Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 207, Section 205: Closeness and Distance
The treatment she received, like being the center of attention, was perfectly embodied in Gu Caiwei.

Since she got up, she has been operating multiple tasks simultaneously.

While chatting and joking with her roommates, getting dressed and getting ready to go out, she also kept replying to the calls and messages that kept popping up on her phone.

Like distant relatives, middle and high school classmates, all sorts of random friends and family.
I've typed "thank you" so many times my hands are sore, and I'm tired of hearing blessings. Even the gifts sent from the courier station have piled up into a small mountain.

This is not the Singles' Day shopping festival!

That's just how the little princess is; she's always so friendly and cheerful, and she also has a stunningly beautiful face that makes everyone who sees her adorable.

She's popular, has high emotional intelligence, and gets along well wherever she goes.

Moreover, Gu Caiwei is currently at the peak of her popularity.

I just won first prize in the Jiangcheng University of Finance and Economics Entrepreneurship Competition. I received a large cash prize, was interviewed by the official WeChat account, had an in-depth interview recorded, and even the school leaders promised on the spot to personally taste the legendary "worry-relieving coffee".

Furthermore, she mentioned during the interview that the honor was the best birthday gift for her.

Although she didn't participate in military training at all and spent most of her time off campus, and usually kept a low profile in the School of Finance, this publicity campaign was like a double-edged sword.

More and more students have come to know the name Gu Caiwei.

A rich, beautiful, and successful young woman, a rising star in entrepreneurship, who drives a sports car to school.

Faced with a girl who is so perfectly balanced, there are plenty of guys who want to use her birthday as an opportunity to get closer to Gu Caiwei.

"Weiwei, you'll be busy later, right? There will definitely be more dinner parties today. We'll head back to the dorm later~"

A delicious and photogenic meal not only made the roommates starry-eyed throughout the meal, filling them with happiness, but also made their interpersonal relationships much smoother.

Liang Jiaqi patted her slightly protruding belly and said with a smile.

"Hahaha, my sisters are so thoughtful."

Gu Caiwei giggled, not denying it at all, and her dimples were clearly visible at the corners of her mouth.

That's right.

Even the most important anniversaries only last for 24 hours.

Even if Gu Caiwei is incredibly shrewd and diplomatic, it's impossible for her to cater to everyone's feelings.

My roommate is a classmate I spend every day with; we're close enough that we should celebrate with a meal together.

Prioritize meetings based on their importance and urgency, arrange meals according to the closeness of the relationship, and naturally reserve the most important sense of ritual for those closest to us.

"Bye~"

"I don't know why they're looking for me at the shop, I need to go back and check first."

"Please be careful on your way back!"

Around 3 p.m., Gu Caiwei waved goodbye to her roommates and hailed a car to head straight to the Relief Coffee Shop.

The girl pushed open the door, and the small copper bell hanging on the door made a series of clear and melodious tinkling sounds.

The warm, gentle airflow from freshly roasted coffee beans is like a wafting alarm clock, instantly making you feel awake.

As always, there was a long queue inside the store, with soothing jazz music playing.

"Hey, Vivi's here!"

Behind the bar, barista Li Jing, who was sorting through new orders, was the first to see her and immediately greeted her with a warm smile.

"Sister Li, why did you call me back in such a hurry?"

"This way, this way~"

Li Jing pointed to the inner room with a half-smile, her hands continuing to pour milk without pausing.

"Hurry up and go to the inner room! Everyone has prepared a little surprise for you!"

"Eh?"

Gu Caiwei bypassed the crowd and walked skillfully to the inner part of the coffee shop, to the area where only family members could enter.

Immediately afterwards, as if it had been rehearsed, all the shop assistants scattered throughout the store rushed forward.

The deliveryman, A-Zhe, the cashier with her ever-smiling eyes, Wen-Wen, and the diligent college student part-timer, Feng-Zi, all stopped what they were doing and gathered around Gu Cai-Wei.

Everyone had a smile on their face, their teeth were white.

Happy birthday, Boss Gu!

"Sister Weiwei looks so beautiful today!"

"If you ask me, for such a great occasion, we should hold a store anniversary celebration on the app."

"Come on! If you keep offering discounts, how are we supposed to make a living?"

A cacophony of well-wishes erupted, catching Gu Caiwei off guard by the sudden surge of enthusiasm.

She blinked, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her cherry lips pursed slightly, making her incredibly cute.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's not really a discount, but thank you everyone anyway."

For business owners, profit is always the top priority.

Mr. Gu responded to the shop assistant's suggestion with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of pampered charm.

“Dangdangdangdang——!”

At that moment, barista Li Jing also walked in.

