Chapter 3129: 2925 Happy Birthday

Zheng Ren was like a squirrel, hopping back and forth on the pristine snow. Later he gradually became happy. Although simply repeating one action might be boring for others, Zheng Ren didn't think so.

But this snow seemed much heavier than imagined, having fallen for nearly 36 hours; countless white snowflakes still floated down gently. The streetlights' glow became hazy, and Zheng Ren glanced at the time: 5:45.

Normally Yi Ren gets up at six, but I don't know if she'll get up because she doesn't have to go to work, doesn't make breakfast, is adjusting to the time difference, etc.

If we waited for all the Swedish people to wake up, the bustling crowd would surely trample these four characters.

Zheng Ren habitually considered various possibilities, just like diagnosing an illness—first doing a predictive analysis.

A stout Swedish man walked over with an unsteady gait, his steps slightly staggering.

Zheng Ren felt a headache coming on; it looked like someone who had spent the night drinking at a bar and was heading home in the early morning, still heavily intoxicated.

If that were the case, I'm afraid I'd have waited hours for those words and still not see Yi Ren get up.

But he wasn't overly disappointed; staying by his lover's side and saying good morning when she woke up was enough. As for other surprises, he'd do what he could, and if he couldn't, he'd done his best—no regrets.

The staggering man, bleary-eyed, saw Zheng Ren covered in snow standing on the road and waved from afar: "Friend, let's enter FIKA time—this damned weather!"

Zheng Ren smiled; he vaguely knew FIKA time was a Swedish custom, as Fugui'er had mentioned. Fugui'er especially loved this FIKA time, which she took at least three or four times a day, rain or shine.

Work? Like that 912 job? No way! To Fugui'er, that would be hell, so after winning the Nobel Prize he fled straight to the horizon, not showing his face at all.

"Thanks, but no need." Zheng Ren gave a simple smile and replied in Swedish, "If possible, please..."

Zheng Ren said, gesturing with his hand, drawing a large circle in the air to indicate the drunkard should look at the words on the ground.

"Do you need help, friend?" the drunkard slurred, though standing was difficult, yet he still showed interest in what Zheng Ren was "playing" with.

"No, thanks. Your little fox bag looks great; I hope we have time tonight to sit together for a drink." Zheng Ren said helplessly, afraid the drunkard would barge over and scuff the snow letters, so even that polite offer of a drink slipped out.

He even... complimented the drunkard's little fox bag from a Swedish national brand.

The drunkard smiled, warmly making a wide detour to avoid the area where Zheng Ren had been stomping in the snow for hours, bade him farewell, and headed home.

Zheng Ren exhaled in relief; the people here seemed quite friendly, at least this drunkard was decent.

……

……

Xie Yiren and Chang Yue shared a room, and their biological clock woke Yi Ren at 5:55 a. m.

"Sister Yue, what are you doing?" Xie Yiren opened her eyes, saw Chang Yue scrolling her phone, and asked.

"Just checking my social feed."

Xie Yiren saw the interface wasn't the social feed but a chat window, guessing she was looking at Su Yun's message; she smiled and didn't say much.

"Yi Ren, it's your birthday—guess what Chief Zheng bought you as a gift?" Chang Yue put down her phone but didn't get up, pulling the blanket tightly around herself, turned to face Yi Ren, and asked.

"Maybe he'll give me the Nobel Prize medal." Xie Yiren laughed, "He's so busy every day he hardly has time to buy gifts. And I tell you, Sister Yue, when he goes out his eyes don't focus—his pupils are dilated, unresponsive to light. I suspect he might have a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or at least a controllable one."

"Ha!" Chang Yue laughed loudly, "What if he does?"

"I never want to drag him shopping; we only go to the mall two or three times, and each time I worry he'll suddenly collapse, forcing me to rescue him and call 120." Xie Yiren said with a smile, "Come on, let's go to the train station today to try Swedish coffee. Then we'll head to the mall and let Zheng Ren and them drink coffee all afternoon."

"Too early, I'm not getting up; the jet lag hasn't worn off." Chang Yue yawned.

"It snowed all night; the scenery must be amazing! Get up and let's go see." Xie Yiren got up, put on her pajamas, and went to wash up.

"Sister Yue, Da Chu and Xiao Chu said we should summarize the strategy—what do you think is good?" Yi Ren prepared her toothbrush and asked from the bathroom.

Chang Yue sighed; living with Yi Ren in a less-than-ideal place meant she absolutely couldn't sleep in. She couldn't fathom how her own schedule should be as regular as a clock, given that she had to do rounds and see patients every day.

How could Xie Yiren, an Operating Room nurse, be even more punctual than me? I really just want to sleep well, especially with the jet lag messing things up.

Even a few extra minutes of sleep would be good; nothing beats the sweetness of a second sleep.

Getting out of bed, Chang Yue heard Yi Ren's phone ring—likely a message from Chief Zheng sent early this morning. She pulled back the curtains, saw white snow flying everywhere, the sky still dark, the streetlights still on, the dancing snowflakes so beautiful.

Then she faintly saw a "familiar" snowman in the snow; Chang Yue wondered and moved closer to the window for a look.

Looking down from the third floor, the large "Happy Birthday" four characters appeared in the snow, very conspicuous.

"Yi Ren, Yi Ren!"

"Hmm?" Xie Yiren was brushing her teeth; the electric toothbrush's buzz mixed with her muffled voice.

"Come look quickly!" Chang Yue exclaimed, more excited than when she received a gift, jumping up and down: "Chief Zheng usually looks clueless, but at crucial moments he never drops the ball—he's utterly reliable."

"What's wrong?" Xie Yiren held the electric toothbrush in her right hand; toothpaste foam appeared at the corner of her mouth, one cheek puffed, her hair messy, half-asleep yet somehow cute.

She came to the window and looked down.

"Wow!"

Seeing the "Happy Birthday" four characters, and also seeing Zheng Ren standing there with his hair covered in snow, continually walking back and forth in the snow-covered letters several centimeters deep, Xie Yiren exclaimed in surprise.

"I'll call out to him."

"Don't!" Xie Yiren hurriedly said, "I'm going to wash up… soon… soon…"

With her hair a mess, it wouldn't do; seeing the "Happy Birthday" characters and Zheng Ren, Xie Yiren's astonished mind could think of nothing else.

She had even lost a slipper, didn't bother to pick it up, and rushed back to the washroom to speed up her washing up.