Gu Yuanting slept quite deeply. It wasn’t until Su Yiran came up to call him for lunch that he slowly woke up.

After waking, he looked at Ranran beside him, somewhat slow to react at first, blinking slowly, still with the confusion of just waking up. It took him a while to fully process things.

Su Yiran rarely saw Ting-ge’s dazed expression and found it very cute. He couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him, pinching Ting-ge’s face, and smiling at him with pursed lips: “Dumbo Ting-ge, time to eat.”

Gu Yuanting only came back to his senses when Ranran kissed his lips. The fleeting, soft touch on his lips made his heart feel soft too, yet also a little lost. He grabbed Ranran’s hand and kissed it, then looked at the wall clock and paused, sitting up: “It’s almost twelve.”

He had been wide awake earlier, yet he hadn’t expected to sleep so soundly, not waking up even once.

Su Yiran, however, felt that Ting-ge hadn’t slept enough: “You’ve only slept for two or three hours. Get up for lunch, and then you can go back to sleep after eating.”

Gu Yuanting got up to freshen himself. Su Yiran went downstairs first to set the table. When Gu Yuanting quickly got ready and came down, he saw Ranran just coming out of the kitchen, holding a large soup bowl, using a cloth to protect his fingers from the heat, and walking towards the dining table.

“I’ll take it.” Gu Yuanting quickly stepped forward, wanting to take the soup bowl from his hand, but Ranran dodged, not letting him take it.

Su Yiran walked directly past Ting-ge, placed the large soup bowl on the dining table, and gestured to Ting-ge: “Come eat.”

For lunch, he only made four dishes and one soup, planning to prepare a big feast for Ting-ge’s birthday celebration in the evening.

Neither of them had eaten breakfast today. Su Yiran had only had some bread slices after waking up. Now they were both hungry, and the meal was quickly finished.

After lunch, they spent a little time letting the food settle. Then, Su Yiran took Ting-ge’s hand and led him upstairs for a nap. Although they had been cooking for themselves these past few days, they didn’t have to clean up after meals; the servants would come in to do it.

Su Yiran himself wasn’t sleepy. He originally planned to let Ting-ge sleep more and then go downstairs to prepare the birthday surprise for the evening. But Gu Yuanting felt he had slept enough after waking up. Seeing that Ranran wasn’t planning on taking a nap, he felt no drowsiness: “I’m not sleepy, I slept enough this morning.”

Nonsense, how could he not be sleepy? Su Yiran was very worried about him and changed his original plan: “I’m sleepy, will you nap with me?”

Gu Yuanting quickly agreed, hugging Ranran and lying comfortably under the covers. Su Yiran kissed him: “Close your eyes, let’s sleep for a bit together.”

Gu Yuanting obediently closed his eyes. Originally, he indeed felt no drowsiness and only intended to lie there with Ranran. But for some reason, after Ranran gently patted his back and coaxed him a couple of times, he unconsciously fell asleep shortly after.

Su Yiran felt relieved when Ting-ge fell asleep. He held Ting-ge and closed his eyes, falling asleep himself shortly after.

He napped with Gu Yuanting for over an hour. When he woke up and saw Ting-ge was still asleep, he decided to get up first and go downstairs to prepare the birthday dinner. A few main dishes required a lot of effort and time, so they needed to be prepared in advance.

Su Yiran gently sat up from under the covers, worried that his movements would wake Ting-ge. He got out of bed as lightly as possible, but to his surprise, before he even got off, his wrist was grabbed by Ting-ge. He looked back and saw that Gu Yuanting was already awake.

Gu Yuanting vaguely felt Ranran leaving in his sleep and instinctively grabbed Ranran’s wrist. Opening his eyes, he saw Ranran was already awake: “You’re awake?” Saying that, he sat up, intending to get up as well.

Su Yiran heard the sleepy hoarseness in Gu Yuanting’s voice and looked at the clock on the wall. It was only a little past two. He pushed Ting-ge’s shoulder, making him lie back down: “Sleep a bit more.”

Ting-ge didn’t sleep all night last night and only slept for three or four hours during the day today. That certainly wouldn’t do.

Gu Yuanting still wanted to sit up. Su Yiran wouldn’t let him: “Sleep a bit more,” he reached out and covered Ting-ge’s eyes, making him close them, then kissed him and gently coaxed him, “Be good, Ting-ge.”

Gu Yuanting had no choice but to stop moving, closing his eyes and obediently going back to sleep. Su Yiran gently kissed his forehead, and after coaxing him to sleep, feeling relieved, he went downstairs.

