She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Birthday — An Enchantment Drawing Them Closer

Xia Leshuang seemed deeply affected, as if she were seriously contemplating where exactly her “potential to be a player” lay.

“I’m just kidding!” Lu Shuyu said, caught between laughter and tears. “Quick, eat your breakfast; it’s going to get cold.”

Despite her words, Xia Leshuang didn’t quite believe her. However, before she could ask, the phone in the bedroom rang. It was the wake-up call from Li Ruowei’s assistant.

Hearing Xia Leshuang hang up, Lu Shuyu smiled and asked, “Is Teacher Xia going back to work again?”

“Yes,” Xia Leshuang nodded. “A magazine shoot with the ‘Jin-Jin’ group.”

“That’s great!” Lu Shuyu looked down and took a sip of soy milk, asking as if casually, “Then… will you be back very late tonight?”

“Most likely,” Xia Leshuang looked over. “Why?”

Lu Shuyu shrugged, her words slightly muffled as she bit the straw. “Today is the final episode of Silence of Gold. If you were back early—”

“Never mind,” she shook her head. “Teacher Xia, focus on your work!”

Though the sentence was left unfinished, Xia Leshuang understood the implication: If you’re back early, we can watch it together.

Xia Leshuang instinctively lit up her phone screen to check the time, calculating the fastest way to finish the shoot. Ultimately, she could only swallow her regret and smile. “I will. You should rest early too; don’t stay up late.”

Xia Leshuang quickly packed up and left, taking the food trash with her. Once she was gone, Lu Shuyu sat on the sofa in a daze, suddenly finding herself with nothing to do.

Today was June 1st—Children’s Day—a very nice day indeed. But it seemed the person involved had forgotten something else about it.

If Xia Leshuang didn’t have work today, they could have spent the whole day together at home according to her plan. However…

It wasn’t until she woke up from a nap that Lu Shuyu suddenly slapped the bed. “Forget it, I’ll prepare everything first!”

Making a cake from scratch was definitely out of the question, so she tidied herself up and headed straight to a nearby mall.

There were many beautiful cakes in the shop. After thinking it over, Lu Shuyu chose the “Strawberry Fireworks Cake” she had liked at first sight. After all, strawberries were Xia Leshuang’s favorite, and the firework candles perfectly echoed the final scene of the show on the sea.

After arranging to pick it up in two hours, Lu Shuyu wandered through the mall.

Ten years ago, if Xia Leshuang hadn’t left without saying goodbye, Lu Shuyu would have given her the gift she had prepared back then. But after she left, Lu Shuyu was afraid of being heartbroken, so she tucked everything away and never looked at it again. So many years had passed that she wasn’t even sure where she’d hidden it. Moreover, that was a gift meant to confess her feelings—at least for now, it wasn’t appropriate to bring it out.

So, Lu Shuyu went with a simple and direct approach, preparing three “universal” gifts, though since she was already at the mall, she decided to pick one more formal item.

…

Night fell. After eating and freshening up early, Lu Shuyu turned off the living room lights and projected the final episode of Silence of Gold onto the screen.

The finale covered their time on Zhang Island—from the whales at the beginning to the sun showers on the coast, the “blue tears” (bioluminescent plankton) at night, the cooking competition in the courtyard, and finally, the blooming fireworks at the finish line.

The camera caught close-ups of each guest’s face as they closed their eyes to make a wish. Lu Shuyu watched intently, feeling that the scenes were so vivid and beautiful they almost brought her to tears.

When the fireworks on screen ended, the guests returned to the tents to talk about their wishes. Tang Jiahe suddenly asked Xia Leshuang what she had wished for.

The camera zoomed in on Xia Leshuang. She looked startled and shook her head, saying she hadn’t made one. Faced with the group’s confusion, she smiled sheepishly. “I suppose I wanted too many things and couldn’t choose just one.”

“Wow—” Jiang Fei teased. “I didn’t realize Shuang-shuang was such a greedy woman!”

In the close-up, Xia Leshuang slightly raised an eyebrow, her long lashes casting shadows as a soft smile played on her lips, seemingly confirming the tease.

Lu Shuyu hadn’t noticed it at the time, but watching it now, she felt Xia Leshuang didn’t look like she was admitting to being greedy; rather, she looked like she was triumphantly guarding a secret.

