Chapter 90: Birthday Part 3

“Alright, alright, won’t interrupt you lovebirds’ date anymore.” Though thrilled, it was clearly a couple’s outing—she couldn’t keep pestering Tao Zhi. “Go have fun. We’re heading out!”

“Mm-hmm.” Tao Zhi nodded and said goodbye. “Bye, Senior.”

After parting from the senior and her group, Tao Zhi played the pirate ship ride and ran into his roommates plus a few familiar classmates.

Add in the earlier Wei Yu and roommates…

Plus the casually mentioned lottery during chats.

Tao Zhi didn’t ask Fu Si Heng, but he already knew the answer in his heart.

Fu Si Heng had no intention of hiding it from him anyway—it was impossible to conceal.

At nine in the evening, the park put on a fireworks show.

Suddenly, all the lights went out, plunging the world into a second of darkness.

Before Tao Zhi could panic, Fu Si Heng took his hand.

The next instant, a sharp whistle pierced the dark, and brilliant fireworks ignited the sky.

They bloomed and fell, whistles and explosions resounding endlessly.

Tao Zhi stared, transfixed.

The fireworks’ gorgeous colors reflected in his sparkling eyes.

Tao Zhi watched the fireworks.

Fu Si Heng watched him.

His eyes flickered, lips parted, face tilted up toward the nonstop display in the night sky.

In the end, what lingered against the night was:

Happy birthday.

Followed by a small peach motif.

The peach even had two rabbit ears.

This pattern lingered longest in the sky.

In the crowd, someone started with the first “Happy birthday.”

Then others chimed in, louder and louder, overlapping blessings everywhere.

Tao Zhi was a shy boy; his cheeks flushed red, but his eyes shone.

Very brightly.

Brighter than the stars overhead.

…

Next to the castle was the Ferris wheel.

But tonight’s Ferris wheel wasn’t open to the public.

Only to the birthday boy.

Tao Zhi went up with Fu Si Heng. After sitting down, he looked at Fu Si Heng for a moment, then pursed his lips and said, “Fu-ge, thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Fu Si Heng sat across from him.

The Ferris wheel turned slowly. Suddenly, Tao Zhi’s phone buzzed a few times. He pulled it out to check the messages.

The senior was perceptive and recognized the little peach in the fireworks as probably him. She wished him happy birthday and thanked his boyfriend for sponsoring the park.

Tao Zhi looked up at Fu Si Heng again. “Did you book out the whole place?”

Fu Si Heng hummed in affirmation.

While pursuing Tao Zhi, Fu Si Heng had stuck close to him daily and naturally knew who his friends and closer acquaintances were.

He’d invited Tao Zhi’s familiar classmates, roommates, and friends. For the rest, he’d run an online lottery to cap attendance around a thousand.

Lively but not crowded, festive without emptiness.

Tao Zhi was deeply touched.

He wanted to say thanks, but Fu Si Heng wouldn’t let him. Tao Zhi scratched his head, lowered his gaze—which swept the screen—and froze.

“Who?” Fu Si Heng keenly noticed the shift in his little boyfriend’s expression.

Tao Zhi looked up and blinked. “It’s… Fu Zheng.”

“He wished me happy birthday, and…” Tao Zhi said softly, “he asked if I got the gift.”

Fu Zheng’s gift was a camera.

Delivered that morning.

But Tao Zhi hadn’t seen Fu Zheng. He’d found it at the dorm door when leaving that morning.

Tao Zhi replied to Fu Zheng, thanking him and saying he really liked the gift.

After sending it, he set the phone aside and sat facing Fu Si Heng—

One minute passed.

“Baby, come here.” Fu Si Heng called to Tao Zhi.

Tao Zhi obediently stood.

Fu Si Heng had meant for him to sit beside him, but Tao Zhi climbed straight onto Fu Si Heng’s lap instead.

Sidling across sideways.

Fu Si Heng raised a brow in surprise.

Tao Zhi scratched his heating earlobe.

But he didn’t get up, just stared outside intently.

Fu Si Heng chuckled and wrapped an arm around him.

As the Ferris wheel turned slowly, they watched the view. After a while, Fu Si Heng spoke. “Like the camera? Or photography?”

“Hm? It’s okay.” Tao Zhi said, “I don’t have many hobbies. I occasionally snap scenery pics for Moments—probably why Fu Zheng got me a camera. I don’t know how to use one.”

He only knew how to press the shutter.

Fu Si Heng: “I see.”

“Mm…” Tao Zhi nodded and pursed his lips.

Aside from making money, he didn’t have much he liked. All work and no play.

Fu Si Heng glanced at him.

“How about the beach this summer vacation?” Fu Si Heng held him close, chin rubbing his forehead. “I’ll take you diving, surfing, yachting.”

“Then birdwatching, stargazing from mountaintops. Sound good?”

“Once Little Tao saves up enough, we can go to the East African savanna, hot-air balloon over animal migrations.”

“Like animals? You watch documentaries sometimes.”

“…Yeah.” Tao Zhi turned his head back, staring blankly at Fu Si Heng.

“Mm, that’s a hobby too.” Fu Si Heng circled his wrist. “Keep exercising, and on breaks, we’ll go hiking.”

“You could learn an instrument.”

“An instrument?” Tao Zhi blinked. “Don’t you have to start those as a kid?”

“Just for fun—no exams.” Fu Si Heng smiled. “No need to pay a teacher. I can teach you.”

“Anything you’re interested in, I can teach. Try them all slowly, see what you like.”

“Skiing?” Fu Si Heng asked.

“I like it.” Tao Zhi nodded. “But I’m not great.”

“No problem. New Year’s, we’ll hit an advanced slope.” Fu Si Heng said.

The Ferris wheel reached its peak, unfurling the dazzling nightscape like a scroll before Tao Zhi.

Fu Si Heng’s visions of future adventures unfolded like a scroll too.

A smooth, wind-smooth life ahead.

The brave, hardworking little peach had endured all the hardships of his early years.

What remained was a bright, brilliant future.

“Happy birthday.” At the Ferris wheel’s zenith, Fu Si Heng confessed to him.

“I love you.”

– End of chapter –