My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 60 Frost's Descent, Happy Birthday~
It was already 5 p.m. when I came out of the science and planetarium.

As the exhibition progressed, Cheng Shuangjiang essentially acted as the guide, explaining to the two of them, especially Lu Bai, the changes in species, the movement of stars, and geological minerals.

Lu Bai's prediction was correct; the audio guide was indeed useless.

As a reborn academic star with outstanding grades, Cheng Shuangjiang's explanations were insightful and easy to understand, even Lu Bai, a complete academic failure, could grasp the intricacies and occasionally express his amazement.

Zhou Heming, on the other hand, maintained a gentle smile as he watched his girlfriend give her explanation.

He found Cheng Shuangjiang to be extremely, extremely, extremely charming.

Therefore, he looked forward to the evening even more.

"We can head over to a place to eat now."

Zhou Heming glanced at the messages on his phone.

Cheng Shuangjiang noticed his actions but didn't ask any questions. She simply took his hand obediently and walked into the subway station.

The place where they ate dinner that night was not far from their apartment building, only two subway stops away, in a bustling area with several large shopping malls.

Today is Sunday. Despite the chilly autumn wind, the shopping mall was still bustling with people. When I walked out of the subway station, the air felt a bit warmer.

A transparent piano was placed in the lobby on the first floor of the mall. As the three of them passed by, several children were playing next to the piano, randomly pressing the keys and piecing together a melody full of childlike innocence, which was surprisingly pleasant to the ear.

Cheng Shuangjiang glanced at the children and smiled faintly.

"This restaurant has been open for many years, and the taste is still guaranteed. It's not a trendy restaurant, but I've already booked a private room."

After taking the elevator to the sixth floor, Zhou Heming pointed to a home-style restaurant.

"This shop is indeed quite old."

Lu Bai, who didn't know where to have dinner beforehand, casually checked a review website and found that the restaurant had a history of at least thirty years.

Of course, the shop has definitely been renovated; it's in a Chinese style, simple, clean, and spacious.

There were many photos on the walls, even in the private rooms. Upon closer inspection, they were all photos taken by famous and unknown people who had dined here. It seemed that the owner wanted to use this to promote his booming business, saying that even celebrities liked to eat here.

As the waiter led her to the door of the private room, Cheng Shuangjiang heard two muffled thuds as she pushed the door open.

The ribbons fluttered and burst forth from both sides, but only landed on the chairs.

Happy birthday, Frost's Descent! Happy birthday!

Xu Youyou and Qiao Jinchen, one on each side, held the already exploded fireworks in their hands and congratulated each other with smiles on their faces.

"Thank you both~"

Cheng Shuangjiang was taken aback for a moment, then blinked, swallowed hard, and finally thanked him.

Upon entering the private room, she saw two wrapped gifts already placed on the table.

"This is for you. It's hand cream and face cream. They're not very expensive, but they're brands I've been using."

Xu Youyou handed a light pink gift box to the birthday girl and urged her to open it and take a look.

"Wow, that must be really useful! Thank you, Youyou. Cute girls always use cute things too!"

Cheng Shuangjiang took out the gift box from the packaging; it was also pink and very cute.

"Well, I don't know what to give you. I was thinking of giving you a shopping card, but Youyou rejected it, so I just picked out a pair of sneakers. Zhou Heming told me the size. If they don't fit, I'll exchange them."

Qiao Jinchen's box was noticeably larger.

When Cheng Shuangjiang opened the box, it was a pair of brand-new white sneakers with light blue color blocking. Zhou Heming guessed that Sister Youyou had been involved in the whole process from selecting the shoes to placing the order.

"Ah Chen, you're so thoughtful! I really like this color scheme!"

Seeing that the two had already presented their gifts, Lu Bai also took out two packages from her handbag.

"This, um, is a set of scarves, hats and gloves. I figured winter is coming soon, so we should be able to use it."

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai, thinking to himself that this guy seemed to be a pragmatist as well.

Cheng Shuangjiang took out a scarf from the package. It was a pink, blue and white striped scarf that matched her usual style of dress. It felt very comfortable around her neck.

