Forced into a romantic relationship.

"Not having a particular favorite doesn't mean you like everything...tsk, you really are a fickle person."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter, who had been smiling the whole time, looked at Han Zhou with surprise.

Mo Yixia quickly ordered the food. After the waiter left with the menu, Han Zhou asked in surprise, "You always eat lavish meals at home, so why are you eating so... so simply when you're out?"

He had been listening to what Mo Yixia had ordered: very cheap dishes, not a single meat dish. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the waiter's gaze towards him was becoming increasingly strange.

"Isn't this to save you money?"

Holding the black cat plush toy, Mo Yixia looked like a quiet high school student when she wasn't speaking. She said calmly, "By the way, apart from not liking fish, I'm not picky about food either. I can eat just vegetables for every meal."

Han Zhou chuckled, recalling how this guy always ate his vegetables in small bites: "You'll become malnourished like that. What are you trying to say?"

“I’m easy to take care of, right?” Mo Yixia asked instead of answering, staring straight at him.

"You could say that... and then what?"

"I'm very easy to take care of."

Han Zhou was speechless. He knew without even listening to what the guy was about to say that he was going to talk nonsense again. So he stood up and said, "Stop repeating yourself. I'll go out and ask the waiter to add two more dishes. It's your birthday, after all. We can't let you eat so poorly."

He then left the private room.

Mo Yixia watched him leave quietly, then lowered her head and gently tugged at the two ears of the black cat doll.

Is it shabby?

Her birthday celebrations are never shabby; her mother prepares gifts and a big meal for her every year, and I believe this year will be no exception.

If it weren't for what happened this morning, she would probably be at home right now with a huge three-tiered cake, topped with seventeen candles, their flames shining brightly.

The gift will likely be a bracelet or necklace or similar accessory. Mom will sing her a birthday song and say that she's all grown up and looks good in anything.

Such a birthday is clearly not shabby.

However, she never thought it was anything special before. It was pretty much the same as any other day, except that there was a better reason to eat cake and receive gifts on this day. That was all.

She could do these things every day if she needed to, and if the essence of special days was merely a slight change in the form of life, then she found it hard to understand what was so memorable about them.

In her view, what makes a day special is not the meaning it is given, but the mood one has on that day.

And one's mood often depends on the people around them.

She had to admit that even if all her previous birthdays were added together, none of them seemed to make her as happy as that guy's "Happy Birthday" today.

She still remembers that thrilling feeling.

Is this considered ingratitude?

That's it, then.

but……

A simple "Happy Birthday" is enough to make me happy. Maybe I'm really that easy to please?

Mo Yixia's eyes softened as she held the black cat doll, lost in thought, when the door suddenly opened and Han Zhou walked into the private room with his hands behind his back.

What are you hiding behind your back?

Mo Yixia looked up and immediately noticed the other person's hand hidden behind their back.

Han Zhou was taken aback, then sighed reluctantly, "You found out so quickly?"

"If you could have toned down your lewd laughter a little, I might have noticed it later."

"You... never mind, I'm too lazy to correct your wording."

Han Zhou walked to the table in a few steps, magically produced something from behind his back, and said smugly, "How about that?"

Mo Yixia was slightly taken aback.

This cake is actually the size of a palm.

Although the cake was small, it looked quite exquisite. It was just a pity that the two characters "Yixia" written on it with jam were too ugly, which somewhat ruined the aesthetic appeal.

She wanted to reach out and take it, but she held back in time, and calmly and succinctly gave a four-word evaluation.

"Pshawy and ugly handwriting."

Han Zhou said helplessly, "You should be grateful. You suddenly told me it's your birthday today, and there are no cake shops around here. This little cake is one I got from a child. His parents initially thought I was trying to rob him."

He looked shaken, and it was unclear what he had gone through.

Mo Yixia asked with interest, "Was the jam also obtained through trading?"

"I asked for it from the kitchen. The handwriting is a bit ugly, but there's nothing I can do about it. It's not like I wrote it with a pen. If you wrote it, it might not be as good as mine... Reach out."

Mo Yixia obediently extended her palm.

Han Zhou carefully placed the small cake in her palm, then took out a small candle that was only half lit from somewhere and carefully inserted it into the cake.

