Contrast

By half past ten, they were home.

Lin Sangyu's heart was brimming with joy. "Jiang Wenzhe, close your eyes. I'm about to bring out your second birthday present."

Jiang Wenzhe obediently closed his eyes, listening to the rustling sounds she made.

"Ta-da! Open your eyes. Happy birthday!"

Lin Sangyu brought out the cake she had secretly hidden in the refrigerator. It was plain, pure white, with no extra decorations.

On top were two chibi figures, one pink and one blue. The pink one was Lin Sangyu herself, with two little braids and a happy smile; the blue one was Jiang Wenzhe, drawn with straight lines for brows and lips, looking adorably serious.

One was a scatterbrain, the other a sourpuss.

"I made this cake myself, you know. Isn't it pretty? And I guarantee it tastes great!" Lin Sangyu pushed the cake right in front of Jiang Wenzhe, not hesitating to praise herself.

Jiang Wenzhe glanced at the cake with a smile, then fixed his gaze on Lin Sangyu. "I can see that. It's very pretty."

Even if you didn't say it, I already know.

The surveillance cameras in the villa, with no blind spots, have recorded everything for me.

The soft curve of your body as you bent to spread the cream—I know it.

The face smeared with cream, the strands of hair falling down, your busy, bustling figure—I know it all.

Lin Sangyu's nonexistent tail seemed to wag. "Ah, then hurry up and make a wish. After you wish, we can eat! We just took a walk, so you must be hungry."

Sticking to her years-long principle of frugality, the cake was small—just four inches, perfect for splitting half and half.

"Lin Sangyu, you really have a way with words. So the walk was to make room in my stomach for the cake, huh," Jiang Wenzhe said.

Without any embarrassment at being seen through, Lin Sangyu admitted generously, proud of her cleverness. "Yeah, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to eat my cake."

The food at the banquet was bright and tempting; Jiang Wenzhe must have eaten a lot during the socializing.

"No need to make a wish. I don't believe in that stuff. I only believe in myself," Jiang Wenzhe said, reaching out to easily pull back Lin Sangyu, who was about to go turn off the lights.

Wishes were like clouds in the sky—ethereal and untouchable. Even if you did touch them, they'd just be a puff of water vapor, vanishing at any moment.

Jiang Wenzhe only believed in things he could grip tightly in his palm. That was what felt real.

For some reason, Jiang Wenzhe's grip was a bit tight, and Lin Sangyu's wrist hurt. She quietly pulled it free. Then she put on a different expression and looked at Jiang Wenzhe with eager expectation. "If you don't want to make a wish, can you save that wish for me? I want to make one."

"Fine, then you go ahead. I'll light the candles, and you turn off the lights," Jiang Wenzhe said, letting go.

He didn't smoke, so it took him a while to find a lighter.

In the dimness, the soft orange candlelight flickered gently, slow and lingering, casting light and shadow across Lin Sangyu's delicate face. Her long eyelashes drooped like two little fans, and with her fingers interlaced against her chest, she closed her eyes devoutly, making a wish.

When she opened her eyes again, Jiang Wenzhe asked, "What did you wish for?"

Lin Sangyu stuck out her tongue at him, a bit smugly. "I'm not telling you. If I tell you, it won't come true."

Jiang Wenzhe stepped closer with his long legs and leaned down slightly. "Really not going to tell me? I'm way more reliable than some vague god."

"Nope," Lin Sangyu pushed Jiang Wenzhe away and turned the lights back on. "Let's eat the cake. No way you're getting my wish out of me."

She gestured and was about to cut the cake down the middle, one chibi figure for each of them—she'd eat hers, and Jiang Wenzhe would eat his.

Jiang Wenzhe caught on to her cutting plan and swiftly snatched the cake knife from her hand. "Let me cut it."

The birthday person cutting the cake did seem better, so Lin Sangyu had no objection. "Fine, just cut it down the middle. One for each—" half.

Before she could finish, she saw Jiang Wenzhe completely deviate from her original cutting idea.

—A very clean horizontal cut, brutally separating the heads and necks of the two chibi figures.

He was a cold-blooded killer!

Seeing the two corpse-like figures, Lin Sangyu was a bit devastated and wailed, "Ahhh, how could you cut it like that! Well, I'm not eating the necks. If you want them, you eat them. I'm eating the heads."

"I think cutting it this way is better. If you want the heads, then eat the heads."

Jiang Wenzhe was very satisfied with his handiwork. Why did they have to cut the two figures apart, anyway?

Lin Sangyu felt a bit wronged and sad. "What's so good about it? These two figures are dead now."

"It's just a cake. It's meant to die in our stomachs anyway," Jiang Wenzhe said. "And isn't it nice that the two figures die together? Look how happy they are."

Realizing what she had just heard, Lin Sangyu froze for a moment, then raised her head in a daze and asked, "Wh-what did you say?"

The two figures' eyes were still curved in smiles.

The red strawberry jam oozed out, like a slow-motion bleed, the strawberry bits inside looking like blood clots from a corpse left out too long.

