Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Big Pig’s Hoof

The moment Jiang Muwen finished speaking, the air fell into a hush. Wen Yichen clearly had not expected her to say such a thing—celebrating every birthday together from now on. He knew what it meant. He feared that when this girl grew up and married, she would no longer spend her birthdays with him. The thought left a bitter taste—he was loath to see her marry someone else.

The silence lingered, and Jiang Muwen began to feel awkward, as if she’d realized she’d spoken out of turn. She glanced at the boy before her, the one wearing the cat-ear headband, her lips parted, eyes flustered. She wanted to break the awkwardness with a few words, but didn’t know how to begin.

“Then remember to keep that promise,” Wen Yichen said before she could speak. The corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile, and perhaps it was only the play of the light, but she thought she glimpsed a rare warmth in his gaze.

Seeing his reaction, the uncertainty in Jiang Muwen’s eyes melted away, replaced by a bright smile. Of course she would keep her promise. She wished for nothing more than to spend every birthday by Wen Yichen’s side.

The next moment, she reached out her hand to him. “Come on, let me help you back.”

When Wen Yichen finally managed to return home, something felt off. Usually, Wen Yixin’s door was always closed, but tonight it was slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway.

Curiosity piqued, Wen Yichen quietly switched on the living room light and shuffled slowly toward Wen Yixin’s room.

Only when he reached the doorway did he hear the soft clatter of fingers on a keyboard—Wen Yixin was back?

Wen Yichen peered inside, then simply stepped into the room, pushing the door open wider. He saw Wen Yixin, headphones on, eyes glued to the computer screen. Casually, Wen Yichen asked, “What’s this? Out of money for rent, so you ran back home?”

Wen Yixin shot him a quick glance, then returned his focus to the screen. “You’re the one out of money! Mom and Dad told me to come home and look after you.”

As he spoke, something seemed to occur to Wen Yixin. His gaze shifted back to Wen Yichen.

Their eyes met; Wen Yichen looked on, puzzled, while Wen Yixin stared in surprise—his mouth partly open, eyes fixed on the cat-ear headband atop Wen Yichen’s head.

“Back to look after me?” Wen Yichen echoed in confusion, apparently having forgotten about the headband he still wore.

“Mom said she and Dad are off to S City, for both a trip and a business matter, so I’m to take care of you for a few days,” Wen Yixin explained, though his eyes remained on his brother.

Usually, his younger brother looked so prim and proper. Who would have thought that with a cat-ear headband, he’d have such an unexpectedly charming look?

At last, Wen Yichen noticed Wen Yixin’s gaze. “What are you staring at?”

“Did your little girlfriend give you that?” Wen Yixin asked, a mischievous tilt to his lips as he eyed the headband.

“…What?” Wen Yichen didn’t catch on at first.

“Didn’t expect you’d look so cute in that headband.”

Wen Yichen finally realized—Jiang Muwen had put the cat-ear headband on him downstairs, and he’d gone along with it, not thinking much of it. He’d noticed it in the elevator, but the surprise of Wen Yixin’s return had made him forget to take it off.

Now understanding, he pulled off the headband at once, set it on Wen Yixin’s desk, and muttered, cheeks tinged with red, “It’s not from any little girlfriend…”

As Wen Yichen walked over, Wen Yixin couldn’t help but notice his brother’s odd gait. His eyes traveled from the desk to Wen Yichen himself. “What’s up with you? Why are you walking so weird?”

“I wrenched my back.”

“How’d you manage that?” Wen Yixin pressed.

“How else? Jiang Muwen…” He started to explain that Jiang Muwen had grabbed him and he’d twisted his back, but halfway through, he stopped himself.

Saying it like that might cause a misunderstanding…

Little did he know, even stopping midway was enough to spark Wen Yixin’s imagination.

“And you say she’s not your girlfriend,” Wen Yixin remarked, glancing at him before turning his gaze away with mock nonchalance. “Typical pig-headed guy.”

Wen Yichen was about to retort when his phone chimed. He pulled it out instinctively and saw a message from Jiang Muwen:

“Happy Birthday! The cat-ear headband is your birthday present! And here’s another gift for you! I ranked tenth in the midterms, hehe (* /∇＼* )”

Reading her messages, Wen Yichen could almost picture Jiang Muwen standing before him, grinning as she said these words. The thought brought an involuntary smile to his lips.

Noticing his brother’s uncharacteristically silly grin, Wen Yixin teased, “Still claim she’s not your girlfriend, yet you’re grinning like a lovesick fool…”

Wen Yichen’s smile vanished at once.

Wait a minute… Today was his birthday, yet his brother hadn’t even acknowledged it? He couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what day it is today?”

Wen Yixin pondered, then suddenly exclaimed in realization, immediately quitting his game. “Of course! It’s Singles’ Day! No wonder there are fewer players online tonight. I still have a keyboard in my cart—I should check out before it’s gone…”

If Wen Yichen had known this would be his brother’s reaction, he wouldn’t have bothered asking.

He sighed helplessly. His mother had certainly chosen an auspicious day to give birth to him. He used to be teased for being born on Singles’ Day, but now even the teasing had stopped—everyone just celebrated the shopping festival.

As he was thinking this, his phone chimed again. He picked it up.

Bai Xu: “Happy birthday, Chen!”

Bai Xu: “[Image]”

The sudden arrival of a picture made Wen Yichen pause. The thumbnail gave him an uneasy feeling.

He opened it—the photo showed him sitting alone on the Dumbo ride, his face expressionless, monopolizing the seat, his eyes carrying a hint of unmistakable desolation and solitude.

On the bottom of the image, Bai Xu had thoughtfully added a few words: “Happiness belongs to others, I have nothing.”

A few seconds later, Bai Xu sent another message: “A small gift, just a token!”