Birthday Party Preparations (Part Two)

12:30 PM.

"Beep beep beep."

While having lunch with Dania and the Rover Aemeath suddenly received a message from someone else.

She unlocked her phone and saw that the sender was Augusta.

Augusta: Where are you?

Aemeath: I'm having lunch at a restaurant near the arcade. What's up?

Augusta: Oh, it's like this, I have a friend who wants to take Dania to see where she works part-time, and she was wondering if that's possible.

Aemeath: Oh, I see. I'll ask her.

"Xiao Ya, Xiao Ya ~" Aemeath called out in a sweet voice.

"Hmm?" Dania, who was engrossed in her meal, looked up, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

Augusta says a friend of hers wants to take you out. What do you say?

"But Lynae and Sigrika already asked me out...?" Dania showed Aemeath her chat history.

"Going to the beach to watch the sunset...?" Aemeath pondered for a moment, then texted Augusta to ask. "She said it's fine, the place is quite close to the beach, you can go there and meet Sigrika and the others."

"Then there's no problem." Dania nodded and continued eating the braised pork ribs in her bowl. "Where should I wait for her?"

"Go back to the arcade entrance; her friend will be waiting for you there."

"Good."

When Dania and her two companions returned to the arcade entrance, Gabriela was already waiting for them on her motorcycle.

Today she was wearing a blue sports vest and light gray denim shorts, exposing her firm and smooth thighs to the air. She had a white sheer garment hanging in her hand, which she had probably taken off because of the hot weather.

"Gabriela," she introduced herself to the three who approached, then her gaze fell on Dania, who was sandwiched between Little Ai and the Rover. "You must be Dania. You did very well in the track and field competition."

"Thank you for the compliment~" Dania smiled and accepted the praise. "So, where are you taking me?"

"Get in the car." Gabriela tossed the helmet to Dania.

After carefully fastening her helmet, Dania plopped down on the back of the motorcycle.

"Xiao Ya! See you tonight!" Aemeath waved goodbye to Dania with a bright smile.

"See you tonight," the Rover said goodbye with a gentle smile.

"Okay, see you tonight," Dania nodded.

"Hold on tight!"

Gabriela twisted the throttle, the motorcycle roared to life, and in an instant it sped away into the distance.

"This is... a shooting range?" Dania looked at the building in front of her, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Yes, I work part-time as a receptionist here, and I occasionally go shooting at targets inside at my own expense," Gabriela nodded. "Give it a try?"

"Let me make this clear first, I don't know how to handle guns."

"I'll teach you."

Gabriela led Dania into the shooting range and greeted the receptionist.

"Hey, Sister Gabe." The female receptionist waved coolly, "Huh? What? What's this?"

"Friend," Gabriela replied, "I brought her here to experience target shooting."

"Okay, the usual?"

"Um."

After handing her ID to the front desk for registration, Gabriela seemed to remember something and added, "Are there any available indoor shooting ranges? My friend here is a bit sensitive to heat."

"This is a piece of cake," the receptionist said, handing their ID cards back to the two after registering them. "Go to target lane number four; it's empty there. Remember to follow the procedures."

"Good."

It was 2 PM at Xiao Ling's villa.

Glug, glug.

The snow stew in the pot had been simmering for an hour, and now huge bubbles were gradually rising to the surface, with a delicious aroma constantly wafting out of the kitchen, tantalizing one's taste buds.

Amidst the enticing aroma, Xiao Ling and Roccia were busy in the kitchen preparing for tonight's dinner.

"Speaking of which Xiao Ling, what was the opportunity that led you to learn such excellent cooking skills?" Roccia asked Xiao Ling beside her while washing a cucumber.

"My mom can't cook, so my dad takes care of all that, but he passed away early." Xiao Ling added seasonings to the chopped lean pork to marinate it. "When I was little, I was lucky enough to taste her cooking a few times, but every time I would only manage a few bites before my eyes rolled back and I would fall into a deep, baby-like sleep."

