Lin Xianing wasn’t as straightforward as she was—she bottled things up. But Le Yiqiu could feel how much Lin Xianing liked her.
Some affections weren’t voiced easily, but that didn’t mean they ran any less deep.
Le Yiqiu’s was a fiery kind of love; Lin Xianing’s was restrained.
She scooted closer until their warm bodies pressed together, sharing body heat. Beneath the calm, a quiet heat simmered.
They were both at that age with normal desires, and having the one you loved right there naturally sparked other thoughts.
Who wouldn’t crave the body of the person they loved?
They simply held back their inner fire out of respect for each other.
As the distance closed, the faint, clean scent of the other’s skin enveloped them, stirring subtle reactions.
Le Yiqiu twitched her fingers but ultimately didn’t pull Lin Xianing into her arms.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but their bodies burned unusually hot—just a spark away from ignition.
“Goodnight.”
She lowered her voice, not wanting Lin Xianing to notice her state.
“Goodnight.”
Lin Xianing’s voice was equally subdued and soft, lest a louder tone betray her own restlessness.
Realizing they were both the same, Le Yiqiu’s heart tightened—then she broke into a silent grin, wide and beaming.
Laughing, she eased back to create some space, no longer letting their bodies touch.
In the quiet room, her movements seemed amplified, the rustle unmistakable.
The distance helped them both breathe easier.
Alcohol was tricky like that. Drink enough to pass out cold, and sleep came easy.
But at that tipsy in-between stage—or as sobriety crept in with your beloved lying beside you—the atmosphere turned charged.
In that charged air, Le Yiqiu got up and chugged a tall glass of ice water in the living room. Once her body cooled, she sighed in relief and returned to the bedroom.
Lin Xianing lay on her side, looking asleep.
Le Yiqiu slipped in quietly, barely disturbing the covers as she covered just a corner of herself and shut her eyes.
…
On Lin Xianing’s birthday, Le Yiqiu had no big plans. They’d both been busy with work lately and lacked the energy for outings.
They rose early for over an hour of exercise, burning off the midnight snack calories.
Le Yiqiu hand-rolled two bowls of noodles. Lin Xianing’s was longevity noodles—she’d struggled for ages to make one unbroken strand.
Two fried eggs sat nestled in the noodles, and Le Yiqiu had even drawn a smiley face on the one in Lin Xianing’s bowl with ketchup.
“Actually, there’s no rule about when you have to eat longevity noodles, right?”
As long as you ate them on your birthday, you’d live a long life.
After breakfast, Le Yiqiu’s takeout delivery arrived— all the ingredients she needed to make a cake.
There was something special about baking a cake by hand for someone you cared about.
It took about two hours to make one, and it wasn’t all that difficult, but since it was her first time, things took a little longer.
Mainly, it was Lin Xianing helping out—mostly by smearing a bit of flour on her face.
They had agreed not to go out for her birthday, no restaurants or anything like that.
Lin Xianing worried she might get too tired, and Le Yiqiu felt the same about her. Staying home was just fine.
Once the cake was done, Le Yiqiu started preparing lunch.
Fat hairy crabs, fresh crawfish, scallops, and a few stir-fried veggie dishes to round things out.
By one o’clock, the dining table was laden with food.
“This much? Can the two of us finish it all?” Lin Xianing had been helping out the whole time, passing ingredients and the like.
As dish after dish hit the table, she gained a whole new appreciation for Le Yiqiu’s cooking skills.
Le Yiqiu shook her head. “Not too much.”
There were plenty of dishes, but small portions of each. She’d recently learned some plating techniques and thought she’d done a decent job.
Lin Xianing kept peering at one mound. “What’s this lump?”
“It’s a flower?”
“Oh~ is it?” Lin Xianing admitted she couldn’t tell.
Le Yiqiu’s face flushed red, and in shy annoyance, she swept away the carrot flower she’d carved. “Just wait. I’ll get better at it.”
“I believe you.”
Lin Xianing chuckled as she took a seat at the table. “What should we drink?”
“Crawfish go best with ice-cold beer.” Le Yiqiu’s alcohol tolerance had improved a bit after all her recent practice; she didn’t get drunk as easily anymore.
Just like last night—two glasses of red wine, and she’d only felt a little dizzy, which passed quickly.
Lin Xianing wasn’t picky about drinks. The two of them sipping a glass or two wouldn’t lead to overindulging.
They split a can of ice-cold beer, eating while chatting about their plans for the busy days ahead.
Spending a birthday at home might seem boring to others.
But to them, it felt warm and cozy. For now, they were each other’s family.
How rare it was to sit down for a meal like this with family on your birthday.
Le Yiqiu had it better as a kid; she had her grandmother. After her grandma passed, Luo Luo always remembered her birthday and would gather a bunch of close classmates for a celebration.
Birthdays were never dull, but without family around, there was always a touch of regret.
Lin Xianing’s birthdays had felt more like a social arena, a networking event for adults.
She was the star of the birthday party in name only—no one paid her any attention.
The grown-ups networked, the kids shunned her, and if she retreated to her room early, she’d get scolded.
Back then, she’d longed for a simple family dinner, a low-key birthday with loved ones.
It had seemed impossible. Now, sitting here with Le Yiqiu for a plain yet heartfelt celebration, it finally mended some of that childhood ache.
Sometimes, you didn’t need a fancy restaurant or grand romance. Something this ordinary, warm, and natural—that was just perfect.