"Go ahead and blow it. Since it's your seventeenth birthday, just pretend these are seventeen candles."

Mo Yixia glanced at him: "You haven't even lit it, how am I supposed to blow it?"

Han Zhou said, forcing himself to speak, "I've tried this thing. It goes out as soon as you touch it. There's no time to blow it out. You might as well use your imagination and just pretend it's lit."

Mo Yixia sighed, but didn't say anything more. Instead, she took off her mask and gently blew on the cake in her hand.

She didn't even dare to blow too hard, otherwise the little cake might break.

"So, you specifically asked the waiter to book a private room just so I could take off my mask?"

"Of course, don't you dislike taking off your mask in front of strangers?" Han Zhou asked cheerfully. "Otherwise, what else could it be for me to make it easier for you to touch me inappropriately?"

"I don't mind, it's just a pity that some guy who doesn't consider himself an outsider has the desire but not the courage."

Mo Yixia pouted slightly. She had clearly given this guy a chance to make advances when they left the residential area, but he pretended not to hear and was not honest at all.

Han Zhou said irritably, "Now is the time to blow out the candles and make a wish, don't talk about irrelevant things."

“I have already made my wish,” Mo Yixia replied.

"Really? What kind of wish is it?"

Mo Yixia rolled her eyes at him: "Does saying your birthday wish aloud make it less likely to come true?"

"Just bear with it for now, keep using your imagination, and pretend it's already working. Tell me about it."

Han Zhou was very curious about what kind of wish this guy who hated most things would make.

Surely it's not the end of the world, is it?

"That's not how you use the word 'make do'. Why don't you use your imagination as if I've already told you my wishes?"

Mo Yixia looked at her with disdain and reminded her, "Also, now is the time for you to sing me a birthday song."

"Row."

Han Zhou sang a couple of lines perfunctorily, then shamelessly continued, "I've finished singing, and I'll consider it as if I've already heard you say it, but I didn't hear you clearly, so please say it to me again."

This guy...

"Why are you always so shameless at times like this?"

Mo Yixia turned her head away, not letting the other person see the slight upturn of her lips.

"This isn't called being thick-skinned; it just means I have a strong thirst for knowledge."

Are you sure you want to know?

Mo Yixia glanced at him and said calmly, "If my wish doesn't come true because I told you, then you'll have to take full responsibility for making it come true. Can you make that promise?"

"Well..."

"Don't overthink it. Even if you make a promise, I still won't tell you. Wishes are personal expectations, and I'd rather realize them myself."

After saying that, Mo Yixia put the black cat doll aside, stared at the small cake in her hand for a long time, and then carefully cut it in half and handed one half to Han Zhou.

Han Zhou asked in bewilderment, "Other people cut cakes horizontally, why did you cut it vertically?"

He was holding the top half of the cake, with the words "Yi Xia" clearly visible on it. "You can't dislike it just because the handwriting is ugly, can you?"

"My name is on this, I can't just eat myself, can I?"

Mo Yixia rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a half-smile.

"So 'Yixia' belongs to you."

"You can't just take advantage of me and leave me all at once."

Seeing Han Zhou's dumbfounded expression, the girl's smile gradually widened.

Today's birthday is indeed quite meager.

A cake the size of a palm, a candle that won't light, a cheap toy won from a claw machine as a gift, a companion who's mentally challenged and needs brain repair, and most of the activities require imagination...

But that's really strange.

Why am I so happy on such a shabby birthday?

Mo Yixia reluctantly put half a piece of cake into her mouth.

The cake was small, small enough to fit in one bite, but it was surprisingly delicious.

It's a pity I can't ask Han Zhou if there's any more jam, otherwise I could secretly write his name on it before eating.

"How about it?"

Seeing the girl eat the cake, Han Zhou smiled and asked the same question he had asked at the beginning.

"Stingy".

Mo Yixia smacked her lips, wiped the cake crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and gave the same answer as before.

However, this time there was an extra sentence at the end.

"But I like it very much."

Chapter 109 Mo Yixia is Lost

After lunch, Han Zhou and his companion went to the haunted house as originally planned.

Despite having already experienced the feeling of "heart racing," Mo Yixia still wanted to visit the haunted house. After all, it was a rare opportunity, and she wanted to try more unknown things.

And summer is almost over.