Xiao Lou hadn't specifically asked Yu Hanjiang about his birthday before. After they started living together, Xiao Lou once helped Yu Hanjiang with his laundry and pulled a wallet from Yu Hanjiang's coat pocket. He happened to see Yu Hanjiang's ID card and immediately memorized the birthdate: October 25th, Scorpio.
Yu Hanjiang's personality was quite typical of a Scorpio man: cold, proud, with keen insight and calm judgment, very wary, and extremely cautious of the outside world. Furthermore, Scorpios are known for their possessiveness, ranking first among the twelve zodiac signs, a fact confirmed every night since they started living together…
Although Yu Hanjiang didn't force Xiao Lou to do anything more intimate, he insisted on holding Xiao Lou every night while sleeping.
For the past month or so, Xiao Lou knew that Yu Hanjiang was actually struggling to hold back, and he himself had been somewhat restless, having several embarrassing dreams at night. Both were young and full of youthful vigor, and after chatting under the same blanket for so long, and with Gui Lao's health gradually improving, the weight on his heart finally lifted.
Xiao Lou wondered if it was time to take things a step further with Yu Hanjiang.
Two adults couldn't just keep holding hands and chatting forever, could they?
Should they take advantage of Captain Yu's birthday to have a deeper conversation?
Thinking of the ambiguous scenes in his dreams, Xiao Lou couldn't help but blush. However, both of them were physically and mentally normal, and genuinely liked each other; wanting to take things further was only natural.
Yu Hanjiang, worried that Xiao Lou wouldn't accept it, had always been very respectful, "politely" holding Xiao Lou to sleep every day, at most giving him a kiss. But in reality, Xiao Lou also wanted to try something more, but was just too shy to say it.
A birthday was the perfect opportunity to quickly deepen their relationship. Coincidentally, Yu Hanjiang's birthday fell on a weekend, and the police force would be on holiday as usual unless there were special cases.
Xiao Lou decided to give Yu Hanjiang a surprise.
What kind of gift would Captain Yu like? Xiao Lou was unsure of what to do and too embarrassed to ask Lu Jiuchuan, so after much thought, he decided to buy Captain Yu a good quality cashmere scarf. Autumn was approaching, and the temperature in Jiangzhou would gradually drop. In winter, detectives would have to wear plainclothes when investigating cases, so the scarf he gave him could be worn then.
Xiao Lou chose a dark gray, solid-color scarf that was the safest choice, matching all of Yu Hanjiang's clothes.
On the morning of October 25th, Yu Hanjiang woke up early. Xiao Lou didn't wish him a happy birthday, wanting to surprise him that evening. To Xiao Lou's surprise, Yu Hanjiang suddenly said he had to go out: "I have something to do and will be back at six in the evening. Is it okay if you eat lunch alone at home?"
Even though they were already together, they should each have some personal space. Xiao Lou didn't press Yu Hanjiang about where he was going and simply nodded, saying, "It's okay, go ahead and do your work."
Yu Hanjiang leaned over and gently kissed his forehead, whispering, "Wait for me to come back, and we'll have dinner together."
After Captain Yu left, it was convenient for Xiao Lou to prepare dinner. He went to the nearby supermarket and bought a lot of vegetables and meat, deciding to cook himself. While passing by everyday items, he saw beautifully packaged candles, and Xiao Lou's heart skipped a beat. He bought two more candles, preparing for a candlelight dinner that evening.
Perhaps Captain Yu would find it cheesy? But life needs a little ritual occasionally, otherwise it would be too boring.
After returning home, Xiao Lou began preparing, washing and chopping all the ingredients, and didn't officially start cooking until four in the afternoon. His cooking skills were quite good; he could cook all sorts of home-style dishes. Today, because it was Yu Hanjiang's birthday, Xiao Lou specially prepared several of Yu Hanjiang's favorite dishes, including steamed fish, winter melon and pork rib soup, cola chicken wings , and more… filling the table to the brim.
The birthday cake had also been ordered in advance and arrived promptly at 5 PM. Xiao Lou unwrapped the cake and set it aside, then sat down to wait for Yu Hanjiang to come home.
Yu Hanjiang said he would be back at 6 PM, and sure enough, at exactly 6 PM, the doorbell rang.
