Chapter 302: Her Birthday Wish

Runze’s POV

The sound of small, fast footsteps ringing against the floor in the upper hallway is the first sign that the birthday morning has officially begun.

I am standing near the main dining table, double-checking the breakfast settings, when the doors from the courtyard swing open. Siying comes running into the hall, her arms outstretched, her socks sliding slightly on the polished floor before she catches her balance against the edge of the sideboard.

She turns six today, and she acts as if the entire house belongs to her.

“Papa!” she calls out, her voice loud and full of morning energy. “See my shirt?”

She stops right in front of me, smoothing down the front of her cotton sweater. It has two small embroidered white rabbits near the collar, a gift Bael set on her dresser before he went to the study earlier. Her hair, which used to be fine and short when she was small, is now pulled back into two tight, high pigtails held by bright red elastic bands.

“It suits you very well,” I say, crouching down to her eye level to straighten one of her sleeves. “Happy sixth birthday, Ying-er.”

She wraps both arms around my neck, squeezing with surprising strength for a child her size before stepping back to inspect the table. “Did Auntie Wen’s box come? Xiao Mei said the delivery man brought something early!”

“It is right here, Little Miss,” Xiao Mei says, stepping into the room from the side passage.

She carries a silver tray with a neat box resting in the center, alongside a stack of small fabric napkins for the table. Four years have passed since Mrs. Wen stepped back from the daily running of the estate, and Xiao Mei manages the household duties and daily schedules with calm confidence now.

Xiao Mei sets the box on the edge of the table near Siying’s plate, giving her a fond smile. “Mrs. Wen sent it three days ago so it would arrive first thing this morning.”

Siying doesn’t wait. She climbs onto the dining chair, her shoes swinging beneath the seat, and pulls at the ribbon tied around the package. Her fingers work quickly, tugging the paper open until she pulls out a thick, hand-knit wool scarf in a bright shade of green, along with a small handwritten card tucked inside.

“She made green!” Siying holds the scarf up high in both hands, her eyes wide with excitement. “She remembered green is my favorite color!”

“Let me see,” I say, taking the card from the box.

I open the paper and read Mrs. Wen’s familiar handwriting out loud so Siying can hear: ‘To our dearest Siying, happy sixth birthday. Wear this scarf when you go to school in the mornings. Eat well, listen to your fathers, and I will see you when I visit for the holidays.’

Siying immediately wraps the green scarf twice around her neck, letting the fringed ends hang down over her sweater. “I am wearing it all day. I am wearing it to the garden later too.”

“You will get hot if you run around in that,” Bael’s voice comes from the archway.

He walks into the dining room, his posture relaxed, a tablet held loosely in his hand. He stops beside Siying’s chair, reaching down to press his hand gently against the top of her head, smoothing down a stray strand of hair that escaped her pigtail.

“Baba!” Siying turns in her seat, reaching up to grab his hand. “Auntie Wen sent me a scarf! It is green!”

“I see that,” Bael says, a faint smile touching his lips. He looks across the table at Xiao Mei. “Is Grandmother awake?”

“The Madam is in the main sitting room, Mr. Wuchen,” Xiao Mei replies politely, stepping back toward the sideboard. “She asked for her tea to be served there so she can watch the Young Miss open her cards.”

Bael nods, then turns his attention back to Siying. “Eat your eggs first. Then you can go see Grandmother.”

“I am not hungry for eggs,” Siying says blithely, folding her arms over her scarf. “I am six now. Six-year-olds eat cake for breakfast.”

I laugh, setting her water cup next to her plate. “Six-year-olds eat their breakfast first, or there is no cake after lunch.”

Siying looks at me, then at Bael, testing to see if either of us will give in. Finding no weakness in Bael’s calm expression, she picks up her small spoon with a sigh, scooping up a portion of eggs. “Fine. But I want four strawberries.”

“You can have four,” Bael says, taking his seat beside us.

By mid-afternoon, the main house settles into a relaxed, comfortable rhythm.

Ling Yue and Jin Hao, who are currently out of the country, sent a large box of gifts earlier in the week. Feifei called on video from her office during her lunch break, laughing as Siying proudly showed off her green scarf through the phone screen, promising to take her out later in the evening for a birthday treat.

For now, it is just the four of us in the garden pavilion overlooking the estate lawn.

The breeze is gentle, rustling through the flowering bushes near the stone steps. The table in the pavilion is set with porcelain tea cups, a plate of steamed red bean pastries, and a round vanilla cake decorated with fresh strawberries and six thin candles.

