Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 22.2

Green Plum, Green Plum (14)

Cream and cherries are a perfect match.

She remembered because in the original work, Shen Yelan’s birthday was the same day as Su Xi’s.

According to the original trajectory, Shen Yelan got into trouble with Lu Pei on her birthday, was beaten by her aunt, and went out alone at night, looking for a quiet corner to celebrate her birthday. She happened to run into Su Xi and Xu Jiao’s group and had another stroke of bad luck.

Hearing Su Xi’s words, Shen Yelan’s throat moved as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back down, just silently listening to the two of them talking and laughing as they walked out.

“What gift are you going to give me?”

“What do you want?”

“I want a surprise! Don’t tell me secretly, I’ll guess it myself when the time comes! By the way, it’s been a long time since you hung out with Lao Shen and the others. I’ll throw a party then, and we’ll stay up all night! You can’t refuse!”

“I’ll try not to fall asleep.”

……

“Do you like eating cake? I see you’ve been circling around the fifth shop already?”

On Thursday evening, Shen Yelan bought a bag of cream puffs. As soon as she walked out of the shop, she was startled by a voice coming from the nearby alley.

She looked up and, with difficulty, distinguished a dark figure different from the shadows in the night—it was the person she had saved earlier.

Shen Yelan pressed her lips, didn’t ask how this person knew her whereabouts, and just handed over the bag of cream puffs, asking, “Could you taste this for me?”

Dong Qing gave her a strange look, initially wanting to refuse such sweet things, but after a while, she reached out, took one from the bag, brought it to her mouth, and swallowed it in one bite.

A faint sweetness spread in her mouth, the cream whipped so fine and soft that it felt almost insubstantial, tasting like… biting into a cloud.

It made a feeling of happiness rise from the bottom of her heart.

Dong Qing’s cheeks paused, then reached out again. Shen Yelan didn’t refuse and directly handed her the bag, asking seriously, “Is it good?”

Dong Qing didn’t want to admit she was won over by sweets: “It’s okay.”

Shen Yelan’s eyes immediately showed disappointment.

Seeing this, Dong Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Why… don’t you eat it yourself?”

Shen Yelan shook her head, “I can’t tell the difference, all the flavors feel the same to me, but—”

She pursed her lips, perhaps because the other person was standing in the night, hidden in the darkness, so pouring her heart out to such a person felt like talking to herself in the silent night.

After a pause, Shen Yelan lowered her eyes and said softly, “It’s my birthday in a couple of days, and I want to invite someone to eat my cake. I’m afraid the one I buy won’t be good, and she won’t like it.”

After thinking for a moment, she asked again, “Do you know which brand of cake is the best?”

Dong Qing found it odd, “Why don’t you just ask her directly? Girls your age, what they like and don’t like is all written on their faces, isn’t it?”

Shen Yelan shook her head, hesitated for two seconds, and said softly, “I’m afraid of bothering her.”

“On my birthday, she happens to have a good friend also celebrating their birthday, and she has to attend that person’s party, so… I just want her to taste my cake. But I’ve never had a birthday cake, so I don’t know which one is good.”

Dong Qing handed the cream puffs back to her, “Sorry, I can’t help you. Actually, I’m here to say goodbye today. I’ve found a new job—I’ll remember your kindness. No matter what, as long as you need me in the future, I’ll try to be there for you.”

Shen Yelan’s eyes showed sadness.

She shook her head and didn’t take the puffs, “You can have these. I wish you a safe journey.”

After saying that, she lowered her head to look at her phone, seriously searching for the next cake shop on the map.

……

Saturday morning.

Shen Yelan got up early, habitually helping Aunt Su, and then heard a knock on the door. She opened the door and took her pre-ordered cake.

Aunt Su heard the commotion and peeked out, “Oh, is this the cake you bought for Xiao Xi?”

Shen Yelan was silent for two seconds and softly replied, “Auntie, today is also my birthday.”

Aunt Su immediately said, “Oh, are you going out to celebrate with Xiao Xi and her friends today?”

