Chapter 56: The Forgotten Birthday
Before Su Yuqing’s accident, he would just put his head down and sleep during classes he wasn’t interested in, or secretly play on his phone and read novels.
After Su Yuqing’s accident and going through a period of mental anguish, Chen Mo threw himself wholeheartedly into his studies.
From then on, he paid rapt attention in every class, whether he was interested or not.
As the bell for the second afternoon period rang, the math exam was finally over.
Huang Mao rubbed his temples. "Taking a test seriously is exhausting."
"Hah, as if it makes a difference in your score whether you try hard or not," Zhao Yuanyuan said scornfully to Huang Mao.
"Oh? So you’re saying you want to compete with me?" Huang Mao said to Zhao Yuanyuan, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
"A competition it is! With your math skills, you think I’m scared of you? Even Brother Mo might not be able to score higher than me," Zhao Yuanyuan said, proudly patting her full chest.
"Alright then. Let’s bet on who gets the better score." Huang Mao was immediately interested.
"What do you want to bet?" Zhao Yuanyuan asked, looking at Huang Mao without backing down.
"Your birthday is this Saturday, right? If I lose, I’ll pay for your entire birthday party!"
At these words, Zhao Yuanyuan froze, Su Yuqing froze, and even Chen Mo was stunned.
He had completely forgotten about it.
In the week following Su Yuqing’s accident, the Saturday had been Zhao Yuanyuan’s birthday. But back then, she was crying her eyes out over Su Yuqing’s death, and with her spirits so low, she was in no mood to celebrate.
And Huang Mao wasn’t the type who couldn’t read the room.
Su Yuqing had just been killed. How could he possibly suggest throwing a party for Zhao Yuanyuan?
So, in the previous timeline, Zhao Yuanyuan’s birthday was never celebrated; it was just skipped over.
If Huang Mao hadn’t brought it up, he would have completely forgotten about it.
Unlike Chen Mo, who was stunned for a different reason, the two girls were both completely surprised that Huang Mao had actually remembered Zhao Yuanyuan’s birthday.
Zhao Yuanyuan had just been caught up in a heated argument with Huang Mao, but upon hearing this, she suddenly felt a little touched for some reason.
But she suppressed it and didn’t let it show, instead looking stubbornly at Huang Mao. "And if I lose?"
"HEHEHE..."
"Ew~ That’s such a creepy laugh. What are you planning to do to me?" Zhao Yuanyuan immediately wrapped her arms around herself and looked at Huang Mao warily.
Her reaction made Chen Mo and Su Yuqing chuckle, while Huang Mao’s face reddened slightly. "What nonsense are you talking about? If you lose, you have to be the main planner for my next birthday. You have to make it an awesome birthday for me."
"Deal." Hearing the terms of the bet, Zhao Yuanyuan agreed without a second thought.
Just then, Huang Mao saw Chen Mo secretly give him a thumbs-up.
"Wait a minute. I feel like you benefit whether you win or lose. When did I agree to invite you to my birthday party?" Zhao Yuanyuan suddenly realized.
"If you don’t invite me, how am I supposed to pay? You can’t just have me pay and then kick me out, right? No way, no way. The one and only Little Yueyue, known for being as kind as she is beautiful, wouldn’t be so heartless, right?" Huang Mao said to Zhao Yuanyuan with an exaggerated expression.
Hearing the compliment about being "as kind as she is beautiful," Zhao Yuanyuan just huffed and didn’t say whether she would allow Huang Mao to come or not.
Speaking of Zhao Yuanyuan’s birthday, Chen Mo immediately thought of Su Yuqing’s birthday and his own.
Their birthdays were quite close. Su Yuqing’s was in May, and Chen Mo’s was in June.
Su Yuqing’s birthday was not far from the date of the college entrance exams.
At that moment, Su Yuqing also glanced at Chen Mo.
Chen Mo’s birthday was in two months. ’Should I start preparing a birthday gift for him now?’ she wondered.
’When it comes to birthday gifts, it’s fine to either make one by hand or buy something ready-made.
But giving a handmade gift is also very meaningful for the giver.
And it would be even better if it was something the recipient could use often.’
Thinking of this, Su Yuqing really couldn’t decide what kind of birthday gift to prepare for Chen Mo.
"Yuanyuan, what do you want for your birthday?" Chen Mo asked Zhao Yuanyuan with a smile.
"I can just make a wish?" Zhao Yuanyuan’s eyes lit up as she looked at Chen Mo.
"We’re seniors now. This might be our last year together. Once we’re in college, we’ll be scattered all over the country, and it probably won’t be possible to get the old gang together to celebrate your birthday. So for this last one, you’re allowed to be a little extravagant," Chen Mo said with a smile, ruffling her hair.
"Wow, Brother Mo, how can you say something so sad in such a casual way?" Zhao Yuanyuan gave Chen Mo a speechless look.
’Even if it’s true, you shouldn’t say it now.’
"Go on, tell us what you want. In the future, Old Mao might be the only one left to celebrate your birthday with you," Chen Mo said with a smile.
"Why?" Zhao Yuanyuan asked, stunned for a moment.
"Because he’ll definitely try to get into the same university as you," Chen Mo said with a smile, glancing at Huang Mao.
"Bullshit! Who... Who said I was going to get into the same university as her? Old Mo, don’t talk nonsense." Seeing Zhao Yuanyuan look over at him, Huang Mao immediately became so nervous he started stuttering.
’These two totally deserve to make zero damn progress by graduation. A pair of hopeless tsunderes are so hard to deal with,’ Chen Mo couldn’t help but complain internally.
At this, Zhao Yuanyuan ignored Huang Mao and looked at Chen Mo, saying a little shyly, "Can I ask for a more expensive gift?"
"Name it," Chen Mo said, not minding at all.
Encouraged by Chen Mo’s gaze, Zhao Yuanyuan fidgeted with the frayed hem of her school uniform’s cuff, her voice as quiet as a mosquito’s hum. "Um... I’d like a thermos... one that’s better at keeping things warm..."
She suddenly waved her hands in a fluster. "It doesn’t have to be a super expensive one! J-Just one that can stay warm for a long time is fine."
Huang Mao’s pen-spinning came to an abrupt halt.
He recalled a gym class two weeks ago, when Zhao Yuanyuan’s faded, army-green water bottle had rolled to the center of the basketball court. He remembered the sight of her squatting on the ground, desperately trying to bend the metal casing back into shape after it had been crushed.
At the time, he had offered to buy her a limited-edition Star-Kups one, but she, with red-rimmed eyes, had said it could still be used if she fixed it.
For the next week, he could still see Zhao Yuanyuan pulling the water bottle, now wrapped all over in clear tape, from her schoolbag.
But by then, the brown tea stains from inside were already starting to bleed through the clear tape, forming patterns that looked like a map.
Since last week, he hadn’t seen her bring the water bottle at all.
’It must have been truly beyond repair.’
’To think that her so-called "expensive gift" was just this.’
Huang Mao’s heart couldn’t help but tremble at the thought.
Chen Mo glanced at Huang Mao, then turned back to Zhao Yuanyuan and asked with a smile, "Besides that? Is there anything else you want?"
Chen Mo decided to let Huang Mao be the one to give her such a practical gift.
’That way, every time Zhao Yuanyuan uses the thermos, she’ll be reminded of who gave it to her.’