"Ah Cheng, off work?"
The door was opened by Grandma Zhou, her face beaming with kindness.
Fang Cheng, with a gift box tucked under his arm, peeked into the house.
Upon seeing a large cream cake on the table, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Brother Cheng, you’re back?"
At that moment, Zhou Xiumei was standing on a stool, on tiptoes, hanging streamers and balloons on the wall.
"Brother Fang Cheng!"
A skinny figure crouched beside her, struggling to keep the stool steady.
Upon seeing Fang Cheng, she called out at once.
Fang Cheng, holding the gift box, walked into the house and asked with some surprise:
"Xiu Mei, Wen Xin, have you guys met already?"
After Zhou Xiumei finished tying a pink balloon, she hopped off the stool.
Then she explained the situation:
"I saw you hadn’t come home so late, so I went downstairs and called Wen Xin up."
After that, she looked at Fang Cheng with a hint of reproach:
"You, not telling her about the birthday party earlier, leaving a little girl alone in the dark room waiting."
Wen Xin quickly defended Fang Cheng:
"It’s okay, I rarely celebrate my birthday, it wouldn’t matter if I missed it this time too, Brother Fang Cheng’s work is the most important..."
Seeing this, Zhou Xiumei helplessly patted her head.
Fang Cheng gave a slight smile, quickly trying to liven the mood:
"The plan was to give Wen Xin a surprise."
"Since the first surprise is gone, let me show you the second surprise I prepared."
Having said that, he placed the gift box on the table, unwrapped the paper, and lifted the lid.
Inside lay a pair of pink, floral ribbon-tied round-toed leather shoes.
Wen Xin’s eyes widened instantly, her expression somewhat incredulous.
Fang Cheng spoke with a trace of pride as he looked at her:
"This is the birthday present Brother has for you, do you like it?"
Wen Xin bit her lip tightly, her eyelashes fluttering, her eyes quickly filling up with shining pearls.
It was as if she couldn’t believe what was happening before her, and she was slow to speak or move,
fearing those pearls might fall.
Zhou Xiumei stepped forward, taking her hand:
"Let’s go inside and try on the shoes first, see if they fit. You can also change into the dress I just gave you."
The two walked into the bedroom inside.
Leaving only Fang Cheng and Grandma Zhou smiling at each other.
Zhou Xiumei and Wen Xin, hand in hand, came out again.
At that moment, Wen Xin was in a wool princess dress with a hat, her small face flush.
With just a little dress up, she was actually a likable, pretty girl.
Her only flaw was a slightly thin face, giving off a lack of confidence.
The two women, one tall and one small, stood together, forming a visually pleasant picture.
"I saw her clothes were quite dirty and there was no time to buy new ones, so I gave Wen Xin a dress I wore when I was young."
Zhou Xiumei came over and whispered an explanation.
Fang Cheng thanked her, admitting he hadn’t thought everything through.
Suddenly realizing that sometimes a household indeed needs a woman’s touch.
"Alright, new shoes on, new clothes on, next it’s time for the cake."
Zhou Xiumei then, like a housewife, took charge:
"This cake was baked by your sister and it took her a whole morning."
Looking at the cream cake on the table with candles.
Wen Xin hesitated for a moment, then looking up at Fang Cheng and Zhou Xiumei with hopeful eyes, she asked:
"Could I also invite my mom to come up? She just went out, and if she comes back and doesn’t see me..."
Fang Cheng paused, glancing at Zhou Xiumei.
Zhou Xiumei immediately stood up upon hearing that:
"Let me go, it’s more convenient for women to talk."
A few minutes later, she returned with some disappointing news.
Zhou Xiumei had been knocking on Wen Xin’s door for a long time to no avail, her mother was probably not home yet.
"Shall we wait a little longer?"
Fang Cheng suggested.
"No need, my mom will definitely come back very late."
Wen Xin shook her head, her eyes tinged with disappointment.
The living room lights were turned off.
In the pitch-dark room, with the flickering candlelight, the chorus of the birthday song rose gently.
"Little birthday star, make a wish now."
Seeing Wen Xin opening her mouth as if to speak, Zhou Xiumei then interrupted:
"Remember, you can’t say your wish out loud, or it won’t come true."
Wen Xin obediently nodded, glanced sideways at Fang Cheng.
She clasped her hands in front of her chest, her lips moving slightly, silently making a wish.
Then, with the help of Fang Cheng and Zhou Xiumei, she blew out all twelve candles representing twelve years of age in one breath.
The lights were turned back on, and it was time to cut the cake.
The three of them were relatively quiet.
There were no playful games or pranks such as smearing cream on each other’s faces.
They just smiled at each other and quietly savored the cake in front of them.
Grandma Zhou couldn’t eat sweet food; she turned on the TV and watched her favorite soap opera.
The name of the TV series was "Under the Same Roof," a dubbed program.
The theme song was particularly pleasant, with its soft and melodious vocals that seemed to narrate cheerfully, each note bubbling with joy.
"In the winter sky, are the gloves I just knitted for you, freshly washed clothes."
"The soap bubbles evaporate lightly, like the scent of you lingering in the air..."
Fang Cheng smiled, looking at the tranquil and happy scene before him.
Feeling the previous mental exhaustion and continuous toil gradually diluted and vanished without a trace.
A burst of fireworks exploded outside the window.
Zhou Xiumei and Wen Xin rushed to the balcony, leaning against the window to look out.
At Fang Cheng’s suggestion, the three of them went up to the rooftop to have a clearer view of the fireworks.
The winter night sky was dotted with stars.
With bouts of explosions, the fireworks shot up like rockets.
Then, a cascade of brilliant sparks poured down from the sky, forming multicolored floral shapes.
It was a New Year celebration organized by the commercial association.
The three sat on the rooftop pipes, looking up into the sky.
The night sky continually bloomed with dazzling fireworks, colorful and varied, a feast for the eyes.
"Look, that flower is so big, so beautiful!"
Wen Xin exclaimed in astonishment.
The brilliant fireworks reflected her smile, and the joy in her eyes was effusive.
Perhaps only at times could one see her childlike innocence and vivacity.
"It’s really so beautiful, I’ve never realized how beautiful fireworks could be before..."
Zhou Xiumei’s eyes sparkled, and she couldn’t help but sigh softly.
"That’s because the mood and environment are different."
Fang Cheng’s lips curved in a smile as he looked up into the night sky and slowly said:
"Sometimes, all it takes is a change of perspective to discover a new side of this world."
After saying this, Fang Cheng suddenly felt an epiphany.
He persevered in his exercises and continually improved his skills simply to behold a brighter, more dazzling world.
Zhou Xiumei and Wen Xin seemed to vaguely understand, glancing sideways at him and involuntarily moving closer to him.
It was as if they felt a warmth emanating from Fang Cheng, like a torch lit on a cold winter night.
The fireworks continued to rise and blossom.
Casting the silhouettes of the three sitting on the rooftop, looking out over the city’s night scene.