They were all people who had lost their dearest.
Zhu Yulan raised her eyes to look at him.
"I'll celebrate your birthday with you..."
That sentence, it had been so long since she had heard it, especially when looking into Xu Musen's eyes and seeing the emotion there—it was a warmth that could melt a person's heart.
Perhaps, this was the same charm that An Nuannuan and Yao Mingyue both possessed, like moths to a flame.
"Okay..." Zhu Yulan smiled foolishly, as if she had revealed a silly grin.
Xu Musen reached out, wiped the tear from the corner of her eye, and handed her a candle, "Since it's your birthday, try to be happy. I'll light the candles with you."
Xu Musen began to place colorful birthday candles on the birthday cake.
One by one, in perfect unison, nineteen in total.
Xu Musen took out a lighter and lit the candles one by one.
In the dim cemetery, the flickering candlelight was particularly striking, and it also gave off an extra feeling of warmth.
"Make a wish. With your mom and sister here, your wish will surely come true."
Xu Musen held the birthday cake in front of Zhu Yulan.
The candlelight made her delicate face look even softer, her eyes still a little red, her cute long dress making her appear exceptionally vulnerable and emotional at this moment.
Since her mother had left on her birthday, and especially after her older sister's consecutive departures, she had never celebrated her birthday with her family again.
Because when she saw the two missing places at home, her heart would always ache...
But now, there was finally someone by her side who could celebrate her birthday with her again.
She looked at Xu Musen's face in the candlelight.
The palpitations in her heart were almost too much to contain, "Will any wish I make really come true?"
"Of course, you've missed so many years of birthday wishes, heaven will surely take special care of you."
Zhu Yulan showed a silly smile, placed her hands on her chest, and looked at Xu Musen for a long time before slowly closing her eyes.
The breeze blew softly, the fallen leaves on the ground making a rustling sound, as if someone was responding.
After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes.
"Have you made your wish?" Xu Musen asked with a smile.
"Yes..." Zhu Yulan nodded.
"Then let's blow out the candles."
Xu Musen moved the cake closer to her face.
Zhu Yulan turned to Xu Musen and suddenly asked with a tilt of her head and a smile, "Can you blow them out with me?"
"Me? Are you not afraid that your wish won't come true then?"
"Sincerity makes the wish come true."
Xu Musen no longer declined. Holding the cake, they blew together, the warm and sweet breath from the girl's mouth seemed even sweeter than the cake in front of them.
At that moment, they were very close, feeling each other's breath and looking at each other's slightly pursed lips.
Suddenly, Xu Musen felt that Zhu Yulan's gaze was not on the candle but was fixed on him all along.
Undoubtedly, Zhu Yulan was also a very beautiful and excellent girl. At this moment, her gaze seemed to carry some emotion, which made Xu Musen avert his eyes slightly.
The candles were extinguished one by one.
Xu Musen quietly withdrew his gaze.
Zhu Yulan also shifted her eyes, her fair cheeks blushing perhaps from the warmth of the candles.
And a touch of regret...
After a while, Zhu Yulan looked at the cake in front of her and slowly began to speak, "I still remember the night, ten years ago when my mom was about to leave. She mustered her last bit of energy to smile warmly and tell me that she would be fine soon and would definitely celebrate a happy birthday with me.
I remember wearing the little dress my mom picked out for me. I was not even ten years old at the time, a child who didn't quite understand life and death.
I was still hoping that my mom could really get better and that we could eat a sweet birthday cake together, but I didn't notice that she no longer had the strength even to cut the cake... I remember she finally had tears in her eyes, apologizing to me, saying that for the last birthday cake, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat it with me..."
Zhu Yulan's eyes glistened with tears, but before she could finish speaking, a sweet and delicate thing was fed into her mouth.
Xu Musen scooped up some cake frosting with a spoon and fed it directly into her mouth.
"Who says that? Look, we're celebrating with your mom and sister again by eating cake, aren't we?"
Xu Musen said with a smile, "And from now on, as long as you don't mind, I will celebrate your birthday with you every year."
Zhu Yulan felt the cream melt instantly in her mouth, with a taste that was sweet and seemed to carry something extra special.
It was like alcohol entering her brain, unlocking the proud yet brave door she had always kept closed.
She looked at the gentle boy in front of her.
All she could think about right at that moment was...
She wanted to be brave, take the initiative, without worrying about the future, to say that one line...