Chapter 10

"Ah... this... is not easy to ask for..." Qin Yan didn't expect Yang Ye to invite her out. Although she really wanted to go, if she took a leave, she would lose her wages for the day, and her perfect attendance would be ruined.

"Even if it's not easy, you still have to ask for it. Hurry up, just for the morning, come with me to buy some things!" Yang Ye said with a feigned anger.

"Alright, alright, wait a moment, I'll ask for leave and go back to change my clothes..." Compromise was necessary.

...

More than an hour later, Yang Ye finally saw Qin Yan. She had already changed into a beige T-shirt and a pair of jeans, both old. The clothes fit tightly, outlining her graceful figure. Her hair had been washed and dried, emitting a pleasant scent. Her face, without makeup, wore a faint smile, making her look very comfortable.

Yang Ye checked the time; it was 9:30 AM, and there was still time.

"Let's go, it's a bit tight on time."

"Okay, where are we going today, Brother Xiao Ye? Why do you need to bring me along?" Qin Yan asked, frowning, as if she couldn't think of any reason why Yang Ye would need to invite her out.

"Buy clothes." A straightforward answer.

"Brother Xiao Ye is buying clothes? My taste is really good, I can guarantee to pick the best ones for you!" Qin Yan said excitedly, as if she were buying for herself. Come to think of it, she hadn't bought new clothes in almost two years...

"Not for me, for someone else, a girl, about your size, so I want you to try them on to make sure they fit." Yang Ye smiled.

"Oh... a girl... Alright, let's go." Her mood instantly dropped, and Yang Ye noticed and smiled inwardly.

It seemed that hearing Yang Ye was buying new clothes for another girl made Qin Yan sullen and uninterested throughout the trip. Yang Ye didn't care and dragged her through various women's clothing stores.

"Hmm? How about this purple dress... it's very pretty." Yang Ye held up a purple dress and compared it to Qin Yan.

"Uh, very pretty..." Qin Yan replied listlessly.

"Hey? This beige dress is also nice, try it on." Yang Ye handed the dress to Qin Yan to try on.

Qin Yan took the dress and reluctantly put it on.

"Beautiful, really beautiful, this dress looks great! But I remember she doesn't like beige, let's try another one." Although Qin Yan didn't like the dress, she still hoped to get Yang Ye's praise. However, Yang Ye only praised the dress, not her, which made her feel frustrated. She pouted and changed back into her own clothes.

...

The two tried on dozens of dresses in various stores but didn't buy any. Qin Yan had a particular liking for a pure white dress, and she felt an impulse to buy it on the spot. But when she saw the price—9,700 yuan! She might never be able to afford it...

They spent two hours shopping, and although they didn't buy any clothes, they did buy a box of pastries. Qin Yan wanted to throw the box away, but Yang Ye had gone to buy it alone.

By noon, they went to a supermarket and bought a lot of vegetables, meat, and snacks, spending nearly a thousand yuan. Despite the extravagance, Qin Yan didn't say anything, though she wanted to.

Back home, they temporarily placed everything at Qin Yan's house. They quickly cooked a couple of small dishes, and the three of them had a simple lunch. Then Qin Yan went back to work.

Qin Yan was actually very angry. She had taken a half-day off just to help another woman try on clothes and buy things. She decided to be mad at Brother Xiao Ye for a week to see if he would dare to do it again!

Meanwhile, at Qin Yan's home.

"Auntie, it's done, Qin Yan has left, let's start."

"Good, good, it's rare for you to have such a heart, Qin Yan will be very happy." Qin Yan's mother smiled, liking this young man more and more.

Yang Ye chuckled, "Happy? I bet she's fuming right now."

At 2 PM

Ribbon was pulled, balloons were blown up, small fireworks were set up, and banners were hung, all kinds of decorations...

At 3 PM

Vegetables were washed, fish were cut, shells were peeled, and the ingredients were prepared, ready to be cooked.

At 4 PM

The extra-large cake was delivered, and Yang Ye carefully placed it.

At 5 PM, everything was set up, and he started cooking. The cake was taken out and candles were inserted.

At 6 PM, it was Qin Yan's quitting time. Although she had worked hard all day, she had no complaints. She wanted to get home early to prepare dinner for her mother and Brother Xiao Ye. But since Brother Xiao Ye had bought a lot of things, would they eat at her place? Well, it didn't matter, just one more pair of chopsticks. Qin Yan carefully planned and bought some tofu and vegetables at the market, humming a tune as she walked home.

The way home wasn't far, passing by various shops, toy stores, fruit stands, and beautiful clothing stores, as well as many cake shops...

"Should I buy a small cake...?" Qin Yan thought, standing outside a cake shop. It was her birthday today, a small indulgence...

She entered the shop, filled with the sweet scent of cream, and the warm lights flickered. All the cakes seemed to have an alluring charm.

Qin Yan walked around and saw a small mousse cake, topped with a layer of chocolate, a layer of cream, and a beautiful cream flower with a fresh cherry on top, priced at 33 yuan.