As if by magic, she produced a beautifully packaged square box from under the bar.

The box was wrapped in light blue wrapping paper, covered with labels for various coffee beans from the coffee shop and hand-drawn illustrations, making it look unique and thoughtful.

Li Jing handed it to Gu Caiwei with both hands: "Weiwei~"

"This is a small token of our appreciation from the brothers and sisters in the store. Happy birthday, and may you be happy every day!"

"Wow, what's this?"

"Why don't you open it and take a look?"

The employees collectively gave their boss birthday gifts, a first for Gu Caiwei as well.

She took the box with a surprised look and shook it gently.

It's not heavy, but it feels substantial in your hands.

Under the expectant gaze of all the shop assistants around her, she carefully unwrapped the packaging.

strangeness.
Logically speaking, you didn't tell the store employees about your birthday, did you?
How did they know?
Inside is a square music box in natural wood color, polished smooth and warm, with the natural wood grain clearly visible.

The lid is made of transparent acrylic.

"Quickly open it and listen!"

Wenwen urged impatiently, her eyes sparkling.

Gu Caiwei gently lifted the lid of the box.

Inside the box, in the center, is a miniature coffee shop scene meticulously sculpted from colorful polymer clay.

Mini bar, a few small tables and chairs.

The cutest part is that there are several stick figure-sized dolls wearing shop assistant aprons in the middle, each with a different shape and an endearing appearance.

One of the small dolls, with brown hair and big eyes, had a smiling expression and bore a striking resemblance to Gu Caiwei herself.

As the box was opened, a familiar melody flowed out, tinkling and dancing lightly in the air inside the store.

"I have crossed mountains and seas, and walked through crowds of people~"

It was that song!

—From Pu Shu's "The Ordinary Road".

A sudden inspiration struck her, and the melody entered her mind. Gu Caiwei's eyes widened in surprise.

That night, Zhou Mingyuan pulled himself and Li Zhi together to clap their hands and sing a popular folk song.

That night, the "Coffee of Relief" was just a concept.

It hasn't even been renovated yet, but it's already become a trendy new coffee shop that's a popular spot for taking photos.

The moment the melody began, Gu Caiwei's fingers froze.

She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the small coffee shop model, looking at the cute little figurines.

Of course, family members would recognize it perfectly.

The one busy behind the bar is Li Jing, the boy with the small coffee cup is Zhou Mingyuan, and the short-haired girl in front of the cashier is none other than Xiao Lizhi. And the one sitting at the small table by the window is herself.

Oh my god
This is so thoughtful!
A warm current rose unexpectedly from the deepest part of my heart and surged irresistibly into my eyes.

My vision was almost immediately blurred by a layer of warm, moist vapor.

She tried hard to blink away the fog and see the tiny details that embodied her feelings, but the more she tried to see, the less she could see.

"this."

Gu Caiwei took a deep breath, and her soft, sweet voice rang out again.

She sniffed and gently stroked the little doll with her fingertips: "Is this me?"

"Yup!"

Li Jing scratched her head, and despite being several years older than him, she smiled shyly.

"Mr. Zhou said he had no artistic talent, but he insisted on dragging everyone to the DIY craft shop in Beiyuan, where they spent several hours sculpting!"

"But his sculpting is truly hideous. We'll provide the image guidance! Does it look like it?"

"Oh right, Vivi, and this place too!"

Wenwen pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the base of the music box, as if showing off a treasure.

Gu Caiwei leaned closer to look and saw that lines of small characters were written neatly and precisely with an extremely fine pen:

"Wishing Weiwei happiness every day and all her troubles gone! — Li Jing"

"Latte art master A Zhe wishes Boss Gu academic success and career achievements!"

"Wenwen wishes Sister Weiwei to always be beautiful!"

Happy Birthday! — Xiaofeng

There were even everyone's autographs.

Wow, thank you so much everyone!

Gu Caiwei rubbed her eyes, which were a little red. She smiled shyly, her voice slightly nasal, "Thank you. Thank you everyone, I really like it!"

It was truly an unexpected surprise.

She never expected that, in addition to her classmates, friends, and family, everyone in the shop would also remember her birthday.

Everyone worked together to make handicrafts, choose music, and give a heartfelt gift.

This gift was far less expensive than others', and it wasn't even worth a fraction of her daily allowance.

But what's inside is the time and effort invested by these friends who met by chance but treated each other with sincerity.

She carefully closed the music box again and held it in her arms as if it were a priceless treasure.

The warm, smooth feel of the wood is conveyed to the palm of your hand through the packaging.

Gu Caiwei rubbed her eyes and returned to the bar, connected to Bluetooth, and listened to the song "The Ordinary Road" on repeat several times.

