Xie Guanyan had never celebrated his birthday growing up.
The orphanage in the impoverished district didn’t hold individual birthday parties for each child—instead, they picked one day to celebrate everyone together.
Tomorrow would mark his 29th birthday.
He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.
He had been back from his trip for a few days now. Lin Mo had said she wanted to rest for a while before traveling again.
Coincidentally, there were also some matters at the company that required his personal attention.
At 8 p.m., he returned home from work.
In his slender, well-defined hand was a bouquet of sunflowers.
Whenever he went out, he always brought back flowers for Lin Mo.
The villa had since been fitted with an electronic lock.
He pressed his fingerprint against the sensor at the front gate.
The door opened, and as soon as he stepped inside—
A beautiful girl in a blue dress rushed toward him, tilting her head playfully. "Xie Guanyan! Happy early birthday!"
Xie Guanyan’s heart trembled slightly. "Hm?"
Lin Mo handed him a gift and whispered in his ear, "I suggest not opening this in public."
The corners of Xie Guanyan’s lips curled up unconsciously as he handed her the flowers.
"Mr. Xie, happy birthday."
Shen Yihan also presented a birthday gift.
The man, dressed in a black suit, still wore the string of black Buddhist beads around his right wrist—an air of cold elegance and restraint about him.
Xie Guanyan accepted the gift with a gentle smile. "Thank you."
Shen Sizhan, with his silver hair, stepped forward next. "Xie Guanyan, happy birthday!" But only this year.
He didn’t voice the rest of his thoughts—
If Xie Guanyan and his sister broke up next year, he’d wish him the opposite.
Then, Shen Ji'an handed over his gift. "Mr. Xie, happy birthday! May you grow younger with each passing year!"
Xie Guanyan: "..."
Auntie Zhen also smiled warmly. "Handsome! Happy birthday!"
It was a phrase she’d recently learned on her phone—one she felt suited Xie Guanyan perfectly.
Xie Guanyan chuckled, quickly noticing that the villa’s courtyard had been decorated with strings of colorful lights.
A large banner read: [Happy Birthday to My Most Handsome and Amazing Boyfriend, Xie Guanyan!]
The guest list was extensive.
Zhao Ziling, Zhao Zixin, Jiang Tang, Huang Mao, Xu Zunlong, Xu Yali, Qiao Yinyin, Jiang Wan—even the dating show director Wu Gui and the Assistant Director had come.
Jin Yang, Xie Guanyan’s assistant, had claimed he had something urgent to attend to and needed to leave work early—but in reality, he was here to surprise his boss.
With a grin, he said, "Happy birthday, President Xie! May you and Miss Lin stay together for a hundred years, growing old side by side!"
Xie Guanyan was particularly pleased with this blessing. "Your salary this month is doubled."
The two bodyguards promptly made their appearance.
They had long since returned to their duties, having accompanied Xie Guanyan even during his travels abroad.
The older brother was Ao Wen; the younger, Ao Jianqiang.
Lin Mo had once asked them why the younger brother wasn’t named Ao Wu.
Ao Jianqiang had explained, "Originally, I was Ao Wu. But as a kid, I loved playing outside, and my mom had to shout my name constantly to call me home for meals. Over time, she just changed it."
Lin Mo had burst into laughter on the spot.
Now, the two stood before Xie Guanyan.
Ao Wen spoke first. "Happy birthday, Boss. May you and Miss Lin share a lifetime of love without a single quarrel!"
Ao Jianqiang, less articulate, grinned broadly. "Same here!"
Xie Guanyan nodded. "You two are also getting a raise."
Both flashed identical, toothy smiles.
Huang Mao, grinning cheekily, chimed in. "Happy birthday, Mr. Xie! May you earn a million a year!"
Lin Mo’s eyes widened in mock horror. "Huang Mao! That’s practically a curse! Quick, say ‘peh peh peh’ to undo it!"
The group erupted in laughter.
Zhao Ziling handed Xie Guanyan a set of clothes, her red lips curving into a smile. "Happy birthday. May you and my dear Mo Mo always be happy."
Qiao Yinyin, who had signed with Xie Guanyan’s entertainment company at Lin Mo’s suggestion, said calmly, "Happy birthday, Boss."
Jiang Wan, ever the shipper, was practically vibrating with excitement. "Happy birthday! When you two get married, you have to invite me—I’ll be in the front row!"
Director Wu Gui, grinning widely, added, "I’m coming to the wedding too! I can even livestream it for everyone to witness!"
The Assistant Director hesitated. "Maybe skip the livestream… That sounds a bit risky."
Wu Gui: "..."
Xu Zunlong clapped Xie Guanyan on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, President Xie. My son asked me to pass on his wishes too."
Xu Yan was still abroad receiving treatment, but his condition had improved significantly.
Xu Yali, elegant as ever in her qipao, smiled warmly. "Happy birthday, Xiao Xie."
Even the villa’s butler and staff had stayed late to offer their birthday wishes.
