He Made A Wish For Her On His Birthday
Wei Lai looked at the single “Okay” in his reply and placed her phone down, absentmindedly pulling her seatbelt across and fastening it with a “click.” She unconsciously gripped the seatbelt for a while longer.
When she returned to her senses, she quickly let go and grabbed her water bottle from the cup holder. She unscrewed it and drank half the bottle of warm water to calm herself down before starting the car.
The sixteenth store at the mall wouldn’t be ready to open by New Year’s Day.
Upon arriving at the office, she discussed with her mom the idea of delaying the opening to coincide with the launch of their Jiang’an Cloud Residences store, so both could run promotional events simultaneously.
“Mom, pick a date for the opening.”
“I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet,” Cheng Minzhi began discussing the opening date. “This morning, Xiao Yuan called and said he found a fortune teller to choose an auspicious date for the opening of our seventeenth store. January 18th is a lucky day. I checked the almanac, and it indeed looks like a good day for starting new ventures.”
Wei Lai: “Yuan Hengrui, he…”
Wei Lai was at a loss for words.
He always liked to consult fortune-tellers. In the past, he had asked when she would break up with Zhang Yanxin and even tried to figure out who her future husband would be. He almost went as far as asking the fortune teller if her future husband’s surname would be Yuan.
She just wasn’t sure if January 18th was suitable or not.
It was a date she had only recently deleted from her reminders.
Cheng Minzhi said to her daughter, “Let’s set it for that day.”
Wei Lai didn’t oppose the idea. It was purely coincidental, not something she had planned.
And so, the opening date was decided.
Cheng Minzhi instructed her secretary to organize everything, ensuring each product’s promotional strength was confirmed, and to push advertisements across all platforms within Jiang City’s downtown area a week before the opening.
Additionally, they needed to prepare printed promotional leaflets.
“Lai Lai, for the partnership discussion, you should have a lawyer with you that day.”
Since it involved the transfer of shares and future dividend issues, everything needed to be clearly stated in the partnership agreement.
Wei Lai came back to her senses. “I’ll have Dad accompany me.”
Cheng Minzhi nodded slowly. “That works.” In all fairness, Wei Huatian was more attentive to his daughter’s affairs than to his own.
As for herself, she needed to gradually work on resolving her own inner conflicts.
With the delays at the sixteenth store, Wei Lai had to put plans for opening other new stores on hold. She intended to revisit the expansion after He Wancheng officially became a shareholder.
Lately, she had been feeling quite exhausted and desperately needed a break.
“Mom, I’m taking an extended vacation.”
So much had happened over the past half a year that Cheng Minzhi sympathized with her daughter. “Go relax and have fun. When He Wancheng comes over at the end of the month, I’ll handle the discussions.”
Wei Lai smiled. “I don’t need that long of a break. A few days at home will do.”
She had no interest in traveling; all she wanted was to relax in her small condo and bask in the sunlight, reading.
After handing over her work to her mom, she switched to vacation mode in the afternoon.
She still hadn’t finished reading the collection of poems she had bought during her previous fake vacation, so she picked up where she left off when she got home.
Though she was on vacation, she still took time before bed to check messages in the various work group chats, occasionally handling a few tasks.
Some store managers were unaware she was on break, so they continued to send her their work reports as usual.
After handling some work, Wei Lai scheduled a time with her dad.
When Wei Huatian heard she was planning to transfer her shares, he asked, “Did your mom agree?“
“She did. She had met He Wancheng and they got along pretty well. Partnering with He Wancheng is our supermarket’s best chance to break into the top 30 nationwide.“
Wei Huatian didn’t say much more. “Alright. I’ll go with you that day.“
After saying goodnight, Wei Lai turned off her phone and went to sleep.
In the following days, she maintained a regular routine: waking up at 7 a.m., having a simple breakfast, making a cup of coffee, and reading on the balcony. For lunch, she’d treat herself to a hearty meal, trying out different homestyle dishes.
In the afternoon, she’d go window shopping before grabbing dinner from the foodie street*.
foodie street – a street full of restaurants and food stalls
By 10 p.m., she was in bed.
Whenever she felt worn out from working overtime, this was her way of recharging.
That afternoon, after waking up from her nap, she heard the low rumble of a sports car on the street below. In the past, she always associated the arrogant roar of a sports car engine with Yuan Hengrui.
But ever since he had settled down, he hadn’t touched a sports car.
One couldn’t help but chant, speak of the devil.
Just as she was praising him for maturing and giving up his car obsession, she was proven wrong the next second.
“I’m downstairs. Come down.”
It had been a while since Yuan Hengrui had driven a sports car, and he had gotten a bit rusty. The bright red sports car that was a gift from his dad made its debut today.
