The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 59

A Chill in the Spring Air

Cen Xiao’s birthday was approaching.

Li Rong flipped through his savings and mulled over it for a while before staring blankly at the ceiling.

He’d never celebrated Cen Xiao’s birthday before.

Or rather, he used to intentionally avoid the date, drowning himself in work and leaving the house under the pretense of being busy, only returning after midnight.

Of course, Cen Xiao wasn’t the type to sit around waiting for him.

Being part of the United Commerce Association naturally involved endless networking. As the son of the chairman of District 3, Cen Xiao had plenty of people eager to get close to him, and birthdays provided the perfect opportunity.

Cen Xiao had a knack for putting on different faces. Around Li Rong, he was one way; with close allies like Jian Fu, he was another; and with those trying to curry favor, he was yet another.

He could easily blend in with the rough crowd, earning genuine camaraderie and loyalty, while also exuding enough sincerity and righteousness to earn the trust and admiration of young professionals in the association. On top of that, he maintained close ties with chairpersons from other districts, even those from District 6 and 8 who had tensions with Cen Qing.

Li Rong firmly believed that, given a few more years, Cen Xiao could surpass Cen Qing and take over District 3.

It was a shame Li Rong died too soon to witness it.

Hopefully…

Li Rong’s smile faded, replaced by a tightening in his chest.

Hopefully, in the previous life, Cen Xiao had smoothly replaced Cen Qing without any misfortunes.

“What kind of birthday gift should I give him? I’m broke…” Li Rong asked earnestly, looking between Jian Fu and Lin Zhen for ideas.

Lin Zhen turned to Jian Fu as well. Though not familiar with Cen Xiao, being part of the same team meant he should pick a gift that would be appreciated.

Jian Fu scratched his head and hesitated, “Uh… you don’t have to. My brother doesn’t celebrate birthdays.”

Before Li Rong could respond, Lin Zhen blurted out, “Who doesn’t celebrate birthdays?”

Jian Fu shrugged, struggling with whether or not to explain. His face scrunched up in conflict.

“Well, uh… you know, it’s just that…”

Lin Zhen, perceptive as ever, quickly caught on. “Is it hard to explain? Then…” He hesitated, glancing at Li Rong, and decided to hold his tongue.

Instinctively, he felt that this was something Li Rong should handle.

After a long pause, Li Rong casually plucked a peach tree leaf from the roadside and asked nonchalantly, “What does he usually do on his birthday?”

In their past life, his close relationship with Cen Xiao had started only after Cen Xiao joined District 3.

Cen Xiao always had social obligations, leaving Li Rong with no reason to worry. Even when Li Rong deliberately stayed out until after Cen Xiao’s birthday, Cen Xiao never said a word.

He remembered one year when he returned home from the lab at 2 a.m., utterly exhausted and having already taken a nap at his desk.

Upon entering the darkened house, he noticed the faint glow of a dim kitchen light.

It was a light intended to set the mood for candlelit dinners, but since neither he nor Cen Xiao had ever been particularly romantic, it had rarely been used.

Cen Xiao was slouched against the dining table, his head tilted back on the hard wooden chair, seemingly asleep. The faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air.

Li Rong immediately recognized that Cen Xiao had just returned from a grand social event, still slightly intoxicated.

However, he didn’t mind Cen Xiao drinking, as Cen Xiao had excellent manners when drunk. 

Although he occasionally used a slight buzz as an excuse to mess with Li Rong, when truly drunk, Cen Xiao became unusually quiet—almost as if he were at the mercy of others.

That being said, Cen Xiao rarely got drunk, and Li Rong had only witnessed it twice. One of those instances was the night after Cen Xiao’s birthday had just passed.

Li Rong tiptoed closer, lowering his gaze to observe Cen Xiao silently.

He knew how uncomfortable being drunk could be but had no intention of helping Cen Xiao sober up. In fact, even if Cen Xiao spent the entire night leaning on that chair, Li Rong might not have spared him a second thought.

He had just submitted the mid-term report for the GT201 project. After reviewing it, Jiang Weide frowned deeply, instructing him to go back and rethink everything while warning him that impulsiveness could lead to failure.

Li Rong felt discouraged, knowing Jiang Weide was right. His impatience and anxiety always surged when his research touched upon topics related to his father.

Emotionally, he had completely shut himself off.

