As soon as Yan Xixi ran downstairs, the arms that had been embracing beneath the old banyan tree opened.
She threw herself into his embrace, inhaling that long-missed, familiar, warm scent, and laughed heartily.
He held her tight. "Xixi, I'm sorry. You were wronged again tonight because of me."
The sense of grievance in her heart vanished without a trace.
She said cheerfully, "Let's go, Xiaojue. I'll treat you to supper."
He asked softly, "Why do you want to treat me?"
"Because I didn't get you a birthday gift today. Honestly, Xiaojue, I completely forgot. I've been preoccupied with when to resign and how to open the shop. It totally slipped my mind."
He chuckled. Yan Xixi never celebrated her own birthday, often even forgetting it, so this was very typical of her.
He'd known she would forget, which was why he'd wanted to give her a surprise. Unexpectedly, the surprise had turned into a scare.
