Chapter 246: Happy Birthday, Wife

Xia Yangyang wished aloud, "I hope my thesis is approved, and my grandmother stays healthy and happy for a long time." A pang of guilt followed. It was her grandmother's birthday, and her father hadn't invited her, nor had Xia Yangyang visited recently.

Gu Qichen frowned. Her wishes hadn't included him. Clearly dissatisfied, he huffed, "Dummy, don't you know wishes don't come true if you say them out loud?"

"If you knew that," Xia Yangyang retorted, "why did you ask me?"

She continued eating her cake until a scream escaped her lips. She'd found a diamond ring inside. Delighted, she quickly wiped it clean with a wet wipe and presented it to Gu Qichen. "Is this a birthday gift from you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you like it?"

Xia Yangyang loved it, not just because it was a diamond ring, but because he'd actually given her a gift. She'd felt let down earlier. Beaming, she said, "You hid it well! Weren't you afraid I'd swallow it?"

"Considering how clumsy you are, it was a risk," he replied.

Xia Yangyang frowned. "Gu Qichen, do you really think I'm that clumsy?"

After a moment's silence, he confessed gravely, "Among the women I know, you're probably the clumsiest."

Furious, Xia Yangyang practically spat fire. "If I'm so clumsy, why did you marry me—and now give me a ring?" Their previous marriage had been a simple registration, without rings. This gift was a huge surprise, making her long for the traditional marriage rituals. This was the best gift she could have asked for.

But, she thought, why the gift without a kind word?

Gu Qichen's voice softened. "Because I love you, wife. Happy birthday."

Xia Yangyang was speechless. He always did things differently. He rarely said those three words. Tears welled in her eyes. For the first time, she felt truly grateful to have met and fallen in love with him. Her once lonely life was now warm and secure. I love you too, forever… she thought.

The next day, Xia Yangyang woke at ten, oversleeping from exhaustion. Fortunately, she had no classes. Remembering her appointment with Shen Shichuan, she quickly got ready and headed to the Shiguang International Building.

The entrance was swarmed by journalists—not unusual, given the building's celebrity residents. Discreetly dressed in a scarf and hat, Xia Yangyang slipped through the crowd like an eel. But as soon as she entered, the journalists erupted. A limousine had just arrived, and Shen Manbing emerged, surrounded by a throng of people…