Yet Ye Shuang still accepted it—after all, if he rejected Chen Qin again, that woman might just lose her temper on the spot.
But such an extravagant birthday gift left Ye Shuang at a loss for how to reciprocate. He couldn’t very well offer himself as a gift… though Chen Qin might actually be willing to take him up on that.
"Things just got more complicated. Being a kept man isn’t as easy as it seems," Ye Shuang muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Meanwhile, Bai Yuyou sat quietly in the passenger seat, her delicate face tilted slightly as she gazed absently at the car window, lost in thought.
"What’s on your mind?" Ye Shuang asked, starting the car and noticing the fuel tank was full.
"The car…"
"A birthday gift from Chen Qin," Ye Shuang explained.
Bai Yuyou turned to him. "Birthday?"
"Yeah, my birthday’s next week. Another year older," he sighed before asking, "When’s yours?"
Bai Yuyou fell silent.
Ye Shuang seemed to understand. "You don’t know?"
"I don’t know," Bai Yuyou murmured, lowering her head. Her soft hair cascaded over her palms as she fiddled with the ends, her tone unreadable, neither sad nor indifferent.
"Your ID should have a date. Is it accurate?"
Bai Yuyou shook her head. "I’ve… never celebrated my birthday before."
As Ye Shuang maneuvered the sports car through traffic, he paused at a red light and suddenly smiled. "If the date on your ID isn’t right, why not pick a day you like? Make it your birthday."
"A day I like?"
"Exactly." Ye Shuang reached over and gently patted her head. "Any day you want… and I’ll celebrate it with you."
"I… I want to share the same birthday as you!" The words burst from Bai Yuyou with unexpected boldness.
Ye Shuang blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Why’s that?"
"If we share a birthday, it feels like we’re connected," she whispered, a flicker of hope crossing her delicate face. "Is that okay?"
"Whatever makes you happy. Sharing a birthday does sound fun."
Bai Yuyou studied Ye Shuang’s profile before abruptly asking, "The car…"
"Why bring that up again?" Ye Shuang glanced at her curiously.
"Do you like this car?" The question seemed random.
"Sure, at least the design. It’s a sports car, after all—not top-tier, but what guy doesn’t appreciate a sleek ride or a rugged off-roader?"
"Then I’ll buy you one for your birthday too," Bai Yuyou declared.
Ye Shuang nearly choked. "Who told you birthdays require car gifts?"
"They don’t?"
"Of course not! Cars are way too expensive. Most people don’t give those."
Bai Yuyou nodded obediently, assuming he meant she couldn’t afford it. "I’ll buy you one when I have money."
"No, your savings could buy several of these already," Ye Shuang said, then paused. "Why are you fixated on this?"
Bai Yuyou hesitated. "I don’t know."
Seeing that woman standing so close to Ye Shuang had left her with a strange, sour feeling in her chest—an emotion she couldn’t name.
It… hurt a little.
The girl pressed a hand lightly over her heart.
"Let’s drop it for now." Ye Shuang pulled into a parking spot near their apartment. "Time for bed."
"Okay."
Back home, as Bai Yuyou clutched her pillow, ready to sleep beside him as usual, Ye Shuang glanced toward her room.
"Let’s sleep in your room tonight. The floor’s too cold—you might get sick." If she insisted on sticking to him, they might as well share a proper bed.
Bai Yuyou nodded in agreement.
But when Ye Shuang stepped into her room, the musty smell hit him immediately. Flicking on the light, he was met with chaos—clothes strewn everywhere, books left open, and scattered sketches.
"You never cleaned this?" The mess rivaled the state of the living room from weeks ago.
Out of respect for her privacy, he’d avoided tidying her space, but now it was clear: this wasn’t sleep-friendly.
As Bai Yuyou started to enter with her pillow, Ye Shuang grabbed her collar and steered her back to the living room futon.
No way was he letting her sleep there after all the effort he’d put into keeping her clean and cozy. They’d deal with the room tomorrow.
Perched on the futon in a duck-sit pose, Bai Yuyou tilted her head, baffled by his back-and-forth.
"Alright, lie down."
Once the lights were off and he’d settled in, Bai Yuyou immediately curled against him, her warmth seeping through their thin clothes. Ye Shuang, now accustomed to this, turned to face her and tugged the blanket over her shoulders.
"Goodnight."
"Good… night."
Ye Shuang’s breathing soon steadied into sleep.
But Bai Yuyou’s eyes fluttered open in the dark. Moonlight sliced through the window, casting fractured silver over their blankets.
Her mind drifted back to the couple they’d seen earlier that day.
What had that felt like?
They’d seemed so happy.
Bai Yuyou didn’t understand—wasn’t that something only married people did?
But… did it really bring joy?
Gazing at Ye Shuang’s face just inches away, she inched closer, then tentatively lifted her chin, mimicking what she’d witnessed.
Ding.
A sudden phone alert shattered the quiet.
Ye Shuang stirred, glancing at Bai Yuyou, who quickly buried her face. Dismissing it, he silenced his phone and checked the message—from Chen Hai.
Chen Hai: You asleep, man? Sigh… Since you’ve already done the deed with that girl, I’ll stop pushing you and Chen Qin together. But damn, you really went for someone that young? Yeah, guys joke about always liking 18-year-olds, but you actually did it.
Ye Shuang stared at the screen, baffled.
"What the—?"
Where had that come from?