Chapter 60: Birthday Wish
Bai Luochuan wanted to try out the kite as soon as he got it. Mi Yang persuaded him, “There’s no wind today. I’ll go with you to try it on your birthday.”
Bai Luochuan nodded. “Okay.”
He held the kite and placed it on the table, where it took up a large space. He stood there, admiring it, unwilling to leave. He suddenly said, “Why isn’t your name written on it?”
Mi Yang was curious. “Why would my name be written on it?”
Bai Luochuan said, “Don’t the creators usually have to sign it? I’ll add it for you.” He said as he went to get a pen and wrote Mi Yang’s name next to his own. The two names were side by side, and he looked even more satisfied.
The kite couldn’t be played with now, so Bai Luochuan took Mi Yang to the sofa, and they unwrapped his gifts together. The most gifts came from the Luo family, all of which were high-end toys that children liked. Mi Yang helped him unwrap two of them. His gaze fell on the laptop beside him. At first, Mi Yang didn’t recognize it, because it was different from the later thin and light versions. The current laptops were thicker and heavier, and square. If it weren’t for the “IBM ThinkPad” logo on it, Mi Yang almost wouldn’t have recognized it.
Seeing him look over, Bai Luochuan opened the laptop for them to play together. “My little aunt sent this. Do you want to play?”
After it was opened, the keyboard slid out, expanding the laptop by a circle. The design was very unique, looking like a butterfly about to take flight.
With that, Mi Yang recognized it. He had a cousin in his previous life who was particularly fond of collecting these electronic items and had even told him about some of them. But to Mi Yang, who was fond of ancient books, these black electronic products all looked the same. Only this one Mi Yang remembered clearly, because of its special design, it had always been a popular collector’s item, nicknamed the “Butterfly Machine.”
Mi Yang reached out and touched the keyboard. Sure enough, the new one felt much better than the antique computer collected in later generations.
Bai Luochuan opened the computer and played a game with him. He suddenly said, “Ji Bai’an has gone home to study.”
Mi Yang looked up at him. The young master Bai pouted and complained in a low voice, “My mom also wants me to go. She insists that I go to that boarding school. She praises it to the skies, but I don’t want to go at all.”
Mi Yang tried to comfort him, “Maybe the school’s conditions are very good?”
Bai Luochuan said, “What’s so good about it? I took classes there for two weeks, and it wasn’t good at all!”
Mi Yang said again, “But I heard the playground is very big, and you can also learn to swim and play tennis…”
Bai Luochuan pinched his cheek, pulling at the soft flesh. Mi Yang’s little face was distorted, and he blinked his eyes, unable to speak. The young master Bai threatened him, “Whose side are you on, hmm?”
Mi Yang said vaguely, “Your side.”
Only then did the young master Bai let go. He had pinched him with just the right amount of force, and his little face was not red at all.
Bai Luochuan lay in the pile of gifts, still grumbling, not wanting to go to school.
He probably thought he was going to be separated from Mi Yang. Even though he had just received a swallow kite as a birthday gift, he couldn’t be very happy. His little face was furrowed, as if it were a matter of life and death, his expression serious.
Mi Yang had tried to tell him several times but was stopped. The young master Bai wouldn’t let him speak at all, waving his hand. “You listen to me. I also have something for you. You can take it back with you this time.”
Bai Luochuan took Mi Yang’s hand and went upstairs together. He pushed open the door and showed Mi Yang a small box on the floor, beckoning for him to come and see. “These are all rolls of film. I remember you have a Kodak camera. This will be just right. You take a picture every day, then call me every three days and write me a letter once a week. Remember to put a picture in the letter…” He reminded him, his little face sad. “Anyway, you’re not allowed to forget me, you hear?”
Mi Yang squatted beside him and tilted his head to look at him.
Bai Luochuan said impatiently, “I’m asking you, did you hear me?”
Mi Yang grinned, showing his little white teeth, and bumped his shoulder against his. “Hey, do you want me to go to school with you?”
Bai Luochuan said, “Of course. But you can’t go to Shanghai…” He stopped abruptly, turned to look at Mi Yang, and his eyes widened. “No way. Mi Yang, did your parents agree to let you go to school with me? Are they letting you go?”
Mi Yang said, “Mm, they’re going too. Isn’t Auntie Luo going to open a company? My dad is going to work at Auntie Luo’s company.”
