When Wang He Di leaves the small village he grew up in, to find work in the streets of glamourous and dangerous Shanghai, the first thing that catches his eye is the beautiful Shen Yue, a young woman also trying to make her fortunes in the "Paris of...
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June 1941
He Di opens his eyes and finds Yue staring down at him grinning happily and holding a chocolate cake decorated with cherries in her hand. Before he can say anything she starts to sing.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear He Di, happy birthday to you!"
He sits up smiling goofily and clapping his hands in appreciation. This has been her birthday tradition every year since they were married, where she will bake him his favourite cake and wake him up to sing Happy Birthday to him. He loves it so much and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"How does it feel to be thirty-one Baobei?" She asks.
She dips her finger in the icing then puts it into his mouth,where he proceeds to suck it off.
"Hmm...thirty-one feels great my love and that's because you are right here next to me."
He circles his arm around her waist and pulls her down onto the bed, causing her to squeal while trying to balance the cake in her hands.
"Careful Baobei, I don't want to squish your cake!" She laughs. "I want you to eat it first."
"Well how about I smear you with it and then I eat it off you instead?" He says in a deep voice.
"Hmm maybe we can take turns." She replies.
She dips her finger again and this time she traces the icing on his cheek then leans in to lick it off.
"I think that's the best idea you have had all morning Baobei." He Di responds.
He puts a little icing on her chin and runs his tongue along it, then he places a cherry into his mouth, proceeding to kiss and feed her the cherry at the same time.
They play around for a bit licking here, sucking there and just as things are about to get heated, there is a knock on the door. He Di sighs and says,
"We are going to have to resume this later Baobei, duty calls!"
He quickly nuzzles her nose with his and then yells,
"Come in girls!"
The door opens and in walks a ten year old Yuèqín holding hands with the three and half year old He Li.
"Happy birthday to the best Daddy! We are the luckiest girls in the whole wide world!" Shouts Yuèqín enthusiastically, throwing her hands up in the air and petals falling from the one that wasn't holding He Li's.
"Thank you Qínqín." Smiles He Di.
"Lili, you were supposed to say it at the same time as me!" Yuèqín reminds her little sister, standing next to her.
