Chapter 18: Happiness

“Good luck today, the big bad wolf is treating himself to chicken~”

Li Sheng pedaled his bike with a grin, the fine drizzle falling from the sky doing nothing to dampen his high spirits.

Inside the envelope Tan Liu had given him, besides his earned daily wage, was a five-thousand-yuan bonus. For a high school student who hadn't even stepped into the real world yet, it was truly a "massive fortune."

His empty coffers, once reliant on burning through savings, were now replenished. Li Sheng steered his bike around the street corner, heading toward the supermarket, and muttered to himself, "I’ll buy some high-calorie short-dated food, and maybe a new pair of shoes; the ones I’m wearing are starting to come apart at the seams from the rain..."

A familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.

Ye Jiaying, carrying a cello case on her back and holding an umbrella in one hand, was being pestered by a middle-aged man in a sharp suit wielding a professional camera.

"Listen to me, young lady, I really am a talent scout. Have you heard of Lehua Entertainment? It’s the major company that hosted the most popular idol audition show recently. Here is my business card."

The scout walked ahead of Ye Jiaying in the rain, trying hard to explain, "Your qualifications are incredible—your posture, your looks, your temperament, they all exceed the standard. You’re carrying a cello, so you love music, right? One year of trainee training, one year of artist grooming, one year of artist management—you could debut as an idol in just three years..."

Walking too fast and too carelessly, he almost stepped into a puddle and stumbled. He quickly steadied himself and continued his pitch, "I understand you might not be able to make such a major life decision on your own. Why don't you take my card and have your parents talk to me? You could even hire a lawyer or an agent!"

It was no wonder this scout was being so ingratiating; there is a vast chasm between "good-looking" and "good-looking."

The seven- or eight-out-of-ten beauties that average people see are often "unphotogenic," as the glare of flashbulbs and camera lenses ruthlessly expose every minor facial flaw or uneven angle.

Ye Jiaying’s features, however, were exquisite. Her face shape was fluid, and her facial structure had a perfect, three-dimensional quality—she was a born star.

"..."

Hearing the word "parents," Ye Jiaying took a deep breath, quickened her pace, and said politely but firmly, "I’m not interested. Please stop harassing me, thank you."

The scout’s face crumpled like a bitter melon. He hurriedly caught up and blocked her path. "But it’s such a pity, young lady, your potential..."

"Hey, old man!"

A cocky, insolent voice rang out from behind. Li Sheng jumped off his bike with effortless style and approached with a swaggering, arrogant gait. He glanced at the scout and clicked his tongue, "Are you harassing my girlfriend?"

"Huh?"

The scout looked bewildered. Li Sheng, with his pant legs rolled up and a sneering glint in his eyes, looked every bit the part of a street-roaming delinquent.

Ye Jiaying was stunned for a second, then a smile bloomed on her face. With perfect synchronization, she tilted her umbrella to shield Li Sheng from the drizzle, leaned against his shoulder, and purred in a sweet, affected voice, "You’re here?"

In an instant, the expression on the scout’s face became remarkably colorful, as if he were watching a fresh flower being calmly and elegantly stuck into a pile of manure. "You two..."

"You what? Give me that camera."

Li Sheng snatched the camera without hesitation. With a few deft movements, he deleted the photos of Ye Jiaying that the man had taken.

He tossed the camera back to the scout, snatched the business card, and read the name and address aloud. "You live in the city, right? Don't let me or my girl see you again. If I do, I’ll beat you up every time I see you. I’ll go to your house, splash manure on your door, slash your tires, and pee in your gas tank."

Li Sheng’s attitude was incredibly aggressive as he poked the scout in the chest with his index finger. "I’m a minor, buddy—I’ve got the Protection Act on my side. Don't go acting tough in front of me, you hear?"

He tore the business card in half with one hand and, arm around Ye Jiaying, turned the corner, leaving the scout disheveled in the wind and rain.

Once they were a safe distance away, the two slowed down, locked eyes, and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

They laughed for a long while until the rain intensified, forcing them to take shelter under a bus stop awning.

