Birthday Surprise in Progress (Part Eight): Iuno

Dania's birthday party is less than a week away.

Saturday, 8:00 AM.

"I didn't expect that even if I don't go to school, I still have to get up at 8 a. m..." Xiao Ling said listlessly, looking like she hadn't woken up yet.

Here's what happened.

The sports meet is starting after the weekend, and after that, it's Dania's birthday party. Logically, by now, everyone should have prepared their gifts for Dania.

However, there are always a few exceptions.

Having hurried to the door of the Shorekeeper, Xiao Ling knocked lightly.

A moment later, the door opened slightly, and then a white, porcelain-like arm suddenly pulled him into the house.

Before Xiao Ling could react, she stumbled and was pulled into the house.

Then he saw that the arm belonged to Iuno.

Today she wore a beige short-sleeved top with a sky-blue long skirt, which made her look even more gentle and charming. With her carefully styled pigtails, she looked exactly like a pure and lovely girl next door.

"Good sense of time, Blank." Iuno smiled, seemingly quite pleased with Xiao Ling's punctuality. "Eight o'clock sharp, not a minute more, not a minute less."

"But speaking of which, why is your hair so messy? Oh well, I'll be kind enough to fix it for you."

Xiao Ling thought she could do it herself, but before she could back away, Iuno stopped her in a sweet voice. "Don't move. Do you want me to build a bird's nest on your head?"

So he had no choice but to stand there obediently and watch as Iuno expertly tidied his messy hair.

"I had no choice, Lady Yu. You told me to be there at midnight, how could I dare to arrive at dawn?" Xiao Ling exclaimed dramatically, quoting classical texts. "So I rushed over here without even having time to tidy myself up, and my eyes are still a little bleary-eyed!"

"Well, at least I didn't actually make you come over in the middle of the night," Iuno said nonchalantly.

"Alright, thank you for your mercy, Madam Yu." Xiao Ling said with feigned respect. "So, is there something important you want to discuss with me today?"

"Stop joking." Iuno gave his shin a light kick. "As for what it is, don't you, as the planner, know best?"

"Dania's birthday present?"

"Hmm, I don't know what to give." Iuno stated simply and clearly the purpose of her visit to Xiao Ling.

"Can't even think of a small birthday present, Lady Yu?" Xiao Ling teased.

"You're being cheeky again!" Iuno pouted, dissatisfied. "If I were still that genius envoy of the Averardo Vault, I could easily pick out a few items from that pile of treasures that I liked and give them to that girl. I guarantee she'd love them."

"But right now I'm just Iuno, and I've come to this unfamiliar place, so of course I have to handle everything myself."

"And the agreed time is almost here. Cart and Little Ai have already taken action, but I haven't even decided what to give them. If word gets out, where will I put my face?"

After listening to Iuno's rambling, Xiao Ling roughly understood what this girl wanted to do by calling him here today.

"Need to find some inspiration?" Xiao Ling asked with a smile.

"That's true, but I rarely go anywhere else in this world besides school and convenience stores, so I'll have to trouble Blank to make time to be my guide today!" Iuno pouts. jpg

"That would be my honor."

metro station

It's the weekend, so Iuno probably won't get to witness the bustling commuter rush at 8 a. m.

"I never imagined there was such a developed transportation network underground, and more importantly, it's cheap!" Iuno exclaimed to Xiao Ling beside him while sitting on the subway.

"There are advantages, but also quite a few disadvantages," Xiao Ling added. "We happened to be there on the weekend, so there were fewer people than usual. If it were a weekday, you would experience what it means to be packed with people."

"Ugh~ It makes me feel sick just thinking about it." Iuno frowned. "Blank, you weren't in this cramped space before we got here, were you?"

"I call this adapting to the pace of city life," Xiao Ling said seriously. "What can I do? This thing is cheap and quick."

"I agree. Cheap and convenient things are always popular everywhere," Iuno nodded in agreement.

The two chatted casually until an announcement came over the subway, reminding passengers that the next stop was approaching.

"Let's go, get ready to get off the bus," Xiao Ling said, standing up.

"Okay." Iuno immediately stood up as well.

As the subway doors slowly opened, the two quickly stepped off the train, passing under the spotlight of the onlookers, and walked out of the subway station.

10:00 AM.

Iuno was shading her eyes with her hand as she looked out at the bright sunshine outside the subway station when Xiao Ling handed her a parasol.

"Do you think I'm some delicate girl who can't even stand the sun?" Iuno said, Blank out her right cheek.

"You won't like being so warmly received by Mr. Sun here, I guarantee it," Xiao Ling said with a smile.

"Well, never mind, since you're being so thoughtful, it would seem like I'm not romantic if I refused." Iuno smiled and accepted the parasol Xiao Ling offered.

She pressed the switch on the parasol, and the umbrella blossomed open with a soft "pop," providing her with a small patch of shade.

"Blank, are you alright sunbathing?" Iuno tilted her head and asked Xiao Ling, who was basking in the sun.

