Chapter 429 Xu Xi's Birthday
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone through the sheer curtains into the bedroom, falling on the man's face.
Xu Nian's eyelids fluttered slightly, she stretched lazily, and slowly woke up from her dream.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xu Xi sitting cross-legged beside him, quietly watching him with something indescribable in his eyes, as if shrouded in melancholy.
"Good morning, little flame." Xu Nian yawned.
Xu Xi gave a faint "hmm," her voice barely audible.
Xu Nian didn't notice the strangeness and subconsciously raised her hand to gently wipe the corner of her eye.
Just then, he noticed that Xu Xi had thick dark circles around his eyes.
"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Mmm." Xu Xi rubbed his eyes and responded softly.
Xu Nian chuckled, playfully flicked her nose, and teased, "Can't you sleep because you're thinking about going to the amusement park today?"
Xu Xi remained silent for a few seconds, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, as if he were considering something. Finally, he nodded gently.
Xu Nian was immediately amused and reached out to pinch her soft little face. "You said I was childish, but aren't you just like a child? You're so happy about going to the amusement park that you couldn't sleep all night."
Xu Xi glanced at him indifferently: "You get all excited when you're given a little encouragement, and you're really taking advantage of it. I was just worried about taking this immature kid out to play today, and I couldn't sleep."
Xu Nian scratched her head, smiled and agreed, knowing full well that they were treating her like a child.
As he laughed, his gaze inadvertently swept over Xu Xi's eyes. The faint tear stains had not completely faded, and his eyes were unnaturally red, as if he had just had a good cry.
The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a frown as he wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "It's your birthday today, why are you crying?"
A look of panic crossed Xu Xi's face. He quickly turned his head away, coughed lightly twice, trying to cover up his embarrassment, and said in a low voice, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I watched a TV series. I didn't expect it to be a tearjerker. It really hit my tear ducts."
Hearing this, Xu Nian raised an eyebrow, her worry easing slightly. She murmured softly, "I thought you were someone who couldn't cry."
"It's just a coincidence that people are most sentimental at night." Xu Xi calmed the turmoil in her heart, raised her hand and kicked the man's thigh, her tone returning to its usual indifference, concealing the turmoil in her heart, "Aren't you getting up? If you stay up any longer, the amusement park will be packed."
"Okay, I'm getting up, I'm getting up." Xu Nian quickly replied, nimbly climbed out of bed, put on her slippers, and hurried into the bathroom.
While washing up, he thought of Xu Xi's appearance again: dark circles under his eyes, tear stains, and a panicked look. Something felt off, and he felt a kind of inexplicable repression.
But he couldn't figure out why, so he just assumed it was because it was her birthday and she was being a little emotional, and he didn't think about it any further.
His life has never been very ritualistic. He always skips over holidays like Valentine's Day and Christmas, and he doesn't even remember them.
But everyone's birthday is different and deserves to be celebrated.
Men are always quick to wash up, and in less than ten minutes, Xu Nian finished washing up, changing clothes, and getting ready, waiting for Xu Xi to go out together.
However, Xu Xi's movements were unusually slow. She got up at seven o'clock, but by eight-thirty, she still hadn't come out of the dressing room.
Xu Nian wasn't in a hurry to urge them, but instead sat quietly on the sofa in the living room, petting the cat while patiently waiting.
More than half an hour later, the locker room door was slowly opened.
Hearing the noise, Xu Nian subconsciously turned her head to look in the direction of the stairs. When her gaze fell on that figure, she was instantly shocked and her eyes widened.
Xu Xi was wearing a pink woolen knit sweater, which made her skin look even whiter. She wore loose, casual cotton pants, which made her look less sharp and more gentle. Her hair was tied into pigtails with a small bear hair clip in between. The wispy strands of hair clung to her cheeks. She had shed her usual aloofness and radiated a pure and lovely aura, like a young girl who had never experienced the world.
She wore light makeup, her cheeks flushed with a thin layer of red, and even her eyelids were covered with colored contact lenses, her dark eyes sparkling with a faint starlight.
If it weren't for that slightly raised chin, which still carried a hint of familiar arrogance, Xu Nian would almost have thought that the person standing in front of her was Xiao Xi.
"A little... a little flame?" he asked tentatively, his voice tinged with disbelief, his gaze still fixed on her, unwilling to look away.
He had never seen Xu Xi like this before; she was like a gentle girl next door, shattering all the impressions he had of her.
"Hmm." Xu Xi gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear, her movements soft and graceful. She walked down the stairs step by step, stopped in front of him, and quietly watched him.
Her indifferent attitude made Xu Nian even more certain that he was Xu Xi.
He stood up, looked her up and down, and said with surprise, "Why have you changed your style?"
You know, Xu Xi usually wears dark colors, whether she's going to work or going out with him. She's always capable and aloof. This is the first time he's seen her look so pure and sweet.
"I'm happy today." Xu Xi smiled faintly, a very slight curve appearing at the corner of her lips. Without offering any further explanation, she turned and walked towards the villa's front door. Opening the door, she glanced back at him and said, "Let's go."
Xu Nian nodded quickly, picked up her car keys, and hurried after her as they walked out of the house together.
The light snow that had been falling for days finally stopped, the sky gradually cleared, and the long-awaited sunshine shone on the earth, dispelling the winter chill.
The snow on the roadside gradually melted, revealing the greenery underneath. Everything exuded a sense of revival, and even the wind became much gentler.
Yuncheng Amusement Park is located at the northernmost part of the city, covering an area of 100 hectares, making it the largest amusement park in the city and even the province.
Thanks to this amusement park, Yuncheng attracts countless tourists every year, especially during the winter vacation, when it is packed with people, and laughter fills the air.
Parents with children, friends, and loving couples gathered in this castle filled with laughter, forgetting their troubles and enjoying the present moment.
Xu Nian found a parking space, parked the car, and the two put on masks to conceal their identities, got out of the car together, and entered the amusement park.
As soon as they entered the park, a couple who were playfully fighting rushed past them, their hurried steps almost bumping into them. Xu Nian instinctively shielded Xu Xi behind her.
"Ugh, you idiot! It's all your fault for holding me back!" The girl gritted her teeth, chasing after the boy, pounding his back with her little pink fists. "If you hadn't held me back, I could have won that little pig plushie!"
The boy stopped and grinned at the girl, saying, "Don't be angry, baby. I'll conjure up a little pig doll for you, okay?"
The girl's anger vanished instantly, her reproach turning into anticipation, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "Okay, okay, as long as you can conjure up the piglet doll, I'll forgive you for tricking me earlier!"
The boy chuckled and told her to close her eyes.
Then, he reached out, pressed his thumb against the girl's nose, and gently curved it upwards, revealing two round nostrils that looked just like a pig's nose. "Look, the pig doll is here!"
Realizing she'd been tricked, the girl immediately opened her eyes, adopted an enraged expression, and started chasing after the boy, yelling, "Aaaaah! How dare you trick me! I'm going to kill you!"
The two chased and played around, laughing all the while, but their hands, clasped tightly together, never let go.