The Mid-Autumn Festival in 2018 fell on September 24th, which happened to be Lin Zhixia's birthday.
Lin Zhixia keenly sensed that Jiang Yubai had arranged a birthday surprise for her.
On the evening of September 23rd, Lin Zhixia pretended to know nothing and lay quietly in bed.
The thick curtains blocked the moonlight tonight, leaving the bedroom completely dark. Jiang Yubai held Lin Zhixia tightly in the darkness. He whispered in her ear, "Are you asleep?"
Lin Zhixia shamelessly replied, "I'm asleep."
She heard Jiang Yubai chuckle softly, and the sound made her particularly happy. She groped for the side of his face and secretly leaned in to kiss him. He caught her fingers and gently kissed from the base of her fingers to her palm. Her breathing gradually quickened, and she couldn't help but ask, "Will we have guests at our home tomorrow morning?"
"You don't need to wake up early," Jiang Yubai said vaguely.
Lin Zhixia hooked her arms around his neck. "Look at the time—it's 11:30 PM."
There was no wall clock or glow-in-the-dark watch in the bedroom. While kissing her cheek, Jiang Yubai asked, "How do you know what time it is?"
"I guessed," Lin Zhixia revealed.
Skeptical, Jiang Yubai opened his phone, and the screen showed the current time as 11:31 PM.
Lin Zhixia disliked staying up late, and Jiang Yubai couldn't keep her awake. He silently put down his phone and patted her back. "You guessed right. Time to sleep."
Lin Zhixia yawned. "Good night."
"Good night, baby," he replied.
Lin Zhixia added, "Baby."
She slept until 8:00 the next morning. When Lin Zhixia woke up, Jiang Yubai was changing clothes right in front of her. She knew he was deliberately changing in front of her. She couldn't help but sit up straight, examining him from head to toe as if admiring a work of art.
Countless associated memories flooded her mind, and Lin Zhixia collapsed into the soft blankets. She wrapped herself in the covers and rolled around on the bed until Jiang Yubai came over and held her down.
Jiang Yubai skillfully peeled her out of the blankets.
But she said, "It's Mid-Autumn Festival today. I want to laze in bed."
"How long do you plan to stay in bed?" Jiang Yubai reminded her. "We have a gathering at home at noon. Guests are coming."
Lin Zhixia nodded. "I guess you invited my Mom and Dad and Brother, as well as your uncle and aunt. You wanted to organize a family gathering, but your parents are abroad on business and probably won't return to the country this September."
Jiang Yubai wanted to say, "No, you guessed wrong," but everything Lin Zhixia said was true. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Lin Zhixia rested her chin on his shoulder. Her warm breath brushed past his ear, evoking a faint, almost imperceptible thrill.
"Baby," Lin Zhixia called him again.
It was as if she had just learned the word last night and was now practicing it repeatedly in Jiang Yubai's ear this morning.
"Xia Xia," he called her by her nickname.
"What?" Lin Zhixia retorted.
Without warning, Jiang Yubai stood up. Lin Zhixia looked up at him.
He turned and pounced on her like a tiger descending a mountain, pinning her to the bed. She had no time to react and could only grab a pillow to press against his chest, half-heartedly pushing him away. The two of them laughed and played for half an hour until Lin Zhixia's phone suddenly rang.
The caller was Lin Zeqiu.Lin Zhixia greeted him: "Good morning, Brother."
Lin Zeqiu got straight to the point: "It's Mid-Autumn Festival today. Mom and Dad miss you a lot. Mom went to the market and bought two jin of sea shrimp to make a pot of shrimp dumplings for you. They won't taste good once they cool down. Mom and Dad want to come to your place now to deliver the dumplings. Is that okay?"
Lin Zhixia asked in return: "Right now?"
Lin Zeqiu answered evasively: "Have you had breakfast yet?"
Lin Zhixia told the truth: "Not yet."
Lin Zeqiu asked doubtfully: "You haven't gotten out of bed yet?"
