Chen Hao spun Shen Xingyao around in circles several times. Despite his usual tough-guy demeanor, he now grinned like a lovestruck fool.
Shen Xingyao truly hadn’t expected Chen Hao to show up—he was supposed to be filming.
A little embarrassed, she smiled sheepishly and tugged at Chen Hao’s hand as she introduced him to everyone. "This is Teacher Yu, this is Sister Zhang Lin…"
Chen Hao greeted each of them politely before discreetly slipping Shen Xingyao a small box. "A birthday gift."
The box felt almost scalding in her hands. "Your presence is gift enough. You didn’t have to bring anything."
Chen Hao chuckled. "It’s just a little something. See if you like it."
Shen Xingyao opened the box to find a gemstone brooch—a pearl moon at the center, surrounded by tiny yellow gemstones arranged like stars, perfectly reflecting the "star" in her name.
She kissed Chen Hao’s cheek. "I love it. I love *you*."
The live stream’s comments section erupted.
**[Their relationship is so sweet!]**
**[So romantic—he rushed over just to celebrate Shen Xingyao’s birthday!]**
**[OMG Chen Hao spun her around like a princess! The man’s got strength!]**
**[Du Wanzhou is next-level—she practically gift-wrapped her son for her!]**
**[Suddenly I’m having *ideas*…]**
Since only Shen Xingyao and Du Wanzhou were live-streaming, the audience wasn’t just her fans—it also included followers of the other three guest pairs. Compared to Zhang Lin’s group, Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan had more fans tuning in.
Jiang Lan had just streamed the previous Saturday, and after days without updates, fans were already missing her. The next episode wouldn’t air until Friday.
*Chen Hao literally delivered himself as a gift. Lu Yicheng, can’t you take a hint?*
**[Why can’t Jiang Lan get a surprise too?]**
**[Crowdfunding to ship Lu Yicheng over! The other couple reunited—let these two lovebirds meet already!]**
**[If other CP fans get treats, so should we. If they don’t kiss for at least ten minutes, I swear I’ll kneel and beg, Lu Yicheng!]**
Jiang Lan found it all rather sweet. Though married, the pair still acted like they were dating, holding hands the entire time without letting go.
Chen Hao stood at 183 cm, muscular and striking, with sharp eyes and a deep tan—a stark contrast to Shen Xingyao’s fair complexion when they sat together.
He’d flown in on a red-eye, napped for just two hours at the hotel before rushing over. After celebrating Shen Xingyao’s birthday, he’d have to return to set—his director had only given him one day off.
Shen Xingyao frowned in concern. "Aren’t you hungry? What did you eat this morning? Should we grab something first?"
Chen Hao, being a martial arts actor, had high energy demands and endured grueling shoots.
"Not hungry," he said, squeezing her hand. "But have you lost weight? Work keeping you busy?"
They both had hectic schedules and rarely had time to chat.
Shen Xingyao scoffed. "Not at all! I’ve actually gained weight."
Jiang Lan thought, *Where?*
With Chen Hao present, Chen Shuyun’s family grew even quieter. Zhang Lin had retired from the industry before Chen Hao debuted, so they weren’t close—but everyone was happy for Shen Xingyao regardless.
Though internally floating on cloud nine, Shen Xingyao felt a bit shy under everyone’s gaze. She turned to Jiang Lan. "Since family can join the stream… Jiang Lan, is Lu Yicheng coming to see you?"
Jiang Lan blinked at the sudden question. "No. We agreed not to contact each other until filming wraps."
Shen Xingyao stiffened, glancing at Yu Wanqiu, who remained utterly unbothered.
She wanted Jiang Lan and Lu Yicheng to work things out. After catching last Friday’s episode, she’d realized Yu Wanqiu wasn’t as stern as she’d assumed—in fact, she was far easier to get along with than Li Jia.
Zhang Lin always seemed on edge around Li Jia, but Jiang Lan never did.
