Chapter 92

　　Xie Huai’s birthday was on the 27th day of the lunar month, which was also Yunrui’s annual meeting. The 28th day marked the first day of the ten-day New Year holiday.

Li Kaixing had booked the banquet hall at Muni a month in advance. This was one of the top-rated luxury hotels in the capital.

　　Oh, it was his boss’s boyfriend’s family business. He didn’t intentionally book it there. There weren’t many hotels with small banquet halls, with Shen’s and Muni being the main ones. Shen’s was vetoed by Zhong Aiming, so he could only book Muni.

　　When Xu Yichen found out about this, he called him eight hundred times. Qi Xuri was busy expanding Yunrui Hongtu and didn’t have the leisure to respond to Xu Yichen’s calls. He only returned the call after the meeting.

This call was bound to take a while, so Qi Xuri had to finish what he was doing before responding.

　　They had secretly created a birthday surprise group chat without telling Xie Huai.

The last time Jiang Zimu had a birthday, they did the same thing. The five of them couldn’t even count how many other group chats there were behind their backs.

Qi Xur opened the group chat and set his phone aside. Xu Yichen was the first to join, followed closely by Fang Qian and Jiang Zimu.

　　“This year, Ah Huai is attending the annual meeting with you, so the Xie family probably won’t be holding a birthday banquet. I still remember Ah Huai’s 18th birthday celebration. Someone climbed over the wall to get in just to see the Qin family elders. You have no idea how intense the situation was. Luckily, the bodyguards discovered them in time.”

　　There were also many others who sneaked into the banquet, and journalists surrounded the hotel, aiming to capture the grandeur of the coming-of-age ceremony for the Xie family’s new heir.

Upon Xu Yichen’s mention, Qi Xu recalled Ah Huai’s 19th birthday gathering from his previous life. At that time, the event was held at the Xie family residence, on a small scale with only close relatives and friends present, and he didn’t see any members of the Qin family either.

　　If, as Xu Yichen said, Xie Huai had such an experience at his 18th birthday celebration, he should have kept a low profile.

However, in this life, Xie Huai had already told the Xie family that there was no need to hold a birthday banquet for him this year, and that he only wanted to gather with family and close friends for his future birthdays, without making a big fuss.

Qi Xu was lying on his thigh at the time, listening as Xie Huai made a phone call to discuss this matter.

　　After hearing the call, Qi Xu realized that the Xie family had held a grand banquet for him to help Xie Huai build connections within the Xie family, preparing him for future succession of the Xie clan.

　　Qi Xu listened with interest as the three discussed Xie Huai’s coming-of-age ceremony. Xu Yichen was the first to realize that Qi Xu wasn’t present and quickly changed the subject.

“Qi Xu, haven’t you prepared any surprises? Like a grand proposal?”

　　Qi Xu couldn’t help but laugh: “Xu Shao, we’re not yet of legal age to marry, and proposing on our first birthday together would make every subsequent birthday pale in comparison to the first.”

Fang Qian said: “Don’t listen to his nonsense. He gave me the love letter he’d been preparing for two years just two days ago, yet he has the nerve to teach others about love.”

　　Xu Yichen: “…”

How could he embarrass himself like that?

Jiang Zimu was still confused: “What love letters? Chen Ge, why did you give your love letters to your cousin? Was it for him to give to others? To whom?”

The other three: “…”

　　Xu Yichen had to explain, with a touch of pride: “Zimu, you should start calling me your cousin’s husband.”

“Oh.” Jiang Zimu was a bit slow, but he said instinctively, “Don’t I have to pay a name-changing fee? When do I give it?”

　　Xu Yichen sucked in a breath of cold air: “You must have learned your love of money from Qi Xu. You’re cut from the same cloth.”

Jiang Zimu was quite good at calculating: “When the four of you get married, you’ll have to invite me to be your best man, right? Huai Ge, Xu Ge, Chen Ge, and my cousin. If I calculate it that way, the best man’s fee I’ll receive will be more profitable than my painting.”

　　Qi Xu sincerely told him, “Master Jiang, please focus on your painting career. These things can just be a side hustle.”

Just kidding, he was still waiting to collect the gallery admission fees from Jiang Zimu.

Xu Yichen was still curious about what surprise Qi Xu had prepared for Xie Huai and privately asked him about it.

　　Qi Xu replied with a noncommittal answer, adding a line that wasn’t suitable for children, and Xu Yichen shut up completely.

On Xie Huai’s birthday, his schedule was already packed as soon as he opened his eyes.

Qi Xu, who usually woke up later than him, was already awake when he opened his eyes. Seeing him get up, a smile appeared in Qi Xu’s eyes: “Happy birthday.”

　　Last night, after midnight, Qi Xu was the first person to wish him a happy birthday. Whether his eyes were open or closed, it was always the same person, and Xie Huai couldn’t help but feel happy and fulfilled.

Qi Xu didn’t have much experience celebrating birthdays with others. He even forgot his own birthday. After he started working, it was Li Kaixing and his assistant who reminded him, but he didn’t celebrate his birthday either. Every year, he ended up working overtime.

　　He knew that on birthdays, one should eat longevity noodles. Given their schedule for the day, the only meal where they could eat noodles was breakfast.