Lin Zhixia immediately jumped out of bed: "How could that be? I've been awake for a long time."
Lin Zeqiu then blamed Jiang Yubai: "Does Jiang Yubai's home not have breakfast?"
Lin Zhixia turned on the speakerphone, allowing Jiang Yubai to clearly hear their conversation. Jiang Yubai sneered inwardly but spoke gently on the surface: "Your brother grew up with you. It seems he knows your tastes better than I do."
Lin Zeqiu's breath hitched. It had been a while since he'd encountered this kind of fresh, elegant, pretentious high-grade green tea act.
And Lin Zhixia fell for it every time.
She said softly to Jiang Yubai: "You're the one who understands me best."
To prepare for her parents' arrival, Lin Zhixia rushed into the bathroom and took a quick shower. She selected a dress from the walk-in closet and checked her appearance in the mirror. Then, holding Jiang Yubai's hand, she went downstairs with him.
Lin Zhixia's joyful mood deeply affected Jiang Yubai. He smiled when he saw his father-in-law and mother-in-law, reaching out to help his father-in-law carry things. His father-in-law asked him: "Xiao Jiang, have you been busy with work lately?"
"Not too bad," Jiang Yubai said. "With the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday these two days, I'm quite free."
His father-in-law then said: "Being free is good. Get more rest. You and Xia Xia are still young - you should sleep and eat more. In a few years, when you become parents, Xia Xia's mom and I can help take care of your children, so it won't interfere with your work."
Hearing this conversation, Lin Zeqiu's arms stiffened slightly.
Lin Zeqiu always felt he was still very young and wasn't prepared to become an uncle. Especially since, in his impression, having children was a very painful thing, and Lin Zhixia had an extremely low tolerance for pain - when she was two or three years old, if she accidentally fell while walking, she would cry for days, with the whole family taking turns comforting her.
Lin Zeqiu showed a deeply concerned expression.
Jiang Yubai also declined: "Let's talk about it in a few years. We're not ready yet."
He steered the conversation away from children and began discussing courses at the community university for seniors with his father-in-law. Both his father-in-law and mother-in-law had signed up for several training classes at the community university for seniors - his father-in-law liked history and traditional culture. He had enrolled in a tea ceremony class and often listened to storytelling and practiced tai chi.
"I recently acquired several ancient books," Jiang Yubai said generously. "I'll give them to you."
His father-in-law was about to agree but then reconsidered and quickly refused: "Those must be expensive, right? You keep them, keep them. Don't give them to me."
Jiang Yubai changed his approach: "Then come with me to the study later. If you like them, I'll lend them to you. You can return them after you finish reading."
His father-in-law immediately responded: "Okay, okay!"
Jiang Yubai remembered Lin Zhixia's catchphrase "Okay, okay" and thought that indeed, they were family. He couldn't help but smile.
Even though Lin Zeqiu had visited Jiang Yubai's home several times before, he still found himself pausing for a few seconds in awe every time he entered.He stood at the doorway, gazing up at the high ceiling, while Lin Zhixia dashed past him, closely following behind her mother: "Mom, your shrimp dumplings are the most delicious."
In front of outsiders, Lin Zhixia appeared mature, calm, and decisive, but around her mother, she remained almost unchanged from her childhood—in the eyes of parents, some children might never truly grow up.
Her mother led Lin Zhixia to the kitchen. Carrying a thermal container, she walked while saying, "I was just thinking of discussing something with you. Since I'm not working now, I have plenty of time every day. Your school is so close—I could bring you lunch at school every noon..."
Lin Zhixia naturally didn’t want her mother to go through such trouble. She said, "There’s no need. The teachers’ cafeteria serves excellent food; our school has hired chefs from five-star hotels."
She wrapped her arms around her mother’s arm: "Both Lin Zeqiu and I are completely independent now. You and Dad should start enjoying life. How about I sign you up for a tour group? Where would you like to go?"