The wool hat and gloves were the same style. Even Zhou Heming had to admit that Lu Bai, a girl who always wore a hat when going out, had great taste. This made him look forward to winter and the snowy season, and to seeing Cheng Shuangjiang wearing these.

It snows in Jiangcheng every year, but only during the coldest part of winter.

"Yay! This is a gift that makes me look forward to winter. Thank you, Ah Bai!"

Cheng Shuangjiang tried it on immediately, and it really suited her perfectly.

The girl carefully put the gifts away and placed them on the seat further inside. She then glanced at Zhou Heming.

"Ahem, let's eat first, let's eat."

Zhou Heming cleared his throat with an air of seriousness.

"Okay."

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded, mimicking Zhou Heming's tone, seemingly aware of the boy's plan.

Qiao Jinchen quickly called the waiter to serve the dishes.

Considering everyone's tastes and Cheng Shuangjiang's dietary restrictions, the dishes are relatively light, just like the home-style dishes that this restaurant specializes in.

When the waiter opened and closed the private room door, you could see that there were quite a few customers sitting in the lobby outside. They were mostly elderly people or locals with their families, which was enough to prove that the restaurant's reputation was well-deserved.

"I've never eaten at this place before."

Lu Bai looked at the dishes that were served and sighed.

She sat to Cheng Shuangjiang's right, and to the girl's left was Zhou Heming, followed by Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou.

“You only came here in high school and don’t know any locals, so it should be very difficult for you to come here.”

Qiao Jinchen seemed to be very familiar with this place.

"This is an old restaurant in Jiangcheng. It's a favorite of people my dad's generation. When we first started our business, we would always entertain guests here during holidays."

“I also remember that when I was a child, my grandfather would eat here for his birthday.”

Xu Youyou also recalled and echoed.

"So that's why Zhou Heming chose this place?"

Lu Bai wanted to criticize Zhou Heming's choice of elderly people, but considering it was Cheng Shuangjiang's birthday banquet, he didn't say it.

"Has Ah He eaten here before?"

Cheng Shuangjiang seemed to have seen through Lu Bai's thoughts, and blinked her eyes curiously as she asked.

"I've eaten here a few times, but I chose this place because..."

He paused, then stood up and searched for a moment on the wall of the private room decorated with photos of various diners, before pointing to one of them.

Cheng Shuangjiang followed his finger and looked over. In the palm-sized photo was a young couple, about twenty years old, who seemed to be celebrating their birthdays. Their expressions were bright, as if they were in the prime of their youth, which was enviable.

When she saw the photo, the girl was slightly confused at first. Then, she seemed to realize something, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something, but her lips trembled and she couldn't speak.

“This man looks a bit like you, Zhou Heming.”

Lu Bai, who was standing nearby, looked at the photo and then at Zhou Heming.

"This is my dad and my mom."

Zhou Heming had a faint smile on his lips.

"This was taken by the owner when they were in college, when they had just started dating. My mom came here for a birthday dinner, and this was the owner's photo."

"Originally, this photo was in the lobby, but after the layout was changed, it was moved to a private room." "When I was in elementary school, whenever my mom's birthday was in Jiangcheng, my dad would always bring our whole family here to eat."

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the girl beside him and gently took her hand.

"I want you to see them, and I also want my mom to see you."

The private room fell silent immediately.

Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou exchanged a glance and smiled.

Lu Bai looked at the two of them, shrugged and spread his hands. Even though he was used to this kind of situation, he still felt like he had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food.

Cheng Shuangjiang stared blankly at the photo.

She already knew perfectly well why Zhou Heming had chosen this place and why he had chosen this particular private room.

People always love others in the way they feel loved.

In Zhou Heming's eyes, his parents' love was the most romantic thing he had ever seen, which is why he followed their example and brought his daughter here on her birthday.

This is the awkward sense of ritual of this clumsy boy.

He just wanted to tell the girl next to him that he liked her, just like his own father loved his own mother.

Sniffed.

