469: Chapter 469 Happy Birthday!

The next morning, Xiamen City.

Sunlight spilled into the bedroom through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Bing Lan stood before the full-length mirror, fastening her last button.

A white shirt, black trousers, and long hair tied back in a neat ponytail; her entire being was as cool and elegant as a lotus blooming atop a snow-capped mountain.

She glanced at her phone.

No messages.

The last message Ye Chen sent last night stopped at saying he would definitely return tomorrow, and there had been no word since.

She pursed her lips, put her phone in her bag, and pushed the door open to leave.

In the living room, Li Qin was already seated at the dining table, stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.

“Sister Bing Lan! Come eat breakfast!”

“Auntie made your favorite shrimp congee today!”

Zhuang Yufen poked her head out from the kitchen and greeted her with a smile: “Bing Lan girl, come drink it while it's hot. I specifically added extra shrimp today.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Bing Lan gave a slight nod and sat down at the table.

The congee was thick and the shrimp were fresh, yet she was somewhat distracted.

“Sister Bing Lan, what's wrong?” Li Qin swallowed the toast and blinked. “Didn't sleep well last night?”

“No.” Bing Lan shook her head and lowered it to take a sip of congee.

What she didn't say was that she had barely slept all night.

Because...

Today was her birthday.

And that fellow Ye Chen still hadn't appeared.

After finishing breakfast, the two left and arrived at Shuyue Group.

“Good morning, President Bing!”

The young girl at the front desk immediately stood up upon seeing Bing Lan.

Bing Lan nodded slightly: “Morning.”

“President Bing is so beautiful today!”

The front desk girl added another comment.

Bing Lan glanced at her and said calmly, “Thank you.”

She continued walking forward, but a hint of doubt rose in her heart.

This girl usually greeted her.

But why did her tone feel strange today?

“Good morning, President Bing!”

“President Bing looks wonderful today!”

“Good morning, President Bing!”

...

Walking through the lobby, every employee she encountered greeted her with exceptional enthusiasm. Their smiles were brighter than the last, and their tones more excited than the next.

Bing Lan frowned slightly and walked into the elevator without a word.

Li Qin followed her in, pressed the button for the thirty-ninth floor, and yawned: “Sister Bing Lan, why is everyone so enthusiastic today?”

Bing Lan didn't answer immediately, but turned her head to glance at her.

“Don't you think something is a bit different in the company today?”

“Different?” Li Qin blinked, looking bewildered. “Not really? Is Sister Bing Lan overthinking it?”

Bing Lan withdrew her gaze and said nothing.

The elevator doors closed, and the floor numbers ticked up one by one.

But her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Today was her birthday.

That guy had said today would be the last day of her life unless she broke the curse of the Extreme Yin Body.

And the method to break it...

Her small face turned slightly red, and she quickly turned away, pretending to look at the floor buttons in the elevator.

dual cultivation.

And it had to be on the day of her birthday.

After today, it would be too late.

But as of now...

That bastard still hadn't appeared.

Bing Lan pursed her lips, an indescribable emotion rising in her heart.

Was it disappointment?

Or...

Ding—

The elevator reached the thirty-ninth floor, and the doors slowly opened.

Bing Lan took a deep breath, suppressed those messy emotions, and stepped out of the elevator.

The corridor was quiet, no different from when she usually came to work.

Except, her office door was closed.

Bing Lan frowned slightly.

Her office occupied an entire independent floor.

Ordinary people couldn't come up, and those with the authority to do so wouldn't dare move her things without permission.

Therefore,

She usually didn't have the habit of locking the door, as no one else would go in.

Why was it closed today?

She stepped forward, gripped the door handle, and gave it a gentle push.

The door opened.

In the next second, she froze in place.

Inside the office, the appearance had completely changed.

The Venetian blinds in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows had been replaced with translucent white gauze curtains. Sunlight filtered through the gauze, as soft as a thin layer of golden mist.

A light blue tablecloth was spread over the desk, and a bouquet of white Baby's Breath sat upon it. The tiny, star-like flowers clustered together, elegant and exquisite.

Several potted green plants had been added to the windowsill, their leaves a vibrant, dripping emerald, adding a touch of vitality to the entire office.

And most conspicuously, on the wall directly behind the desk...

Was a massive string of 'Happy Birthday' balloons, the silver letters sparkling in the sunlight.