Sometimes Shen Xingyao wondered: *Was Yu Wanqiu just acting? She’s an incredible performer—she could fake liking Jiang Lan effortlessly.*
But then again, Yu Wanqiu didn’t seem the type. She kept work and life separate, and for someone so disciplined, would she *really* go all-out pretending?
So if they had no reason *not* to marry… why not date openly?
*How can these two go over a week without calling or video-chatting?*
Shen Xingyao was practically itching with secondhand frustration.
Sensing the awkwardness, Chen Hao interjected. "Xingyao, you’ve got tons of gifts to open—let’s get to it!"
As the guest of honor, Shen Xingyao carefully tucked away her brooch and began unwrapping presents piled across half the living room—some from friends, others from fans.
Her fan club’s offerings included dolls, crystal ornaments, plush toys… and a tin box stuffed with handwritten letters.
She unfolded one from an eight-year fan—three full pages in neat handwriting on A4 paper.
The fan praised her variety show, binge-watching every episode, and expressed excitement for her next drama—though Shen Xingyao hadn’t taken on a role in over a year.
*"I’ve loved you for eight years, from your obscure days to now. I’ve rewatched all your series countless times. Even if your early acting wasn’t perfect, your growth is undeniable."*
*"I hope you’ll star in many more dramas and win awards. Though I adore your variety work, I want to see you soar even higher in your career."*
The letter ended with rows of tiny hand-drawn hearts.
Shen Xingyao stared at it, lost in thought until Chen Hao crouched beside her. "Everything okay?"
She snapped back with a smile. "Just a fan letter. I’ll read the rest tonight. Let’s see what else we’ve got."
Friends had sent pricier gifts—designer bags, jewelry—and by the time she finished, it was 11:30 AM.
Aunt Zhao marveled at the mountain of presents. *This must’ve cost a fortune. Celebrities really get showered with gifts!*
Shen Xingyao faced her phone camera. "Thank you all for the presents—and especially for the letters. There are so many; I’ll savor them tonight. Cake time soon!"
Du Wanzhou added, "Today’s lunch was prepared by restaurant chefs. Please forgive any shortcomings in the menu."
She’d also brought two bottles of red wine—the whole spread easily costing tens of thousands.
Chen Hao wheeled out the cake. For a small gathering, five tiers seemed extravagant, with extras for the crew. Iced in Shen Xingyao’s fan color, pale blue, it was crowned by a fondant figurine of her most iconic role.
As Chen Hao lit the candles, he urged, "Make a wish, Xingyao!"
She closed her eyes. *"May my next role truly satisfy me."*
With a puff, the flames vanished.
Du Wanzhou smiled warmly. "What did my darling wish for?"
Chen Hao laughed. "Mom, saying it out loud ruins the magic."
Du Wanzhou teased, *"I* wish you two would hurry up and give me a grandbaby. Xingyao’s almost thirty—prime time for children. Why aren’t you stressing?"
Shen Xingyao stayed silent. Chen Hao deflected, "These things take time. Between my shoots and her schedule, we’re swamped."
Before Du Wanzhou could retort, he nudged her toward the table. "Let’s eat—I’m starving."
"Okay."
Shen Xingyao silently apologized in her heart. Chen Hao had said that wishes wouldn't come true if spoken out. Mom, you can't blame me for this.
Du Wanzhou frowned and said, "Come on, come on. I've only said a few words and you're already impatient. Hurry up and have your meal."
The chef in the restaurant was extremely skilled, and the food he cooked was incredibly delicious. There were also big lobsters and hairy crabs.
Jiang Lan had eaten Western food last night and a sandwich in the morning. She was starving. She might have to do yoga and practice the piano in the afternoon, so it was okay for her to eat more.
After coming back yesterday, Jiang Lan had put away that dress. She could have Little Xu send it to a professional dry - cleaning store for washing. After changing into a short - sleeved top and shorts, Jiang Lan felt happy and at ease.
She could even eat one more bowl of rice.
During the meal, Du Wanzhou kept finding topics to talk about. He asked about Yu Wanqiu's new movie, exchanged parenting experiences with Zhang Lin, and talked about work with Chen Shuyun.
