Chapter 351: Sleepless Night

“Send someone to keep an eye on them,” Li Yuan said in a deep voice as he shook his head.

His girl had yet to have enough fun. As for what would happen to the Su family in the future, it was up to her to decide.

Shen Xi returned home with Toffeecito in her arms.

“Why did this little thing go next door?” Shen Zhangqing asked as he emerged from the kitchen with the dishes.

Shen Xi smiled and tapped the little one’s head. “Ask him!”

Toffeecito must have gone to the neighbor’s house when Shen Xi left with her mom because no one was home to play with it.

“The next time you leave the house, make sure you close the door so he won’t run away,” Shen Zhangqing said as he felt a little strange.

This kitten was only two months old, so how could it climb over the wall with its small body? However, there was a ladder on the wall and cats were smart and agile, so it was possible too.

Toffeecito was much bigger than when it first came home. Its injury had long since healed and it could now run around, up and down the stairs.

Before the New Year, it had been sleeping in its cat bed.

However, for the past two days, Toffeecito refused to sleep in the cat bed and insisted on Shen Xi’s bed. When Shen Xi put it on the cat bed, it would ask to go on her bed.

“Are you going back to your own bed?” Shen Xi stared at the kitten while lying on the bed.

Toffeecito flipped over to lay on its back, showing its little belly as it meowed and purred softly.

It was so adorable that Shen Xi snuggled her head on the kitten’s soft little tummy. “You win.”

Toffeecito’s paws were up in the air as it squinted its eyes and purred in joy.

Shen Xi played with Toffeecito and sent a message to Li Yuan. Toffeecito’s little head was resting on and chewing on her ankle like it was a teething stick.

[Brother, did Toffeecito sleep with you?]

When Li Yuan’s phone pinged, he picked up the phone and smiled. His eyes were gentle as he typed with his long fingers. [Yeah.]

Shen Xi: [Did Toffeecito cling to you in bed and wouldn’t leave?]

Li Yuan: [Maybe sending him away for two days traumatized him. When I picked him up, he clung to me everywhere I went. At night, he’ll insist on sleeping on my bed too.]

Shen Xi: [Hasn’t it only been two days? You spoil him too much.]

Li Yuan: [Animals are pretty smart. Toffeecito probably thought we didn’t want him anymore after sending him away for two days, so when he came back, he didn’t feel secure.]

Shen Xi looked at the little kitten. She wiggled her feet, held her phone, and laughed like a fool as she rolled on the bed.

‘Ahh! Toffeecito slept with Brother, and then with me! I guess this counts as me sleeping with Brother!’

Li Yuan: [Sleeping?]

Shen Xi held her phone happily. [Can’t sleep.]

She just wanted to kiss and hug Toffeecito

Not long after, Li Yuan sent a voice message. The man’s voice was magnetic, sexy, and extremely alluring. “Do you wanna listen to bedtime stories or lullabies?”

Shen Xi’s heart was beating wildly and replied with a voice note. “Any.”

Li Yuan said, “I’m not great at telling stories, so lullaby it is.”

Shen Xi listened to the man’s voice note and was overjoyed that she squealed before she answered seriously, “I won’t be able to sleep if the singing is not good.”

Li Yuan smiled. “It should be okay.”

He called while Shen Xi laid down and listened to the man’s magnetic and gentle baritone voice. His slow rhythmic lullaby had a magical power that calmed her thumping heart.

‘OMG! Brother’s voice is captivating. How can it sound so good?! He can flirt with me with this voice anytime…’

Shen Xi screamed with excitement and covered her face. She could hardly think because this was unbearably exhilarating.

Toffeecito looked at her strangely as she rolled around on the bed covering her mouth and giggling. It tilted its little head as if it was in deep thought.

After a while, Li Yuan could hear the girl’s light and steady breathing from the phone. He gently said, “Xixi, are you asleep?”

There were no other sounds on the other side of the call, so the girl had obviously fallen asleep.

When Shen Xi woke up in the middle of the night, she was startled by the sound of a painful cry. She was shocked and turned her head to find the source of the sound.

