Xiao Wanqing’s birthday celebration
In 2023, the summer in Anjiang City seemed to arrive particularly early. By early May, the phoenix flowers by the lake at Jingnan University were already in full bloom, covering the sky and blooming vigorously and brightly, a lively and thriving scene.
Exhibitions and performances that had been paused for two to three years around the country seemed to gradually revive with the arrival of late summer, entering a period of rapid growth. Lin Xian, who had not been on a business trip for nearly half a year, had to enter a brief period of frequent flying due to work obligations.
Within half a month, she flew to four different cities to attend book signings, discussions, and business negotiations, keeping busy and barely having time to rest until the end of May when she finally had some time to relax and focus on planning for Xiao Wanqing’s birthday at the end of June.
As she started planning and searching, she realized that she had missed the ticket sale time for a concert of a female singer that she and Xiao Wanqing both loved.
“Ah!” Lin Xian was at a loss. The concert in the neighboring city was set for June 23rd.
“I can’t believe this!” Lin Xian collapsed on the sofa.
When Xiao Wanqing returned home from work, she opened the door to find Lin Xian sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding a pillow and staring at the computer screen on the coffee table with a gloomy expression.
“What’s wrong? Feeling upset?” Xiao Wanqing asked with a smile as she hung her bag on the hallway rack.
Lin Xian turned to look at her, pouted, and furrowed her brows even deeper: “Wuwuwu, Panpan.”
She feigned sadness, resembling a wet puppy.
Xiao Wanqing chuckled and comforted her, saying, “What’s wrong, who’s been picking on Xianxian?”
Even though she was already seen as a mature and responsible successful writer and screenwriter in front of everyone, in front of her, many times, she still acted like a child.
Lin Xian was unhappy: “I forgot to buy the tickets.”
Xiao Wanqing washed her hands and asked, “What tickets?”
Lin Xian replied, “Tickets for XX. You’ve always been a fan of her songs, I wanted to go to her concert with you.”
Xiao Wanqing was slightly taken aback, feeling some regret.
She should have told Lin Xian about this. She knew about the concert, but because she actually had some PTSD from these large-scale concerts, she never considered it and never asked Lin Xian if she wanted to go.
She turned off the tap, dried her hands, and sat down beside Lin Xian, shaking her knee and comforting her, “It’s okay, we can go next time.”
“Since it’s a tour, it might not be long before it comes to our Anjiang.”
Lin Xian pouted, hesitating to directly mention it was actually her birthday that day.
She sighed, leaned into Xiao Wanqing’s embrace, looking helpless and dejected as she said, “Okay.”
Xiao Wanqing smiled, hugged her, and lovingly kissed the top of her head.
She thought Lin Xian had forgotten about the matter, especially since she hadn’t heard her mention it again. However, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival on June 22nd, Lin Xian unexpectedly surprised her.
“Alright, let’s go.” Lin Xian emerged from the bedroom dragging a large 24-inch suitcase.
Xiao Wanqing was double-checking the Dragon Boat Festival gifts for Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan when she heard the sound of the suitcase wheels. She subconsciously turned around, caught off guard, and paused.
They had agreed to return to the Northern Discrict together to celebrate the festival with Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan, but…
She hesitated, “Xianxian, are we… staying overnight?”
Lin Xian suppressed a smile, nodded seriously and naturally, “Yes, of course.”
Xiao Wanqing, taken aback, thought it was a spontaneous decision. She asked, “Then… do your parents know?”
She was concerned if Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan had other plans for the next day.
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Lin Xian replied without hesitation, “They know.”
“Okay,” Xiao Wanqing’s expression softened, “Are my change of clothes in there too?”
She very tolerantly accepted Lin Xian’s “one thing at a time” approach.
Lin Xian suddenly felt a bit sorry and softened, not wanting to tease her anymore.
“It’s in there,” she replied as she walked over to her.
Xiao Wanqing smiled, “Okay, let’s go.”
She picked up the car keys from the tray in the hallway, but before she could grasp them firmly, Lin Xian reached out and snatched the car keys from under her fingertips.
“Let’s take a taxi.”
“Why?” Xiao Wanqing asked curiously.
