Chapter 24
Li Wan and Rong Fei brought the dishes to the table one after another, finally allowing savory aromas to overtake the intoxicating scent of Li Wan’s perfume. In comparison, Shen Yiqiu much preferred the crisp, cool fragrance of Qin Qianrou.
Li Wan bustled about, not only keeping an eye on the simmering soup in the clay pot, but also checking if Rong Fei had set the table properly. From time to time, she would poke her head out of the kitchen to direct Qin Qianrou to lend a hand.
Qin Qianrou didn’t seem bothered that Li Wan was more familiar with her own home than she was. After showing Shen Yiqiu to the living room, she took off her jacket, rolled up her shirt sleeves, and went to help Li Wan.
Shen Yiqiu sat on the sofa, her gaze following Qin Qianrou. Seeing the three beautiful women busy preparing for her birthday, she was momentarily transported back to a time when her parents were still alive, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.
Li Wan took the opportunity to glance at Shen Yiqiu, who was sitting sideways and constantly looking around. Returning to the kitchen, she said to the other two with a smile, “We need to hurry up, the birthday girl is getting impatient.”
Rong Fei was arranging a platter. Although the meal was ordered from a restaurant, the presentation was still impeccable.
“She must be hungry. Hospital food gets bland after a while, she probably caught a whiff of the aroma.”
Li Wan shook her head and lifted the lid of the clay pot. “And you call yourself a psychology expert. It’s clearly the warm atmosphere we’ve created that’s moved her.”
Rong Fei played along, nodding. “Yes, yes, Editor Li is right. When it comes to sentimentality, who can compare to you?”
“Qianrou, why aren’t you saying anything?” Li Wan leaned closer and saw that Qin Qianrou was carefully pulling at a ribbon.
Qin Qianrou was undoing the ribbon on the cake box. When she chose the cake, she had thought it looked exquisite, but she hadn’t expected the packaging to be so elaborate.
“No need to take the cake out so early. We’re having it last anyway.” Li Wan urged Qin Qianrou to come out and eat first.
“I’ll be quick.” Qin Qianrou suddenly wanted to see the cake she had chosen, to make sure that what she had said to Shen Yiqiu earlier wasn’t just empty comfort.
She wanted to confirm once more that this pale pink cake was indeed something to be delighted about.
Shen Yiqiu didn’t have to wait long for her birthday feast to begin. The people celebrating with her were those she had only recently met, and before this, they had never crossed paths. Witnessing her eighteenth birthday, her coming-of-age, were the lifelines she had desperately grasped onto after her rebirth.
She had initially thought that her relationship with Qin Qianrou was just a mutually beneficial transaction. She hadn’t expected to have the opportunity to celebrate such a meaningful birthday.
Li Wan let down her tied-up hair and walked over to Shen Yiqiu, gently guiding her towards the dining table.
“Why are you spacing out? You’re the star tonight. You can’t keep looking so detached.”
Shen Yiqiu obediently allowed herself to be led, her movements still slightly sluggish, yet surprisingly docile. She followed Li Wan’s instructions, sitting where she was told, and using the bowl she was given.
Qin Qianrou, however, frowned slightly and glanced at Rong Fei.
Rong Fei had also been observing Shen Yiqiu. Unlike the others, she tended to view Shen Yiqiu as a potential case study.
Qin Qianrou sat beside Shen Yiqiu and, seeing her holding her bowl in silence, leaned closer.
“What’s wrong?”
“I suddenly feel like crying.”
Qin Qianrou was taken aback. Li Wan quickly intervened, “Don’t cry yet. We haven’t even touched all this delicious food. Eat your fill first, so you’ll have the energy to cry later when you’re moved.”
Li Wan’s distinctly child-coaxing tone made the others laugh, and even Shen Yiqiu could only pout, her heart swelling with emotion.
It was truly delicious. It felt like ages since she had eaten such a good meal. Visually appealing, fragrant, and flavorful, it combined the refined skills of a restaurant chef with the unique warmth and casualness of a home-cooked meal. The familiar comfort made her eat non-stop, mouthful after mouthful.
“Eat slowly.” Qin Qianrou reminded her softly, worried she might choke.
Shen Yiqiu’s mouth was full, and she couldn’t speak, so she just nodded with her bright, dark eyes.
Li Wan and Rong Fei sat opposite them. Seeing Shen Yiqiu like this, they found her adorable and couldn’t resist the urge to pinch her puffed-out cheeks.
Although she was now an adult, alcohol was strictly forbidden. So, after finishing two glasses of freshly squeezed juice, Shen Yiqiu finally saw the cake she had been looking forward to.
When Qin Qianrou came out carrying the cake, Shen Yiqiu’s eyes lit up, and her gaze never left it.
Seeing her eager expression, Li Wan couldn’t help but tease, “A whole table of dishes couldn’t fill you up, and now you’re practically drooling over the cake.”
Shen Yiqiu waited until Qin Qianrou placed the cake on the table in front of her before speaking, “It’s so beautiful, I almost don’t want to eat it.”
The neglected Li Wan was momentarily stunned, but not offended. The birthday girl was the most important person tonight, and Shen Yiqiu’s reaction had already far exceeded their expectations.
She didn’t burst into tears from being overwhelmed by emotion, nor did she force a smile or pretend to cooperate. Shen Yiqiu accepted their kindness in the most natural way. The occasional flicker of sadness was merely a touch of remembrance, and the rest was pure joy and contentment.
This gave Li Wan a great sense of accomplishment, and she felt that her initial suggestion had been spot on.
“Can we just use one candle?”
Qin Qianrou glanced at the number of candles in her hand and silently pulled one out.
“It’s your birthday, you can do whatever you want.”
