In no time, I prepared the bright red chili oil dressing, then mixed in the cooked braised meat and vegetables, and a bowl of refreshing, hot, and delicious Chinese cuisine was ready.
As usual, Kusanagi's taste was light, so I didn't add any chili, green onions, or garlic.
"It's ready, give it a try." I said, holding the bowl and blowing on the steam. When I turned around, I saw her back turned, the flickering candlelight dancing.
A beautiful and exquisite cake came into view.
"How did you make it so quickly?"
Clearly, it was her first time preparing such a surprise; the girl was a bit flustered. She finally managed to light all the candles and looked at me, pretending to be calm.
She seemed both nervous and shy, her cold voice softening like a pool of water. "You have to eat cake on your birthday."
"You secretly prepared a gift and a cake." I had guessed as much, a deep smile spreading across my face.
"This is called a surprise." Her unfamiliarity, clumsiness, and shyness all showed that this was her first time doing something like this.
Whether it was that song or the cake before me, they were clearly gifts Kusanagi had meticulously prepared. I wondered where she had learned these tricks.
The girl sliced the cake into several small pieces and handed them to me with a heart full of joy, just like her sincere and passionate feelings.
I took it and had a taste of the cream; it was smooth, tender, and just the right amount of sweetness. However, the sugar level in my heart had already exceeded the limit. A sweet feeling swirled around, and a sense of comfort and happiness filled my entire heart. Even though it was just a small cake, I couldn't bear to finish it.
I'm so happy; this is the happiest birthday I've had so far.
Just as I was about to take a second bite, my phone rang abruptly and out of place. I answered with a smile in my eyes: "Hello?"
"Miss Nozawa, I've arrived at the door. We can head out now." At the same time, two honks from a car came from outside.
"Ah, okay, I'll be right there."
The clock struck nine. I had almost forgotten about this. I hurriedly got up, put on my coat, and applied some light makeup. I heard that there would be colleagues from the medical school at the gathering, making it a good opportunity to meet classmates.
My elegant face looked even more radiant with makeup. I smoothed out my usually messy curly hair a bit. The intellectual and decent wool coat suited my tall stature, looking capable and elegant.
Seeing me all dressed up, the girl was stunned by my rare gentle and beautiful appearance: "It's so late, where are you going?"
I hadn't mentioned this because I was worried she would throw a tantrum. Since she had already apologized to him, it should be fine.
I paused and said carefully, "Senior Alex invited me to his birthday party. He and I share the same birthday."
The air fell silent for a few seconds, with only the candlelight on the cake flickering.
"Can I go?" The atmosphere didn't feel right, so I took the initiative to ask her.
With her personality, if she threw a tantrum, I might not go just to coax her.
"Is this gathering very important?"
I thought about it seriously. It wasn't that important, but I had already promised him and didn't want to break the appointment, especially since he was already waiting outside.
"Many medical colleagues will be there too. Rather than Senior Alex's birthday banquet, it's more like a medical academic exchange."
"Is Sister Shijia going, or is it just you?" The girl poked at the cream on the cake nonchalantly, one jab at a time.
"She's coming too."
The girl didn't ask anything else. A gentle curve appeared at the corner of her rosy lips: "Okay, then Miss Nozawa, please come back early."
Hmm? There wasn't the slightest hint of resistance, and she even smiled so cutely.
It seemed she wasn't going to be angry. I breathed a small sigh of relief. "You should go change your clothes and come with me too?"
"I won't go. I have an early class tomorrow." The girl lowered her eyes and never made eye contact with me.
An adult's banquet wouldn't be interesting for her, and it was so late; she might catch a cold. It was better for her to rest at home.
"The bathwater is ready. You should rest early after your shower. I might be back a bit late." I instructed her one by one, feeling a bit uneasy leaving her home alone.
"Go ahead, don't worry about me." The girl said softly in her cold voice. She picked up an umbrella and handed it to me. "It's snowing hard outside, take an umbrella."
"Then I'm leaving." I stood at the entrance, put on my shoes, and took the umbrella. From the corner of my eye, I saw her face, still wearing a beaming smile.
"Yeah." She nodded, exceptionally well-behaved. "Be safe on the road."
She was being very obedient now. I felt a sudden sense of relaxation. As I put on my shoes to leave, I felt something was off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I couldn't help but glance at Kusanagi a couple of times.
Her expression was focused, her gaze fixed straight at me, with nothing else out of the ordinary.
Perhaps I was overthinking. I composed myself and closed the door.
Silence returned to the living room. The cake, which had only one bite taken out of it, was no longer of interest to anyone. Only the extinguished candle smoke spiraled upward, and the light in the girl's eyes gradually turned into dead silence and gloom.
She stared at that piece of cake.
She had found Alex through the company and invited the man out to meet, personally apologizing to him. This apology was not sincere; it was only to prevent Miss Nozawa from being caught in the middle and feeling embarrassed. The other party had gladly accepted her apology, but had inadvertently revealed his true feelings.
"To be honest, besides being a birthday gift, that bouquet was also the beginning of my pursuit of Miss Nozawa."
"Although I don't know why you're resistant, I think Miss Nozawa likes me too. Otherwise, why would she have dinner with me time and time again?"
"Miss Nozawa also has the right to love freely. Miss Lead Singer, what do you think?"
"I plan to find an opportunity to confess. How about giving a necklace? This Bvlgari one is quite nice."
The girl was silent, her steps unsteady, her heart aching.
After a few minutes, she seemed to suddenly snap back to her senses. She abruptly rushed to the door barefoot and shouted loudly, "Miss Nozawa!"
There was no one at the door, and the car had long since driven away.
"...Miss Nozawa, Nozawa." The girl murmured despondently. She regretted it. How could she let her go to that damn man's appointment? Damn it!
She bit her lower lip resentfully, bitterness and jealousy surging forth. What did her own twisted feelings even count for?
She was like a candle on a cake; the cream and the cake were the perfect match, while the candle was ultimately just a supporting character. But she was unwilling to be a supporting character.
Before burning out, a candle could also use its own flame to burn others.
The girl's beautiful, dark amber-like pupils were tinged with cracks of determination.
An unaware hunter is very likely to be backlashed by the prey and ultimately possessed by it.
She suddenly opened the door and stood barefoot in the snow. The freezing cold invaded from her limbs. The girl took off her clothes, letting the bone-chilling icy pain come even more thoroughly.
She kept taking them off, kept throwing them away, until only a thin, fragile undergarment remained.
Who does the doctor care about most?
The patient.