Next to her, her phone was still lit and she was still on a call. The sound was coming from her phone.

Shen Xi covered her mouth and dared not say anything for fear of being heard by him. She could only hear the man wincing. It was heavy, repressed, and painful. It felt like a boulder was crushing her heart.

She had no idea what kind of pain he was in at the time that was causing him to scream in agony. Is it a case of leg spasms? Or was it something else entirely?

Kun Lun’s voice could be heard soon after. It was as if he was used to it, like it was a daily occurrence.

The call was abruptly disconnected the next second.

Li Yuan’s hands trembled as he reached for the phone, his head breaking out in cold sweat. His knuckles were white, and he was distraught.

‘Did the girl hear me? Did she hear it? She was probably sleeping at the time, so she couldn’t have heard it! How could I have forgotten to put the phone down? Did I fall asleep listening to her breathing?’

“Boss.” Kun Lun brought a bucket of hot water and a towel, which he wrung and handed it over to him.

“Wipe it off first, then shower later.”

Li Yuan was now drenched in a cold sweat. He could only shower after his sweat had evaporated. Otherwise, it would be easy to catch a cold.

Ever since Li Yuan broke his legs, he had been experiencing reflex nerve spasms almost every night. He had trouble sleeping and would wake up several times a night in pain.

Li Yuan looked up suddenly and asked Kun Lun with a deep sigh. “She didn’t hear it, right?”

Kun Lun was aware that his boss was talking to Ms. Shen before falling asleep. Upon seeing Li Yuan’s self-deprecating look, he comforted him, “Most of the people will be in deep sleep at this hour that even a passing training won’t wake them up. After a long day studying hard, Ms. Shen must have been tired and slept soundly.”

Shen Xi, who was supposed to be in a slumber, hugged her quilt and laid on her pillow as her body trembled. Tears streamed down her face as she suppressed a soft sob.

Toffeecito was jolted awake and was puzzled. It used its own way to comfort her by rubbing its head against her cheeks and licked away her tears.

Shen Xi’s heart clenched ferociously, and for a moment, she considered running over to Li Yuan.

She wanted to find out what happened to his leg and if it was treatable, or if he was resisting treatment.

Shen Xi could not sleep the entire night.

In his wheelchair, Li Yuan sat. He sat quietly till morning, staring at the wall through the window with a complicated expression.

Shen Xi’s eyes were puffy, so she did not dare to meet Li Yuan. After sending him a message saying that Old Shen was going to send her to school, she left.

Chapter 352: Heard It All

Kun Lun waited at a set location at the bus stop. He saw the boss’s girl wrapped tightly in a scarf with the gloves his boss gave her. She was also wearing sunglasses.

Kun Lun was waiting at the bus stop. He saw the boss’ girl wrapped tightly in a scarf with the gloves gifted by his boss. She was also wearing sunglasses.

“Let’s go there!” Shen Xi said as she pointed to a large tree not far away from them.

Kun Lun grew alarmed when he heard a little hoarseness in her voice. ‘Could she have heard it last night? Were boss’s fears real?’

Shen Xi cut to the chase and said, “I’d like to see your boss’s medical reports, particularly his legs. Can you share them with me and not let him know?”

Kun Lun was in a pickle. If he hid this from Li Yuan and if he was found out later, he would be dead. “Ms. Shen, yesterday…”

Shen Xi nodded. “I heard everything. Was it a nerve spasm?”

Kun Lun sighed. “Ever since Boss broke his legs, he’s been experiencing this. It’s a chronic issue.”

Shen Xi asked, “Then had he been going for rehab?”

Kun Lun shook his head. “No.”

Li Yuan had already accepted death and could not care less about anything else, even going to the hospital.

They risked their lives countless times to persuade him, but they had not managed to change his mind.

Shen Xi looked at him seriously and said in a low voice, “Okay. If you trust me, hand over all of his health reports and I’ll figure something out.”

Kun Lun had no idea where she was going with this but perhaps Li Yuan would listen to her. “I’ll be eternally grateful to you if you could persuade Boss to go for his checkups and rehab.”