In the bright light, his face was clearly illuminated.

Jiang Wenzhe smiled gently and only said, "Nothing. Hurry up and eat."

"Why is it 'nothing' again?" Lin Sangyu angrily stabbed a piece of cake and put it in her mouth. Just as she was about to keep venting at Jiang Wenzhe, she was distracted by her own delicious creation. "How is my cake so good?"

Too delicious!

The pure white cream and strawberry jam had completely merged together. The corners of Jiang Wenzhe's mouth curled up. "Silly."

"Who's silly? Can a silly person make Jiang Wenzhe such a delicious birthday cake?" Lin Sangyu was already full of the little cake in her heart. She said, "From now on, I'll make you a birthday cake every year."

Jiang Wenzhe pressed on. "Every year?"

"Every year," Lin Sangyu replied without hesitation.

Jiang Wenzhe's brows lowered, and he said seriously, "Alright, then you'd better remember that, Lin Sangyu."

"Don't worry, I'm a person of my word," Lin Sangyu patted her chest, then with a roll of her eyes said, "Well then, would you be willing to give the most trustworthy person in the world a little piece of cake?"

Lin Sangyu lifted her now-empty plate and looked at Jiang Wenzhe with a pitiful expression.

Jiang Wenzhe glanced at his own cake, which had already been hollowed out of the cake part, leaving mostly just cream, and said, "I've already eaten from it. Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind. I'm not like you—I don't have cleanliness issues," Lin Sangyu said quickly, taking the cake Jiang Wenzhe handed over and happily continuing to wolf it down.

*

The next afternoon, the leaden clouds hung extremely low, as if about to spill onto the ground. The sunlight fell dully, and the world lost its color.

Lin Sangyu: [Jiang Wenzhe, did you go see the psychologist?]

AAA Jiang Wenzhe: [I went. I'm on my way back to the company.]

Last night after the birthday cake, Lin Sangyu had firmly insisted that Jiang Wenzhe go see a psychologist. She had done extensive research on many places and finally settled on this hospital and doctor.

With her hands on her hips, she said in a stern tone, "If you don't go, I'll never talk to you again."

Jiang Wenzhe was taken aback for a second and said, "You'll get mad and ignore me if I don't go see a shrink?"

Lin Sangyu pretended to grit her teeth and replied viciously, "Yes. Not another word to you!"

Jiang Wenzhe also made a show of pondering for a good while, then finally concluded, "Well, then the consequences of this matter are truly severe. It looks like this Jiang Wenzhe has no choice but to go see a psychologist."

Lin Sangyu asked suspiciously, "Really?"

"Really. I promise I won't lie to you."

*

A few minutes later, Lin Sangyu received a message on her phone notifying her that the annual membership's visit count had decreased by one.

Lin Sangyu: [Good that you went. From now on, make sure to go on time. I'll be supervising you.]

AAA Jiang Wenzhe: [Got it.]

A phone ring suddenly blared, and Jiang Wenzhe picked up.

On the other end, Jiang Xiao said, "Mr. Jiang, I've already talked to the hospital. They'll regularly fabricate your visit records from now on and will write up your treatment data according to your requirements."

"Alright, thank you for the trouble," Jiang Wenzhe said calmly. "Make sure to keep this a secret from her."

Jiang Xiao didn't quite understand but respected it. As long as the money was right, anything was fine. He replied seriously, "Got it, Mr. Jiang. If Miss Lin asks, I'll know how to answer."

Just as he hung up, another message from Lin Sangyu popped up on his phone: [So, do you feel better now?]

Jiang Wenzhe typed a casual lie: [Much better. It really does help ease a lot of work-related worries.]

[Anything besides work?]

Jiang Wenzhe understood the principle of taking things step by step, so he replied: [Not yet. Probably will in the future.]

Then he sent over a medical report he had fabricated himself.

[Based on the current results, I don't have any problems.]

Seeing the message, Lin Sangyu didn't tap the image right away. Instead, she exited the chat and opened the public account for WeChat.

In the WeChat Steps, Jiang Wenzhe's step count clearly showed:

—4,738.

It had been that number two hours ago, and it was still the same now.

That meant he hadn't actually gone anywhere in those two hours.

Liar, Jiang Wenzhe.

Fine. Whatever.

It's you who don't want to reach out for this last lifeline of salvation.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lin Sangyu's mouth, and she typed: [Alright, I'll give you a surprise later.]

AAA Jiang Wenzhe: [What surprise?]

Lin Sangyu saw it, but she chose not to reply. She simply switched her phone to Do Not Disturb.

Then she turned over and got out of bed, starting to change clothes and prepare to go out.

It had been a long time since she'd gone out without Jiang Wenzhe's company.

Looking down from the third-floor bedroom, she saw two burly bodyguards standing at the villa's front door. As long as she wanted to go out, the bodyguards would follow right behind her, never leaving her side.

After observing for a few seconds, Lin Sangyu quietly pulled the curtains closed again.

The bedroom light remained on, but she was gone.