Chapter Index

    Chapter 14

    Xia Yize opened Pan Yu’s dialog box, [Tomorrow is Qi Ge’s birthday, and he will go to his grandma’s place.】

    Pan Yu was really timely, and he was worried that he couldn’t find any reason to meet again. The frequency of meetings in the past has almost caught up with the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. With Qi Ge’s friends helping out, it is indeed twice the result with half the effort. The opinions of netizens are really good.

    However, Xia Yize was a little confused as to why Qi Ge spent his birthday with his grandma instead of with other family members and friends.

    The next day, Xia Yize came early. Grandma smiled cautiously when she saw Xia Yize. Grandma knew that she sometimes couldn’t recognize people, so she looked at Xia Yize cautiously.

    Grandma was wearing a pink Chinese-style coat, her hair was pulled into a bun at the back, and she was carefully dressed.

    Xia Yize didn’t expect grandma to attach so much importance to Qi Ge’s birthday. Even though sometimes people can’t remember it clearly, they still remember this day. Maybe Qi Ge is more important to grandma than her family.

    He held a pot of green bamboo and said, “Grandma, last time you said that there was a pot of flowers missing on the window sill and it was full. I brought you a pot. Do you like it?”

    Grandma looked at the nurse for help, and the nurse smiled and said, “The volunteers who came to see you last time, you guys had a great time chatting.”

    Grandma finally asked him to sit down with a relieved smile, “Thank you, I like it very much.”

    Qi Ge remembers what day it is today. Even if he forgets it because he is busy, Guo Shengfan and Pan Yu will remind him at midnight.

    Qi Ge packed up the woolen wind chimes and miscellaneous daily necessities prepared for Grandma. The older Grandma gets, the more she likes pink and tender things. A full bag exudes a girlish atmosphere.

    Qi Ge picked up the phone and was about to go out. The silent phone had been on and off on the coffee table several times.

    Just when he was about to dismiss the missed message, the screen lit up again, and this time it was a different person.

    The pulsating green button seemed like the other party was looking forward to it. He frowned and connected, and the person on the other end immediately remembered Qi Yuanshen’s voice, “Happy birthday, son.”

    “Thank you, Dad.” There was no joy in Qi Ge’s tone.

    “Let’s celebrate your birthday together today.” Qi Yuanshen didn’t seem to hear Qi Ge’s resistance, but still extended the invitation.

    “I have something else to do today.” Qi Ge declined implicitly.

    “No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat. I will send you the address of the restaurant. Come over.”

    He had heard this kind of commanding tone since he was a child, but he was no longer that child, “I don’t have time today.”

    Qi Yuanshen paused for a while and said, “Your mother is here too. I told your Aunt Li to celebrate your birthday with you. If you don’t come, what will your Aunt Li think about taking the opportunity to have a private meeting with your ex-wife?”

    Before Qi Ge could speak, Qi Yuanshen gave in and said, “You can come over here and we can take a photo together. If you let me go back and give an explanation, you can do me a favor.”

    Why did he acquiesce that he would go? Qi Ge didn’t bother to ask. He just said, “Okay, I’ll go there, but you can explain it to Aunt Li next time.”

    He hung up the phone, looked at the pink bag next to him, and took a long breath.

    The restaurant wasn’t far away but he didn’t go there often and it was expensive.

    The waiter guided them to a seat by the window. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw them at the same time. In the past, whenever two people were together, they would always quarrel.

    Risa wore a plain sweater and looked like a dignified and good family-oriented wife. She was Qi Yuanshen’s ideal wife.

    Seeing Qi Ge coming, she stood up and stepped forward. Qi Ge avoided her hug and sat opposite the two of them.

    Risa was not discouraged and said, “Happy birthday, son. Today I specially asked your dad to celebrate his birthday with us.” As she said this, she put food on Qi Ge’s plate.

    Qi Ge did not pick up the chopsticks and said patiently: “We have never had the habit of celebrating birthdays together before. Even the three of us sitting together were a few years ago.”

    He turned to Qi Yuanshen, “Don’t you want to take photos to prove that you are not having an affair with your ex-wife? I can come for the sake of your family harmony. I know that family harmony is not easy, and it is not easy to have a stable relationship. I can understand that you cherish it, and I hope you can always cherish it.”

    Qi Yuan couldn’t hold back his deep smile, “Your parents are celebrating your birthday, and you’re so reluctant.”

    “You didn’t pay much attention to my birthday before.” Qi Ge took a sip of water and looked away.

    Risa interrupted with a smile, “You father and son are still the same. From now on, we will celebrate every birthday together.”

    Qi Ge did not look at Risa, but asked Qi Yuanshen with his eyes.

    Qi Yuanshen avoided his gaze and looked at Risa, “Your mother and I are planning to remarry. I want to ask your opinion.”

    Qi Ge couldn’t help but sneered, “Don’t say you remarried just because of me.”

    Risa put her arm on Qi Yuanshen’s arm and said, “We have lived half a lifetime. We made mistakes in our choices before. We want to make up for our mistakes.”

    “What about Aunt Li?” Qi Ge looked at the two people coldly.

    “We have been separated for a long time.” Qi Yuan sighed deeply, “He was taken back to his hometown by his son. After all, we are not a married couple.”

    Qi Ge suddenly wanted to laugh, “You want me to support you. If you have a reasonable reason, you won’t feel guilty, right?”