That's terrible.

"Right. So I was kind of forced to learn to cook, after all, eating out every day isn't a good idea," Xiao Ling said with a sigh. "Speaking of which, Roccia, what made you learn to cook?"

"Survival requires a little bit of interest," Roccia, slicing the washed cucumber open. "In my after-school tutoring sessions, cooking is almost always a topic we can't avoid."

"As the saying goes, the way to a lover's heart is through her stomach. My mom is a perfect example," Xiao Ling chuckled. "Sometimes I really admire my dad; he won my mom over with just one meal."

"You're not bad either; your cooking skills are so good that you've won over all those girls outside with your stomachs," Roccia teased with a smile.

"Just average, third in the world~" Xiao Ling waved his hand modestly.

"Really? A-Yu is actually afraid of balloons?" Aemeath was quite surprised to hear Xiao Yue say that Xiao Ling had a phobia of balloons.

"How could it be fake? He used to jump for joy at the sound of a balloon popping, and he would always walk around any place with balloons when we took him outside." Xiao Yue smiled as she tied up a balloon. "I don't know about him now, but if you're curious, Little Ai can try it later."

Upon hearing this, Little Ai's eyes darted around twice, and then a mischievous idea suddenly came to her.

Just then, a sudden popping sound of a balloon drew the attention of Little Ai and Xiao Yue. Lupa looked at the balloon she had blown up with an embarrassed expression, unsure of what to do.

"This is the fifth one already..." Lupa said a little embarrassedly, "It's so strange, why is it so easy for you guys to blow up balloons, but mine pops so easily..."

"There's a right way to blow up balloons," Iuno advised. "If you blow with all your might, the balloon will burst. Try blowing with less force."

Lupa nodded as if she understood, and then tried to blow up a balloon herself.

"Really? It didn't explode this time!" Lupa's eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new continent. "Thank you, Iuno!"

"I'm just sharing my thoughts, no need to be so formal." Iuno elegantly tossed her ponytail, revealing her classic cat-like pout.

Seeing that everyone else could easily blow up balloons, Encore, who was not far away, tried to blow them up several times with all her might. Her little face turned red, but the balloons still didn't budge.

"Waaah..." Encore is heartbroken. jpg.

"What's wrong, Little Encore?" Noticing that Encore was upset, Chun gently patted her head.

"I can't blow it up..." Encore said dejectedly, tugging at the limp rubber in her hand. "My sisters blow up balloons so easily..."

Chun chuckled twice, picked up a piece of rubber, and gently blew on it. A round, bulging balloon appeared in her hand.

"Here you go." She handed the tied balloon to Encore.

"Thank you, Sister Chun." Encore kissed Chun's cheek, then handed the inflated balloon to the Shorekeeper who was tying them together. "Sister Shorekeeper, this is for you!"

"Okay." The Shorekeeper gently took the balloon from Encore and carefully placed it away.

Of course, she wasn't doing this alone; the Rover, Chisa and Cartethyia, also quickly joined in.

The women in the living room chatted and laughed as they worked together, their words and actions revealing their anticipation for tonight's birthday party.

"Holy crap—I've only been away for a little while, and you've almost filled the living room with balloons!"

Xiao Ling, who came out of the kitchen, looked at the balloons all over the living room, her face somewhat stiff.

He carefully tiptoed between the balloons, afraid that he might accidentally cause one of them to explode in anger.

Walk here first, then step on that... Hmm! Perfect!

After easily reaching the safe zone, Xiao Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Opening his eyes, he saw Little Ai teleport in, smiling broadly as she approached him, and then—

"Bang!"

"Holy crap!" Xiao Ling was so startled that she stumbled and jumped backward a short distance. "Sister Ai, don't scare me!"

"Really! A-Yu, you're actually afraid of balloons!" Aemeath revealed a sly smile, picked up another balloon, and prepared to play a prank on him.

"Oh no, I'm running away! Call me if you need anything!"

