Liang clapped her hands, and two delivery men entered, carefully placing a large parcel in the center of the room before quietly leaving.
She turned to Zhichen and said, "On the count of three, you can open your eyes. No peeking!"
He nodded obediently, eyes still closed.
Liang positioned herself in front of the parcel and began counting, "One… two… three!"
As Zhichen opened his eyes, Liang stepped aside and announced, "Tadaa~!"
Zhichen blinked in surprise. "Liang… what is this?"
"Just open it. No questions!" she insisted with a mischievous grin.
He approached the parcel and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a beautiful, rare plant — but not just any plant. It was a parrot flower.
Zhichen froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. "How… how did you get this? And… how did you know I wanted it?"
Liang smiled softly. "Take a guess."
She remembered the moment clearly — when she had once entered Zhichen's room, she noticed a small board with a photo of his mother. On that board, he had written the name of the flower alongside his birthday. That tiny detail stuck with her.
Liang stepped forward and said, "Happy birthday, Chen… my dear."
Zhichen was speechless. Tears welled in his eyes as he suddenly hugged her tightly, overcome with emotion. "Liang… thank you. Thank you for remembering. This is the best gift I've ever received."
Liang gently patted his back. "Why are you crying like a kid? Didn't I tell you? I'd be your savior one day. Did you forget already?"
Zhichen pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Liang… do you love me?"
She froze for a second, caught off guard. "W-What kind of question is that, Zhichen? Are you that touched by my gift?" She tried to deflect with a teasing smile. "Just enjoy it, okay? Don't get so emotional. You should be grateful you met a girl like me!"
She turned around and added with a wink, "I'll be waiting for my slice of birthday cake. See you~!" Then she walked away, leaving a stunned Zhichen behind — a quiet promise blooming in his heart.
He made a decision. He was going to confess to her.
---
Meanwhile, Lu drove me home and opened the car door for me. He hugged me and said gently, "Qin, I'll be busy for a few days. When I get some free time, I'll message you."
I nodded with a small smile. "Mm~ Do your best. Focus on your surgeries, and may every single one be successful."
Then I raised my hands and made a heart shape for him.
Lu chuckled. "Alright, get inside."
I walked halfway to my door, then turned around playfully. I made a bow with my arms, aimed my heart at him, and pretended to shoot.
He played along, dramatically acting like he was shot, clutching his chest and pretending to faint.
"Don't joke around," he laughed. "Go inside and sleep."
I waved at him with a big smile and stepped inside.
As he sat in his car, a message popped up on his phone:
"Good night, Lu. Fighting!"
He chuckled and smiled to himself before driving home.