"How about Sichuan?" her mother suggested. "Your dad wants to go to Sichuan for hotpot. Sichuan snacks are quite famous."
Lin Zhixia agreed readily, "Sure, sure."
While Lin Zhixia and her mother chatted in the kitchen, her father followed Jiang Yubai to the study.
For the first time in front of his son-in-law, her father began recounting his life experiences: "In my family, I was the fourth child. We were poor peasants—dirt poor, with only two mud-brick rooms and a kitchen built in the yard. Xiao Jiang, have you ever seen those traditional heated brick beds?"
He gestured with his hands: "Lift the bedding, and there’s the bed. We had no table at home, so I’d lie on that bed to write and study, borrowing books from educated youth in the countryside—those books had both traditional and simplified characters. During my middle school years, I only did well in Chinese and history. My math scores never exceeded ten points out of a hundred."
Jiang Yubai had consistently scored above ninety in all subjects during middle school. He couldn’t imagine what talents his and Lin Zhixia’s daughter might inherit.
While his father-in-law continued reminiscing about past hardships, Jiang Yubai opened the bookcase, retrieved several antiquarian books with aged bindings, and handed them to his father-in-law.
His father-in-law let out a long sigh: "Back in the countryside, the educated youth had books like these. You can’t even find such books on the market anymore."
He held the books carefully, savoring them intently.
After excusing himself from his father-in-law, Jiang Yubai left the study. He entered the dining room to find both Lin Zhixia and Lin Zeqiu eating shrimp dumplings. The nanny at Jiang Yubai’s house had even freshly squeezed a glass of strawberry juice for Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia devoured two dumplings in a row and gulped down the strawberry juice heartily. Spotting Jiang Yubai, she asked him, "What are we having for lunch?"
"Seafood barbecue," Jiang Yubai replied. "Ever since we returned from Hainan, you’ve been mentioning seafood barbecue frequently."
Lin Zhixia set down her chopsticks.
Jiang Yubai sat beside her: "There’s also a strawberry cake."
Lin Zhixia slapped the table excitedly: "Absolutely perfect."
"What about drinks? Do you have any alcohol at your place?" Lin Zeqiu suddenly interjected.
Jiang Yubai responded effortlessly, "We have red wine, white wine, and beer. Which do you prefer?"
Lin Zeqiu and Lin Zhixia shared one trait in common—both had very low alcohol tolerance, yet neither would ever admit to being lightweight drinkers.Lin Zeqiu wiped his mouth and boasted, "Let's have some baijiu, or red wine is fine too. Let's see how much you can drink."
Lin Zhixia was somewhat puzzled. "Lin Zeqiu, do you have a good alcohol tolerance?"
Lin Zeqiu asked her, "Why are you calling me by my full name?"
"It just came out naturally," Lin Zhixia said. "Don't you often call me by my full name too?"
Lin Zeqiu was left speechless.
After a few seconds, he said, "After all, I am your own brother, born of the same parents."
Lin Zhixia repeated his words verbatim: "After all, I am your own sister, born of the same parents."
In truth, ever since Lin Zhixia moved into Jiang Yubai's home, she hadn't had many opportunities to see Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zeqiu missed the days when he used to bicker with his sister. However, both he and Lin Zhixia were adults in their twenties now. Even if they had disagreements, they would at most exchange a few words of argument, unlike when they were children and would shout at the top of their lungs, going back and forth.
Lin Zeqiu let out a sigh.
Lin Zhixia was concerned about him. "Is something on your mind?"
"No," Lin Zeqiu said, looking away.
Jiang Yubai opened the wine cabinet and was selecting a bottle. Lin Zeqiu stared at Jiang Yubai's back and lowered his voice. "How has Jiang Yubai been treating you since you got married?"
"Extremely well," Lin Zhixia whispered in reply. "You can't imagine how good he is."
