Simply Because I Like You

After a few rounds of cards, Shen Nian painfully lost eighty bucks.

He smiled in resignation, realizing the Luck +5 had only worked for the first hand.

Those who knew would say it was Luck +5, but those who didn't might think it was Luck -5.

Later, it was Chen Minyue's turn to play. Shen Nian took the time to take a shower. By the time he returned to Xia Yanchun's house, he had changed into a light blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts.

"Shen Nian is here. We'll cut the cake after this round," Xia Herui said with a faint smile.

Xia Yanchun brought out her birthday cake, opened the box, and stuck the small candles in one by one.

She would be nineteen after today, so she had to put in nineteen little candles.

By the time the candles were placed, the card game had ended.

"Here comes the birthday girl." Shen Nian helped her put on the paper crown, pressing it down onto her fluffy hair.

The crown was small and looked incredibly cute on her. Although Xia Yanchun couldn't see it, she could imagine how she looked wearing the little crown, and her eyes curved into happy crescents at Shen Nian.

"What are you smiling at? Time to light the candles."

"Oh, right!"

Xia Yanchun carefully lit every single candle.

Someone turned off the lights, and the entire living room instantly plunged into darkness. The small flames of the nineteen candles illuminated the center, casting a gentle, flickering warm glow on everyone.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

Shen Nian started the song, and it quickly turned into a chorus. However, the volume wasn't very loud. For the older generation, singing the birthday song seemed a bit embarrassing. Shen Nian's voice made up the majority of it, and it was only during the last line that the singing finally grew louder.

Xia Yanchun had already clasped her hands together and was silently making a wish.

I hope both our families stay healthy and harmonious like this forever, that Shen Nian loves me for a lifetime, and that I love him for a lifetime too... I have quite a few wishes. If possible, I also want to hear Shen Nian call me 'sister' forever... Respected Birthday Deity, I am willing to sacrifice zero seconds of my lifespan in exchange for my wishes to come true. Birthday Deity, have you received my sincerity?

A young girl's heart is the most devout.

Xia Yanchun opened her eyes, and Shen Nian immediately leaned in. "What did you wish for?"

"It won't come true if I say it out loud. I'm not telling you."

"Tch."

"Time to cut the cake."

"I'll cut it. You're not allowed to touch my cake!"

"It's the same whoever cuts it. I swear, you're something else."

"Only the birthday girl gets to cut it!"

"Then I'll go get your present." Shen Nian slipped back to his house and brought over the pair of sneakers.

The box obviously contained shoes. Xia Yanchun couldn't even be bothered to look at it or open it. She hummed without saying a word, keeping her head down as she cut a generous slice of cake for everyone.

Birthday presents were the least important part of the birthday process.

Aside from Shen Nian, the four adults hadn't prepared any gifts. It had always been like this in the past; having a meal together and saying 'happy birthday' was more than enough.

The cake was sweet and delicious.

As the night deepened, only two-thirds of the cake had been eaten. Even Shen Nian couldn't stomach another bite of the leftovers.

Things like cake were packed with sweetness. The first three bites were incredibly delicious, but after that, it became sickeningly sweet. Even a big eater like Shen Nian felt a wave of dread looking at how much cake was left.

"Aren't you a big eater?" Xia Yanchun looked at him teasingly.

"Even a big eater gets sick of the sweetness." Shen Nian scratched his head and pointed at the gift set aside. "Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"

"What's the rush? I'll take a shower and open it in my room."

"Alright."

Xia Yanchun pursed her lips, packed up the remaining cake, and put it in the fridge.

Birthdays were just that simple: eating together, sharing a cake, chatting... It really just boiled down to that. If her birthday hadn't fallen during the holidays, but rather in a month when she had to attend school, she probably wouldn't even bother celebrating it.

Cooking and cleaning up took up a lot of time.

At half-past ten, the birthday gathering dispersed. Xia Yanchun went upstairs to take a shower, while the adults from both families sat out front chatting. They talked about Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun's childhoods, and when the mood struck, they recalled amusing childhood anecdotes, occasionally sighing over how fast time flew.

In the blink of an eye, the children had grown up, and in the blink of an eye, they themselves had grown old.

Shen Nian sat quietly to the side, listening to the parents share stories of his past self. Even though everyone was talking, he didn't find it noisy; he actually felt a sense of tranquility.

Is this what it feels like when comfort reaches a certain level?

Shen Nian leisurely rested his head on his hands, pushing back against the backrest of the chair.

The evening breeze carried the fading chirps of cicadas, and the small town's night softened.

The sky was a pale ink color. The clouds, having been baked by the sun all day, floated lazily above the rooftops.

Without the hustle and bustle of the city, there were only stars slowly brightening and time slowly passing. The small town's summer night was so peaceful that it made one want to just sit there until dawn.

The adults were talking and laughing cheerfully; no one noticed that the chair beside them was already empty.

Shen Nian walked upstairs openly and happened to see Xia Yanchun squatting down, getting ready to open the shoe box.

The girl, having finished her shower, had no intention of going back downstairs. She had changed into a pure white nightgown, the soft fabric tracing Xia Yanchun's delicate curves.

Her fair skin gave off a soft glow under the lights. Standing there, Xia Yanchun looked just like an elf.

Xia Yanchun had noticed Shen Nian a while ago but didn't say anything, peacefully focusing on opening her box.

"Not bad, it looks pretty nice." Xia Yanchun held up the shoe and examined it. Putting aside whether it was comfortable to wear, it definitely scored high in the looks department.

"Try it on."

"Mhm." Xia Yanchun slipped her foot into the shoe and pressed down on it. It was surprisingly comfortable. She looked at Shen Nian curiously. "How much was it?"

