Chapter 437

April, the weather in C Shi finally warmed up completely.

Mu Youyu and Mu Xin's birthdays are on April 15, and everyone in the circle knows this.

It's not that they are very high-profile, but every year when this time comes, the people of the Mu and Song families automatically enter a state of high-alert countdown!

This year is especially different; it is the first birthday Mu Youyu has spent after revealing her identity, and also the first birthday Mu Xin has spent with her in such a public setting, which is deeply meaningful.

As early as the end of March, the joint invitation from the Mu and Song families was sent in the most solemn manner to the hands of various prestigious families, business tycoons, and artistic celebrities.

For a moment, the top hotels and private clubs in C Shi were fully booked, with dignitaries from all over rushing to arrive early just to attend this grand event.

Grandpa Mu started making phone calls half a month in advance, confirming each child's schedule one by one.

Expression grave as if deploying some major strategy, afraid anyone wouldn't make it back, "Youbao and Xinbao's birthdays—none of you may miss it, push aside all work!"

Grandma Song worried about another matter, repeatedly examining her granddaughter's dress, feeling it unsatisfactory; finally Yan Yuejiu personally came over, took another measurement, and had two sets remade before she was satisfied.

One set is for wearing at the start of the banquet, the other for changing into at the friends' gathering; Mu Youyu hasn't seen them, and they all say they want to give her a little surprise.

After settling her granddaughter, Grandma Song busied herself arranging the grandson's outfit nonstop.

Mu Nian cleared his schedule a half month ahead for the days before and after his sister's birthday, and Yan Yuejiu also returned from abroad after finishing his business.

Mu Xi didn't have much work to push aside, but he wasn't idle either; he made a long list of everything his sister had recently mentioned wanting, some of which even Mu Youyu herself didn't remember.

Mu Xianqi directly canceled a top-ten domestic partner dinner, not caring about the loss.

Mu Yichen and Mu Yichi rarely managed to secure leave in advance.

Song LuXiao directly came back early; in contrast, Song Lujing has been relaxed all along, constantly being nagged by his grandmother, namely Grandma Song.

Since Song Yusui chose his successor, he's been smug beyond measure, arriving together with Jun Chenling.

Lu Yuchu directly went on strike for a week, and Song Yan took leave from the film crew.

Qing An flew from M Shi to C Shi a week ahead; this time no one kidnapped him, he came willingly on his own, and even brought a large box of gifts!

All of these were gifts he specially picked for his sister by returning to M Guo, each beautifully wrapped with ribbons of different colors.

A few days after his arrival, Ruo Ya and Qing Wei also arrived one after another, and they brought Mu Xianyan with them.

Jiang Liangjin is the busiest among everyone.

After taking charge of the Jiang and Shen families, each day he's either in a meeting or on the way to one, with various sudden matters coming one after another, to the point that even Mu Nian was astonished.

But starting from early March, he had arranged those days in advance, freeing up the time before and after the birthday entirely.

On the afternoon of April 14, after finishing lunch, Mu Youyu invited Lin Ning to go shopping, without calling Jiang Liangjin.

Lin Ning wouldn't not understand her best friend; upon meeting, she lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, "Are you starting to feel nervous?"

Mu Youyu refused to admit it, "What am I nervous about?"

"What do you mean nervous?" Lin Ning bumped her shoulder, winked and smirked, "This year it's not just a birthday banquet."

Mu Youyu pretended not to understand, lowered her head to straighten her skirt, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on, what's our relationship, baby don't be shy, you couldn't have stayed up all night excited, could you?" Lin Ning pulled her into the car, "You couldn't have stayed up all night excited, could you? Dark circles are showing."

That's eyeshadow.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You usually go out to play with Jiang Liangjin at this time, yet today you actually have free time to accompany me shopping?"

"Hey, let's not talk about this; we've arrived at the place, let's go buy things first."

The two chatted as they got out of the car, then took the elevator up, walked around and around, and finally each ordered a strawberry milkshake.

Lin Ning sat resting, seeing her best friend with empty hands while her own bodyguard had carried quite a few things, she said in a languid tone: "What exactly do you want to buy?"

"I don't know, just browsing."

"Just wandering around?" Lin Ning raised an eyebrow, "Our Youbao is acting strange today."

Lin Ning set down her cup, reached out to nudge the milkshake in front of her a bit to the side, made eye contact, and said: "Tell me what you want, sis, I'll treat you today!"

"I really don't want anything..." Mu Youyu stared at that milkshake for a few seconds; the cream on its surface was slowly melting, trickling down the cup wall, like some uncontrollable emotion.

She scooped a spoonful into her mouth and sighed out of the blue: "Ningning, time really flies."

"Fast?" Lin Ning repeated the word, laughed, and said: "Do you feel like you're growing up too fast at sixteen, or that tomorrow—"

"Ningning!" Mu Youyu interrupted her, with a pleading tone.

Lin Ning, sensing the cue, dropped the topic, propping her chin on her hand as she looked at her, her eyes smiling with a knowing look: "All right, I won't say more, baby, think it over yourself."

Mu Youyu didn't speak again, lowered her head and continued eating the milkshake that was still melting.

The two wandered leisurely through the mall for most of the afternoon; Mu Youyu picked out a few items she liked as gifts, while Lin Ning followed behind her.

From the first floor to the fifth, then taking the elevator back down from the fifth, the whole trip was aimless; they grabbed whatever caught their eye, and nobody found it boring.

When they reached the first-floor atrium again, Mu Youyu's steps suddenly slowed.

On the atrium's huge electronic screen, an advertisement for a jewelry brand was playing, showing the backs of a man and a woman standing by the sea.

The afterglow stretched their shadows long, and the image finally froze on a line of warm, moist text:

I give you the rest of my life.

Mu Youyu stared at that line for several seconds before looking away.

Lin Ning reached out and pinched her fingers, saying, "If you want it, just call me a nice-sounding big sister and I'll buy it for you."

Mu Youyu blinked, saying nothing.

Seeing that, Lin Ning found it utterly adorable, and in a sudden burst of enthusiasm she outright bought several matching sets of jewelry at full price, sighing, "Another day of envying Jiang Liangjin."

"……"

Before nightfall, Sister Lin Ning came to pick them up, saying they still had to go back that evening to prepare tomorrow's outfits, so they parted at the mall entrance.

Mu Youyu's driver had been waiting at the entrance; she only opened her phone after getting in the car, and the most noticeable thing was a message from Jiang Liangjin sent ten minutes earlier, the bottommost of which read: "【Have you finished shopping? 【heart】】"

Mu Youyu: "【Finished shopping】"

A Jin: "【Shall I come pick you up?】"

Mu Youyu: "【No need, I'm already in the car】"

A Jin: 【Okay, see you tomorrow】

At midnight on April 15, the Jiang family arrived promptly.