles on the cake burned down, the kiss continued.
Song Jianchu embraced Mu Ye’s neck passionately, almost losing his balance and nearly touching the cake.
Mu Ye held him face to face and carried him into the bathroom.
After a long and scorching bath, Mu Ye wrapped himself in a bathrobe and carried him to the bed in the same position.
Mu Ye rested one knee on the edge of the bed, leaning over and supporting himself with one hand, continuing to gently kiss his lips. Cool droplets of water dripped down Mu Ye’s disheveled hair and slid over Song Jianchu’s burning face.
This was their longest kiss, the entire process almost uninterrupted. Song Jianchu felt his lips melting from the constant kisses, his mind growing fuzzy, forgetting everything he had researched.
Mu Ye brought his shoulder bag and leaned down to kiss the corner of his mouth again, observing his expression. He said, “Let me see what treasures we picked in those twenty minutes, Chu Chu.”
Song Jianchu momentarily regained clarity in his eyes. “?”
Did Mu Ye see?
Song Jianchu’s pupils trembled violently for a few seconds, but he quickly regained his composure and looked suspiciously at Mu Ye. “You’ve been following me?”
Mu Ye’s eyes contained suppressed laughter, and he apologized, saying, “I was afraid you would pick the wrong items, so I couldn’t help but keep an eye on you.”
“…”
Several boxes of different colors fell onto the sheets.
Mu Ye picked them up one by one and examined them, raising an eyebrow. “Seems like there are many flavors.”
Song Jianchu lay weakly on the bed, pretending to be calm. He closed his eyes. “They were all recommended by netizens.”
Mu Ye, tormented to the point of helplessness, laughed and casually picked one box.
Mu Ye lovingly kissed his precious one and covered his eyes, whispering in his ear, “I’ll feed you, and you have to guess the flavor.”