At the very end, as the credits rolled and fireworks filled the screen again, the guests’ voice-overs began. Lu Shuyu was surprised to find they had recorded the actual wishes. It was likely a last-minute idea by the writers and directors. The six guests’ excellent voices paired with the brilliant fireworks made for a deeply moving ending.

Xia Leshuang’s wish came last.

“At this moment, Xia Leshuang is very happy. Therefore, she has no wishes.”

Hearing this, as a firework burst on screen, Lu Shuyu quickly hit pause, letting the text linger next to the explosion. She couldn’t stop smiling.

So much for being so greedy you couldn’t choose? In reality, was it because she was so happy that she couldn’t think of anything else to ask for?

Looking at the fireworks and text on the screen, Lu Shuyu’s eyes sparkled. She let out a long sigh. “How can you be so cute, Xia Leshuang?”

…

The magazine shoot lasted until after 10 PM. Xia Leshuang stayed behind for a few solo shots. Before the shoot could resume, someone suddenly walked in—it was Jiang Fei, singing “Happy Birthday to you—”

Xia Leshuang froze, caught between tears and laughter. She hadn’t celebrated her birthday in a long time; she had forgotten it herself.

“Happy Birthday, Shuang-shuang!” “Happy Birthday, Teacher Xia!” “Thank you, everyone!”

Xia Leshuang blew out the candles, and the studio plunged into darkness. The moment the lights came back on, she suddenly remembered Lu Shuyu’s invitation from that morning.

So, it wasn’t just an invitation to watch the finale? Was it because she remembered my birthday?

Xia Leshuang took a sharp breath and pulled Zhong Wen aside to whisper, “Is there an after-party?”

Zhong Wen looked confused. “Do you… want one?”

That meant there wasn’t.

“Thank you all so much for remembering my birthday and preparing this!” Xia Leshuang raised her voice. “It’s been a long day of shooting. I’ll treat everyone to a late-night snack!”

Before anyone could react, she was already heading for the exit. “I have something urgent to take care of, so I have to leave first. Sorry!”

Within seconds, she had vanished, moving as fast as a gust of wind.

Li Ruowei stood there dazed. “Then… what about me?”

Her phone buzzed—it was a voice message from Xia Leshuang and a large bank transfer. Li Ruowei accepted her fate and announced, “It’s Teacher Xia’s birthday! She sent a ‘red envelope’ to treat everyone to a snack—300 yuan per person! Let’s start a group chat!”

The guest group, naturally, didn’t join the chaos. They huddled together to gossip. “There’s a story here,” they whispered. Zhong Wen licked her spoon clean. “A big story!”

…

Having practically sprinted the whole way, Xia Leshuang finally made it home at 11:50 PM.

She gently pushed the door open. The dim blue light from the living room illuminated the entryway. Before she could get a clear look, the figure on the sofa looked up. They locked eyes for a few seconds before Xia Leshuang smiled tenderly. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Lu Shuyu snapped awake and immediately ran to the kitchen. “Quick, quick, quick! We’re almost out of time!”

Xia Leshuang took a deep breath, her heart full of nervous anticipation as she changed her shoes. She then saw Lu Shuyu carrying a cake back into the living room. “Teacher Xia, hurry!”

Her suspicions were confirmed. All her tension and anticipation burst at once, leaving her heart feeling tight and warm. So, Lu Shuyu really did remember.

“Hurry up.” Lu Shuyu kept her eyes on the clock, lighting the candle the moment Xia Leshuang sat down.

The firework candle crackled and sparked, flickering in the darkness against the backdrop of the projected fireworks on the screen and the pair of clear, bright eyes nearby. It was as beautiful as a dream.

“Teacher Xia, don’t just daze off, make a wish!” Lu Shuyu was genuinely anxious, reaching out to help press Xia Leshuang’s hands together.

Xia Leshuang closed her eyes. Three seconds later, she opened them just as the firework candle gave one last flash and went out.

“Happy Birthday, Teacher Xia!!” “I wish you health and that all your heart’s desires come true!”

After speaking, Lu Shuyu excitedly pointed at the clock. “11:59! We made it!”

“Yes,” Xia Leshuang smiled, nodding emphatically. “We made it.”

The lights were dim, with only the blue glow of the projector. Their gazes locked; in each other’s eyes, there was only the other person. The excitement from a moment ago seemed to undergo a chemical reaction, turning into a magnetic pull that enchanted them to draw closer and closer…

THUD—

“!” Lu Shuyu groaned. “Ouch! That hurts!”

