Chapter 46: Birthday
The round table quickly filled with people.
Zhao Fuchang sat at the head, with the rest seated in order: Zhao Yuheng’s high school teacher, Yu Jun, his wife, Kuang Hui, their two grandchildren, and a grandson from their daughter’s side.
The three children blinked their big eyes, looking from Shen Shuyi to Zhao Yuheng.
Shen Shuyi gave them a fake smile: “:D”
Under the table, Zhao Yuheng’s shiny black leather shoe suddenly got stomped on, leaving a gray footprint on it.
“Explain.” Shen Shuyi handed the three kids candy with a sweet smile, but through gritted teeth squeezed out two words to warn Zhao Yuheng: “What’s going on?”
“Here, kids, big brother’s giving you some candy.” Shen Shuyi smiled gracefully.
The children’s eyes went wide in surprise.
One took the lead to say thank you, and the other two, younger ones, followed suit.
“Thank you, pretty brother!”
“Thank you, brother pretty!”
“Thank you, pretty lady!”
Shen Shuyi: …?
He was speechless.
His fists clenched.
Forget it.
Children speak without malice—just endure it.
“Talk.” Shen Shuyi forced out the two words again, glaring at Zhao Yuheng from the corner of his eye.
“It’s just what you see. Family dinner,” Zhao Yuheng replied.
“Dinner?!” Shen Shuyi was furious. “Whose family dinner looks like this? Do you take me for a fool? This is clearly—”
Zhao Yuheng blinked innocently. “Clearly what?”
Clearly meeting-the-parents-to-introduce-your-new-wife behavior, you shameless Zhao Yuheng!
Shen Shuyi’s ears turned bright red. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, still had enough dignity not to finish the sentence.
“Just treat it like a normal meal.” Zhao Yuheng picked up his chopsticks and placed a chicken drumstick in Shen Shuyi’s bowl.
At this table, that was usually a privilege only given to children.
But in Zhao Yuheng’s case, it was a privilege exclusive to Shen Shuyi.
“How am I supposed to treat this like a normal meal…” Shen Shuyi nearly snapped, barely keeping his voice down.
“Shuyi, don’t blame A-Heng,” Yu Jun said kindly, being Zhao Yuheng’s mentor. “We just heard A-Heng had a… friend, so we wanted to invite you to dinner and get to know each other.”
“Yes, yes,” Kuang Hui added warmly, looking at Shen Shuyi with loving eyes. “We watched A-Heng grow up. Knowing he finally has… a friend, we feel relieved.”
It was obvious they were from an older generation—same-sex marriage hadn’t even been legalized when they were young.
So, both of them avoided using any direct terms for Shen Shuyi’s “identity.”
Thank heavens for that.
It made the whole dinner far less awkward.
Zhao Fuchang didn’t talk much, only smiled kindly throughout.
Yu Jun and Kuang Hui were both intellectuals, cultured and emotionally intelligent.
The three kids had been raised well; they didn’t fuss or make noise during the meal.
After the initial shock wore off, Shen Shuyi slowly relaxed and got pulled into their warm atmosphere.
By the time the meal ended, it was actually… pleasant.
After three rounds of drinks—mostly Yu Jun drinking, with Zhao Yuheng accompanying him for a few glasses—Shen Shuyi had wanted to drink one out of politeness, but Zhao Yuheng stopped him.
“Little Shu can’t handle liquor. I’ll drink for him.”
Shen Shuyi felt his face heat up. Being looked after like that in front of elders gave him an uncanny déjà vu—
As if he really were a newly married daughter-in-law.
So annoying.
Why couldn’t Zhao Yuheng be his wife instead?!
He stomped on him again.
After dinner, Yu Jun and Kuang Hui asked about Zhao Fuchang’s health.
They could tell Shen Shuyi felt a bit awkward, so even though they were asking about Zhao Fuchang, most questions were actually directed toward him.