Including the time they spent dating, he and Ting-ge had been together for eight years. After many years as a couple, celebrating birthdays and holidays didn’t really require overly elaborate surprises. A small surprise, a natural celebration, a hearty meal, a thoughtfully prepared gift, and a well-spent day were enough to make them happy.

He was preparing the grand dinner in the kitchen. There were no ingredients or supplies on the island. The ingredients they used these past few days were air-shipped daily, ensuring that fresh ingredients were always in their refrigerator.

When most of the meal was done, Gu Yuanting woke up and came downstairs. Still on the stairs, he smelled the rich aroma of the food. He entered the kitchen and paused: “So many dishes?”

Su Yiran was mixing the egg dumpling filling with chopsticks. He turned back and smiled at him: “Today I’m letting you eat abundantly.”

Gu Yuanting didn’t pay much attention to that. He rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and planned to help Ranran cook, but Su Yiran, seeing him about to start, pushed him out of the kitchen: “I’ll do it. You’re not allowed to touch anything. Go sit on the sofa over there.”

Today, he wanted Ting-ge to have everything served to him.

Gu Yuanting was a bit puzzled. He didn’t go to sit on the sofa. He leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Ranran busy himself for a while, then couldn’t stand still and re-entered the kitchen.

But when he tried to help Ranran chop vegetables, Ranran wouldn’t allow it. When he tried to help Ranran stir-fry a dish, Ranran wouldn’t allow that either. Even when he tried to help Ranran crack an egg, Ranran took the egg out of his hand and ordered him to sit outside the kitchen.

Gu Yuanting hovered around Ranran for a while, then, left with no choice, obediently kept his hands to himself.

Su Yiran, seeing his dazed expression standing by, couldn’t help but smile. He hugged him and kissed him: “I want to make you something delicious.” He led Ting-ge out of the kitchen, had him sit on the sofa outside, and stroked his head: “Wait patiently.”

Gu Yuanting didn’t move around anymore. He watched Ranran return to the kitchen. Once Ranran was out of his sight, his heart felt empty again. Finally, he pulled a chair and sat at the kitchen doorway, leaning on the back of the chair, watching Ranran busy in the kitchen.

Su Yiran looked back at him, and seeing him obediently leaning on the chair back, couldn’t help but find him adorable. His heart fluttered, and he really wanted to go over and kiss and hug him. He quickly turned his head back and continued cooking.

Ting-ge is too endearing; it’s practically cheating.

Gu Yuanting quietly watched Ranran busy himself for him: the smell of cooking oil, the aroma of the food, the sounds of chopping vegetables, stir-frying, the sizzling of the oil in the pan, the gentle bubbling of the slow simmer.

Gradually, Gu Yuanting stopped thinking about anything. The things that pained him seemed to slowly drift away. He tried to ignore the subtle ache in his heart, thinking of nothing, just quietly watching Su Yiran, waiting for Ranran to prepare a delicious meal for him.

Dinner was ready. After the dishes were placed on the table, Su Yiran saw Ting-ge pick up his chopsticks and quickly said, “Don’t touch your chopsticks yet!”

Gu Yuanting put down his chopsticks and looked at him curiously. Then he saw Ranran leave the dining table and mysteriously tell him, “Close your eyes and wait for me for a moment.”

Gu Yuanting obediently closed his eyes and waited for a while, only hearing Ranran leave the area, and then there was no more sound. He waited a bit longer until he couldn’t help but want to open his eyes and look for Ranran. Suddenly, he felt the lights turn off, and then he heard Ranran’s voice.

Gu Yuanting’s heart stirred. He opened his eyes and saw, in the darkness, a few points of warm, flickering light approaching him. Ranran was holding a mango cake with lit candles, singing “Happy Birthday,” and smiling as he walked towards him.

“Happy Birthday!” Su Yiran placed the cake on the dining table, smiling.

He turned on the lights, and the room instantly brightened. Su Yiran hugged Ting-ge and gently kissed him, “Happy Birthday, Ting-ge.”

Gu Yuanting was stunned.

He truly hadn’t expected it to be his birthday today.

In the past, no one had ever genuinely celebrated his birthday, and he himself had never cared about it.

Although he had used the excuse to Ranran that he wanted to celebrate his birthday properly with him before coming here, he had long forgotten that excuse these past few days.

Su Yiran, seeing Ting-ge’s dazed expression, smiled and kissed him again: “Did you forget your birthday again?” Ting-ge always disregarded his own birthday, forgetting it every year despite celebrating it. However, this also had its advantages; his little surprises always succeeded.