Kun Lun was told by Situ that Li Yuan’s leg was not broken, but rather his heart was dead. He had no motivation as there was nothing in this world that he cared about.

However, things have changed now. Boss finally found the girl he had been looking for. For her sake, there would be a better chance of getting his cooperation.

Shen Xi listened as Kun Lun explained the situation thoroughly. Besides heartache, Shen Xi felt angry and wanted to go over that instant to question Li Yuan why he did that.

His legs were not crippled beyond the hope of recovery. It was a result of him refusing treatment and his lack of effort in recovery to have exacerbated the broken legs into the current state.

Shen Xi recalled the first time they met. Those eyes of his that saw through the world’s good and evil were filled with desolation like a pool of stagnant water. Her heart shook.

Kun Lun agreed to provide her with all the information later and thus put his hope on her. If there was anyone in the world who could change Li Yuan’s mind, it would be no one but her.

They parted ways and all she could think about was ways to get Li Yuan to go for his checkups, receive treatments, and undergo rehab to heal his legs.

“Sister Xi!” Lin Ge called out to her and thought that Shen Xi looked distracted.

Shen Xi saw him. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Ge patted his chest. “We’ve decided to fight with the Su family till the end! We’re not afraid of them. If they want to call the police, then so be it!”

The others also gathered around in the classroom and reiterated that they would never let the Su family go. They would demand as much money as they were owed and not a penny less.

Shen Xi learned about their negotiation yesterday with Su Yi. It was tense and ended on an undesirable note, hence they unanimously decided that the Su family should compensate in full.

This bunch was tight-lipped about what Pei Xu told them yesterday.

Shen Xi thought that it was a little too risky still. She was afraid that the Su family would actually involve the police and implicate them. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.” Pei Xu entered the classroom and put a sandwich on the table before handing her a cup of milk tea. “They’ve made up their mind and you can rest assured. No matter what happens, we’re ready to bear the consequences.”

They were prepared for the worst. Everyone was on the same ship and would sink together. Although they were not particularly good at anything, they were certainly not wimps and would defend their friend fearlessly.

Shen Xi watched as Pei Xu sat lazily next to her while eating his sandwich. The others had returned to their seats. She lowered her voice and asked, “Did they decide on their own?”

Pei Xu looked at her seriously. “I won’t put them at risk.”

Certainly, he would not want to watch his friends bullied.

Su Yi finally tracked down Shen Xi to discuss what transpired with the International Class, but there was no resolution and he only grew more frustrated.

All of the students in the International Class were from dignified families and their networks were expansive and powerful.

Besides the Su family, other reputable families would have to think twice too before offending this bunch of kids.

As long as the Su family involved the police, they could renege on their debt. Private gambling was after all illegal, and the International Class would be exposed.

However, exposing these kids would inevitably offend their powerful families.

Su Yi still wanted to climb up the social ladder, so he could not afford to jeopardize his current network of contacts by offending all of them in one go. The upper class’s connections were too volatile.

There might not be any short-term impacts from offending them but it would definitely do more harm than good in the long run.

The International Class comprised the rich second generations poised to inherit their family businesses. They were righteous and valued friendship the most. Although they could not touch the Su family now, they would certainly achieve power in the future and unite to eliminate the Su family.

These kids refused to compromise, not even a dime. The stalemate went on for half a month, and every now and then, they would scare and threaten Su Yi.

Finally, Su Yi was cornered by the International Class, led by Pei Xu, to acknowledge his debt and bite the bullet. He agreed to pay them every penny owed but he needed some time to raise the large sum of money.

A week later.

The debt was paid.

The International Class students bought cars, limited edition collector’s items, and so on. They were all happier than they were during the New Year.

Shen Xi was at the office when she received news of the fund transfer. She had been busy during this period and would always head straight for the office after school.

She basically slept at the office for half a month. School during the day and office at night, finalizing the album and music video production with Qi Xiu.

Within a month, they had put together high-quality songs and music videos. It would however be an impossible feat if she had not any ready-made songs on hand.