Back then, he couldn’t see anyone or care about anything. All he wanted was for GT201 to succeed.

As for Cen Xiao? Li Rong simply didn’t care.

Even so, Cen Xiao, ever vigilant, woke up.

After waking, Cen Xiao’s reactions were noticeably slow, his eyes bloodshot, and his expression somewhat dazed.

Li Rong immediately realized that Cen Xiao was genuinely drunk this time.

With a hoarse voice, Cen Xiao struggled to swallow before rasping, “You just got back from working late?”

Li Rong was surprised he could string together a coherent and logical sentence. Taking a step back, he maintained a cautious distance, giving a light “mm” in response.

This distance was deliberate. If Cen Xiao tried anything, Li Rong could immediately retreat to his room and slam the door shut.

After all, a drunk’s reflexes couldn’t match his own.

Cen Xiao pushed an inconspicuous plastic food container toward him under the dim light. “Late-night snack—fresh shrimp spring rolls,” he said softly.

These shrimp spring rolls, paired with dipping sauce, had a mild flavor and included unique spices—exactly the kind of food Li Rong liked.

Standing in front of Cen Xiao with a cold expression and clear eyes, Li Rong said each word deliberately: “Your birthday is already over.”

He assumed Cen Xiao wanted to prolong his birthday celebration with a candlelit midnight snack. So, he purposefully reminded him: I don’t need to celebrate your birthday anymore because the day has passed.

Cen Xiao’s eyelids twitched as he pursed his lips, thinking for a long while before fully processing Li Rong’s words.

“Let’s just pretend it’s still my birthday,” he murmured.

Li Rong remained silent for a few seconds.

Cen Xiao’s eyes were deep-set, with dark irises that exuded a natural air of authority. But only when he was drunk—his eyes reddened and clouded with confusion—did he show an innocence befitting his age.

But Li Rong didn’t hold back. “It’s already 2 a.m. Once it’s over, it’s over.”

A dewdrop dripped from a tender green leaf, landing in the damp, muddy crevice of a brick below.

Li Rong snapped back to the present, realizing that Jian Fu was now sighing audibly.

Jian Fu muttered under his breath, “I don’t know all the details, but after I got to know him, he usually hid at my house on his birthday. At first, I didn’t realize it was his birthday until I stumbled upon it later. It probably has something to do with Uncle Cen and Aunt Xiao. My brother doesn’t throw parties, take photos, or eat cake. He avoids all celebrations. His house would always erupt in arguments, so he’d just leave.”

Lin Zhen frowned instinctively. “How could it be like that? I always thought…”

Jian Fu snorted, cutting him off. “Thought families like ours live fairy-tale lives, right? Well, I do, but my brother used to say birthdays are ‘a disaster.’”

“A disaster…” Li Rong pressed the soft leaf in his palm, repeating the phrase quietly.

He had known Cen Xiao’s relationship with his parents was bad, but he hadn’t realized it was this severe.

A disaster?

Jian Fu tried to ease the tension. “Well, my brother’s used to it by now. Just don’t bring it up. Let the day pass peacefully.” He mimed a sweeping gesture to signify time flying by.

At 2:10 a.m., Cen Xiao had lifted his eyes to look at Li Rong. In their depths, Li Rong saw his own blurred reflection.

“Can’t it still be now?”

Li Rong tilted his head slightly, confused, and frowned.

Cen Xiao seemed deeply intoxicated, muttering words that made no sense.

How could it still be his birthday? That wasn’t something Li Rong could decide. Birthdays were set in stone from the moment of birth.

It wasn’t as if you could choose when to celebrate, right?

The crushed leaf released a faint fragrance, its sap staining Li Rong’s palm and turning his hand green.

Jian Fu waved a hand in front of Li Rong, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Hey, are you even listening to me? My brother hates birthdays. He said he’d rather pick a new date to celebrate—a day that has nothing to do with his parents.”

Li Rong blinked as Jian Fu’s words sank in. With a soft laugh, he murmured to himself, “So that’s what he meant.”

Humans often experience delayed understanding of pain.

That cold, desolate night at age 23, under the dim light, he hadn’t understood.

But now, back in the breezy campus at age 18, under the fragrant shade of blossoming flowers, it suddenly became clear.

Cen Xiao had wanted to choose a meaningful day to celebrate his birthday—a day that wasn’t tied to disaster. And Li Rong could be someone who made that possible.