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The man who walked in was extraordinarily handsome, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, with slightly upturned phoenix eyes. When he smiled, his elegance and charm were unparalleled. The only person privileged enough to witness this CEO's smile regularly was Qi Bai Cha.
As Fu Ming Ye stepped inside and began to remove his suit jacket, Qi Bai Cha naturally took it from him, draping it over the back of a chair.
"Wearing a suit in this heat? You must be roasting," Qi Bai Cha said, expertly loosening Fu Ming Ye's necktie. "Do you remember it's your birthday today? I've made quite a feast for you…"
He was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace.
Fu Ming Ye held Qi Bai Cha by the waist and whispered into his ear, "Holding you cools me down instantly."
Qi Bai Cha's body was unusually cold year-round, colder than the normal human body temperature. Fu Ming Ye had initially been concerned but could find no anomalies, attributing it simply to a unique constitution.
His thoughts weren't misplaced. Qi Bai Cha was naturally graced with a complexion as pale as snow and skin as cold as ice—ideal for cuddling on a summer night, which made him irresistibly endearing to Fu Ming Ye.
Gods live as long as heaven and earth, and Fu Ming Ye had long forgotten his real birthday. The so-called birthday was just a fabrication for his human ID, meaning nothing to him.
However, knowing that a diligent young man had prepared a birthday celebration for him at home made everything suddenly meaningful. Fu Ming Ye immediately abandoned all his work and rushed back without a second thought.
"Hey," Qi Bai Cha said softly, leaning against his chest. "Don't move. Your tie is still undone."
With a single tug, Fu Ming Ye loosened his tie and walked over to the dinner table, sitting down. "You've prepared so much? You're becoming more and more virtuous, Cha Cha."
Qi Bai Cha's lips curved in a smile as he took a seat opposite Fu Ming Ye. "As long as you like it."
"How could I not like what you've made?" Fu Ming Ye said, reaching for the bamboo shoots on the plate.
He didn't really need to eat human food, but if Cha Cha made it, he was certainly going to eat.
And what Cha Cha made was always delicious.
Just as his chopsticks were halfway there, Qi Bai Cha grasped his wrist.
Fu Ming Ye paused, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"
Holding a cake knife, Qi Bai Cha gently said, "Make a wish first."
He had meticulously prepared for this birthday celebration—there was no way they'd start eating without cutting the cake.
Though the young man held a plastic knife and spoke in a soft voice, Fu Ming Ye sensed a "Follow the procedure or else" vibe.
Weighing his options, Fu Ming Ye carefully put down his chopsticks. "...Alright."
His human spouse was gentle in every aspect, never showing anger. However, when unhappy, even behind a smile, he could emit an inexplicable chill.
Fu Ming Ye would never want to make Qi Bai Cha unhappy, even if he knew that nobody would hear his wish.
Gods possess eternal lives, yet they are not immune to death. The death of a god is known as "falling," a total dissolution of their soul and spirit, leaving them without a chance for an afterlife.
The world has known countless gods. While immortals can cultivate their powers, gods are innately divine, and they generally fall into four categories.
The earliest and most powerful are the gods of Nature. Governing elements such as the sun, moon, stars, and weather, these primeval gods are virtually indestructible, lying dormant rather than facing death. For example, the Snow God would only perish if all glaciers melted, mountains crumbled, and snow ceased to fall on Earth. Nowadays, apart from the Snow God, all nature gods lie dormant.
Beyond the gods of Nature are the gods of all things, like the Dragon God, Flower God, Tree God, and Lamp God. These deities, too, have grown weary of worldly changes and have entered a state of slumber.
Additionally, there are gods specializing in particular arts and crafts—the Music God excels in melody, the Dance God in choreography, the Smith God in forging, and the Weaving God can weave heavenly garments. As these skills become increasingly lost to time, numerous gods of artistry have fallen into oblivion, with the remaining ones also asleep.
Most numerous are the gods born of belief and prayers. If people believe that a piece of land protects them, that land will give birth to an Earth God to guard them. If people believe a mountain ensures generations of peace, the mountain will foster a Mountain God to protect its people. These gods fulfill wishes and accumulate virtue based on people's beliefs.
However, we live in an era of declining faith. People have stopped believing in the gods. The gods who gained power from fulfilled wishes are gradually losing their divine strength. Almost all have fallen, except for one: the Evil God.
Born from the malice of all things, and particularly from humans, whose malevolence is even worse than that of demons and ghosts, the Evil God thrives.
While faith may wane, human malice is eternal. Every living being harbors some form of greed, allowing the Evil God to exist in perpetuity.
The Evil God hears all the wishes and prayers filled with negative emotions—greed, selfishness, ugliness, resentment—and may, if inclined, grant some of these, augmenting his power in exchange for a price from the wisher.
Yet, the Evil God can fulfill innumerable wishes for mortals but finds it difficult to fulfill his own.
Thinking of this, Fu Ming Ye's eyes grew slightly melancholic.
He had never heard his beloved's innermost wishes. Cha Cha was indeed too pure and flawless.
In all his eons of existence, this was the first time he had met someone so untainted.
