上海安全生产监督局

Chapter 14

She hadn\'t celebrated her birthday like this in years, feeling it was a bit cheesy.

"That won\'t do." Xiao Mubai looked at her, speaking earnestly: "There\'s only one chance a year to make a birthday wish, and wishes made today are the most likely to come true."

Shen Nian thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I don\'t have any wishes, why don\'t you make one for me."

"Alright." Xiao Mubai didn\'t refuse. Staring at the burning candle, he solemnly began: "Today is little Shen Nian\'s 23rd birthday. I hope the 23-year-old Shen Nian can let go of everything, think more for herself, embark on a new life, and live each day happily."

"...," Shen Nian stared at him in a daze.

Having made the wish, Xiao Mubai turned to meet her eyes: "What are you staring blankly for? Blow out the candles."

Following Xiao Mubai\'s lead, she blew out the candles. He then picked up the cake knife: "Here, the birthday girl gets the first cut."

Shen Nian cut a slice and was about to give it to him, but Xiao Mubai declined: "That won\'t do. This is the first piece, cut by the birthday girl herself. It\'s a lucky piece of cake, you should keep it for yourself."

He took the knife from her hand and cut himself a small piece.

"There, now I have some too."

Xiao Mubai was unwilling to take the first slice, and Shen Nian did not insist.

Since Xiao Mubai had to drive later, and Shen Nian was in poor health, they skipped the wine and opted for a large bottle of juice instead.

Shen Nian poured him some juice, and Xiao Mubai clinked glasses with her: "Nian Nian, happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Though simple, the little birthday party was warm and sweet.

Staring at the cake before her, Shen Nian pondered for a moment before speaking up.

"Mubai."

"I\'m here."

"You probably can\'t understand why I\'m willing to be resented by the Lu family either?"

Xiao Mubai\'s eyes flickered. He simply said: "It wasn\'t your fault." It was those two drunks who were at fault. She was the victim.

Shen Nian just smiled, not bothering to argue the point with him. Instead she asked: "Do you know how I met Lu Lingrui?"

Recalling something, a beautiful smile lit up Shen Nian\'s face as she recounted earnestly.

"Lu Lingrui and I were classmates. Although we were in the same class, we didn\'t know each other that well. As you know, just because you\'re classmates doesn\'t mean you\'ll be close. Lots of people graduate without ever saying a sentence to one another."

"..."

"As I recall, she was a simple, innocent girl. She didn\'t like playing games. If she liked you, she liked you. If she didn\'t, she didn\'t. She had no qualms about snapping back at those scheming girls. After that she\'d just stop interacting with them."

Anyway, Shen Nian had never seen such a frank girl before. Being friends with her required little maneuvering, because she would give you her whole heart.

Xiao Mubai listened to her very attentively.

He had never met Lu Lingrui, hadn\'t even seen a photo. To him, Lu Lingrui only existed in Shen Nian\'s stories.

From Shen Nian\'s accounts, he understood Lu Lingrui to be simple, kindhearted and sunny.

"We really started growing close in...tenth grade." Shen Nian pursed her lips, a flash of grief passing through her eyes.

She lowered her gaze and slowly went on.

"Back then, something happened in my family. My parents were out for a walk when they were hit by a runaway car and died on the spot."

She was 17 that year. It was the darkest time of her life.

Her beloved father and mother had left her side.

Xiao Mubai was startled.

Having known Shen Nian for four years, he only knew she never talked about her parents, and had assumed she didn\'t have a good relationship with them. He didn\'t expect this.

"At that time, Lu Lingrui was the first to take the initiative to comfort me."

By then they were sophomores. She took a week off to handle her parents\' affairs before returning to school in a daze, her grades plummeting.

That day, she was sitting alone in the cafeteria corner weeping over her meal when Lu Lingrui put down her tray across from her.

She said—

【Shen Nian, don\'t cry anymore. Uncle and auntie would be sad to see you like this. From now on, I\'ll be your trash can okay? You can tell me anything that makes you sad and I\'ll share the burden for you.】

Like a ray of sunshine, Lu Lingrui appeared in her dark world and illuminated it.

Then, Lu Lingrui helped her relax and vent her sorrows. She would listen patiently as Shen Nian told her sad stories, and share happy stories to cheer her up.

Lu Lingrui said, uncle and auntie haven\'t left you, they\'ve just changed the way they watch over you.

She asked, why do loved ones have to leave?

Lu Lingrui replied, because they want to go ahead to the next world and prepare a home for you there.

"...I told Lu Lingrui that I had no family left. She said from then on she would be my family, and her family would also be my family."

Shen Nian\'s eyes grew redder as she laughed at the silly girl\'s words.

"That\'s when I met Lu Lingchuan. He was two years older than Lu Lingrui and I, already admitted to A University with excellent grades. So Lu Lingrui would often take me to find Lu Lingchuan for tutoring to catch up on the work I\'d fallen behind on."

She had always felt Lu Lingrui was sent to redeem her. With Lu Lingrui, it was as if she had everything.

Until that summer—

"Have you ever seen a sunny girl who used to smile everyday now spend her days in tears?" Shen Nian looked at Xiao Mubai and enunciated word for word: "I have."

"..."

"After that day, it was like she became a different person. She stopped laughing and talking. She just shut herself in her room all day."

"..."

Shen Nian had heard it said before: silence is the prelude to an outburst.

At the time, she didn\'t truly understand the meaning behind those words. Not until that day—

That day, she received Lu Lingrui\'s farewell text. It was the first time since her ordeal that they had communicated, and also the last.

Then, she committed suicide.

"She illuminated my world, yet I didn\'t save her. I ran off, leaving her all alone there..."

She hated herself for not bringing Lu Lingrui along when she fled.

When Lu Lingrui left, she took with her the sunshine she had once given Shen Nian.

"..." Xiao Mubai opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

Perhaps one saying rang true after all:

You have no right to tell others to let go if you haven\'t experienced their pain yourself.

A thousand words distilled into one sentence: "You still have me."

Shen Nian just smiled.

...

The weather had already begun warming up in May. Perhaps because today was special, even though night had fallen, there were still many people outside.

With a sweep of her eyes, Shen Nian saw many young couples, as well as families of three or four. They were all holding things, making quite a festive sight.

She turned to Xiao Mubai, "Why did you bring me here? I see everyone holding stuff in their hands."

"Mm," Xiao Mubai replied. "What they\'re holding are sky lanterns."

【Precious readers who haven\'t left a review, go write a review and give a 5-star rating!】