"Birthday? For whom?" Terry always had a knack for coming up with the most unimaginable answers, leaving Li Ren perplexed. 'Even if it's a birthday celebration, why would I be included? I don't have any friends who need celebrating, and I'm not interested in attending a birthday party', Li Ren thought.
Terry chuckled and said, "Let's talk as we walk. Haven't you eaten yet?" He glanced at his watch—it was already 9 PM. The work location was somewhat far, and with traffic, time had slipped away before he knew it. Terry gasped as he looked at the time. "Oh my, is it this late? Let's go, let's go. Help me carry the cake." Li Ren indeed hadn't eaten; breakfast and lunch had barely satisfied him, and after snacking on a few cookies at Terry's place in the evening, his stomach had been growling for quite a while now. Without further ado, he hurriedly followed Terry out the door.
Once in the car, Terry handed his phone to Li Ren. "Hey, can you charge my phone for me? Thanks!" Li Ren shot him a sidelong glance but took the phone, plugged it in, and secured it in the phone holder. After handing over the phone, Terry immediately put the car in reverse and drove toward their destination.
.
.
.
"Where are you heading?" Li Ren asked. The car was playing a Chopin piano piece. Li Ren didn't understand it well, finding it quite relaxing but somewhat hypnotic. Terry, however, hummed along to the melody, enjoying it thoroughly. Even when he heard Li Ren's question, he insisted on finishing a small segment before slowly replying, "To an old restaurant. I happened to be hungry when I came to look at houses here and went in to eat, and it turned out to be surprisingly good. Truly lucky! Later, I discovered that there's hardly anything bad to eat around here. Living here is such a blessing!".
Li Ren could tell that Terry genuinely loved this neighborhood; happiness was written all over his face. Although it wasn't the main point, Li Ren couldn't help but think, 'The fried bread at the morning market in Lousheng Town is way better than what I bought this morning'. Returning to the topic, Li Ren asked, "So, who are you celebrating for? It seems a bit strange for me to just show up for someone else's birthday.".
Li Ren had never imagined that one day he would celebrate a birthday for someone he had never met before.
Terry then replied, "Not at all! I'm celebrating for the owner of that restaurant. You're just in time; one more person makes it livelier! I also... " Before he could finish, he felt a gaze from the passenger seat. Li Ren stared at Terry, as if trying to see right through him. Terry glanced at Li Ren and quickly focused back on the road, then quietly asked, "What?"
Li Ren opened his mouth for a long time before finally managing to voice his confusion: "The owner of that restaurant?? I thought you were inviting the birthday boy or girl to eat there?".
Terry's unconventional behavior always left Li Ren with more and more questions, leaving him unable to keep up. Then Terry burst out laughing, "Hahaha, no!"
"What does the restaurant owner's birthday have to do with you?" Li Ren frowned, puzzled.
Terry smiled as he cleared up Li Ren's confusion, saying, "I promised him I would celebrate his birthday! I remembered this morning, but almost forgot by the afternoon. Thankfully, I set an alarm to buy the cake—smart, right?" As he spoke, Terry smirked, leaned slightly toward Li Ren, raised his chin, then returned to his original position to continue driving, waiting for Li Ren's praise.
'What do you mean, 'almost forgot'? That's basically forgetting, isn't it?' Li Ren thought, giving Terry a sideways glance.
"Doesn't he have family to celebrate with?" Li Ren continued to ask.
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The Person You Called Is Unavailable
Ficção Geral-Everything that exists in the world, is about fate. No matter if it's meeting or leaving. Sometimes it's just a chance for us to grow...- Li Ren left his hometown for almost 3 years, work in Huanjia city to earn a better life. He works endlessly ev...
