A Birthday’s End and a Sudden Crisis

Lin Yi pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation, deciding not to dwell on it further.

With Qin Ruoxue’s gift delivered, Xu Wei and Li Yan naturally couldn’t be left out.

Xu Wei’s gift was straightforward: a pair of Bluetooth headphones. It wasn’t expensive, but the thought behind it was more than enough.

Li Yan’s gift wasn’t a physical item. He pulled out his phone, and directly gifted Lin Yi a game skin, specifically the one Lin Yi had loved most in the past.

‘Truly, only a good brother like him understands me,’ Lin Yi thought.

A knock echoed through the room. “Time’s up,” a voice announced.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a handsome waiter. His expression grew a little peculiar as he took in the scene within the private room.

Yet, due to his excellent professionalism, he left immediately after delivering his message. “Alright, it’s time to go.”

Lin Yiting patted Lin Yi’s shoulder, then walked out, carrying the remaining cake.

Stepping out of the commercial building, a cool, crisp breeze brushed against their faces. Earlier, the sun had shone brightly, but now the sky was covered in clouds, giving the distinct impression that rain was imminent.

“Alright, does anyone want this cake? Lin Yi and I can’t finish it all, and it’d be a shame for it to go bad,” Lin Yiting offered.

She gently shook the cake in her hands, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

“No, it’s for Lin Yi. We shouldn’t take it,” Qin Ruoxue declared, waving her hand. She feigned disinterest, though deep down, the foodie in her undoubtedly craved a slice.

Still, this cake was a gift for Lin Yi; she couldn’t possibly snatch it away.

Noticing the longing in Qin Ruoxue’s eyes, Lin Yi took the cake and, with a gentle shove, pressed it into her hands. “Here, you eat it. I’m not really a fan of cake.”

“Huh?”

With something suddenly thrust into her hands, Qin Ruoxue blinked her large golden eyes, her face filled with bewilderment. “You’re not eating it?”

“I’m not.”

‘Truly not eating it?’

“No, I’m really not. It’d just go to waste with me anyway. You can probably finish it, right?”

Hearing this, Qin Ruoxue patted her slightly rising chest, giddily assuring him. “Of course! I can finish all of this in two days.”

Lin Yi compared the cake to Qin Ruoxue’s small frame, genuinely unable to imagine how such a tiny person could devour such a large cake in just two days.

“You do that. I’m heading off.”

“Mhm, mhm! Keep in touch, I’ll miss you!”

A shiver ran down Lin Yi’s spine. He nodded dutifully, then got into a taxi with Lin Yiting.

Watching Lin Yi gradually depart, Qin Ruoxue lifted the cake, her small nose sniffing at it. It carried both Lin Yi’s scent and the sweet aroma of cream.

“Hehe, what a truly memorable day!”

****

Upon returning home, Lin Yi immediately turned on the water heater, then rushed into his bedroom to undress.

*Meow?*

The sleeping lazy kitten opened its eyes, its tiny nose twitching as it sniffed the air intently. Its lazy expression instantly shifted.

*Meow!* *Meow-aow~*

Believing Lin Yi had brought food again, the lazy kitten affectionately rubbed against his ankles. When Lin Yi didn’t respond, it followed the scent and leapt onto the bed.

Seeing the kitten’s eagerness, Lin Yi felt an inexplicable urge to tease it. “Hey, lazy kitten, are you hungry? Here, I’ll give you this.”

With that, Lin Yi tossed his dirty clothes onto the kitten’s head. The meowing creature instantly fell silent.

Perhaps the sudden change in its surroundings made it wary. But after a short while, the tiny kitten struggled out from under the clothes.

It circled the dirty clothes, then pounced on them, licking at the cream residue.

Lin Yi pulled a clean T-shirt from the wardrobe, ignored the kitten, and headed straight for the bathroom. The temperature was just right.

Lin Yi placed his clean clothes nearby, closed the sliding door, and turned on the shower. The gushing water sprayed over his cream-covered hair, its warmth quickly diffusing into the air.

A hazy mist obscured most of the young man’s body. After thoroughly scrubbing his body, Lin Yi stood before the fogged mirror, wiping a clear patch with his towel.

He observed the young man in the mirror, running a hand through his hair. Only when he confirmed the cream was gone did he begin drying his hair with the towel.

“Xiao Zhi, are you done? I need to shower too.”

His sister’s voice came from outside. Lin Yi paused his movements and replied, “Almost.”

With that, he quickened his pace, soon changing into fresh clothes and stepping out.

Back in the bedroom, the lazy kitten had completely claimed the cream-stained clothes as its home. Beiyue and Yiyao, the two little ones, lay soundly asleep beside it.

Although he hated to disturb such a harmonious scene, he couldn’t leave dirty clothes on the bed indefinitely. What if there was still wet cream that stained the sheets?

Thus, Lin Yi had no choice but to interrupt their little family. Ruthlessly, Lin Yi flipped the three kittens off, retrieved his clothes, and tossed them onto the floor.

The lazy kitten shot Lin Yi a resentful glance, then rolled over and resumed its sleep. Stroking its tiny head, Lin Yi opened his computer tower, intending to play some games.

He hadn’t been online long before Li Yan called. “Hey, Brother Lin! Get into my map quickly! I definitely won’t mess things up for you this time!”

A corner of Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. He pressed the hang-up button without hesitation.

Before long, his phone rang again. “Hey, Brother Lin, I’m really not lying to you! Don’t hang up!”

‘Yeah, yeah, right, right.’

****

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a tall building, a beautiful silver-haired girl stood. She held a pair of binoculars, gazing at an unknown point in the distance.

Chen Sishi had stood on the rooftop for a long time, feeling her body temperature steadily drop. Reluctantly, she retreated into the stairwell.

Once her body temperature had risen sufficiently, she returned to the rooftop, peering at the distant building. She had been secretly observing Lin Yi all day.

Even when he had showered just now, Chen Sishi had caught a glimpse of his silhouette. When Lin Yi’s figure no longer appeared in her binoculars, Chen Sishi lowered her gaze and sat down on the ground, bored.

She took out her phone and checked the positioning software. On the map, a clearly marked location stood out: a large apartment Chen Lujun was preparing for Lin Yi.

Chen Lujun was currently negotiating the price. Once the price was finalized, it would be handed over to Lin Yi.

If Lin Yi moved into that apartment, Chen Sishi could use the opportunity to sneak in beforehand. Then, she would swiftly take Lin Yi away, bringing him to a secluded place where he could avoid all those girls.

As she was delightedly lost in thought, a message suddenly appeared on her phone.

[The butler: Sishi, where are you?]

[The butler: Something has happened to your father.]

Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Chen Sishi’s eyes widened, and she hastily typed a reply on her phone. [Chen Sishi: What happened to my dad?]

[The butler: There was an assassin. Your father was shot and is currently in the hospital, undergoing emergency treatment.]

[Chen Sishi: ???]

[Chen Sishi: How could there be an assassin, out of nowhere?]

[The butler: Just come back quickly. Don’t worry about anything else.]