Su Xiaoxi felt a pang of disappointment. *So it's still just work.* She leaned back in her seat, staring blankly at the passing scenery outside the window.
The car eventually stopped in front of an ordinary apartment building in the eastern part of the city. Lin Yi led her up to the 12th floor and unlocked unit 1203 with his fingerprint.
"Welcome to my temporary base," he said, cracking a rare joke.
Xiaoxi curiously surveyed the "safe house"—unexpectedly tidy, almost like a showroom, with no personal belongings in sight. The living room had only the most basic furniture, and the kitchen appeared untouched.
"Take a seat and rest," Lin Yi gestured toward the sofa. "I'll go prepare something."
He disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind him and leaving Xiaoxi alone in the living room. Bored, she flipped through an old magazine on the coffee table—an issue from last year.
Ten minutes later, the bedroom door opened. Lin Yi stepped out holding a small cake with a lit candle and a simply wrapped gift box in his other hand.
"Happy birthday," he said, his voice noticeably softer than usual.
Xiaoxi's mouth fell open. The candlelight flickered across Lin Yi's face, making him look more... gentle than she'd ever seen him before.
"You... prepared this?" she stammered, her eyes suddenly growing warm.
Lin Yi nodded slightly awkwardly. "Not good at picking cakes. The clerk recommended this one."
He set the cake on the coffee table and then—to Xiaoxi's astonishment—began singing "Happy Birthday" in a low voice. The melody was slightly off-key, the lyrics abbreviated, but it was the most touching rendition she'd ever heard.
"Make a wish," Lin Yi said when he finished, gesturing for her to blow out the candle.
Xiaoxi closed her eyes, silently making her wish, then blew out the flame in one breath. When she looked up, she found Lin Yi watching her with an unfamiliar softness in his gaze.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "This is the only celebration I've gotten today."
Lin Yi frowned. "What about your friends?"
"Li Meng is on a business trip, and the others... everyone's just busy," Xiaoxi shrugged. "That's how birthdays go as an adult."
Lin Yi was silent for a moment before handing her the small gift box. "For you."