Jiang Yue didn't know why she let Tessa throw her a birthday party.
Actually, that was a lie. She knew exactly why: Tessa was terrifying when she was determined.
"Stop fidgeting," Tessa ordered, smacking her hand away from the ribbon in her hair. "You look perfect tonight, no doom, no disasters, just cake, friends, and happiness."
Jiang Yue eyed the decorations skeptically. Balloons bobbed near the ceiling, fairy lights twinkled across the walls… and one suspicious extension cord snaked along the floor like it was planning her assassination.
"Tessa," Jiang Yue said slowly, "you do realize my luck—"
"Your luck is taking the night off," Tessa declared. "I bribed the universe with sugar and sheer optimism."
Jiang Yue sighed. "The universe is not a fan of optimism."
---
The party was small, just Tessa, a few colleagues from the company, and a mountain of food that could've fed an army. For a while, it was… surprisingly normal.
Jiang Yue was almost starting to relax when it happened.
The lights above her flickered.
"Oh no," she muttered.
"Oh yes," Tessa said, glaring up at the ceiling like she could intimidate the wiring into behaving.
Then came the pop. Sparks rained down like miniature fireworks, and a wire sizzled ominously close to Jiang Yue's chair.
"Tessa!" Jiang Yue yelped, leaping back.
"WHO WIRED THIS PLACE?!" Tessa screeched, grabbing a tray and swatting at the sparks like she was fighting a demon mosquito.
One of the male guests pointed at a terrified-looking technician in the corner. "Uh… him?"
Tessa didn't even hesitate. She picked up a slice of cake and hurled it across the room. It smacked the guy right in the face with satisfying precision.
Jiang Yue blinked. "…Impressive."
"Do NOT mess with my girl's birthday!" Tessa barked.
The guy mumbled something about "cheap equipment" and fled.
---
Just as Jiang Yue was recovering from the near electrocution experience, the doors opened.
In walked Li Zhenkai.
The room shifted instantly. He wasn't even trying, but the way he carried himself, sharp suit, slicked back hair, an aura that screamed I pay people to destroy other people in boardrooms and world rooms made everyone move out of the way.
"You're late," Jiang Yue blurted out before she could stop herself.
His eyes slid to her. Cool, Sharp and Unreadable.
"Sorry," he said, adjusting his cufflinks. "Got delayed by murder."
The room went dead silent.
Jiang Yue stared. "M… murder?"
His lips curved slightly. "Business murder."
Tessa snorted so hard she nearly dropped her plate. "I like him," she whispered to Jiang Yue.
---
Li Zhenkai stepped closer, glancing at the frayed wires still dangling from the ceiling. "Unbelievable," he muttered, and then without warning, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Jiang Yue's shoulders.
She froze. "Uh… what are you—"
"You're cold," he said simply. "And you look like you attract disasters."
Tessa, standing behind them, mouthed: HE CARES.
Jiang Yue wanted to argue, but… she was cold.
---
In an effort to lighten the mood, Tessa clapped her hands. "All right! Cake time!"
The cake was huge, three layers, covered in chocolate, and decorated with little fondant versions of Jiang Yue's favorite poems.
Jiang Yue stared. "Tessa, you didn't."
"I absolutely did," Tessa said proudly. "Now blow out the candles before your bad luck sets the table on fire."
She wasn't wrong.
As Jiang Yue leaned forward, one of the candles did tilt a little too far toward a napkin.
Li Zhenkai's hand shot out instantly, snuffing it with a casual pinch like it was nothing.
"Seriously," he muttered, "you're a hazard."
Jiang Yue pouted. "I didn't do it on purpose!"
"Exactly why I'm staying."
---
They cut the cake, and somehow, Li Zhenkai ended up standing beside her—tall, intimidating, and glaring at anyone who came too close with a fork.
"Are you… guarding me from cake thieves?" Jiang Yue asked.
He didn't even look at her. "No. From you tripping into the table and starting a frosting avalanche."
"That was one time!"
Tessa leaned over with a smirk. "You two are adorable."
Jiang Yue nearly choked on her cake. "We are not—"
Li Zhenkai gave her a side glance. "…Eat."
Her system pinged.
> [Emotional Impact on ML: 28%.]
Oh no.
---
By the end of the night, the broken lights were fixed, half the cake was gone, and Jiang Yue was… surprisingly alive.
As the guests left, Tessa hugged her tightly. "See? Best birthday ever!"
"Almost dying by faulty wiring isn't usually on my wishlist," Jiang Yue said dryly.
"Hey, you survived," Tessa said with a grin. "And your ice-cold CEO showed up and did the whole protective-jacket thing. Admit it, it's romantic."
"It was practical," Jiang Yue said quickly.
"Sure," Tessa teased. "Keep lying to yourself, Yue Yue."
---
When Tessa finally left, Jiang Yue turned to find Li Zhenkai still there, standing by the door with his usual unreadable expression.
"You didn't have to stay," she said softly.
He shrugged. "You'd have tripped over your own presents."
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips anyway.
"Happy birthday," he said, his voice quieter this time.
For a split second, Jiang Yue swore his gaze softened. Just a little.
And somehow… it was the best gift of all.