"It’s nothing." Telling the Good Person Card about this wouldn’t help, and it would only be troublesome to explain, so it’s better not to say anything.

Xi Jing wasn’t someone unreasonable. He knew Chuzheng had something on her mind, but since she didn’t want to tell him, he didn’t press her.

Returning to their place, Xi Jing pushed Chuzheng to wash up.

"What for?" I don’t want to wash up yet!

"You go first." Xi Jing pushed Chuzheng inside.

"..."

Confused, Chuzheng was already inside, so she had no choice but to wash up first.

When she finished washing and came out, she found the room plunged into darkness: "Xi Jing?"

Chak—

A small flame flickered, illuminating Xi Jing’s face. In front of him was a bowl-sized cake with a single candle on top.

Chuzheng was taken aback for a moment. She walked over slowly and pulled Xi Jing into her arms: "Is it your birthday?"

Xi Jing struggled but was held tightly by Chuzheng. He shook his head nervously: "No."

Chuzheng rested her chin on his shoulder: "Then what is this for?"

Xi Jing’s voice was faint: "It’s... it’s nothing special, I just wanted to eat with you."

"Hmm?"

Chuzheng’s "hmm" was unclear in expressing any certain meaning.

Xi Jing asked apprehensively: "Is... is it not okay?"

"Of course it is." Chuzheng replied unhurriedly, "You can do whatever you want." After all, you’re my Good Person Card, reaching for the stars... that’s impossible.

Xi Jing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and held Chuzheng’s hand: "Can we blow out the candle together?"

"It’s not even..." a birthday, why blow out the candle!

Chuzheng didn’t finish her sentence, silently pulling the cake closer. The candlelight dispelled the darkness, casting their shadows on the window behind them.

The candle was blown out with a "whoosh," and the room fell back into darkness.

-

Ten minutes later.

Xi Jing was forced to cuddle in Chuzheng’s arms, eating the cake with small bites from a spoon.

"When is your birthday?"

"Mine?" Xi Jing held the spoon, pointing at himself.

"Hmm."

Xi Jing licked the cream from his lips, slowly replying: "February."

"Which day?"

"Nineteenth."

February nineteenth... it’ll be next year before I can celebrate his birthday.

Xi Jing poked the cake with his spoon for a while before asking, "Will you still be here next year?"

Chuzheng raised her hand and patted his head: "Of course, I will. I’ll always be here."

Xi Jing’s eyes blinked, a faint glimmer of joy flowing through them: "Really?"

"Hmm."

After his initial joy, Xi Jing fell into unease again, hesitantly asking, "Will you leave me?"

"Why would I leave you?" A Good Person Card isn’t something you can just throw away. Do I not want to live?!

"My existence is nothing but misfortune."

His mother unexpectedly became pregnant with him and, after giving birth, carried a grudge due to fearing rumors, eventually leaving him behind.

His grandpa suffered greatly to take care of him.

Sometimes, Xi Jing suspected his life was a mistake.

He shouldn’t be alive...

"You’ve met me."

Chuzheng’s voice interrupted Xi Jing’s dark thoughts, and he turned to look at the person beside him.

He heard her voice, as if it had traveled from a distant sky: "You will become lucky."

Someone told him he would become lucky...

Xi Jing suddenly reached out to hug her neck: "You must not leave me. I will be obedient and listen."

"Hmm, I won’t."

Xi Jing clung to her without letting go. In fact, he seemed to hold on tighter.

"Xi Jing?"

Xi Jing didn’t respond to her.

Chuzheng continued asking: "Are you crying?"

"I’m not." She had said that boys shouldn’t cry easily, and he wasn’t.

"Really?"

"Hmm..." Xi Jing’s nasal tone was heavy, clearly lying.

"Then let go of me first."

"No..." Xi Jing softly refused.

Chuzheng gritted her teeth: "But you got cake on my clothes!" Darn it, I have to change again, what a hassle!

Xi Jing: "..."

In a panic, Xi Jing let go of Chuzheng, who instantly saw his slightly red eyes: "Didn’t you say you weren’t crying?"

"I... I didn’t shed tears." Xi Jing weakly defended.

"..."

Fine then.

If you say you didn’t, then you didn’t.

Chuzheng lifted him to sit by the bed, confiscated the cake, and then went to change clothes and wash up again.

Xi Jing listened to the sound of water from the bathroom, swinging his legs absentmindedly.

When Chuzheng pulled back the curtain and came out, Xi Jing immediately sat up straight, his whole demeanor spelling out the word obedient.

Chuzheng walked over and ruffled his hair: "Hurry up and wash."

Xi Jing slid off the bed, reached to tidy his messy hair, picked up his clothes, and went to shower.

When Xi Jing came out after washing, Chuzheng was already lying down, looking at her phone.

Xi Jing searched for a blanket to make a floor bed but couldn’t find it after searching for some time.

"Whe... where’s my blanket?" Xi Jing asked Chuzheng, bracing himself.

"I threw it out." Chuzheng didn’t even lift her eyelids.

"Threw...?" Xi Jing’s face was full of shock: "Why?"

"You don’t need it." Chuzheng answered as if it was obvious.

Xi Jing showed a pitiful expression: "Then how do I sleep..."

Chuzheng put her phone down and extended her hand towards him: "You’re going to end up over here every night anyway; this will at least ensure you don’t wake me up."

Xi Jing: "!!!"

Chuzheng had discarded all the blankets and quilts, leaving only the ones on her side...

What could Xi Jing do?

After hesitating for a while, he slowly reached out, accepting Chuzheng’s rogue terms.

-

Every day, Chuzheng thought about how to better care for Xi Jing, trying different ways to buy him food.

As for clothes, there was no need to worry. After the first time Chuzheng took him to buy clothes, none of the later ones required him to try them on; they were purchased and he wore them directly.

In no time, Xi Jing underwent a visible transformation.

From a scruffy little waif, he became a well-groomed, handsome young man.

The surrounding residents found it incredible, like he’d turned into a different person...

Chuzheng, however, felt uneasy.

The countdown was down to just over fifty hours.

-

In a high-end restaurant.

"Director Peng, there’s really nothing I can do about this matter. Perhaps you could try looking for someone else?" The man shook his head regretfully and stood up to leave.

Peng Wenchao, left at his seat, wore a look of despair.

If his company couldn’t secure more funds, it was completely finished.

But now, everyone was avoiding him, no one willing to help.

Peng Wenchao seemed to recall something and took out a business card from his pocket.

Just before coming here, he encountered a man who gave him this card, saying to contact him if needed.

The man was a bit unusual, but Peng Wenchao was in a hurry at the time and didn’t think much.

However...

Clatter—

Just as Peng Wenchao was about to dial the number on the card, a bottle of wine was suddenly placed in front of him.

"Sorry, I didn’t order..."

He looked up to find that the one delivering the wine wasn’t a restaurant employee, but a pretty little girl.