Chapter 18: Happiness

"Lucky day—Old Wolf treats me to chicken~"

Li Cheng rode his bike happily, the fine rain drifting from the sky doing nothing to dampen his joy.

In Tan Liu's envelope to him, besides his rightful daily wage, there was five thousand yuan in bonus—quite a substantial "fortune" for a high school student who hadn't yet entered society.

His once-dwindling savings were replenished again; Li Cheng turned the corner on his bike, heading toward the supermarket, muttering to himself: "Buy some high-calorie near-expiry food, and a new pair of shoes—these ones are starting to come unstuck after being soaked in rain."

A familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.

Ye Jiaying, carrying a cello case on her back and holding an umbrella in one hand, was being harassed by a middle-aged man in a suit, holding a professional camera.

"Miss, listen to me—I'm really a talent scout. Have you heard of Starlight Entertainment? The big company behind the hottest idol survival show lately. Here's my business card."

The talent scout walked ahead of Ye Jiaying in the rain, earnestly explaining: "Your condition is excellent—your physique, appearance, and aura all exceed the standard. You're carrying a cello, so you love music, right?"

"One year of trainee training, one year of artist training, one year of artist management—you can debut as an idol in three years."

He walked too fast, didn't watch his step, nearly stepped into a puddle and stumbled, then quickly steadied himself and kept urging: "Maybe you can't make such a big life decision yet—why not take my card, let your parents talk to me? You can even hire a lawyer or an agent!"

No wonder this talent scout was so eager to flatter—after all, there's a chasm between one kind of "good-looking" and another.

To ordinary eyes, a seven- or eight-out-of-ten handsome or beautiful person, under flashlights and lenses, reveals every tiny flaw, every imperfection in facial contours—the so-called "camera-unfriendly."

Ye Jiaying's features were exquisitely refined; her facial lines flowed smoothly, her facial depth was nearly perfect—she was born with a star's face.

"."

Hearing the word "parents," Ye Jiaying took a deep breath, quickened her pace, and said politely but firmly: "I'm not interested. Please stop bothering me. Thank you."

The talent scout's face twisted into a bitter gourd; he hurried forward and blocked Ye Jiaying's path: "But it's such a pity, miss—your condition—"

"Hey, old man!"

A lazy, carefree voice came from behind. Li Cheng jumped off his bike with effortless swagger, strode over with arrogant steps, glanced at the talent scout, and clicked his tongue: "Are you harassing my girlfriend?"

"Huh?"

The talent scout looked utterly bewildered. Li Cheng rolled up his pant legs, tilted his eyes, oozed street-smart sleaze—he looked every bit the delinquent hoodlum.

Ye Jiaying froze for a moment, then broke into a smile, perfectly in sync—she subtly shifted the umbrella to shield Li Cheng from the drizzle, leaned lightly against his shoulder, and cooed sweetly: "You're here?"

Instantly, the talent scout's expression turned bizarre, as if watching a graceful, elegant flower being calmly planted into a pile of cow dung: "You—"

"What 'you'? Hand over the camera."

Li Cheng snatched the camera without hesitation, quickly operated it, and deleted every photo that had captured Ye Jiaying in the street scene.

He then tossed the camera back at the talent scout, snatched the business card, and read aloud the name and address on it: "You live in the city, right? Don't let me or my girlfriend run into you again—or I'll beat you every time I see you, then come to your house to dump shit, slash your tires, and piss in your gas tank."

Li Cheng's attitude was wildly arrogant; he jabbed his index finger into the talent scout's chest: "Don't act tough in front of me, got it?"

With that, he tore the card in half with one hand, wrapped his arm around Ye Jiaying, and turned the corner, leaving the talent scout stunned in the rain and wind.

The two, now far away, gradually slowed to a stop, exchanged glances, and burst out laughing together.

"Hahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

They laughed for a long while, until the rain intensified, then ducked under the bus stop's awning to shelter.