Lin Xian explained, “Parking in the garage for two or three days seems a bit costly.”
“The parking garage?” Xiao Wanqing didn’t understand.
When they visited Zhou Qin, they usually parked in the underground garage. The neighbor of Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan had gone abroad, leaving the parking space empty all year. Zhou Qin rented that space for Lin Xian and Xiao Wanqing to use when they came back occasionally. They didn’t need to pay extra for parking.
Lin Xian finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter, embracing her adorable woman, admitting, “I tricked you. Pack your bags, Panpan, we’re going on a trip to attend a concert.”
“Huh?” Xiao Wanqing showed a rare confused expression.
Lin Xian felt soft-hearted, pecked her chin twice, then hugged her waist and explained the whole story, “I managed to get two VIP tickets for XX’s concert with great seats in the VIP section. We’ll be back in three days, so it won’t affect your work.”
Xiao Wanqing took a moment to process and finally understood that Lin Xian had been teasing her all along.
“You…,” she said helplessly and indulgently, scrunching Lin Xian’s nose, then asked, “What about these things?” Her gaze shifted to the gifts they had prepared for Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan. Lin Xian shrugged, “We’ll give them when we come back. I’ve already told them.”
She really had no way to deal with her. Xiao Wanqing chuckled and flicked her forehead again.
Lin Xian pretended to be unhappy, pouting and pushing her luck, “You never appreciate me. I went through all the trouble and promised to help you get these two tickets for XX’s concert after making Manman work hard.”
Xiao Wanqing played along, “So how do you want me to appreciate you then?”
“Well…” Lin Xian pondered, her dark eyes glittering mischievously as she leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I want a reward.”
“Hmm?”
Lin Xian said, “Can we stay up a bit later tonight?”
“I booked a ground-floor room with a sea view, right by the beach. I heard you can hear the sound of the waves hitting the shore directly. I want to try it…” Before she could finish her sentence, Xiao Wanqing already guessed she was about to say something embarrassing again.
Blushing slightly, Xiao Wanqing covered Lin Xian’s mouth, gently scolding, “Xianxian.”
Lin Xian looked at her with a pitiful plea in her eyes.
“It’s been a long time since we… I’ve been traveling a lot recently, and you’ve been really busy. I’m afraid you’re tired, and it’s been so many days without…”
Her words were seemingly endless, her voice soft, as if she was truly feeling aggrieved.
Xiao Wanqing’s heart softened.
After so many years, she still couldn’t resist the girl’s pouting. She bit her lip and changed the subject: “Let’s set off first.”
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Lin Xian immediately caught the meaning of her acquiescence, and her nonexistent puppy tail started wagging: “Okay! Thank you!”
She couldn’t wait to go.
Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but smile.
Childlike.
It’s so nice. She gently bumped foreheads with Lin Xian.
That night, as Lin Xian wished, they stayed up late enjoying the sound of the waves, and the entire itinerary for the next morning was completely abandoned.
They slept until the sun was high in the sky, with the sound of the waves growing louder and the birds chirping incessantly, Xiao Wanqing naturally woke up.
In the faint light shining through the curtains, she gazed at the girl’s face.
The girl slept deeply, sweetly, and peacefully.
Xiao Wanqing’s gaze softened gradually.
“Xianxian, wake up.” She gently tapped Lin Xian’s cheek.
Lin Xian groggily opened her eyes and complained, “So sleepy.”
Worried that she might feel unwell if she didn’t eat, Xiao Wanqing coaxed her, “How about we get up, have some food, and then go back to sleep?”
Lin Xian, still half-asleep and reluctant to get up, protested while being cutesy, “Not good, no good.”
Xiao Wanqing found her adorable and was about to say something else when suddenly Lin Xian reached out, pulled her into a hug, rolled over, half propped up, and nestled against her.
Her dark eyes were still a bit hazy, but her smile was bright, making Xiao Wanqing laugh foolishly. She looked at her and found herself unable to hold back a smile.
“What are you doing?” She reached out to brush away Lin Xian’s stray hair falling on her forehead, her tone carrying an unintentional hint of coquettishness.
