Kyoto Night Kiss

In recent days, the lobby and banquet center of Lanting Hotel have been busy with preparations for the grand wedding of the Lu and Tang families.

Qu Yun spends her days shuttling between various venues to coordinate requests. As the general manager, she has to handle all sorts of trivial matters, from venue setup and food quality to guest seating and process coordination.

Sometimes she gets so absorbed in it that it feels like it's her own wedding.

But the dream will soon be shattered.

This is the wedding of the man she loves and another woman.

And she was involved in it as well.

After finishing the last round of coordination, Qu Yun returned to the break room and changed out of her work clothes.

She stood in front of the full-length mirror and was taken aback. Her complexion was terrible, her face looked haggard, and she had heavy dark circles under her eyes.

The sense of bewilderment and melancholy that had arisen while preparing for the wedding has now quietly crept back in.

Qu Yun shook her head, not wanting to continue thinking nonsense.

Tomorrow is Lu Junhe's wedding day.

Suddenly, the lights in the lounge went out with a "click," plunging the surroundings into darkness.

Qu Yun subconsciously tensed up, a strange sense of fear rising in her heart.

She didn't know what was wrong.

Happy birthday to you, and may you be happy forever, dear Manager Qu!

My colleagues' singing started up behind me.

As Qu Yun turned around, she saw the flickering candlelight gradually dispelling the shadows, and several colleagues walked slowly towards her, each carrying a cream cake steadily in their hands.

Standing in front was the sales manager, who explained with a smile, "Manager Qu, you've been working day and night lately, have you even forgotten your own birthday?"

Qu Yun really did realize it only after a long time.

What a coincidence!

The day before Lu Junhe's wedding was her birthday.

Seeing her lost in thought, a young girl quickly urged, "Manager Qu, hurry up and make a wish, or the candles will go out soon."

Qu Yun couldn't refuse and walked up to the cake.

The candlelight flickered in her eyes.

She closed her eyes briefly, then blew out the candle.

Someone turned the lights back on in the lounge, and Qu Yun sat on the sofa to cut the cake for her colleagues who had helped her celebrate her birthday.

"By the way, Sister Yun, what did you wish for?"

"Hey, you little rascal, don't you know that wishes don't come true if you just tell them?"

"They're just curious... Could it be a wish for our hotel to be prosperous and thriving, something only an old man would make?"

The atmosphere became much more relaxed amidst everyone's laughter.

Qu Yun smiled slightly, handed over the last piece of cake, and then replied, "It's not any special wish."

"I just hope I can turn sixty soon."

The young girl was instantly shocked. She never expected that someone would make the opposite wish, hoping to grow older and older.

She kept asking why.

"Maybe I'm just too tired?" Qu Yun said calmly. "At sixty, maybe I won't have to think about anything anymore."

A colleague nearby quickly chimed in, "That's a great wish! I'll make that wish on my birthday from now on, and I hope I live long enough to collect my pension."

"Working in the hotel industry is harder than a donkey's job!"

Everyone laughed again, and Qu Yun laughed along with them.

As I was laughing, I tasted a slightly salty, damp flavor on my lips.

When Qu Yun returned home, Cheng Chongchong hadn't eaten dinner yet, and her chubby little face seemed to have gotten a bit thinner from hunger.

He even knew that today was her birthday according to her ID card.

Qu Yun held the handmade greeting card that Cheng Chongchong had made herself, feeling its weight.

Each page of the greeting card is a handwritten drawing by Cheng Chongchong: a warm sun, a pink princess, and a handsome little knight riding a warhorse, fighting monsters for her along the way and escorting her to a big and beautiful castle.

On the last page, the little one wrote in neat, childlike handwriting: "Mommy, I will stay by your side until you are 100 years old!"

The "100" of the 100th anniversary is actually a red banknote folded up, revealing only the numbers.

Qu Yun felt a lump in her throat and immediately squatted down to hug Cheng Chongchong. "Chongchong, my darling, how can you be so good to me?"

Because he needed to lose weight, Qu Yun rarely gave him pocket money, afraid that he would secretly buy snacks, so he had to save up this hundred yuan for a very long time.

Cheng Chongchong rubbed her forehead with a haughty expression and said helplessly, "If my dad sees this, he'll think I made you cry again."

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao's video call will come in.

Cheng Tongzhou had just finished a surgery and hadn't even had time to change his clothes: "Yun, happy birthday! I almost thought I wouldn't make it."

"But the gift I bought for you is stuck in customs."

Cheng Chongchong tugged at Qu Yun's hand and brought his chubby little face close to the camera, but his father ignored him.

Qu Yun smiled and replied, "It's okay. Didn't you give me a pair of high heels before? Consider that a gift..."

These words surprised Cheng Tongzhou, who replied that he didn't.

Qu Yun finally understood.

—It was a gift from Lu Junhe.

But she could no longer say thank you.

"Yun, I'm coming back tomorrow. I've booked a flight for tonight," Cheng Tongzhou said gently, his eyes full of warmth.

Cheng Chongchong was overjoyed and kept muttering, "What a wonderful day tomorrow is!"

It was indeed a good day; someone was even getting married.

Qu Yun quickly regained her composure and said, feigning sternness, "Do you want to come with me to the airport to pick up your father tomorrow night?"

"If you're going to do that, go brush your teeth and go to bed, or you'll oversleep!"

The two adults couldn't help but chuckle as they watched the little guy wiggle his bottom as he went upstairs.

There was a moment of silence.

Cheng Tongzhou said in a low voice, "Ayun, we can finally meet."

After the video call ended, he transferred money to her, but Qu Yun did not accept it.

At 11:30, Qu Yun was getting ready for bed when her phone, which was lying on the bedside table, vibrated twice.

She opened it and saw that it was a message from Lu Jinxing.

"Mom, are you resting?"

"Mom, I'm downstairs. I have a birthday present for you."

Qu Yun got up immediately, put on a coat, and went out.

Lu Jinxing reminded him, "Dad is here too. He drove me here."

However, as soon as Qu Yun stepped outside, only Lu Jinxing's small figure was standing by the car waiting. He handed her a beautifully wrapped gift box, saying, "Mom, happy birthday!"

It was quite windy outside, and Qu Yun wanted the child to come inside.

Lu Jinxing shook his head. "Chongchong should be asleep by now, right? I won't disturb him."

Moreover, it seems inappropriate for him to call Qu Yun "Mom" in front of his deskmate.

Qu Yun paused for a moment, then tenderly patted Lu Jinxing's head.

She glanced instinctively at the car with its windows tightly shut.

Lu Jinxing suddenly felt a little shy: "But... I need to go in to use the restroom, is that alright?"

"Of course!" Qu Yun took Lu Jinxing's small hand, wanting to lead him inside.

He shook his head again, insisting on going in himself.

In the vast outdoor space, she and her car were suddenly all alone.

And there's that man sitting in the car who refuses to show his face.

The streetlights cast dim shadows, elongating the irregular black shadows on the ground.

Qu Yun kept her head down, the night breeze brushing against her temples, the coolness against her cheeks dispelling the turbulent emotions churning within her.

Standing still, Qu Yun slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the cool air, and felt as if all her senses had been temporarily shut down.

After a moment, she calmed down and walked toward the driver's seat of the car.

Qu Yun raised her hand and lightly tapped the cold car window glass twice with her fingertips.