Suddenly, the courtyard gatebell rang.
The butler went to answer it.
In strode Huo Tingshen, dressed sharply in a red suit. "Xie Guanyan, you didn’t invite me to your birthday?"
The two had since formed a business partnership and could now be considered friends.
Xu Zunlong, seeing Huo Tingshen in red for the first time, couldn’t hold back his laughter. "President Huo, you might as well rename yourself ‘Peacock Huo’ at this point."
Huo Tingshen’s face darkened. "The fortune-teller said red is my lucky color."
Xu Zunlong smirked but said nothing.
Some things never changed—Huo Tingshen’s stubbornness being one of them.
Shen Yihan hadn’t seen Jiang Tang in a while.
He approached her. "Jiang Tang, the branch company has been performing well. You’ve worked hard."
Jiang Tang, ever professional in her work attire, smiled faintly. "All thanks to President Shen’s leadership."
Shen Yihan twisted the Buddhist beads around his wrist, hesitating before asking, "Why do you always ignore my messages?"
The question left him inexplicably nervous.
Jiang Tang chuckled. "It’s not intentional. I’ve just been busy."
Unlike before, when she was his Assistant and needed frequent communication, branch company reports were now handled in meetings.
Shen Yihan paused. "Then from now on, branch company presidents must reply to the main company president’s messages promptly. Consider it a new rule."
Jiang Tang: "..."
Shen Yihan reached for his phone to instruct his current Assistant to draft the new policy—only to realize it wasn’t in his pocket.
He turned to Lin Mo. "Sis, call my phone. I can’t find it."
Lin Mo didn’t have hers either, so she reached into Xie Guanyan’s pocket for his. "What’s the number?"
Shen Yihan recited it.
A robotic voice immediately responded: "The number you have dialed is currently busy. Please try again later."
Shen Yihan frowned.
That sounded like a blocked number message.
When had he blocked Xie Guanyan?
Then it hit him—the call he’d received the night Lin Mo returned.
His eyes darkened as his fingers brushed the beads.
That late-night call had been from Xie Guanyan.
Which meant… Xie Guanyan had been secretly in love with his sister all along!
And this villa? Probably no coincidence either.
He leaned closer to Jiang Tang, whispering, "Xie Guanyan had a crush on my sister for a long time."
Jiang Tang blinked at him. "President Shen… you only realized this now?"
Shen Yihan: "..."
The party was buffet-style.
Zhao Zixin, already full, grabbed two small desserts—offering one to Shen Ji'an.
Shen Ji'an’s face flushed instantly. Rubbing his buzz cut, he mumbled, "I’m planning to apply to military school. Can’t have high body fat… This is too sweet."
Zhao Zixin pouted. "Fine, don’t eat it then."
Shen Ji'an hastily took it. "But one piece won’t hurt."
Huang Mao shook his head nearby. "Done for! The boss is a goner!"
Soon, the clock struck midnight.
The entire villa plunged into darkness as everyone gathered in the center.
The glow of the birthday cake candles illuminated Xie Guanyan’s handsome face as the breeze made the candlelight flicker gently.
Lin Mo smiled at him. "Make a wish, Xie Guanyan."
This was the first birthday Xie Guanyan had ever celebrated in his life.
He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and with childlike sincerity, silently made his wish: "May Shanshan live a life of peace, happiness, freedom, and carefree joy."
The candles were blown out by Xie Guanyan.
Everyone sang in unison, "Happy birthday to you~~"
Lin Mo’s voice still stood out among the crowd.
Xie Guanyan looked at her, his gaze softening with tenderness.
Because of her, he had gained more friends—even family.
He pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, Shanshan."
Lin Mo giggled and smeared cake on the tip of his nose. "I’ll celebrate your birthday with you every year from now on."
The sweet scent of the cake lingered on Xie Guanyan’s nose as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You’ll have to take responsibility for eating this off."
Lin Mo’s face flushed for a moment. "Fine, it’s not like I haven’t done it before."
The garden lights brightened again, and the melody of soft music drifted far into the night.
A photographer captured a group photo from above.
"Click!"
The image of happiness was frozen in time, becoming eternal.
—The End—
Author’s Note: Thank you all so much for loving this story.
This novel was serialized for a full four months, and I’m grateful to every reader who followed along until the end.
Though the story has concluded, in a parallel universe, Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan’s journey continues.
Some readers mentioned that the ending felt too abrupt.
But personally, I believe the narrative reached its perfect conclusion here.
Everything that needed to be told has been told—any more would feel excessive.
Mo is only eighteen, and I didn’t want to extend the story to marriage or parenthood.
Filling pages with unnecessary filler would weigh on my conscience.
No book can satisfy everyone, and I appreciate your understanding.
As for side stories, like Huo Tingshen and Zhao Ziling’s arc, I noticed not all readers were fond of them.
So, I’ll be posting mini-epilogues on Weibo—interested readers can follow me at: TomatoPikaHei.
Once again, thank you all. See you in the next book!
