In the very center of the table, a clay pot was bubbling and boiling.

The rich curry broth rolled inside the pot as several curry fishballs, fried to a golden brown with slightly wrinkled skin, bobbed up and down with the boiling water, soaking up the spicy, savory, and sweet soup and releasing a dominant, enticing aroma of street food.

Next to it lay a few plates scattered around, holding thinly rolled beef slices of uneven thickness and fresh, crisp lettuce washed clean.

Right beside the clay pot sat an extremely eye-catching cake box.

“Ta-da!” The little girl with pigtails lifted the lid of the box like she was presenting a treasure, revealing a ten-inch cream cake inside.

On the surface of the cake, a Hello Kitty face was piped in crooked frosting. Perhaps because the wind and rain on the way back had been too strong, the whiskers on the left side of Kitty’s face were slightly smushed together, resting on the white cream surface in a silly and comical way.

“Brother Jiang Xu and I ran across four blocks just to buy this!” The little girl puffed out her chest proudly.

Jiang Xu, who had just returned from the errand, sat down on a chair and grumbled irritably, “Tell me about it. The wind out there is crazy. Mr. Shen, I dropped off your younger brother’s clothes along the way. That kid is in pretty good spirits, he’s just throwing a bit of a tantrum.”

If the boy hadn’t been wrapped up like a white mummy, Jiang Xu really wouldn’t have been able to tell he was sick.

The moment he mentioned Mr. Shen, that kid started firing questions like a machine gun:

Where is my brother?

Who is he with right now? Is it that mad dog boss of yours?

When is my brother coming to pick me up?

When can we leave this godforsaken place?!

That teeth-gritting, highly defensive look didn’t resemble Mr. Shen at all.

They didn’t look alike, and their personalities were completely different.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Shen Yanzhou spoke softly.

“It was nothing,” Jiang Xu waved his hands repeatedly.

The chubby little boy had completely forgotten about crying by now. He pulled over a small stool, cupped his chubby cheeks in his hands, and stared longingly at the Hello Kitty cake. His eyes were sparkling, and his breathing became extremely cautious, as if he was terrified that breathing too hard would blow the other half of Kitty’s whiskers out of shape.

“Wow…” The chubby boy swallowed hard, marveling in his baby voice, “What a pretty kitty, it must be so sweet…”

Sanqianwan took off his apron, sat straight down in the empty seat next to Shen Yanzhou, and naturally picked up a strainer to scoop out the most thoroughly cooked, plump curry fishballs from the pot, placing them into the enamel bowl in front of Shen Yanzhou.

“Eat it while it’s hot,” he said.

Seeing that everyone had almost eaten their fill, Jiang Xu fished a lighter out of his pocket and lit the colorful candle stuck into Kitty’s forehead.

“I’ll go turn off the lights.” The skinny little boy, being extremely quick-witted, slipped off his chair and ran to the door to flip the switch.

The candlelight from the cake cast a soft glow around the table.

The four little kids rested their chins on their hands in unison, staring unblinkingly at the flickering flame.

Little Watermelon kept swallowing hard, and the girl with pigtails didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, terrified she would blow the flame out. The skinny boy stared solemnly at the cake, looking as if he was already planning which piece he wanted when it was time to cut it.

“Ready, sing!” Little Watermelon held a pair of chopsticks, waving them in the air like a little conductor.

“Happy birthday to you…”

The four children shouted at the top of their lungs, a chorus of out-of-tune children’s voices with a heavy accent.

“Make a wish quickly, Chubby!” As soon as the song ended, the girl with pigtails nudged the birthday boy hard with her elbow.

The chubby boy quickly closed his eyes, pressing his two chubby hands tightly together in front of his chest. There was still a bit of un-wiped snot hanging from the tip of his nose as his little mouth opened and closed, shouting out his wish with absolute seriousness:

“I wish that I can eat big chicken drumsticks every single day from now on! And I want to grow really tall and strong!”

After shouting, the chubby boy took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing out like a little frog ready to jump.

With a loud puff,

he blew out the candle with all his might.

“Yay! Time to cut the cake and eat!”

The skinny boy ran back over and flipped the switch on the wall again.

The dim lightbulb lit up once more, illuminating a table of little rascals who were swallowing their spit out of pure greed.

The chubby boy held the plastic knife, clumsily cutting the first piece, which happened to be half of a collapsed Kitty ear.

Holding the paper plate in both hands, he respectfully handed it to the tall, broad-shouldered man, “Boss, you eat first!”

