Capítulo 53: 53
The day Pei Yujang showed Yu Zhiwan her ID, Yu Zhiwan asked for her real birthday. However, Pei Yujang didn't actually know her exact birthdate. She only remembered that she was taken away around the time when spring began, so she set her birthday around this period.
Yu Zhiwan leaned against her, gently pinching her cheek:
"Why don't we celebrate our birthdays together?"
The pinch was a bit strong, and Pei Yujang's words came out a little garbled before she managed to respond with a single word:
"Sure…"
In reality, if you counted the time she lived in her previous life, Pei Yujang was older than Yu Zhiwan. But according to the original host's age, she was actually younger than Yu Zhiwan. For some reason, Pei Yujang could still maintain her composure in front of others, but when it came to Yu Zhiwan, all her authority seemed to vanish, leaving her completely at Yu Zhiwan's mercy.
Just like now, she wasn't quite sure what Yu Zhiwan planned to do, but since the other person had already made the suggestion and it wasn't something unreasonable, Pei Yujang decided to go along with it.
They had initially planned to have a family meal after the music festival, but they intended to leave early during the final song.
After the music festival ends, there's usually an interactive session led by the host, followed by a curtain call where all the guests bow, and perhaps a final group performance or other activities. But by that point, it wouldn't be as interesting anymore.
There were many cars parked near the stadium, and leaving together would likely result in a traffic jam. Pei Yujang thought about it for a moment, tidied up the area, sent a message to Pei Jinhuai, and without waiting for a reply, left with Yu Zhiwan.
VIP tickets came with a fast track, making it easy to come and go without any hassle. As they exited, Pei Yujang received a set of merchandise from the staff waiting at the door. She thanked them with a smile and took Yu Zhiwan's share as well.
The music festival's sound waves were deafening inside the venue and could still be heard clearly outside. Fortunately, there were no residential areas nearby. Surrounding the stadium was a serene lake, a small artificial branch of Yi Lake. It was now close to six in the evening, and the area had been cleared, leaving it almost deserted. The only thing visible was the countless cars in the parking lot.
Since it was a company team-building event, there were shuttle buses with the Yue Rong logo, making it easy for Pei Yujang to find the nearby bus. As she boarded, she couldn't help but remark:
"No wonder everyone loves music festivals. You really feel the energy of the music when you're there. It's quite stress-relieving."
Even though she wasn't a fan of any of the performers and didn't know most of them, she still managed to immerse herself in the atmosphere.
It was only then that Pei Yujang realized why someone like Yu Zhiwan, who typically didn't enjoy noisy environments, had brought her to the music festival. It wasn't because Yu Zhiwan wanted to attend herself, but because she wanted to bring her along.
This feeling of being cared for moved her, softening her gaze as she looked at the person beside her.
She had brought Yu Zhiwan to Ningxiang to complete a task, to prevent the heroine from darkening too quickly. But now, Yu Zhiwan's darkness value hadn't increased for a long time, and Pei Yujang no longer felt the need to maintain that task.
Yu Zhiwan had no task regarding her. Bringing her to the music festival and planning the birthday celebration was purely to make her happy.
"Zhiyuan," Pei Yujang started the car and entered the location Yu Zhiwan had mentioned into the GPS. Everything had already been booked and timed perfectly. "Do you like it here?"
She wanted to say that if Yu Zhiwan didn't like it, they wouldn't have to come again, but she was met with a soft laugh from the Omega.
Yu Zhiwan turned her head:
"Do I seem like the type to force myself to do things I don't like?"
Not at all.
Pei Yujang responded internally, immediately feeling relieved, and became excited about the day's plans.
The original host's birthday was in the summer, and Pei Jinhuai always made a big deal out of it each year. But this was the first time Pei Yujang herself had celebrated her birthday properly, making her both excited and a little nervous.
Yu Zhiwan had booked a restaurant next to a shopping mall. Since they arrived early, they decided to spend some time in the arcade.
