Chapter 112: Bonus – When We Were Young (End)
“She’s so beautiful.”
“As expected of Boss’s girlfriend, she looks like a fairy.”
“If I had even a tenth of her beauty, I would be smiling in my dreams!”
Qin Ai was stunned the moment she saw Zuo Bian.
Zuo Bian was wearing a crimson dress, her silky black hair flowing down her shoulders, braided on both sides and tied at the back, adorned with a delicate red rose.
Her fair face had minimal makeup, only her eyebrows and lips were accentuated.
She smiled, and in that instant, Qin Ai understood the phrase “more beautiful than flowers.”
Her heart raced uncontrollably. She ignored everything and everyone around her, her eyes and mind focused solely on Zuo Bian.
“Qin Ai.” Zuo Bian called out her name.
Like Qin Ai, she had spotted Qin Ai the moment she entered the room.
Qin Ai snapped out of her daze and walked towards Zuo Bian.
Before she could reach her, Zuo Bian extended her hand.
Qin Ai took her hand, unable to suppress her smile.
Everyone around them was praising Zuo Bian’s beauty and wishing her a happy birthday.
Chang Wenyan and Lin Qingqing felt a pang of jealousy. Knowing that Qin Ai had someone she loved and that they were happy was one thing, seeing it with their own eyes was another.
Chang Wensi and Lu Letian, who had been dragged along, were busy stuffing their faces with food. They were still clueless teenagers who only cared about having fun.
“Thank you.” Zuo Bian thanked everyone for their gifts.
The gifts were varied and unique, some of which she couldn’t even name. But they were all tokens of their well wishes, and she accepted them all happily.
The gift she was looking forward to the most was, of course, from Qin Ai.
After everyone had given their gifts, Zuo Bian turned to Qin Ai expectantly. “Qin Ai, where’s my birthday gift? Everyone else has given theirs, you’re the only one left.”
Qin Ai cleared her throat, about to speak, but her words caught in her throat.
Zuo Bian tilted her head, her eyes questioning. “Hmm? Where’s the gift?”
“All you care about is the gift, as if I wouldn’t give you one. What’s the rush?” Qin Ai said, taking out her gift.
Zuo Bian’s eyes followed her movements, her face filled with anticipation.
Remembering how envious Zuo Bian had been of those who received hand-knitted scarves from their girlfriends, Qin Ai imagined how happy Zuo Bian would be when she saw the scarf she had knitted. A month of hard work hadn’t been in vain.
“Here, your gift.” Qin Ai shoved the box into Zuo Bian’s arms.
Zuo Bian hugged the box, her eyes shining. “Qin Ai, can I open it now?”
A suspicious blush crept onto Qin Ai’s ears. She mumbled in agreement.
Zuo Bian immediately opened the box, but her movements slowed down as she lifted the lid.
But no matter how slowly she moved, the lid would eventually be opened.
She removed the lid, revealing a neatly folded scarf lying on a velvet cloth. She could see half of the character “Ai” (love) knitted into the scarf.
“Qin Ai, I know you love me.” Zuo Bian smiled, her eyes crinkling.
The word “love” was foreign to Qin Ai, but hearing Zuo Bian say it, she felt like it might be true.
However, she was a master of denial, using her gruffness to hide her feelings. “Love, my ass! Unfold the scarf and see what it says.”
“Okay.” Zuo Bian carefully unfolded the scarf and read the words aloud. “Qin, Ai, and, Zuo, Bian, together, forever.”
She had just said “love, my ass,” but the scarf said “together forever.” What else could it be but love?
The moment Zuo Bian read the last four characters, Qin Ai felt her heart skip a beat, as if it was about to burst out of her chest.
She wanted to shout, “Yes, I love you! I want to be with you forever! You can’t refuse!”
But such cheesy lines were too embarrassing for her to say. She grabbed Zuo Bian’s hand and stammered, “So, do you want to?”
Zuo Bian nodded with a smile. “Of course, I do.”
“Let me put it on you. Once you wear this scarf, you’re mine for life.” Qin Ai took the scarf and wrapped it around Zuo Bian’s neck.
The scarf was soft and smooth, tickling her cheek.
“Okay,” Zuo Bian replied.
Qin Ai couldn’t hold back her smile any longer. “You’re trapped now.”
“I’m willing to be trapped.” Zuo Bian took Qin Ai’s hand.
Their fingers intertwined, their grip firm.
“The candles are ready. Boss, sister-in-law, I know you’re sweet, but it’s sister-in-law’s birthday today.” Liu Liu had been chosen to interrupt their moment.
