Fu Shizhao nodded willingly.

Going to the extracurricular classes on the weekend would allow him to continue seeing Tang Mian.

Although Tang Mian had enrolled in the art class, and he had chosen the vocal music class, they wouldn’t be together all the time. However, they could still have lunch together at noon, and perhaps even go home together in the evening, or have Tang Mian come over to his place.

After all, it was the weekend, and it was quite normal for friends to visit each other.

Tang Mian didn’t really “intrude” on her own brother’s privacy, but… the messages just kept popping up, and he couldn’t help but be aware.

Anyway, he knew that his brother and his future sister-in-law would probably meet at the Youth Palace this weekend due to some school event.

When the time came, he could invite them to have a meal together and further strengthen their relationship.

*

*

The birthday party was held on a weekday evening.

Several classmates who were close to them were picked up by their parents after school and brought directly to Tang Mian’s house.

This included… Mrs. Fu and Zhou Wen.

(T/N: Mrs. Fu is the old lady/ Fu Shizhao’s grandma)

Shen Siwan always felt a bit of pressure. Compared to the Fu and Mu families, their family was relatively small and modest.

But regardless of the pressure, as long as Mian Mian could make friends, it was all that mattered. The pressure was on the adults; the kids just needed to have fun.

Mrs. Fu really liked Shen Siwan’s little garden, and the other kids enjoyed it as well. They took advantage of the fact that it was still light outside when school ended and played in the garden for a long time.

Tang Mian placed another flower above Fu Shizhao’s ear.

Mrs. Fu, upon seeing this, smiled and asked Tang Mian, “Do I get one too?”

Tang Mian hurriedly went back and picked a flower for Mrs. Fu as well.

Mrs. Fu immediately placed the flower in her own white hair.

“Mrs. Fu, you’re really good at making the children happy,” Zhou Wen remarked.

“It’s the children who make me happy,” Mrs. Fu’s eyes narrowed into a smile, “I never thought time would pass so quickly. Your children have all grown up so fast.”

Zhou Wen chuckled, “You know, my husband loves kids, so we had one to keep him busy, so he wouldn’t always be clinging to me.”

Ever since that day when Zhou Wen personally went to the nursery to handle that matter, Mu Zichen’s identity couldn’t be hidden any longer. Zhou Wen boldly took a family photo with her husband and posted it on Weibo, officially announcing it to the world.

At first, concealing the existence of her child was driven by two main considerations. First, it was for the sake of her career, and second, it was for the well-being of her child. Now that the child had grown older and shown some interest and talent in the performing arts, she was more than willing to introduce him to that world. Besides, with her being a renowned actress and her husband being the CEO of an entertainment company, their child could enter the industry with full support, making it an easy decision.

As for the Fu family, their situation was more complicated. The Mu family, as outsiders, had been in a watchful stance and hadn’t dared to hastily form alliances or take sides. After becoming pregnant with Mu Zichen, she had stayed away from the capital, opting for overseas recovery, and it had been some years since she last visited Mrs. Fu.

In reality, it might be time to consider taking a stance now and see how Fu Shizhao’s abilities developed in the future. If he had the skills, it could be a win-win situation. If not, there was no need to push it, as it could end up being detrimental to him.

Suddenly, Mrs. Fu took out a delicate little box from her pocket and handed it to her. “A little token for the child, consider it a belated birth gift.”

The two of them were planning to visit Mrs. Fu during the Chinese New Year, and they would express their gratitude then.

During their conversation, the children in the little garden suddenly disappeared. The other parents were inside the house, and they didn’t rush to go after them.

Mrs. Fu’s gaze fell on Shen Siwan, who was tidying up the slightly disheveled flowers and plants, and she enthusiastically sought her advice on gardening. Although she found gardening to be troublesome herself, she found it quite interesting to see others working on it.

When Shen Siwan talked about her area of expertise, her words flowed effortlessly.

Zhou Wen also approached with a smile, listening to Shen Siwan’s professional explanations. She said, “With video streaming being so popular lately, Mian Mian’s mom could start her own personal account. Whether it’s making videos or live streaming, there will definitely be a lot of people who like it.”

Shen Sizhi had already been considering this idea, and hearing Zhou Wen’s words made her even more confident.

“When you start, make sure to let me know. I want to become your number one sugar mommy.” Mrs. Fu was quite trendy, and her comment made both of them burst into laughter.