“What happened?” Xia Leshuang immediately stood up to flip the light switch. “Where did you hit?”

“My elbow…” Lu Shuyu gritted her teeth. “I banged it against the edge of the coffee table…”

“Did it break the skin?” Xia Leshuang worriedly took her arm, turning it over to inspect it. “A little scrape, but no blood.”

“Then it’s fine.” Finally recovering from the sharp pain, Lu Shuyu let out a long breath and slumped halfway onto the sofa. “That pain certainly woke me up.”

Whether she meant she was “woke” from the sleepiness of waiting or from the ambiguous atmosphere of a moment ago, it was unclear. But regardless of which it was, the moment was gone.

Xia Leshuang felt a bit helpless. Her peripheral vision caught a gift box on the table, along with an exquisite envelope.

“What’s this?” she asked.

Seeing this, Lu Shuyu sat up and handed it directly to her. “A gift! Open it!”

Following instructions, she opened the gift—a Hetian jade bracelet—and three cards…

“Wish Fulfillment Vouchers?” Xia Leshuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“The simplest and most direct gift!” Lu Shuyu said proudly. “Handwritten by me! Are you happy?”

Xia Leshuang sighed inwardly, but her face remained smiling. “Of course!”

“Then, Teacher Xia!” Lu Shuyu struck while the iron was hot. “What is your wish?”

“Don’t be afraid to say it!” she said grandly. “I will definitely fulfill it!”

Hearing this, Xia Leshuang raised an eyebrow. “It’s a secret!”

She tucked the three vouchers back into the envelope. “As for how to use these, I’ll have to think about it.”

“Wow,” Lu Shuyu pretended to tremble. “I’m so scared!”

Xia Leshuang couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Drama queen.”

She then picked up the jade bracelet. The ‘peace buckle’ design paired with the beads and gold accents was very beautiful. She couldn’t help but think of the Sunstone bracelet she always carried in her bag. Though the stones were different, it seemed her fondness for beaded bracelets hadn’t changed.

Her gaze shifted to the metal clasp of the bracelet. Xia Leshuang raised her eyebrow and held out her wrist quite naturally. “Help me put it on.”

Lu Shuyu took it readily and lowered her eyes to help her fasten it. The sensation of their skin accidentally and briefly touching was strange; it felt as if the room suddenly fell silent. The air almost solidified.

“Done!” Once it was fastened, Lu Shuyu immediately let go and changed the subject. “Did your work go smoothly today?”

“It did,” Xia Leshuang turned her wrist to admire the bracelet. “When it ended, they even threw a surprise celebration for me.”

Hearing this, Lu Shuyu let out an “oh” and asked, “Teacher Xia, how many people celebrated your birthday with you today?”

“Not that many,” Xia Leshuang chuckled, reaching for her phone.

Lu Shuyu was shocked. “Are you going to count them in front of me?”

“…” Xia Leshuang was helpless. “You have a wild imagination.”

She took one look at her screen and said, “Between 11:50 and midnight, no one contacted me.”

“So, you are the last person to wish me a happy birthday.”

As she finished, Lu Shuyu’s eyes widened, looking a bit proud. “Then I suppose I count as being special!”

Xia Leshuang chuckled and nodded. “Yes, very special.”

She had wanted to say “the most special,” but remembering the “player” misunderstanding from that morning, she felt that some things shouldn’t be said too bluntly when the timing wasn’t quite right.

Her phone vibrated gently. It was Song Qingqiong: Adding a temporary recording session tomorrow to cheer on the kids taking the college and high school entrance exams.

It was a work notification. But it suddenly illuminated a memory in Xia Leshuang’s heart.

“Shuyu,” she asked softly, “Back then… why did you ask me to go to the neighboring city to pray for blessings before the college entrance exam?”

Lu Shuyu’s movements while eating the cake paused. She then shrugged. “Because I wanted to give you a surprise and celebrate your birthday.”

“And I really wanted us to get into the same school, or at least the same city, to continue being friends.”

Her expression was calm, as if she were reminiscing about a past that had already been moved on from.

Xia Leshuang was speechless. A strange and subtle sense of loss welled up, drenching that memory until it felt cold and pitiful.

She couldn’t quite grasp the feeling, yet she sensed something vaguely.

It seemed she had missed out on something.