Yu Zhiwan loaded a hundred yuan onto a game card, which came with ten free credits for a first-time purchase. The arcade was already bustling at this time of day. It was Pei Yujang's first time here, but the original host had been before. After recalling the instructions and the gameplay, Pei Yujang quickly searched for a game machine that Yu Zhiwan could play.
Dancing and shooting games were out of the question, so Pei Yujang debated between basketball and the claw machine, ultimately deciding to start with the claw machine.
Although Yu Zhiwan couldn't see, each claw machine had a sample plush hanging in front of it. Pei Yujang led Yu Zhiwan to feel each one before stopping in front of a Cinnamoroll plush.
"Isn't this the same one we had with our milk tea?"
"Yes." Pei Yujang, accustomed to her keen senses, bent down, "Do you want it?"
Yu Zhiwan nodded, and Pei Yujang guided her hand to the joystick.
"I'll guide you, and when I say press, use your other hand to press the button."
The Omega's smooth skin brushed against hers, feeling warm even under the air conditioning. Pei Yujang focused intently on the Cinnamoroll in the cabinet, gently guiding Yu Zhiwan's hand as she moved the joystick.
As her vision continued to recover, the vibrant colors of the world reappeared before her eyes. Yu Zhiwan greedily took in the long-lost hues, the large patches of white and the beautiful blue eyes of the Cinnamoroll dancing before her. To give her a sense of participation, Pei Yujang leaned down, almost pressing against her shoulder, though she made sure not to put any weight on her.
Yu Zhiwan could see and could grasp the controls, but she savored the sensation of being enveloped in the woman's presence, letting Pei Yujang's hand rest lightly on hers as they moved the joystick together.
"Three, two, one…"
Claw machines in arcades often have weak grips. Although the claw seemed to catch the Cinnamoroll by the head, it barely lifted it before dropping it back down without moving it much.
Pei Yujang clicked her tongue, inserted two more credits, and said:
"Let's try again. Something was off just now!"
The second attempt missed slightly, and the third time, the claw failed again, dropping the Cinnamoroll mid-air. After several tries, Pei Yujang realized something was wrong with the machine and gave up in frustration.
To her surprise, the couple playing beside them suddenly burst into cheers. The girl jumped up and down, shouting:
"We got it! We got the Miku figurine!"
The boy patted his girlfriend's head affectionately and boasted:
"See? I'm pretty good, right?"
Overjoyed, the girl stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before the two of them headed off to the next claw machine hand in hand. Pei Yujang noticed that the boy already had several plush toys in his hands, apparently aiming to collect all the good ones.
Not wanting to lose to the boy, Pei Yujang returned to the Cinnamoroll machine with renewed determination. This time, she waited until the previous player had finished before stepping up.
After several failed attempts by the previous player, Pei Yujang only needed four credits to successfully win the Cinnamoroll.
Hearing the thud, Yu Zhiwan smiled and eagerly bent down to "search" for the prize, picking it up.
The quality of the plush toys in this claw machine was excellent, filled with soft cotton that made them wonderfully huggable. Yu Zhiwan, having rarely experienced such girlish indulgences, was thrilled and urged Pei Yujang to move on to the next claw machine.
By the time they were done, they had won a total of ten plush toys. There were too many to carry, so they decided to keep just the Cinnamoroll and stored the rest at the counter for later retrieval.
Their next stop was the five-star restaurant Yu Zhiwan had reserved. It was expensive, but the service matched the price. The neatly dressed staff greeted them at the door and led them to a specially decorated birthday suite. As soon as Pei Yujang entered, her foot pressed a sensor button, releasing colorful streamers from above.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you~"
Pei Yujang quickly raised her hand to shield herself, muttering softly, "How childish!" But the smile on her face was unmistakable.
This was the first time in her life that she had celebrated her birthday so properly.
