Chapter 61: The Husband’s Surprise

Chapter 61: The Surprise from His Husband

Standing outside, it wasn't easy to tell, but once Wen Xi followed Shen Yun into the courtyard, he realized it was a whole different world inside.

Thin ropes were tied from the eaves on both sides of the courtyard, adorned with colorful silk ribbons and red paper decorations that swayed gently in the breeze. The flowers, plants, and trees in the yard were also decorated with tassels made of five-colored threads, a riot of colors woven together—clearly someone had gone to a lot of trouble to decorate.

As Shen Yun had said, it wasn't just him—Shen Liang, Lin Hongwen, and Lu Xiuyuan were all there too.

When they saw him enter, everyone turned to look at him, all wearing easy, happy smiles that slowly melted the nervousness in Wen Xi's chest.

When Lin Zhaozhao walked up to him, Wen Xi glanced at him and Shen Yun. "What's all this about...?"

Lin Zhaozhao smiled. "You should ask your husband about that. After all, he's the one who rounded us all up."

"My husband?" Wen Xi glanced around. "Where is he?"

Shen Yun pointed toward the house. "There he is, right?"

Following the direction of Shen Yun's finger, Wen Xi saw Yan Fengan, wearing a bamboo-green robe, stepping out from somewhere. He was leaning against the doorway, looking at him with warm, smiling eyes.

The moment he saw him, the knot in Wen Xi's chest finally loosened, and his eyes and brows softened into a smile.

With so many people around, he forgot his usual shyness and walked up to Yan Fengan in two steps, tugging on his sleeve. "How come you're all here?"

Hadn't Lin Zhaozhao invited him into town for the Qiqiao Festival? He thought it would be just the two of them, but even Shen Yun and Yan Fengan had shown up.

Yan Fengan took his hand and led him a few steps into the house, away from the others, then said, "Did you forget what day it is today?"

Wen Xi answered right away. "The Qiqiao Festival. How could I forget a day like this?"

Yan Fengan sighed. "Think harder. Seriously, you can't remember?"

Wen Xi's face scrunched up a little, then he took Yan Fengan's hand and gave it a little shake, half coaxing, half pleading. "I really can't remember. Just tell me, honey."

Yan Fengan gently ruffled his hair. "Silly, today's your birthday."

Wen Xi froze, like he couldn't quite believe it, and murmured, "My birthday?"

Yan Fengan nodded, and Wen Xi said again in a low voice, "I didn't know... I've never celebrated my birthday."

He only knew the year he was born; as for the exact month and day, no one had ever asked, and he never dared to bring it up.

Back in the Wen household, his parents only celebrated Wen Liu's birthday, while no one cared about or even remembered his own birth date.

He'd known from a young age that such things weren't meant for him, and over time, he'd simply forgotten that he had a birthday too.

One look at Wen Xi's face told Yan Fengan everything. At that moment, he was even more glad he'd planned this surprise, or else this year's birthday would have passed by in the same blur as all the others.

A day like this was so foreign to Wen Xi that even though the words came from Yan Fengan, he still felt it wasn't real. He couldn't help but ask again and again, "Is today really my birthday? Was I really born on the seventh day of the seventh month?"

Yan Fengan said, "I saw it on our marriage certificate earlier, and later I quietly asked Mother. After thinking it over carefully, she confirmed you were born on the Qiqiao Festival."

"So I do have a birthday after all." As he said this, Wen Xi tried hard to smile, but his heart was aching. He forced his lips into a smile, but his red-rimmed eyes gave away how he really felt.

All the things that had been missing, overlooked, and forgotten over the years suddenly came rushing back at this moment, making Wen Xi's chest feel tight and sore.

Yan Fengan's heart ached even more than Wen Xi's. He didn't dare imagine what kind of life Wen Xi had led all these years—the more he thought about it, the more it hurt.

He opened his arms and pulled Wen Xi into a hug, silently comforting him for a while.

Wen Xi rested his head against his chest, and after a moment, shyly pulled away. "Are all the people outside invited by you?"

"Mm, I thought the more people, the livelier it would be."

Arranging the courtyard so beautifully and gathering both of their friends together—Yan Fengan must have put in so much thought.

Wen Xi was a bit curious. "Did you rent the courtyard?"

"No, this yard belongs to Lu Xiuyuan's family. When he heard I wanted to celebrate your birthday, he specially lent it to me, and he even had people decorate the outside."

Wen Xi hadn't expected Lu Xiuyuan to be so generous, even though he didn't seem as warm as Lin Hongwen.

