Chapter 36: Birthday Surprises and Friendships

The two of them stood at the entrance of the residential area, facing each other.

The girl with twin tails pressed her lips together tightly; her heartbeat drowned out all the surrounding sounds. At this age of budding emotions, some things leave a lasting impact.

She looked up at the boy, her eyes shimmering like ripples on water.

Confused, she stammered, “How did you know today is my birthday? I don’t remember telling you.”

Lin Zheng Ran casually explained:

“You’re incredibly clueless. Don’t you realize who’s been helping you practice singing all this time? And who’s been checking the Child Star Studio’s application requirements for changes? I know your personal details inside out. How else would I know when you turn twelve?”

Lin Zheng Ran kept talking on his own: “By the way, I planned to call you at noon. I picked out a birthday gift for you at the mall yesterday. If you’re not in a rush, I can go upstairs and get it now.”

“A gift? You got me a birthday gift…” She murmured like a mosquito, her face lighting up with visible happiness, lost in a daze of innocence.

Her mind went blank for a good ten seconds before she covered her mouth, hunched her shoulders, and shyly fixed her eyes on him.

As Lin Zheng Ran turned to head upstairs for the item, she grabbed his shirt hem and waved her arms frantically, caught up in her emotions: “Wait, wait, wait! Let’s clear up the birthday thing first—I didn’t quite get it!”

Lin Zheng Ran glanced back: “There’s something you don’t understand?”

Lily’s face was all joy now, her cheeks flushed as she looked away and asked:

“It’s just that doesn’t make sense. If you’ve known my birthday for so long, we’ve been friends for years and never celebrated together. Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“Well…”

Lin Zheng Ran wasn’t sure how to put it, since for guys, birthdays stop mattering after eighteen.

At least, that’s how it was in his past life. Especially since he had no family back then, not even parents, and after graduation, no one reminded him. So, even after crossing over, he saw birthdays as trivial.

“I don’t know if you can get this, but for me, birthdays aren’t that important, so I don’t really care.”

“Don’t care?” Lily knew this guy was odd, so she believed him, but it still felt off somehow.

“If you forgot them before, why remember this year? And even buy me a gift?”

Her fingers twisted nervously behind her back as she bit her lip, lost in thought:

“Is it because we’re in junior high now and things are different? Or does this year have some special meaning? I’m not that easy to fool, you know—I’m a girl, after all… hehe.”

Lin Zheng Ran found her forced act ridiculous and gave her a firm knock on the head to snap her out of it.

“What’s with the hehe?!”

Lily jolted awake, frowning: “Why did you hit me?!”

Lin Zheng Ran explained: “I’m giving you a gift this year because last year when my parents celebrated my birthday, you gave me something too.”

That jogged her memory—last year, she went to see Lin Zheng Ran and stumbled upon his uncle and aunt celebrating, so she rushed out to buy a gift and had them pass it along.

Lin Zheng Ran went on: “Of course, if you want to say it has a special meaning, it does. This is your first year aiming for the singing world, so consider this gift as encouragement.”

Lily clenched her fists again and suddenly shouted: “You big idiot!”

Lin Zheng Ran, baffled, tapped her head again: “What’s with the yelling? Are you crazy? I give you a gift and you shout like that? Don’t want it?”

Lily gritted her teeth in annoyance: “Who said I don’t want it? You’ve bought it, so of course you have to give it! I’m yelling because…”

She stood there fuming: “You just don’t get a girl’s thoughts.”

She thought to herself that this idiot would never catch on easily. She had assumed he was about to confess, which had her all nervous—wondering how to say yes. Wait, no—how to say no.

But it was just this?

Lin Zheng Ran ignored her and turned to head upstairs.

“Wait here. I’ll go up and get it for you, and while I’m at it, we can catch a movie to make your day.”

Lily quickly followed, beaming as she trailed behind: “I’ll come with you to get it.”

“No need. Don’t you think going up and down is a hassle?”

“Mind your own business about whether it’s a hassle—I like it that way.” She huffed and skipped along.

Soon, Lin Zheng Ran gave her the gift he had bought yesterday.

The gift was quite sizable in her hands.

“What a big gift! What is it? Can you tell me?” Lily held it like a treasure and asked.

Lin Zheng Ran said: “Just open it and see—it’s a head-mounted headset.”

“Really? My old one was about to break anyway. I’ll use this one you gave me from now on.” She didn’t care what it was; even if it were a rock, she’d probably say:

“Our balcony needs a rock—you’ve got great taste.”

Lily carefully hugged the gift and said she wanted to put it away at home first, or else it would be awkward to carry to the movie.

Lin Zheng Ran suggested she could open it and check—if she didn’t like it, they could exchange it at the store.

But she hugged it tighter: “No, I want this one.”

After stashing the gift at home, Lily and Lin Zheng Ran headed straight to the cinema. On the way, she was really nervous.

After knowing this big idiot for so many years, this was their first time going out alone to a movie.

She was so nervous she could barely walk straight.

Lin Zheng Ran noticed her odd expression: “Did you not sleep well last night? You seem hyper and half-asleep at the same time.”

Lily replied guiltily: “No, I slept great last night, really well.”

So, once they bought two buckets of popcorn and settled into the theater, Lily fell asleep in her chair within three minutes, hugging the popcorn.

She slept soundly, completely oblivious, her earlier excitement having drained her limited energy.

Lin Zheng Ran had no idea what she’d been up to last night.

In her doze, Lily’s head rested on Lin Zheng Ran’s shoulder, and he didn’t wake her—it was her special birthday, after all.

The nap wasn’t long, but it was sweet.

When the movie ended and Lin Zheng Ran nudged her awake, she clutched her head in regret:

“I fell asleep?! I slept through the movie with you? I didn’t see a thing! What was all that anxiety last night for?”

Luckily, Lin Zheng Ran suggested they grab a meal together, which perked her up, and she reluctantly agreed.

After playing all day, when Lily parted from Lin Zheng Ran in the afternoon, she went home and cut a big slice of cake to give him.

“Big idiot, as thanks for spending the day with me, here’s this cake for you.”

Lin Zheng Ran heard the System’s voice as he took it: “Thanks, and happy birthday.”

Lily smiled shyly, waved, and said goodbye at the residential area entrance.

Watching Lin Zheng Ran’s figure fade into the distance, Lily flipped her twin tails, turned around, spread her arms, and balanced along the edge of the residential area’s lawn path.

“Big idiot, big idiot… big idiot…”

She walked a few steps, jumped down, and with her hands behind her, twin tails bouncing with each step, headed back home.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…” Her voice slowed, filled with joy: “Up above the world so high…”