Xian Zihao smiled and patted her shoulder. "I did it on the spur of the moment. Don't criticize me. No matter how well I've cooked in the past, this is the first time I've made a cake. I promise I'll improve it next year."
Jiang Ruolan chuckled and ignored him. She pushed him away and pushed the cake trolley into the house as if it were a treasure. "You didn't say there was a cake! I just woke from my sleep and was starving. Step aside, I'll cut the cake! It's almost 12 o'clock. If we don't cut it soon, we will miss my birthday."
Seeing that she seemed happier than if she had received a gift, Xian Zihao just smiled as he watched her run into the kitchen. He followed behind her and watched her search for a suitable knife to cut the cake.
"There's a knife to cut the cake in the cake box." He said.
Hearing that, Jiang Ruolan moved the cake slightly and saw the knife below. She pulled out the knife and was about to cut it when Xian Zihao suddenly pressed her hand down. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "The candle hasn't been blown out yet. Let's make a wish first."
"Aiya, I'm not a child anymore. I just want to eat my birthday cake." Jiang Ruolan looked like a hungry wolf.
Xian Zihao, on the other hand, pressed her hand down and gave her a meaningful glance, insisting that she make a wish.
Wish. What should she wish?
Jiang Ruolan put down the knife and looked at the gentle smile in Xian Zihao's eyes. Then, she looked at the numbers 2 and 5 on the cake.
Jiang Ruolan closed her eyes and imitated the way the dramas were played. She placed both of her hands on her chest and softly said, "My first wish is that my husband can work smoothly and happily in the future. No matter what happens in the future, he can get through it easily."
"My second wish is for my husband to live until hundred years old and always be fit and healthy. He will no longer have a stomach ache, and people full of evil intentions will stay away from him."
"The third wish, I hope that my husband…" Xian Zihao stopped her before she could finish.
"Why were all the wishes given to me? What about yours?" He asked with a laugh.
Jiang Ruolan paused, lowering her head to look at the candles on the cake. She suddenly felt the candlelight caused her eyes to ache. She closed her eyes and quietly said in her heart, "Third wish, I hope Xian Zihao will not be harmed because of me."
She didn't say it out loud. After making a wish, she opened her eyes and immediately blew out the candle, ignoring Xian Zihao's gaze on her.
Probably because Jiang Ruolan looked so happy tonight, Xian Zihao always had a gentle smile on his face. He stayed by her side and watched her eating the cake. This made Jiang Ruolan feel that as long as they continued to be like this, they would be able to stay together until their hair turned white.
It's a pity that her love story no longer contained the dreams she wanted when she was a teenager. Because of the barriers of reality, emotional involvement, and the ability to influence many things, neither Xian Zihao nor her were people who will ignore all changes in their surroundings because of their feelings.
They were not children.
In fact, Jiang Ruolan had selfish thoughts several times during this month. She wanted Xian Zihao to take her away from this place and leave everything she can't face behind. But even if she wanted to, she couldn't.
So much selfishness…
After eating two pieces of cake with her, Xian Zihao went to take a shower. Jiang Ruolan sat in the living room, eating her cake, while hearing the sound of water splashing in the bathroom. Her gaze never left the clock on the wall.
Although this twelve-inch cake was only two layers, it was still a very heavy food. Jiang Ruolan didn't want to stop after eating half of it. She cut another piece and put it on a plate, continuing to put it in her mouth.
Her phone had run out of battery by the evening, and Jiang Ruolan was too lazy to charge it. Only now did she remember to recharge her phone. As she turned it on, short messages started flooding her phone one by one.
Since her date of birth was listed in her job information, with Xiong Ruogang as the head, many of her former colleagues from Fengyu Media sent her happy birthday wishes, including her former friends and classmates.
Jiang Yijun didn't miss out either.
With so many messages of blessing, Jiang Ruolan just realized that she had so many friends and close friends. Even so, she still didn't know who she should talk to about her heaviest concerns.
Who should she tell?
Who understands?
Jiang Ruolan felt a warmth on her shoulder. Xian Zihao, who was standing behind her, caressed her hair gently with his fingers. After fiddling with it for a while, he began to try to make the simplest three braids.
Jiang Ruolan felt her scalp itch and turned around with a smile, wanting to push him away. In the end, when she saw how serious his gaze was when he braided her hair, as if the hair in his hands were his most precious possessions, she didn't stop him.
She watched his movements with rapt attention until Xian Zihao raised his eyes, swung her braided hair in front of her eyes, and said, "I saw Guiying's braiding when I was young."
Jiang Ruolan's eyes were fixed on him. Half of her heart was full of happiness while the other half with pain.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Xian Zihao shortened the distance of his face to hers and kissed her lips softly. Then he soothingly kissed her on the forehead.
Jiang Ruolan couldn't help it. She put her arms around his shoulders and tiptoeing to give him a warm response.
***
When Xian Zihao finally fell asleep, Jiang Ruolan stood up and leaned against the window in a daze.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't sleep that night.
Finally, she went into the living room and turned on the laptop and the tv. She randomly chose a TV show and watched it. Even though her eyes were focused on the laptop, she can hear the sound of the broadcast. Nothing can enter her mind and her eyes seemed to be focused on a single point, unable to shift away from it.
The drama finally ended. The music began to echo in the living room as the ending song played.
Jiang Ruolan stayed awake until dawn. When Xian Zihao woke up and was about to go to work, she was still sitting on the couch in the living room. However, the laptop was turned off and was set aside. Her eyes focused on a piece of A4-sized paper on the coffee table.
"Ruolan? Why aren't you sleeping?" Xian Zihao was obviously busy all day and had tried his best to come back early to make cakes for her in the evening. He was so tired that he fell asleep very soundly.
Usually if he felt a slight movement while he slept, he would be awake. But last night, he slept very soundly, and seeing that she was in the living room, he frowned and walked towards her.
Jiang Ruolan turned and smiled at him. "It's okay, I'm not sleepy."
"What's wrong?" Xian Zihao walked over and sat down next to her, hugging her. Realizing that her body was cold, his frown became deeper. "You didn't sleep at all last night? Have you been sitting here all night?"
Jiang Ruolan remained silent. She lowered her head and took a deep breath.
Xian Zihao hugged her and asked gently, "What's the matter?"
Yesterday, if Jiang Ruolan hadn't been selfish enough, she might have spoken to him about the divorce agreements. She admitted that she was selfish enough to enjoy the happiness and romance of the night before.
Actually, Jiang Ruolan really loved Xian Zihao. She loved his gentleness and tenderness, but once her birthday was over, she had to let him know that they can't continue their relationship anymore.
Jiang Ruolan helped straighten his shirt collar and said lightly, "Zihao, let's get divorced."