Having cared for Zhao Fuchang for weeks, Shen Shuyi knew the old man’s condition inside out and explained everything clearly.
He was naturally talkative—the kind of open, lively kid that elders adored.
When his parents were alive, at the Shen family’s annual gatherings, they loved having little Shen Shuyi perform on stage.
While other kids would cry or hide behind their parents, little Shen Shuyi would proudly sing, dance, and even recite poetry.
If someone in the audience wasn’t paying attention, he’d start the song over until everyone watched.
He once set a family record—
Singing “The Doll and the Little Bear Dance” [1] twenty times in one night. (Note: bilingual version, with choreography.)
That night, adults clapped on reflex whenever they heard the song start.
Sure enough, twenty-two-year-old Shen Shuyi once again won over Yu Jun and Kuang Hui’s hearts in record time.
By the time Zhao Yuheng came back from washing dishes, Yu Jun had already given Shen Shuyi a 3,000 yuan red envelope and was insisting on making him his godson.
Zhao Yuheng smirked—clearly, his teacher didn’t follow Hong Kong’s business scene.
If he knew who Shen Shuyi’s brother was, he’d probably fall over in shock.
“Teacher Yu.” Zhao Yuheng quickly intervened, his tone helpless, before a diplomatic disaster occurred.
Kuang Hui finally realized too, scolding lightly as she twisted Yu Jun’s arm: “You’re drunk! You can’t just make anyone your godson! Go sober up!”
She smiled, “I’ll help him rest. You two chat.”
Once the elders left, only Zhao Yuheng and Shen Shuyi remained in the courtyard.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Shen Shuyi accused.
“Did what?” Zhao Yuheng played dumb.
Shen Shuyi stomped again. “You brought me here to ‘see the house’? This was clearly meeting the family!”
Zhao Yuheng didn’t deny it.
“And your grandpa—you two planned this together!”
No wonder they’d both been dressed so formally today.
So that was the trick.
When Shen Shuyi glanced toward Grandpa Zhao, the old man looked away, chuckling sheepishly as he sipped tea.
Shen Shuyi: “…”
Another stomp.
Zhao Yuheng hissed through his teeth. “Why stomp me again? Shouldn’t that one be for Grandpa?”
Shen Shuyi shot back coldly, “Have you no filial piety?!”
He fell silent, then Zhao Yuheng asked, “You’re mad, aren’t you?”
“…No. Just caught off guard.”
He muttered, “You could’ve at least told me first. I came dressed so casually today.”
Ugh!
If he’d known this was a formal “meet the parents,” he would’ve dressed up!
Now he hadn’t even prepared red envelopes for the kids.
All Zhao Yuheng’s fault. 😕
Zhao Fuchang couldn’t stay up long; after dinner, he had to go back to the hospital.
The weather forecast warned that Typhoon No. 3 would hit the harbor city that afternoon. By 2 p.m., the sky was already dark like late evening, wind picking up, humidity thick—rain imminent.
After dropping Yu Jun and his wife home, Zhao Yuheng went back to fetch Shen Shuyi and his grandpa.
Just as they stepped outside, torrential rain poured down.
Visibility dropped to near zero. The meteorological bureau sent an orange lightning warning, advising everyone to stay indoors.
Standing by the door, Shen Shuyi cracked it open slightly—wind and rain slapped cold against his face.
Zhao Yuheng quickly closed it and grabbed a napkin, gently wiping his face dry. “Why open the door in this weather?”
“I wanted to see how long it’ll last,” Shen Shuyi said, eyes shut obediently as Zhao Yuheng wiped him. “If it doesn’t stop, maybe we shouldn’t leave tonight.”
Conveniently, he could finish “inspecting his marital home.”
He’d only seen the first floor so far—not the “cockroach den” upstairs from his dream!
Zhao Yuheng didn’t object. His grandpa’s health couldn’t take the long drive back anyway.