    “I don’t expect you to bless us, but I hope that our family can go out to eat together often. Your dad and I were first loves, and no one can replace him in my heart, including your dad.” Risa looked affectionate, as if she had not done those things back then.

    “Yes, it is true that no one can replace me.” Qi Ge looked at Risa, “You were the one who abandoned my husband and son, got divorced, and then moved into someone else’s villa. You were the one who ignored me and ignored me. Now you are the one who is deeply in love with me.”

    Risa’s face looked ugly. Before she could explain, Qi Ge added, “When I was six years old, my dad did the paternity test behind your back. You still don’t know.”

    Qi Yuanshen sat stiffly and did not dare to look at Risa, “You both don’t trust each other, so don’t play the drama of deep love between husband and wife. But now no one wants her, and I think of my ex-husband and ex-wife again. If you want to remarry, just do it. Don’t use me as a cover-up.”

    He pushed aside the vegetables Risa brought him, “I’m allergic to spinach, you must have forgotten it a long time ago.”

    Qi Ge’s words made the two people opposite him look livid, “I have something else to do today, so I won’t disturb you.”

    Qi Ge stood up and left, sat back in the car, watched the clouds on the horizon move slightly, then lowered his head and smiled.

    He remembers the birthday when he was five years old. He pestered his mother to buy a cake, but all he got was a scolding. Then his mother went out and the neighbor’s grandma gave him a piece of cake.

    That time, my mother came back the next day and had a big quarrel with my father. From then on, he never dared to ask for cake again.

    How can I make up for it after so many years?

    After waiting all morning, Xia Yize watched four episodes of the TV series with her grandma and knitted a long scarf. Grandma finally remembered to ask the nurse, “Will Qiqi come today?”

    Xia Yize knew that the Qiqi his grandma was talking about was Qi Ge, and he waited for the answer with his ears pricked up.

    The nurse did not disappoint him, “Qiqi comes every year. Don’t worry, he will be here soon.”

    Xia Yize went from being always prepared, to eagerly anticipating it, and finally settled in for it as soon as it came, as if he was simply here to accompany his grandma.

    When Qi Ge arrived, he was wrapping yarn with his grandmother. He was sitting on the ground, holding a circle of yarn with both hands, and looking up. The sun was shining warmly on his face. Grandma was sitting on a chair, wrapping a ball of yarn.

    The nurse stood at the door and said, “Grandma, look who’s here to see you. She’s been mumbling about it all morning. This is not the time.”

    Grandma smiled and put down the wool and pulled Qi Ge, “Qiqi, sit here.”

    Xia Yize, who had fallen out of favor, packed up his knitting and stood aside obediently.

    Qi Ge let his grandma pull him to sit down. Grandma stood up and said, “Today is your birthday. I bought you a cake.”

    Qi Ge stood up with a smile, “Grandma is still thinking about me.”

    Xia Yize rarely saw a trace of warmth in Qi Ge. Qi Ge helped Grandma walk to the refrigerator outside and smiled to make Grandma happy.

    Grandma put the cake on the table and said, “It’s your favorite mango cake. I asked them to put more mango jam on it.”

    The package was opened and Qiqi’s happy birthday was written on the cake.

    Grandma cut the cake into pieces, but the cuts were uneven. In the end, Qi Ge held her hand, placed the cake on a small plate, and inserted a small fork.

    Grandma touched Qi Ge’s hair and said, “You are one year older.”

    Qi Ge lowered his head and rubbed Grandma’s face. Grandma smiled kindly and gratifiedly. Unlike when she looked at Xia Yize, Grandma’s eyes were not polite or defensive, but were full of happiness.

    Qi Ge held the cake and looked at Xia Yize. Grandma also looked over, with confusion in her eyes. Qi Ge said in Grandma’s ear: “Let’s give him a piece too.”

    Grandma’s eyes suddenly lit up and she said, “You are the neighbor Xiaoge. You and our Qiqi have the same birthday. Come over and have a piece of cake.”

    Xia Yize was stunned for a moment, and a white light flashed in his mind. What did his grandma call him?

    Seeing that Xia Yize was stunned and didn’t move, Grandma went over to pull Xia Yize and said, “Don’t be sad, Xiaoge. Grandma will give you cake to eat. Come here. Come to Grandma. You don’t want to listen to the adults arguing. Come here.”

    Grandma held Xia Yize in her arms and coaxed her to sit next to Qi Ge. Xia Yize clenched his fists and did not dare to look at Qi Ge.Grandma handed him a piece of cake and said, “Xiaoge, you two can eat together.”

    Grandma was sitting next to Qi Ge. Xia Yize was nibbling on the cake. Grandma on the side looked at Qi Ge with a smile. Xia Yize’s nose felt a little sore for a moment.

    Grandma looked at Qi Ge, but what she was thinking about was her little grandson Qiqi.

    Qi Ge, on the other hand, was eating the cake prepared by his grandma and pretending to be another person while he was awake.

    Grandma called Xiaoge twice, but Xia Yize didn’t even react. Qi Ge touched him from below, “Grandma is calling you.”

    Xia Yize responded hurriedly, and grandma asked: “Is it delicious, Xiaoge?”

    Xia Yize looked at Qi Ge and nodded. Qi Ge was very calm.

    Xia Yize couldn’t help but wonder who the adults were arguing about. Did Qi Ge also celebrate his birthday at his grandma’s house when he was a child?

    Seeing his grandma looking at her little grandson with affection from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, Xia Yize sat aside, holding a small cake, feeling like he wanted to cry.

    Note