Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: The Birthday Dilemma

The October wind carried a faint chill. When Su Wan stepped out in the morning, she'd deliberately layered a cream-colored knit cardigan over her shirt. As she reached the community gate, she glanced instinctively toward the breakfast shop—Lu Chengyu had said he'd wait for her there after their rainy night farewell. But at that moment, only a handful of people stood in line, and the familiar dark gray figure was nowhere to be seen."He probably had a last-minute work matter," she muttered softly, yet an inexplicable emptiness settled in her chest. Her fingers brushed the phone in her pocket unconsciously—it was still dark, no new messages.Upon arriving at the company, she found a pink envelope on her desk—a birthday card from her colleagues in the design department, with a handwritten note tucked inside: "Happy birthday, Su Wan! Don't miss the team dinner tonight～" Su Wan smiled as she tucked the card into her drawer, her fingertips gliding over the messy signatures, a warm glow spreading through her heart.The morning was busy. The construction drawings for Stellar Center's underground landscape had reached a critical stage. Su Wan and the team pored over the blueprints, double-checking dimensions repeatedly, barely pausing to drink water. It wasn't until noon that she stood up, rubbing her sore shoulders, planning to grab a bento from the convenience store downstairs. Just then, her phone rang—it was a voice message from Xia Mo, brimming with excitement: "Wanwan! Remember to come early after work! I booked a window seat at the hot pot restaurant, and I got you a birthday cake—strawberry flavor!""Got it, I'll try to leave as soon as I can," Su Wan replied. As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, she spotted Lu Chengyu's assistant standing at the entrance of the office area, holding a paper bag with a dessert shop logo, waving in her direction."Designer Su," the assistant hurried over, handing her the bag, "Mr. Lu asked me to give this to you. He said happy birthday, but he has an international meeting this afternoon and couldn't come in person."Su Wan took the bag, feeling the warmth through the paper. Opening it, she found her favorite taro basque cake from the dessert shop she often visited, with a small "Happy Birthday" plastic topper inserted. She froze—she'd casually mentioned to Lu Chengyu during lunch last week that this shop's taro basque was the best, never expecting he'd remembered."Please thank Mr. Lu for me," Su Wan carefully placed the cake in her drawer, her heart feeling soft and warm, as if soaked in warm water.The afternoon meeting ended earlier than expected. As Su Wan packed up to leave, her colleague Xiao Li leaned over, speaking mysteriously: "Su Wan, I just heard people from the marketing department saying you got to lead the Stellar project because Mr. Lu has a thing for you…"Su Wan's hand paused on the folder, her expression darkening slightly. "Don't listen to rumors. Mr. Lu and I are just work partners.""But everyone's saying it," Xiao Li lowered her voice, "that Mr. Lu specially helped you solve your rental problem, always finds excuses to coordinate work with you, and you two looked so different standing together at the industry gala…"Su Wan said no more, only hastily saying goodbye to Xiao Li and hurrying out of the company. The lights in the corridor were dim. Xiao Li's words echoed in her mind, tangling her thoughts—she hadn't been oblivious to her colleagues' strange glances these days, but she'd chosen to ignore them. Now that it was laid bare, those worries about "status gaps" and "office gossip" resurfaced.Stepping out of the office building, the evening wind brushed her face, cool and crisp. Su Wan was staring down at her phone, checking the navigation to the hot pot restaurant, when a familiar voice called out from behind: "Su Wan."She turned around to see Lu Chengyu standing under a parasol tree not far away, wearing a light gray windbreaker. He held a light blue velvet gift box tied with a silver bow, glowing softly in the sunset. He seemed to have just gotten out of a car—his windbreaker hem was still dotted with raindrops, and his hair was slightly disheveled by the wind, yet it did nothing to diminish his tall, straight figure."Mr. Lu? I thought you had an international meeting?" Su Wan asked in surprise. The grievances and worries in her heart faded inexplicably at the sight of him."The meeting ended early," Lu Chengyu strode over, holding out the gift box. His fingers gently twisted the bow's ribbon, the tips of his ears slightly pink. "I wasn't at the breakfast shop this morning because I went to pick up this gift—I was afraid I'd be too late."Su Wan took the box, feeling the soft velvet beneath her fingertips, a flutter stirring in her chest. It was heavier than she'd expected. She stared at the bow for a moment, then carefully untied it.When she lifted the lid, her breath caught in her throat. The box was lined with light blue velvet, holding a silver necklace. The pendant was a miniature design sketch, its lines delicate—even the curved glass outline of Stellar Center's underground landscape was clearly visible. She picked up the necklace gently, flipping the pendant over to find two tiny characters engraved on the back: "Xing Wan" (Xing from Stellar, Wan from Su Wan)."'Xing' is from Stellar Center, 'Wan' is yours," Lu Chengyu's voice sounded beside her, laced with nervousness. He reached out to brush the pendant lightly. "I had a designer customize it, referencing the Stellar construction drawings you drew. We revised it three times to get the size right—I was afraid it would be clunky if too big, or the details wouldn't show if too small…"Su Wan's fingers traced the "Xing Wan" characters gently. The cool metal pressed against her skin, but her heart burned with warmth. She imagined Lu Chengyu, amid his busy work, communicating with the designer repeatedly, revising