Chapter 407: with translation of chapter title

The night before Jiang Liangjin's birthday.

Mu Youyu had just met with him and returned, curling up on the sofa in her room, her feelings in turmoil.

A large sketchbook lay open on the table before her; she had drawn for half a day but still couldn't figure out what to draw.

The door was lightly knocked twice; Mu Xi stood outside, waited for a response, then pushed the door open and came in, sitting beside her, his gaze falling on the sketchbook before her, and he spoke gently: "You haven't decided what to give?"

Mu Youyu closed the sketchbook, sighed, and said, "I had thought of it early, but I always feel it's not enough."

She had never perfunctorily prepared a birthday gift for Jiang Liangjin; even in a year when she wasn't there, she had prepared something, which back then was only a half-finished product… recently she had perfected it.

This year is different; this year is his sixteenth birthday, the day the Jiang and Shen families formally transfer authority, and also the turning point when he shifts from being the Jiang family heir to becoming its ruler.

Whatever she gives will seem too light.

Mu Xi reached out and ruffled the top of her hair, saying, "No matter what you give, he will like it."

If Jiang Liangjin dares to dislike it, he's doomed!

"I know." Mu Youyu buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled, "That's exactly why I have to think harder."

Mu Xi looked at her troubled little expression, his lips curling up from being charmed, and asked, "So what do you want to give?"

Mu Youyu lifted her head, thought seriously, and said, "Actually, I've drawn a few pictures…"

She counted on her fingers, and the more she counted, the more disheartened she became.

Mu Xi listened patiently, waited for her to finish, then slowly said, "Have you ever thought about what he most wants?"

Mu Youyu blinked, then truly calmed her mind and began to think in earnest.

What does A Jin most want?

From childhood onward, he and she have had whatever they wanted; almost nothing is lacking.

If one must say what he most wants…

Mu Youyu's ears rarely turned a faint red; she buried her face again in the pillow, a bit shy, and said, "Second Brother, you're just trying to get me to talk."

Mu Xi chuckled, didn't deny it, and said, "So you've been caught? Then as long as you can come tomorrow happy and cheerful, that's fine."

Mu Youyu lifted her head from the pillow, curious, and asked, "Brother, what gift are you giving?"

Mu Xi raised his brows slightly, deliberately keeping it a secret, and said, "I won't tell you."

"Stingy brother." Mu Youyu turned her head away, not looking at him, wearing a little pout.

"All right, our Youbao is the most generous, not quibbling with Brother, okay?"

Mu Xi coaxed her with a smile; seeing she was still a bit sulky, he finally said, "All right, it's a piano—don't be angry."

He is very pleased with this gift; he's even prepared to give away his beloved piano, showing how much he values Jiang Liangjin!

Mu Youyu hesitated and said, "Could it be the one A Jin gave Brother before?"

But speaking of that, she inexplicably recalled the earlier incident with Song Yan's signed photo, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

"Impossible! That's my beloved piano; if he saw it, he'd surely be shocked."

After Mu Xi rebutted, he shifted the topic, his tone indulgent: "You went out to play and came back so late; go to sleep early and stop overthinking—I'll go find A Xin first."

"Okay, Brother, bye."

After Mu Xi left, she reopened the sketchbook, stared at the blank pages for a while, then suddenly thought of something, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Jiang Liangjin: "【A Jin, do you have anything you want?】"

After sending the message, the other party instantly replied: "【You】"

Mu Youyu put her phone on the sofa, waited a while, then picked it up again and typed, feigning calm: "【Seriously, what do you want?】"

Jiang Liangjin's reply came quickly: "【I'm very serious indeed】"

Mu Youyu typed an emoticon: "【humph】"

A Jin: "【If you dress up nicely tomorrow and arrive safely, that will be the best gift.】"

Mu Youyu looked at that message, her mouth involuntarily curling up, but then thought it was too lackadaisical, so she quickly pressed her lips down and typed: "【That's also too perfunctory.】"

A Jin: "【Not perfunctory; I'm serious.】"

Mu Youyu: "【All right, then I'll dress nicely tomorrow.】"

A Jin: "【Whatever you wear will look good.】"

Mu Youyu tossed her phone aside, sank into the sofa, and rolled around while hugging the pillow.

Having calmed her mood and sat up, she picked up her phone again, opened the chat with Lin Ning, and sent a message: "【Ningning, help me see what clothes I should wear tomorrow.】"

Lin Ning's reply came just as quickly: "【Yo yo yo, finally you think to ask me? You used to decide everything yourself.】"

Mu Youyu: "【This time it's different.】"

Ningning: "【How is it different?】"

Mu Youyu: "【It's just different.】"

Lin Ning sent a long string of 'hahaha,' then began to give serious advice: "【Wear a formal dress! Put on a crown, outshine Jiang Liangjin's limelight, make him proud, proud.】"

It's hard not to suspect that this statement mixes in personal grudges.

Mu Youyu, finding that remark useless, typed: "【Good night.】"

The next morning, when Mu Youyu had changed her clothes and come downstairs, the living room already had many people seated.

Grandfather Mu sat in the center, with Mu Xi and Mu Xin seated to his left and right.

Mu Yichen and Mu Yichi had also arrived, and were whispering something with Mu Xianqi; seeing her come down, several people simultaneously looked up.

Grandfather Mu's face instantly broke into a kind smile, and he said loudly: "Hey, our little princess has finally gotten up!"

"Grandfather!" Mu Youyu trotted over to his side and called out sweetly.

Mu Xin's lips curved as he said, "Dear, the formal attire is already ready; shall we go look now and change later?"

Mu Xi nodded, "The makeup artist is also here."

Mu Youyu's mind was full of the birthday banquet; she completely failed to notice where the individual brothers who were said to be coming had gone, turned and followed the two brothers to look at the attire, "Okay!"

Song Huaixian, who had been hiding to surprise his sister, wore a disappointed look: "I actually got ignored; I'm such a big person and my sister didn't even notice me."

He was clearly just squatting behind the sofa; as long as his sister goes there and turns her head, she can see him!

Song Huaiyu, who had been forcibly pulled over by him to hide from the start, said: "Haha."

Mu Yichen: "Childish."

Mu Grandfather glanced at them and said, "Tidy up, we're about to leave."

Mu Yichi stood up, thinking of his sister, and said, "Let's go, let's first go check on Youbao."

The others followed.

Mu Youyu followed the makeup artist into the room and immediately saw the dress hanging in the middle.