Chapter 16
Lu Yichuan placed the cat back on his lap, temporarily shielding its dignity.
Jiang Heng silently pawed at Lu Yichuan’s leg, sitting with his legs together, more demure than ever before.
It was the cat who was naked, what did that have to do with him, Jiang Heng?
Lu Yichuan chuckled, seeing his posture. “Are you shy?”
The hairless kitten swatted him with its paw.
Its claws were retracted, the swat lacking any force, like a feather brushing against his skin, but it strangely made Lu Yichuan’s heart tremble.
The March rain pattered against the window, the chill spreading through the night air, but the man and cat huddled together in the corner, neither feeling cold.
Jiang Heng had only fallen ill that evening. Despite his earlier display of energy in front of Lu Yichuan, he was still weak, and after a while, nestled in Lu Yichuan’s arms, he became listless.
Lu Yichuan knew he wasn’t feeling well. His cool fingertips gently stroked the kitten’s back, his voice softening into the gentle tone Jiang Heng remembered from the past, amidst the sound of the rain.
“Sleep. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”
Surrounded by the scent of jasmine and cigarettes, Jiang Heng let himself drift off to sleep.
Just as he closed his eyes, he thought hazily:
When did Lu Yichuan start smoking?
After raining all night, the weather finally cleared the next day. The clouds dispersed, and the sky was a clear, washed blue.
It was a beautiful day.
After the continuous spring rain, many flowers had bloomed, painting the park in shades of pink and white.
After his morning jog in the park, Lu Yichuan stopped at the flower shop at the entrance. He had no specific preference for flowers and bought whatever looked bright and vibrant, not bothering with wrapping, returning to the villa with an armful of colorful blooms.
He hadn’t been back to the villa for almost a week, and the recent rainy weather had left a faint musty smell.
Lu Yichuan placed the flowers on the table in the living room and opened all the windows to air out the house. Bright sunlight streamed in, making the dewdrops on the flowers shimmer.
After showering, Lu Yichuan changed into loose-fitting home clothes, pulled up a chair to the table, and began arranging the flowers he had bought.
He arranged the flowers in a wide-mouthed glass vase.
His flower arranging skills were rudimentary. He simply trimmed the stems and leaves and placed them haphazardly in the vase, the wide opening crowded with a colorful, chaotic display.
After arranging the vase, Lu Yichuan went to the kitchen.
The sun was exceptionally generous today, the sky cloudless, and the breeze mild. The crabapple trees outside the courtyard were in full bloom.
Under the light pink cascading crabapple blossoms was the spacious kitchen. Sunlight elongated the shadows of the trees, casting them onto the light-colored wooden floor of the kitchen, creating a dappled pattern.
The tall, aloof man meticulously baked a cake under the crabapple tree.
He lowered his eyes, his movements practiced, as if he had done this countless times, expertly whipping egg whites, mixing ingredients, and pouring the batter into the mold.
Soon, the sweet aroma of cake filled the air.
Jiang Heng learned that it was his birthday from the pet doctor’s computer.
He had only been an adult for a few months when he died, and he hadn’t expected to be twenty-two now.
Four extra years, out of nowhere.
The owner of the American Shorthair finally had a day off and came to the hospital early in the morning to take it home.
Although the shorthair had arrived later than Jiang Heng, it had recovered well and didn’t need to be hospitalized anymore, only needing to come in for injections at scheduled times.
Jiang Heng could have been discharged as well, but the wound on his back hadn’t fully healed, and since Lu Yichuan didn’t have much time to care for him, he remained at the hospital.
The early morning at the pet hospital was, as usual, filled with the symphony of cats and dogs.
Amidst the escalating barks, Jiang Heng quietly finished his breakfast.
The weather was beautiful today. The assistant opened the curtains and brought Jiang Heng to the window to bask in the sun.
The warm sunlight made him drowsy.
Several tall fruit trees were planted outside the window, their branches laden with white pear blossoms. The window was half-open, and the breeze carried the fragrance of pear blossoms inside.
Jiang Heng sneezed and woke up.
The pear blossoms swayed in the wind, and his heart swayed with them.
What was Lu Yichuan doing?
He wondered.
Today was his birthday, and also…the real young master’s birthday.
He was the one who had stolen another’s life. The other boy was Lu Yichuan’s true childhood friend. If anyone should be celebrating a birthday, it should be him.
Jiang Heng felt a pang of sadness, but he knew this was how things should be.
Everyone had returned to their rightful places, and he, the anomaly, shouldn’t disturb them.
Thinking of this, Jiang Heng scratched at the mat beneath him. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about it, but he couldn’t help but imagine what the real young master’s birthday celebration was like.
Would the Jiang family all come back to celebrate with him? Perhaps Lu Yichuan would be there too, all of them gathered around the table, singing happy birthday, then blowing out the candles…
In his eighteen years of life, Zhao Huailan had rarely celebrated his birthday. He used to think it was because he wasn’t obedient or good enough.
But as he grew older, and Zhao Huailan and Jiang Zhiming’s business grew bigger and they became busier, he realized that it wasn’t because he wasn’t good enough, but because, in their eyes, he wasn’t as important as money.