Chen Shuyun had completed the hand - over procedures last Thursday and had been staying in the villa with Aunt Zhao ever since.
She cleaned the house and studied recipes. It seemed that she really intended to return to family life.
Du Wanzhou said, "You've been a real - estate salesperson, so you must have a lot of connections. What will you do with these connections after resigning?"
Li Jia's husband, Lu Qian, was in the real - estate business, and the houses were sold by the salespeople under him.
A salesperson who had been in the business for nearly twenty years had a large number of connections. Although the Xu family was quite wealthy, in terms of work ability, Li Jia might not be as good as Chen Shuyun.
Moreover, Chen Shuyun's family background was not that ordinary. They had started from scratch and were probably richer than Jiang Lan's family.
A salesperson like Chen Shuyun had many channels. She could earn at least thirty or forty thousand yuan a month, and when she got a big commission, she could take home nearly a hundred thousand yuan.
Earning five or six hundred thousand yuan a year was much more than what an average family made.
Chen Shuyun said, "I've trained a few apprentices before. I'll give the connections to them."
Li Jia raised her eyebrows and said regretfully, "That's really a pity."
Aunt Zhao didn't understand these things, especially Chen Shuyun's job. After all, Chen Shuyun didn't hand over her earnings to her.
She asked her son how much Chen Shuyun earned each month, but her son wouldn't tell her.
But from what Du Wanzhou and Li Jia said, it seemed that Chen Shuyun had suffered a great loss by resigning.
She never let herself suffer a loss in her life.
Aunt Zhao said anxiously, "Why is it a pity?"
Li Jia said with a smile, "Sister Zhao, if I were you, I'd treat such a money - making daughter - in - law like a precious treasure."
Zhang Lin's face changed slightly. Aunt Zhao looked puzzled. Chen Shuyun said, "I've already resigned. It's too late to talk about this now. Mom, stop asking and have your meal quickly."
Jiang Lan couldn't join in these conversations, so she silently ate two bowls of rice. Yu Wanqiu thought that Jiang Lan had been silent throughout the meal and seemed to be in a bad mood.
But she ate quite a lot, which was really confusing.
After the birthday party ended, Yu Wanqiu went back to her room and called Little Xu. "Are there any festivals coming up? When is Jiang Lan's birthday?"
Little Xu said, "Jiang Lan's birthday is on September 16. As for upcoming festivals, there's Army Day on the 1st of next month, Qixi Festival on the 14th, and Teachers' Day on the 10th of the month after next."
Yu Wanqiu said, "Is that all?"
They were all so far away. It was only the 21st today, and all the festivals were in the next month.
Little Xu took another look and lowered his voice. "Sister... the 22nd of next month is the Zhongyuan Festival."
The Zhongyuan Festival was commonly known as the Ghost Festival.
Yu Wanqiu said, "...... Forget it then."
Little Xu had also watched the live - stream today and roughly guessed what Yu Wanqiu was thinking. "Sister, it was really a pleasant and romantic surprise for Chen Hao to come for Shen Xingyao's birthday, but this kind of thing has been done before."
Yu Wanqiu didn't want to copy others. "Forget it. It's just that Lu Yicheng doesn't have the luck."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Wanqiu changed the water for the Little Canglan. The flowers were blooming beautifully and should last for about a week.
The phone rang.
Yu Wanqiu glanced at her phone and saw the caller ID.
It was her unlucky son.
Yu Wanqiu answered the phone. "What's the matter?"
Lu Yicheng said, "...... The Little Canglan yesterday was very beautiful."
Yu Wanqiu pressed down the corners of her mouth. "Come on, what's the matter?"
"Do you still do the live - stream on weekends? Can you take Jiang Lan to the snack street on Zhu'an Street?"
Yu Wanqiu said, "You watched the live - stream? Let me tell you, Jiang Lan probably doesn't want to see you. If there's only shock and no surprise, it won't work. I have to respect her opinion."
Lu Yicheng's voice was a bit hoarse. "I can make sure she won't notice me... Do you think she wants to break up with me?"
"I want to see her."