Sanqianwan didn’t take it. He pointed casually to the side, jerking his chin up, “Forgot the rules? Give it to your handsome big brother first.”

Shen Yanzhou looked at the heap of sickly sweet pink cream and shook his head slightly, “Don’t worry about me, you guys eat first.”

The moment he said this, the little rascals immediately cheered, completely letting themselves go.

Before they had even taken two bites, the playful nature of children could no longer be contained. Little Watermelon got some pink cream on his finger and smeared it onto the tip of the pigtailed girl’s nose, making her scream and chase him all over the house. The chubby boy and the skinny boy immediately joined the chaotic fight. In an instant, the living room was filled with laughter and joy, making even the air feel alive.

Sanqianwan watched them, then picked up a dollop of neon pink cream with his finger.

His gaze locked tightly onto Shen Yanzhou’s dazzlingly white profile. With a mischievous smirk on his face, his fingertips moved eagerly toward him.

Shen Yanzhou raised his cold, phoenix-like eyes, glaring at him sideways in warning, “Do you dare?”

He had no choice but to back down.

“I don’t dare. Even if Master gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare.”

However, right as his voice fell, Little Watermelon, who was running blindly while being chased, suddenly crashed into the corner of the table. His little hand flailed wildly in the air, and a small dollop of pink and white cream landed square on Shen Yanzhou’s snowy-white jawline.

Shen Yanzhou looked down at the precarious lump of cream, “Well… you guys…”

Taking advantage of his distraction, a flash of cunning crossed the eyes of the man beside him. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly reached out and smeared a streak of pink across Shen Yanzhou’s cheek as well.

He looked just like a cream cat.

Shen Yanzhou’s cheeks puffed up slightly as he glared at the man beside him, “You?”

Sanqianwan pulled his hand back with absolute naturalness, stretching his long legs under the table to kick Jiang Xu, who was buried in his bowl eating fishballs, passed the blame with a straight face, “He did it, not me.”

Jiang Xu shuddered from the kick, almost swallowing a whole fishball alive. He looked up, his eyes wide as he stared at his boss, his entire face written with grief and indignation that said, “Son of a bitch, are you out of your mind?” Yet he dared not voice his anger.

Shen Yanzhou looked at Jiang Xu’s flushed face, then back at Sanqianwan’s innocent face, glanced at the dining table, and suddenly smiled.

Before the man could even react, he picked up the half-eaten cake from the table and slammed it ruthlessly onto Sanqianwan’s sharply defined, handsome face.

With a dull splat sound,

the chasing and playing children froze, their eyes wide with terror. The half-eaten fishball in Jiang Xu’s mouth dropped straight back into his bowl.

The man’s face was covered in a ring of cream, and the collapsed Kitty cat ear hung precariously from his high nose bridge.

It looked ridiculous to the extreme.

Sanqianwan closed his eyes, then raised his hand to casually wipe away the cream blocking his eyes. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek as a low, raspy chuckle rumbled from his chest.

With his face covered in comical pink cream, the man said, “As long as you are happy.”

“Pfft…” Watching him like this, Shen Yanzhou couldn’t hold it in anymore. He turned his head away and, in a rare sight, laughed out loud.

The dim light fell upon his cream-stained jaw, his silver hair flowing like a waterfall, breathtakingly beautiful.

The chubby boy was dazed, not even realizing that the small plastic fork in his hand had dropped to the floor, murmuring, “When the handsome big brother smiles, he looks even prettier than the big stars on TV…”

…

The lively hot pot dinner came to an end. Burping contentedly, the four children fell fast asleep in various messy positions on the sofa. In his dreams, the chubby boy was still smacking his lips, muttering about big chicken drumsticks.

Shen Yanzhou walked out to the balcony as the salty, fishy night breeze blew in.

Resting one hand on the rusty railing, he held a cigarette between his fingertips. The smoke scattered with the wind, quickly dissolving into the darkness.

Shen Yanzhou tilted his head back, watching the runway lights lit up in the distance at Kai Tak Airport.

It seems people are always used to burying the past in the dirt, thinking that as long as they don’t look at it, those days will be as if they never happened.

But in reality, that deliberately forgotten pride and warmth will always come back in an almost offensive manner on a cold, damp night filled with the breath of mundane life.

He took a drag of his cigarette. Expanding along with the bitter taste of tobacco was something called time.

One year old.

“Our Zhouzhou grabbed the little golden abacus! He will definitely be a fine leader in the future. Happy birthday! Your father and mother don’t ask for you to have great ambitions, we only want you to be safe and sound year after year.”