Just as Xiao Ling was about to fly away on the wind, he turned around and saw that Miss Chun, with a smile on her face, had been waiting for him with balloons for quite some time.

He looked around and found that the girls in the living room seemed to have activated some strange switch, each holding a balloon and looking at him with ill intent... Mom, why are you getting involved?!

"Waaaaah... Oh, Yaya, come save me... Your good boyfriend is about to be stabbed to death by a balloon..." Xiao Ling cried, on the verge of tears.

Load, pull the bolt, aim, fire.

Bang bang bang!

Gabriela remained calm and composed, each bullet hitting its target precisely.

"Wow~ That's amazing~" Dania clapped enthusiastically from the side.

"Don't just stand by and cheer, you should try it too." Gabriela put down the Glock 44 she was holding and gestured to Dania with her eyes.

"Me? I can't do it~"

"How will you know if it works if you don't try?" Gabriela pulled Dania, who had been watching from the sidelines, onto the shooting lane without further ado, and then slapped the heavy Glock 44 into her hand. "Here, the target is over there. Try firing a couple of shots."

Dania sighed silently, put on her protective gear, and then raised her gun to aim, just like Gabriela had done.

"Bang!"

Dania pulled the trigger, and the bullet traced a clean, straight line through the air, successfully missing the target.

"Uh..." Dania looked at Gabriela somewhat awkwardly, "I told you I couldn't do it."

"You haven't found the aim." Gabriela shook her head. "Once you have the gun in your hand, think about three things: whether to fire, why to fire, and the target you're aiming at. The decision of whether to fire and who to fire at is entirely up to you."

Dania was completely confused and could only shake her head to indicate that she didn't understand at all.

"Alright, let's put it another way. Whose head do you most want to blow off right now with this gun?" Gabriela rephrased the question.

As soon as she finished speaking, Dania saw the president's disgusting, brat-like face.

Yeah, I'm getting into it!

Dania raised her gun again, took a deep breath, and then pulled the trigger repeatedly and quickly.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!"

When Gabriela saw it, she was astonished to find that she hadn't missed a single shot.

That wasn't all. Dania seemed to be getting a little addicted. After asking for another magazine, she started frantically emptying it at the target, her eyes filled with undisguised pleasure.

Gabriela looked at Dania with a hint of relief in her eyes.

Through Augusta's account, she learned about Dania's background and that Dania's becoming Threnodian Resonator was orchestrated by the president of the Fractsidus.

Being used as a pawn is a very unpleasant feeling, something Gabriela knows all too well.

Although what has happened cannot be undone, at least Gabriela can use this method to tell her: You are now in your own hands. Whether to fire the gun or not, and who to point it at, is up to you from now on.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

"Sister Nia! Sister Gabe!" Lynae, who was leaning against the motorcycle scrolling on her phone, immediately waved and greeted them enthusiastically as soon as she saw Gabriela and the others coming out of the shooting range.

"Pretty punctual," Gabriela chuckled.

"Absolutely," Lynae said with a bright smile.

"Here, go with her." Gabriela gently nudged Dania.

Dania had only taken a few steps toward Lynae when she heard Gabriela suddenly call out to her.

"Oh, right, this is for you!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a toy gun landed precisely in Dania's hand.

"Next time someone orders you around, just point this thing at their head," Gabriela said cheerfully.

"... Won't we get arrested?" Dania asked with an awkward yet polite smile.

"It's just a toy gun, only good for bluffing," Gabriela explained before bidding farewell to Lynae and Dania. "I'm leaving now, see you later."

She put on her helmet, twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle engine roared to life, carrying its rider away in a flash.

"Shall we set off then? Senior Sigrika has been waiting for a long time."

"Good."

Lynae and Dania exchanged a smile, then put on their helmets and rode their electric scooters toward the last stop of their journey.

"Ugh! It's so cool!"

The moment Dania's fair, bare feet were licked by the waves, a chill ran straight up from the soles of her feet.

"It's so refreshing!" Lynae said with a grin. "Taking a walk on the beach like this makes the summer heat feel much less."

