Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 224 Birthday
After dinner, the three of them returned to their lodgings with great joy and satisfaction, and this beautiful piano performance will become a cherished memory for An Xiaoqian.

Pushing open the villa's inner door, a rich, sweet aroma wafted out.

An Xiaoqian's eyes widened, filled with surprise.

On the dining table, a beautifully designed 8-inch mini cake was placed in the center.

Eighteen candles flickered with a warm light, their gentle glow illuminating the beautiful flowers and colorful balloons around them, making the entire living room exceptionally cozy and romantic.

Hu Xiaobei quietly turned on the stereo, and the cheerful birthday song flowed out, its lively melody and cheerful children's voices instantly filling the entire living room.

He walked briskly to An Xiaoqian's side, a bright smile on his face: "Xiaoqian, happy birthday! I wish you good health, all your wishes come true, and many more birthdays like this one."

As he spoke, he gently patted An Xiaoqian's back, and then took the opportunity to pinch the little dumpling, offering his sincerest blessings.

Liu Xiaoli also stepped forward with a smile on her face, her eyes gentle and full of endless love for her daughter.

She leaned down slightly and said softly, "Sisi, make a wish. Mom hopes all your wishes will come true."

She gently smoothed the hair behind her daughter's ear and also pinched the little dumpling.

An Xiaoqian looked at Hu Xiaobei and her mother, her eyes welling up with tears, filled with emotion.

She closed her eyes, clasped her hands tightly together, and looked focused. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks, and her heart was filled with anticipation for the future.

After a while, she slowly opened her eyes, took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly, then pursed her lips and blew out the candle forcefully.

Hu Xiaobei and Liu Xiaoli immediately joined in with clapping, the applause crisp and loud.

An Xiaoqian smiled happily, the corners of her mouth curving upwards even more pronounced, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness: "Thank you, Mom, thank you, Xiaobei, this is the happiest birthday I've ever had."

As she spoke, she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

Liu Xiaoli gently touched her daughter's face, her fingers gliding softly across her cheek.

Then, mimicking Hu Xiaobei's gesture, she pinched the little bun again before smiling and saying, "Silly child, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Hu Xiaobei said with a smile, "Let's cut the cake quickly and taste it. I made it myself when I had some free time."

As he spoke, he handed the disposable cake-cutting knife to An Xiaoqian.

So, An Xiaoqian picked up a knife and started cutting the cake.

She only cut a small portion for herself and her mother and packed it up, then picked up the rest of the cake and handed it to Hu Xiaobei.

The three sat together, eating cake and chatting.

Liu Xiaoli would occasionally recount some of An Xiaoqian's embarrassing childhood stories, which made Hu Xiaobei laugh out loud, and An Xiaoqian would then launch wave after wave of angry little punches at him.

As night fell, the moonlight, like a soft silver veil, poured over the villa's courtyard.

An Xiaoqian and Hu Xiaobei sat side by side on the deck chairs. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sea breeze gently rustling through the leaves, as if nature was softly singing in their ears.

It was the dry season in Bali, with clear skies, little rainfall, pure and transparent air, and almost no light pollution, making it an excellent time for stargazing and moon viewing.

Looking up, the starry sky above resembles a piece of black silk studded with jewels, each star shimmering with captivating light, showcasing the vastness and mystery of the universe.

Liu Xiaoli feigned a light yawn, a gentle smile on her face. Her gaze swept over An Xiaoqian and Hu Xiaobei in turn, and she softly instructed, "I'm a little sleepy. I'll go back to my room to rest first. You two shouldn't play too late, and you should get some rest too."

An Xiaoqian turned her head slightly to look at her mother and sweetly replied, "Okay, Mom, you go and rest. Don't worry about us. We'll play for a little while longer and then go to sleep."

As she spoke, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes curved into crescents, giving her a sweet and adorable appearance.

Hu Xiaobei politely replied, "Auntie, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her. I'll take her back to her room to get some sleep later."

He deliberately sat up straight, wearing a polite smile and speaking sincerely to show his seriousness. Although Liu Xiaoli felt a little awkward listening to him, she didn't think much of it.

He simply nodded, then raised his hand and gently patted An Xiaoqian's shoulder with a tender and loving gesture before turning and walking into the room.

After Liu Xiaoli's figure disappeared from the room, An Xiaoqian and Hu Xiaobei turned their gaze to the dazzling and boundless starry sky.

An Xiaoqian tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with longing, and softly asked, "Xiao Bei, do you think we can look at the stars like this every year from now on?"

Hu Xiaobei pondered to himself, "Stars? Now stars represent beauty, but what if stars bring disaster?"

He slowly exhaled, truly unsure how to answer the question.

An Xiaoqian seemed oblivious to what was happening and continued talking to herself, "Will we still remember tonight in ten, twenty, or fifty years? What will we be like then?"

"Whether it's ten or twenty years, you'll be very happy. As for fifty years..."

At this point, Hu Xiaobei paused, gazing at the stars in the sky, as if encouraging himself, and solemnly said, "As long as I am here, I will do my best to protect you."

An Xiaoqian tilted her head, blinked her innocent eyes, and asked arrogantly, "Can't I be the one to protect you?"

"..."

Hu Xiaobei fell silent, because this possibility was very high—if his shadow ability wasn't strong enough in the future!

But as a Chinese man, he couldn't accept that he needed to be protected by An Xiaoqian.

Just like in the original timeline, there were so many Chinese men who liked An Xiaoqian, but they all kept their feelings buried deep in their hearts and didn't take any action.

Because everyone understands that when one's own abilities and strength are insufficient, keeping a respectful distance is the best course of action.

Even so, people's love for her will not diminish.

They are simply trying to bridge the gap between each other in a way that they approve of.

Even if it's just a preference, even if it's just a feeling, even if it's just a fantasy...

Seeing Hu Xiaobei fall silent, An Xiaoqian quickly reassured herself, "Don't underestimate me. I'm an adult now, and I can protect myself."

Hu Xiaobei remained silent for a long while before shaking his head and sighing softly, "I believe you can protect yourself, but this will make you suffer a lot more."

An Xiaoqian raised her little fist and shook it, then made a gesture of showing off her muscles: "I'm not afraid of hardship!"

Hu Xiaobei reached out and gently patted her little fist, saying in an annoyed tone, "I know you can endure hardship, but with Auntie and me here, you don't need to suffer those meaningless hardships."

An Xiaoqian's right hand was still clenched into a fist, but she moved her body closer and quietly grabbed Hu Xiaobei's clothes with her left hand, as if to prevent him from escaping, or as if to coerce someone into saying the answer she wanted.

"Then do you believe... what I just said?"

"I believe you, I believe you, I believe everything you say." Hu Xiaobei gave a helpless bitter smile and had no choice but to agree from the bottom of his heart.

Finally, he boldly added, "It's just that it will be different from what you think."

An Xiaoqian became interested and asked curiously, "What's the difference?"

Hu Xiaobei thought for a moment and selectively embellished the events that happened to An Xiaoqian in the original timeline.

Using a speculative and predictive approach, the story begins with An Xiaoxi signing with Sony after the filming of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" wrapped up, and continues to her career trajectory twenty years later.

An Xiaoqian looked at Hu Xiaobei with great suspicion, then reached out and pinched his cheek: "Oh~ really? I don't believe it!"

(End of this chapter)