Cars whizzed by, crushing the puddles and shattering the neon reflections of the city on the water's surface.

The damp, misty air brought by the rain spread in silence. Li Sheng pointed to the cello on the girl's back. "You’re heading out for lessons even in this weather?"

"Rain or shine," Ye Jiaying shrugged. "I don’t know if playing the cello will be of any use later, but I’ve been at it for so many years that I can’t find a reason to suddenly quit. By the way, what about you? Out in such heavy rain?"

Li Sheng rolled his pant legs back down and said breezily, "Me? Working."

*Ring-ring.*

His phone rang. It was a call from Mu Yulu.

"Hello, Xiao Sheng?"

Mu Yulu’s voice on the other end was heavy. "I’m at the hospital—my mom’s condition is unstable, and she needs someone with her. I can’t make it for your birthday. I’m sorry."

"It’s okay. Just take good care of your mom," Li Sheng said softly.

As long-time friends, he knew Mu Yulu’s family situation wasn't good. Her mother was chronically ill and required constant surgeries, forcing her father to work two jobs to make ends meet.

With a complex heart, Li Sheng hung up and rested his chin on his palm, staring at the crystalline curtain of rain ahead.

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Jiaying asked in a low voice, "Is it your birthday today?"

"Yeah."

Li Sheng smiled. It wasn't the worst birthday of his life—when he was six, he had prayed with all his might for his parents to appear, only for his aunt to explain in great detail exactly how his father had abandoned him.

As if she already knew the answer, she didn't ask why he wasn't going home so late. Ye Jiaying stopped swinging her legs and said seriously, "...Close your eyes. Wait a second. Don't open them until I tell you."

"Eh?"

Confused, Li Sheng closed his eyes. He heard her footsteps fade away and then return a while later. Then, Ye Jiaying’s voice echoed by his ear: "Open your eyes~"

Li Sheng opened his eyes to see a four-inch fruit cake sitting on the bench beside him, complete with a lit candle. She must have bought it at a nearby bakery on the fly.

"Ta-da! Birthday cake!"

Ye Jiaying used the tone one might use when pulling a magical gadget out of Doraemon’s pocket, adding dramatically, "Its effect is to make your mood better and keep you happy for the whole year."

She lit the candle with a match and snapped her fingers in front of the stunned Li Sheng to bring him back to reality. "Take a photo and make a wish~"

Li Sheng came to his senses and pulled out his phone, while Ye Jiaying clapped her hands and hummed the Happy Birthday song softly.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you."

For some reason, Li Sheng didn't take a photo; instead, he recorded a video, capturing the girl's singing voice.

"Did you make a wish?" Ye Jiaying blinked.

"Yeah."

"What did you wish for?" she pressed.

"Uh... it’s better not to say."

"?? Why?"

"If you say a wish out loud, it won't come true," Li Sheng explained with a straight face. "Once, on my birthday, I just blew out the candles and was talking about my wish when I got kicked out of the funeral parlor by the bereaved family."

"???" Ye Jiaying was stunned for a moment before she burst into laughter and playfully punched his arm, assuming he was joking.

*Ring-ring.*

The girl’s phone rang in her pocket. The caller ID read: [Mom].

"..."

The lively sparkle in Ye Jiaying’s eyes vanished with visible speed. She turned slightly, buried her head, and answered the phone. "Hello, Mom?"

"What time is it?! Why aren't you home yet!"

A woman’s voice, equally clear but exceptionally irritable, came from the phone—loud enough to be heard even without the speaker on. "It’s almost dark!"

"I’m already at the bus station waiting for the bus..."

"Get back here! You know the midterms are coming up, and there’s only one year left until the college entrance exams. If you don't seize every single second now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!"

"I know..."

Ye Jiaying hung up slowly and turned to face Li Sheng, a bright smile forced back onto her face. "My mom is nagging me, so I’d better go?"

"Yeah."

Every family has its own troubles. Holding his fork, Li Sheng pursed his lips. "Get home safe."