On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

"Let's raise a glass!" Chen Xi was the first to raise her glass, which was filled with juice. Her voice was loud and infectious, "Happy birthday to our most beautiful and lovely birthday girl today! May you always be happy and joyful!"

Happy birthday, Yuqing!

"Happy birthday!"

Happy birthday, sister!

The table was filled with raised glasses, and blessings echoed one after another, creating a warm ocean that completely overwhelmed Su Yuqing.

She picked up her cup, looked at the sincere smiling faces in front of her, at Chen Mo's gentle, smiling profile beside her, and at the tears glistening in her mother's eyes. The immense sense of happiness and belonging left her almost speechless.

"Thank you... thank you everyone!" Her voice was thick with emotion, yet full of strength. "This is... the happiest and most unforgettable birthday I've ever had! Thank you so much!"

She tilted her head back and drank the juice in the glass in one gulp, the sweet taste flowing from the tip of her tongue all the way to the deepest part of her heart.

The banquet officially began, with a warm and lively atmosphere.

Because Chen Xi specifically ordered that everyone at Su Yuqing's birthday banquet today could only drink tea or beverages, and the adults would raise their beverages or tea instead of alcohol when toasting each other.

Although there was no alcohol, they still chatted familiarly, catching up on everyday things.

The children, meanwhile, buried themselves in their food, occasionally letting out satisfied exclamations.

The young people joked with each other and shared funny stories.

Su Yuqing was surrounded by dishes that were constantly being served to her, her bowl always overflowing. She could hear her mother's tender voice, Aunt Chen Xi's hearty laughter, and Chen Mo's soft words of concern.

Surrounded by such extreme noise and happiness, Su Yuqing's gaze would occasionally drift towards the kitchen or a quiet corner of the living room.

She hallucinated her grandmother bustling about in the kitchen and her grandfather calmly watching TV in the living room.

It would have been even better if my grandparents could have been here to bless me, but unfortunately they didn't live to see this happiest moment of their lives.

A faint sense of regret, like a speck of dust dropped into a jar of honey, vanishes in an instant.

But soon, the shrimp that Chen Mo brought her, which she loved to eat, and the clear, tender look in her mother Li Fengzhi's eyes when she looked over... these huge, real, and warm moments of happiness easily washed away that little bit of regret.

She is no longer the Cinderella forgotten in a corner by fate.

At this moment, she is a princess surrounded by love.

The lively birthday party lasted for a long time.

After dinner, during dessert time, a huge cake was brought out and lit with candles symbolizing turning 18.

Chen Xi had already told everyone to save some room, so many people only ate until they were about half full, and were just waiting to eat the cake.

As everyone sang "Happy Birthday" in unison, and in the flickering candlelight, Su Yuqing clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and devoutly made her birthday wish.

Only she knows the content of her wish.

But when she opened her eyes and puffed out her cheeks to blow out all the candles, her gaze passed over the cheering crowd and landed precisely in Chen Mo's smiling eyes.

In those eyes, there was determination, longing, and a hint of secret light that only Chen Mo could catch—the "moment" she was preparing for him, the moment that was about to arrive.

The party gradually drew to a close amidst laughter and the afterglow of the cake fight.

After seeing off the last group of guests, the villa finally returned to quiet, leaving only the soft sounds of the two families cleaning up the mess and the warm atmosphere filled with the aroma of food and the lingering joy. Su Yuqing, her face and clothes covered in cream, stood in front of the French windows, looking at the tranquil night outside, reflecting on this dreamlike day.

She gently stroked the necklace pendant Chen Mo had given her, still warm from his touch, and a satisfied smile curved her lips.

Her heart had never felt so at peace, so full of strength.

Everything she cherishes is here.

The future that belongs to her and Chen Mo has only just begun to unfold.

As for that "great thing" hidden in her heart and written in her secret little notebook... she glanced back at Chen Mo's tall and straight back as he helped Aunt Chen Xi tidy up the table, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and tenderness.

"I hope my wish can come true," she murmured to herself as she stepped forward to help.

However, Chen Xi stopped her.

"You're the birthday boy today, you have no right to lift a finger."

Then Chen Xi looked at Chen Mo and said, "Mo Mo, you don't need to work here anymore. Go back with Yu Qing first. Look at all this cream on you, it must be uncomfortable."

Li Fengzhi and Li Gang, who were standing nearby, chimed in, "That's right, you should get some rest. We can handle things here."

Seeing this, Chen Mo had no choice but to take Su Yuqing home first.

Li Mingyu was taken home by Chen Mo's grandparents.

After Chen Mo and Su Yuqing left, only Chen Xi and his wife, and Li Fengzhi and his wife remained in the villa.

Chen Xi deliberately created this moment.

Seeing that there was no one else around, she smiled and looked at Li Fengzhi and said, "Yuqing's mother, what do you think of Momo? Let me tell you my feelings first. I think Yuqing is a pretty good girl. I really want her to be my daughter-in-law. Don't worry, Amiao and I are both open-minded people and don't have any old-fashioned ideas."

There won't be any conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the future. Whether the children want to live on their own or live with us, we don't care.

There are no rules in our family about what a wife must do. She has been taught by me since she was a child to be good at all kinds of housework and cooking. We don't say that girls who marry into our family must do laundry and cook. We just say that everyone should share the responsibilities and do them together.

So rest assured, I can promise that if you entrust Yuqing to our family, she will absolutely not suffer any loss.

Of course, we're just saying what we think now; we'll see how the children perceive it themselves later.

Chen Xi also spoke frankly and directly, because at this moment, there was no need for any more roundabout words.

In particular, after a day of observation, Chen Xi had figured out what kind of personality Li Fengzhi had.

The best approach to dealing with this kind of person is to communicate directly.

Hearing Chen Xi's frank words, Li Fengzhi already had the answer in her heart.

She had been observing deliberately for a whole day.

What are Chen Mo's family really like? Are their actions genuine or just an act?

She could easily tell from her daughters' behavior whether their performance differed from their usual behavior.

Clearly, every gentle gesture Chen Mo made towards Su Yuqing was taken for granted by her. This showed that Chen Mo was always this gentle with his daughter. The man himself was very good to his daughter, and his elders weren't the difficult type to get along with, so what did she have to worry about? (End of Chapter)