Luosang snorted and said, “My brother is the best. His future wife will live a happy life.”

Nian Junting responded speechlessly, “Do you really believe him?”

“I believe him.” Luosang nodded. “Because I’m a good woman. My brother is like me, so he’s a good man. Sadly, he’s a little too young. Otherwise, I’d set him up with Su.”

“Lu Kang likes Yan Su,” Nian Junting reminded her bluntly.

“Oh, yeah.” Luosang nodded. “I’m just saying. I know it’s impossible.”

Back in the car, Luosang buckled up and said, “Your father seemed to be quite frustrated. Is he okay?”

“Em,” Nian Junting responded while driving, “He’s still alive.”

Luosang sighed.

That’s obvious, isn’t it? She thought.

“What do you think about Uncle Jiang, the man your mom brought to the lunch?”

“He got married ten years ago and then divorced. He’s been pursuing my mother for three or four years. He waited all this time for her to get a divorce.”

Luosang understood. “So he’s passionately in love with her. Just now, during the lunch, he took really good care of your mom. He’s good actually. A woman might want to be with someone she loves when she’s young, but when she grows older and older, she might change her mind and feel that she needs someone who loves her, to protect her and take care of her.”

“Em, I wish that there’s someone to take care of her too.” Nian Junting had a complicated look in his eyes. “Oh, Luo, where’s my birthday gift?”

…

Didn’t you change the topic a little too fast? Luosang thought.

She couldn’t react immediately.

“You did prepare a gift for me, didn’t you?” Nian Junting’s face darkened slightly.

“I did. I’ll give it to you tonight,” Luosang replied vaguely and turned her face away.

Only after hearing that did Nian Junting’s face turn happy from sulky. It was his birthday. They went home pretty early so Nian Junting bought two movie tickets. It was the summer vacation, so many movies were on.

When picking the movie, Nian Junting asked for Luosang’s opinion, “What do you want to watch?”

Luosang had read some reviews online. She thought for a moment then said, “Detective Chinatown.”

Nian Junting nodded then turned to tell the ticket seller. “Two tickets for Operation Red Sea, please. We want seats in the middle.”

For a moment, Luosang didn’t know what to say.

She patted him on the shoulder and said, “I said Detective Chinatown.”

“I know. I only asked you what you want to watch but didn’t plan to let you choose the movie,” said Nian Junting.

She wanted to hit him.

The ticket seller was speechless too. But he still said smilingly, “A lot of people come to watch Operation Red Sea these days. The story is good. The box office receipts for that movie have gotten really high.”

After getting the tickets, Nian Junting asked, “Do you want anything to eat?”

Luosang rolled her eyes and said, “You’ve made me so angry that I’ve already lost my appetite.”

“It’s my birthday today.” Nian Junting reminded her.

Alright, it’s your birthday, so you’re the boss today, Luosang thought, keeping herself from losing her temper.

In the screening room, they found a lot of people in there. Nian Junting had his eyes fixed on the screen the entire time.

While leaving, he sighed, “That movie is a little exaggerated, but it made my blood boil. I even want to rejoin the army after watching that.”

You can go. I won’t try to stop you, Luosang thought.

“Our country is so powerful,” Nian Junting carried on.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Luosang agreed absent-mindedly.

After getting into the car, Luosang heard Nian Junting calling Lu Kang. “Book the whole movie theater. Tell all the departments to watch Operation Red Sea. We need to build some patriotism in our company.”

Luosang didn’t know what to say. She guessed every woman who has married a retired soldier would share her feelings.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Nian Junting ended the call, then suddenly looked at her and said, “You do not seem to approve.”

“That’s not true.” Luosang hurriedly shook her head.

Nian Junting snorted and said, “Don’t I know that? You little girls never love the country enough. Your patriotism needs some cultivation. I’ll introduce you to a few good war-themed films tonight.”

Luosang stayed silent.

Please don’t. I don’t like war-themed films, Luosang cried in her heart.

It was about half-past five when they got back to the villa. Day time ended early and the sun was setting. At seven, Sister Lan prepared dinner, lit two candles, then went to into the room behind the kitchen with Steward Wu. While drinking the black-boned chicken soup, Luosang looked at the two red candles and felt strange.

Was this a candle light dinner? Shouldn’t they be having western-style food?

“Don’t you feel weird having these home-cooked dishes with two candles?” Luosang asked in a low voice. She would rather turn the light on.

“I don’t.” Nian Junting picked a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks, dipped it into the wasabi sauce, then put it into his mouth and enjoyed it.

Luosang wanted some of that too.

“I want some,” she said.

“No, you can’t eat raw food.” Nian Junting refused without mercy.

Luosang clenched her teeth. “Then you shouldn’t eat it in front of me. You knew I’d want some. That’s not fair. From now on, you can only eat what I can eat.”

“That’s not fair. You should get used to it.” Nian Junting refused again, then picked a piece of fresh crabmeat, dipped it into the sauce. “I can’t give up such delicious food for you, can I?”

Luosang put her hand on her forehead. She couldn’t tell why but she really wanted to kill him at that moment. She regretted carrying his baby.

The shameless Nian Junting finished the food then spread his hands and asked her, “Where’s my gift?”

Luosang was grumpy. “There’s no gift for you,” she said.

Hearing that, Nian Junting immediately wore a grievance on his face.

He had started looking forward to her birthday gift a long time ago.

“Alright, I got your gift.” Luosang helplessly stood up, opened a door of the wine cabinet, took out a wrapped gift box and then handed it to him.

Nian Junting’s eyes instantly shone. Holding the box, he was very happy. “I haven’t received a birthday gift from a girlfriend for nearly ten years.”

“You don’t need to mention the fact that you have an ex-girlfriend.” Luosang gave him a cold glance.

Nian Junting still couldn’t help but feel thrilled. “What did you get me? I’m so smart, but I don’t have a clue what it is. It’s really a surprise.”

“Just open it. You’ll know.” After saying that, Luosang lowered her head.

Nian Junting unwrapped the box. It was a brown paper box. He opened it and found another paper box in it. He opened the second box and found a third box.

He opened six boxes in a row. His face became longer and longer. At last he asked her, “What on earth did you hide in here?”

It’s so small. It can’t be a ring, can it? he thought.

Luosang stuck her tongue out. Nian Junting had no choice but to keep unwrapping the gift. He was even desperate when he saw the last, finger-sized box. He opened it and found a note in it.

“This is your gift for me? It’s just a crappy note. Why did you hide it so deep?” Nian Junting was so disappointed.

“Just read it,” Luosang reminded him.

He spread the note, saw a line written on it—’I will grant you a wish.’