Chapter 20

“You know, men born under Pisces are very sexy, and they’re most compatible with Geminis. After all, both have the word ‘double’ in their signs,” Xie Xinqi threw a flirtatious glance at the man in front of her. “Now, you can rate my beauty for today.”

The restaurant, with its gold and silver walls, crimson tablecloths, imperial wall lamps, and gilded leather menus, made guests feel as if they were in the royal courts of the Wessex dynasty. Normally, guests in such places are refined, but upon hearing Xie Xinqi’s words, the girl sitting next to her couldn’t help but twitch her lips and stifled a chuckle, covering her mouth with her hand. Xie Xinqi, undeterred, continued to beam at the man opposite her. Su Jianian, however, was quite adept at maintaining his composure. He responded with a gentlemanly demeanor, “Beautiful and dazzling, like a shining light.”

To be honest, when Xie Xinqi entered, he almost mistook her for someone else. The Xie Miss he had seen in the news was always dressed in a mature, fashionable, and sexy manner. Today, however, she looked surprisingly elegant, which caught him off guard. But as soon as she spoke, she was the same Xie Xinqi that the public knew.

Caviar, Argentine filet mignon, and morel mushrooms with Madeira sauce were Xie Xinqi’s favorite dishes. She used to drag Xie Xiucheng here often, and every time they ordered, he would say, “Eat more, it helps with your princess syndrome.” Thinking about it, she waved her hand as if she could scatter the sly smile of her brother from her mind. But when she casually flipped open her phone, she saw a new message from Xie Xiucheng: “I think this would suit you, I just bought one for you.” Below was a screenshot of a shopping website, titled: “No more leaking mouths, clear flash portable cleaning spray, never worry about leaks again!” Xie Xinqi stared at the image for two seconds, then replied to Xie Xiucheng with a “bye-bye” emoji before flipping her phone over on the table and handing the menu to Su Jianian. “Go ahead, order. Feel free to choose anything.”

“Miss Xie, today’s venue is my choice,” Su Jianian said.

Xie Xinqi tilted her head, thinking for a while but still not understanding. “So?”

“Therefore, this sentence should be said by me.”

“Oh, is that so?” She thought for a moment. Wasn’t it a bit illogical for someone else to make decisions when she was there? But she didn’t dwell on it, propping her chin with her hand and shifting to a less mentally taxing topic: “So, how do you plan to spend your next birthday?”

Su Jianian thought for a moment, then smiled. “I hope by then, I can marry a wife like you, Miss Xie.”

This compliment was so well-phrased that it made her feel somewhat shy. Many men had been attracted by her beauty, and many had fallen in love at first sight. She had received many expensive gifts, but no one had ever said that she was like a good wife and mother, someone to treasure at home—except for Xie Xiucheng, but that wasn’t out of admiration, it was more like possessiveness. She tried hard to suppress the subtle stirrings of emotion and swept her big curly hair behind her shoulder, revealing her elegantly sculpted neck. “I prepared a very meaningful birthday gift for myself.”

Since sitting down, Xie Xinqi had changed her sitting posture countless times, each one designed to showcase her feminine charm. Any candid shot could easily be featured in a fashion magazine’s socialite column. But because each movement was so deliberate and flawless, it became somewhat amusing. Su Jianian suppressed a laugh and leaned forward slightly. “I’d love to hear more.”

“Natalie Lee launched a new jewelry brand for young people called Cici. I don’t know if you’ve heard the news? Their CEO is coming to Gongzhou soon to hire a chief designer. There’s no restriction on the platform, so any designer can submit their work to participate in this selection. I just happen to know this CEO, and he said he’s optimistic about me and would prioritize considering me. The results will be announced on June 21, which is my birthday, at the Zhenji Royal City.” As she said this, Xie Xinqi became much more serious, and a dreamy smile appeared at the corners of her lips. “If I’m selected, it would be the best birthday gift ever.”

“You’ll definitely make it,” Su Jianian raised his glass. “I’ll toast to your success in the selection.”

She took a sip of wine, raising her voice to cover her own shyness. “I should be fine, right? After all, I’m both the chairperson and the designer.” She just drank a little too quickly and spilled a drop of wine on her skirt.

“By the way, Miss Xie, which brands do you like?”

Xie Xinqi didn’t really think about it, focused instead on adjusting her clothes, almost saying “Clear Flash” out loud.

Luo Wei had been thrilled for a long time, as she had also heard about Natalie Lee’s search for a new designer. There were less than two months left until June 21, the day before her birthday. The designer selection had almost no barriers to entry, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, she organized a gathering with her friends, planning to relax first before going into seclusion for practice.

