Several hours later.
Although some of every dish still remained on the table, and rune technology had kept them at their most delicious without letting time alter their flavors, the guests, including Su Qingyue, had gradually taken their leave.
And so,
at that moment,
only Ling Wuyuan, Pei Yiman, and the others remained.
Looking over,
Ling Wuyuan was sprawled in a chair, giving himself over to idleness as he rested his head comfortably in Pei Yiman's lap.
Yan Xiujin and the others gathered around him,
massaging him while discussing all sorts of things. The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed.
Ling Wuyuan, at least, loved it.
If he could,
he would not have minded staying like this forever.
But he knew that without enough strength, none of it would last.
Therefore,
idleness was one thing.
When it was time to work hard, he still had to work hard.
Now,
as he recalled everything that had happened today
and the joy on everyone's faces when they celebrated his birthday,
he felt deeply happy.
Then, all at once,
a thought naturally arose in Ling Wuyuan's mind: Come to think of it—shouldn't I come clean about a lot of things?
The thought had appeared suddenly,
yet its presence was impossible to ignore.
After considering it for a while,
Ling Wuyuan decided to tell Pei Yiman and the others the truth.
"Actually—"
"This isn't really my hundredth birthday."
"But I think I can redefine my birthday and make today my real hundredth birthday—"
There was a hint of unease in his words,
because Ling Wuyuan knew very well
that his supposed birthday
was something he had simply made up.
Back then,
he had declared the day he crossed over from Earth to the Main Spacetime to be his birthday.
What was more,
he had skipped the