My White Lotus (ZhanYi)

15: Birthday party

"...... Fragrant like this beautiful flowers and sweet like the candy in your hands. ANDDDDD HERE IS THE BIRTHDAY BOYYYY!"

The MC's shrilly voice made the guests whip their heads to the entrance of the nicely decorated celebration hall. In a stroller pushed by Mei and Cheng, there came the prince of the day. Though Ming Ming was a cheerful kid who get along with people well by time, looking at the sophisticated decorations and hearing the loud noises he couldn't help but be a little intimidated.

Ming Ming looked around the venue with his big, curious eyes. His face saying that he is in confusion like, 'Why everyone is looking at me like this?'.

Mei and Cheng looked at him dearly. His grandparents and uncles were there on the stage, waiting for him. It took a few minutes for Ming Ming to finally notice his other family members and he almost jumped from the stroller in order to reach them fast.

Changse Sanren came running to the boy to scoop him in arms and placed numerous kisses on his chubby face. The grandson giggled along with the grandmother. "Happy birthday, my dumpling!" She wished him.

She brought him to the table. Zhan and Yibo was there and also Xiao Changze. There was still an unannounced dense aura between Xiao Zhan and his father. When Mama Xiao went near Ming Ming, Wang Yibo stood there in between the father and son duo, without knowing what to do next.

But the awkwardness was only for a few moments as the birthday boy came there with his grandma. All of them wished him. Mei and Cheng came forward and Changse Sanren handed over Ming Ming to his parents. The MC announced about the cake cutting ceremony and the family members gathered around the huge teddy cake, which is almost double the size of the birthday boy.

Ming Ming is so unpredictable. Nobody, means, nobody can be faster than him, sometimes. His eyes sparkled seeing the new 'cake friend' and before anybody could imagine, he gave a hug to the cake teddy remembering his favourite 'cuddling friend' at home.

The crowd squealed and then it turned as laughs and giggles very soon upon watching the cake smeared face of the little one when Cheng peeled off the stubborn Ming Ming from the 'bear hug'. Ming Ming protested throwing his hands and legs in the air, smearing cake from his face and body onto his parents too. The laughter got higher and the audience cooed at the little boy's antics.

Of course, there surely were some other opinions like, how the Xiao family brought up their youngest heir as a licentious one who don't know how to behave infront of the 'honourable guests' and how he would have been a 'nice kid' only if they were the parents of him because they knew how to make a kid behave well by giving him appropriate 'punishments' at the right time. (Yup! They were talking about the one year old Ming Ming.)

Somehow the tough task of cake cutting ended after Ming Ming's parents sweating buckets. The disfigured teddy cake though still edible, was shared among the family, along with the other guests and everybody went back to the entertainments.

The birthday boy got somany gifts. Zhan and Yibo had chose a longevity lock of gold for their beloved nephew, wishing him a long prosperous life. It didn't include in the numerous toys and other things they had brought for him.

Everything was going well. Games, music, dance, eateries... The venue was colourful. Zhan and Yibo were standing with their family as they choose items from the enormous buffet. All of them joined around a table, talking and laughing about Ming Ming's mischieve and all. Papa Xiao was also there, standing just in an arm's length.

When Zhan got busy on pulling Ming Ming's cheek, Papa Xiao grabbed Mama Xiao's attention without wanting to let the others know about him. She Frowned and then got the cue. Her husband was stubborn but still he loves his children.