Cheng Shuangjiang blinked hard, remained silent for a long time, and then smiled.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt, I am Cheng Shuangjiang, and I am Ahe's girlfriend."

She said this while looking at the photo.

Qiao Jinchen led the applause.

Xu Youyou and Lu Bai clapped along, like a blessing at a wedding ceremony, making the young couple feel embarrassed.

"Eat, eat some vegetables, they'll get cold soon."

Zhou Heming picked up his chopsticks and used them to serve food to Cheng Shuangjiang to ease her shyness.

The girl stole a glance at the boy.

Since Zhou Heming hasn't given a birthday gift yet, it means there's still a surprise to come.

A smile played on her lips as she picked up her chopsticks as well.

*
Halfway through the meal, Zhou Heming left the private room.

Just as Cheng Shuangjiang felt he had been gone for a while, the door opened.

Zhou Heming carried a cake back into the private room.

"I asked the waiter to put it in the freezer before, so it shouldn't have melted."

Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou immediately moved the dishes aside, leaving the center spot untouched.

Zhou Heming put down the cake box, opened it, and took out the cake.

It was a blue-based cake with a boy wearing a yellow scarf sitting on the moon, a little fox squatting beside him, and roses blooming on it.

On the cake, words of blessing were written in cream.

Happy Birthday, Frost's Descent!

It also had a playful note in it, just like her usual rising intonation at the end of a note.

"The Little Prince."

Cheng Shuangjiang recognized the cake's design at a glance.

"It should be alright, right?"

Zhou Heming rubbed his nose.

"I love so much!"

She couldn't wait to light the candles and took out a small candle shaped like the number "18" from the box next to her.

These uniquely shaped cakes usually use special candles, not actually eighteen.

Zhou Heming took out the lighter he had borrowed from the waiter, handed it to her, and lit the candle he had inserted.

Cheng Shuangjiang first took a photo with her phone, then a group photo of everyone. Just as she was about to put her phone away, Lu Bai suddenly reminded her.

"Why don't you two take a picture together with the cake?"

Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang exchanged a glance, somewhat belatedly realizing what was happening.

"Well, like this."

Cheng Shuangjiang reached out and took off her hair tie, letting her long hair fall loose. Unlike the cool and aloof look of her ponytail, or the relaxed look of her hair tied up with a shark clip, her hair now had a mature feel to it.

Perhaps this is what she will look like after she marries Zhou Heming at the age of 35?
"It looks good and suits you very well."

Zhou Heming praised.

Afterwards, Lu Bai took Cheng Shuangjiang's phone and took a photo of the two of them together.

In the photo, the two are smiling naturally, like an old married couple who have been together for a long time, yet so sweet, like lovers in the throes of new love. Even the beautifully designed cake pales in comparison to their smiles.

Then, Qiao Jinchen turned off the lights in the private room.

In the dimly lit room, only the candlelight illuminated Cheng Shuangjiang's profile.

Led by Lu Bai, the birthday song was sung, and not only the Chinese version, but also the English version.

It's as if one wants to extend that fleeting moment of shimmering light indefinitely.

The girl closed her eyes, made a wish (it's unclear what), then opened them and gently blew out the candle.

The private room was plunged into darkness.

Zhou Heming felt Cheng Shuangjiang's hand grasp his palm, their fingers intertwined, conveying warmth, longing, and the words hidden in their hearts.

The lights were turned on, and Zhou Heming looked at the smiling girl beside him.

"What did you wish for? Hmm, you don't really need to say it, otherwise it won't come true."

He asked jokingly.

"It's related to A-He~"

Cheng Shuangjiang gave a mysterious smile.

"It's not some wish that Zhou Heming will successfully get into Ningda University, is it? It's a once-in-a-lifetime 18th birthday, making such a wish would be such a waste."

Lu Bai joked.

"I'll tell you when it happens."

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled, then looked intently at herself reflected in the boy's eyes.

"Then I'll have to work hard."

Zhou Heming didn't need to guess or ask deliberately. He knew that if he were the one celebrating his birthday today, he would definitely make the same wish.

—I hope to be with her forever.

*
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(End of this chapter)