Chapter 46 Part 1

Zhu Lexing gazed at Yan Mian, as if determined to commit every single frame to memory.

Yan Mian assumed she still hadn’t snapped out of it. After thinking for a moment, she extended her hand.

“If you’re really that scared,” Yan Mian said, “then just hold onto me.”

Zhu Lexing’s eyes drifted back down to the girl’s pale palm.

Without a second’s hesitation, she stood up. “We’ve still got to meet other people later. Forget it.”

Yan Mian froze.

Meet people? Who?

Zhu Lexing noticed she wasn’t following and glanced back. “What’re you doing? Come on.”

“If you’re not joining in,” Zhu Lexing said honestly, “then this birthday party holds zero interest for me.”

Yan Mian gave a helpless smile. “This is your birthday. I’m happy just being here.”

Zhu Lexing thought to herself, You’re still the protagonist of this world. If it weren’t for Yan Mian, she wouldn’t even be here, basking in this hollow vanity and fake affection.

But she said nothing more, simply watching Yan Mian in silence.

It took a long moment before the Omega finally sighed and trailed after her.

Even on the short walk, she couldn’t bear to let Zhu Lexing out of her sight. Casually, she ventured, “Does that mean, Lexing, as long as we’re not in front of all these people, we could…”

Zhu Lexing slapped a hand over half her face, trying to physically cool her burning cheeks. “I told you, it’s Zhu Lexing!”

They had barely stepped through the door when a slew of gazes locked onto them—including Liu Su’s.

Only then did Zhu Lexing notice the middle-aged man standing beside her. His eyes were deeply sunken in their sockets, his nose bridge prominent and sharp, radiating an unmistakable aura of stern authority.

He spotted Yan Mian and frowned visibly.

Someone nearby smiled and spoke up. “This must be Miss Yan, right? Your acting in that movie was excellent.”

A few more compliments like that, and his expression eased slightly. He let out a cold snort but said nothing in the end.

The System chimed in for Zhu Lexing’s benefit: 【This is Liu Ting, Liu Su’s father.】

Zhu Lexing could tell he wasn’t pleased with Yan Mian. And he hadn’t spared her a single glance the whole time, so clearly she didn’t interest him much either.

A quick scan of the room revealed elites mingling everywhere, clustered in tight-knit groups. If this was supposed to be Zhu Lexing’s birthday party, it felt more like a showcase for the Liu family’s vast network of connections.

It was like one of those multi-level marketing conventions, where the boss soaks up applause on stage while all the underlings who depend on him for a living whoop and cheer from the crowd.

Zhu Lexing had figured this was some trope-filled script about love defying a powerful clan.

Now? He seemed to dislike both her and Yan Mian equally.

Her guilt eased just a fraction.

Zhu Lin spotted them, his eyes lighting up as he approached. Right then, Zhu Lexing was sliding a dessert onto Yan Mian’s plate.

The sight surprised him even more. With a smile, he called out, “Little Mian.”

Yan Mian nodded. “Uncle Zhu.”

“You…” Zhu Lin ventured, “how’s the competition going? Your mom’s been worried about you.”

Zhu Lexing instinctively glanced at Yan Mian.

Ever since that last incident, Jiang Yue hadn’t seen her again. Zhu Lexing had no idea if they’d talked privately, but Yan Mian’s cool demeanor suggested otherwise.

Besides… if Jiang Yue really cared, why not tell her herself?

Yan Mian offered a faint smile. “Results come out in a few days. I did well—no need to worry.”

Zhu Lin hemmed and hawed. “Ah—”

He clearly wanted a word alone with her, but with Zhu Lexing right there, he settled for small talk.

Zhu Lexing saw right through it but had no plans to leave. Not until Yan Mian glanced her way.

Zhu Lexing: “…”

Fine. She’d go.

Conveniently, Qiao Qiao and the others were playing cards nearby. She headed straight over, the System’s voice booming louder in her ear on purpose.

“Little Mian, you two seem to have gotten a lot closer lately, huh?”

The words made Yan Mian’s smile falter. She instinctively wanted to look toward Zhu Lexing, her heart suddenly uneasy.

Had Zhu Lin figured out their relationship?

Then Zhu Lin sighed again and pulled out that earlier box. “This is the birthday gift I got for Lexing, but… she wouldn’t take it. Think you could…?”

Yan Mian relaxed at that. She didn’t recognize the car emblem, but Zhu Lin’s gifts were always generous—especially for a milestone birthday like this.

Still, if Zhu Lexing had turned it down, she couldn’t accept it for her. Smiling, she said, “Uncle, why don’t you try Lexing instead?”

The blunt refusal soured Zhu Lin’s expression. He sighed. “If she’d just listen to me, I’d tell her myself…”

From there, it devolved into pointless griping.

The System’s amplified audio faded as she drew near. Xu He, playing as the Landlord, sneered triumphantly. “Three with One!”

The cards hit the table, drawing shocked looks from the group. Xu He grew even smugger, extending a hand to Qiao Qiao. “A bet’s a bet.”

The next instant, Qiao Qiao slammed down a Bomb Plane King Bomb combo.

The abruptly defeated Xu He: “…You guys are way too good at faking it.”

“Lexing.” Nearby, Song Yingying had already spotted her and thrust a gift forward.

Her dress matched Xu He’s—same brand—and she seemed a little stiff in it.

Zhu Lexing gripped her glass stem and thanked her earnestly before passing the gift to the servant behind her. They placed it beneath the chandelier, nestled in the gift-tree mountain. And this time, it wasn’t empty; it was packed with the real deal.

Song Yingying let out a relieved breath, then said sheepishly, “You aren’t gonna peek?”

Zhu Lexing replied, “Anything from you is perfect.”