Today was the final day of recording and details of the promotion were finalized for next week in preparation for the debut next weekend on March 18th.

Shen Xi took the afternoon off and came straight to the office.

Qi Xiu was standing next to her and accidentally saw her text message. He was instantly blinded by the seemingly endless string of zeros.

Chapter 353: Do the Splits

When Shen Xi saw the numbers, her pupils dilated. A hundred times the odds of her bet of five million would be 500 million in winnings but she received one billion instead. She looked at Qi Xiu.

“You go ahead, I need to make a phone call.”

Pei Xu answered the phone. It was very noisy and he sounded like he was enjoying himself at a bar. “Xixi, are you coming over? Come quickly! We’re all waiting for you!”

Shen Xi heard the chaos through the phone. “I can’t, I’m still in a meeting. What’s going on with the money?”

Pei Xu’s voice was loud. He had gone to a relatively quiet place and said, “Oh, that! They said that’s to thank you for helping them earn so much money!”

Shen Xi did not buy it. These guys had always been big spenders and although they were from wealthy families, they always made a fuss about how poor they were for not having enough spending money. The most they would do to thank her would be treating her to dinner. 500 million yuan as a thank-you gift was over the top. “Tell me the truth.”

Before Pei Xu could say anything, a bunch of their classmates came next to him and shouted, “Sister Xi! We got back whatever the Su family owes you! It’s all yours, so just accept it!”

Shen Xi asked, “What do you mean?”

Pei Xu shooed them away and explained, “I didn’t say anything. Su Yi was the one who told them that he’s your father, so they found out and they demanded justice for you by taking whatever they owed us. Since we got this from the Su family, which should’ve been yours anyway, so we’ll take as much as we can get.”

“You guys did this for me?” Shen Xi’s eyes twitched a little.

These guys did not go against Su Yi for the money, but to avenge her, so they were at a standoff with Su Yi for half a month.

“You don’t need to thank us,” Pei Xu’s voice was loud. “You should get back to work. Don’t interrupt our party! It’s too noisy so I can’t hear you anyway. See ya!”

Shen Xi heard him mumbling and a bunch of them talking next to him saying that if she wanted to thank them, she should quickly come party with them and get the check.

She looked at the dimmed screen of her phone and felt her eyes welled up. ‘These guys…’

Qi Xiu came over and saw her smiling. “Whose call is it that made you so happy?”

Shen Xi looked at him and said, “Qi Xiu, I have a party that I must go to. Can you manage by yourself? When you’ve finalized the plan, send it to me so I can take a look.”

Qi Xiu had never seen her so anxious. There was a pleasant smile under her eyes with her eyebrows slightly raised when she mentioned the party. He asked her, “Your friends’ party?”

“Mm,” Shen Xi nodded, turned around and ran. “Then I’ll leave this to you!”

Qi Xiu looked at her brisk steps and pleasant smile like she was going for a date. ‘It must be a very good friend.’

When Shen Xi ran to the bar, she met up with Song Wenye at the door.

Song Wenye stood in place for three seconds before she jumped into her arms and cried, “Shen Xi, you b*tch!”

Shen Xi frowned and thought, ‘How did I offend her?’

Song Wenye cried miserably as she tugged on Shen Xi’s arm and recounted Shu Baiyu and Guan Yue’s evil deeds. It was simply torture and inhumane. “They’re devils reincarnate! Look at my arms and legs! If I don’t complete the dance routines, I’m not allowed to eat. If the practice is not up to par, then I’m not allowed to sleep!”

Shen Xi looked relieved and wiped Song Wenye’s tears as she said in a serious tone, “Lil’ Ye, strict teachers bring out quality students.”

“You…you…” Song Wenye had just stopped crying, but when she heard those words, she was so frustrated that she cried again and complained, “You told me that Teacher Shu is very gentle and Guan Yue is very kind… What bullsh*t! They’re so evil!”

“Well… Look on the bright side. Think about He Pei and Fu Qingye…” Shen Xi patted her back as she did not expect them to put Song Wenye through such a gruelling training.