There was a birthday song, streamers, and brightly colored balloons with her name on them, swaying gently in the warm breeze of the private room. If the strings were untied, they would float all over the place.
This kind of birthday setting was something she had only read about in novels, a happiness that one who had never experienced it would long for. As the AI sang the birthday song a second time, Yu Zhiwan quietly sang along.
"Happy birthday."
Yu Zhiwan's gaze was soft, but Pei Yujang, with her eyes closed, didn't notice. She was busy making a wish before the candle burned out. The candle was custom-made with her name on it, but no age was listed, as her age was too uncertain to calculate.
Pei Yujang quickly made her wish.
There's a saying that if you reveal your wish, it won't come true, so Yu Zhiwan didn't ask what it was. Instead, she urged Pei Yujang to cut the cake, saying she was starving.
The cake had a fruit filling, made with fresh cream, soft, delicious, and not overly sweet. After cutting a slice for each of them, Pei Yujang rang the service bell, and the well-prepared waitstaff promptly brought out the appetizers.
The dishes here weren't pre-prepared but freshly made. After finishing two small portions of appetizers, the waiter brought out several cold and hot dishes, including Yu Zhiwan's favorite stir-fried beef and her beloved grilled tilapia, along with cold dishes like cilantro mixed with pig ears and chilled noodles.
Pei Yujang quickly noticed that the food today was mainly meant to accompany alcohol.
Because of her health, Yu Zhiwan rarely drank, and Pei Yujang hardly touched alcohol either. Her abstinence came from habits formed during military campaigns. She would only occasionally take a sip when it was extremely cold, not out of a craving for alcohol, but to warm her blood and speed up circulation to avoid freezing.
The weather conditions in the apocalypse were harsh too. Winters were bitterly cold, with temperatures plunging to dozens of degrees below zero, while summers were scorching, reaching over forty degrees. Electricity was a luxury; there was nothing like the comfort of air conditioning now.
To her surprise, Yu Zhiwan had the waiter bring out two bottles of "Chunjiang."
"Chunjiang" was the most famous liquor in the entire nation, a recipe passed down from ancient times. The alcohol content was normal, not overly strong. Its strengths were that it wasn't harsh on the nose or throat, but it wasn't very beginner-friendly—drinking it could easily go to your head.
Yu Zhiwan was physically disabled and an Omega. Although Pei Yujang had never discussed this with her, she instinctively felt that Omega's generally had a low tolerance for alcohol.
"This liquor…"
"Can you handle it?"
But before Pei Yujang could finish speaking, Yu Zhiwan had already asked the waiter for an opener, opened one of the bottles, and poured herself a glass. White liquor is served in small glasses, about the length of a finger, but Pei Yujang was still a bit concerned.
"The car has automatic navigation and driving, and if worse comes to worst, we can call a driver."
Pei Yujang was about to say more, but Yu Zhiwan seemed to know what she was going to say and raised a hand, placing her slender finger against her lips.
It was only then that Pei Yujang noticed that she had applied light makeup today.
Yu Zhiwan's lips were naturally pale, so any lipstick would stand out on her. Pei Yujang recognized that she was wearing the same shade, Mermaid, but it looked entirely different on her. Omega's plump lips must have been primed with a different color, with the subtle shimmer overlaying the rich red, resembling a rosebud in full bloom, tempting one to peer deeper into its vibrant center.
As the finger moved away from her full lips, the overhead light reflected a faint trace of red left on her pale finger, a hint of the alluring color wiped away. The neatly folded napkin was placed on the table before her.
Pei Yujang couldn't help but admire Pei Jinhuai's impeccable taste once more.
Yu Zhiwan, in this moment, was inexplicably seductive. The lip gloss on her lips exuded a myriad of emotions, neither stiff nor confined, making one want to follow her lead willingly.
Pei Yujang wasn't exactly a lightweight when it came to drinking. While she wasn't immune to alcohol, her tolerance was likely better than Yu Zhiwan's.