"Yaya, Lynae, come and see!" Sigrika seemed to have found something interesting on the beach and quickly called for Dania and Lynae to come and see.

Thus, the sand crabs that were building their nests on the beach were forced to become the subjects of the three little ones' observation.

Sigrika took out her camera and snapped two photos of the sand crab and his little nest.

The consequence was that the little sand crab was frightened by the mysterious gadgets of the two-legged creature and retreated back into its nest, never to emerge again.

"Ah, it's hiding," Sigrika said with a hint of regret.

"Maybe she's just shy. Let's go." Lynae gently patted Sigrika's shoulder reassuringly.

Dania followed silently behind the two, her starry eyes fixed on the waves licking her toes.

This feeling was novel; it was something she had never learned at the Fractsidus or the Star Torch Academy.

Suddenly, she became cheerful, like a child seeing a new toy. She splashed water everywhere, and the mud and sand she kicked up left marks on the back of her white T-shirt, but she didn't notice at all.

It wasn't until Lynae and Sigrika laughed and reminded her that she realized the mud and sand had not only stained her T-shirt but also left dirty streaks on her fair legs.

Dania believed that friends should share both good times and bad, so she decided to go all out and launch a surprise attack on the two smiling people in front of her.

Sigrika and Lynae, who were attacked, certainly wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die, so they happily joined in the game.

For a moment, the beach under the afterglow of the setting sun was filled with the splashing of water and the silvery laughter of the girls.

Only when the fiery red orb on the horizon was about to disappear did they, exhausted from playing, sit down together and quietly wait for nightfall.

As Dania watched the setting sun, she suddenly remembered that someone hadn't contacted her all day.

So she casually took a picture of the sunset and sent it to that person along with a text message.

Dania: [Image]

Dania: What are you doing?

Xiao Ling: I'm playing video games at home, what's wrong?

Dania: It's nothing, I just missed you.

Xiao Ling: www My dear Yaya really cares about me, give me a kiss! [kiss]. jpg

Dania:... Be normal.

Xiao Ling: Okay. [Salute]. jpg

Dania: I'm going back now.

Xiao Ling: Did you have fun outside today?

Dania: I'm quite happy, but a little tired and want to sleep.

Xiao Ling: Then let's go home. I made your favorite dishes.

Dania: Okay.

"Hmm~ Let's go back." Dania stretched. "I'm a little sleepy."

"Yeah! That's true. It's getting late, we should go home." Lynae was the first to stand up, patting the dust off her pants.

"Okay! Yaya, let's go!" Sigrika naturally took Dania's hand.

As night fell completely, the three of them embarked on their journey home.

After replying to the message, Xiao Ling looked at the party venue that had already been set up and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

Balloons, ribbons, firecrackers, and a three-tiered birthday cake sitting securely in the center of the table, each tier adorned with six candles, totaling eighteen. At the very top of the cake was a message of blessing for the birthday person.

The cake was surrounded by dishes steaming hot, their aroma alone enough to make one's mouth water. The air was filled with the scent of anticipation, as everyone waited for the star of the party to appear.

Aemeath gathered a few like-minded friends, including Lupa, and they whispered among themselves, as if discussing some important plan.

Roccia and the others started chatting with Xiao Yue, covering everything from current affairs and politics to everyday family matters. Judging from the smiles on their faces, it was undoubtedly a pleasant conversation.

The Shorekeeper sat at the piano, repeatedly playing the tune of Happy Birthday, hoping to perfectly reproduce the song the moment the party started.

"Hey, you've got some nerve today, making quite a scene!"

A cheerful male voice pulled Xiao Ling back to reality. When he came to his senses, he saw Ye Qing's smiling face, which he was already used to seeing.

"It's a birthday after all, so it's better to have a lively celebration. That way, our party's leading lady will be happy," Xiao Ling said with a light laugh.

Her wish had been absent for far too long.

And today, he is going to give her this belated coming-of-age ceremony.