Coming-Of-Age Gift

Sheng Xiao turned to find Mu Qiqi. "Why are you up?" He promptly asked.

"Is it really you?" Mu Qiqi got in front of Sheng Xiao in her pink pajamas, appearing very excited. "Why didn't you come in if you're here?"

"I'm heading to France immediately," Sheng Xiao told her as he wore his gloves.

"Oh. When are you coming back?"

"I'm not sure."

Mu Qiqi quickly lowered her head to hide her disappointed look, but soon looked up again. "You should hurry, then…"

"Didn't you find anything when you opened your door?" Sheng Xiao asked, returning to the living room since he was found out. 

"The lights are out… I didn't see it…" Mu Qiqi said as she hurried upstairs, finding the blue gift box outside her door which she picked up and opened.

She exploded in delight when she found the hairpin embedded with a blue diamond, and hurried downstairs again to ask Sheng Xiao, "Is that for me?"

He nodded. "A gift for your coming-of-age."

Mu Qiqi realized that it was a present he had come specially to give her as she reached adulthood. She felt an impulse right then to get close to Sheng Xiao, stand on her toes and give him a soft kiss on his cheek.

Except that she did not just think—and had put thoughts into action.

Sheng Xiao was left dumbstruck, while her own heart was thumping madly.

Perhaps afraid that he would get angry, she quickly turned and sprinted upstairs, gift in hand. "Be careful on your way, I'm going back to bed…"

Sheng Xiao reached out to touch the spot where Mu Qiqi kissed him.

Wasn't that little one being too wild?

Even so, he was not angry. He merely turned by instinct towards Su Zipei's room, and it was after he made sure that she did not wake up that he pretended nothing happened, and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, Mu Qiqi leaped excitedly into her crisp white bed after returning to her room as if she had done something untoward that mustn't be seen.

She was at once embarrassed and thrilled. Even after Sheng Xiao had driven off, her wildly beating heart would not be still.

Then, hidden beneath her sheets, she opened the gift box again and took out the hairpin. In the very moment she held it on her palm, Mu Qiqi felt as if she had received the greatest treasure there is.

It was from Xiaoxiao.

It was Xiaoxiao's coming-of-age present for her!

What should she do? She probably would not be getting any sleep tonight…

And although she thought that she was wrong to kiss him, she just couldn't control herself.

After all, midnight had passed and she was now eighteen.

Did that mean she had the freedom to like another person now?

***

In fact, Mu Qiqi was not alone in that respect.

Sheng Xiao was also remembering that peck on his cheek even as he made his way to the airport.

It was completely different from adult kisses which embodied desire. Mu Qiqi's kiss was so soft that it was almost no kiss at all, as much as it was ridiculously vague.

As for him…

He didn't restrain himself either, instead allowing himself to be caught.

His first reaction to being kissed was to have no one else notice—especially Su Zipei. He wanted to keep Mu Qiqi's admiration to himself.

Soon, he reached the airport, when Jing Yun messaged him that he was waiting in the VIP rest area. Sheng Xiao arrived when Jing Yun told him after getting their tickets, "Young Master, it's time. Let's go through the checkpoint…"

Suddenly, Mu Qiqi's words crossed Sheng Xiao's mind.

'When are you coming back…'

Sheng Xiao thought things through for a moment before putting his gloves on again, and turned to leave the airport.

"Young Master, where are you going?"

"Home. To sleep."

"But tomorrow's the product launch in France…"

"The old man is already there. It's not that important whether I show up, and after staying busy for so long, I'm giving myself a holiday."

Jing Yun was left taken aback for a moment, but in the end, he was used to it.

Sheng Xiao's temper had been ever fluctuating. Nobody could force him in what he would or would not do.

He had already left the airport with those words, and though Jing Yun was helpless, he was not too shocked. He simply gave Papa Sheng a call and report the situation on his end.

Papa Sheng snorted coldly from the other end of the call. "I knew it, that pattern of his… whatever. Get prepared, Jing Yun."

"Yes, Master Sheng." Jing Yun answered.

***

Mu Qiqi was unaware that Sheng Xiao did not leave Jianchuan, and went to school as usual on the next morning.

However, Su Zipei abruptly asked her during breakfast, "Did you hear anything last night?"

Mu Qiqi's heart tightened, but she kept calm and replied, "Could you be hearing things, Aunt Zipei?"

"Well, whatever. Why would I ask that? It's your birthday—I've made you some of my best dishes, take it to school with you."

"Thanks, Aunt Zipei."

Still, afraid that Su Zipei would interrogate her about last night, Mu Qiqi quickly finished her breakfast and left.

She had come to the realization that she must never let anyone learn that she likes Sheng Xiao, or her aunt would be the first to protest.

Sheng Xiao was twenty-six while she had just become eighteen. Along with their guardian-ward relationship, Su Zipei's perception was that Sheng Xiao is like a brother to Mu Qiqi and nothing else. Would she even expect that Mu Qiqi thought so much about him?

For her own part, Mu Qiqi often reminded herself that she must keep her admiration hidden well for him and herself.

She knew that she and her aunt would not be allowed to stay with the Sheng family if that was exposed.

Therefore, she must guard her diary even more closely.

When she arrived at school, Mu Tangxue had already told their classmates about the time for the night's party.

Naturally, she reminded Mu Qiqi in passing.

"Six-thirty tonight, Sis. We're not ending until we see you, and remember to bring Aunt Zipei…"

Mu Qiqi responded with a cool look. Mu Tangxue might be pleased now, but that might not be the case tonight.

Be that as it may, Mu Qiqi found that Su Zipei did not prepare at all when she reached home.

"Are you not going, Aunt Zipei?" Mu Qiqi asked, staring at her aunt in confusion.

"Something else came up, so I can't make it. Moreover, I'm just going to embarrass even if I go… you should go alone." Su Zipei smiled. "I'll bake you a cake; we can celebrate when we get home."

"But…"

"I believe you can handle it. You're now eighteen and an adult, no one can force you to do anything you don't want to do."

With those words, Su Zipei passed Mu Qiqi her dress. "Get changed. I'll help you pretty up."

Mu Qiqi simply did not expect that Su Zipei was preparing a surprise for her right then—her niece certainly should not be coming of age ever so simply.

Being her aunt, she had no strengths in particular, and had to do all she could to make her niece feel happy.

Nonetheless, Mu Qiqi nodded and stop trying to force Su Zipei. She took her dress into her own room to get changed.

Now, she was a lady of the Sheng family—not the Mu family.

She absolutely would not embarrass Xiaoxiao!