—

Mu Zichen had been feeling a bit down recently. Ever since Tang Mian got a cat, she didn’t let him call her “Little Cotton Candy” anymore, saying that she had given that name to the cat they had at home.

Mu Zichen had been holding back his feelings for a while, but when he saw the cat in Tang Mian’s house, his mood suddenly brightened, and he carefully held the little kitten in his arms.

“Cotton Candy!”

“Meow.”

What an adorable kitty!

He had always loved small animals, but his dad was allergic to animal fur, so they couldn’t have pets at home.

He had always wanted to wait until he grew up and bought his own house to have lots and lots of small animals.

He planned to visit Tang Mian’s house more often in the future!

The house had been transformed into a birthday party setting, filled with colorful balloons and streamers.

When Tang Sheng returned, he was greeted by a group of chattering little kids with their heads like radishes.

The kitten was trapped in the middle of their circle, and they were playfully petting it, causing it to meow incessantly.

“Is acting fun?”

“It’s fun. You get to play as different people, and it’s always interesting.”

“So, will we be able to see Xiao chen on TV in the future?”

“Yes, then I’ll ask Teacher Tu Tu to show it to you in class.”

“Do you want to act in movies with me, Mian Mian? You’re so pretty, you’ll definitely have a lot of fans.”

“…No, no, I want to stay home and take care of my cotton candy.”

“Meow.”

Tang Sheng’s gaze fell on the chubby center of attention in the conversation. Despite being a bit chubby, he was undeniably adorable, and his delicate facial features were quite evident. It was quite normal for a child star. His mother had mentioned that the mother of a child in Tang Mian’s class, who played with Tang Mian a lot, was a famous actress. When Tang Mian had an issue with bullying in kindergarten, that child’s mother had come to the kindergarten and confronted the misbehaving child’s family, so it was probably him.

Being the eldest in the family, he was usually informed of most of the things happening at home, so he knew more than others.

As for acting… their school was about to celebrate its anniversary, and he had been invited to participate in a program. Rehearsals were scheduled for this weekend. He had never considered participating in such activities, but the class president from the next class invited him, and his desk-mate often teased him as a bookworm, so he decided to sign up.

Thinking about the contents of his script, Tang Sheng let out a sigh and quickly grabbed his school bag, heading upstairs.

*********

The birthday party went off without a hitch that evening.

After dark, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao, both wearing birthday hats, closed their eyes and made a wish, then blew out the candles on the large birthday cake.

Tang Mian’s wish was, “In this lifetime, may our family be happy, healthy, and harmonious, and may my relationship with Fu Shizhao always remain strong.”

******

In reality, being reborn was already the greatest gift granted to him, but he couldn’t help but desire more.

As the candles were extinguished, the lights in the room were instantly switched on, and the melody of the birthday song continued to play.

Looking at the people gathered around him, Tang Mian felt a warm feeling in his heart.

During the pause for the adults to cut the cake, Tang Mian curiously asked Fu Shizhao, who was standing beside him, “What wish did you make?”

“If I say it out loud, it won’t come true, big brother,” Fu Shizhao replied with a helpless smile.

Tang Mian thought to himself that his brother could help him make it come true, but he didn’t press further after hearing Fu Shizhao’s response.

Making a wish is all about seeking good luck, and if someone doesn’t want to say their wish out loud, it’s perfectly fine not to.

Tang Mian playfully dipped his hand in some cream and smeared it on Fu Shizhao’s face.

Fu Shizhao smiled and allowed him to have his fun.

His wish was, “I hope to always be with Tang Mian for the rest of my life,” but he couldn’t tell him that. Tonight, he had planned to stay over at Tang’s house and not return with Mrs. Fu, so he would definitely have to act extra spoiled with Tang Mian.

However, in the middle of the birthday party, Mu Zichen, holding the kitten, suddenly spoke up, “Mom, can I stay and sleep with Mian Mian tonight?”

He had been eager to visit Tang Mian’s house for a while, and staying overnight at a good friend’s house was a perfectly normal thing to do.

Fu Shizhao: “…”

He really didn’t want Mu Zichen to be with them.

Fu Shizhao immediately bit into a piece of mango from the fruit cake.

He was allergic to mangoes!

******

I’m not on a hiatus. O.O