And he was smitten at first sight.
Fu Ming Ye untied the bow on the cake box, revealing a fruit cake adorned with sweet cream and topped with fresh strawberries and cherries. Below was a soft mango layer, and a chocolate plaque read, "Happy 27th Birthday, Mr. Fu."
A thin layer of amusement flickered in Fu Ming Ye's eyes, his lips curling slightly.
Qi Bai Cha inserted 27 candles into the cake, no more, no less, and lit them.
He handed Fu Ming Ye a conical birthday hat from the cake shop. "Put this on."
Fu Ming Ye refused, "Too childish. I couldn't possibly wear..." This was wholly incompatible with his dignified persona as the Evil God. Such ridiculous hats were for human children!
Qi Bai Cha turned off the lights with a 'click,' casting his gaze back. The flickering candlelight danced on his snow-white face, making his eyes beneath long eyelashes shimmer radiantly.
Fu Ming Ye silently donned the hat.
With such a beautiful spouse at home, how could he not indulge him in every way?
Qi Bai Cha resumed smiling. "Close your eyes and make a wish. I'll sing for you."
He softly began clapping, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
Fu Ming Ye had never taken these human birthday rituals seriously. However, as he listened to Qi Bai Cha's lucid and gentle singing, his heart softened. He closed his eyes reverently and made a silent wish no one would hear.
To be with Cha Cha... until the end of time.
When Qi Bai Cha finished singing, Fu Ming Ye opened his eyes. For a fleeting moment, their gazes locked, revealing endless depths of emotion in both.
Qi Bai Cha reminded him, "Mr. Fu, it's time to blow out the candles."
They exchanged a smile, and Fu Ming Ye blew out the candles in one breath.
Qi Bai Cha switched the lights back on, filling the room with brightness. "We can cut the cake now," he said, his tone light and cheerful.
He was quite curious about what wish Fu Ming Ye had made. Unfortunately, there's a human saying that spoken wishes won't come true.
Qi Bai Cha wanted to say that they would only come true if spoken because he could help fulfill them...
He was a god of Nature, not a god of wishes. Although he couldn't hear mortal prayers, he had the power to make most things happen with a flick of his magic.
Sadly, even gods couldn't grant immortality to a mortal. It defied the laws of nature.
Fu Ming Ye took the plastic knife and cut the cake into eight even slices, serving one to Qi Bai Cha. The two began to enjoy their dinner, enveloped in an atmosphere of warmth and sweetness.
Taking a sip of red wine, Fu Ming Ye raised an eyebrow, "A vintage Romanée-Conti—where did you find this rare wine, Cha Cha?"
What's so rare about it? He had an entire cellar of millennium-aged celestial wines.
"There's nothing money can't solve," Qi Bai Cha said, taking a sip of his wine.
He took dainty bites of his cake with a fork. Qi Bai Cha was not only handsome but also ate with utmost grace. His rose-red lips touched the white cream; his black lashes quivered as he blinked. He was a picture of soft elegance.
The more Fu Ming Ye looked, the more captivated he became. He called out, "Cha Cha."
"Hmm?" Qi Bai Cha looked up, his eyes slightly confused, a cherry still tucked between his lips.
Fu Ming Ye stood, leaned over, and kissed him, tasting the cream on the tip of his tongue and stealing the cherry from his mouth.
Qi Bai Cha's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Thank you for the fruit cake, Mr. Qi," Fu Ming Ye said, returning to his seat with a smile. "It's very sweet."
Qi Bai Cha quickly lowered his eyes, spearing a strawberry with his fork and popping it into his mouth. "Why steal mine? Eat your own."
"Because Cha Cha looks adorable when blushing," Fu Ming Ye teased.
Qi Bai Cha touched his cheeks in disbelief. "Do I?" How could that be possible? They were not newlyweds; why would he blush from a mere kiss?
Fu Ming Ye reclined in his chair, eyes narrowing with amusement, "Not really, but your surprised face is even cuter!"
Qi Bai Cha swiftly picked up a piece of cream cake and smeared it all over his face, whispering, "Say that again."
Fu Ming Ye looked at his suddenly majestic and icy spouse. Lowering his head, he admitted, "I was wrong."
Qi Bai Cha tilted his chin upwards, "Go wash it off."
With cream all over his face, Fu Ming Ye obediently headed to the bathroom.
If the board members from his company ever saw their imposing CEO looking like a docile lamb, their jaws would hit the floor.
Removing the childish birthday hat and washing off the cream, Fu Ming Ye looked at himself in the mirror with satisfaction. Good, he was still the strikingly handsome evil god.
Coming out of the bathroom, he saw Qi Bai Cha putting the leftovers in the fridge and tidying up the tableware. He quickly approached, "Let the housekeeper handle it tomorrow."
Qi Bai Cha replied, "There's still plenty of time."
"Not really," Fu Ming Ye wrapped his arms around him from behind and chuckled, "After red wine, I'd like some white tea."
Qi Bai Cha whispered, "It's not advisable to engage in strenuous activities after a meal."
Fu Ming Ye kissed his cheek, lowering his voice even further.
"Then I'll just kiss you a little longer."
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