Surprised and delighted, the quick-witted girl soon understood everything.

Zhou Mingyuan is really dedicated.

He seemed to have secretly told everyone in the store that Gu Caiwei's birthday was coming up soon.

Then, keeping the entire process secret, they quietly completed all these manual tasks.

The most interesting thing is that the music box and handicrafts in front of him don't seem to be gifts he gave himself.

Amidst her wandering thoughts, the little princess couldn't help but let a slight smile curl up her lips.

He's always been a perfectionist when it comes to details, and he knows that better than anyone.

Since everyone else signed their names on the bottom of the music box, but he didn't, what does that mean?
This handmade gift represents everyone's good wishes and is a token of appreciation from the Relief Cafe.

Zhou Mingyuan, who also values ​​rituals, will definitely prepare another gift for himself.

That must be it!

Well known.

The main event of the birthday party was in the evening.

Zhou Mingyuan, as a dining companion, was invited to attend Gu Caiwei's birthday dinner.

As for the number of people for dinner, there were exactly three of them: him, Li Zhi, and Gu Caiwei. No more, no less.

When he arrived at the location, it was just as the sunset was hanging in the autumn sky, and the glow had not yet faded.

As evening falls, the city of Wuhan lights up sparsely, and the red headlights of vehicles stretch out one after another, causing severe traffic jams during rush hour.

The most bustling location, the most exquisite restaurant.

[Zhou Mingyuan, why aren't you here yet? Are you making those two girls wait?]

[Late again! Late again! Late again!]

New messages kept popping up on his phone. Zhou Mingyuan smiled and replied, "Coming, coming."

The windows of skyscrapers are like eyes to the city; the more eyes a city has, the more scenery it can see.

But more often than not, these eyes are either open or closed.

What they quietly observe are nothing more than vehicles shuttling between steel and concrete and the urban jungle, and ants that have nothing and are rushing about.

As they got closer to their destination, Zhou Mingyuan checked the navigation and pressed the elevator button, slowly ascending.

This is a local Shanghainese restaurant where the average cost per person is four figures, and Gu Caiwei had made a reservation in advance.

"Baby, let me tell you something. Do you know what someone gave me today?"

"Lace lingerie. I'd really appreciate it! I wouldn't even want to take it off."

The door to the private room was not closed, and you could still faintly hear gossip outside.

He entered the private room, where two beautiful sisters, each with their own unique charm, came into view.

Hatching day is destined to be a day full of rituals for girls.

For the first time ever, Li Zhi wore a full face of makeup, and her face looked exquisite and beautiful.

She is a striking beauty, but today she is unusually dressed. Her short hair has been carefully styled, and instead of her usual black-rimmed glasses that obscure her aura, she is wearing a pair of dark contact lenses.

At first glance, her nose is delicate and three-dimensional, her lips are prominent, and especially her pair of heroic eyebrows, which make her look more sharp and handsome, not inferior to any Hong Kong-style female stars.

Gu Caiwei, who was beside him, had a completely different style.

She wore a minimalist yet exquisitely textured champagne-colored cashmere dress, her long hair slightly curled and draped casually over her shoulders, and a deep blue button necklace around her neck that reflected a warm luster under the light.

With her best friend setting a good example, her makeup was also much more refined than before.

She wore light-colored eyeshadow as a base, curled her long eyelashes with a curling iron, and had a delicately drawn lip line under her nose. Her long brown hair hung down beside her ears, making her look alluring and charming in the hazy sunset.

The two of them sat on the same side chatting about gossip, and it was a very pleasing sight to behold.

"What kind of boy gives underwear as a gift?"

"And he doesn't even know the size. The other person is clearly (whispering), but he insists on sending her a D-cup. Isn't that perverted?!"

Upon seeing Zhou Mingyuan enter the room, the two exchanged a glance and then tacitly stopped their conversation.

"In my opinion, this person is definitely a pervert."

Zhou Mingyuan remained expressionless, pretending not to see the two sisters' expressions, and took over the conversation in a generous manner.

"I suggest you block him directly and never talk to him again."

"What kind of person is this? It's obvious that he's deliberately using a larger size to test you. If you say it's not suitable, he'll just keep asking questions."

He smiled and found a seat opposite him, talking non-stop.

"Shut up, you're everywhere!"

Gu Caiwei rolled her eyes, her pretty face flushed, and quickly changed the subject.

Did he hear me?
My voice was so soft, you probably didn't hear me, right?

"You really understand psychopaths, huh?"

The short-haired girl sitting next to Gu Caiwei crossed her arms, her eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly, her expression subtle.

(End of this chapter)