Chapter 41 Congratulations on Adulthood

Chapter 41 Congratulations on Adulthood

"Chen Jiyan," a triangular piece of pastry sat on a bone china plate, accompanied by a cup of the afternoon tea that the CSA served to guests.

There were no slender candles. He held a candlestick, looking at his reflection in the mirror—a face that had grown somewhat unfamiliar. Perhaps because he hadn't been working, the aloof, world-weary expression his colleagues often remarked on actually showed a hint of vitality now.

No wonder they say quitting your job is the best beauty treatment. Leaving work is more effective than any technical method, and the effects are immediate.

He closed his eyes, made a wish, and blew out the flame.

"Happy 25th birthday."

In every sense of the word, he was an adult.

He rarely celebrated his birthday after turning 18. This year was special. He never expected another hurdle after his *ben ming nian* (zodiac year of birth), seemingly a punishment for ignoring his parents' advice to wear red socks last year.

The cake didn't look great, but with cheese, eggs, butter, and biscuits piled together, there was little chance it would taste bad. He also picked some mint leaves from Roze's garden to garnish it, making it look somewhat presentable.

"Perhaps I should say you're 125. Truly long-lived—you've outlived an entire century's worth of people."

He forced a smile at the mirror. It wasn't pretty at all.

Fate is fickle. Just half a year ago, he was constantly worried about dying from overworking and pulling all-nighters. Now, half a year later, he had painlessly become a centenarian.

Black tea someone had given him, free bread from the church, leftover samples of canned fish from the grocery store—it was enough for a warm dinner.

Food has a way of stabilizing your mood, something nutrient solutions can't replace. The residents of Mogang, with their three meals a day, were much friendlier and kinder than the employees in Dingshu. It was probably what people in the internet age called the "vibe of being alive."

He pushed open the window. Mogang was plunged into a dark silence, with only scattered stars dotting the night sky.

If there were moonlight, the streets and docks would be quite bright, just like the country paths from his childhood memories—no electric lights, yet clearly illuminated by the moon, with fireflies drifting everywhere.

The starry sky now, a hundred years later, seemed no different from a century ago. Stars live for billions of years; a century is but a blink, a single breath to them. The lives of over seven billion ordinary people passed in that time, leaving only him behind.

A city is an island. Each person has their own orbiting universe. They meet briefly, occasionally intersect. Now, even those faint connections had vanished. It was an island of just one.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He pushed aside his melancholy, got up, and opened it.

"I apologize for coming uninvited. Please accept this gift."

Roze knew his birthday and, like Mogang, was accustomed to using the old calendar.

"Not at all, it's not a particularly important day, so I didn't want to disturb you."

He was genuinely surprised and touched to receive a gift.

He wondered how You Jinhui's coming-of-age ceremony had been. With a father from an aristocratic family and a mother holding a high position of power, it must have been in Mandu, on a scale no less grand than that auction.

"You're wondering how Jinhui celebrated his adulthood? He has quite the temper, and Dingshu doesn't really care about such things. But calculating the time, that year he had just become the Finance Minister's secretary. In less than a year, he smoothly became a Chancellor overseeing a department's affairs. Far more impressive than me." Even surpassing the dazzling achievements of his mother, You Ting.

Using a promotion as his own adulthood gift—truly befitting a Chancellor.

"You don't need to emulate him. Having one workaholic in the family is enough. As long as we live well, we don't let down their hard work." Roze was the one who spent more time raising the child. He could easily recall stories from You Jinhui's childhood: how he wouldn't cry when he fell, always hiding himself; being forced to wear a dress and take a photo with a cold face after losing a game; or the time he tried to cook for his mother's birthday, utterly lacking talent and nearly blowing up the kitchen.

Chen Jiyan listened with great interest.

"The older he got, the less interesting he became, not fun at all. You leaving him was the right choice. What a dull person."

Now he understood why You Jinhui found his father annoying.

Roze was about to say more but suddenly paused as if a button had been pressed, looking as if he'd seen his lifelong nemesis.

"It's getting late, I won't disturb you further. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

Chen Jiyan pulled his chair back, intending to get up and see him out, but was pressed back down by a strong hand.

"If you know you're annoying, show yourself less and stop embarrassing people."

You Jinhui's voice.

He thought his system hadn't shut down, but the touch on his shoulder reminded him otherwise.

"Good evening."

Compared to the previous sentence, this was almost amiable. Chen Jiyan felt inexplicably guilty under his gaze. After all, he had acted without permission, leaving without a word.

"Uh, welcome, Chancellor!"

"The cake is made by a beginner, probably not very edible. Light the candles and make a wish for the occasion." When it came to cooking, You Jinhui took after his mother.

He scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on the palm-sized gift box on the table, looking somewhat dissatisfied. "Celebrating someone's birthday, and the gift is this small?"

Hearing this, Roze returned, pulling a perfume bottle containing a golden liquid from his pocket.

You Jinhui took it without asking, held it up to the light for inspection, and nodded. "That's more like it."

