104: Su Nian's birthday

As the night deepened, the steam in the Hot Spring pool became misty.

Liu Yu glanced at Qin Xiaomeng's impressive curves and couldn't help but lower her voice to tease, "Xiaomeng, you're really well-endowed. That guy must really like it, right?"

After spending half the day together, Qin Xiaomeng had gradually let go of her initial restraint.

Blushing, she lightly punched Liu Yu's shoulder. "Liu Yu, what nonsense are you talking about? Yours aren't small either."

As she spoke, she subconsciously glanced over at Chen Li.

Seeing him leaning back against the edge of the pool with his eyes closed, resting, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and began laughing and playing with Liu Yu.

Amidst the splashing water, Song Lingyun also joined the fray. The beautiful figures and laughter of the three girls echoed in the night.

The warm spring water rippled gently, and the misty steam blurred their figures.

After soaking for nearly an hour, the four of them left the Hot Spring, their faces flushed red.

After showering and returning to the bedroom, soft light filled the room.

Under the half-hearted resistance of the others, Qin Xiaomeng lowered her head, her face flushed, her fingers trembling slightly as she unbuttoned her clothes one by one... (1.5 million words omitted here)

"Tingting, what do you think of this Durian Mille-feuille? Didn't Su Nian say she wanted to try it last time?" Meng Yu asked, pointing to an exquisite cake in the display window.

Meng Yu and Li Tingting stood in the bright cake shop, their figures reflected in the glass of the refrigerated display case as they carefully made their selection.

Li Tingting leaned in to take a look and frowned slightly. "Would a durian-flavored birthday cake be a bad idea?

I think this Strawberry Mousse next to it is quite good. Look how delicate the cream frosting is."

The two of them had specially taken the day off to go to the Shopping Mall to buy ingredients for cooking and the birthday cake.

Although Su Nian hadn't invited anyone else, only Chen Li and the three of them, they still wanted to make this small-scale birthday party warm and unforgettable.

As for why Su Nian chose to celebrate at Meng Yu's house instead of somewhere else, only Su Nian herself knew.

These past few days, she had been secretly looking forward to Chen Li's arrival, imagining countless possibilities in her heart—should she invite him to her own home, or just meet at the Villa?

If it was at the Villa, Meng Yu would also be there. What if they were discovered? This thought made her both nervous and faintly excited.

She hadn't expected to hide such bold thoughts in her bones—

This kind of plot, which she had only seen in TV dramas before, was now actually happening to her.

Whenever she thought of the possible scenarios, her heart would involuntarily race, feeling both apprehensive and unable to suppress her inner anticipation.

After class, Chen Li went straight back to Meng Yu's Villa.

As soon as he pushed open the front door, he heard the sound of laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen.

Looking up, he saw the three girls, Meng Yu, Su Nian, and Li Tingting, busy in the kitchen, talking and laughing.

This familiar scene made him smile—last night at Cloud Peak Number One, there were also three girls busy in the kitchen, and today there were three here as well.

This coincidence made him feel both amused and helpless.

The three at Cloud Peak Number One were intentionally arranged by him, but the three before him had formed naturally. This strange sense of symmetry made him shake his head and laugh.

"Chen Li, you're back."

Meng Yu was the first to notice him. She was still holding a kitchen knife and chopping vegetables, turning to give him a warm smile.

"Yeah," Chen Li smiled and walked toward the kitchen. "What delicious food have you prepared today?"

"It's all things you like," Meng Yu winked mysteriously. "You'll find out in a bit."

Just then, Su Nian turned around from the other side of the counter, and their eyes met briefly in the air.

In that instant, they both seemed to read the deep meaning in each other's eyes, yet they quickly looked away in unspoken understanding.

Su Nian's heart involuntarily quickened, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she hurriedly lowered her head to continue plating the food.

In contrast, Chen Li appeared much more composed. Since their eyes had met, he would just let nature take its course.

If Meng Yu found out and chose to make a scene, he wouldn't shrink back or make excuses.

The abilities bestowed by the system had set him on this path, and he would walk it with equanimity.

It was absolutely impossible for him to give up the entire forest for a single tree. He wanted everything that belonged to him.

About an hour later, Chen Li, sitting in the living room, was drawn to the dining table by an enticing aroma.

The table was covered with all kinds of exquisite dishes: beautifully marbled A5 wagyu beef, steamed King Crab, cheese-baked Lobster... every dish used top-tier ingredients, and it was clear they had put a lot of effort into it.

"Let's eat!"

At Meng Yu's call, the already starving Chen Li couldn't wait to pick up a piece of steak and feast with satisfaction.

Everyone sat around the round table, the atmosphere warm and pleasant.

Su Nian, sitting next to Chen Li, suddenly kicked him lightly under the table. This small action seemed like a reproach for him arriving too late, yet also like a hint about tonight's arrangements, making Chen Li's heart flutter.

"Summer vacation starts in another week. Do you guys have any plans?" Li Tingting asked curiously while gnawing on a crab leg.

"I might have to go home for a bit," Meng Yu said, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward Chen Li.

"I have to go home and visit too," Chen Li nodded.

"I'm planning to do an internship at my family's company," Su Nian's plan was different from the others.

"Sister Su Nian, you're starting an internship so early?" Li Tingting's eyes widened in surprise.

"It's not actually that early," Su Nian elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth. "I've interned before. I'll have to get familiar with the company's business sooner or later anyway."

Chen Li looked at Su Nian with some surprise. He hadn't expected that at an age when everyone else was thinking about where to go for fun, she was already making plans for the future.

After the sumptuous dinner, Li Tingting took an exquisite strawberry cake from the refrigerator and carefully placed it in the center of the table.

Amidst everyone's sincere blessings, Su Nian's face blossomed into a smile. This birthday was simple yet warm, filled with genuine friendship.

Birthday parties never lacked the sense of ritual that girls loved—exquisite cakes, sincere blessings, and taking photos to remember the occasion; every step seemed as though it had been rehearsed.

For most guys, however, such occasions were better suited for having a few drinks heartily. As for the cake and such, they weren't that important.

Chen Li stood to the side, watching the three girls exchange blessings, a polite smile on his face.

Although he cooperated and completed all the rituals, he felt in his heart that this overly formal politeness was somewhat redundant.

Everyone was an acquaintance who saw each other every day, so why be so formal?

However, he also understood that this was simply the way girls enjoyed their friendship.

Li Tingting, Meng Yu, and Su Nian were indeed almost inseparable, and every interaction between them seemed so natural and synchronized.

It wasn't that they were deliberately performing, but rather that days and months of spending time together had made them all too familiar with one another.

In contrast, it was Chen Li, the bystander, who seemed a bit out of place.

After the cake-cutting ceremony ended, more than half of the strawberry cake still sat intact on the table.

Everyone went to the leisure area, chatting about recent interesting events while sipping tea.

Chen Li listened to them discuss shopping and beauty topics and gradually found it boring, so he made an excuse to return to his room first—