Chapter 264: Going With the Mistake

In the warm glow of the candles lie heartfelt wishes.

The moon and stars weave your crown of years.

May the fragrance of flowers and the sweetness of honey accompany you year after year.

Happy birthday to you—no matter where your heart lies, the blessing endures—

The exaggerated operatic voice sang the birthday song widely known in the magical realm, its melody echoing through the cottage, mingling with the crackle of burning candles, reaching every ear.

The entire Fang Ting City squad, regardless of what they had been doing, set down their tasks and turned in unison toward the cake's top, where the "37" blazed brightly.

No one spoke, for whether Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, Bai Jingxuan, or Cuique herself, all were processing the actual meaning of this sight—and for Cuique, what she had to contemplate far exceeded what the juniors faced.

Undoubtedly, the immediate test she now faced was how to explain the candle's reaction.

Should she pretend ignorance and falsely claim the candle was faulty? Or immediately reveal that this candle had just measured magical activity, proving it had nothing to do with "astrology"? Or force the lie that she herself had ignited it, since she saw the candle unused and used a spell to light it?

All three options seemed implausible. First, the initial option was clearly an attempt to forcibly twist facts using her own credibility: though this candle was unquestionably a street-market product, it had indeed functioned normally. If any junior ever used this same candle again on a birthday, her lie would be exposed, sparking even more suspicion.

The second option—ignoring the fact that she, as Cuique, should not know what the daughter and others had told Lin Yun about the candle's function—even if she bypassed that issue and revealed the candle's true purpose, how would she explain her own elevated magical activity caused by nervousness?

As for the third option, it was logically untenable from the start: she had merely passed by, yet the candle ignited, with no preparatory spellwork whatsoever. Using such an excuse to deceive her daughter bordered on treating her as a fool.

Behind all these options lay a far greater contradiction: if she stubbornly denied that today was her birthday, what date would she give when asked for her real birthday? If she invented a false date, wouldn't she then need even more lies to cover it?

Cuique, for a moment, could not decide.

But her silence did not mean the juniors would remain quiet. As Lin Xiaolu gradually grasped the true meaning of the scene before her, she first slowly opened her mouth, then exclaimed in utter astonishment:

"Is today also your birthday, Cuique?"

Those words instantly revived the nearly frozen air.

Bai Jingxuan, equally stunned, first glanced at the candle, then shook the arm Cuique held with her, clearly seeking an explanation. Xia Liang, who already knew part of the truth, feigned surprise beside her and echoed Lin Xiaolu: "What a coincidence?"

"But Cuique, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Lin Xiaolu had already risen to her feet: "We had no idea at all that today was your birthday!"

"No, how should I say it—today isn't actually my…" Unwittingly, today had been declared her birthday; the speed of events left Cuique struggling to keep pace. She tried to discard her prepared scripts and retract the conclusion that today was her birthday—but then, silently, she realized how powerless language could be in such moments.

"What a coincidence—it's the same day as my dad's?"

Lin Xiaolu, however, was now fully captivated by the shocking revelation, completely ignoring Cuique's attempts to object: "I've never met anyone before whose birthday falls on the same day as mine!"

"Why didn't you tell us, Teacher?"

Bai Jingxuan also spoke with mild displeasure: "If it weren't for the candle, would we have never known today was your birthday?"

"I already said—it's not that I didn't tell you, it's because today isn't my…" Cuique sighed, trying to remain calm and explain rationally. But she found her voice drowned out by the birthday song playing from the candle.

She very much wanted to raise her voice, yet doing so now might seem suspicious—she was momentarily at a loss.

"Alright, let's get this party started, team!"

Lin Xiaolu, completely disregarding everything else, flipped up from her chair, rubbing her hands together: "Thank goodness half the cake's still left—we need to prepare for the second half of the birthday celebration!"

As she spoke, she walked over to Cuique and nudged her shoulder: "The birthday person should sit over there. Now that we know today's your birthday, we absolutely must celebrate properly."

Didn't anyone wonder why "Cuique" and "Lin Yun" shared the same birthday?

Cuique fell silent.

For the first time in a long while, she felt the gulf between her thoughts and those of the young. Seeing that Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan showed no suspicion whatsoever, Cuique found her earlier deliberations over pros and cons laughable.

So, should she now go along with it and admit today was her birthday?

Admitting it would undeniably relieve her pressure.

If she insisted it wasn't her birthday and fabricated a false date, she'd need more lies to cover that date—and more lies still to cover those lies. Falsehoods never become truth through accumulation; the more lies piled up, the greater the risk of exposure.

After careful thought, Cuique realized that, given the accident had already occurred and Lin Xiaolu harbored no suspicion, admitting the truth carried far less risk than stubbornly denying it.

This contrast in risk ultimately led her to accept the cake Lin Xiaolu offered.

"Sorry, I haven't celebrated my birthday in many years. Honestly, sometimes I forget I even have one."

Holding the cake plate, she spoke words half-truth, half-excuse: "So I thought I had no need to celebrate it…"

"I've already made a cake for my dad!"

Lin Xiaolu widened her eyes, scolding Cuique with rare reproach: "At this point, if you still won't say anything, aren't you deliberately making us miss your birthday?"

"But that was the cake you made for your father."

Cuique sighed helplessly: "If I stepped forward to say today was my birthday, I'd only add unnecessary burden to you all."

"But if you don't say anything, and if it weren't for Dad… Uncle's birthday, we'd have truly missed yours."

Bai Jingxuan still clung to Cuique's other arm: "Birthdays are important. Not celebrating is such a waste."

"Exactly! Cuique, you're too indifferent about your own affairs!"

Lin Xiaolu nodded: "You absolutely must speak up—otherwise, it's an absolute regret for everyone!"

Cuique didn't know what exactly was regrettable.

But she knew she shouldn't raise this question now, so in the end, she sighed in resignation:

"Alright, I understand. Next time something like this happens, I'll tell you in advance."

After saying this, she sat down beside the table, picked up a fork, stared at the cake, and felt a strange mix of amusement and melancholy.

To have celebrated two birthdays in one day, with the same group of people, under different identities—this strange experience was surely exceedingly rare.

Amid the juniors' renewed chorus of "Happy Birthday," it all felt like an extension of the tavern's video call—Cuique now stepping into the frame in Lin Yun's place, sitting before the cake, and taking a bite.

Thus, this February 14th—once profoundly special to Cuique, and still so today—finally came to an end.

"The cake is very sweet."