"Photosynthesis is good, it helps you grow taller," Xiao Ling grinned. "I feel fine, Iuno, you don't need to worry about me."

(Hajiling, you are a generous portion of char siu rice noodle rolls.)

"Let's go, time waits for no one, let's go in first!" Iuno quickly found their destination—a large shopping mall in the city center—and naturally took Xiao Ling's hand, intending to walk inside.

Although Iuno had already held Xiao Ling's hand in the Chaos Space, she could only feel the warmth of his fingertips through the gloves.

This second hand-holding was the only one that truly felt like holding hands, and it left a deeper impression on Iuno.

The hands were of high quality and very warm, reminding her of her father.

Iuno shook her head, banishing all other thoughts from her mind, and continued to pull Xiao Ling along as they walked quickly into the mall.

"Aemeath gave a doll, Lynae gave a seashell necklace, Chisa gave a handmade dessert, Cartethyia gave a flower crown..."

Iuno was taking stock of the gifts her companions were going to give to Dania when she suddenly remembered something and looked at Xiao Ling beside her with a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Ling asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you tell us about your gift?" Iuno asked. "Tell me honestly, what nice thing did you prepare for that girl?"

"As the chief planner of this birthday surprise operation, I have the right to remain silent," Xiao Ling said, indicating that she had no comment.

"Perhaps you feel your gift isn't presentable enough, so you're afraid to say anything?" Iuno teased.

"If my gift loses its value, you'll all have to treat me to cream. I'll accept it willingly." Xiao Ling made this pledge on the spot.

"Here, I recorded it." Iuno smiled slyly, waving his phone, and even made Xiao Ling listen to his pledge again. "If you deny it later, I'll let everyone hear this voice message."

Xiao Ling was startled; he had almost forgotten that Iuno was always one to do things unconventionally.

After this little incident, Iuno led Xiao Ling straight to... a jewelry store?

"What are you doing here?" Xiao Ling asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you say we were looking for inspiration?" Iuno calmly pulled Xiao Ling into the jewelry store.

The jewelry store wasn't particularly lavishly decorated, but it was clean and refined enough. The display cases were filled with a dazzling array of jewelry, each piece a luxury item that easily started at four figures.

The female shop assistant stood gracefully beside the jewelry counter, greeting the handsome young man and beautiful woman with her signature professional smile.

Iuno skipped the necklace section and focused on the bracelet and brooch section instead.

Xiao Ling fully understood Iuno's intention. Lynae had already planned to give her a seashell necklace, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to give her another necklace as a gift.

"This, this, and this, let me take a look at them all!" Iuno pointed to several brooches and bracelets, asking the female shop assistant to examine them.

The saleswoman worked quickly and soon brought out several pieces of jewelry that Iuno had selected and handed them to her for her appreciation. Iuno then picked them up one by one and examined them carefully.

As the daughter of the strongest blacksmith in Septimont, she has an absolute sensitivity to the field of metal and handicrafts, and can even be described as an expert. Xiao Ling completely trusts her.

Xiao Ling didn't know much about jewelry, but she knew Iuno very well.

To see if she's satisfied with the accessory, just look at her expression and actions.

If she furrows her brows slightly, narrows her eyes, and puts the ornament back without hesitation after just one glance, it proves that the ornament is too cheap in her eyes, and not even worth her attention.

If she remains calm and her eyes are expressionless, and she observes the item for a moment before putting it back in its place, then it proves that the item is acceptable to her, neither good nor bad.

If she raises her eyebrows slightly, narrows her eyes, and examines the jewelry in her hands for a while before gently putting it back, it means that she considers the jewelry quite acceptable and worth lingering over for a moment.

But after looking at all the jewelry, Iuno simply pulled Xiao Ling and walked straight out, without even intending to linger for a moment.

"They just left?" Xiao Ling raised her eyebrows.

"Otherwise what? Do you want to spend money on a few more? Even if you have a lot of money, you can't spend it like this." Iuno tapped his head. "Or do you want me to do the math for you? Let's see how much you could do with the money you spent on those few pieces of jewelry?"

"No need, no need..." Xiao Ling said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"To be honest, I think some of those pieces of jewelry are good, some are bad, but overall they're overpriced," Iuno explained. "Besides, I don't intend to just buy Dania a piece of jewelry to make do; she deserves better."

"You know how to craft accessories?" Xiao Ling asked, puzzled.

"What do you mean, Blank!" Iuno pinched his ear angrily. "I poured my heart out to you in the Chaos Space, and you've already forgotten everything?! Have you forgotten what my father did?"

(Children, don't forget your Hajiling.)

"I just felt that now that you're a high-ranking lady, you shouldn't need to do things yourself anymore..."

"One thing at a time. Before I became a royal consort, I also worked as my father's assistant!" After teaching Xiao Ling a lesson, Iuno let go of her hand, her little mouth pouting again. "Although I can't be as good as my father, making ornaments is still a piece of cake for me, isn't it?"

"I deserve to die for questioning Lady Yu's abilities." Xiao Ling bowed twice perfunctorily to Iuno to express her apology.

