The waitress sang more and more enthusiastically, and soon, people around started to look their way. Quite a few children even came over to their table, joining in the waitress’s merry shouting. Meng Sihan’s body slightly trembled, seeing dozens of people gathering around. His dark face displayed a myriad of expressions. "Sir, ’Haidilao’ wishes you a happy birthday!" The waitstaff chimed in unison. Meng Sihan felt everyone’s eyes on him, and a new word popped into his mind—"social death." "Thank you," he said, maintaining the grace that prevented him from ignoring others’ hard work. Soon, the waitstaff left, but a few kids lingered by their table, their round eyes fixed unblinkingly on the cake. An Yin noticed this and cheerfully said to the kids, "Why don’t you each get a small bowl, and I’ll share some cake with you, okay?" Meng Sihan sat on the soft chair, watching the little girl happily interacting with the kids. A warmth flowed through his heart, and for some reason, his usually hardened heart felt a sour and bitter sensation. This had never happened before! While he was in a daze, the little girl suddenly spoke up, "Meng Sihan, make a wish quickly!" An Yin urged urgently, taking advantage of the fact that the candles hadn’t burned out yet. Looking at the flickering candlelight, Meng Sihan coldly said, "I have no wishes." Because his wishes could never come true! "Huh?" An Yin looked at him in confusion, thinking he was joking. But when she saw the seriousness on his face, she realized he was telling the truth. The rıghtful source is 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩 As the candle was about to go out, An Yin closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and made a wish, "I wish Meng Sihan happiness and joy every day!" As soon as she finished speaking, the candle went out. Right at that moment, the kids came bouncing back with small plates, and An Yin distributed a small piece to each of them. As she busied herself dividing the cake among the kids, the man’s starry narrow eyes, under his sharp eyebrows, flickered with a cool, ghostly light. The little girl’s earlier words, "I wish Meng Sihan happiness and joy every day," were clear and forceful, striking his battered heart as if all his past gloominess was healed by her at this moment. Meng Sihan’s gaze towards her grew increasingly intense... "This piece of cake is for you." An Yin held a piece of cake in front of the man, her clear bright eyes staring intently at him. Meng Sihan’s face flickered for a moment. Gradually lowering his gaze to the cake in front of him, he made no intention to take it. "You eat it." The cake had mostly been shared already, leaving only this piece in the girl’s hand. And she intended to give it to him? Meng Sihan did not miss the girl’s gulping as she eyed the cake. She clearly wanted to taste it. "No, it’s your birthday today, you must eat it," An Yin insisted. "Let’s split it in half," Meng Sihan wasn’t backing down either, showing her that if she didn’t eat, he wouldn’t eat either. "No buts," Meng Sihan interrupted her hesitation. "Alright." An Yin took a plastic knife and cut the small cake in half, then put a piece on a small plate, "This piece is for you." The piece meant for him was noticeably larger. Meng Sihan raised his slender hand and snatched the other small piece, "I want this one." An Yin paused but said nothing, placing a small fork beside him, "Eat it." This small piece of cake felt like they were savoring a gourmet dish, tasting it one small bite at a time. The cake she bought was sweet, yet not cloyingly so. It melted in the mouth, a fresh fruity aroma lingering on the palate. Meng Sihan, who usually never ate such sticky things, found this was his first time tasting birthday cake, his eyes filled with a dazzling sadness. So this is what cake tastes like! Sweet to the heart. Both of them were stuffed after the hot pot meal. When An Yin went to pay the bill, the waitress told her that someone had already taken care of it. An Yin turned to the man, her cheeks puffed up adorably, "I have to pay for this meal. How much is it? I’ll transfer it to you." Meng Sihan was puzzled, "I didn’t pay." "You must have paid the bill while I was getting the sauce," An Yin mumbled. Seeing the determined look on the girl’s face, Meng Sihan knew it was useless to explain more, so he reluctantly stood up, "Since someone has paid, let’s go." "It was clearly you who paid." Meng Sihan shook his head, not bothering to argue with her. As the two of them passed through the lobby, Meng Sihan noticed a man sitting in a corner. From his back, the man exuded an air of elegance and aloofness. He couldn’t resist another glance at the man’s back, and suddenly, a figure appeared in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. No way, could that person from the Bao Family be here? He must have been overthinking it. Quickly, Meng Sihan withdrew his gaze. The two walked out of the hot pot restaurant, and immediately a waitress caught up with them, explaining some of the store’s events. The waitress mentioned that earlier, when the man had a birthday, the waitstaff helped them take a photo, and at the entrance of the store, there was a machine for printing photos, allowing guests to print two for free. After the waitress explained, An Yin strained to look up. The man was a whole head taller than her, so every time they talked, she had to tilt her head up, which was uncomfortable. "Do you want the photo?" An Yin asked, her bright eyes landing on him. Meng Sihan wasn’t originally interested in such fancy things, but when he saw the sparkly eyes of the girl, he felt a slight change of heart, "Okay." Quickly, with the waitress’s instructions, An Yin took out her phone, operated it for a bit, and then the photo printing machine started making sounds. An Yin eagerly leaned forward, waiting for the photos to be printed. The girl’s beautiful eyes were spinning, as clear and pure as a pool of autumn water. Her light smile slightly raised, making her eyes charming like crescent moons. Laughter rippled in her eyes, making her entire face look so gentle and charming. Meng Sihan stood beside her, quietly watching her. "Meng Sihan, look, the photos are out!" An Yin exclaimed, seeing the photos slowly emerging from the lower opening, quickly reaching out to grab them. The next second, her wrist was firmly grasped by the man, "It’s dangerous. Wait until they’re printed out completely before taking them." His strong fingers held her tightly, not with much force, yet it rendered An Yin unable to move. An Yin didn’t expect the man’s action and, once she came back to her senses, she stammered, "Fi-fine." She said the two words hesitantly.