Vehicles kept passing, crushing roadside puddles, shattering the city's neon reflections on the water.

The misty dampness brought by the rain spread silently; Li Cheng pointed at the cello on the girl's back: "You go out to practice even on rainy days?"

"Rain or shine," Ye Jiaying shrugged. "I don't even know what good learning the cello will do me, but I've studied for so many years—I can't find a reason to quit suddenly. By the way, you? Why are you out in this downpour?"

Li Cheng let his rolled-up pant legs drop back down, speaking casually: "Me? Working."

Ding-ding-ding.

His phone rang—it was Mu Yulu calling.

"Hello, Xiao Cheng?"

Mu Yulu's voice on the other end sounded dull: "I'm at the hospital—my mom's condition isn't stable, I need to stay with her. I can't make it to your birthday. Sorry."

"It's fine. Just take good care of your mom."

Li Cheng whispered comfortingly.

As a long-time friend, he knew Mu Yulu's family wasn't well-off. Her mother had been chronically ill, undergoing constant surgeries; her father had to take two jobs just to make ends meet.

With a complicated mood, Li Cheng hung up the call, propped his chin on his palm, and stared at the glistening curtain of rain ahead.

After a moment's hesitation, Ye Jiaying asked softly: "Is today your birthday?"

"Mm-hmm."

Li Cheng smiled. This wasn't even the worst birthday of his life—when he was six, he'd devoutly wished for his parents to appear, so his aunt had carefully explained exactly how his father had abandoned him.

As if she already knew the answer, she didn't ask why he wasn't home so late. Ye Jiaying stopped swinging her legs, and said seriously: ". Close your eyes, wait a moment—I'll tell you when to open them."

"Huh?"

Confused, Li Cheng shut his eyes, listening as light footsteps walked away, then returned a while later—Ye Jiaying's voice came to his ear: "Open your eyes now~"

Li Cheng opened his eyes to see a four-inch fruit cake sitting on the bench beside him, with a candle stuck in it—clearly bought hastily from a nearby bakery.

"Ta-da~ Birthday cake~"

Ye Jiaying exclaimed in the tone of Doraemon pulling out a magical gadget: "Effect: improves your mood, makes you happy all year long."

She struck a match, lit the candle, then snapped her fingers right in front of Li Cheng's dazed face to snap him back to reality: "Take a photo, make a wish~"

Coming to his senses, Li Cheng quickly pulled out his phone; beside him, Ye Jiaying clapped gently and hummed the birthday song under her breath.

"Happy birthday to you-le, happy birthday to you-le, happy birthday to you-le, happy birthday to you-le."

For some reason, Li Cheng didn't take a photo—he recorded a video, capturing the girl's singing.

"Did you make a wish?" Ye Jiaying blinked her eyes.

"Mm."

"What was it?" Ye Jiaying pressed.

"Uh… better not say."

"?? Why?"

"A wish loses its power if you speak it out," Li Cheng explained seriously. "Once on my birthday, I had just blown out the candles and was still whispering my wish when the deceased's family threw me out of the funeral hall."

"???" Ye Jiaying blinked, then burst into laughter and punched him lightly, assuming he was joking.

Ding-ding-ding.

From the girl's pocket, her phone rang—the caller ID showed 【Mom】.

"."

With visible speed, the lively spark in Ye Jiaying's eyes vanished. She turned slightly, lowering her head, and answered the call. "Hello, Mom?"

"What time is it?! Get home now!"

From the other end came the same clear but sharply irritable voice of a woman—clear even without speakerphone. "It's almost dark!"

"I'm already waiting at the bus stop."

"Come home right away! Don't you know the midterm exams are coming? You've only got one year left until Gao San—if you don't seize every minute now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

"I know."

Ye Jiaying slowly hung up, turned to face Li Cheng, and put on her bright smile again. "Family's calling—I should go?"

"Mm-hmm."

Every family has its own hard-to-sing song. Li Cheng, fork in hand, pressed his lips together. "Be careful."

(End of Chapter)