Bing Lan stood at the door, momentarily forgetting to take a step.

Behind her, Li Qin poked her head in to look. Seeing the decorations in the office, her eyes instantly widened.

“Wow! Who decorated this? It's way too beautiful!”

Her voice was full of surprise. She rushed in with three steps joined into two, circled the desk, and reached out to touch the bouquet of Baby's Breath.

“Sister Bing Lan! Look quickly!”

“These flowers are so pretty! And these balloons! This tablecloth! This...”

She suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of something, and whipped her head around.

Bing Lan was still standing at the door. The surprised expression on her face had vanished, but her eyes were starting to turn slightly red.

“Sister Bing Lan?” Li Qin spoke cautiously. “Are... are you okay?”

Bing Lan didn't answer.

Because she saw him.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, that tall and slender figure was leaning against the window frame, hands in his pockets, looking at her with a smile.

Ye Chen wore a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Sunlight spilled in from behind him, coating his entire person in a faint halo of light.

“Happy Birthday.”

Bing Lan stood in place, looking at him without speaking.

Ye Chen walked over and stopped in front of her.

“What? Touched to the point of tears?”

“How could a former entertainment industry goddess be so easily moved?”

Bing Lan turned her head away: “Who's crying? You saw wrong.”

Ye Chen chuckled and didn't expose her. He turned to the desk, pulled out a card hidden among the Baby's Breath, and handed it to her.

“Here, a gift list.”

Bing Lan took the card and looked down...

There was only one line of text written on it.

【Today, I'll accompany you in whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to eat, wherever you want to go, whatever you want to buy—it's up to you.】

Looking at that line of text, the corners of Bing Lan's mouth couldn't help but curl upward: “Just this?”

“Just this?”

Ye Chen looked hurt.

“Do you know how hard it was for me to rush back last night?”

“The plane landed at three in the morning, and then I snuck into your office alone to decorate all this. I was afraid the security guards would take me for a thief, so I had to dodge the cameras...”

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded, looking just like a wronged little wife.

Li Qin stood to the side, laughing uncontrollably: “Hehe~ Nonsense. I saw the security uncles acting weirdly just now; they obviously all knew you were here!”

Ye Chen: “...”

He was speechless: “Since when did you become so smart?”

Li Qin raised her chin proudly.

“I'm always this smart!”

“Because being smart is my greatest virtue!”

Watching the two bicker, Bing Lan spoke up to interrupt them: “Xiao Qin, I'm taking a temporary day off today. You keep an eye on things at the company.”

Hearing this, the pride on Li Qin's face collapsed.

Then,

Her mouth slumped, and she spoke pitiably.

“I got it...”

“I won't go and be a third wheel for you guys. I'll stay home and behave, alright?”

Bing Lan didn't answer, just nodded slightly and stepped into the elevator.

Ye Chen winked at Li Qin and gave her a thumbs up: “Sister Qin is so generous!”

Li Qin rolled her eyes, wishing she could kick him.

“Get out!”

Ye Chen chuckled and slipped into the elevator.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Li Qin stood at the door, watching the closed elevator doors with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

...

Downstairs, in the underground parking lot.

Ye Chen and Bing Lan walked side-by-side toward a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.

Bing Lan walked in front, and Ye Chen followed behind.

He looked at her neat ponytail and her straight back, suddenly feeling that today's Bing Lan was a bit different from usual.

How was she different?

He couldn't quite say.

But she was just different.

“Get in.”

Bing Lan pulled open the passenger door and glanced at him.

Ye Chen was stunned: “I'm driving?”

“Otherwise?”

Bing Lan spoke expressionlessly, “You were originally my exclusive driver, weren't you?”

Ye Chen rubbed his nose: “I almost forgot that identity.”

As he spoke,

He trotted around to the driver's side, pulled the door open, sat inside, and fastened his seatbelt.

Bing Lan also got in, closed the door, leaned back against the seat, and turned her head to look at him.

Ye Chen started the car and met her gaze.

“Where do you want to go?”

Bing Lan looked at him and asked: “Is it really wherever I want to go?”

Ye Chen nodded.

“Of course. Today, you have the final say.”

Bing Lan withdrew her gaze, looked out the car window, and remained silent for a few seconds before saying calmly: “Go to the Nanshan Cemetery.”