Chapter 96: Could You Reward Me First?

“Today is Xiaoyu’s birthday.”
Grandfather carefully took out the cake he had hidden, cradling it with gentle hands.
“Since Xiaoyu’s parents divorced, she’s never celebrated her birthday. But turning eighteen is a special day, unlike any other, so I went to the market early this morning to order a cake.”
The cake wasn’t the fashionable kind; its top was piled high with flowers dyed in vibrant colors.
But the old man believed, without a doubt, that young girls loved flowers.
“There’s no lighter in the house, so I had to use the gas stove to light the candles before sticking them on the cake.”
He mused over it as he spoke.
Bian Yang unwrapped the packaging and took out the small candles inside. “Let me do it,” he said.
There was no delivery service here, so his plan to order a cake for her had fallen through. He thought he’d make it up to her when she returned tomorrow.
He hadn’t expected Grandfather to have already prepared everything.
As he lit the candles, the old man watched him and said, “Xiaoyu has never brought classmates home, and she rarely talks about them. Bian Yang, is Xiaoyu alright at school?”
Bian Yang’s hand paused briefly, then continued lighting the candles. “You’re overthinking it.”
Grandfather’s brows remained furrowed. “I take care of her grandmother and the fields at home, so I can’t go to her school. She never tells us what happens there. Even though she always insists she’s fine on the phone, I know she’s trying not to worry us, but I can’t help being concerned. After all, other parents are around for their kids, but Xiaoyu’s parents...”
Mentioning his ungrateful son, he sighed, his voice tinged with age.
“Our Tang family owes this child.”
Bian Yang could understand why Tang Yu kept her troubles at school hidden from her family.
Grandfather’s health was frail and his nature gentle and kind; even if he knew, he couldn’t stand up for her.
“She’s incredible.” Bian Yang glanced through the window and saw the girl smiling brightly, unintentionally lifting the corners of his mouth.
“She’s better than anyone—not only top of her class, but she takes care of herself so well.”
She had walked this lonely path for so long, surely gritting her teeth through it all.
The college entrance exam isn’t the only path for everyone.
But it was Tang Yu’s only chance.
She couldn’t afford to lose.
“Our Xiaoyu took first place again?”
Grandfather’s eyes lit up.
Bian Yang looked at the girl outside, his eyes full of amusement. “Yes.”
Tang Yu was setting out bowls and chopsticks when suddenly the room’s light went out.
She thought the power had failed, but looking up, she saw a glow nearby.
Bian Yang tiptoed over, holding the cake, the candlelight illuminating his refined features. He and Grandfather sang the birthday song together as they approached.
Grandmother joined in, singing along.
Tang Yu straightened up in surprise, watching the scene, her nose stinging and her eyes turning red.

It felt... like a dream.
When the song ended, Bian Yang stepped in front of her and lifted his chin at the girl. “Close your eyes and make a wish.”
Grandfather grinned from the side. “Xiaoyu, hurry and make your wish.”
Tang Yu pressed her hands together and slowly closed her eyes.
She had only one extravagant wish—that every day, every moment in the future would be as blissful as it was now.
Is that too greedy?
Let it be greedy, just this once.
By the time dinner was over, night had fallen and darkness settled in.
Bian Yang had delighted the elders so much that, if not for the lack of space, they would have kept him overnight.
Before leaving, they stuffed his arms with dried mulberries, pickled radishes, and a plucked old hen.
Had he not already carried too much, they would have given him freshly picked hollow-stem vegetables.
As they waited for the bus by the roadside, Bian Yang looked down at her.
“Are you happy?”
“Mm!” Tang Yu nodded vigorously. “Extremely happy.”
Bian Yang put down his things and gazed at her in silence.
The streetlights in the town were dim; from this angle, his gentle features seemed especially soft in the dusky night.
“Really?”
Tang Yu replied with a bright smile, her eyes shining. “Really!”
In the past eighteen years, she had never felt happiness like today.
Everyone she loved was right beside her.
With no one else around, Bian Yang pulled her close, cupping her cheeks in his hands.
“So, am I good?”
He asked.
Tang Yu’s face pressed against his palm, her lashes fluttering, and she whispered a faint “Mm,” just loud enough for him to hear.
“If you know I’m good, then it’s simple.”
Bian Yang smiled mischievously, “I suggest you start liking me sooner, so you don’t waste any time.”
Tang Yu: “...”
“Six hundred points.”
She bit her lip, her face flushing red, reminding him before pushing his hand away.
He didn’t let go, his fingertips grazing her fair skin, slowly and delicately, every touch sending a slight shiver through her, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I remember, but there are seventy days left to the college entrance exam. Before then, shouldn’t I get a little reward? Just a small one, right here.”
He tapped his cheek and smiled. “This spot is fine.”
Tang Yu couldn’t break free, her cheeks puffed out, eighteen and pure-eyed.
Glaring at him, as if accusing him of breaking his promise.
Even angry, she was unbearably adorable.
What could Bian Yang do? Unable to claim a kiss, he surrendered.
But he still threatened her, “When I score six hundred, you’re doomed.”
He squeezed her cheeks, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he eyed her soft lips.
Tang Yu retorted, “With your current grades, that day is probably a long way off.”
Hearing this, Bian Yang couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
He suddenly looked forward to seeing her expression when the exam results were announced.
On that day, he’d collect every kiss he’d had to hold back, though he worried the girl might be so startled she’d cry.
“So it’s settled,” his throat dry.
“Once I start, you’re not allowed to stop me.”
Tang Yu only then realized what “stop” meant, and mortified, tried to leave.
“Tang Xiaoyu.”
The young man gently wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her back into his arms.
She was so thin, he dared not use any force, barely able to hold her.
“I’m not good at sweet words,” he said, his dark eyes unwavering as he gazed at her. “No matter what happens, remember—I’ll always be by your side. Whether you go to any school, whichever path you take, I’ll always be with you.”
Tang Yu’s lashes trembled, her breath catching, as she looked at him in silence.
Dim streetlights fell on both sides of the avenue, his gaze earnest, as if making a solemn promise.
Even years later, whenever she faced hardships, the memory of this day would give her boundless courage and strength.
In the reckless years of youth,
he was like an unguarded city, open to her with reckless abandon, easily conquered.
And such a sincere, pure vow—
whenever she remembered it, she would feel fearless, ready to forge ahead.
A brilliant, beautiful night, it truly was enough to compensate for countless dark days, past and future.