Lin Xian’s smile deepened, as if she wanted to say something, but felt a bit shy. She lowered her head to peck her, lightly kissing her red lips, gently grazing her cheek, lightly licking her earlobe, and finally her ear.
She asked, “Can I, be yours?” Her voice contained a hint of laughter, along with a slightly hoarse laziness from just waking up.
Xiao Wanqing’s body trembled slightly, a rush of heat spreading throughout her body. Memories of their passionate night began to resurface in her mind and body.
“You…” Her face turned red to the roots of her ears. She reached out to push Lin Xian away, but couldn’t bring herself to do it forcefully.
Lin Xian chuckled softly and didn’t give her a chance to push her away. She kissed her, trailing down her slender neck, exploring further down.
After quickly eating lunch and taking a nap, Lin Xian woke up again, only to find that it was already evening.
Lin Xian had slept and “eaten” her fill. While taking a shower, she noticed the sunlight outside had shifted to the sea level in the west, finally realizing what had happened belatedly.
“I’m sorry, Panpan. We agreed to have fun today, but we didn’t even leave the room all day,” she lamented, feeling a bit regretful.
Xiao Wanqing wasn’t too concerned about it. As long as she was with her, where they were and what they did didn’t really matter.
She comforted her, “Silly, isn’t there still tomorrow?”
Lin Xian blinked her eyes affectionately, overflowing with love. She nestled into Xiao Wanqing’s arms and murmured, “Panpan, you’re so good.”
Xiao Wanqing chuckled softly, ruffled her wet hair, and helped her clean off the foam.
After having another meal in their hotel room following dinner, they took a taxi directly to the stadium for the concert.
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The stadium was already crowded with people. They entered the venue through the internal passage and sat in seats with excellent views of the performance.
On either side of them, separated by a few strangers, were industry insiders who had met Lin Xian before. They recognized Lin Xian and, holding Xiao Wanqing’s hand, she greeted them naturally.
The two of them had matching rings on their ring fingers, shining brightly in the sunset. The industry insiders smiled knowingly, nodding in acknowledgment at Xiao Wanqing, who responded gracefully.
“Is it okay?” Xiao Wanqing asked softly.
Lin Xian replied candidly, “What’s the big deal? I’m not a big star like Sister Zhijin. I wouldn’t mind if everyone saw. I’d love for them to come over and ask me about it.” She raised her eyebrows mischievously.
Xiao Wanqing chuckled silently, not arguing, thinking Lin Xian was joking. But to her surprise, as soon as Lin Xian’s words fell, she suddenly raised their clasped hands, openly swaying them under the gray-blue sky, attracting attention.
Xiao Wanqing was taken aback and instinctively pulled her hand back. Lin Xian laughed heartily. Xiao Wanqing looked at her and couldn’t help but laugh along.
“Don’t be silly,” she softly pleaded.
Although they weren’t big stars, Lin Xian was somewhat of a public figure. If their relationship were to be completely open, it might still bring some unnecessary trouble to Lin Xian. Xiao Wanqing didn’t want Lin Xian to get caught up in such a situation.
But Lin Xian seemed completely unconcerned.
“Then you are my wife, right? Are you going to abandon me halfway?”
It seemed like everyone’s ears around them perked up at once.
Xiao Wanqing blushed, feeling helpless, and could only softly call “Xianxian”, with a hint of shyness and pleading in her tone.
So charming.
Lin Xian held back the desire to kiss her, instead gently kissing the back of her hand, feeling satisfied and no longer teasing her.
At 7:30, as night fully descended, the colorful stage lights came on, and the performance started with a delay.
The entire scene was dreamlike, with the sound effects being ear-pleasing and the singers on stage singing passionately. The fans in the audience enthusiastically joined in singing along, and as time passed, the atmosphere of the entire concert gradually intensified.
The area where Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian were seated seemed to be a group ticket bought by the fan club, filled with die-hard fans of the singer. Whenever a classic song played or during the chorus sections, the surrounding voices singing along were continuous and deeply moving.
Xiao Wanqing, due to the nightmare from the New Year’s concert a decade ago and her accustomed elegance in life and work, subconsciously maintained her composure even in such a noisy setting. She didn’t completely relax and felt out of place with the enthusiastic singing fans around her.