The weather was getting hotter. On a Sunday, a rare rest day, a group of childhood friends gathered at a high-end gym in Saint Trido. Lu Xiren, alone at home without any beautiful women waiting for him, stood before the mirror, stretching his chest. Looking at his muscular body, he murmured with satisfaction, “Love isn’t recognized by the heart but by the body. It’s not the heart that loves, but the eyes. Beauty attracts greed more than gold and silver. See, this gentleman, even today, you’re still as handsome as ever. The torch is no match for your brightness…” He was lost in admiration of his own reflection when he caught the gaze of a 36C beauty in the mirror. Her eyes danced with a melodic energy, igniting a surge of hormones within him. It seemed that even on a rest day, he couldn’t escape the allure. He flicked his French curls and turned his head, giving the beauty an ice wolf-like look, the left corner of his mouth curling into a graceful arc. The beauty, who had been running, paused her treadmill when their eyes met, her hips shifting in a suggestive manner as she slowed down. He licked his lower lip, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel, then clenched his left fist, making the veins in his biceps taut. With a sharp upward glance, he walked straight toward her, placing his hand on her treadmill.

“Hi,” the beauty responded generously, waving her hand at him.

Lu Xiren tilted his head toward the treadmill, his gaze shifting from somewhere else to her eyes. When she seemed slightly offended, he cleverly moved his eyes elsewhere and let out a soft laugh through his nose. He heard her innocently ask, “What are you laughing about?” Having been in the dating scene for many years, Lu Xiren didn’t need to look at her. He could tell just by sensing the chemical signals in the air that this hunt was destined to succeed. All that was left was a perfect opening line to make her want to continue the conversation, something like, “Such a beautiful lady, yet no boyfriend?” However, when he shifted his gaze, he saw, through two glass floor-to-ceiling windows and the lawn, a girl in a courier uniform throwing several packages onto the counter at the property management office. He froze for a moment, then immediately ran outside, ignoring the beauty behind calling, “Hey, hey!”

As he pushed open the property management door, he overheard the manager ranting, “How many times have I told you? Don’t leave stuff from room 4948 here. We’ve had so many complaints from the owner, and you can lose the stuff, but don’t leave it here!”

The sound of two cardboard boxes hitting the trash bin followed, and the young girl’s cheerful voice rang out, “Then I’ll just leave it here.”

“Miss, is this the kind of service provided by Shuntong Express? I’ve told you...”

Before she could finish, the manager noticed Lu Xiren entering. The only thing in Lu Xiren’s line of sight was the girl at the counter: the sunlight was so bright that it could burn holes through paper, yet she had to wear the thick, bright yellow delivery uniform as required by her company. The uniform hung loosely on her body, the cuffs and pants rolled up, exposing her tan arms and a bare shoulder. Her pure white tank top clung tightly to her well-shaped upper body, revealing a smooth, flat stomach. She wore her cap at an angle, and her youthful, delicate face had eyes that seemed to speak. This was exactly the type of woman Lu Xiren liked. He was momentarily excited, unable to say anything. The manager, recognizing him, opened her mouth, “Ah, you’re here just in time...”

In that brief second, Lu Xiren quickly remembered what he had ordered online and who had opened the door for the delivery person. He cleared his throat and rushed between them, saying to the courier girl, “My arrival is a beautiful encounter. This yellow-rose-like delivery lady, I’m a neighbor from room 4948. Let me take these heavy packages upstairs for you. I’ll sign for them.”

The manager hesitated, then handed him the delivery signature form. Once everything was sorted out, he carried the packages and followed the courier girl to the door. He had planned to hold the door open for her but had his hands full, so she graciously opened it for him instead. He felt a little embarrassed as he walked past her and was about to say something, but then saw her stifling a laugh. He looked at her curiously and asked, “Miss, you must have something to tell me.”

“You’re actually a neighbor of Lu Xiren?” After saying this, the spicy girl laughed and shook her head.

“Uh, Miss, do you know Lu Xiren?”

“I don’t, but that guy’s a pervert, okay?”

“A... pervert?” Lu Xiren felt as though a thousand arrows had pierced his heart. His good reputation was being tarnished! He racked his brain to recover his image, but the spicy girl sighed and looked up, “The stuff he buys online is beyond what you can imagine. Every time the delivery comes, he never answers the door himself; it’s always some strange woman who opens it. The funniest part was yesterday morning.”

“Yesterday morning, what happened?”

“The one who opened the door was a man, and he looked kind of rogue.” She laughed again, hopped on her electric bike, and sped off, “Being his neighbor, you must have it tough.”

Lu Xiren stood there, lost in thought for a while, then suddenly realized that yesterday, his sixth brother had asked him to run an errand, and Chang Feng had happened to be nearby to deliver some documents to him. So, the man who opened the door must have been Chang Feng. What did she mean by, “The funniest part was that it was a man who opened the door”? Wait, this delivery girl knew that Chang Feng wasn’t him—what did that imply? Before he could figure it out, he noticed she had already disappeared.