Qin Ai had been hogging the spotlight with her gift-giving. No one dared to rush her, but she had been chatting with Zuo Bian for so long that the candles were already half burned down. If they didn’t call them over soon, there would be no candles left to blow out.
But no one dared to interrupt them, afraid of being scolded. They even played a game of drawing straws, the unlucky one having to call them over.
Unfortunately, Liu Liu was tricked by his cunning classmates and drew the short straw.
Qin Ai glared at him for interrupting their alone time, making him cower.
“Hey, we were just worried that the candles would burn out before sister-in-law could blow them out and make a wish!”
Qin Ai felt guilty. “I know, do I need you to remind me? Zuo Bian, go blow out the candles and make a wish.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian nodded.
For Zuo Bian’s birthday, the cake was, of course, extravagant. It was a half-meter-tall castle, so intricately decorated that it looked more like a model than a cake.
Eighteen candles were burning on top, already half melted. The flames flickered in the breeze as everyone started singing “Happy Birthday.”
Zuo Bian clasped her hands together and blew out the candles with a powerful breath. Most of them went out, but a few stubborn ones remained lit. She took a deep breath and blew them out in one go.
“Make a wish,” Qin Ai said, looking at Zuo Bian’s profile. She had lost her usual gruffness, replaced by a gentle tenderness.
Zuo Bian didn’t make a wish immediately. She smiled and said, “My birthday wish is for Qin Ai’s wish to come true.”
—Qin Ai and Zuo Bian, together forever.
The moment she said those words, the scene froze, as if everyone had been paused.
【Xiao Bian, time’s up, we have to go.】
Zuo Bian felt like she was dreaming.
Everything was so perfect.
“555, what will happen to this world after I leave?”
【This is just a fragment of time, the story has already happened. Whether you were here or not won’t affect the future. When you return to your world, everything will go back to normal. They will forget about you, and everything will be as if you never existed. Only you will remember what happened here.】
“This Qin Ai won’t remember me? But that’s good. If I suddenly disappear, and she still remembers me, she’ll be heartbroken. Let me kiss her one last time.”
Zuo Bian leaned forward and kissed Qin Ai’s lips. It was a gentle kiss, filled with reluctance.
But no matter how reluctant she was, she had to leave.
“Goodbye.”
=================
A vortex appeared behind Zuo Bian, slowly engulfing her. She closed her eyes, her body feeling like it was immersed in a hot spring.
Her mind was hazy, in a state between dream and reality.
The scenes from her time in that time period played in her mind like a fast-forwarded movie. The moment it ended, she opened her eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the open window, shining directly into her eyes.
The golden light blurred her vision, and she saw a blurry figure standing before her.
“Awake?”
“Mm.” Zuo Bian felt weak, her voice soft.
“Did you enjoy pushing me off the bed?”
“Ah?” Zuo Bian was still groggy, she didn’t understand what Qin Ai meant.
Then Qin Ai said, “Were you deliberately trying to provoke me by replying to those love letters, hoping that I would write one for you too?”
Finally understanding what was going on, Zuo Bian immediately asked 555, “555, didn’t you say that only I would remember?”
“Well… I extended the package, and Qin Ai also having that memory was a bonus for spending over 999 points. Isn’t it better that she remembers? Hahaha, I’m out of here.” 555 quickly scurried away.
With 555 gone, only Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were left in the room. The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Zuo Bian hadn’t done it intentionally, but looking back, it did seem intentional.
“Ai Jiejie, I didn’t do it on purpose.” She hugged Qin Ai’s waist, acting cute to soften her heart.
This tactic was very effective against Qin Ai, but Qin Ai was twenty-nine now, she had experienced a lot, she wasn’t a naive teenager anymore. Although her heart softened, her attitude remained firm.
“Was it also intentional when you said you were envious of others who received hand-knitted scarves from their girlfriends?” Qin Ai pushed Zuo Bian onto the bed and tickled her side.
Zuo Bian burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. “Ai Jiejie, please spare me, I really didn’t do it on purpose, hahaha… And I really liked that scarf!”
To others, a scarf with such a straightforward message might seem cheesy and silly, but Zuo Bian genuinely loved it.
Because Qin Ai had knitted it for her, and the words on it were their shared wish.
“You better like it, or I’ll punish you.” Qin Ai stopped tickling her, her hands framing Zuo Bian’s face, her eyes bright.
Zuo Bian wrapped her arms around Qin Ai’s neck, smiling. “I like it, I like the scarf, and I like you even more.”
Qin Ai couldn’t help but smile. “You’re trapped now. Qin Ai and Zuo Bian will be together forever.”
Zuo Bian pulled Qin Ai closer and repeated before kissing her lips, “Mm, together forever.”
Leave a Reply