But he wasn’t out for thrills.
Wei Lai: “What’s up? Just say it over the phone.”
Yuan Hengrui leaned against his sports car, looking up at the sixth floor. “Let’s go for a drive.”
He waited for a while, but she still didn’t appear at the window.
“Just think of me as a friend today. You’ve known me long enough to know my character. I’m not here to pursue you today—I swear.”
When it came to his character, Wei Lai did trust him.
Today was December 28th—the day of Zhang Yanxin’s wedding.
She appreciated him coming to comfort her. “I don’t need to go on a drive. I’m not at home avoiding work because of Zhang Yanxin. Lu Song has been giving me a hard time for nearly a month. Now that things are resolved, I’m just feeling a bit worn out.”
She had just changed and was about to head out for a stroll.
“How about I treat you to afternoon tea?”
Yuan Hengrui was taken aback. He’d liked her for three years, and this was the first time she’d ever offered him this kind of attention.
But his excitement lasted only a couple of seconds before a warning bell went off in his head. “You’re not planning to reject me to my face, are you?”
He scared himself with the thought. “Wei Lai, just simply treat me to a cup of coffee. You don’t need to say anything. I already know—I know you’re not interested in me, and that there’s no chance for us.”
His tone was sincere with a hint of hope.
Hope that she would willingly treat him to a cup of coffee.
Wei Lai: “If there’s anything to reject, it’s been done a long time ago. I’m too tired to lecture you. If I wanted to lecture you, I wouldn’t be offering to treat you to coffee.”
Yuan Hengrui’s face lit up with joy, and he smiled apologetically. “I guess I was overthinking it. How about the cafe we went to last time?”
The last time they met for their supposed blind date, she showed up in that Cullinan. He was so frustrated that he didn’t even savor the coffee—downing it in one go like water before rushing off to pick a fight with Zhang Yanxin.
He regretted it later, wishing he’d spent a few more minutes with her in the cafe.
Wei Lai: “Alright.”
She didn’t ride in his sports car and drove herself instead.
They ended up choosing the same seat as last time. Back then, Yuan Hengrui could turn around and see the Cullinan parked outside. Today, when he looked out the window, he saw her own car.
In just a few short months, she and Zhou Sujin had gone public so high-key. She drove around town in the Cullinan, flaunting. Zhou Sujin even bought a house in Jiang City, and they even met each other’s families. But after returning from Beijing, they quietly broke up.
Even he, who had been secretly hoping for their breakup, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for them.
Wei Lai locked her car and walked into the cafe.
Today, she was treating him to coffee as a way to thank him for all the help he’d given her lately, and also to encourage him to let go of his feelings for her.
Raising her coffee cup like a toast, she said, “Here’s to you achieving your dream of becoming one of the top three richest people in Jiang City.”
Yuan Hengrui’s voice was a bit husky as he replied, “Thank you.”
For those words alone, he was determined to fight his way to the top three.
After taking a few sips of coffee, Wei Lai asked, “Was the supermarket’s opening date really chosen by you?”
Yuan Hengrui was particularly happy that they had chosen the date he suggested. He had once been jealous when she bought a watch for Zhang Yanxin, and evenious when she opened a supermarket for Zhou Sujin. But now, knowing that the opening date had been chosen by him, he felt content.
“Of course, I even made a special trip to find the perfect date.”
Wei Lai: “Then, did you know that day is Zhou Sujin’s birthday?”
“I…!”
Yuan Hengrui wanted to punch himself.
The day after Zhang Yanxin’s wedding, Wei Lai received a call from He Wancheng, asking to meet at his company’s Jiang City branch office.
She arrived a few minutes before her dad and waited for him downstairs.
Just then, a light brown-colored sedan pulled up, sporting a five-digit Jiang City license plate.
It was she who had once mentioned that light brown was better looking than black, which led Zhang Yanxin to buy that color.
The car had fully tinted windows, so it was impossible to see who was inside or how many people were in the car.
As the car turned into the lot, Mu Di spotted Wei Lai standing at the entrance of the building, wearing a camel-colored coat. The simple design accentuated her tall and slender figure.
Today, she was accompanying Zhang Yanxin to deliver their wedding favors to He Wancheng. There had been so many guests at the wedding yesterday that they hadn’t been able to give everyone the usual attention, so her in-laws had asked them to make this special visit.
“Wei Lai,” she informed Zhang Yanxin.
“I know.”
Mu Di turned around slightly. His expression was indifferent, making it impossible to gauge what he was thinking.
The car came to a stop, and they had no choice but to get out.
Whenever the two of them appeared together, Wei Lai’s eyes would always find Mu Di first.