Song Yingying fidgeted. “I was gonna get you a workbook at first, but Li Nian said Mianmian would give you one, so I…”

Zhu Lexing’s grip on her glass tightened, ever so slightly.

A workbook? No thanks. She’d had her fill.

Shi Ruofeng’s focus was entirely different. “Why are you drinking soda out of a wine glass?”

Zhu Lexing replied with utter sincerity. “Because it’s classier.”

Yan Mian had finally finished listening to Zhu Lin’s melancholy ramblings and came looking for Zhu Lexing. By then, the group was in the middle of a game of Blackjack.

Zhu Lexing lost all six rounds and said indignantly, “You guys are cheating, aren’t you?”

Shi Ruofeng shuffled the cards with casual indifference. “If you can’t play, don’t blame the game. Yan Mian? Want in on a hand?”

Zhu Lexing’s protesting tone cut off abruptly as she turned to look at Yan Mian. With the villa’s floor heating on, her coat had naturally been shed, leaving her exposed skin as smooth as jade. The yellowish gauze dress took on an even more ethereal glow under the lights.

She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and lifted her eyes slightly at the invitation. “Hm? Sure.”

With that, she sat down quite naturally beside Zhu Lexing.

A faint cedar scent drifted toward Zhu Lexing. She lowered her gaze to Yan Mian and whispered, “Did you spray on more perfume?”

Yan Mian turned her face aside and murmured back, “The makeup artist sister did it for me.”

Zhu Lexing recalled that the woman wasn’t much older—early twenties, about her own age. But hearing Yan Mian call her “sister” rubbed her the wrong way, so she whispered even more softly, “Why do you call her sister?”

Yan Mian’s tone was perfectly matter-of-fact. “Calling her Auntie would be rude.”

Zhu Lexing couldn’t argue with that logic and let out a sigh.

She thought their little private exchange had gone completely unnoticed.

Xu He, however, was already at her limit. She gave the table a light pat. “Hey! No whispering! Trying to cheat or what—”

Zhu Lexing shot back, “I haven’t even called you guys out for cheating yet!”

While the two bickered, Shi Ruofeng had already started dealing the cards. In the span of those few exchanges, Yan Mian drew three sevens—exactly Blackjack. Game over.

Qiao Qiao stared at the cards, her hand freezing mid-flip as she shot Shi Ruofeng an incredulous look. “Even if you’re cheating, you don’t have to make it this obvious, do you?”

Shi Ruofeng brushed it off. “I drew at random. How was I supposed to know they’d be three sevens?”

Zhu Lexing snapped out of it and quietly pulled out her phone to snap a commemorative photo.

Xu He muttered, “Now I get why Zhu Lexing was so unlucky earlier. You dumped all your luck on Yan Mian!”

Yan Mian turned to glance at Zhu Lexing, her voice even softer than before. “Is that what happened?”

Zhu Lexing: “…”

Blame Xu He, that’s who!

Unsure how to respond, she simply didn’t. Propping her chin on her hand, she watched the others play.

Yan Mian’s luck really was something else. Qiao Qiao lost six rounds straight, slammed her cards down, and accused them of cheating just like Zhu Lexing had earlier.

The birthday party kicked off properly in this warm, cozy atmosphere.

As the guest of honor, Zhu Lexing only made a brief appearance when called up to cut the cake. Luckily, no one in the crowd below sang a birthday song together—sparing the already mortified Zhu Lexing from total social annihilation.

The rest of the program consisted of various Liu Family members hopping onstage for impromptu speeches.

The Liu Family was a prominent clan in its own right, with deep connections across all sorts of industries.

Once Zhu Lexing came back down, she rejoined the group. But it was nowhere near as relaxing as before. Perhaps because she’d been onstage, the relatives now recognized her face, and every few minutes, an attendant would deliver a gift on someone’s behalf.

Some skipped the small talk entirely in favor of a fat check, adding Zhu Lexing as a contact before leaving—and not forgetting to give her hair a very unceremonious ruffle on the way out.

Zhu Lexing, whose hairstyle was suddenly ruined: “…”

Yan Mian looked at her face and smiled faintly.

Zhu Lexing felt mocked but had no proof, so she could only stab at her cake in frustration.

She collected most of the gifts in dribs and drabs—they couldn’t be opened on the spot—and once the excitement wore off, Qiao Qiao said, “Well, we’re heading out then.”

Yuandan First Middle School still had half-day classes, nothing like the freedom of their earlier birthdays when they could do whatever they wanted.

After the Xu Family driver took the group away, Zhu Lexing turned to Yan Mian. “So, what about us—”

Yan Mian caught the word “us” and guessed Zhu Lexing had no desire to linger. Without hesitation, she put on a slightly weary expression. “Let’s head back first?”

Liu Su was still at the center of the crowd, so Zhu Lexing couldn’t just go drag her away. After changing into casual clothes with Yan Mian, she sent Liu Su a message.

She only got a hug emoji back once they were in the car.

Zhu Lexing showed the screen to Yan Mian. The Omega visibly relaxed.

The Zhu Family home had been decorated too, with balloons, streamers, and a two-tiered cake. Zhu Lexing figured Liu Su must have ordered it, hoping to celebrate just the two of them once they got back. Recalling what Liu Su had said earlier, Zhu Lexing stood in front of the cake, hesitated a moment, then turned to Yan Mian. “Um, Yan Mian.”

Yan Mian held a cup, her hair loose and unbound. As she tilted her head back to sip her water, her neck gleamed especially fair against the cascade of dark locks. She paused at the words. “Yeah?”

Zhu Lexing averted her eyes. “If you’re not too tired, want to share the cake?”

Yan Mian headed back to her room, saying she was fetching a gift for Zhu Lexing.