"Twelve hundred."

"So expensive."

"If it wasn't expensive, I was afraid you'd give me the cold shoulder." Shen Nian was certain of this.

"Hehe, I'm very satisfied with today's gift."

"There's more. Why don't you dig around?"

"What else is there..."

Xia Yanchun took off the shoe and rummaged through the box again. Surprisingly, hidden under the other shoe were two beautiful birthday cards.

Hmph, at least Shen Nian was thoughtful.

There were words written on the cards. Xia Yanchun blinked and read them word by word.

'Happy 19th birthday to Sister Chun. You must be happy this year too ^_^'

'Sister and Shen Nian are the best in the world.'

Xia Yanchun's almond eyes widened slightly. She blinked and read it twice more.

Sister Chun...

Sister...

Even though it didn't come out of Shen Nian's mouth, Shen Nian wrote it with his own hands!

Had he finally, finally admitted that she was the older sister?!

A sea of flowers bloomed in her heart, but on the surface, Xia Yanchun didn't show much excitement. She merely folded the two greeting cards neatly and placed them in the most conspicuous spot on her desk.

Her little mouth chattered, "Not bad at all. I'll count you as smart."

"Wait, that's not right. Shouldn't you be flying with joy, hugging and kissing me for five minutes, and finally declaring that you won't marry anyone but me and will serve me like a beast of burden in your next life?"

"What the heck are you talking about!" Xia Yanchun huffed in annoyance. But, but, she wasn't angry in the slightest.

Today was her birthday, so she wouldn't get mad at Shen Nian. She would save it for tomorrow.

"Even though you're being a creep, I still thank you for the gift."

"You really didn't need to add that first part." Shen Nian scratched his head. "I'm going to head back first. I'll come over again at midnight, otherwise your parents will come up to call for me."

"Wait!"

Shen Nian hadn't even turned around before Xia Yanchun called him back.

"Don't... don't go down." Xia Yanchun leaned her fluffy head toward Shen Nian, tugging at his clothes, her voice soft and sweet. "My parents already know about our relationship. You staying the night here... shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

"What if your parents come up to call me?"

"Then just boldly say that you insisted on staying over, and since I couldn't talk you out of it, I was forced to agree."

"..." Shen Nian poked her forehead. "Our Chunbao is playing the innocent victim now."

Since Chunbao said so.

Shen Nian simply plopped down on the edge of the bed, looking as if he wouldn't leave even if her parents came up to drag him home.

Today, he was going to let Uncle Xia and Auntie Wen know: your daughter has already been snagged by me!

If you're not happy about it, you can let your daughter snag me instead.

Xia Yanchun was also a bit nervous. She had her computer browser open, neither streaming nor watching videos, just sitting there being nervous alongside Shen Nian.

It was as if she could hear Shen Nian swallowing hard.

Xia Yanchun's heart was beating fast. She heard the sound of the front door closing, followed by the door to the stairwell, and footsteps on the stairs...

The sounds stopped on the second floor and didn't continue upward.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Xia Yanchun couldn't help but look at Shen Nian, whispering, "Did my parents not know you came up?"

"They should know, right? I came up openly and honestly." Shen Nian wasn't too sure either. After all, when he came up, the two families were deep in an enthusiastic conversation.

It was possible they really didn't see him, or maybe they tacitly approved of him spending the night in Xia Yanchun's room...

But Shen Nian felt the former was more likely.

Shen Nian couldn't say for sure. The only thing he could confirm was that tonight would be a peaceful night.

"Phew..." Xia Yanchun patted her chest. She had been worried sick.

Thank goodness.

After calming down, Xia Yanchun turned off the computer and eagerly scrambled onto the bed. "Shen Nian, let's go to sleep early tonight..."

"Alright."

"Mhm, hug me, hug me."

Xia Yanchun lay down obediently. When Shen Nian turned off the lights and lay down next to her, she immediately pulled up the blanket, covering half of her face.

Her large, dark eyes stared at Shen Nian, waiting for him to pull her into his arms.

Shen Nian's embrace was the most comfortable.

Feeling a bubble of joy in her heart, Xia Yanchun nuzzled into Shen Nian's embrace. Resting on his arm, her whole world turned pink.

Shen Nian stroked Xia Yanchun's slender waist. Nightgowns had their perks; at the very least, they felt a level better to hold than regular t-shirts and shorts.

Shen Nian's palms were warm.

Pursing her lips, Xia Yanchun's breath brushed against Shen Nian's neck as she quietly took a sniff of his scent.

"What are you doing..." Shen Nian rubbed her hair. "Didn't you say we were sleeping early?"

"Mhm."

Xia Yanchun nodded, but she wasn't behaving at all. After shifting to a comfortable position, she took the initiative to kiss Shen Nian's lips, blatantly disrupting his breathing. One hand pressed against him, grabbing his clothes and leaving messy wrinkles.

She could always stir up Shen Nian's emotions with ease.

"Today, tomorrow, the day after... we are the best in the world."

"You're definitely happy because of my greeting card, and you still won't admit it, you silly Chun."

"Mhm... it has nothing to do with that."

Xia Yanchun pressed her forehead against Shen Nian's, smiling closely into his eyes. "It's purely because I like you. I finally say something romantic to you, and you aren't even listening seriously. Watch out, or I'll kick you out of bed while you're sleeping."

Shen Nian's Adam's apple bobbed. With Chunbao's soft whispers in his ear and Chunbao's warm, soft fingertips under the blanket, he actually felt a little at a loss.

A three-thousand-word big chapter, please ask for updates!