Five years old.

“Oh dear, how did the birthday boy get cake smeared all over his face? Quick, let Daddy hold you. Our Zhouzhou is truly a soft little rice dumpling, even his crying makes people want to take a bite. You’re five now, you’re not allowed to cry easily from now on.”

Seven years old.

“Happy seventh birthday, Young Master. Daddy had your first little suit custom-made for you. Remember Daddy’s words, when you are out, keep a straight face and don’t smile too easily. Our Zhouzhou looks too gentle, anyone who sees you will want to pick on you. If you keep a cold face, they won’t dare cross you. But it’s okay, with Daddy and Mommy, you can smile however you want.”

Ten years old.

“Ten is a milestone birthday. Mommy specifically hired the best pastry chef in all of Hong Kong. What did our Zhouzhou wish for? Shh, you can’t say it, it won’t come true if you do. May my baby have a smooth life, and may everything go exactly as you wish.”

Thirteen years old.

“Happy thirteenth birthday. You’re entering your teenage years now, do you find Daddy and Mommy annoying? We won’t arrange those tedious formalities for you today, go wild with your friends. No matter what happens, Daddy will always be by your side.”

Fifteen years old.

“You’re fifteen now, Zhouzhou is already taller than Daddy. This year’s birthday present is the out-of-print electric guitar you’ve liked for a very long time. Mommy wishes for you to be forever free, forever proud, and forever yourself.”

Seventeen years old.

Mommy smiled and kissed his forehead, “Happy seventeenth birthday. Next year our Zhouzhou will be an adult, time really flies. Daddy and Mommy prepared a very, very big coming-of-age gift for you, we will open it together this time next year…”

“See you next year, Zhouzhou.”

However, there was no next year.

That promised coming-of-age gift, he would never have the chance to open.

Because his parents died when he was seventeen.

They died on the day of his seventeenth birthday.

That was the last time in his life he ever heard their voices.

The cigarette between Shen Yanzhou’s fingertips had burned halfway when steady footsteps sounded behind him. Without turning around, he knew exactly who it was.

Sanqianwan stopped by his side, leaning against the railing, gazing at him.

“What are you thinking about?” the man’s voice was deep.

Shen Yanzhou didn’t look at him, merely watching the blinking runway lights in the distance, asking softly, “Sanqianwan, when is your birthday?”

“October twenty-third.”

The fingers holding Shen Yanzhou’s cigarette trembled slightly. He turned his head and smiled:

“What a coincidence, our birthdays are actually on the exact same day.”

“Yeah, quite a coincidence.”

Shen Yanzhou looked back at the night sky, “Do you have any birthday wishes?”

Looking at Shen Yanzhou’s slightly reddened eyes, Sanqianwan followed his lead and gazed at the same night sky.

Eighteen years old.

You took over the Shen family completely, but you never celebrated your birthday at home again because that day was the anniversary of your parents’ death.

My wish is: May you stop hating this day. May October twenty-third no longer be just a memorial day for death, but turn back into a celebration of your arrival into this world.

Nineteen years old.

You started learning the ways of those old foxes, socializing superficially at the drinking tables, only to turn around and throw up uncontrollably in the restroom.

My wish is: May every sip of bitter alcohol you drink turn into sweet ginger milk curd.

Twenty years old.

To expand your territory, you went into danger all by yourself.

My wish is: May your life be free of disasters and misfortunes. If someone must bleed, that person can only be me.

Twenty-one years old.

You stood on the top floor of the Shen Corporation building, looking down at the neon lights of the entire city of Hong Kong.

My wish is: May you never feel lonely at the top.

Twenty-two years old.

You started becoming more and more detached, no longer having any personal preferences or hobbies.

My wish is: May you love yourself a little more.

Twenty-three years old.

You fell very ill.

My wish is: May the tragedy never have happened, and may you still be that youth laughing freely under the sun.

Twenty-four years old.

You got into a car accident.

My wish is: May I become a little stronger, strong enough to shield you from all the hidden daggers and flying arrows.

Twenty-five years old.

My wish is: To meet you next year.

…

“I don’t have any wishes,” the man smiled, “Just staying alive is enough.”

That was a lie.

May you be safe and sound year after year, and may I see you every single year.

He straightened his posture, took a step with his long legs, and extended his hand toward Shen Yanzhou.

“Master, it isn’t too late yet. There’s a rooftop nearby where you can see the last few flights taking off from Kai Tak Airport.”

“Do you want to go to the rooftop and watch the planes together?”