Shen Xi had been in contact every few days for the past two weeks to ask how Song Wenye was doing. Every time she called, Teacher Shu and Sister Yueyue said Song Wenye was doing fine.

Song Wenye was not allowed contact with the outside world as it was a closed training.

“If… If not for them, I… I won’t enter the entertainment industry!” Song Wenye huffed and finally stopped crying.

Shen Xi stroked her head and pulled her inside. “Alright, let’s celebrate that you’re out of hell and gain a new life!”

“Bullsh*t! Didn’t you guys come to celebrate getting the money?” Song Wenye sobbed.

Shen Xi said, “It’s all the same…”

When the two ladies opened the door to the private room, a group of friends surrounded them. They were surprised to see Song Wenye and cheered for her. She finally made it out of the training alive.

Song Wenye had just cried but her puffy eyes were not apparent as she had her smokey eye makeup on. She smiled and said, “Get out of the way! Let me show you a split!”

Song Wenye stood in place and lifted one leg to do a perfect standing split.

The group cheered and pulled them both in.

Pei Xu swirled a glass of red wine and laughed when he saw them. “I guess you two are considered sisters of the same master!”

Song Wenye stopped complaining as soon as she saw them. She hugged Shen Xi’s shoulders and looked smug. “Give us a full glass of wine!”

Shen Xi was not much of a drinker, but she was there to celebrate Song Wenye’s return and to thank the rest for fighting so hard for her. “This glass is for all of you. I’ll accept the money you gave me. Thank you guys so much! If you need help in the future, just come to me!”

She then raised her glass and drank the entire glass of wine.

It was not about the money, but their intentions. To fight for her, they went all out and were even prepared to face all kinds of trouble. No one retreated midway and they finally got Su Yi to relent.

“Sister Xi, we’re all friends, so don’t have to mention it!”

“That’s right! The Su family bullying you means they’re bullying us too!”

“We just can’t look past Su Yi’s evil deeds! You won’t get angry that we scolded him right?”

The group drank and wanted to curse Su Yi. After hearing from Pei Xu that Shen Xi had broken off all relations with the Su family, they still did not dare to openly curse Su Yi and clarified with her about it first.

Shen Xi shook her head. “He and I have nothing to do with each other now.”

The group was relieved and began scolding Su Yi for being a scumbag. They were talking about how blind he was for throwing away a precious gem and picking up trash as a daughter instead.

Shen Xi sat on the sofa and watched them complain before running to the dance floor to sing and dance.

Song Wenye picked a few songs and sang in a soprano that made everyone’s ears bleed.

Pei Xu answered a phone call. A moment later, he casually chucked his phone to Shen Xi and said, “Fu Qingxuan’s looking for you.”

Shen Xi was stunned and glanced at him. The two of them must have been in contact with each other. Otherwise, how would Fu Qingxuan know that they were together now?

Chapter 354: Birthday

Pei Xu preempted Shen Xi’s question and glanced at her before saying nonchalantly, “He said he couldn’t get through to your phone.”

Shen Xi took the phone to a somewhat quiet place and stood at the window looking at the lights outside. “Hello.”

Fu Qingxuan said, “The information you gave me belongs to Li Yuan?”

Shen Xi’s eyebrows knitted slightly. “Is there a problem?”

Fu Qingxuan replied, “There’s no problem with the report, but rather the person is the problem! My eldest brother doesn’t allow me to get involved with him. If my brother finds out, I’m dead.”

Shen Xi asked, “I thought Second Brother knew him?”

Fu Qingxuan said, “So what if he does, can’t they be enemies? My big brother suffered a stifling loss because of him in the past. Anyway, I can’t take this case.”

Second Brother and Li Yuan were not close because they had only met a few times. They shared interests, but they were not necessarily friends.

Shen Xi asked, “Is there no room for negotiation?”

All this while, Shen Xi had been focused on Li Yuan’s leg injury too. Li Yuan was very cooperative and did a thorough checkup with Situ Zhangyou.