Gu Yuanting came back to his senses, looking at Ranran, whose eyes were curved in a smile, and then at the lit candle on the cake beside them. It was a mango cake, and he knew it must have been handmade by Ranran.

Surprise and excitement overwhelmed him.

He suddenly hugged Ranran, holding him tightly, excitedly leaning down to kiss him, his heart pounding.

Ranran had celebrated his birthday with such thoughtfulness.

Gu Yuanting now understood why Ranran hadn’t let him do anything: it turned out Ranran had been meticulously preparing all day, from morning till night.

Su Yiran, seeing Ting-ge so happy, felt happy himself. He hugged Ting-ge, returning his kisses, but after a short while, he couldn’t keep up with Ting-ge’s intense pace. After the kiss finally ended, he gasped for breath, and seeing that the candle was already halfway burned down, quickly said, “Make a wish and blow out the candles.”

Gu Yuanting looked at the candles, closed his eyes, and seriously made a wish in his heart: “I wish to be with Ranran forever.”

After making his wish, he blew out the candles. Watching the candle flames extinguish, a strong sense of emotion suddenly swelled in his heart, as if his wish had truly come true.

Su Yiran took out the gift hidden in the cabinet, smiling as he handed it to him: “Birthday present.”

Gu Yuanting took it and opened the gift box. Inside was a black leather wallet. He carefully picked it up, didn’t recognize the brand, and a vague guess surfaced in his mind, but then he worried he was overthinking it. He looked at Ranran expectantly.

Su Yiran was already smiling as he said, “I made this by hand. The edges are a bit rough.”

Ranran must have spent so much effort, making it by hand for him.

The incident of Ranran and the original owner designing and making the ring together, which had been stuck in Gu Yuanting’s heart, suddenly eased considerably. He held the wallet in his hand, caressing it fondly: “No, it’s the best.”

Su Yiran put the cake aside: “We’ll eat the cake later. Let’s eat dinner first.” Seeing Ting-ge holding the wallet, reluctant to let go, he gently took the wallet from his hand and placed it aside as well.

During dinner, Gu Yuanting would take a few bites, then couldn’t help but glance at Ranran. Su Yiran’s face flushed under his fervent gaze. He coughed: “Eat properly.”

The meal was very lavish. Both of them ate some of every dish, and finally, they ate a little less than half of the cake. Gu Yuanting really wanted to finish all the cake Ranran had made for him, but Su Yiran was afraid he would get indigestion, so he put the rest of the cake back in the refrigerator to eat tomorrow.

Thanks to Ting-ge, he ate two whole sweet slices of cake today.

Gu Yuanting held the wallet Ranran had handmade for him, following Ranran in and out, reluctant to leave him.

He watched Ranran put the cake in the refrigerator. As the refrigerator door closed and the cake was out of sight, his heart suddenly fluttered with panic.

The birthday was almost over.

As Su Yiran put the cake away, he secretly dabbed some cream on the edge of the cake with his finger. After putting away the cake, he turned around when Ting-ge wasn’t looking and suddenly smeared white cream on the tip of Ting-ge’s nose.

Gu Yuanting didn’t react and was caught off guard, looking dazed.

Su Yiran smiled, looking at him from side to side. Seeing the dab of cream on the tip of his nose, looking both cute and handsome, he couldn’t help but lean in, hug him, and kiss him: “Ting-ge, you’re so handsome.” Too handsome, his Ting-ge.

Gu Yuanting saw the intimacy and love in Ranran’s eyes, directed at him.

The surprise, excitement, and emotion of his birthday suddenly welled up, and Gu Yuanting’s thoughts stirred, then began to become uncertain and anxious.

Ranran, has he, now, perhaps fallen in love with me?

Regardless of his feelings for the original owner, it’s possible that he also loves me.

Even if Ranran… also loves the original owner.

For so long, it was he who had been interacting with Ranran, he who had been intimately entwined with Ranran. Perhaps, without Ranran even realizing it, he had naturally fallen in love with him, the outsider.

Gu Yuanting, flustered, hugged Su Yiran, cautiously kissing him. The two were very close, intimately entwined. He could hear his own pounding heartbeat, and it felt as if he could also hear Ranran’s heartbeat.

Their heartbeats seemed to synchronize, this feeling of cardiac resonance made him anxious, hopeful, and flustered.

Why wouldn’t he fall in love with me?

Even if it’s just a little bit?