Seven days flew by, and Jiang Ci and Si Beichen each returned home the night before the birthday.
Si Beichen returned to Fragrant Orchid Cottage.
Jiang Ci returned to Jiaxing Residential Complex.
Early on the birthday morning, Si Jianhua called her.
"Sweetheart, your brother got back yesterday. You're the only one missing. Come home early."
"Got it, Dad Si. I'm about to head out."
After hanging up, Jiang Ci picked up an exquisite gift box she had prepared in advance and went downstairs.
The guards at the Fragrant Orchid Cottage security booth all knew Jiang Ci by now, and she drove into the villa complex without any trouble.
The sounds of a car reversing and its engine shutting off caught Si Jianhua's attention, though he had already been looking outside constantly.
Seeing that Jiang Ci had arrived, he immediately went out to welcome her, delighted.
Hearing the noise, Wen Qianyue and Si Beichen followed him out.
As soon as Jiang Ci got out of the car, she saw the three of them walking toward her, particularly the young man at the back, dressed entirely in black casual clothes.
He was tall and straight, with brows like distant mountains and eyes like cold stars, handsome and strong-featured, elegant, imposing, and brimming with heroic spirit.
Tsk, tsk. Who would have thought? This stepbrother she'd gotten out of nowhere was really handsome-just her type.
Jiang Ci had excellent eyesight. As he drew closer, she could even clearly see a tiny black tear mole beneath the outer corner of his right eye.
"Dad Si, Mom... Big Brother." Smiling, she greeted them one by one, then took the gift box out of the car and handed it to Wen Qianyue. "Happy birthday, Ms. Wen."
Wen Qianyue accepted the birthday present, absolutely delighted inside, but kept her expression composed as she said with restraint, "Come on, let's go inside."
"Yes, yes, let's talk inside, let's talk inside," Si Jianhua echoed. Then he and Wen Qianyue flanked Jiang Ci, and the three went back inside, chatting and laughing.
Si Beichen stood at the entrance, watching their retreating backs, momentarily bewildered. He felt as though he had come out for nothing.
Then he thought of how that pretty, delicate young woman had smiled so sweetly and called him Big Brother, and immediately felt at ease again. Coming out to welcome her hadn't been entirely for nothing.
In the living room, Si Jianhua, Jiang Ci, and Wen Qianyue sat side by side on the sofa, chatting, laughing, and eating fruit.
Si Beichen sat at the side of the sofa, idly playing on his phone.
Smiling, Wen Qianyue patted Jiang Ci's hand. "Haven't you always envied other people for having older brothers? Now you have one too. You must treat your brother well from now on. No bullying him."
Jiang Ci's smile was gentle and harmless as she said obediently, "Why would I bully my brother? Haha, don't worry, Mom. I'll protect him."
She silently added, If he's still alive after the natural disasters.
"Haha, if your brother dares to bully you, just tell Dad Si. I'll make him pay."
Si Jianhua didn't believe for a second that this pretty, well-behaved young woman could bully Si Beichen, whose combat prowess was off the charts and who underwent special training year-round. He simply took Wen Qianyue's words as a joke.
Si Beichen changed the subject. "I booked a family banquet at Dingzhen Restaurant. Shall we head over in two hours?"
Jiang Ci's clear voice rang out. "Did you order a cake?"
"Everything's ready."
Somehow, as they chatted, Si Jianhua started pressing him to get married.
"Beichen, you're not getting any younger. Isn't it time you found someone?"
Si Beichen: ...
This was one of the reasons he rarely came home. He was only twenty-five, yet every time he came back, he was pressured to marry. It was truly annoying.
Si Jianhua didn't care whether he found it annoying. "You know what your job is like. I don't ask for anything else. I just hope you'll give me a little grandchild soon. After that, you can do whatever you like. I won't even bother you about coming home."
Seeing Si Beichen's serious expression and tightly pressed lips, Wen Qianyue made a show of swatting Si Jianhua and chided him, "It's my birthday today. Why bring this up?"
Si Jianhua huffed and said nothing more.
He was only afraid that one day he would have to bury his own son.
Jiang Ci also smiled and smoothed things over. "Speaking of which, Dad Si, how did you and my mom meet?"
At that, both Wen Qianyue and Si Jianhua looked a little awkward.
Si Jianhua explained, "Your mother and I met through an introduction from friends."
He paused, then continued, "Actually, we originally wanted to set you and Beichen up. But as we spent more time together, we ended up getting together ourselves before we could even introduce you two."
Wen Qianyue looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Jiang Ci and Si Beichen exchanged a glance. Both found it utterly absurd.
After a little more casual conversation, they left for Dingzhen Restaurant.
Si Beichen drove, with Dad Si and Mom Wen in the back seat, while Jiang Ci drove her little Mini.
They had a VIP private dining room on the fourth floor.
Si Beichen had done his homework. There were dishes that each of them liked.
When they were nearly finished eating, a server wheeled in a three-tier birthday cake.
They lit the candles, turned off the room's lights, and drew the curtains. The family clapped and sang the birthday song while Ms. Wen, wearing a birthday hat, made a heartfelt wish, then blew out the candles and divided up the cake.
Throughout it all, Jiang Ci kept taking pictures with her camera.
She took photos not only of Ms. Wen, but also of Si Jianhua together with Ms. Wen, and solo shots of Si Beichen. In the end, she even asked a server to take a family portrait for them.
Of course such wonderful memories had to be recorded. After all, they wouldn't have the conditions to celebrate a birthday like this again in the future.
It really felt quite nice to have the whole family eating together and singing the birthday song in such a lively atmosphere.
Not long after the family portrait was taken, Si Beichen answered a call, and his face suddenly turned pale and grim.
Jiang Ci couldn't help asking, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Si Beichen didn't hide it. "The flight two of my comrades were on today crashed. I was originally supposed to be on that flight too."
"Dad, Mom Wen, something urgent has come up. I have to leave. Let Little Ci keep you company."
Seeing his pale face and hearing his anxious tone, Si Jianhua and Wen Qianyue said nothing and simply nodded.
Watching Si Beichen leave, Jiang Ci grew thoughtful. In her previous life, she hadn't come to celebrate Ms. Wen's birthday that day. Could Si Beichen have stayed away too?
If, as he said, he had originally been supposed to take that flight, then he must have been caught in the crash that day too.
So in this life, because she had been willing to soften toward Ms. Wen, their mother-daughter relationship had eased, and she had come back to celebrate the birthday, Si Beichen had also taken leave to return home and hadn't boarded that doomed flight.
Barring any other accidents, Si Beichen should still be alive after the natural disasters.
Despite leaving in a rush, Si Beichen hadn't forgotten to settle the bill.
Once they were more or less finished eating, Jiang Ci drove her little Mini to the mall with Dad Si and Mom Wen, buying them a pile of clothes, shoes, and other things, making them both absolutely delighted.
That evening, the three of them had hot pot out before Jiang Ci drove the two elders back to Fragrant Orchid Cottage.
As for her, she immediately went back to pack her luggage and book a flight, preparing to fly to the Middle East the next day.