She then forwarded the examination report and various samples to Fu Qingxuan, seeking his advice if there was a better treatment plan.

Li Yuan’s injuries could be treated with acupuncture and medical massage, supplemented by drugs, but it must wait until his health had improved before the conditioning stage of rehab.

As for the outcome, Shen Xi was not very sure. They could only take it one step at a time. Since Li Yuan had been delaying treatment for so long, the treatment’s effectiveness would be greatly reduced.

Fu Qingxuan said, “Then tell me what’s your relationship with him? Why do you want to heal his leg?”

Shen Xi answered, “He saved my life. If it’s putting you on a spot, then send back the samples.”

Fu Qingxuan paused for a long time before he said, “I can take a look, but you have to promise me one thing.”

Shen Xi asked, “What is it?”

Fu Qingxuan said, “I want you to come over for the summer and work for me as an assistant.”

Shen Xi replied, “Okay.”

Fu Qingxuan did not expect her to agree so quickly because of this Li Yuan and felt a little annoyed, but he was happy nonetheless. “You can’t back out! I’m risking getting killed by my brother to help you!”

Shen Xi said, “I would never.”

“Then I’ll give up my life for this cause…”

“Thank you.”

When Shen Xi returned to the private room, she was forced to sing a love duet with Song Wenye.

Pei Xu sat on the sofa with his long legs propped up on the table in front of him. His fingers were tapping on the table as he gazed intently at Shen Xi who was singing.

Li Yuan.

The Head of the Li family.

How many people did this girl provoke? How did she get involved with Li Yuan? Pei Xu had only heard that name briefly from her call with Fu Qingxuan.

Li Yuan was not a good person and was a real devil. Everyone in the Capital was afraid of him.

Pei Xu had never met him personally, but some time ago, he met one of his assistants called Xuan Yuan, who he wanted to hire for himself.

When Song Wenye came over for a drink, Pei Xu pulled her close and raised his eyebrows. “You’ve met Toffeecito’s Dad right? Do you know what’s his name?”

Song Wenye shook her head, then her eyes suddenly lit up. She sat next to him and asked, “Do you know?”

Pei Xu showed her his angry fist. “I don’t know sh*t!”

‘If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking her…’

When Song Wenye first met Toffeecito’s Dad, she was so excited that she called Pei Xu to say how handsome the man was.

However, when Pei Xu enquired about him, she said that she dared not stare too closely and only caught a glimpse of him.

Song Wenye rolled her eyes and ran over to Shen Xi for another love duet. She was also curious about the man’s name, but Xixi was tight-lipped and she could not get the slightest information from her.

Nowadays, Shen Xi would smile more whenever she was in class, which drove the class crazy because their Sister Xi finally smiled at them.

Qi Xiu was set to release his album on Sunday, March 18th.

Li Yuan’s birthday was on Thursday, March 15th.

That morning, Shen Xi bought some candies and gave a handful to each person in the International Class, but she still had a bag left.

It was fruit candies with vibrant colored wrappers that looked festive.

Song Wenye watched as she took the fruit candy and was handcrafting then asked her, “Are you finally dating Toffeecito’s Dad? Is this your wedding candy?”

Shen Xi was focused on the craft and simply answered, “No.”

Song Wenye did not believe her and saw the candies tied into a necklace by Shen Xi. She was more puzzled. “Who are you giving this to? I don’t recall you having any little cousins in your family.”

Shen Xi threw her a sidelong glance and did not conceal the contempt in her eyes. “Return to your seat.”

This was a birthday gift for Li Yuan. Who said that only children could eat candy? Everyone here was eating candy anyway.

After two classes, Song Wenye went over to Shen Xi again. When she saw the beautiful candy necklace, her eyes lit up. “OMG! What kind of magical hands do you have?! How can it look so good? Even luxury high-fashion necklaces aren’t as pretty as this!”

Shen Xi slapped her hand and warned her. “Don’t touch it.”

Song Wenye seemed to have understood something. She leaned in closer and looked at her ambiguously. “Oooh… I know, is this for Toffeecito’s Dad? Does he like candy?”