Shen Yelan silently shook her head and carried the cake back to her room.

She carefully lit the candles, clumsily closed her eyes to make a wish, mimicking how Lu Pei celebrated birthdays from memory—

Because she remembered her aunt said that wishes made on birthdays are particularly effective, and after making a wish, you must remember to eat the cake to complete the prayer ritual.

In the candlelight, she sincerely prayed in her heart, “Please let Xu Jiao be safe, healthy, happy, and have all her wishes come true…”

Shen Yelan made her wish for a long time, then carefully tied her hair back and gently blew out the candles on the delicate, petal-covered cake.

A new sound came from outside.

“Hmm? I’ll be going out with Xiao Xi and the others later, I won’t be eating at home…”

Hearing this, Shen Yelan carefully cut a slice from the cake, walked to the door, and even stubbed her toe in her hurry, but she ignored the pain, just turned the doorknob and said urgently:

“Wait, Sister Xu Jiao.”

Xu Jiao was changing shoes at the entrance, and hearing this, she calmly turned to look at her.

Shen Yelan brought the plate with the cake slice carefully to her, trying to control her trembling voice but still sounding somewhat hoarse:

“I… today is my birthday.”

“I’d like to share my cake with you, is that okay?”

Xu Jiao paused in her action of putting on shoes.

After a while, she smiled lightly and shrugged at Shen Yelan, “Happy birthday.”

She said, “But I’m in a hurry to go out, so I’ll skip the cake.”

After that, she put on her shoes, stood up, and opened the door, walking out. The sound of the door closing echoed in Shen Yelan’s ears and seemed to hit her heart directly.

Shen Yelan stared blankly in the direction of the door, and after a long time, she silently squatted down.

Strange, her chest suddenly felt both cold and painful.

She didn’t know what kind of illness she had contracted.

It was as if she had been thrown from summer into winter in an instant, and even her blood felt like it was freezing.

“Xiao Shen?” Aunt Su peeked out of the kitchen, looking worriedly at Shen Yelan’s pale face.

Shen Yelan stood up, and when she turned around, she tried to force a smile but failed. She just lowered her head and said weakly, “I might have gotten up too early, I want to go back to sleep a little more.”

Aunt Su said, “Alright, alright. Do you need anything for lunch?”

Shen Yelan’s voice slipped out before the door closed, “No, Auntie, you’re not my nanny, you don’t have to fuss over me. I’ll figure out lunch and dinner myself.”

She casually placed the untouched cake plate on the table.

Then she fell onto her bed.

Motionless.

In a daze, she didn’t know how much time had passed, but she eventually fell asleep.

……

She dreamed again.

Maybe it was because she was too obsessed. In her dream, she was also celebrating her birthday. The cake was still the vibrant kind decorated with rose petals, so beautiful that she didn’t know where to start.

She held the knife for cutting the cake, hesitating, when suddenly she saw someone passing by. Instinctively, she grabbed that person, nervously saying:

“I… it’s my birthday today… Can I share my birthday cake with you?”

“No.” The person coldly refused her.

Shen Yelan was so anxious she wanted to cry, wanting to hold onto the person but afraid of being misunderstood. In their movements, they knocked over the cake on the table, spreading cream everywhere, even on their clothes and skin.

She pinned the person down, looking at the white cream on their neck, holding her breath, and carefully leaned over—

She pursed her lips.

A sweet taste blossomed between her lips.

Shen Yelan whispered, “So sweet.”

She suddenly knew how to eat the cake, the snow-white cream should be paired with beautiful skin, and if there were any fruit to decorate it, it would have to be those bright cherries.

From late May and early June, so juicy that they would ooze sweet juice when bitten.

She tasted the cherry with cream.

Very, very sweet.

Just two.

But in that sweetness, she felt the heat welling up in her eyes.

Drip, drip.

Two small droplets of water blossomed on that person’s face, then slid down the smooth contours, dropping onto the white tiled floor.