At 2:00 PM, Luo Wei arrived at White Bird Park, wearing a pink dress and styled in a countryside-inspired scorpion braid, with a pink bow at the tail. She gracefully made her way to the lush green lawn with a blue lake and bright red flowers embellishing the scene. She quickly spotted two people sitting on the grass: Su Jiannian in a snow-white casual suit, looking elegant with a soft glow, and He Yingze in a lake blue stand-collar T-shirt, one leg stretched out lazily, clearly bored. This was her first time seeing “Xiao Ying” dressed in casual wear, and it felt strange. They sat there, chatting casually, creating a beautiful scene that could easily be mistaken for a romantic painting. If He Yingze had swapped his jacket for a silver-white one hanging loosely at his waist, with one hand resting on his hip and his white boots stepping onto the stone steps, it would have been even more elegant, resembling Anthony van Dyck’s “Portrait of the Stuart Brothers.”

They were chatting lightly when Su Jiannian noticed her and waved, standing up to help her carry the food. He Yingze also stood up without speaking, just spreading a white cloth on the ground.

“I brought some homemade pastries,” Luo Wei smiled at He Yingze but sat next to Su Jiannian, turning her back to him. “Jiannian, would you like to try some?”

“Anything you make, I’ll like.”

For Luo Wei, being alone with two guys wasn’t awkward, but if one of them was He Yingze, it was a different story. She fidgeted nervously, pouring drinks and trying to lighten the mood. A few minutes later, the spicy girl arrived. She had no particular style, simply changing her courier uniform for a denim jacket, but her athletic build still gave her a lively appearance.

“Wow, Xiao Ying really came!” The spicy girl raised her fist like a microphone and placed it in front of He Yingze. “Senior, how do you feel now that you’ve ascended to the throne?”

“My feeling is, after Su Yufei got mentally ill, she actually became a lot better.”

“What!! How could you say that about a girl!” Xiao Lajiao pretended to clutch her chest in distress.

Everyone laughed for a while. Luo Wei and Xiao Lajiao said that they had a surprise for everyone today. They separated from the group and went to a corner of the park, took out a small shovel, and began digging into the ground. The grass in Bai Niao Park was well-protected now, and if someone caught them doing this, they’d be directly detained. Fortunately, the location was relatively hidden, and they managed to dig up the ground quickly. After a few shovels, they hit something hard. How strange—it used to take them a long time with a small shovel to dig a deep hole when they buried things here as kids, but now it was so easy to dig it out. When they saw the light-colored plastic shell inside, Luo Wei remembered that Xiao Ying had once pointed to a tree nearby and said, “Let’s hide it behind this tree, the first one after the big stone by the road, so that we won’t forget it when we grow up.”

They returned to the boys, holding four round plastic eggs. When they saw the eggs, Su Jianian sat up straight, and He Yingze widened his eyes. Luo Wei clapped her hands. “Do you miss it? Let’s see if you remember which color is yours. Come claim it.”

The colorful “eggs” were actually time capsules, items they had buried together before Luo Wei left Gongzhou. At the time, they agreed to put something meaningful inside, and when they reunited later in life, they would dig it out and share their memories.

Author’s Note:

Luo Wei: “Yesterday, Shanshan did an interesting survey: If you could have another life, would you want to be a boy or a girl? What do you think?”

Xiao Lajiao: “Of course, I’d want to be a boy, so no one would keep saying, ‘What are you, a girl, delivering packages for?’“

Luo Wei: “Ah, typical single-celled organism thinking...”

Lu Xiren: “A girl. Studies show that a woman’s happiness during sexual activities is nine times higher than a man’s. Interesting.”

Xiao Lajiao: “As expected, a sleazy guy becomes a woman and still thinks of sex = =.”

Lu Xiren: “...”

Xie Xinqi: “Even if I became a man, I’d still be a rich and handsome guy. It doesn’t matter whether I’m a boy or a girl, right? Brother?”

Xie Xiuchen: “If you became a boy, I’d become your sister and take care of you. If you stay a girl, I’ll continue being your brother and take care of you.”

Xie Xinqi: “What you’re really saying is, no matter what I do, you’ll still be the older one and bully me, right?”

Xie Xiuchen (laughing): “What about Miss Luo?”

Luo Wei: “Hmm... I think being a boy comes with more responsibility, so I’d rather be a girl. It’s easier and more peaceful.”

Chang Feng: “By the way, if Sixth Brother turned into a woman... he’d probably become the kind of woman even Lu Xiren wouldn’t dare to approach.”

Lu Xiren: “You’re wrong. With Sixth Brother’s looks, if he turned into a woman, even if she tortured me to death, I’d kneel and worship her until the end of my life.”

Chang Feng: “...That’s disgusting. Let’s change the topic. Do you guys think Sixth Brother would answer this question the same way?”

Lu Xiren: “Do you dare ask? I don’t. Let Luo Wei ask.”

Luo Wei: “...What does Xiao Ying think?”

He Yingze: “Want to be a man or a woman? What do you think?”