"To say it's not worried would be false. The words 'birthday' for Pei Ji were nothing short of a malicious curse. Growing up with the Shadow, he had witnessed the woman's raging fury and madness firsthand. Every birthday of Pei Ji would escalate her madness to the peak of anger. Amidst the scolding, the disgusting, humiliating words lingered in his memory, which even the Shadow hesitated to recall. For this reason, every year at this time, Pei Ji would sink into depression. Similarly, because of that woman, for a long time, he stubbornly believed that his birth was an annoying, irreparable mistake. At this moment, it was apprehensive, but fortunately, this worry seemed somewhat unnecessary. In the quiet snow, Ningning reached out silently, gently grasped his sleeve, and shook it as if to comfort him. Her touch was like a key, pulling Pei Ji out of his chaotic memories and back to reality. His expression remained calm, like the chill in every corner of winter, but under the long sleeves, Pei Ji reached back, grasped her finger with his fingertips, using an irresistible strength. * As the master, Tian Xian Zi finally indulged a bit today, claiming to take everyone to the best restaurant at the foot of the mountain for a feast to celebrate the apprentice's birthday. With some time left until evening, everyone returned to the courtyard to rest. Ningning carried two gift boxes and arrived at Pei Ji's house. In a good mood, she hummed a tune along the way, placing the boxes behind the desk and raised her eyebrows, "Pei Ji, don't you want to know what gift I've prepared?" As she spoke, Ningning did not receive the expected response. Instead, as she turned around to face him, she fell into a cold embrace. Pei Ji shivered, almost hungrily seeking the warmth of her body, his hands cold as iron, pressing silently on her back. His voice was hoarse, "Did you tell them?" Amidst the crisp scent of wood, Ningning could feel his chest rising and falling with each breath. She liked this breath and rubbed her face against Pei Ji's chest, "Um. Don't you like it?" His response was strained, "...I like it." How could he not like it? It's just that such intense emotions were overwhelming, and as the vessel, he was small and badly damaged, almost unable to bear such strong feelings, momentarily bewildered and at a loss for what to do. These were everything he had never dared to dream of. Ningning had brought them to him. The cold air from outside had gradually dissipated, and Pei Ji could feel his body warming up. Suddenly, she heard her own voice by his ear, "Pei Ji." Pei Ji took a step back in response, keeping his hands still on her waist, facing Ningning's eyes. He had very beautiful eyes. The deep pupils were like black ink, with a slight uplift at the corners, forming a captivating shallow curve. Ningning looked up for a moment, tiptoed, and kissed his thin lips. Her kisses were gentle and lingering, in the cold winter air, even such a brief touch seemed particularly warm and enticing. With her girl's lips bringing a captivating warmth, like a small hook, effortlessly drawing all his scattered thoughts. As Ningning kissed more skillfully, she took a step forward. It was a guiding-like movement, and Pei Ji, puzzled, could only follow her lead step by step. Then his shin bumped into a hard object, and with a gentle push from Ningning, he sat on the wooden chair in front of the desk. She paused for a moment, then sat on his lap. Pei Ji's breath suddenly stopped. This feeling was completely different from a hug, more ambiguous, and hotter. Through the fabric, Pei Ji could feel the warmth of her body.
Even though it was winter, there was scorching heat scattered around like fire, making his head dizzy. In this position, Ningning became the one slightly above. "Standing there must be tiring," she said with a red face, her voice trembling nervously. "Do you want to see my gift?" Sitting in this position on him had already pushed Ningning to the limit of her courage. She dared not move recklessly, so she lowered her head to search for the gift. Soon, a faint light appeared in the storage bag. It was a pure black scabbard, surrounded by sandalwood, exuding a spiritual aura. At a glance, one could understand that it was not an ordinary object. "This is for you, and for Shadow," she said with a smile. "It has been with you for so many years, you can't use the clothes of the old sword anymore." If Shadow had not been put in the guest room when he entered the house, Pei Ji's ears would surely have been filled with the mad honking of geese. Smirking, Ningning continued, her voice rising with a hint of pride. "Moreover, for a skilled swordsman like Pei Ji, both the sword and scabbard must be the best." He was not skilled, nor was he good. Some buried memories surfaced faintly in Pei Ji's mind, dimming his eyes. In a moment of confusion, he suddenly realized that the girl near him had lowered her head and was leaning forward without warning. Her black hair cascaded over his neck and shoulders, and Ningning's thin lips lightly touched his earlobe, as if unable to resist, gently pursing her lips. The earlobe looked red as if about to bleed, and upon contact, it was also accompanied by a scorching heat. The heat spread like scattered sparks from his ear to Ningning's lips, then entered his bloodstream through her thin lips, engulfing his whole body. Even her soft voice carried a tantalizing warmth. He heard Ningning whisper in his ear, "Happy Birthday." She paused, removed her lips from his earlobe, shifted positions, and suddenly raised her hands to cup the young man's face. Her nose was perfectly aligned with Pei Ji's. It was an intimate gesture with zero distance between them, especially with Ningning sitting on his thigh. Her movements could easily evoke an indescribable sensation. Ningning said to him, "Pei Ji being born in this world is the best gift for me." The girl's palm gently traced his pale skin, outlining the sharp features of his face. Pei Ji couldn't move, feeling powerless all over, just staring blankly into the smiling black pupils before him. In her never-ending deep black vortex of eyes, he was captured in an instant. "Meeting you, Pei Ji, truly makes me happy." She shifted her legs to get closer and said, "Thank you for coming here. Because of you, this day every year is a happy day for me." She must have thought of his mother, comforting him with such words. It was overly gentle. It was meeting her that made Pei Ji no longer the so-called "lonely monster" or the "freak whose birth was a mistake." Someone gently cared for him, treated him so kindly. Ningning, observing Pei Ji closely from such a close distance, could see his every change of expression. His eyes had a touch of pink, with blush spreading, and tears pooling at the corners of his eyes, as if moved, ready to fall. Pei Ji had never shown such a look in front of others, only revealing the most secretive and vulnerable side to her. Ningning leaned forward to kiss the slight pinkness at the corner of his eye, but before she could get close, she suddenly sensed something amiss. A strange, unusual sensation... under her. There was a moment of silence in the cramped space. Pei Ji's cheeks were more than just red. Ningning couldn't help but think that his face was as red as a supernova explosion, almost as red as hers. "Ningning," he sat on the wooden chair, his voice trembling with embarrassment, "you should... get up first." She also realized! Flustered and embarrassed, Ningning said, "Then, you should let go first." Pei Ji then realized that his hands were still around her waist. As Ningning stood up, the close feeling between them slowly dissipated, replaced by a more secretive, indescribable richness of ambiguity. She nervously wanted to bang her head against the wall, desperately organizing her thoughts in her mind. When the words reached her mouth, they turned into scattered phrases: "Um, I'll go first, you can take your time, no rush, see you tonight—" So what was she really saying? Ningning: "Um, should I go first?" Pei Ji sat on the wooden chair, tightly holding the scabbard she had given him. Overwhelmed with embarrassment like a tide of heat, he pursed his lips and managed to let out a hoarse "Hmm." Then the sound of footsteps approached, and before leaving, Ningning planted a kiss on his cheek. She said, "Happy Birthday." The four words overturned the sugar jar in his chest, the sourness and shyness instantly fading away. In his once desolate heart, the spilled sugar covered the ground.