This man had a strong sense of time and was never even a minute late.
Xiao Lou stood up, holding the cake, and walked to Yu Hanjiang, smiling as he said, "Hanjiang, happy birthday."
Yu Hanjiang: "......"
The lights weren't on in the room, but the soft candlelight from the birthday cake bathed Xiao Lou's smiling face, making the whole house feel warm because of his smile. In that instant, Yu Hanjiang's heart felt as if it had been struck hard. A surge of emotion overwhelmed him, his Adam's apple bobbing, yet he was momentarily speechless.
It turned out Xiao Lou knew it was his birthday.
Since turning 18, Yu Hanjiang had rarely celebrated his birthday. As a policeman, he spent most of his birthdays on duty, and his teammates would at most offer a simple "Happy Birthday," without any real celebration.
But today, his beloved was at home, having made so many thoughtful preparations for his birthday…
Watching Xiao Lou hold up the exquisite cake, Yu Hanjiang suddenly felt that this was the happiest day of his life.
Seeing Yu Hanjiang staring at him without speaking, Xiao Lou's ears burned: "I wanted to surprise you, so I bought a cake and made some food…"
Before Xiao Lou could finish, Yu Hanjiang took the cake with one hand and pulled Xiao Lou into a tight embrace.
The firm hug expressed his overwhelming emotion.
The candles on the cake flickered. Xiao Lou gently nudged him, "Let's go to the dining room."
Yu Hanjiang gave a soft "Mmm," and led Xiao Lou to the table. Looking at the lit candles and the food laid out on the table, he said with some surprise, "You prepared... a candlelight dinner?"
Xiao Lou's face flushed slightly, "Cough, don't you like it?"
Yu Hanjiang's lips curled up slightly, "Of course I like it if you prepared it."
Xiao Lou sat down opposite him, "Make a wish first, then blow out the candles."
Yu Hanjiang made a wish as Xiao Lou instructed. He closed his eyes and sincerely said in his heart that his greatest wish in this life was to be with Xiao Lou and grow old together.
After making his wish, Yu Hanjiang blew out the candles in one breath.
Xiao Lou then moved the candlestick aside and handed the cake knife to Yu Hanjiang: "Hanjiang, happy birthday."
Yu Hanjiang took the plastic knife, cut the delicate little cake in two, kept one for himself, and handed the other to Xiao Lou. Looking at him, he said softly, "Thank you, you really went to so much trouble today."
"I'm your boyfriend, it's only right that I prepare these things." Saying this, Xiao Lou suddenly got up and brought over a wrapped gift. "This is my birthday present. Open it and see if you like it."
"There's another gift?" Yu Hanjiang hadn't received a birthday gift in ten years. Looking at the beautifully wrapped box, he unwrapped the ribbon with mixed feelings—inside was a gray scarf, which felt very nice to the touch; the cashmere material was especially warm.
Touching the soft scarf, Yu Hanjiang's heart warmed as well. He gently held Xiao Lou's hand and looked into his eyes: "Xiao Lou, I like it very much."
Did he like the gift or Xiao Lou? This double entendre made Xiao Lou's cheeks flush, and he quickly changed the subject: "Are you hungry? Let's eat first."
The dinner table was filled with Yu Hanjiang's favorite dishes; Xiao Lou's culinary skills had recently improved again.
As Yu Hanjiang ate, he couldn't help but think that he must have saved the galaxy in his past life to have met such a wonderful lover as Xiao Lou.
At home, Xiao Lou was a gentle and considerate boyfriend, proactively taking care of Yu Hanjiang's daily needs. Since moving in with Xiao Lou, Yu Hanjiang's shirts were always impeccably ironed, and the house was always spotless. At work, Xiao Lou was clear-headed, logically rigorous, and highly skilled, providing Yu Hanjiang with invaluable assistance.
Perhaps it was a case of love being blind, but he found himself increasingly fond of Xiao Lou, feeling as if he had found the one and only treasure in the world.
Xiao Lou soon noticed Yu Hanjiang constantly looking at him; Captain Yu's eyes were particularly deep, and being gazed upon by those gentle eyes made Xiao Lou's heart race.