After helping the old man to bed, Zhao Yuheng and Shen Shuyi were the only ones left awake.
Suddenly, the atmosphere between them turned strangely intimate—like newlyweds spending their first night together.
The word “newlyweds” flashed through Shen Shuyi’s mind, and he mentally slapped himself.
“Where’s the bathroom?”
He’d gotten damp earlier and needed a shower.
“In my room.”
…What?
His room?
Wasn’t that the “cockroach den” from his dream?!
Shen Shuyi instantly grew nervous.
He followed Zhao Yuheng upstairs, bracing himself—
But when the door opened, the room was spotless.
Neat and simple: a bed, a desk, a chair.
Awards lined the wall. A basketball—clearly old but well-kept—sat under the desk.
Aside from some dust, everything was clean and cared for.
“There’s only a shower, no tub. Will that be okay?” Zhao Yuheng asked, remembering that Shen Shuyi’s place had a huge soaking bath.
What could he say? He was basically part of the Zhao family now.
“When in Rome,” Shen Shuyi sighed inwardly.
“What about clothes?”
“Mine. Might be a little big.”
Shen Shuyi nodded—then hesitated, tugging Zhao Yuheng’s sleeve. “Um… underwear?”
He said it tactfully, but Zhao Yuheng got it.
No new ones in the house. “I’ll go buy some.”
But the storm outside was raging—lightning, thunder, near-hail rain. The supermarket was 500 meters away.
Sending him out would be insane.
Shen Shuyi hesitated. “…Yours are fine.”
Oh crap, he said it.
His CPU overheated instantly; he couldn’t even look Zhao Yuheng in the eye.
“Won’t work,” Zhao Yuheng suddenly said.
What? Shen Shuyi thought. I don’t even mind, and you mind?!
Zhao Yuheng raised an eyebrow, gaze dropping teasingly low. “Too big. They’ll fall off you.”
Teacher, hi. There’s someone here who wants a divorce—right now, immediately.
Shen Shuyi thought blankly.
In the end, Zhao Yuheng found a brand-new pair at home. They were indeed a bit big, but it would have to do.
After Shen Shuyi finished showering, Zhao Yuheng went next.
Wearing Zhao Yuheng’s old high school T-shirt and cotton pants, both oversized, Shen Shuyi looked like a walking clothes hanger.
The shirt covered his hips; he’d had to roll the pant legs several times.
The sound of running water came again. The cozy domestic scene made him feel—
Like they were really living together.
Crap.
Wake up, Shen Shuyi. This is just a fake arranged marriage. Why are you acting like you’re in love? Wake up!
He mentally recited that a few times, then looked around to distract himself.
That’s when he noticed the photos on Zhao Yuheng’s desk—elementary, middle, and high school ones. None from before that. Most were of him with Grandpa Zhao. Just like the chubby kid at the hospital had said, they’d really only had each other growing up.
Shen Shuyi fell silent.
He couldn’t imagine growing up with just one family member.
He’d always been surrounded by love. His parents had doted on him, his grandpa even more so after they passed, and even his often-bickering brother, Shen Lu, cared deeply.
If Zhao Yuheng’s share of happiness was a single grain of sand—
Then Shen Shuyi’s was an entire desert.
When Zhao Yuheng came out of the shower, it was already 9 p.m. Shen Shuyi was curled up under the blanket, scrolling on his phone.
The bed and quilt weren’t scary at all—clean, with that faint soapy scent that always clung to Zhao Yuheng.
Zhao Yuheng laid a bamboo mat and quilt on the floor to sleep.
Seeing him basically on the bare floor, Shen Shuyi felt a twinge of guilt.
“Zhao Yuheng, maybe don’t sleep on the ground.”
Zhao Yuheng’s eyes flickered with amusement. “You’re letting me share your bed?”
“No,” Shen Shuyi said sincerely. “You can sleep on the couch downstairs.”