Wen Xi was deeply moved by everything Yan Fengan had done for him, but he also felt a faint worry. "We owe him such a big favor. Will it be hard to repay later?"

"No, it won't. Lu Xiuyuan has made great progress in his studies lately, and he's quite grateful to me."

Of course, those sappy words of gratitude would never come out of Lu Xiuyuan's mouth, but Yan Fengan could feel that the man's attitude toward him had completely changed from before.

Afraid that Wen Xi might still feel burdened, he added, "Besides, I specially painted a folding fan for him. He's been showing it off at the academy these past few days, earning him plenty of face. Such a small matter—why would he dwell on it?"

Wen Xi knew Yan Fengan's skills well, and hearing this, his heart relaxed considerably.

Since today was Wen Xi's birthday, the guest of honor couldn't hide away for long. Once Yan Fengan had explained everything, the two went back outside to join the others.

On the stone table outside were various desserts and fruits. Shen Yun picked up a piece of honeydew melon and handed it to Wen Xi. "Xiao Xi, try this."

Wen Xi took it and took a small bite. After finishing, he said to Shen Yun, "You're so tight-lipped. When you came to my house a few days ago, you didn't let even a hint slip."

Shen Yun covered his mouth and chuckled, glancing at Yan Fengan in the distance. "You can't blame me for this—Xiucai Yan made me keep it a secret."

He wiped his hands with a handkerchief and pulled out a pair of mandarin duck pendants from his chest. "This is for you. My brother brought these back from the provincial capital. You and Xiucai Yan can each wear one."

He placed the pendants into Wen Xi's hands and said earnestly, "Xiao Xi, happy birthday. I wish you and Xiucai Yan a long and lasting happiness."

Having known each other for so many years, he knew better than anyone how hard Wen Xi's life had been. After saying this, his own eyes reddened first.

Seeing him like this, Wen Xi's nose also stung. He accepted the pendants and hugged him. "Thank you, Xiao Yun."

"How come you two are crying over giving gifts?" Lin Zhaozhao squeezed over, holding out the birthday gift he had prepared. "I noticed you don't usually dress up much, so this time I specially picked out a box of rouge and a box of lip balm for you."

These things weren't commonly used by village lads, but they were all the rage among the young men in the city.

"The lip balm isn't too dark—it'll just brighten your complexion. Do you want to go inside and try it?"

With other men around, Wen Xi couldn't possibly groom himself in front of everyone. He shook his head repeatedly. "No need, thank you."

"You're welcome." Lin Zhaozhao smiled with curved eyes. "We're friends, so giving you a gift is only right. I'll come again next year for your birthday."

Seeing the others offering their gifts, Lu Xiuyuan and Lin Hongwen also handed over long boxes.

The two men had no idea what to give Wen Xi, but knowing he spent his days with fabric and needles, they each gave him a roll of plain silk.

The gifts from Lin Zhaozhao and the others didn't look particularly flashy, but they were all carefully thought out. They were afraid that giving something too expensive would burden Wen Xi, yet something too cheap wouldn't be presentable.

Wen Xi was truly moved and could only say thank you repeatedly.

Lin Hongwen chimed in jokingly, "If you really want to thank me, then whisper a few sweet words in Brother Yan's ear and get him to paint a fan for me too."

Lu Xiuyuan wasn't having it. "Dream on. That fan was my reward for ranking third in the exam. You haven't made any progress at all—what right do you have to ask for one?"

Lin Hongwen, who had been bouncing around the third and fourth ranks, couldn't argue with that. He grumbled, "Who says I haven't improved? Next time, I'll score a second rank, just you wait."

Lu Xiuyuan snorted. The higher you climb, the wider the gap gets—a second rank wasn't something you could just pull off.

The cook already had the meal ready. Yan Fengan ushered everyone to the table, then went to the kitchen and carried in a bowl of longevity noodles.

The noodles were topped with chopped green onions and a fried egg sitting on top. Yan Fengan handed the chopsticks to Wen Xi. "I've never cooked before, so I don't know how it'll turn out. Give it a taste—if it's no good, I'll have the cook make you another bowl."

At home, the most he'd ever done was help stoke the fire; he'd never actually cooked before. Wen Xi had no idea when he'd picked up this skill, but he grabbed the chopsticks, twirled up some noodles, and took a bite.

"Delicious." He smiled and bit into the fried egg, then added, "This is good too."

Having his cooking praised cheered Yan Fengan up. He stood, poured everyone else at the table a drink, then raised his cup. "Today is Wen Xi's birthday. Thanks for giving me the honor of coming to celebrate with him. If any of you ever need my help in the future, just say the word—I'll be there, no questions asked."