The candlelight in the dining room was too soft, and the light only shone around a small area, making only that corner of the dining room feel exceptionally warm. The two looked at each other, a slightly more ambiguous feeling than usual. Eating the cream cake on the table, their hearts were filled with sweetness, like the taste of first love.
The meal lasted over an hour; the dishes on the table had gone cold. Xiao Lou collected the rest in an airtight container and put them in the refrigerator, planning to reheat them the next day.
At 8 PM, in the Card Room WeChat group,
Lu Jiuchuan was the first to send a red envelope: "@Yu Hanjiang, happy birthday! You'll be 28 after today!"
The others immediately followed suit with red envelopes and blessings: "Happy birthday, Captain Yu!"
Yu Hanjiang replied uniformly: "Thank you, I'll accept all the red envelopes without hesitation."
Xiao Lou also sent a blessing.
His teammates didn't yet know they were living together, so Xiao Lou couldn't be too obvious.
However, right after sending the red envelope, Xiao Lou received a transfer message on WeChat: "Yu Hanjiang transferred 2200 yuan to you."
The 2200 yuan birthday red envelopes sent to him by the 11 people in the group, including Xiao Lou, had all been transferred to him. Xiao Lou turned around in confusion: "Why did you send it to me?"
Yu Hanjiang said softly, "Haven't you always been in charge of the household finances?"
This reminded Xiao Lou of when he first teamed up with Yu Hanjiang in the card game world, and Yu Hanjiang had handed him all his gold coins to manage the accounts.
Xiao Lou suppressed a laugh and said, "Looks like I'll be your housekeeper for life."
Yu Hanjiang turned to look at Xiao Lou and asked softly, "Are you willing to be with me for life?"
Xiao Lou was stunned. Before he could speak, Yu Hanjiang suddenly knelt down in front of him and magically produced an exquisite jewelry box, opening it before Xiao Lou.
The man gazed at Xiao Lou tenderly and said softly, "Actually, I went out today to pick up this custom-made ring. Xiao Lou, I want to formally propose to you on my birthday."
Xiao Lou: "... ..."
He never expected that what he had prepared as a birthday surprise for Yu Hanjiang would turn out to be an even bigger surprise from him.
A proposal? Was Captain Yu really planning to marry him?
Looking at the simple yet elegant diamond ring in the jewelry box, Xiao Lou's heart trembled, and her nose suddenly stung with tears. "Why...did you suddenly think of proposing..."
Yu Hanjiang looked into Xiao Lou's eyes and said earnestly, "It wasn't a sudden thought. October 25th is the day I came into this world, symbolizing life to me. And you, to me, are as important as life itself. So, I planned to propose to you on my birthday long ago."
He gently held Xiao Lou's hand: "Will you stay with me until we grow old?"
Xiao Lou's eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded earnestly.
Why wouldn't she? They had been through life and death together, and Xiao Lou had secretly fallen in love with Yu Hanjiang long ago. If she were to marry someone and grow old together, Yu Hanjiang was the only one in her heart.
Seeing Xiao Lou nod, Yu Hanjiang's hands trembled with excitement. He carefully placed the ring on Xiao Lou's ring finger, and then put on the matching ring for himself.
Then, he suddenly lifted Xiao Lou from the sofa and carried her to the bedroom.
Xiao Lou was swept onto the bed in a horizontal embrace, his cheeks flushing. He stammered, "You...you're..."
Yu Hanjiang said bluntly, "Since the candles are all ready, and you've agreed to marry me, why don't we consummate our marriage tonight?"
Xiao Lou: "..."
The candles weren't for a wedding night, they were for a candlelight dinner!
However, seeing the open longing in Yu Hanjiang's eyes, Xiao Lou ultimately didn't object. Originally, he also wanted to take things further with Yu Hanjiang tonight, but he was too shy to say it. Now that Yu Hanjiang had taken the initiative, Xiao Lou naturally went along with it.
The moment he was pinned down, Xiao Lou blushed and said, "I have no experience, later..."
Yu Hanjiang gently kissed his lips: "Don't worry, leave it to me."
As the kiss landed, Xiao Lou heard the man whisper gently in his ear, "Xiao Lou, you are the best gift God has given me."