After a few days of school chaos, XinYue's seventeenth birthday arrived with the kind of brightness that made even the dull morning feel exciting.
Zhao Xia had been planning this for weeks, whispering cryptic hints every day. XinYue had tried to ignore them, but her curiosity kept buzzing like electricity in her chest.
"You're coming with me today. No excuses," Zhao Xia said first thing in the morning, dragging XinYue toward the school gates.
"Where are we going?" XinYue asked, already laughing, knowing that with Zhao Xia, wherever it was, it would be ridiculous.
"You'll see. Trust me. Birthday rules," Zhao Xia replied, winking.
By late morning, they arrived at the amusement park. The familiar smells of popcorn, cotton candy, and roller coasters instantly lifted XinYue's spirits. She spotted Li Hanyan leaning casually near the entrance, arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed—but his eyes followed her every move.
"Happy Birthday," he said quietly when she reached him, handing her a small bracelet—woven threads in soft pastels.
XinYue blinked. "You made this?"
"Bought it," he muttered, face almost unreadable. "Thought it'd be better than a card."
She laughed, slipping it onto her wrist. "Thanks."
Before he could respond, Zhao Xia grabbed her hand. "Come on, slowpokes! Roller coasters wait for no one!"
The day became a blur of fun: screaming on rides, tripping over their own feet, eating way too much cotton candy, and daring each other to silly stunts. Li Hanyan hovered near enough to keep them from disaster, saving them subtly from spills, teasing the two girls when they got too reckless, but never overbearing.
Just when XinYue thought it couldn't get better, a familiar voice shouted her name.
"Xinyue!"
She turned and froze for a second. Xu Fei, her long-distance best friend, was standing there, waving frantically, a huge grin on her face. XinYue ran to her, hugging her tightly.
"I can't believe you're here!" XinYue exclaimed.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Xu Fei said, laughing as she pulled back to take in the scene. Her eyes flicked to Li Hanyan. "So this is the infamous Li Hanyan?"
XinYue blushed, but Zhao Xia shoved her gently. "Don't just stare, introduce yourselves!"
Li Hanyan's lips quirked into a tiny smile as XinYue motioned toward him. Xu Fei extended her hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
He shook it, eyes scanning her face quickly, then back at XinYue. "Welcome."
From there, the chaos grew—roller coasters, racing across carnival games, Zhao Xia daring XinYue and Xu Fei to eat the largest ice cream cones, and Li Hanyan teasing them about losing.
During a quiet moment by the Ferris wheel, XinYue leaned against him, catching her breath. "This… is really perfect," she said softly.
He didn't answer immediately. His eyes lingered on her, careful, subtle. "You deserve it," he finally said, voice low.
Xu Fei grinned at the scene from the side. "So this is your Li Hanyan?" she whispered to Zhao Xia. Zhao Xia just smirked, clearly enjoying watching XinYue blush without saying a word.
As the sun began to set, painting the park in shades of orange and pink, XinYue realized something quietly. This birthday wasn't just about fun or presents—it was about the people around her: her friends who made life unpredictable, her long-distance friend who came all the way, and Li Hanyan, who silently made sure she was safe while letting her laugh freely.
And for the first time in a long while, she felt like everything… was exactly where it should be.