"We're all friends, cut the formalities." Lin Hongwen also stood up with his glass. "Come on, let's all toast to Xiucai Yan and his husband. Here's to Wen Xi—happy birthday, may your cooking get better and your pockets get heavier."

Everyone clinked their glasses with a cheerful ring and said in unison, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, thank you all." Wen Xi downed his glass of fruit wine in one gulp. "I can't thank you all enough for such an unforgettable birthday. I'll never forget this."

He'd never dreamed he'd have a birthday this lively. He'd never have to be jealous of anyone else for this again—he had a lover, friends, family, and many, many people who would celebrate with him.

Every year from now on, he'd have longevity noodles and fried eggs.

Shen Yun and Shen Liang's mom was still back home. Although Yan Fengan had asked Chen Lanfang and the others to keep an eye on her, the brothers still couldn't shake the worry about leaving her by herself. Once the afternoon sun eased up a bit, they headed back to the village.

They'd come all this way for his birthday, and Wen Xi felt bad about it, so he shelled out to hire a carriage from the livery to send them home.

Lin Zhaozhao and the others had stuff to take care of at home too and couldn't stay away from home too long. As Lu Xiuyuan was leaving, he said to Yan Fengan, "This little place is usually empty—make yourselves at home. I'll have someone come by to clean it up later."

Yan Fengan nodded but didn't commit right away. Once everyone was gone, he took Wen Xi's hand and went to find a different inn.

Once the waiter stepped out, Yan Fengan shut the door right away.

Wen Xi had had some wine, so his brain was moving slower than usual. After Yan Fengan shut the door, he said, "Didn't Lu Xiuyuan say we could stay in that courtyard? Why did you bring me here?"

Yan Fengan sat on the edge of the bed and said bluntly, "I don't like doing stuff like that in someone else's house."

Wen Xi blinked dumbly for a long moment before realizing what he meant. His face went bright red in an instant, but he muttered, "But last time you said you didn't like doing it in an inn either."

"That was then, this is now." Yan Fengan smiled and waved Wen Xi over.

Wen Xi knew exactly what was coming, but he still went over obediently and settled onto his lap like he always did.

Yan Fengan cradled his face and kissed him, not even slipping his tongue in to tangle with Wen Xi's, just brushing his lips against Wen Xi's, over and over, pausing every now and then to murmur something to him.

"Did you have a good time today?"

Wen Xi looped his arms around Yan Fengan's shoulders, chasing after his lips while replying, "Yes."

A happy, bashful smile broke across his face, and he added, "Every day with you is a happy day."

When he was by Yan Fengan's side, he felt like he was soaking in a jar of honey. He'd thanked so many people today, but the one he really owed thanks to was the man right in front of him.

If his husband hadn't gone to all this trouble for his birthday, he'd never have gotten to experience any of this.

In this whole world, only Yan Fengan truly kept him at the center of his heart. Everyone else in the family was good to him too, but their kindness wasn't the same as Yan Fengan's.

With Yan Fengan, he could feel what it was like to be truly loved.

Wen Xi felt he loved him just as fiercely. Every time he had to leave Yan Fengan, his heart hurt a little, but he had to bottle it up and never let it show.

He fought to hold it in, but the second he saw Yan Fengan, all that willpower went out the window.

If only they could be together every single day.

Wen Xi felt sweet inside, but also a little hurt for no reason at all. He darted his tongue out to lick the corner of Yan Fengan's mouth and grazed his teeth lightly over Yan Fengan's lips.

He didn't realize he'd left little teeth marks on Yan Fengan's lips. Just as he was about to reach up and feel them, Yan Fengan suddenly pushed him down onto the bed and, just like Wen Xi had done, kissed and nibbled at him.

The thing that usually bullied him was now standing at attention, greeting him. Wen Xi wasn't really scared, just thought it was embarrassing to be doing stuff like this in an inn in the middle of the day.

Just as he wasn't sure whether to push back or give in, Yan Fengan eased up on him, pressed his face into the crook of Wen Xi's neck, breathing hard for a moment before saying, "In a bit, I'll take you to Luoxing Bridge to float river lanterns."

He said this out of nowhere, and Wen Xi didn't know what to say. It took him a beat before he could manage an "Oh."

Yan Fengan grinned and gave the tip of his nose a little bite. "Since it's your birthday, I've gotta show you a good time. We'll deal with the other stuff tonight."

Wen Xi wrapped both arms around Yan Fengan's head, let out a low, muffled "Mm," and after a beat, couldn't help but let out a little laugh.