Although it was her birthday, and she should have the final say, she thought to herself—after all, it was Zhiyuan's small request...
Pei Yujang filled her glass, then downed it in one gulp.
Chunjiang lived up to its reputation. Unlike other white liquors that burned the mouth like fire, it was smooth and didn't take long to get used to, with no unpleasant aftertaste.
She could detect a faint blend of grain and osmanthus aromas. This particular Chunjiang was the autumn edition. Chunjiang had a series for each season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The autumn version was naturally brewed with osmanthus.
The spring edition featured peach blossoms, leaning towards a sweeter flavor, but not as soft and lingering as osmanthus.
Yu Zhiwan smiled with satisfaction as she heard Pei Yujang pour the drink, raising her glass to toast her:
"Cheers."
This was the first time Pei Yujang drank alone with an Omega.
But she had a feeling that Yu Zhiwan could probably drink more than most Omegas.
The osmanthus wine was sweet and mild, but the aftertaste quickly faded. Without realizing it, they had drunk more than half a bottle. Although it was only a small glass at a time, the amount added up, and Pei Yujang started to feel it.
She had strong self-control, so when she felt she had enough, she capped the bottle and went to the bathroom in the private room.
But when she came out, she was startled to find the Omega had opened the bottle again and was drinking by herself.
Pei Yujang was shocked and quickly approached, noticing that in just a few minutes, the bottle was nearly empty. She frowned and lightly tapped the table:
"Zhiwan?"
"Yu Zhiwan!"
Yu Zhiwan was drunk, her long neck weakly slumped on the table, her fingers idly tapping the bottle, which was engraved with the words "Good wine is fine, but don't overindulge." Her breathing was erratic and burning hot.
They had hardly touched the dishes while drinking, leaving the table full of untouched food. Pei Yujang had originally planned to have the waiter pack it up, but as she approached the Omega, besides the scent of alcohol, she also detected a faint whiff of pheromones.
The fragrance of rose and raspberry was as intoxicating as orchid and musk, a heady scent that, once inhaled, felt like a poison, compelling her to stop and move closer.
Pei Yujang grabbed a wet napkin from the table and wiped her face, trying to stay alert as a string of dates flashed through her mind, finally settling on a particular day she had seen marked on the calendar at Yu Zhiwan's house.
It was the date Yu Zhiwan had noted for her heat cycle.
An Omega's heat cycle was akin to a Beta woman's menstrual cycle. It was generally stable unless there were special circumstances, occurring once a month and lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the Omega's condition. It wasn't exactly the same as a menstrual period.
One similarity was that Omegas tended to be more emotionally volatile and preferred close contact during this time. Pei Yujang had accompanied Yu Zhiwan through a heat cycle once before, but afterward, she let her use inhibitors at home alone, even helping her deliver them on one occasion.
Yu Zhiwan wasn't someone who lacked self-control. For her to get this drunk suggested that this heat cycle was intense, coming on suddenly without warning.
Pei Yujang quickly lifted her long hair and felt for the small gland on the back of her neck. Fortunately, Yu Zhiwan had applied a suppressor patch before going out, so the scent wouldn't spread too much, avoiding any disruption to public order.
After the initial anxiety passed, Pei Yujang made a decisive move, lifting Yu Zhiwan from the table. She paused, then placed her on the sofa, rang the service bell, and asked the waiter to pack up all the dishes and the cake.
Yu Zhiwan rolled over on the sofa.
A few minutes later, Pei Yujang carried the Omega to the car, placing the packed food in the passenger seat. As she was about to put her in the back seat, she suddenly heard the woman mutter softly.
"Wife…"
"Hmm?"
Yu Zhiwan's murmur was unclear, so Pei Yujang leaned closer, only to have her earlobe lightly pinched. She couldn't dodge in time, her ear caught and her movement stilled as she heard the Omega's delicate voice call out:
"Wife, are you taking me home?"
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