"You're smart to know what's good for you~" Iuno put on that cat-like expression again, "I'm hungry, take me to eat."

What would you like to eat?

What would you like to eat?

"You're asking about my preferences?" Xiao Ling asked with a smile. "I'm afraid my preferences might just touch on your sore spot."

"It's not so bad to try something you don't like once in a while, is it?" Iuno said with a smirk. "Besides, I'd like to see why you say that."

"Have you made up your mind?"

I've made up my mind.

"No regrets?"

"No regrets."

"Okay, let's go to that Sichuan restaurant not far away, it's on me." Xiao Ling gestured with her lips.

"Let's go then." Iuno then led Xiao Ling towards the Sichuan restaurant.

Iuno admitted she regretted it.

Looking at the dishes covered in red oil on the table in front of her, she remained silent for a moment before quietly picking up the plate of pickled radishes and starting to eat them.

Hmm, this one suits her taste better.

"That's why I said, Iuno, my preferences just happen to be your no-go zone." Xiao Ling picked up a piece of boiled beef and swallowed it in one gulp, his bold posture making Iuno at the opposite table feel a sense of awe.

"Blank, this whole table is covered in red... Can you really eat this?" Iuno's face turned pale just from smelling it.

"It's alright. Before, when there were no other dishes to eat, I would mix rice with crushed chili peppers and eat two bowls of rice in one meal," Xiao Ling said calmly.

Chili peppers with rice... Iuno finds the thought alone terrifying.

"Don't worry, I ordered a few dishes that you can eat; you should like them."

Xiao Ling knew that this girl would not like spicy or oily dishes, so he ordered a few dishes that she could also enjoy.

A few moments later, the waiter brought boiled cabbage, ice jelly, and Sichuan peppercorn chicken to the table.

Incidentally, he specifically asked the waiter to change the ice jelly and Sichuan peppercorn chicken to Iuno's flavor.

"Give it a try?" Xiao Ling gestured for him to proceed.

Iuno didn't rush to pick up her chopsticks, but stared at Xiao Ling with a "could this be a trap?" expression.

"Don't be so wary, Iuno. Would I ever harm you?"

You'd better be.

Iuno finally picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the Sichuan peppercorn chicken, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"This spiciness is just right, like being brushed by the moonlight." Iuno smacked his lips in satisfaction. "I like this."

"A very Iuno analogy," Xiao Ling chimed in at the opportune moment.

Iuno glared at him, signaling him to stop talking nonsense, then picked up the bowl of boiled cabbage and drank it.

"Hmm~ So Sichuan cuisine also has this kind of ability to concentrate the essence of the ingredients' original flavor." She said with a smile, "This isn't bad either."

Iuno didn't give a review of the last bowl of ice jelly, but she ate it all up, leaving not a single crumb.

Seeing that Iuno was also enjoying the food, Xiao Ling smiled contentedly, then picked up a piece of pickled fish and ate it.

"Mmm, delicious."

"So, Iuno, have you decided what to give Dania?" Xiao Ling asked Iuno after they left the mall.

"I have an idea, but the materials might be a bit of a hassle." Iuno nodded thoughtfully.

Is there anything I can do to help?

"I appreciate your kindness, but these things need to be done personally to truly show your sincerity," Iuno said confidently with a smile. "I'm planning to make her a brooch, and as for the color... how about a dazzling gold, like the sun?"

"Alright." Xiao Ling nodded. "Is Iuno going to take action herself?"

"She deserves it." Iuno smiled slightly. "I respect everyone who fights against their predetermined fate."

She was a prophetic woman who did not believe in fate; prophecies were not a predetermined future for her, but rather shackles that should be broken.

"She'll like it," Xiao Ling said with a smile. "Speaking of gifts, I also have one for you."

"It's not my birthday today?" Iuno asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"It's a return gift," Xiao Ling said with a smile. "Have you forgotten? You gave me a bracelet before."

"Ah, you mean that?" Iuno said suddenly. "But that gift is very valuable. What kind of gift can you give me in return?"

"Here you go." Xiao Ling pulled a Iuno dumpling from her bosom as if by magic.

"This is... a dumpling?" Iuno took the soft dumpling and kneaded it a few times.

"Yes, I just saw it by chance and was thinking of buying one for you," Xiao Ling nodded.

"Not bad, it looks quite cute, I like this gift!" Iuno smiled at Xiao Ling with narrowed eyes, holding Tuanzi tightly in her arms, seemingly delighted with this unexpected gift.

"Then I also have a gift for you," Iuno said with a bright smile. "Blank, close your eyes."

"Um."

Xiao Ling obediently closed his eyes, and then something warm and moist touched his cheek.

He calmly opened his eyes and found that Iuno beside him had a slightly flushed face and was twirling his hair with her fingers, looking quite agitated.

"This is a thank you gift for accompanying me today! Don't misunderstand!" Iuno explained anxiously, "Besides, if you do this, Blank will owe me another gift."

Ah~ Iuno is still the same Iuno after all.

"I'm glad you like it." Xiao Ling smiled gently.