Chapter 4: A Birthday Surprise

Miaomiao’s twenty-fifth birthday fell right during the busiest stretch of Yichen’s year. His group was racing to finish a major project on a tight deadline, and he had been working through the night for days on end.

Though Miaomiao was a little disappointed to think this year’s birthday might be rather plain, she tried to stay cheerful, not wanting to add to her husband’s stress when work was so overwhelming. She made a simple plan for herself: buy a small cake, cook a few of her favorite dishes, and wait for Yichen to come home late so they could celebrate quietly together.

But at exactly seven o’clock, just as Miaomiao finished setting the table, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she was stunned to see the entire hallway of their apartment decorated with hundreds of roses and strings of twinkling lights. Yichen stood there in a crisp suit, holding a huge bouquet, a rare tender smile on his lips.

“Aren’t you busy with your project?” Miaomiao was so surprised she could barely speak.

“The project is important, but my wife’s birthday is more important,” Yichen said, pulling her into a warm hug. “I’ve handed the work over to my deputy for tonight, just so I could give this whole evening to you.”

He led her into the living room, which had been turned into a small, romantic space, and gave her a thick photo album he had quietly been putting together for months. It recorded every memorable moment of their relationship since the day they met, with handwritten words of sincere love on every page.

“This is the special gift I made for you,” Yichen said, with a rare shyness in his voice. “I’m not good with fancy words, so I thought I’d let these pictures say everything for me.”

Miaomiao turned page after page, happy tears falling nonstop. On the last page, she found a small box cleverly hidden inside. In it was an exquisite necklace engraved with a tiny line: “To the most adorable pouting wife in the world, who taught my cold heart what it means to love.”

“I love you,” Miaomiao sobbed, throwing her arms around her husband. “Thank you for all of this. It’s wonderful.”