Xie Ruhe paused for a few seconds, then gave another “Mm.”

Shu Nian’s guilty feeling subsided a bit, and she said, “Then I’ll bring it to you soon.”

Xie Ruhe asked, “When?”

“I’m outside right now…” Shu Nian said, then suggested, “Should I go buy it now?”

Xie Ruhe’s voice noticeably brightened: “Yes.”

Shu Nian put down her phone, checked the time, and added, “It’ll take me over an hour to get there, around seven o’clock. Not that quickly, so go ahead and eat first.”

Xie Ruhe didn’t respond to this, only repeating once more: “Today is December 31st.”

This kind of speech and emotion inexplicably gave people the impression that he wanted to preserve his last bit of dignity, which is why he hadn’t directly said “Today is my birthday.”

“…” Shu Nian said, “Then wait a bit, I’ll try to be quick.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Shu Nian looked up, suddenly remembering that she had just been talking to Xu Zeyuan, who seemed to have said something with the same meaning as “wanting to get back together.”

Xu Zeyuan’s expression was a bit unnatural as he looked at her phone and asked, “Ah He?”

Shu Nian looked down at the toe of her shoe, not answering his question, nor mentioning what he had just said: “You should go. I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now.”

But Xu Zeyuan didn’t want to act as if nothing had happened. He clenched his fist and reminded her in a stiff voice: “Shu Nian, you haven’t responded to what I just said.”

“What did you say? You mean about how you regret it?” Shu Nian looked up at him and calmly said, “I said, breaking up is a very normal thing. It’s your right.”

Xu Zeyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

The next moment, Shu Nian pressed her lips together and continued, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t mind.”

These words were like a slap to Xu Zeyuan’s face, making everything he had just said seem like a joke. He was at a loss for words, took a step back, and laughed self-mockingly.

Shu Nian didn’t say anything more: “Goodbye.”

Xu Zeyuan suddenly spoke up, saying softly: “If you had said back then that you didn’t want to break up, I definitely wouldn’t have broken up with you. But you didn’t say anything.”

“…”

“It was you who didn’t like me that much.”

“…”

Shu Nian was thin and small, wrapped in a large coat with her chin hidden in her scarf, looking like she might be blown away by the wind. Her face turned pale; she hadn’t expected him to say such things and was stunned for a full half minute before coming back to her senses.

She didn’t want to bring up past events at all, and had always categorized her breakup with Xu Zeyuan as “an amicable separation” and “parting on good terms.”

Even when they met again and he acted as if nothing had happened, trying to get her attention, Shu Nian never intended to blame him.

Past events, she could choose not to recall them.

She hoped the past would just stay in the past.

But in the end, he had placed all the responsibility on her.

Shu Nian suddenly flared up, digging her nails into the flesh of her palm, and ruthlessly repeated, word by word, what she had heard or seen back then.

“Poor Shu Nian.”

“Missing for so many days, it feels… what do you think…”

“Xu Zeyuan is quite miserable too, chased after Shu Nian for so long, and nothing happened yet…”

At that time, Xu Zeyuan’s decision was inconsequential to himself, and might even have made his situation more comfortable. Yet it confirmed the speculations from other people’s mouths.

It made Shu Nian live under the sympathetic gazes of others, her wounds being reopened again and again because of their actions. It left her to rely only on herself during the days when she needed others’ companionship the most.

Xu Zeyuan’s expression changed.

Shu Nian couldn’t continue, staring at him with a trembling voice: “So, after hearing these things back then, you proposed breaking up with me, and the reason was actually that I didn’t like you enough?”

Not far away, a car was parked on the side of the road.

Inside the car, Fang Wencheng was idly looking at his phone, wondering where Xie Ruhe got this bad habit of having him drive around Shu Nian’s neighborhood for no apparent reason.

And even if they happened to encounter Shu Nian, Xie Ruhe wouldn’t get out of the car to meet her. But he also wouldn’t act like the first time, foolishly having Fang Wencheng follow her; he would only watch her for a while from afar before leaving.

This time, they happened to come across the scene of Shu Nian talking with another man by the roadside.

Fang Wencheng could roughly recognize that the man was the recently popular singer Xu Zeyuan.

From the moment he saw this scene, the atmosphere in the car became extremely tense, and Fang Wencheng didn’t dare say a word. Not long after, Xie Ruhe couldn’t control himself and called Shu Nian, his tone stiff, seeming extremely displeased.

After hanging up, he still counted with an expressionless face. His voice was very low, but in this small space, Fang Wencheng could hear him.

“One minute.”

“Two minutes.”

“Three.”

“Three and a half.”

“…”

After a while, Xie Ruhe stopped counting and murmured, “Is she unhappy?”

Hearing this, Fang Wencheng also looked out the window in that direction. From this angle, he could only see Xu Zeyuan’s back and half of Shu Nian’s face. The distance wasn’t close, and he couldn’t see Shu Nian’s expression at all.

“…How can you see clearly from here?”

Xie Ruhe didn’t respond, just opened the car door, assembled the removed wheelchair, placed it outside, and easily moved his body from the car to the wheelchair.

Fang Wencheng was stunned and quickly got out of the car: “Young Master, do you want me to go with you?”

Xie Ruhe ignored him.

Fang Wencheng was pleased and happily returned to the car to continue playing with his phone.