the drawings again and again—his thoughtfulness was woven into every detail she couldn't see."Why… go to so much trouble?" Su Wan's voice trembled. She looked up into Lu Chengyu's eyes, which reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, unusually sincere."Because it's a gift for you," Lu Chengyu looked at her, his eyes free of their usual seriousness, filled only with tenderness. "From the panic I felt when I saw you fall into the water at Yunqi Lake, to wanting you to live comfortably when helping you find an apartment, to watching you speak confidently about the proposal at the gala… I've found myself caring more and more about you. This gift isn't just for your birthday—it's to tell you that my feelings for you, like the design of Stellar Center, are sincere, not a whim."Su Wan's heart thundered in her chest. She looked at Lu Chengyu, recalling all the little moments: how he remembered she didn't eat coriander and always told the waiter in advance; how he knew she loved succulents and chose an apartment with a south-facing balcony for her; how he'd braved the rain to buy hot ginger tea and roasted sweet potatoes on that rainy night, fearing she'd catch cold; even the office gossip—Lin Man had mentioned to her once that Mr. Lu had specially asked everyone to focus on the project and stop spreading irrelevant rumors.But just then, Xiao Li's words echoed again: "You got to lead the Stellar project because Mr. Lu has a thing for you, right?" And her mother's voice from last week's call: "Wanwan, you should marry someone of equal status, otherwise you'll be wronged in the future." These words hit her like pebbles, dashing the courage that had just risen within her."Mr. Lu, this gift is too precious. I can't accept it," Su Wan bit her lower lip, pushing the box back gently, her fingers whitening with the effort. "I appreciate your sincerity, but… we're from different worlds, and there's so much gossip in the company. I'm afraid…"Before she could finish, Lu Chengyu interrupted her. He didn't take the box, but covered her hand with his, his warmth seeping through the velvet. Her fingers trembled involuntarily. "So what if we're from different worlds? So what about the gossip?" Lu Chengyu's voice was firm. "I like you because you're Su Wan—the Su Wan who takes design seriously, who gets sad when her succulents wilt, who's afraid of thunder on rainy nights. Not because you're the designer of Stellar Center, and not because I'm the president of Chengyu Investment. As for the gossip, I'll handle it. I won't let you be wronged at all."Su Wan looked into his sincere eyes, tears threatening to fall. She wanted to agree, to accept this heartfelt gift, to go eat at that old-fashioned wonton shop with him, to visit the light installation exhibition. But the worries in her heart were like a barrier she couldn't cross—she was afraid she'd grow too dependent on him, afraid their relationship would affect her work, and even more afraid that if they broke up someday, they couldn't even be friends."I need time to think," Su Wan pulled her hand back, hugging the box to her chest, her voice as light as a sigh. "It's not that I don't like you. It's just… I need time to convince myself to get past these worries."Lu Chengyu looked at her reddened eyes, a pang of pain in his heart. He nodded gently, not pushing her. "Okay, I'll wait. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait. Don't pressure yourself. I'll be right here, until you're ready."After parting with Lu Chengyu, Su Wan walked toward the hot pot restaurant, hugging the gift box. On the way, she opened her phone to find several messages from Xia Mo: "Wanwan, where are you? The cake is almost melting!" "By the way, Mr. Lu called me this afternoon, asking what flavor cake you like and if you had any special gifts you wanted. He prepared it so carefully!"Su Wan smiled as she read the messages, her eyes growing redder. She looked down at the box in her arms, feeling the shape of the pendant through the velvet. The confusion in her heart slowly eased—maybe she didn't need to rush to a decision. As long as she followed her heart and slowly drew closer to this man who treated her so sincerely, that would be enough.When she arrived at the hot pot restaurant, Xia Mo spotted the gift box immediately, leaning over to tease: "Oh, isn't this the gift from Mr. Lu? I knew he'd prepare a surprise for you!"Su Wan placed the box on the table and opened it for Xia Mo to see. "Look, he even engraved 'Xing Wan' on it."Xia Mo picked up the necklace, examining it carefully before tapping Su Wan's forehead with a smile. "You overthink everything. Look at this pendant—he even remembered the details of your construction drawings. This kind of thoughtfulness isn't just empty talk. What do those gossip and status gaps matter in the face of sincerity? Are you really going to miss out on someone who likes you this much because of them?"Su Wan bit her straw, staring at the bubbling spicy oil in the pot, saying nothing. But she knew Xia Mo was right—Lu Chengyu's sincerity, like the hot soup in the pot, was warm and genuine. She couldn't pretend not to see it.After dinner, Xia Mo brought out the cake, lit the candles, and told Su Wan to make a wish. Closing her eyes, Su Wan prayed silently: May Stellar Center be completed smoothly, may her parents be healthy, and may… she be brave enough to seize the happiness that belonged to her.As she blew out the candles, her phone lit up—it was a message from Lu Chengyu: "Happy birthday, Su Wan. No matter what decision you make, I'll support you." It was followed by a star emoji, identical to the outline of Stellar Center on the necklace pendant.Su Wan smiled as she read the message. She picked up her phone, replied with a "Thank you," then carefully placed the necklace in her jewelry box—she knew the barrier in her heart was slowly melting. Maybe it wouldn't be long before she could summon the courage to say to Lu Chengyu: "I'm ready."