‘This couple is just too sweet!

She went ahead and pictured the two beautiful people feeding each other candies and felt like she was about to get diabetes.

Everyone in the class knew that Shen Xi had a crush. After Song Wenye shouted Toffeecito’s Dad, they all gathered around for the gossip.

They knew about Toffeecito’s Dad because whenever Shen Xi rejected someone, her reason would be that she had someone she liked. In the beginning, they assumed that it was an excuse to reject them.

Later, they learned that there was really such a man, but no one knew who he was. However, based on Song Wenye’s description, he was an incredibly handsome man with an amazing temperament.

Shen Xi looked at everyone around her and thought that she had been too nice lately that they got so bold. She extended her hand to Song Wenye and said, “Bring me my two-feet blade!”

The crowd scattered instantaneously and returned to their seats.

That afternoon, Shen Xi slipped away after the second period and went to the dessert shop to get a cake.

Shen Xi was not involved in the baking but only decorated it with fondant.

The workers at the dessert shop watched her work her magic. After an hour’s work, she finished decorating a beautifully crafted cake that they could not stop looking at.

The cake was like a 3D sculpture. There were so many intricate details and it was perfect.

It was a cute and lovely cartoon sculpture. The sunlight penetrated the floor-to-ceiling windows in the house where a handsome man was sitting on a sofa reading a book.

Behind the man, a cute girl and a kitten were playing on the carpet.

As she left the bakery, she went next door to an underwear store to buy a set of red-colored men’s underwear and socks.

It was Li Yuan’s 24th birthday and that meant he completed two cycles of the Chinese zodiac. According to Chinese customs, one should wear red on that day to eliminate disasters and ward off evil.

Shen Xi did not know his size so she asked for the largest size and attracted weird looks from the store attendant. When she felt the attendant’s ambiguous gaze, her cheeks flushed.

Chapter 355: Xixi, Jump Down

Today was a sunny day.

It was spring one evening and the red-orange rays cast a warm glow everywhere.

Shen Xi climbed up the ladder and waited for the birthday boy’s return to surprise him. She had the candy necklace around her neck and a colorful birthday hat, along with the cake and gift she had prepared for Li Yuan.

Time passed by.

Soon, the sky was dark.

Shen Xi waited for some time, but Li Yuan still had not come home. Her heart sank as she thought, ‘Did he forget that it’s his birthday today? Or has he never celebrated it?’

To surprise him, Shen Xi did not even mention anything to Kun Lun.

Shen Xi took out her phone and typed a few words. [Brother, when are you coming home?]

However, she found it weird and deleted it word by word. She then stuffed her phone back into her pocket and turned sideways. She rested her head on her arm as she stared at Toffeecito who was wide-eyed.

Toffeecito rubbed her face and Shen Xi sneezed because her nose itched from the fur. Then, she heard the sound of a car approaching.

She looked at where the sound came from and saw a black Maybach at the front door. The man quickly got out of the car and rolled his wheelchair in.

The sky was already dark.

Shen Xi quickly retracted her head and took out a lighter to light the candles on the cake.

From afar, Li Yuan saw a small shadow on the wall and knew that it was his girl, but unlike in the past, she was still sitting on the wall at this hour.

Previously, she would not stay at the wall when it was dark. Even if she was waiting for him on the wall, her phone would be lit while she played games.

Toffeecito was meowing at him from the top of the wall, then it turned to look at Shen Xi.

Li Yuan then saw a warm orange glow over the wall that was flickering gently, elongating the kitten’s shadow. He felt a little strange. “Xixi?”

‘What’s this girl doing acting so mysteriously?’

Shen Xi appeared in front of him suddenly, holding a cake as she said in a sweet and joyous voice, “Happy birthday, Brother!”

Li Yuan was a little stunned and looked at the little girl silently.

She held a large cake that was beautifully decorated. Her small face was half-hidden behind the cake, and he could only see her big, bright eyes that were like glittering stars to him.

‘Is it my birthday today?’