However, Lin Xian had no such concerns.
Not only did she sing along herself, but she also supervised Xiao Wanqing to sing along with her.
“La la la la la…” She sang out loud while waving Xiao Wanqing’s hand, her eyes sparkling with laughter, urging her to join in with an open mouth.
Xiao Wanqing pursed her lips, under Lin Xian’s expectant gaze, eventually couldn’t resist and started to sing, opening her mouth, letting go of past burdens, and forgetting the sorrows.
At first, it was silent, but gradually, influenced by the atmosphere, she found herself singing along softly.
Lin Xian gazed at her with eyes as gentle as water.
The changing lights shone on Xiao Wanqing’s face, making the smile in her eyes exceptionally soft and bright, her joy especially clear.
She was no longer the composed editor-in-chief in other people’s eyes, nor the steady Xiao Wanqing in her parents’ eyes.
She was just her girl, her precious one.
Countless times in her heart, she marveled at why one could love another person so much.
But she wasn’t curious about the answer at all.
She embraced it willingly.
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She raised her hand, quietly capturing moments like these with Xiao Wanqing.
The two-hour concert flew by, and even after leaving the stadium, both of them still felt a bit unsatisfied.
The night breeze was gentle, and shadows of lights flickered along the way, with pedestrians all around leaving the concert, discussing matters related to the performance. Lin Xian hummed a tune, happily holding Xiao Wanqing’s hand as they walked back to the hotel. Everything felt strangely familiar.
Suddenly, Lin Xian remembered events from long ago.
She recalled the New Year’s concert of 2013, which also ended on a lively night like this, leading to their separation.
Her heart tightened suddenly, and she involuntarily gripped Xiao’s Wanqing’s hand tightly, stopping her humming.
Xiao Wanqing keenly noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Xian hesitated for a moment and subconsciously confessed, “I remembered some things.”
“Oh?” Xiao Wanqing prompted.
Lin Xian opened her mouth to explain but seeing the woman’s gentle and smiling face, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Those past events were finally behind them, and she didn’t want to stir up Xiao Wanqing’s painful memories at this moment, affecting their moods.
She blinked, changed direction, and casually said with a smile, “I remembered the first time I heard you sing.”
“Oh?”
Lin Xian said, “The song 《Undercurrent》 you sang to me.” Well, it wasn’t exactly sung to her.
Xiao Wanqing also remembered, feeling embarrassed, “I was a bit drunk at that time.”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent it to her.
Lin Xian smiled, “I could tell. You have no idea how many times I listened to that song that night.”
“Da da da da da da…” She stared at Xiao Wanqing, not knowing Cantonese, so she simply hummed the melody of 《Undercurrent》 using “dada” in place of the lyrics. Her eyes were filled with a clear and bright smile, just like the bright girl from years ago.
Time seemed to have passed a long way for them, yet it also felt like it hadn’t moved at all.
Xiao Wanqing’s heart was gentle like water.
She gently said, “Xianxian, I haven’t listened to this song in a long time, and I won’t sing it again in the future.”
Lin Xian stopped humming, curious, “Why?”
Xiao Wanqing gazed at her and said, “Because, the most beautiful thing, I already hold in my arms.”
“I know she will never let me down.”
With the moonlight on the horizon and people bustling on the streets, Lin Xian looked into Xiao Wanqing’s eyes, unable to contain her emotions. She pursed her lips, pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly.
Xiao Wanqing indulged her.
After a few seconds, Lin Xian whispered in her ear, chuckling, “Baby, I am not a thing.”
Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but smile along and asked, “Baby, why are you scolding yourself?”
Lin Xian: “…”
Both of their chests trembled slightly.
【The summer breeze is gentle, and the moon is gentle. But nothing compares to your gentleness by my side. Happy birthday, baby.】- From Lin Xian’s Weibo post on 6.23.
LP: This novel is now complete! Thank you everyone for reading. I’ll be looking for a new novel for a few days before starting~
If you have any suggestions, comment under this post~
thank you so much you are amazing, may I have a suggestion for ancient china gl?