"Alright, gift delivered. I'll head back now, lest I be a bother to you youngsters."

During this, Chen Jiyan couldn't get a single word in. Roze was at the door, so where had You Jinhui come from? When had he arrived?

And, had the father-son relationship deteriorated to this point?

"Stop! What are you doing to the cake?!"

Even if it might not be edible, it was rare to see familiar food, and Chen Jiyan treasured it. At least it was round, more resembling a birthday cake than the indescribable thing he had made himself.

"I heard that for the corresponding birthday, you should put on the same number of candles." You Jinhui looked at the person guarding the table, puzzled. "Isn't that right?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Wouldn't lighting that many set the whole cake on fire?

"I have candles with numbers on them here."

"Although there's no custom here to celebrate birthdays... still, I'm glad you came to this world."

You Jinhui rarely expressed his own feelings or opinions; he was accustomed to commenting on others.

Usually, it was 'useless,' 'trash,' 'filth.' If something was passable, he'd nod. If more satisfied, he might offer encouragement like 'not bad,' 'acceptable,' or other affirmations.

For him to open up now and clearly express his feelings was not something a Chancellor would typically do.

"And,"

He leaned against the door, lowering his eyes, "I resigned. I'm unemployed now, coming to seek refuge with you. Would you consider taking me in?"

The expression was truly pitiful, as if he might end up homeless on the streets the next second.

Perhaps bewitched, or maybe driven by that earlier guilt, Chen Jiyan nodded.

No matter what, his life had at least meant something to someone here.

"I'll take care of you in your old age."

When you're emotional, you'll say anything. "It's not about inheriting your assets. Anyway, when you're old or retire due to illness, I'll look after you."

"Touched?"

"You're still willing to take care of me in my old age even after I tricked you?" You Jinhui was amused by his sincerity.

"Those are two different things."

"Okay, thank you, birthday boy." He pulled an envelope from inside his coat, containing an extremely thin silver chain with a shimmering luster that looked somewhat familiar to Chen Jiyan.

"Consider it my apology."

The magnet he had brought from Sang Xia'en had been tied with cotton thread and worn around his neck until it frayed and broke, after which he casually placed it in Nico's cage.

Now it was back around his neck, threaded onto a silver chain.

"I wasn't really that angry in the first place," Chen Jiyan thought silently.

"I came in a hurry and didn't know what you'd want as a gift, so this will have to do for now."

There was something else inside the envelope—a document stamped with the Governor's personal seal and the joint official seal of the Finance and Legal Affairs Department.

It was a will.

"When did you write this?" He hadn't noticed at all.

"Last time, when you were trapped in the office."

The memory came flooding back—he had indeed signed a few documents for You Jinhui.

In such a dangerous situation, teetering on the edge, he had been notarizing a will.

For a moment, Chen Jiyan was speechless.

"Thank you" felt too light, and he hadn't left any room for refusal.

"I don't have many family members, and almost no friends. You Ting and Roze will be the ones who stay with each other longer—that's their life."

"Until you find a partner, we'll be the ones who spend the most time together, so take it. Don't feel burdened."

"Otherwise, if something unexpected happens, all these assets will be confiscated by the state."

That wouldn't do—why let Ding Shu benefit?

It must be familial affection.

Chen Jiyan had wondered what exactly his relationship with You Jinhui was. Previously, due to a guardianship authorization, they were bound by a custodial relationship until he came of age—restrictive but secure, likely because with the Governor around, the sky wouldn't fall, and no matter what happened, the only person held accountable would be his sole guardian, You Jinhui.

On the day he turned eighteen, the guardianship automatically ended, yet You Jinhui had brought him a gift. You Jinhui truly saw him as an heir, far surpassing the bonds of marriage or interest—a relationship even closer than before.

It seemed he really would have to take care of him in his old age now, not just in words or thoughts.

"There's only one room. The sofa was too old and took up too much space, so I sold it," Chen Jiyan explained.

"Hmm, it looks quite spacious. Is this your work desk?"

A two-meter-long wooden desk held a typewriter, a few books, and a pile of specimens.

"There are two quilts. If you don't mind—"

"I'll sleep on the floor."

He had actually meant to say, if you don't mind, we could use separate quilts.

But You Jinhui moved too quickly, already starting to lay out the bedding.

"Actually..."

The floor would be damp at night, and with only a thin cotton pad over the wooden boards, it definitely wouldn't be comfortable.

"You should come up here instead. It's not as spacious as the bed in your room, though."

"Is that appropriate? It doesn't seem right. We're not just in a simple guardianship relationship anymore."

Since when did he learn to ask for opinions? This was probably a strategic retreat.

Even though he knew it, Chen Jiyan thought about how You Jinhui had come all this way just to deliver a birthday gift and softened.

"It's fine."

"I'll wash them tomorrow. We can share a set for now."

Author's Note: The Governor: Mission accomplished 🙂

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Even though he's no longer the guardian, he successfully made Xiao Chen the primary heir to his estate—rounding it up, it's almost like being a spouse!