"Pff!"
Standing by, Xia Xiwei also couldn’t help but giggle. She wasn’t sure if Zhou Wang had truly noticed, but she was well aware of Jiang Yisen’s nuances.
This only meant that Jiang Yisen had already developed some caution towards Zhou Wang in his heart, although he would never admit it out loud.
...
After leaving the Moon Palace, they casually found a restaurant featuring Bai Clan cuisine for dinner. After wandering around a bit more, they returned to the Pine Forest Mid-Mountain Hotel around eight or nine in the evening.
"Xixi, I’m heading back to Beidou tomorrow. Do you want to come with me... Hey, sis, are you okay?"
Jiang Yisen asked curiously.
For some reason, ever since dinner ended, Xia Xiwei hadn’t been herself, and now standing at the hotel entrance, she seemed to be lost in thought again.
"I’m fine, let’s go up..."
Xia Xiwei snapped back to reality, smiling brightly.
The hotel was eerily quiet, the film crew on the other side shooting a scene still seemed to be working. Xia Xiwei was quite used to this.
Initially, Xia Xiwei intended to bid farewell to Zhou Wang directly and go back to her room to rest, preparing for the next day’s shoot. But just then, Zhou Wang suddenly spoke up,
"I’d like to visit the set, Xixi, want to join me?"
After a day spent together, they had become pretty familiar with each other. Zhou Wang simply called her by her name, though Xia Xiwei wanted him to call her "Little Xia." Considering he was technically her junior, Zhou Wang thought "Xixi" seemed more appropriate, even if it sounded a bit provincial...
Xia Xiwei was taken aback, puzzled why Zhou Wang would be so interested in the film set; hadn’t they watched a scene just this morning...
But since Zhou Wang suggested it, although she wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, it wouldn’t be right to refuse. She nodded reluctantly with a smile and said, "Sure, let’s go together."
With Xia Xiwei going, Jiang Yisen naturally had to follow. Fortunately, the night scene was being shot at a set near the hotel, so it wasn’t far. They arrived at the set after a short five-minute walk.
But as they got closer, Xia Xiwei became confused, "Strange, why can’t I hear anything? It’s all dark inside. Did I misread the schedule..."
Xia Xiwei checked her phone to confirm. She hadn’t glanced wrong; the evening’s shoot was indeed at the set, and even if it were relocated, crew members should have been present inside. It couldn’t possibly be so quiet.
"It does seem odd. Let’s take a quick look inside."
Zhou Wang spoke up.
Xia Xiwei didn’t think much of it and walked towards the set. Jiang Yisen was about to follow her when Zhou Wang pulled him back.
He looked at Zhou Wang, confused, who just smiled and shook his head, signaling with his eyes that he’d understand shortly.
At that moment, Xia Xiwei had already reached the entrance of the set. She hadn’t noticed that Zhou Wang and the others had stopped walking. She pushed the door open and went inside.
The set was dimly lit, seemingly devoid of anyone. It was then she realized Zhou Wang and the others had disappeared. She wasn’t scared of ghosts or anything, just a little puzzled.
As Xia Xiwei glanced around, suddenly a spotlight illuminated the area. From where the light shone, a gentle guitar melody began, followed by a lively, pleasant female voice,
"The sunset on the sea is like a painting from youth, spread across the sky waiting for seagulls to take it away."
In Xia Xiwei’s astonished gaze, under the spotlight appeared a girl strumming a guitar. She had medium-length hair and a fresh face, smiling innocently as she sang to Xia Xiwei,
"Faraway sails weather the waves, pursuing dreams without fear..."
Shortly, as the first verse finished, several more spotlights lit up, revealing different areas of darkness. A drum set and a bass guitar appeared, played by two male supporting actors from the crew.
They smiled at Xia Xiwei, energetically playing their instruments, accompanying the solo female singer.
"Bless the wishes you’ve made, may flowers bloom along the way, protecting dreams from storms in time, cherry blossoms at your fingertips, a poem of days bygone, passionate love mingled with elegance..."