Li Yuan had forgotten how long it had been since he celebrated his birthday.

‘Ten years? Or was it twenty years?’

“Brother! Take the cake down!” Shen Xi had already put the cake down and smiled at him.

Li Yuan approached in his wheelchair, brought the cake down, and put it on his lap. There was a plastic bag next to the cake.

Shen Xi pointed to the plastic bag. “Brother, open the bag and put on the birthday hat! Hurry up! The candles are melting!”

Li Yuan’s smile deepened. His eyes were overflowing with joy. He opened the bag with his slender fingers, removed the hat from the bag, and looked at it for a moment before he asked, “How do I wear this?”

Shen Xi was afraid that the candle would melt, so she shouted anxiously, “Kun Lun, come over quickly to help!”

Kun Lun had wanted to let them have their moment alone but when he heard her shout, he went over quickly. He looked at the man next to him who looked lost fiddling with the birthday hat and tried to hold back from laughing. “Boss, let me…”

Shen Xi sat on the wall with Toffeecito as she urged them. “Quick! The candles are going out!”

Kun Lun quickly put the hat on the birthday boy, then heard the girl on the wall shout, “Let’s sing the birthday song!”

Li Yuan was about to say that it was dangerous for her to stay on the wall when she jumped on the wall to sing him the birthday song. The sight had his heart tremble in fear. His pupils tightened unconsciously as he stared unblinkingly at her.

Shen Xi sang and swayed her body while using her phone screen as lighting effects. She winked at Kun Lun and threw two pom-poms at him. “Happy birthday to you~”

Kun Lun’s brain buzzed while he held the pom-pom. He then followed Shen Xi and sang while moving around. His eyes turned red.

Boss never celebrated his birthday. Kun Lun had been working for Li Yuan for a long time yet he had never seen him celebrate his birthday. Fu Yu, who had worked for Li Yuan the longest, even mentioned that Li Yuan threw a tantrum when he celebrated the boss’s birthday.

Thereafter, no one dared to mention his birthday anymore.

Li Yuan dared not blink and was not in the mood to celebrate because he was only worried that she would slip and fall from the wall.

His fear almost turned to reality. The girl’s foot suddenly slipped and her body leaned forward. His expression changed. He then called out with an anxious voice, “Xixi!”

Shen Xi smiled and pulled her foot back in. Her body stabilized after a little sway. She continued shaking the colorful pom-pom in her hands while she said smugly, “I’m fine, don’t worry. I…”

“Jump down,” Li Yuan interrupted her. His eyes were overflowing with worry. He opened his arms and coaxed her in a warm voice. “Don’t be afraid, trust me.”

Shen Xi looked into his eyes and her heart was melting. She had hoped for this day to come for such a long time, so when she finally heard these words from him, she jumped without hesitation. She was so emotional that she wanted to cry.

Li Yuan sat upright in his wheelchair with his arms open and he swiftly caught the girl. She felt like a small soft mass that weighed like feathers. In this instance, it felt like she had jumped into his heart.

The moment Shen Xi jumped into the man’s arms, her head hit his chest. She could hear the man’s strong and somewhat disorderly heartbeat. Her small hands were unconsciously wrapped around his waist.

Li Yuan’s body tensed up as he was nervous. The girl in his arms felt so warm. Her floral scent filled his nose and seeped into every corner of his heart. His throat suddenly felt a little dry.

Shen Xi’s breathing was a little erratic and her heartbeat was fast. She could hear his breathing becoming heavier and his heartbeat a little chaotic, then said softly, “Brother, your heartbeat is so loud.”

The girl’s sweet and gentle voice reverberated in his heart. He felt like his heart was melting. His Adam’s apple moved up and down his throat and his eyes darkened. He held her waist tightly and tried to restrain his body’s restlessness. His voice was raspy as he said, “You can get up now.”

Shen Xi lifted her head. Her eyes were watery and incredibly gentle. “Brother, your body is so hard.”

Li Yuan was a little breathless when he saw the ignorance and innocence in her eyes. His gaze was burning as he grabbed her waist and put her down on the ground.