The Unstoppable Wish

After the song concluded, enthusiastic applause erupted in the private room. Everyone was captivated by Lin Yiting’s singing, her voice comparable even to professional singers.

Since the elder sister possessed such remarkable vocal talent, it stood to reason that her younger brother would be equally skilled.

Consequently, all eyes turned to Lin Yi.

“Huh? Why are you all staring at me? I can’t sing!”

“I wonder who sang so beautifully last time, capturing a certain girl’s heart.”

The moment Lin Yiting’s words hung in the air, the entire room fell silent. Lin Yi’s amber eyes widened, fixing an incredulous stare on Lin Yiting.

“Sister, you need to clarify! There’s a latent yandere in the room!”

Cold sweat beaded on Lin Yi’s forehead as he instinctively glanced at Qin Ruoxue.

Their gazes met, and a chill slowly crept up from the depths of his heart.

Qin Ruoxue’s face was alight with curiosity. Given her understanding of Lin Yi, if there was a girl by his side, he wouldn’t be able to hide it. This implied the person in question was someone they already knew.

Her eyes narrowed slightly; Qin Ruoxue seemed to have found her answer. ‘Still, with that person’s erratic nature, they’d probably adore anything Lin Yi did, wouldn’t they?’

“How about Lin Yi sings a song? I’m quite curious.”

With a gentle smile gracing her lips, Qin Ruoxue unceremoniously snatched the microphone from Li Yan and handed it to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi’s lips twitched. It had been mortifying enough when he was caught singing in the car last time.

To make him sing again in front of everyone? He simply couldn’t.

“Uh… let’s not. The songs I like are all niche, and they probably don’t have them here…”

Just then, the scene on the large screen changed, and a familiar melody resonated from the ceiling speakers.

Lin Yiting, seated in her chair, gave Lin Yi an encouraging look.

“Little Leng, I’ve already picked it out for you, so just sing your heart out!”

‘Even a biological sister wouldn’t set up her brother like this,’ Lin Yi thought, momentarily speechless.

Seeing the expectant expressions on everyone’s faces, he reluctantly raised the microphone.

His thin lips parted, and a single note emerged.

The young man’s voice, accompanied by the clear, melancholic melody, echoed through the room, stirring the hearts of everyone present.

Truth be told, Lin Yi’s singing was on par with Lin Yiting’s.

Though a hint of nervousness still laced his voice, it was undeniably beautiful.

As he continued to sing, Lin Yi became lost in the melody, his voice naturally loosening and growing more uninhibited.

The verse concluded, transitioning into the most dramatic and climactic part of the song: the chorus.

Everyone present was drawn into the world evoked by the singing, unable to resist its pull.

Even after the song ended, no one had fully snapped back to reality.

A profound silence enveloped the private room, while a mix of embarrassment and shame brewed within Lin Yi.

Their prolonged lack of reaction led Lin Yi to subconsciously believe his performance was terrible, rendering everyone speechless.

Dropping the microphone, Lin Yi dejectedly retreated to a corner of the sofa and opened a bottle of mineral water.

The sound of the microphone hitting the table jolted the others back to awareness, and they immediately burst into applause.

The fervent applause caught Lin Yi off guard. He awkwardly cleared his throat twice, then took a sip of water.

“Bravo! One more, Brother Lin!”

****

*Pffft!*

Li Yan’s shout startled Lin Yi, causing the water he had just drunk to spray out.

“Cough, cough! Are you trying to choke your old man to death?!”

He grumbled a retort, wiped the water from his lips, and exhaled slowly. As his embarrassment faded, he leaned back comfortably against the sofa, his gaze shifting to the cake.

“Alright, enough singing. Isn’t it time for cake?”

“Yes, yes, cake!”

At the mention of cake, Qin Ruoxue, who had still been savoring the song, immediately snapped back to attention and happily reached out.

“Hey, hold on. Let Lin Yi make a wish first.”

Lin Yiting stepped forward, blocking Qin Ruoxue’s hand.

Qin Ruoxue sheepishly scratched her head. Lin Yiting was right; she had been entirely focused on eating.

Lin Yiting lit the candles on the cake, then pulled Lin Yi to the center of the sofa.

Lin Yi was still a bit bewildered. He had barely eaten cake a few times in his life; he certainly didn’t have a habit of making wishes.

Moreover, his soul belonged to an adult in his twenties. After being battered by society, he no longer harbored fantasies about such unrealistic things.

“Ahem, Sister, I think I’ll just blow out the candles.”

“Oh, no, you don’t! Hurry, hurry, make a wish.”

Lin Yi gave a helpless, wry smile. He’d rather continue singing than make a wish.

But judging by his sister’s expression, he had no choice today.

‘I’ll just close my eyes and pretend,’ he thought.

As he thought this, Lin Yi closed his eyes, preparing to get through it.

Just then, a flash of light crossed his mind.

‘Since it’s a wish, why not be bold? What if it comes true one day?’

“I wish… the female leads would stop liking me. I just want to be an ordinary person.”

Opening his eyes, Lin Yi stood up and gently blew at the candles.

The tiny flames remained perfectly still, showing no sign of extinguishing.

Lin Yi’s brows furrowed. He hadn’t expected the candles to be so stable; he had underestimated them.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yi resolved to blow out the candles this time.

However, the candle flames merely flickered a few times before reigniting.

A hint of confusion crossed Lin Yi’s face. ‘Do these candles have wind protection?’

Refusing to believe it, Lin Yi brought his mouth close to the candles and blew forcefully.

The flames finally died, and Lin Yi, feeling dizzy, sank back into his seat, panting heavily.

To his utter surprise, the extinguished flames flickered back to life.

Witnessing this, the expressions on everyone else’s faces also grew peculiar.

“Brother Lin, what kind of wish did you make? How come these candles won’t blow out?”

“How should I know!”

Lin Yi, naturally, was not in a good mood.

He had merely made a wish, only to be thwarted by these candles.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Lin Yi reached out, pulled out two candles, shook them in the air, and ruthlessly tossed them into a corner.

After this small interlude, Lin Yi picked up the plastic knife, feeling a bit lost.

He had only eaten cake a few times, and a single-layer cake was manageable.

But a three-tier cake like this? He truly had no idea how to slice it.

Casting a helpless glance at Lin Yiting, Lin Yi moved his lips slightly.

Lin Yiting understood his unspoken request. She stepped forward, took Lin Yi’s hand, gently sliced a small piece from the cake, and placed it on a paper plate.

“There, this one’s yours. I’ll cut the rest.”

With that, Lin Yiting took the plastic knife and cut a few more slices, distributing them among the others.

Lin Yi picked up a fork and brought a small piece of cake, adorned with cream, to his mouth.

The rich aroma of the cake, intertwined with the sweet cream, blossomed in his palate.

This was far more delicious than any cake Lin Yi had ever tasted.

Perhaps expensive cakes simply used better ingredients.

“Hmm…”

Ling Qianwu, who had been secluded in a corner, feeling out of place among the crowd, watched them happily gather around the cake and curled her lips in disdain.

Since arriving, she had barely uttered a few words.

Aside from Qin Ruoxue, she wasn’t particularly familiar with anyone else present; she wouldn’t have come if it weren’t for the cake.

With these thoughts, Ling Qianwu speared a small piece of cake, popped it into her mouth, chewed a few times, then defiantly shoved another piece in, as if in a fit of pique.

After all, she had bought the cake herself, and it would be a waste not to eat it.