280— Unwrapping His Birthday Gifts

Her voice was pleasant, but Li Chuanmo just knew instinctively that he had to word his answer carefully. "Wife, you're the only one I want to receive messages like that from. Whoever this Anna is, she's not important."

Appeased, Pei Yueran responded, "That's better."

Li Chuanmo smiled indulgently. Being able to make her jealous was a pretty good gain.

While Li Chuanmo continued checking other messages, Pei Yueran got up to go get his birthday gift.

Li Chuanmo was reading an email from one of his business partners when she returned carrying a box. Surprised, he watched her approach, thoughts of reading the remaining messages far from his mind.

"From me to you." She said as she handed it over.

The corrugated cardboard box was not too large, but it had considerable weight, making Li Chuanmo wonder at what it contained.

When he made to open it, she stopped him with a hand, "Don't look. Just pull each item out and try to guess what it is."

"Do I get anything for guessing correctly?"

Pei Yueran: "...."

"You want something?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

"A kiss."

Shaking her head, Pei Yueran agreed even as she called him a profiteer to his face. Li Chuanmo didn't mind. If he could get free kisses, whatever she called him didn't matter.

Then she asked, "What if you don't guess right? How should I punish you?"

"With a kiss as well?" Chairman Li asked hopefully.

Pei Yueran rolled her eyes, "In your dreams. I ought to flick your forehead, but since it's your birthday, I'll forgive you. Do your best."

Nodding, Li Chuanmo agreed and took the first object out. It was an exquisite box beautifully wrapped in colorful paper. Li Chuanmo only felt the package for a moment before opening his mouth, "A wristwatch."

Pei Yueran's mouth twitched, "You're right." She leaned in to give him the promised kiss, pulling away before he could deepen it.

This gift was the most expensive of the lot, but it really didn't hold any suspense. He seemed to like it, but she was sure that was because she was the one that gave it to him.

The good thing was that she knew he didn't have this particular brand yet.

Li Chuanmo was actually pleased with the gift. When he unwrapped it and saw the engraving, he turned smiling hazel eyes on her, "Thank you Honey, I like it very much."

Happy, Pei Yueran smiled as she said, "That's not all. Take out the next one."

The next thing he pulled out was also wrapped, but he found this one difficult to guess. It looked like a cylindrical container of sorts. When he shook it, it sounded like there were a lot of....sticks?"

He looked at Pei Yueran, "Did you buy me fortune telling sticks?"

Pei Yueran laughed. Her laugh was charming and melodious, making him think of summer waves.

"What are you talking about? Wrong." She said in a gloating tone.

"There goes my kiss then. But seriously, what is it?"

"Open it."

When he unwrapped it, Li Chuanmo discovered that he was actually close to the answer. It really was a container filled with about fifteen sticks, looking similar to fortune telling sticks. Just that these ones had different activities on one side and words of endearment on the other side.

Things like "give you a haircut, take you out on a date, cut your nails, accompany you on walks," and even "give you a bath" was handwritten on them, although Pei Yueran really regretted adding the last one to it.

If she knew that taking a bath with Li Chuanmo entailed all that happened earlier, she probably would have thought twice before writing that.

There was also a blank stick, for Li Chuanmo to fill in what he would like her to do.

Li Chuanmo was pleasantly surprised, mainly because it was a novel idea to him. This one received a higher evaluation, "I love it. Thank you Wifey."

Pei Yueran beamed, "I'm glad."

The next one was a bit bulkier and had an odd shape. Looking at it, Li Chuanmo almost asked her if she bought him a vibrator, but he knew that that was pure nonsense.

If he really said that, she would probably knock him on the head.

"What do you think this is?" Pei Yueran pressed when he didn't say anything.

Turning it this way and that, he finally settled on a safer guess, "A body massager?"

Pei Yueran grudgingly leaned down to kiss him in lieu of an answer, "How did you know?"

"I just guessed."

Opening it, it was a handheld back and shoulder massager. By way of explanation, she said, "Your shoulders usually have knots in them. This should help."

They had a massage chair in the room, but she wanted him to have a portable massage device as well.

"Thank you. Though I think you would do a better job with your hands." Just the thought of those almost boneless hands kneading his back made Chairman Li's eyes shine.

Pei Yueran made a sound of disbelief, "Don't humor me. With how hard your muscles are, do you want my fingers to suffer?"

Li Chuanmo grabbed her right hand and kissed the fingertips, "That's true. Forget it."

Now there were only two items left in the box. He picked the one that was shaped like a long box, the kind that held tumblers. He tested it for the weight as he guessed, "A tumbler."

Pei Yueran leaned her head to one side as she thought, then said, "You're close, but not exactly."

When he opened it, it was a portable blender.

"To encourage you to start taking more fruits and shakes instead of coffee."

"You take as much coffee as I do, you know. Besides, I'm healthy enough, am I not?" That tone was as if he would immediately show her how healthy he was if she dared to say the opposite.

Or maybe she was just reading meaning into his words, Pei Yueran couldn't be sure.

But to be safe, she answered with a smile, "I plan to change henceforth, so I bought one for myself as well. And of course you are, but it doesn't hurt to be healthier."

Deciding that she was always right, he nodded. Besides, the thought of managing their health together was unexpectedly appealing.

Satisfied, he reached for the last item.

The final gift was the largest in the box, a rectangular shaped box that was slightly raised and took up almost the entire floor of the cardboard box.

Shaking it slightly, Li Chuanmo was sure of what it was, "A puzzle game."