The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi

Chapter 9

Wang Yibo fell silent, looking at the empty wine glass and the leftover salad on the plate, a half-bitten cherry tomato. He sighed and said, "Actually, I don't have any issues with Alphas. Not all Alphas disrespect Omegas, I know that. You're good, but I... I have issues with myself. I can have a physical relationship, get married, have children because I love someone, but I can't do it out of physical needs."

"I have thoughts." He ran his fingertip along the empty wine glass, a hint of red settled at the bottom, and he said, "I don't want to mate like animals."

Wang Yibo rarely revealed his inner thoughts. They had been married for a year, known each other for even longer, but moments like today, where they had heart-to-heart conversations face to face, were few and far between.

Xiao Zhan didn't know how he came to understand Wang Yibo so well, and every word he heard now had already been etched in his heart for a long time. He also didn't know why there could be such an inscrutable knot in the world that left him without any direction, making everything he did futile. Xiao Zhan quietly looked at Wang Yibo, not saying anything. He had comforted Wang Yibo countless times before, and he knew that what Wang Yibo needed was not consolation or advice.

Things went against their wishes, dreams shattered. It was a long-lasting and lonely war, one that Wang Yibo could only struggle and fight on his own. Perhaps one day he would make peace with himself, or perhaps that day would never come.

"Sorry, I guess I brought up something that ruins the mood." Wang Yibo smiled and said. Xiao Zhan shook his head to indicate it didn't. Wang Yibo took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and warm light shimmered in his eyes. He cheerfully said, "It's rare for someone to celebrate my birthday. Let's be a little happier."

"Yeah." Xiao Zhan understood he was speaking to himself, but he wanted to go along with it. He moved the plates aside, stood up, and fetched the cake. "Be happier, little birthday boy."

The cake box was placed in the center of the dining table, and Xiao Zhan stood next to Wang Yibo, untying the ribbon. Wang Yibo moved his own plates and dishes aside as well.

The box opened, and the Little Prince cake appeared in front of Wang Yibo once again, but this time it wasn't a picture. He was genuinely surprised and smiled from the bottom of his heart. He turned his head and said to Xiao Zhan, "Zhan ge, you have great taste. It looks beautiful."

"If you like it, that's good." Xiao Zhan bent down to insert the candles into the cake.

Perhaps the room was too quiet, but he felt his heartbeat was so loud that he was afraid Wang Yibo would hear it.

He awkwardly ran his hand through his hair, looked left and right searching for a lighter, and said, "I was afraid it would be too cartoonish. You wouldn't like it."

Indeed, he wasn't interested in such childlike and artistic things, but this cake was an exception. Maybe he was genuinely happy today, feeling that everything was good. Wang Yibo watched as Xiao Zhan lit the candles, the flickering flames illuminating his profile. Wang Yibo said softly, "I like it." Then he asked Xiao Zhan, "Why the Little Prince? Does it have any meaning?"

"I really like this fairytale," Xiao Zhan said. "Bravery, passion, strength, freedom. The author was a pilot too." He smiled and said, "I feel that Yibo and the Little Prince are quite similar."

Wang Yibo was taken aback for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? The adjectives you mentioned earlier don't seem to have anything to do with me."

"That's how I see you," Xiao Zhan said with a smile, not explaining further. He neatly folded a birthday hat and was about to put it on Wang Yibo.

Wang Yibo quickly moved backward, looking at the paper hat disdainfully, and said, "There's no need for that, it looks silly."

"Hey, there's no one else here. I haven't seen any version of you, so why worry about your idol image?" Xiao Zhan shook the birthday hat and said, "It's your birthday, just listen."

"But..." this is really silly. As the candle melted and a tear-shaped droplet rolled down, Wang Yibo stared at the hat for a while before relenting and bowing his head, leaning closer. Xiao Zhan smiled and placed the hat on his head, asking, "Can I sing you a birthday song?"

"Ah, no, please don't!" Wang Yibo said, feeling speechless. He felt that Xiao Zhan was being overly happy today, with each sentence more out of tune than the last, completely different from their usual interactions. He glanced at Xiao Zhan and felt that he looked so lively, like a perfect sculpture with a crack, revealing a vibrant and passionate heart.

"Make a wish," Xiao Zhan said, looking at him.

Wang Yibo nodded and closed his eyes. He actually didn't know what wish to make. In those few seconds of darkness, his mind was in chaos, unable to figure out what he truly wanted.

"Happy birthday, Wang Yibo xiao-pengyou."

For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, but then he realized it was Xiao Zhan's voice, gentle, smiling, and very close to him, telling him, "Wang Yibo xiao-pengyou, happy birthday."

He really wanted to see Xiao Zhan's expression at this moment, whether he was looking at him, smiling, as he said those words. He suddenly thought of a wish, even though it seemed strange— he hoped that Xiao Zhan would celebrate his birthday next year as well. But it didn't matter, since birthday wishes were not meant to be spoken out loud.

Wang Yibo opened his eyes, blew out the candles, and Xiao Zhan applauded, saying, "Wang Yibo xiao-pengyou is turning twenty-three!"

Wang Yibo smiled, lowered his head, and took the plastic knife to cut the cake. Xiao Zhan raised his hand and gently ruffled his hair. Wang Yibo liked this intimate gesture, like the embrace of the sea for a fish. At moments like this, he felt that being married to Xiao Zhan was actually quite nice.

"Actually, I prepared a gift for you too."

"Ah?" Wang Yibo had just cut a slice of cake and put it on a plate when he heard Xiao Zhan's words, causing him to pause and put the plate down. He wondered, "A gift? You bought me a gift too? Come on, Zhan ge, you're taking it too seriously. It's just a birthday..."

"What do you mean 'just a birthday'? You only have a few dozen birthdays in your life. The fewer you have, the more you should cherish each one," Xiao Zhan poked his forehead and said, then smiled again. "Don't worry, it's something you'll definitely find useful. I'll go get it, wait a moment."

"Hey..." Wang Yibo watched as Xiao Zhan got up and walked back to the bedroom, but then he hesitated and put his raised hand down.

He was feeling a bit embarrassed. Since he saw Xiao Zhan's WeChat Moments this morning, everything Xiao Zhan had done today had surprised and overwhelmed him. He never thought Xiao Zhan would put so much thought into it, and he couldn't imagine anyone in the world who would value his birthday more than Xiao Zhan. But did Xiao Zhan really need to go this far? Was it because he took everything so seriously?

Wang Yibo suddenly couldn't understand it. In the past, he defined Xiao Zhan as family, and Xiao Zhan treating him well was like an older brother taking care of a younger brother. They were registered as a family on their household registration, and it was natural for them to be close and continue walking together without any problems. But Xiao Zhan seemed to care about him too much, even more than his parents did. Wasn't this level of closeness more than what siblings should have?