Grandmother sits in a comfortable armchair near the table, wrapped in a long silk shawl. Siying sits right on the small footstool beside her, showing Grandmother a drawing she made at school yesterday.

“And this is the big dog that lives down the lane,” Siying explains, pointing her finger at a black shape on the paper. “He barked at the mail truck, but I told him to be good, so he stopped.”

Grandmother lets out a soft, clear laugh, reaching over to pat Siying’s cheek. “Is that so? You are giving orders to the dogs now?”

“I am big,” Siying says proudly, standing up on her feet and puffing out her chest. “I am six! I can do lots of things!”

“You certainly can,” Grandmother says, her eyes gentle. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a red envelope tied with a ribbon, slipping it into Siying’s hand. “This is to buy toys or books you like when you go out with your aunt.”

Siying’s eyes light up. “Thank you, Great-Grandmother!” She gives Grandmother a fast hug around her knees before spinning around toward the table. “Is it time for cake now?”

“It is time,” I say, stepping up to the table with a matchbox.

Bael steps up beside me, holding a silver knife to slice the cake once the candles are lit. Siying steps between us, her hands resting flat on the edge of the table as she leans forward.

Liang Feng steps up near the garden stairs, holding Bael’s phone camera ready to catch the moment.

“Wait, Baba!” Siying calls out, catching Bael’s wrist as he moves closer. “You have to stand on this side so you are in the picture!”

Bael stops, looking down at her small hand gripping his cuff, before shifting two steps closer to my shoulder. “Like this?”

“Yes,” Siying says, taking a big breath that expands her small chest beneath her green scarf. “Now I make a wish!”

“Count them first,” I remind her softly.

“One, two, three, four, five, six!” she counts out loud in one rapid breath.

She closes her eyes tight, her forehead crumpling for three seconds, and then leans forward with all her strength. She blows out a big puff of air, snuffing out all six candles at once. Thin wisps of smoke rise into the clear air.

Liang Feng’s camera shutter clicks twice, capturing the bright grin on her face.

Grandmother claps her hands softly from her armchair. “Good job, Ying-er.”

“All gone in one go,” Bael remarks, setting his hand on her shoulder.

I pick up a small napkin to wipe a speck of sugar from the corner of her mouth. “So, what did you wish for this time? A new set of building blocks? More drawing markers?”

Siying steps back from the table, looking up at us with confidence. She folds her arms behind her back, her pigtails bouncing against her collar.

“I wished for a baby brother,” she announces clearly.

The silence that follows is immediate.

Bael’s hand, which was reaching for his teacup, stops mid-air. I freeze with the napkin still in my fingers, staring at my daughter in complete surprise.

Even Grandmother pauses mid-sip, her teacup hovering an inch above her saucer as her eyes shift between Siying and the two of us.

“A… what?” I ask, my voice coming out slightly higher than I intended.

“A baby brother,” Siying repeats, as if explaining something completely obvious. “A real one. Like the one Tongtong brought to school last Tuesday.”

Bael sets his knife down against the silver tray with a distinct, sharp metallic tap. He clears his throat, his eyebrows drawing together as he looks down at her. “Siying. A baby is not a toy you ask for on your birthday.”

“I know it’s not a toy,” Siying says, completely unfazed by Bael’s stern tone. She takes a step closer to his leg, pointing her index finger up at his waist. “Tongtong’s baby brother just sits in his stroller and drinks milk. He doesn’t even know how to stack blocks or ride a scooter! He is boring!”

“If he is boring, why do you want one?” I ask, crouching down in front of her, trying to understand her six-year-old logic.

Siying looks at me, her eyes bright and sincere. “Because I am big now! My room has lots of space! I can teach him how to draw, and I can give him my old boots that don’t fit me anymore. If someone at school tries to take his toys, I will tell them no!”

She pats her own chest proudly with her small hand. “I’ll be in charge!”

Grandmother lets out a delighted chuckle. “She certainly takes after the Wuchen side when it comes to delegating tasks.”

Bael looks down at Siying, his expression caught somewhere between complete disbelief and utter helplessness. He opens his mouth to say something, closes it, and looks across at me.

“We have plenty of toys inside, Ying-er,” Bael says finally, his voice carefully controlled. “Let’s eat the cake first.”

“Okay!” Siying agrees instantly, her focus shifting back to the strawberries without a second thought. “I want the piece with four strawberries!”

As Bael cuts the first slice of cake, he glances up, his eyes meeting mine across the small space of the table. Neither of us says a word, but the silent, unasked question hangs clearly between us in the quiet garden air.