Chapter 22 Happy Birthday

After living in the Xinting Villa for a week, Lu Heyang finally saw Lu Xun again.

It was after dinner, and he had sent Aunt Ren to rest. He was sitting on the sofa, reading a book called The Narrow Door. He had already explored every corner of the villa, becoming familiar with the sunrise and sunset here. Sadly, he also discovered there wasn't any chance for escape. The dull TV channels no longer sufficed to pass the time.

The door opened from the outside. It was the first time in a week that Lu Heyang saw anyone else besides Aunt Ren enter through that door.

At first, the light behind them made it hard to see, but once the person stepped fully into the entryway, slipping out of their leather shoes and into black house slippers, he recognized the one who had locked him in here.

Seven days of absence, compared to ten years, seemed insignificant. But Lu Heyang's intuition told him that Lu Xun had become a completely different person—different from ten years ago and even from seven days ago.

Lu Xun was wearing a tailored suit with a dark blue patterned tie. His hair was slicked back, replacing his previous laid-back demeanor with a sharp and commanding presence. He strode in, loosening the tie with one hand while carefully placing the box he was holding on the coffee table with the other.

Lu Heyang straightened up and fixed his gaze on the exquisite box, which had a transparent section revealing what was inside.

"Happy birthday," Lu Xun's voice sounded tired, though he tried to inject some cheer into it.

"I've been really busy, but I had to come today." Lu Xun didn't receive any warm response from the cold expression on Lu Heyang's face, so he leaned over to untie the light blue ribbon on the box, taking out a cake. The cake had a deep blue base, intricately designed to resemble a starry sky. It was stunning, the smell of creamy frosting filling the room, and the tartness of the blueberries balanced the sweetness of the cream.

Watching Lu Xun's serious expression, Lu Heyang felt only contempt. In reality, this person had never shared the habit of celebrating birthdays with him—quite the opposite, he had despised it.

In the three years after Lu Heyang returned to the Lu family, every time his birthday came around, Lu Xun would find any excuse to avoid it—whether it was the internet café, tutoring, or playing basketball. Anything to avoid sitting down at the table, singing him Happy Birthday, and acting as the younger brother, watching Lu Heyang blow out the candles and cutting him the first slice of cake.

Lu Xun never prepared gifts for him, either. With the Lu parents eager to give Lu Heyang everything in the world, he saw no need to add his own token gesture.

In Lu Xun's mind, the entire birthday ritual for Lu Heyang was repulsive.

Cheng Dongxu had tried to reason with him, saying that it was only natural for Lu Heyang to receive a bit more attention after his long absence from the family, especially since he'd likely lived a tough life outside. Why not let it go? After all, Lu Xun had celebrated three times as many birthdays as Lu Heyang.

But to Lu Xun, that logic didn't apply.

The day Lu Heyang returned to the family was Lu Xun's 15th birthday, a fact his parents had completely forgotten in their joy. Even though they later made up for it with a birthday gift, the oversight and neglect had already left their mark. At his most sensitive moment, his hopes had been dashed.

Lu Xun believed that while he could forgo all his earlier birthdays, his 15th birthday had to be celebrated.

But Lu Heyang had taken everything from him, including that day.

From that point on, every day of Lu Xun's life had been a slow stripping away—of his heart, his uniqueness, and his independence.

He was no longer the one and only Lu Xun.

"Is this fun for you, Lu Xun?" Lu Heyang put the book down and coldly scrutinized his odd behavior, ignoring his attempts at kindness. "Imprisoning me, monitoring me—without even a word of explanation?"

"This cake is from a very famous bakery. I specifically told them not to use honey," Lu Xun replied as if he hadn't heard, continuing to place candles on the cake. The wound on the back of his right hand had already healed into a scar, the fresh red tissue standing out in an unsightly ridge, likely to leave a permanent mark.

But instead of feeling guilt, Lu Heyang was consumed by rage. Unable to hold back any longer, he stood up and looked Lu Xun square in the eyes: "I want to leave."

He had already counted every petal on every rose in the garden.

He could no longer endure this kind of life.

Lu Xun, however, sat down beside him on the sofa, patting the seat next to him. His tone left no room for argument: "Come blow out the candles."

Lu Heyang lowered his gaze and glared at him, refusing to move.

Though he expected this resistance, it still worsened Lu Xun's irritation. He tugged on his already-loosened tie, exposing a wide stretch of bare collarbone.

"Blow out the candles, and I'll answer your questions."

Only then did Lu Heyang relent. Without sitting down, he bent forward to blow out the candles, but Lu Xun grabbed his wrist and pulled him down onto his lap. Holding his palm over Lu Heyang's lips, he murmured, "Make a wish first."

Whatever.

He knew very well how to stroke Lu Xun's ego, how to keep him satisfied.

Lu Heyang closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the overhead light had been switched off, leaving only a warm floor lamp. The soft glow highlighted the flickering candlelight, which danced in Lu Xun's eyes.

"Blow them out."

The candles were extinguished. Yet, the overhead light didn't come back on immediately. Unsure of what to do, Lu Heyang glanced at Lu Xun. His shadow stretched across the wall, the dim night turning him into something vague and unfamiliar.

"Cut the cake. The 'Happy Birthday' piece is for you." Lu Xun pressed a knife and fork into his hand.

"You promised to answer my question first," Lu Heyang said. Just as he was about to drop the knife, Lu Xun's hand clasped over his, forcing him to cut the cake together. They sliced out one-sixth of the cake and placed it on a plate.

He always used force to make him comply.

He could make his body submit, but never his heart.

"I told you, I don't want any." Lu Heyang yanked his hand free, the sudden movement causing the slice of cake to collapse into a messy heap on the plate. The "Happy Birthday" letters smeared into an indistinct red stain, unrecognizable.

Lu Xun looked up, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion, sending a chill down Lu Heyang's spine.

"After all this time, you still haven't learned to obey." Lu Xun licked a bit of cream off his thumb and leaned in, pressing Lu Heyang into the corner of the sofa, gripping his jaw tightly. Instinctively, Lu Heyang's fingers curled around the embroidered edge of the white lace throw.

"I want you to remember, your 30th birthday is mine to control."