Bai Luochuan was ecstatic. “Then we can be together in the future!”
Mi Yang nodded and also smiled.
The young master Bai laughed foolishly for a while, then his expression suddenly changed. He stared at Mi Yang. “No, you knew all along and didn’t tell me!”
Mi Yang held up his hands in surrender. “No, no, I just found out too. I came to tell you as soon as I could, and I even brought you a kite, right!” He had to mention his contribution, for fear that the little young master would teach him a lesson.
Bai Luochuan pinned him to the ground and started to tickle him fiercely. Mi Yang wasn’t afraid of being tickled anywhere else, but his legs and back were very ticklish. The moment he was touched, his whole body would curl up like a shrimp, and he would laugh until tears almost came out, begging for mercy, “I won’t dare to do it again, I won’t dare to do it again. I was just teasing you!”
Bai Luochuan asked him again, “These three months, did you miss me!”
Mi Yang said repeatedly, “I did, I did!”
“Are you willing to study separately from me!”
“No, I’m not! Aiyo, let go, it’s too ticklish, hahaha!”
…
Mi Yang was taught a lesson, and he laughed until tears came out.
Bai Luochuan said, “How are you reluctant to part with me? I see you’ve been having a lot of fun. And I even brought you your homework and the book Grandpa Wei gave you!”
Mi Yang’s eyes lit up. “Grandpa Wei brought me a book? Where is it? Is it the one about restoration he mentioned last time?”
Bai Luochuan said with a sullen face, “It’s in the drawer of the low table over there.”
Mi Yang immediately crawled over to get it but was held back by the little young master, who said fiercely, “How are you reluctant to part with me? I see you’re just reluctant to part with these stupid books!”
Mi Yang coaxed him, “How could that be?”
Bai Luochuan then pretended to go and open the drawer. The moment his hand touched the book, Mi Yang’s eyes lit up, and he also reached out, saying, “Really, I’m just reluctant to part with you.” He said as his hand touched the book and he was reluctant to let go. “Hey, let go. Let me see the title. What book is this?”
Bai Luochuan narrowed his eyes and looked at him, then pinned him down and pressed on top of him!
Mi Yang let out a muffled grunt from being pressed down. “You’re too heavy. You’re as heavy as a bag of flour. Get off…”
Bai Luochuan ignored him, opened his mouth, and bit his slender, white little neck. Mi Yang let out an “aiyo,” but he was like a little animal that had been caught and couldn’t escape. After a short while, he was whimpering and begging for mercy, “No, no, let go quickly. You’ll break the skin!”
Bai Luochuan ground his little teeth again. Hearing the person beg for mercy a couple more times, he finally let go.
Mi Yang couldn’t see the back, so he reached out and touched it. There was a circle of teeth marks on the back of his neck, quite neat. The young master Bai’s little teeth were super fierce.
He saw Mi Yang touching it and also went over to rub it for him a couple of times. It was quite a deep mark, and it probably wouldn’t fade for a while.
He looked up at the young master Bai. That one didn’t show any remorse at all and even thought that he was the victim. “What’s wrong?”
Mi Yang said in a muffled voice, “I was bitten by a little dog.”
The little dog was so angry he almost bit him again!
Fighting was one thing, but after a short while, they were as close as two peas in a pod.
Bai Luochuan’s happiness lasted until the evening, when it reached its peak.
Mi Yang had no intention of leaving even when it got dark. He just found a book and sat beside Bai Luochuan, reading with relish. Bai Luochuan leaned close to him and asked him in a low voice. Mi Yang said with a smile, “Yes, I’m not leaving. I’m staying for two days to celebrate your birthday.”
The young master Bai was overjoyed and wanted to eat a birthday cake that very night.
Mrs. Bai said, “Luochuan, it’s not your birthday today. You can only eat it tomorrow!”
Bai Luochuan said, “Can’t I have a taste test?”
Mrs. Bai was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry and shook her head. “No, you have to make a wish and light the candles. It will only be effective if you make a wish on your birthday.”
Only then did the young master Bai reluctantly agree.
Mi Yang had come with his small backpack, which looked very full but actually only contained a small pillow.
