Mysteries:Lord Of The Dream Realm

Chapter 11:Scars

"You don't know either?" Zhou Mingrui's voice held a mix of frustration and confusion as he walked through the company corridor, carrying a stack of design drawings to make proofs of PCB circuit boards. His expression was solemn, his brows furrowed in thought as he tried to piece together the mystery that had been eluding him all day.

Accompanying him was a young man who appeared weathered beyond his years, a senior who had joined the company two years before Zhou Mingrui. Despite his age, the lines on his face and the weariness in his eyes gave him an air of someone who had seen more than his fair share of life's challenges.

The young man glanced at Zhou Mingrui with a lazy, almost indifferent look. "Yeah, Meng Xian used to be quite strange—withdrawn, even. She's always been willing to help people and chat, but she never shares personal information."

He shrugged, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "Now she's a bit more sociable, but still, colleagues are just acquaintances outside of work. Who would go around shouting about their birthday for no reason?"

Zhou Mingrui nodded slowly, the crease between his brows deepening. This was the sixth colleague he had asked about Meng Xian's birthday, and even those who had been with the company longer than her didn't seem to know.

He had even discreetly approached some of the female colleagues, hoping they might have formed closer bonds with Meng Xian and knew her birthday. But all his efforts had been in vain.

The weathered young man paused in his steps and turned to look at Zhou Mingrui, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "To be honest," he said, "you're the person who has the best relationship with her in the company."

Zhou Mingrui was taken aback by the statement, his thoughts racing as he processed the implications. Was he really the one closest to Meng Xian? The realization left him feeling both honored and concerned. How could he not know something as simple as her birthday if they were that close?

why don't you just ask her?
—------

"Yeah, why didn't you just ask me directly?"

Meng Xian stood at the entrance to the kitchen, leaning casually against the glass door frame with her arms folded over her chest. Her expression was relaxed, her lips curved in a knowing smile as she watched Zhou Mingrui busily chopping vegetables on the counter.

After a long period of adjustment, Zhou Mingrui and Meng Xian had settled into a comfortable routine. They had even worked out an unspoken arrangement—Meng Xian took charge of breakfast, while Zhou Mingrui handled dinner. On weekdays, they ate lunch in the company cafeteria, and on weekends or holidays, they would decide whether to combine breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, depending on their mood.

Zhou coughed awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Surprise?" Meng Xian echoed, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Are you planning to ask me to be surprised?"

"Well, there's no such thing as preemptive actions between friends," Zhou responded, trying to sound serious but failing to hide the smile creeping onto his face. "It's called reciprocity. So, Meng Xian, when's your birthday?"

"Friends..." Meng Xian repeated, her voice softening, a trace of something deeper in her tone. "I have very high standards for my friends, so I cherish them very much." She paused, her smile returning. "Since my dear friend asked so sincerely, I'll tell him. My birthday is June 1st."

"June 1st, Children's Day?" Zhou Mingrui's eyes widened in surprise. "What a coincidence!"

Meng Xian closed her eyes slightly, her voice turning calm and distant. "It's not a coincidence."