Bai Jinyan looked at the strawberries on top and couldn’t help but think of the creamy strawberries that Qiao Huaiyao had made before.
At this moment, he understood what was going on. “The cake is excellent. Even professional pastry chefs who have trained at Le Cordon Bleu in France can’t make such a perfect cake.”
Qiao Huaiyao smiled, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. He blushed slightly and said, “Brother!”
Seeing his face turning slightly red, Bai Jinyan decided not to tease him further. Qiao Huaiyao pushed the cake towards Bai Jinyan and said, “Make a wish.”
Bai Jinyan closed his eyes. Making a birthday wish was a habit he had developed when celebrating with Qiao Huaiyao in the past. If he were alone, he might find it amusing, but with Qiao Huaiyao sitting across from him, making a wish felt important. His wishes had changed over the years, from childhood dreams to more mature desires.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked his eyes gently, his gaze fixed on Bai Jinyan. The scent of the cake and roses mingled, causing his heart to beat faster. After Bai Jinyan made his wish and blew out the candles, Qiao Huaiyao discreetly concealed his pounding heart and reached for a gift box on the table.
Qiao Huaiyao softly said, “Birthday gift.”
The box was wrapped in exquisite paper, concealing its contents. Bai Jinyan opened it to reveal a valuable necklace that Qiao Huaiyao had kept close to him. Without waiting for Bai Jinyan to speak,
Qiao Huaiyao stood up, took the necklace, and walked behind Bai Jinyan. He helped him put it on, saying with a smile, “It suits you perfectly.”
This necklace held a deeper meaning beyond the jewelry itself; it symbolized the sentiment of their elders at home. Qiao Huaiyao had longed to give this necklace to Bai Jinyan for that reason.
Qiao Huaiyao gazed at the necklace with a fond smile and said in a cheerful tone, “In forty-three minutes, I’ll tell you a secret.”
Bai Jinyan raised an eyebrow and looked at Qiao Huaiyao. He wanted to ask what the secret was, but Qiao Huaiyao didn’t reveal it immediately.
Instead, he put the box away and changed the subject casually, saying, “Let’s cut the cake now. It looks good, but we don’t know how it tastes.”
Bai Jinyan replied calmly, “I trust your culinary skills.”
Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t help but chuckle. “If that’s the case, I hope you enjoy it. Otherwise, you’ll be doubting my skills.”
The cake was cut into small pieces, and Bai Jinyan handed a piece to Qiao Huaiyao before taking one for himself. The cake was not overly rich in cream, allowing the soft cake base and the fruity flavor of strawberries to shine. Qiao Huaiyao also took a bite, but he had tasted so much while making it that he couldn’t discern much now.
He tentatively asked, “How does it taste? Is it too sweet?”
Bai Jinyan reassured him, “No, it’s just right.”
Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t help but smile, unsure if his brother was genuinely praising him or if the cake really tasted good. Either way, it brought him joy.
Outside, the curtains blocked most of the daylight, creating an atmosphere akin to evening. The program’s broadcast time was earlier than usual according to the director’s schedule, but the ambiance felt like it was evening. The cake was just the right size for two people, and Qiao Huaiyao hadn’t prepared many dishes. He poured two glasses of strawberry juice.
Bai Jinyan put down his chopsticks and casually asked, “What’s the secret you mentioned earlier?”
Qiao Huaiyao hesitated for a moment, feeling a warm sensation behind his ears. He didn’t immediately reveal the secret and instead glanced at the clock. “It’s not time yet.”
Understanding that it wasn’t time, Bai Jinyan let out a small sigh of relief. Qiao Huaiyao continued, “There are still three minutes…”
However, his sentence was interrupted by a vibration from Bai Jinyan’s phone, displaying a call from Meng Zhen. Bai Jinyan furrowed his brow upon seeing the call but answered it and stood up.
Meng Zhen’s voice could be heard from the phone, “Is Qiao Qiao with you?”
Her voice was not soft, and Qiao Huaiyao could hear her clearly. He put down his chopsticks, and Bai Jinyan seemed puzzled. “No.”
Meng Zhen huffed, clearly not believing Bai Jinyan’s explanation. “Don’t lie to me. Zhao Jiamo told me that someone was celebrating your birthday today.”
She added, “Besides Qiao Qiao, who else would celebrate their solar birthday with someone else? When did he ever let others accompany him on his birthday?”
Meng Zhen continued, “I’ve been keeping an eye on that island lately, and every time I see someone going up there, I ask if it’s Qiao Qiao. He’s about to start school; shouldn’t he have told me that he’s busy and can’t visit? I even went to great lengths to find a place with signal to call him, but it kept saying the number was temporarily unavailable.”
She sighed, “I was really worried back then.”
Someone answered but couldn’t get through? Qiao Huaiyao frowned. Bai Jinyan might not understand how voicemail worked, but Qiao Huaiyao was sure he hadn’t been bombarded with phone calls. He decided to check Meng Zhen’s contact details, but when he opened his phone, he found a small note attached to her number: [This contact has been added to your blacklist.]
He remembered saving Meng Zhen’s contact information in the past. He had the same issue with his phone signal as Bai Jinyan mentioned, but he didn’t recall adding her to the blacklist.