Le Yiqiu knew exactly what Lin Xianing craved. She’d grown up surrounded by material comforts, but starved for that sense of being truly cared for.
As they ate, Lin Xianing suddenly felt a lump in her throat and quickly downed a big gulp of beer to chase it away.
Le Yiqiu noticed the shift in her mood but pretended not to, content to simply be there.
Lunch wrapped up, and Le Yiqiu loaded the dishes into the dishwasher before retrieving the cake from the fridge.
The plain white cake was topped with two strawberries—simple in appearance, but brimming with affection.
Le Yiqiu lit the candles, then switched off the lights and drew the curtains.
“Make a wish first.”
Lin Xianing closed her eyes, opened them almost immediately, and blew out the candles.
Darkness enveloped the room. “I’ll turn the lights back on,” Le Yiqiu said.
Lin Xianing stood still, listening to the sound of her footsteps.
When the lights flicked on, Lin Xianing turned—and saw Le Yiqiu approaching, cradling a bouquet step by step. Something seemed tucked inside the flowers.
When had Le Yiqiu bought flowers? And when had she brought them in?
Lin Xianing thought back; probably right after their workout, during her shower.
Le Yiqiu drew nearer with the bundle, and that’s when Lin Xianing realized it wasn’t flowers at all—it was a little kitty.
The little kitty poked its head out from the packaging, its timid gaze tinged with curiosity.
A blue-and-white kitten, tiny, clearly just a baby.
“You…”
Lin Xianing hesitated to take it. “A cat?”
“Yeah, three months old. It’s fine to hold—don’t worry.”
By three months, kittens were sturdy enough and easiest to care for.
Le Yiqiu had considered a one-month-old milk kitten at first but worried Lin Xianing might struggle, even with herself.
At three months, it could eat kitten food and had some independence.
The little one eyed its surroundings, spotted Lin Xianing, and let out a mew toward her.
The sound was so soft and sweet, it melted bones.
Seeing it meow at her, Lin Xianing’s heart turned to mush. She carefully lifted the kitten from its carrier.
“Does it have a name?”
“Nope.”
Le Yiqiu didn’t mention forgetting to ask. Once it was home, a new name would do.
“You name it.”
Name it?
Lin Xianing paused. “Manman?”
“Why?”
“Look how leisurely she moves. Suits her perfectly.”
The kitten wasn’t leisurely—it was just cautious from fear, which made her seem slow.
Le Yiqiu nodded. “Manman. Sounds nice.”
She pointed at the kitten. “From now on, you’re Manman. Be good and listen to Mommy and Big Sis, got it?”
“Mommy’s who? Big Sis who?”
“Mommy’s you, and Big Sis is me, obviously.”
Lin Xianing was speechless. “Do you even hear yourself?”
“Hahaha!”
Le Yiqiu laughed as she set the carrier aside. “What do you think it should call me?”
Mom…
Lin Xianing’s mouth opened, then clamped shut. She’d almost said it. “Auntie.”
Le Yiqiu extended her hand, and Manman nuzzled her palm obediently. “I think ‘Mommy’ works.”
“You be Mommy, I’ll be Mama—sounds like a real family, right?”
Lin Xianing glanced at Le Yiqiu, then awkwardly shifted her gaze to Manman.
She’d been about to suggest the same thing—it implied they were together. So she’d swallowed the words.
Le Yiqiu grinned like a sly little fox. That was exactly what she’d wanted: to hear it from Lin Xianing’s lips.
Otherwise, would she really have the kitten call her Big Sis? It couldn’t even talk.
“Whatever you say.” Lin Xianing scooped up Manman and headed to the sofa, settling down to play with her.
“Aren’t we cutting the cake?” Le Yiqiu teased, her voice thick with mock jealousy. “Bring your new favorite over to slice it?”
“Its stuff will arrive this afternoon—litter box, cat house, all that. After cake, you can help decide where to put her bed.”
Lin Xianing wandered around with Manman in her arms, utterly smitten, all traces of earlier hesitation gone.
They cut the cake, but afterward, Lin Xianing scooped up Manman again.
Le Yiqiu sighed in exasperation. “I regret it now.”
“Hm?”
“Now that you have Manman, you don’t want Qiuqiu anymore.” She wanted to be held, too.
Lin Xianing burst out laughing at her lemon-sour tone. “Yep, new love means forgetting the old flame.”
“Old flame? So you did love me?”
Le Yiqiu’s question left Lin Xianing speechless once more.
She was joking, of course—no real jealousy over a cat, especially one she’d gifted herself.
Seeing Lin Xianing so blissfully cuddling Manman actually made her happy. The present had hit the mark.
As long as Lin Xianing loved it, that was enough.
That afternoon, the cat supplies arrived—litter box, cat house, and more. They picked a spot in the living room for Manman’s things.
Once everything was set up, Lin Xianing dove into cat care videos, ignoring Le Yiqiu entirely.
Did this woman even remember it was her own birthday?
Le Yiqiu shook her head helplessly. For dinner, she’d planned a candlelit meal. They couldn’t go out to a restaurant, but she could still create the ambiance.
The entire day of Lin Xianing’s birthday had been Le Yiqiu’s hands-on labor of love.
With her recent time abroad, she hadn’t had much chance to prepare anything elaborate. In the short term, the most heartfelt and sweetly romantic thing she could do was cook three meals herself, bake the cake by hand, craft the gift personally—and give her a pet they could raise together.
It was her quiet hope for their future.