Lin Zeqiu felt satisfied and added, "Since you're not at home, Mom and Dad keep urging me to find a girlfriend every day."
"Have you found one?" Lin Zhixia asked.
Lin Zeqiu shook his head slightly.
Lin Zhixia boldly recommended, "Do you remember Deng Shasha? After the wedding, she asked me about you every day. I told her all your flaws, and surprisingly, she didn't mind at all."
Lin Zhixia clearly remembered that many years ago, when she was studying at university in Beijing, Deng Shasha had once met Lin Zeqiu. Back then, Deng Shasha had complained that Lin Zeqiu was too talkative. But now, Deng Shasha said, "Being talkative isn't a flaw—it means he's articulate! It shows your brother is knowledgeable. How wonderful! Your brother is both talented and handsome—truly a first-rate catch!"
"Deng Shasha admires you," Lin Zhixia said honestly.
Lin Zeqiu flatly refused. "She's not my type."
Lin Zhixia pressed further, "What is your type?"
Lin Zeqiu leaned back in his chair. "I don't know. I don't have a girl I like."
Lin Zhixia rested her chin in her hand. She stared unblinkingly at Lin Zeqiu, who felt goosebumps all over his body. Annoyed and flustered, he said, "Didn't you understand? I like women, I just haven't met the right one. That's what I meant."
As they were talking, a fluffy Ragdoll cat came running from a distance. The cat leaped up and landed on Lin Zhixia's lap. While stroking the cat's fur, Lin Zhixia introduced, "This is my family's cat. Its name is 'Strawberry.' When Strawberry was little, it was shy around strangers, but now that it's grown up, it's not afraid of anyone."
When Lin Zeqiu heard his sister say "my family's cat," he thought to himself: My sister has grown up. Her home and my home are no longer the same.
Strawberry rolled over on Lin Zhixia's lap, exposing its soft belly. As Lin Zhixia gently stroked the cat's stomach, Lin Zeqiu crouched nearby, examining the structure of the dining table. He accidentally opened a hidden compartment, and the wooden box that popped out nearly hit him in the face.
He gasped in surprise.Jiang Yubai approached the dining table holding two bottles of red wine. He placed the wine bottles on the table and said, "There are several decks of playing cards in the box."
"My mom loves playing cards," Lin Zeqiu said. "I'll call my parents over, and the five of us can play a few rounds together."
Jiang Yubai was surprised that Lin Zeqiu would say something like "the five of us." But Lin Zeqiu didn't notice his own wording. He pocketed the playing cards and followed Jiang Yubai to reunite with their parents in the study.
To make the game more interesting, Lin Zhixia took a handful of stones from a Go board container. She used them as chips and distributed them evenly among all players.
After each round, the winner could take the loser's chips.
Jiang Yubai was the first dealer. He rarely played cards and wasn't skilled, but fortunately, his father-in-law and brother-in-law were even worse. This round, he achieved the respectable third place—the winner was his mother-in-law, though he wasn't sure if Lin Zhixia had gone easy on her.
His gaze met Lin Zhixia's.
Lin Zhixia smiled at him.
Her smile was sweet and beautiful.
The ragdoll cat named Strawberry was still curled up on Lin Zhixia's lap. She played cards absentmindedly, teasing the cat with her left hand while keeping her eyes fixed on Jiang Yubai, all while chatting with her mom. Despite this, she still managed to completely outplay the other players.
After seven rounds, Lin Zhixia had piled up a small mountain of chips beside her, while Jiang Yubai and Lin Zeqiu had lost everything.
Jiang Yubai was left with just one chip, and Lin Zeqiu at least had two—they belatedly realized that Lin Zhixia was too polite to take chips from her parents but showed no mercy to her brother and husband.
Jiang Yubai had initially intended to play casually, but he suddenly grew serious. He began calculating cards and predicting the strategies of his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Lin Zeqiu.