When the female singer reached the first chorus, Xia Xiwei realized what was happening. She opened her mouth, eyes filled with surprise and a hint of confusion.
Shaking off her initial reaction, Xia Xiwei took a deep breath, trying not to lose composure, and merely smiled while watching the band perform.
Once the first chorus ended, the beams of light that had been focusing suddenly vanished, and the set plunged back into darkness. The music ceased abruptly.
After a brief silence, a piano solo began to play, and a new light appeared. Amidst swirling dust illuminated by light, a young man played the keys gracefully. The light outlined his handsome features, giving him an almost divine aura.
After striking the final note, the young man looked up at Xia Xiwei, singing softly with a smile,
"Bless the wishes you’ve made, may flowers bloom along the way, sheltering rain beneath the eaves, time flows swiftly marking the hustle of the ages, your smile blossoms this summer... Xixi, happy birthday!"
The altered lyrics perfectly fit the moment. When Zhou Wang finished singing the final line, Xia Xiwei, originally holding back, couldn’t restrain herself any longer and discreetly wiped the corner of her eye as she turned away.
"Bless the wishes you’ve made, may flowers bloom along the way..."
Click!
The entire set burst into light, and the band’s sound filled the air once more. Amid the cheers, led by the boss Ma Yuan, a large group of crew members pushed out a massive 12-tiered cake.
The set had already been decorated with banners saying, "Wishing Miss Xia her best day today and always!"
Other workers, previously hidden in the dark, popped out with confetti cannons, creating a makeshift festive atmosphere.
Surrounded by applause, music, and screams, Xia Xiwei, after the initial excitement, regained her composure, gracefully interacting with everyone around her. Yet, her peripheral gaze kept drifting towards the piano.
Amid the hustle and blessings, it was Ma Yuan who clapped his hands and played the role of the host,
"Little Xia, come blow out the candles and make a wish first!"
Under his guidance, Xia Xiwei walked over, clasping her hands together to silently make a birthday wish.
"Feeling a bit rushed, don’t really know what gift to prepare for you. Uncle thought a bit, could only give something a bit tacky..."
Ma Yuan chuckled, pulling out a gift box with a Bulgari logo, placing it in Xia Xiwei’s hands.
"Xixi, happy birthday!"
"Weiwei, happy birthday..."
Other crew members familiar with Xia Xiwei also offered their gifts. Xia Xiwei continuously thanked everyone, her vision blurrier with emotion.
She wasn’t the type to cry easily, but this day held immense significance for her. Even though she sensed some of the blessings weren’t genuine, this atmosphere... it was something she had always longed for.
"Thank you, thank you all so much..."
After more thanks, cutting the first slice of cake, and popping champagne, Xia Xiwei suddenly remembered something, quickly pulling Ma Yuan aside to ask,
"Uncle Ma, how did you all..."
"It’s Mr. Zhou. He said today is your birthday. Funny enough, I even double-checked your profile, and it’s not today. But Zhou Wang insisted, saying no mistake, so I thought, never actually heard of you celebrating before..."
Ma Yuan chuckled, puzzled, "Since it was all coordinated by Mr. Zhou’s two assistants, we just went along. Now seeing your reaction, turns out today is indeed your birthday!"
A surge of emotions welled up within Xia Xiwei, but she didn’t explain further to Ma Yuan and instead turned to find Zhou Wang.
She felt a strong urge to say something or do something for Zhou Wang, although she wasn’t sure exactly what...
Unfortunately, after searching around, she couldn’t find Zhou Wang. It was only through Chen He that she found out he had gone back to his room already.
"This guy..."
Xia Xiwei bit her lip, feeling a bit annoyed.
Is he pulling the "disappear after causing a scene" trick?
She thought for a moment, waved to her assistant, and whispered something in her ear.
"Huh?"
Her assistant looked at Xia Xiwei in amazement, "Sis, are you... sure?"