Bai Luochuan was completely at ease when he saw the pillow. He rushed to put it side by side with his own pillow. At night, the two of them talked for a long while about the new school. The young master Bai was no longer against that school, because he had been there for two weeks and was more familiar with it. He was now proudly showing off to Mi Yang, “It’s very good. The playground is huge, and the lawn is also soft. We can play soccer. I also learned to swim for two days. It’s not hard at all. You’ll know how to do it as soon as you get in the water! When you go, I’ll teach you. The food is also okay. They have the sweet and sour pork ribs you like. They’re very sweet!”
Mi Yang: “…”
It’s clearly the sweet and sour pork ribs you like. You’re the one who likes sweet things, okay!
Bai Luochuan held his hand and swayed it a couple of times. He lay in bed and said happily, “I’m starting to like that school a little.”
The corner of Mi Yang’s mouth twitched. That’s not what you said just now. You even said it was a garbage school!
On Bai Luochuan’s birthday, Mi Yang went with him to fly the kite. The swallow flew very high, like a small black dot in the sky. Bai Luochuan held the string and kept looking at it, wishing he could write “This is my best birthday gift” on his face to show off.
The names of the two of them were written on the swallow kite. Mi Yang squinted his eyes and looked up, feeling that his mood had also flown up to the blue sky, very relaxed.
When they came back in the evening, the two of them ate a cake together.
Before cutting the cake, Bai Luochuan seriously made a wish on the candles. Each one was carefully considered, and he made his wishes slowly.
Mrs. Bai thought it was very interesting and went to get a video camera to record it. Just as she left, Bai Luochuan slowly prepared to put his hands together again. Mi Yang laughed at him, “You haven’t made enough wishes yet? How many is that?”
Bai Luochuan said, “The third one.” He put his hands together and looked at Mi Yang, then suddenly asked, “What gift are you going to give me next year?”
Mi Yang was dumbfounded. This year wasn’t even over, and he was already planning for next year. He joked, “Why don’t I give you our family’s little baby?”
Bai Luochuan wrinkled his nose. “That’s not as good as giving me you.”
His eyes lit up, and he immediately put his hands together and started to make a wish with his eyes closed.
Mi Yang was startled. “Hey, don’t be reckless. What wishes did you make!”
Bai Luochuan had already finished his wish. This time, he was very quick and replied, “I’m not telling you.”
When Mi Yang asked again, he said seriously, “The last wish can’t be said out loud, or it won’t come true.” The young master Bai raised one eyebrow and said in a drawn-out, proud tone, “I’m not telling you!”
Before Mi Yang’s birthday, the whole family had gone to Shanghai. His enrollment was handled by Mrs. Bai. He went to the same boarding school as Bai Luochuan. Because their situations were special, both being grade-skippers, after a re-evaluation by the school, they were placed in the same class. However, the teaching in Shanghai was much better than in the border town. To help them keep up with the bilingual teaching, they had them repeat the third grade for a year, but the two of them were still in the same class.
The two of them were smart but young, and the school also took good care of them. Besides being in the same class, they were also in the same dormitory.
This private, aristocratic school was very famous in the area. The elementary and middle school departments were connected, and the teaching conditions were good. The dormitories were all two-person rooms.
When he went to school, Mi Yang didn’t bring much, just a backpack that was bulging with things.
Bai Luochuan said, “You don’t have to bring so much. The school has everything.” He was about to look, but Mi Yang stammered and stopped him. Bai Luochuan felt it and knew what it was. He opened the backpack, and sure enough, the small pillow immediately popped out, fluffy.
Bai Luochuan teased him, “Oh, your little baby!”
Mi Yang’s face was red. “I’m only bringing this one. I’m used to it.”
The elementary school here had a boarding system. On the first day at school, the two of them were in the same dormitory, each lying on their own small bed. It was very quiet after the lights were turned off. Besides feeling a sense of novelty, Bai Luochuan was also a little homesick. He turned to look at Mi Yang on the bed opposite him, who was already sound asleep, hugging his own small pillow.
Bai Luochuan: “…”
As long as this person has his little pillow, he seems to be able to adapt anywhere, right?
The elementary and middle school departments were together. Mi Yang and Bai Luochuan studied here for seven years. He had originally thought that it would take a lot of effort to adapt to the new environment, but with the young master Bai by his side, it seemed that everything suddenly became as smooth as if he were on a cheat code.