Influenced by Jiang Yubai, Lin Zeqiu also prepared to fight back fiercely. The atmosphere at the card table instantly became tense and serious, as if the family of five had suddenly been transported to a Macau casino, with each chip transforming into real stakes.
Lin Zhixia braced herself for the challenge.
She stopped teasing the cat.
She set Strawberry down on the floor.
Strawberry let out a "meow."
Lin Zhixia ignored her.
Strawberry rubbed against her leg, and she said, "Be good, Strawberry. Once I finish this round, I'll open a can of cat food for you."
Strawberry jumped over to Jiang Yubai's feet, stretching a paw to rest on his trousers. Jiang Yubai didn't even glance down. He was meticulously calculating cards when the doorbell rang loudly.
Jiang Yubai opened a visual interface in the study, and his uncle and aunt appeared on the LCD screen: "Xiao Jiang! Your uncle and aunt are here!"
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia immediately went out to greet them.
The uncle and aunt had just returned from Singapore. The uncle carried gifts in both hands, while the aunt held their one-year-old daughter. The little girl was delicate and fair, with chubby cheeks that made her look like a rice dumpling.
Lin Zhixia took her from the aunt's arms, and the girl planted a kiss on Lin Zhixia's cheek. Overjoyed, Lin Zhixia exclaimed, "So adorable."
Lin Zhixia had prepared a nursery for the aunt. She led the uncle and aunt toward the guest room, while Jiang Yubai stood in the hallway and casually asked his mother-in-law, "Was Xia Xia like this when she was little?"Speaking of her precious daughter, Mother-in-law smiled and said, "Xia Xia, when she was little..."
Lin Zeqiu chimed in, "It was terrifying."
Father-in-law said sternly, "Lin Zeqiu, how can you talk about your sister like that?"
Lin Zeqiu retorted, "Reading academic papers at five years old—isn't that terrifying?"
He earnestly advised Jiang Yubai, "I'm telling you this so you can mentally prepare yourself. Your child with Lin Zhixia might be even more... you know what I mean?"
"Hmm," Jiang Yubai understood his meaning, "If it really comes to that, it's fine. I'll assemble a suitable tutoring team for the child."
Lin Zeqiu and Jiang Yubai reached a consensus: "My parents often took Lin Zhixia to the provincial library back then..."
Jiang Yubai commented, "Talent shouldn't be wasted."
Lin Zeqiu nodded repeatedly.
That noon, Lin Zhixia's family gathering was held on the rooftop garden terrace.
Since it was Lin Zhixia's birthday, her relatives had all prepared gifts for her.
She happily accepted all the gifts, then made a wish: "My birthday wish is for all of you to be safe, healthy, and happy."
After saying this, she blew out the candles.
Jiang Yubai handed her a knife, and she carefully cut the strawberry cake, distributing it to everyone. The flames under the barbecue grill were burning, and Uncle opened a bottle of champagne.
Jiang Yubai slightly raised his glass, and as everyone's glasses gathered in a circle, he said with a smile, "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
He clinked glasses with Lin Zhixia alone: "Happy birthday."
Fluffy white clouds drifted across the vast blue sky. Lin Zhixia caught the scents of strawberry, champagne, and grilled meat. Mom and Dad were chatting and laughing, while Jiang Yubai and Brother got along harmoniously. Aunt raised her camera, capturing everyone in the frame, and Uncle said with a laugh, "A Mid-Autumn Festival family portrait."
"I'm really so happy," Lin Zhixia whispered.
Her seat was right next to Jiang Yubai, and only he could hear her words. He served her a grilled lobster and said candidly, "You'll be even happier on a full stomach."
Lin Zhixia laughed heartily.
She took a sip of juice. The sweet liquid soothed her throat, and she remembered the wish she had made at seven years old—to find a friend at school who could understand and support her mutually.
Today, that wish had long been fulfilled.
She turned to Jiang Yubai and said, "Thank you."
Jiang Yubai thought she was thanking him for serving her the lobster. He smiled and replied, "You're welcome."
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