The real young master must be different, right?
He had no blood ties with them, but the real young master did.
One’s own child was always different.
Back then, Jiang Heng had resented them. He didn’t understand why they treated him differently, even though they were both their children.
But now he realized that everything had been foreshadowed.
It wasn’t that they didn’t love, but that the one they loved wasn’t him.
The fragrance of pear blossoms intensified.
Jiang Heng rolled over and fell asleep amidst the scent of pear blossoms.
Lu Yichuan baked the cake slowly, discarding five or six attempts before finally settling on one he was satisfied with.
Fortunately, he had plenty of time to make a perfect cake.
The sun gradually began to set, and he finally finished the cake just as dusk arrived. He left the cake in the kitchen, changed his clothes, and went out to buy groceries.
The supermarket in the gated community offered home delivery, so there were very few people shopping there. However, some people still enjoyed the experience of selecting their own groceries.
The woman standing next to Lu Yichuan occasionally saw him at the supermarket, so they were somewhat acquainted. Seeing him, she greeted him. “Xiao Lu, buying groceries?”
Lu Yichuan weighed a potato in his hand, deemed it satisfactory, and placed it in his bag, exuding an aura of gentle warmth.
“Yes, buying some groceries for dinner.”
The woman noticed the smile in his eyes. “Cooking for someone? You look happy.”
The man continued shopping, answering casually, “A younger brother. It’s his birthday today.”
“No wonder…” The woman smiled. “It seems you have a good relationship. But I’ve never seen your younger brother before.”
He patiently explained, “He doesn’t go out much, so it’s normal that you haven’t seen him.”
The woman followed him to the meat section, her curiosity piqued. Although she knew it was a bit impolite, she couldn’t help but ask, “We’ve known each other for so long, and I’ve never heard you mention having a younger brother. How old is he? Does he live with you?”
Lu Yichuan’s hand, reaching for some shrimp, paused slightly. Plop! A palm-sized shrimp jumped out of the net, splashing water everywhere.
He put down the net and scooped up another batch.
“He lives with me. He’s twenty-two.”
He said.
“He would be twenty-two this year.”
…
“Little guy, it’s dinner time!”
The assistant poured cat food into the bowl, then thought for a moment and opened a can of wet food, pouring it on top of the dry food.
Normally, she would mix the wet and dry food together, but after several days of observation, she noticed that this little cat didn’t seem to like mixed food, so she left the wet food on top, like a cake topping.
Looking at the canned food in front of him, Jiang Heng chuckled inwardly.
He thought he must be the first cat to have a canned food cake.
Where the assistant couldn’t see, Jiang Heng picked up five pieces of kibble and placed them on top of the canned food – two on each side and one in the middle.
His simple twenty-second birthday cake.
…
Lu Yichuan began placing candles on the cake, exactly twenty-two of them.
The cake sat in the center of the table, surrounded by cooked dishes. The aroma of the food mingled with the sweet scent of the cake, creating a peculiar mix.
He turned off the lights.
The night was quiet, and the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard bloomed silently.
Lu Yichuan flicked on his lighter.
The window was open, and the flame flickered in the breeze. He shielded the flame with his hand and carefully lit all twenty-two candles.
…
After placing the “candles,” it was time to make a wish.
Jiang Heng adjusted his posture, trying to look more serious and solemn.
When he was young and carefree, his biggest worry had probably been what to eat the next day.
He had made all sorts of whimsical wishes, and someone always helped him fulfill them.
So later, his wish became:
I hope Lu Yichuan studies hard and earns lots of money to support me.
For many years after that, his wish remained the same, unoriginal.
And this year…
Jiang Heng crouched in front of his “cake” and slowly closed his eyes.
I hope Lu Yichuan is happy, and if possible…
Please forget Jiang Heng.
He opened his mouth and gently blew.
Happy birthday, Jiang Heng.
…
“Happy birthday, Jiang Heng.”
Candlelight illuminated Lu Yichuan’s face, his voice slow and gentle.
“Twenty-two years old. My Rongrong is a big boy now. Let me see, you should have graduated by now. But Rongrong is so clumsy, he must be struggling with his thesis, probably not in the mood to celebrate his birthday.”
“Not only the thesis, but you also have to find a job.”
“I should have started a company, so you could come work for me. Then your birthday wish would have come true; me earning lots of money to support you.”
Lu Yichuan chuckled.
“I’m sorry…”
He murmured.
“For disappointing you. I didn’t start a company, and I didn’t earn lots of money.”
No one responded. The candles burned silently, soon half-melted, the wax dripping onto the frosting, melting and re-solidifying into ugly craters.
“Rongrong, it’s time to blow out the candles.”
A breeze came through the window, making the candle flames flicker, but none went out.
“Happy birthday…”
He said again.
The candlelight illuminated Lu Yichuan’s face.
He was still smiling, his eyebrows curved in a joyful arc, but his eyes, in the orange glow, gradually reddened.
Until finally, the candles burned out.
The sweet smell of the cake mingled with the scent of melted wax. The food on the table had grown cold, the once enticing aroma turning into a nauseating smell.
The world fell into darkness.