In Mu Di’s eyes, Wei Lai must seem pitiful and tragic—her dreams of marrying into affluence shattered once again, dumped yet again, and facing endless setbacks in her career.
It had indeed been a rough time for her. Being tormented by Lu Song for a month had drained her completely.
As Mu Di closed the car door, the diamond ring on her ring finger gleamed harshly in the sunlight.
She was the first to greet Wei Lai, smiling. “Long time no see.”
Wei Lai gave a slight nod.
She didn’t spare a single word.
As Zhang Yanxin walked past her, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. During the vows at yesterday’s wedding, he suddenly remembered what she had once said to him on his birthday, “Happy Birthday, always love me.”
They entered the building, and Wei Lai continued waiting outside at the entrance for her dad. She waited another six minutes before he arrived.
She quickly walked over to her dad’s car and told him not to rush to get out, suggesting they sit for a bit before going up.
Wei Huatian: “Did Chairman He have something come up unexpectedly?”
“You could say that.” Wei Lai got into the back seat and closed the door. “Zhang Yanxin came by to deliver wedding favors to him.”
Wei Huatian nodded, taking his daughter’s hands into his to warm them, gently shifting her focus. “Why didn’t you wear more layers?”
Wei Lai smiled. “I’m fine, not cold at all.”
They didn’t have to wait long in the car. After Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di delivered the wedding favors, He Wancheng politely mentioned that he had a meeting scheduled, so the two of them took their leave.
In the 22nd-floor conference room, He Wancheng’s secretary and lawyer were already present.
When both parties met, they began with brief introductions and pleasantries. Wei Lai introduced her dad, naturally presenting him as her lawyer.
With the same last name and a striking resemblance to Wei Lai, it wasn’t hard to figure out who he was—Wei Lai’s dad and Cheng Minzhi’s ex-husband.
He Wancheng smiled warmly and extended a courteous handshake.
The night he introduced his old friend to Cheng Minzhi, it turned out that all three of them were divorced. Naturally, the conversation drifted to their thoughts on marriage, but Cheng Minzhi said the least.
It seemed she still hadn’t fully moved on from her ex-husband.
After the small talk, they took their seats. Wei Lai immediately laid all her cards on the table, showing her sincerity. The partnership with He Wancheng went smoothly, and after three hours of discussion, they finalized all the details.
By the time all the necessary changes were processed, it was already mid-January. Without a moment to rest, the opening day of the stores at Jiang’an Cloud Residences and Yunhui Mall arrived.
On January 18th, the day of the grand opening, the designer made a special trip from Shanghai to offer his congratulations, arriving at the store around 1 p.m.
The supermarket was crowded, so they found a quiet spot at the coffee corner to chat.
The designer took a sip of the coffee Wei Lai had brewed for him. “Gesha?”
“En, do you like it too?”
“A colleague likes it, so they often brew an extra cup for me.”
Wei Lai brought her own cup over. “I brought over all my Gesha beans from home, planning to finish them and then switch to something else.”
The designer glanced around the coffee corner. “You’ve put more thought into this store than the other sixteen combined.”
Wei Lai smiled. “You’re exaggerating.”
Designer: “It’s not an exaggeration.”
He then asked her, “Before, you mentioned that you didn’t know how to define your feelings toward the number seventeen—whether familial, friendly, or romantic. Have you figured it out now?”
Wei Lai: “There’s no need to define it anymore.”
They continued chatting casually, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.
Wei Lai stood up. “Let me treat you to a big dinner.”
“No need for a big dinner, but I can’t stop thinking about that restaurant here.”
The designer called Wei Huatian, and the three of them went out to enjoy Jiang City’s specialty cuisine.
Before starting the car to head to the restaurant, Wei Lai took one last look at Jiang’an Cloud Residences.
Meanwhile, at the S.Z. Restaurant in Beijing, Lu An was placing a candle shaped like the number 30 onto a cake.
Since Zhou Sujin had to visit his paternal grandmother later in the evening, they had to come early at around 5 p.m. to celebrate his birthday. Every year, Zhou Sujin never blew out the candles or made a wish, but each time, Lu An made sure to place the candles anyway.
“Thirty is a milestone. You have to make a wish.”
With a flick of the lighter, Lu An lit the candle.
All the childhood friends who weren’t on business trips had gathered, and they egged him on to make a wish.
Min Ting lightly drummed his fingers on the table in front of Zhou Sujin, urging, “Come on, make one—anything will do.”
“Alright, I wish you all would chatter less in the future.”
After making his wish, he took away the lighter and promptly snuffed out the candle’s flame by pinching the wick.
Today, no one at the table mentioned the starlight headliner in the Cullinan or brought up Jiang City, yet when Zhou Sujin raised his wine glass, he inexplicably thought of Wei Lai.
