The Ruined Birthday Cake

In the immaculate cake shop, Lin Yiting held a beautifully packaged box.

After settling the price with the cashier, she hurried out.

No sooner had she stepped out than a group of people began running towards her from a distance.

Even from afar, Lin Yiting recognized the approaching figures.

She pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation. She had anticipated Lin Yi might follow, but she certainly hadn’t expected an entire entourage.

‘Never mind,’ she thought. ‘If they’ve caught up, they’ve caught up. It saves me a trip back to the restaurant anyway.’

“Get out of the way! I can’t stop!”

As she prepared to move, a sudden shout erupted from behind her.

Before Lin Yiting could react, she was violently struck, her body sent flying.

Instinctively, she clutched the cake box to her chest.

Mid-air, Lin Yiting forced her body to twist, landing sideways on the ground.

The freshly made cake, however, could not withstand such a jostle.

Even without opening the box, Lin Yiting knew that the impact had likely ruined most of the cream frosting.

A sharp pang pierced Lin Yiting’s heart. This was the birthday cake she had painstakingly prepared for Lin Yi. Was it truly destroyed just like that?

Her heart brimming with indignation, Lin Yiting turned to look at where she had been standing moments before.

There, a girl with twin pigtails lay sprawled on the ground.

A black bicycle pinned her calf, its rear wheel still spinning from inertia.

The girl appeared to be about 156 cm tall, with striking violet eyes.

She was undeniably beautiful, easily noticeable in any crowd.

Yet, her beauty did not stir a single ounce of pity in Lin Yiting.

Having ruined her brother’s cake, not even the eldest daughter of a prominent family would be spared her wrath.

Noticing Lin Yiting’s gaze, the girl quickly righted her bicycle and bowed deeply to her.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! It wasn’t intentional. Are you alright, Jie-jie?”

“No, I’m not. And it’s quite a big deal.”

“Are you hurt anywhere? I’ll take you to the hospital to get checked.”

The girl’s voice was soft, laced with a subtle undercurrent of anxiety.

Lin Yiting, of course, offered no kind expression, her resolve remaining firm.

“No need,” she stated. “Just look at this. What do you think should be done?”

With that, Lin Yiting opened the cake box.

The large, round cake was a mess of dents and craters, the sponge cake barely visible beneath the ruined cream.

A scattering of fruit lay haphazardly atop the once pristine white frosting.

The red lettering in the center of the cake was utterly disfigured.

One side of the box was smeared with cream and fruit, presenting a truly dismal sight.

The girl was speechless. She hadn’t realized the person she collided with was carrying a cake.

Judging by Lin Yiting’s furious expression, it was clearly meant for someone very important.

Acknowledging her fault, the girl lowered her head, embarrassed.

She glanced towards the nearby cake shop and meekly asked, “Jie-jie, if I buy you another one now, would that be alright?”

Gaze fixed on the distance, Lin Yiting let out a helpless sigh.

It was too late; Lin Yi and the others were already upon them.

“Jie-jie, are you okay?”

Lin Yi was the first to rush to Lin Yiting’s side, meticulously checking her condition.

Perhaps he was too eager, for his hand inadvertently brushed against a soft, rounded form.

His body stiffened instantly.

Lin Yi awkwardly retracted his hand, clearing his throat twice.

“Pfft~”

Lin Yiting pursed her lips, finding nothing amiss with Lin Yi’s earlier action.

Rather, it was his bashful reaction that once again made her realize her younger brother had grown up and perhaps needed a girlfriend.

Lost in thought, Lin Yiting lifted her head, her gaze shifting to the girl who had collided with her.

“How about… you give my brother an explanation, seeing as you…”

At her words, everyone else turned their attention to the scene.

When Lin Yi clearly saw the young girl’s face, a look of surprise involuntarily spread across his features.

‘Ling Qianwu?’

The twin-tailed girl across from them also widened her eyes, then looked behind Lin Yi.

She recognized the two girls standing behind Lin Yi; they were both from Xinshi Private High School.

One of them was even her best friend.

“How are you all together?”

Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, the two girls standing behind exchanged a glance.

Then, they both looked at Ling Qianwu and spoke in unison.

“Ling Qianwu, Vice President… why are you here?”

Seeing their familiarity, it was Lin Yiting’s turn to be bewildered.

This ‘shorty’ actually knew Lin Yi’s classmates, and they seemed quite close.

Lin Yiting’s slender, jade-like arm wrapped around Lin Yi’s shoulder, and she leaned in, smacking her lips, to whisper in his ear without a hint of reservation.

“What’s… your relationship?”

Slightly tickled by Lin Yiting, a blush spread across his handsome face.

His ear was a sensitive spot for Lin Yi, and even with his closest sister so near, he instinctively felt a strange sensation.

“No relationship,” Lin Yi mumbled. “We’ve just met a few times.”

Maintaining a strained expression, Lin Yi subtly distanced himself from Lin Yiting.

The feeling of having someone so close behind him was simply too much to bear.

“Oh, I see.”

Lin Yiting rested her chin in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the group before finally settling back on Lin Yi.

“So, aren’t you going to introduce her to your big sister?”

“Uh…”

Lin Yi cleared his throat awkwardly, then stepped forward and patted Ling Qianwu’s shoulder.

Ling Qianwu, engrossed in a pleasant conversation with Qin Ruoxue, instantly darkened her expression at the sudden interruption.

“What do you want? Speak quickly if you have something to say, or get lost!”

She already held a poor impression of Lin Yi, and having her chat with her best friend interrupted by him again certainly didn’t improve her mood.

Lin Yi scratched his head, embarrassed, his mouth opening and closing, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

“Hey, don’t be so fierce. You probably don’t know this person, do you? This is Lin Yi’s sister, Lin Yiting.”

Noting the subtle tension between them, Qin Ruoxue quickly pulled Lin Yi behind her, stepping forward to mediate.

Listening to her, Ling Qianwu’s aggressive demeanor softened.

She looked at the cake in Lin Yiting’s hand, a flicker of guilt stirring within her.

‘This must be Lin Yi’s birthday cake,’ she thought. ‘And I was just so harsh with him.’

“Um… Lin Yi, I’m… I’m so…”

Lowering her head shyly, Ling Qianwu found herself unable to utter the last few words.

Finally, she turned her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, muffled as she spoke.

“…sorry.”

Having seemingly made a great decision, Ling Qianwu’s cheeks flushed crimson, and she didn’t even dare to meet Lin Yi’s eyes.

Admitting fault to someone she didn’t particularly favor was an extremely humiliating experience for her.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t usually eat birthday cake anyway.”

Lin Yi didn’t blame her; after all, it wasn’t intentional.

However, Lin Yi not holding it against her didn’t mean Lin Yiting wouldn’t.

Lin Yiting still harbored a burning anger. Regardless of whether Ling Qianwu knew Lin Yi, she demanded an explanation for the cake today.

Pulling Lin Yi behind her, Lin Yiting took a step forward and stated coldly, “Tell me, what about this cake? You can’t possibly expect my brother to eat a ruined cake, can you?”

Upon hearing this, Ling Qianwu lowered her head in thought for a moment.

“Please wait for me a moment. I’ll go buy a ready-made one.”