Having lived two lifetimes, Qi Xu’s cooking skills had not improved. Though they say that poor children grow up fast, he worked part-time on weekends to save time and ate whatever was convenient. After returning to the Shen family at 18, he no longer lacked money for food and had never deprived himself in that regard.

　　In this life, after being with Xie Huai, he didn’t even go into the kitchen, and sometimes he was even carried into the bathroom by someone else.

Qi Xu stood in the kitchen watching Xie Huai prepare breakfast, scratched his nose, and asked, “Is it okay to eat instant noodles on your birthday? I’m worried that my cooking might start your day off on the wrong foot, and going to the hospital on your birthday isn’t very auspicious.”

　　Xie Huai said, “It’s not bad. Everything you make is good.”

Qī Xǔ asked, “What have I done for you that you say it’s good?”

Xie Huai wrapped his arms around Qī Xǔ and pulled on the apron strings behind him, saying, “There shouldn’t be anything under the apron.”

　　Qi Xu: “…”

“Don’t make me beat you up on your birthday.”

Xie Huai helped tie the apron strings, leaving them exactly as they were.

Since the birthday boy had said so, Qi Xu began cooking the instant noodles, thinking to himself that this was probably the first time Xie Huai had ever eaten instant noodles on his birthday.

　　Instant noodles weren’t difficult to make, and most importantly, they wouldn’t kill anyone, so Qi Xu relaxed.

　　To make the longevity noodles more flavorful, Qi Xu added fresh tomatoes and beef slices. When it was ready, he arranged it on a plate, topped with an egg fried by Xie Huai, making it look quite presentable.

Today, Qi Xu’s breakfast was also prepared by the birthday boy, Xie Huai. As he ate the porridge cooked by Xie Huai, Qi Xu asked, “Is it tasty?”

　　Xie Huai nodded, “It’s delicious. Try some.”

Xie Huai then divided a large bowl of noodles for Qi Xu. By the end, Xie Huai was eating the porridge Qi Xu hadn’t finished, while Qi Xu was eating the longevity noodles, unaware of whose birthday it was today.

For lunch, Xie Huai returned to the Qin family home to eat.

　　Xie Huai didn’t plan to hold a birthday banquet, but the Qin family gathered together, treating it as a celebration of Xie Huai’s birthday.

As soon as Qin Yue saw Xie Huai returning alone, he brought up a sensitive topic: “You’re coming back alone? Where’s Qi Xu? Doesn’t he want to come back with you?”

　　Qin Lao and Qin Lao Fu Ren glanced discreetly at their younger grandson, thinking they had hidden their feelings well, unaware that their younger generation had noticed.

Xie Huai glanced at his younger uncle, who gave him a look, but he wasn’t having it: “He’s busy at the company.”

　　Qin Huan Si held Xie Huai’s hand and said, “Even if he’s busy, he still needs to eat. Xiao Xu likes sweets, so I’ll pack some stewed dishes and send them over later.”

This family banquet was attended only by direct relatives of the Qin family, without the usual lively crowd of distant relatives’ children. Qin Jing had only one son and one daughter, one in high school and one in middle school.

　　They all knew that their cousin had a boyfriend and that he was defying the Qin family because of it. The two had always looked up to Xie Huai as a role model, and now they stood by him, often probing the Qin family elders for information about Xie Huai.

Qin’s younger cousin deliberately asked, “Mom, is there an extra set of utensils on the table? Is someone else coming?”

　　Qin Yue secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

Xie Tingyao and Qin Huan Si exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without words.

Old Master Qin snorted through his nose but said nothing. Old Lady Qin had the extra set of chopsticks and bowl taken away.

　　After sitting down, Qin Jing asked, “Since there’s no birthday banquet, what’s the plan for tonight?”

Xie Huai answered honestly, “Accompany Qi Xu to their company’s annual meeting.”

Upon hearing that the young man had started his own company and was doing quite well, Qin Lao Ye feigned disinterest and asked, “Does Xie Shi have any business dealings with their company?”

　　“No cooperation. I’m attending the annual meeting as a member of his family.” Xie Huai didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he said, and he even felt a little proud.

Old Master Qin’s eyes widened. The children of the Qin family had seen everything, and he had never heard his grandson speak in such a tone, as if he were showing off to them.

　　Qin Yue was used to Xie Huai’s attitude, as evidenced by the day he made him return the 5,000 yuan incense burner money.

“Why did you go? To lower other people’s chances of winning?”

Xie Huai said, “To assert my authority. What, jealous?”

Qin Yue: “…”

　　Qin Huan Si tugged at his son, telling him to be more low-key since the elders were still there.

After the family banquet ended, Xie Huai received many gifts. He kept the physical gifts to open at home, but immediately transferred all the birthday red envelopes he received to Qi Xu in front of the Qin family.

Xie Tingyao nodded in satisfaction. His son was indeed his son, with his style.

　　Qin Lao didn’t say anything, but when Qin Jing helped him to the study, he heard him ask, “You’re on their side too.”

Qin Jing said, “I’m on your side.”

Qin Lao sneered, “Don’t think I don’t know that you let your two kids come here all the time to lecture me about how homosexuality isn’t a disease. Of course I know it’s not a disease. Do I need you to tell me that?”

　　Qin Jing didn’t argue, just said, “I’ve already prepared the New Year’s red envelopes.”