“You’re kind-hearted.”
“When the two years are up, you can renew the contract with me.”
“It would be best if we could pretend for the full two years. President Zhou, you know I don’t want to end it early.”
“I’m planning to open a hundred stores and make it into the top thirty among the nation’s supermarkets.”
He downed the entire glass in one go.
For the first time in his life, he made a birthday wish for a woman, hoping that her dreams would come true.
After a few rounds of drinks, the room filled with the smoke of lit cigarettes.
Avoiding the smell of smoke, Zhou Sujin grabbed his drink and headed to the rooftop terrace for some fresh air.
It was cold, so it was only him on the rooftop.
It was even quieter than home.
Back downstairs in the private room, Lu An had been looking for Zhou Sujin for a while with no luck. After asking several of the waitstaff, one finally mentioned seeing him head to the rooftop terrace.
“Why didn’t you bring your phone?”
Lu An approached, holding Zhou Sujin’s phone in one hand and a tray with a bowl of longevity noodles in the other.
“Your aunt called you twice. I couldn’t find you, so I answered the call for you. She reminded you not to forget to eat your longevity noodles, so I had the chef make a bowl.”
Lu An set the tray down. “Eat it while it’s still hot.”
He had drunk quite a bit tonight, so he leaned back into a nearby chair. The wind on the rooftop was strong and cold, perfect for sobering up.
Zhou Sujin put down his wine glass and noticed that the bowl of noodles also contained seafood.
Lu An pulled a chair closer to the table, leaning his elbow on it as he rubbed his temples to ease his headache.
“Do you know what today is, besides your birthday?”
Zhou Sujin glanced at him.
Lu An knew that look all too well—it was a silent warning to cut the nonsense and get to the point.
“Today is also the grand opening of Wei Lai Supermarket’s store at Jiang’an Cloud Residences. Oh, and also the sixteenth store at Yunhui Mall too.”
He rubbed his temples. “Look at how graceful Wei Lai is. When you guys were together, she opened a supermarket for you. Now, even after the breakup, she’s celebrating your birthday in this way. And you? You chose to break up with her on her birthday.”
Lu An had drunk a bit too much, and the alcohol was making him more talkative than usual.
He clarified, “I didn’t contact Wei Lai. I saw the grand opening news on my phone. I had followed Wei Lai Supermarket’s social media account and had gotten a push notification. You definitely didn’t follow it.”
The rooftop was at least three or four degrees below freezing that night, and Lu An couldn’t take the cold any longer. “Take your time eating the noodles. I’m heading back down.”
Zhou Sujin didn’t touch the noodles. Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed Wei Lai’s number.
“Hi, President Zhou.”
“Where are you? Is it convenient to talk?”
“I’m having dinner with my dad and the designer.”
“Step outside and find a place to take the call.”
“Okay, give me a moment.”
Zhou Sujin listened as the noise on the other end of the line faded, replaced by a “Table 65, your meal is ready.”
This sound wasn’t unfamiliar—it was from the order call system at that particular restaurant.
Soon, the background noise disappeared, leaving only the faint sound of her breathing as she walked.
“President Zhou, what’s up?”
Zhou Sujin: “It’s nothing.”
“…” Wei Lai’s heart inexplicably began to pound.
Zhou Sujin asked, “Did you finalize the deal with He Wancheng?”
“En, we completed all the paperwork two days ago.”
Zhou Sujin took a slow sip of his wine, his voice husky and composed. “You won’t use the connections and resources available to you and instead decided to give away thirty percent of your shares.”
Wei Lai could hear the emotion in his voice. That day, when he praised her for being decisive enough to spend money to solve problems, there was a hint of reproach in his tone.
“President Zhou, you’ll eventually have to go on blind dates and get married. In the eyes of others, I’m your ex-girlfriend. It’s not appropriate for me to keep using your connections and resources.”
On the topic of blind dates and marriage, Zhou Sujin shared, “My mom is using the excuse of staying in London for an extended period, so people have started visiting my paternal grandparents every few days instead. They’re old and can’t handle the constant social pressure.”
He didn’t elaborate, but Wei Lai understood—it wouldn’t be long before he might be forced to go on more blind dates again.
After a brief pause, Zhou Sujin said, “It was wrong of me to end our contract on your birthday. I didn’t think it through. Today is my birthday, so let me ask you again.”
Wei Lai’s heart started to beat rapidly.
Zhou Sujin spoke into the phone, “Do you want to consider marrying me?”
He added, “Not a contract marriage—continuing just like this, with the same dynamic as before. You don’t have to answer now. I’ll come to Jiang City tomorrow to see you.”