Zhao Yuheng: …
He chuckled softly. “Heartless little thing. Go to sleep.”
Fine! Shen Shuyi might pity his “cheap husband,” but he pitied himself more.
He’d never give up a warm bed. ^ ^
Lying there in the quiet room, rain pounding outside, he asked softly, “Zhao Yuheng, you asleep?”
“No.”
“Can’t sleep?” Zhao Yuheng asked in the dark.
“I was just wondering—why don’t you have any photos from before age five?”
Zhao Yuheng was silent for a while, long enough that Shen Shuyi thought he’d fallen asleep.
Then, in the darkness, Zhao Yuheng said quietly, “Because I wasn’t my grandpa’s biological grandson. He found me by the roadside when I was five.”
Shen Shuyi froze.
Whoa. That was… a big bombshell.
But then he felt a bit heavy inside.
If Zhao Yuheng was abandoned, that meant his parents had—
Shen Shuyi didn’t finish the thought.
“What’s wrong?” Zhao Yuheng teased softly. “Feeling sorry for me?”
“…A little.”
Zhao Yuheng blinked, surprised. “Since when are you so compassionate?”
“Don’t make me slap you while I’m being compassionate, okay? ^ ^”
Ah, there it was—the same old Shen Shuyi.
Still, he did feel sorry for Zhao Yuheng. After all, Zhao Yuheng treated him pretty well. Feeling sorry for your fiancé—what’s so strange about that?
“What about your birthday?” Shen Shuyi asked. “You don’t celebrate either?”
Zhao Yuheng thought for a moment. “No. Never had one.”
“What?!” Shen Shuyi was shocked. He was the kind of person who’d want the whole world to celebrate his birthday with him.
“When I turned eighteen,” Shen Shuyi said softly, “my brother rented out Victoria Harbour and set off fireworks all night for me.”
Zhao Yuheng had heard about that.
Shen Shuyi brightened. “Then why don’t we celebrate yours today?”
Zhao Yuheng chuckled. “Such a big event, and you’re not informing the United Nations?”
…Was he mocking him?
Shen Shuyi: “……”
Hopeless. How could anyone live without a sense of ceremony?
He turned his back angrily.
Zhao Yuheng sensed the sulk. “Shen Shuyi?”
“Sleeping,” Shen Shuyi said curtly. “Zzzzzzzz!!!”
Wow, he even sounded mad asleep.
Zhao Yuheng chuckled. “Then what do I do? You’re asleep—who’s going to celebrate my birthday?”
Shen Shuyi’s back shifted slightly.
“Shen Shuyi? Shuyi? Little Shu?” Zhao Yuheng coaxed gently. “Baby?”
“Ugh, you’re so annoying.” Shen Shuyi threw off the blanket, sat up, and said seriously, “Listen. When I turned eighteen, my brother lit fireworks for me all night. But—I secretly kept one.”
Zhao Yuheng: ?
How do you “keep” a firework?
Shen Shuyi raised his right hand, pretending to flick a lighter, then lifted his closed left fist toward him.
Zhao Yuheng watched, confused.
Shen Shuyi slowly raised his fist between them, higher and higher, until both were looking up.
Then—“Pop!”
He opened his fingers wide.
Mimicking a firework bursting open.
At that exact moment, lightning split across the sky, illuminating the whole room—like a real, dazzling firework exploding above them.
Shen Shuyi smiled, eyes bright. “Happy birthday, Zhao Yuheng.”
“This firework I’ve kept for four years— is yours now.”
Please, please, he thought silently, let happiness find Zhao Yuheng too.
Author’s Note:
This summer, I met a soft-hearted little cat god.
Ah Yu, you rascal…
Little Cat (praying): Please, let the happiness given to me be shared with Ah Yu too. Please please, Cat Heaven! [crying][crying][crying] (pious.jpg)
Footnotes:
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ijArmT-urc
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