Qin Yan bit her lip, her hand holding the money tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened... In the end, she didn't buy it, 33 yuan—too expensive.

On the way, she looked at the beautiful clothes displayed in the shop windows, feeling an urge to cry for the first time—

On her birthday, she couldn't even afford a 33-yuan birthday cake.

...

After a ten-minute walk, Qin Yan finally reached her front door. She looked back at Yang Ye's door, which was tightly locked. He must have gone out, right?

"Click," Qin Yan pushed the door open...

"Qin Yan! Happy birthday!!"

"Bang! Bang!"

Qin Yan stared blankly at Yang Ye, who was wearing a pointed hat, holding two small fireworks. The fireworks had just gone off, and colorful, glittering confetti was falling from the ceiling. After the fireworks, Yang Ye picked up a small trumpet hanging around his neck, blowing it while saying, "Oh, the birthday girl is here, come in and sit down." He then went behind Qin Yan, took her things, and pushed her inside, closing the door with his foot.

Qin Yan, who had been in a daze since entering, finally responded, "Brother Xiao Ye, Mom, what are you doing?"

"What are we doing? Of course, it's your birthday, and all the dishes are made by me." Yang Ye's face was filled with a boyish smile, making Qin Yan feel warm.

"Do you... remember my birthday?"

"Of course, silly, your Brother Xiao Ye has been busy all day."

Yang Ye, he... remembered?

They all remembered... they all remembered...

Thinking of this, Qin Yan couldn't hold back her tears and threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing.

Yang Ye stopped and quietly watched the strong girl, feeling a bit restless inside. He had to protect this girl, he must!

...

After crying for a few minutes, Qin Yan's sobs gradually subsided. She lifted her head, wiped her face, and glared at Yang Ye, "Brother Xiao Ye, you tricked me!"

Yang Ye, knowing he was in the wrong, rubbed his nose and didn't answer. He then turned and brought out the 24-inch cake, "Okay, it's my fault, I'll make it up to you with a super big cake!"

Qin Yan burst into laughter, saying proudly, "Hmph, you know better, bring the cake over!"

The cake was placed on the table, and the candles were already inserted. Yang Ye lit them with a lighter, closed the curtains, and sang a terrible birthday song under Qin Yan's white-eyed gaze.

"Come, make a wish and blow out the candles." Yang Ye said.

Qin Yan closed her eyes and made a wish, smiling. Yang Ye knew that at this moment, she and her wish were both happy.

Puff! Qin Yan puffed out her cheeks and blew out all the candles. This year, she would be happy.

"Yay, Qin Yan, happy birthday. Here, this is the gift I prepared for you, open it and see." Yang Ye handed her a beautifully wrapped gift box, a square, not too thick or long. What could it be?

Qin Yan took the gift box and opened it curiously.

A beautiful pure white dress, the very one she had wanted the most. Qin Yan hugged the dress and burst into tears again.

Yang Ye was about to comfort her when he saw Qin Yan jump up and quickly kiss his cheek, then blush and quickly fold the dress, lowering her head.

This little girl, your mother is watching, you're really bold. But this way, my confession should be foolproof.

Qin Yan's mother just smiled, her smile filled with many meanings.

...

The three of them chatted and ate until 10 PM. Yang Ye and Qin Yan spent about ten minutes cleaning up.

"Qin Yan." Yang Ye called.

"Hmm?"

"Let's take a walk, I have something to tell you."

"Okay, Mom, do you want to come too, for a walk?"

"No, no, I have a TV show I want to watch tonight." Qin Yan's mother, who was she? She could see through this setup. She immediately declined.

"Alright, Mom, I'll get you a glass of water, we'll be back soon."

Ha, don't come back, stay out until tomorrow, then I'll have a grandson. Qin Yan's mother thought happily.

...

Qing Shan Lake Park.

Yang Ye and Qin Yan walked side by side. Qin Yan's face was still flushed, whether from the joy of her birthday or from kissing Yang Ye.

"Qin Yan."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"I want to say... I want to say..."

Damn, my mouth, usually so smooth in games, why can't I open it now...

"What do you want to say?"

"I want to say... I... I want to say, are you happy today?" Damn, what did I just say! Yang Ye scolded himself.

"Yes, very happy, thank you for the gift, but it's too expensive. Let's return it tomorrow." Her eyes clearly showed reluctance, but she said she wanted to return it.

"No need, today I earned 60,000 yuan, don't worry, money won't be a problem anymore." The topic is being taken away by Qin Yan! What to do!

"Really? What did you do to earn so much? You didn't rob anyone, did you?"

"What are you saying? I sold an item in a game for 60,000 yuan." Damn, talking about games with a girl is a big no-no!

"Really? That's such good luck, but Brother Xiao Ye, it's better to work steadily in the future, this kind of luck won't..."

"Qin Yan."

"Hmm?"

Phew—Yang Ye took a deep breath.

"I like you, will you be my girlfriend?"

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