Shu Nian was truly angered by Xu Zeyuan.

She felt that he could turn white into black, thinking that with time, what happened in the past had become something else. From his expression, he seemed to believe that’s how things were, and the problem was entirely on her.

After two years, Shu Nian had thought it through clearly; those things weren’t true, and she didn’t need to care about them.

She couldn’t control other people’s mouths.

But not caring didn’t mean she wanted to associate with them again.

After Shu Nian finished speaking, Xu Zeyuan froze completely, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he apologized with difficulty: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Shu Nian let out a suppressed breath and turned to continue walking.

She didn’t hear Xu Zeyuan come after her either.

Because of this little incident, Shu Nian’s mood had worsened considerably as she walked with her head down, kicking small pebbles on the ground. Soon, she suddenly remembered that she needed to buy a cake for Xie Ruhe.

After thinking about it, Shu Nian decided to buy the cake here and then take the subway to Xie Ruhe’s home.

She lifted her foot to walk toward the cake shop.

At the same time, the sound of wheels rubbing against the ground came from behind her.

Shu Nian found this sound strangely familiar and turned to look, startled: “Why are you here?”

Xie Ruhe moved his wheelchair to her side: “Just happened to be in the area.”

Shu Nian guessed: “Out to buy cake?”

Xie Ruhe didn’t answer this question, hesitating before saying: “I think I just saw you talking with,” At this point, he paused, his voice deepening, “You talking with Xu Zeyuan.”

“You saw that?”

“Mm, you know him?”

Shu Nian was very honest: “I used to be with him.”

“…” Xie Ruhe’s eyes darkened; imagining such a scene, the muscles in his face couldn’t help but twitch once, though he quickly returned to normal. “What did he want from you?”

At the mention of this, Shu Nian frowned: “I think my temper is already quite good.”

Not understanding why she brought this up, Xie Ruhe looked at her: “Hm?”

“I rarely lose my temper.” Shu Nian said with a stern face, “Xie Ruhe. Tell me, for someone with such a good temper like me to be angered by someone, how unreasonable must that person be?”

Xie Ruhe, who had angered her countless times: “…”

Getting no response, Shu Nian turned to stare at him: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Xie Ruhe was quiet for a few seconds, then obediently replied: “Yes, unreasonable.”

Shu Nian’s expression improved somewhat, having vented her anger. She didn’t continue on the topic and asked him: “Shall we go buy a Black Forest cake?”

Xie Ruhe nodded: “Yes.”

“Or would you prefer another flavor?”

“This one is fine.”

They walked a short distance.

Xie Ruhe asked softly: “Can I ask for a birthday wish?”

Hearing this, Shu Nian looked down at him: “Sure, what do you want?”

Xie Ruhe also looked up, his bangs covering his brow, deep-set eye sockets, and clearly defined facial features. His expression was slightly gloomy as he sat there quietly, like a handsome youth.

“Don’t like him anymore.”

Shu Nian didn’t understand his words right away: “Don’t like who?”

Xie Ruhe lowered his eyes without saying anything.

Shu Nian thought for a moment, then guessed: “Xu Zeyuan?”

Xie Ruhe responded with a low sound.

“You’ve wasted your wish,” Shu Nian said seriously, “I already don’t like him anymore.”

Hearing this, Xie Ruhe’s eyelashes fluttered as he murmured: “It’s not a waste.”

Shu Nian didn’t hear clearly: “What?”

Xie Ruhe changed his words: “Then I’ll choose another one.”

Shu Nian was very good-natured: “Okay.”

Xie Ruhe couldn’t think of another wish right away and remained silent.

Shu Nian didn’t rush him, waiting patiently.

The two entered a cake shop.

There wasn’t time to make a new one, so Shu Nian pointed out several readymade cakes for Xie Ruhe. But he didn’t seem to care much and went along with all her suggestions.

They decided quickly.

Xie Ruhe held the cake box while Shu Nian pushed him outside.

Shu Nian asked: “Shall we go to your place now? Take the subway?”

Xie Ruhe responded absent-mindedly: “Fang Wencheng is nearby.”

Shu Nian acknowledged with a sound of agreement.

They left the street, turned a corner, and the number of passing pedestrians decreased.

Under the yellowish street lights, an old lady selling roasted sweet potatoes, tree branches rustling in the wind, and the sound of wheels sliding on the cement ground.

In this quiet atmosphere, Xie Ruhe suddenly used his hand to stop the wheelchair. He turned it around with one hand to face Shu Nian directly.

Because of his sudden movement, Shu Nian blinked: “What’s wrong?”

Xie Ruhe licked his lips, his eyes clear and pure, filled with her image. Then, he said clearly, word by word: “I want you—”

A cold wind blew past, seeping through the gaps in their clothes into their pores.

Shu Nian’s heart pounded heavily.

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet also like the blink of an eye.

Xie Ruhe cleared his throat, unnaturally lowering his eyes. Like a balloon filled with air that had been pricked, his courage dissipated in an instant.

His Adam’s apple moved as he continued his previous sentence: “To accompany me during rehabilitation when you have time.”

Shu Nian came back to her senses, made a sound of surprise, and asked confusedly: “Why?”

Xie Ruhe didn’t look at her, saying almost inaudibly.

“This gives me more motivation.”