Chapter 173: One hundred seventy-three, birthday gift Chapter 173: One hundred seventy-three, birthday gift “Xiao Ning knew today was my birthday and bought me a cake,” Li Meixiang said, shaking the cake in her hand with a joyful smile on her face. She had forgotten that today was her birthday but, to her surprise, Xiao Ning had remembered it.
Yang Lisheng also saw the cake Li Meixiang was carrying, “I forgot today was your birthday.”
Li Meixiang shook her head with a smile, “With this cake from Xiao Ning, I’m already very happy.” Their generation didn’t really celebrate birthdays, so the fact that Xiao Ning remembered hers made her very pleased.
“Grandpa, Grandma, let’s go inside and cut the cake,” Song Yan Ning said, taking Li Meixiang by the hand and walking towards the house.
“Mhm,” Li Meixiang said with a smile, looking at Song Yan Ning with a face full of relief. She wondered whether Xinxin would regret her decision upon seeing Xiao Ning now.
As Song Yan Ning passed Yang Lisheng, she sneaked a small box into his hand and playfully winked at him.
Yang Lisheng looked at the box in his hand and smiled, following the two into the house.
Song Yan Ning placed the birthday candles and lit them with a lighter, “Grandma, close your eyes and make a wish.”
Li Meixiang gave Song Yan Ning a sideways smile and closed her eyes.
Song Yan Ning winked at Yang Lisheng, signaling him to give Grandma the box she had just handed to him.
Yang Lisheng shook his head, smiling, and took the box out of his pocket. He walked up to Li Meixiang and, after she finished making her wish and opened her eyes, handed her the box, “Happy Birthday!”
Li Meixiang was surprised for a moment, and her eyes uncontrollably reddened. She playfully scolded Yang Lisheng, “At this age and still doing these things, you really are getting more childish as you get older.” She and her husband had been through thick and thin for over forty years; when they were younger and busy with work, they couldn’t even remember there was such a thing as a birthday, and if they did, at most they’d boil a bowl of noodles with two eggs in it. As they aged, they were even less likely to remember their own birthdays, not to mention giving gifts.
Yang Lisheng scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. In all the years they had been married, he had never given his wife a birthday present. If it hadn’t been for Xiao Ning preparing the birthday present, he wouldn’t have known how happy his wife would be to receive a gift.
“Grandma, open it and see what Grandpa has given you,” Song Yan Ning urged from the side.
Li Meixiang nodded, wiped her tears, and opened the small box in her hand, only to find a gold ring inside, “How did you think to give me a ring? How much did it cost?”
Yang Lisheng paused when he saw the ring. He thought it would be just an ordinary gift, but it turned out to be a ring.
“Grandma, Grandpa said he’s always owed you a wedding ring since you got married, so he went and secretly got one made. Put it on and see if it fits,” Song Yan Ning said from the side.
“Yes,” Yang Lisheng nodded in agreement, feeling a twinge of guilt. When he married his wife, he had nothing. On their wedding night, he had promised to buy her a wedding ring, but as time went by, he gradually forgot about it.
“Okay,” Li Meixiang nodded her head, and tears that she had just stopped flowed down once more. She thought her husband had long forgotten, but he still remembered his promise.
Yang Lisheng took the ring, took Li Meixiang’s hand, and gently slid the ring onto her finger, “Sorry! I forgot.”
Li Meixiang shook her head and looked at the ring on her hand, “It fits well.” Although so many years had passed, she was genuinely happy.
Song Yan Ning smiled and quietly left the main room, returning to her own bedroom.
Just as she closed the door, Song Yan Ning’s phone started ringing.
Without even looking, Song Yan Ning reached for her phone and pressed the answer button. There was no doubt that the call at this time was from Qin Yushen.
“Have you arrived home?” Qin Yushen’s gentle and magnetic voice came through from the other end of the phone.
“Mhm.” Song Yan Ning walked over to the desk and poured herself a glass of water from the kettle.
“Your graduation exams are coming up soon, have you considered coming to Beijing to attend high school?” Qin Yushen truly hoped that Song Yan Ning would return to Beijing. More and more boys were taking an interest in Xiao Ning now, filling him with a constant sense of crisis. Although he knew Xiao Ning wouldn’t fancy those little brats, just the thought of the swarms of lovestruck boys around Xiao Ning made him want to whisk her away to Beijing.
“No,” Song Yan Ning said without a second thought. Compared to Beijing, she preferred Yang City, and her grandparents liked Yang City too.
“But I’ll miss you,” Qin Yushen said softly, with a hint of seduction in his voice.
Song Yan Ning rolled her eyes wordlessly, a sweet curve appearing on her lips, “Don’t we see each other every day?” As long as she didn’t go out to train, she would almost be in the Emperor Realm every day. They had now reached the Middle and High-level System, and the tasks were much more difficult than before.
“It’s not the same,” Qin Yushen thought of Song Yan Ning’s current expression, his handsome face breaking into a tender smile. He really wished he could see her all the time.
“What’s not the same? Isn’t it the same seeing each other?” Song Yan Ning couldn’t help but feel the urge to roll her eyes again.
“I want to see you both day and night.” Qin Yushen thought about how, if Song Yan Ning came to Beijing, he could pick her up from school every day, and they could go on dates during breaks. With him by her side, he didn’t believe those frivolous admirers would dare to get close to Xiao Ning.
“Xiao Ning, come out for cake,” Li Meixiang’s voice called from outside.
“I’m coming! My grandmother is calling me, let’s talk more tonight.”
“Okay.” Qin Yushen didn’t hang up the phone until Song Yan Ning had ended the call and reluctantly put his phone away.
Qin Yushen picked up the photo from the desk, looking at Song Yan Ning with a beguiling smile in the picture, and couldn’t help but smile. Since Xiao Ning was unwilling to come to Beijing, it would be the same if he went to Yang City for university. However, he wouldn’t tell Xiao Ning for now and would surprise her later.
Song Yan Ning entered the classroom. The room, usually filled with laughter and chatter, was exceptionally quiet today, with most students working on their pre-examination review sheets, their faces etched with tension.
“Song Yan Ning, could you teach me how to solve this problem?” As soon as Song Yan Ning sat down, a classmate in front turned around with their exam paper.
Song Yan Ning glanced at the question and went through the solution, “Do you understand?”
“Thank you!” The classmate nodded, turning back around to continue working on the problems.
“Song Yan Ning, the exam is tomorrow, and you don’t seem nervous at all,” Yu Xiaoyan looked at Song Yan Ning with a hint of jealousy. Over the years, Song Yan Ning had undergone a huge transformation, changing from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, while she remained as fat and unattractive as ever.