Shen Yiqiu placed the candle on the edge of the cake, rather than in the center. She looked at it and softly said, “From now on, I have to walk my life’s path alone.”
Shen Yiqiu wanted to remember this day, her eighteenth birthday, spent at Qin Qianrou’s home.
“We can use just one candle, but we can’t skip the birthday song.” Li Wan started singing, and the birthday song, alternating between Chinese and English, sounded like a melody from heaven coming from the beautiful woman’s lips.
Even the usually reserved Qin Qianrou softly clapped along. Because she was closest to Shen Yiqiu, her well wishes were the clearest, and this finally broke Shen Yiqiu’s composure, causing her to shed tears.
“Oh dear, why are you crying?”
Li Wan was about to hand her a tissue when Rong Fei stopped her and shook her head.
Qin Qianrou guessed Rong Fei’s intention and remained silent, allowing Shen Yiqiu to fully release her emotions.
Tears of happiness are easier to control than tears of sadness. Shen Yiqiu quickly stopped sobbing, wiped her eyes, and regained her previous smile. This time, the tension she had been carrying within her was gone. Looking at the beautiful cake in front of her, she felt nothing but joy.
“Make a wish.”
Shen Yiqiu turned to Qin Qianrou and asked, “Can I be greedy and make three wishes?”
“Of course.”
Shen Yiqiu clasped her hands together and made her wishes devoutly.
No one could guess her wishes; only she knew them.
First wish: To successfully complete her plan after becoming an adult.
Second wish: For the three beautiful women celebrating her birthday to have everything go smoothly and live happy lives.
When it came to the third wish, Shen Yiqiu suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Qin Qianrou.
She slowly said, “Can you help me fulfill my last wish?”
“What is it?”
“I want to see the driver who caused the chain car accident.”
It was less a wish and more a request made under the guise of a wish. No one expected Shen Yiqiu to bring this up at such a time.
Qin Qianrou considered it for a moment. “Are you sure you don’t want to waste this wish on something else?”
“I want to make a practical wish, so it can be fulfilled quickly.”
“Alright, I can help you with that.”
**
Jiang Yuan flew in from Hai City specifically for this occasion, bringing a gift. Upon arriving at the hospital, she was informed that Shen Yiqiu wasn’t there.
She still had the gift in her bag, heavy in her hand, but there was no joy on her face.
“She’s still a patient. How could she not be in her ward?”
The young nurse seemed unconcerned but couldn’t ignore her completely.
“She’s already in the process of being discharged, and her physical condition is perfectly fine. Besides, it wasn’t a stranger who took her out. We can’t just keep her here against her will.”
Jiang Yuan’s temples throbbed. Traveling between two cities in the summer heat was exhausting.
“Do you know who took her out?”
“Reporter Qin.”
Qin Qianrou again. Hearing the expected answer, Jiang Yuan still felt a pang of discomfort.
Shao Qidong had approached her that day and said a lot, but ultimately, she hadn’t given in.
However, Shen Yiqiu hadn’t contacted her again. After returning, Jiang Yuan discussed it with He Chao and they decided to take a step back, to avoid pressuring her too much, and to wait until the child’s emotions had stabilized before proceeding slowly.
Who knew that this one step back would put her even further away from Shen Yiqiu, so far that “Aunt Jiang” couldn’t even deliver her eighteenth birthday wishes. This made Jiang Yuan acutely aware that her position was precarious and had perhaps already been replaced by Qin Qianrou.
She lingered at the hospital for half an hour but still didn’t see Shen Yiqiu return. After some thought, she dialed Shao Qidong’s number.
Soon, a car sent by Shao Qidong picked Jiang Yuan up. Before leaving, she gave the beautifully wrapped birthday gift to the nurse to pass on. She thought about leaving a message but decided against it.
Leaving Qin Qianrou’s home, Shen Yiqiu could still taste the sweetness of the cake, reluctant to let it go. What surprised her most was that these three beautiful women not only celebrated her birthday but also gave her gifts.
Li Wan gifted her an iPad, saying it would be useful for university; Rong Fei gave her a prepaid card for online courses, usable for most mainstream platforms and valid for a long time.
Qin Qianrou’s gift was the smallest, but Shen Yiqiu cherished it the most.
An exquisite pen engraved with the character “Qiu (秋-autumn)”. It was so beautiful that Shen Yiqiu was reluctant to write with it, yet wanted to put it in her pocket immediately to carry with her at all times.
Now, there were only the two of them in the car. The faint smile on Shen Yiqiu’s lips reassured Qin Qianrou. Although Li Wan and Rong Fei had both said they should celebrate Shen Yiqiu’s birthday, she had been hesitant, worried that Shen Yiqiu might not be able to handle the emotional impact.
Fortunately, tonight, Shen Yiqiu seemed very happy and appreciative.
“Give me a couple of days. I need to make some arrangements.”
Shen Yiqiu turned to look at her, unsure what arrangements she was referring to, assuming it was about her discharge.
“Your birthday wish.”
She had wanted to go to District Two Hospital for a long time, but Chen Kang hadn’t told her the details. With Qin Qianrou’s help, things would definitely be much easier.
The smile on Shen Yiqiu’s lips widened. Qin Qianrou thought for a moment and added, “I can help you with the discharge procedures tomorrow. Have you thought about where you want to go?”
Shen Yiqiu then remembered that, at eighteen, she could live independently and no longer needed to stay in the hospital to avoid anyone. However, she didn’t want to return to the home in Hai City. Could she still go back to the one in Meng City?
“Can I… stay in the hospital for a few more days?”
No one likes staying in the hospital longer than necessary, yet Shen Yiqiu made the request. Qin Qianrou quickly understood the reason.
“Alright. Tell me when you’re ready to be discharged.”
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