"Auntie Yaoyao, make a wish!" Xiao Bao said excitedly.

  "Auntie Yaoyao, hurry!" His twin sister added.

  Gu Yuyao chuckled at their excitement and blew out the candles. Thanking the heavens for giving her a loving brother and friends who truly cared about her. She also didn't forget to thank her dead brother for giving her a chance to live her life.

  As for He Lianchen, she knew she still owed him an apology for all the pain and trouble she subjected him to before. She admitted that no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was over him, she was still madly in love with him and it scared her.

  "What did you wish for, Yaoyao?" He Lianchen asked her once they started their dinner. Feng Tianyi was busy across them, feeding the two eager little buns and their mother who seemed to take an interest in the recipes the devil was talking about.

  "That's a secret, dear," she winked back at him. "Where's my gift?" She asked curiously.

  He Lianchen furrowed his brows and looked at her. "I thought you said you hate surprises. I didn't prepare one."

  Lies. He told himself. Her engagement ring that was still in his possession was the gift he couldn't wait to give to her. However, he knew this wasn't the right time to propose.

  Gu Yuyao's birthday party ended around nine in the evening and before she and He Lianchen left, Xiao Bao and Little Star had already passed out from exhaustion.

  "Wow, they really tired themselves out." Gu Yuyao told Tang Moyu who was sipping her beer, leaning by the doorframe of the spare room at the guest house, as they watched her twins, who were sprawled on the bed, deep in slumber.

  "They woke up early just to help us. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Tang Moyu asked her friend as she closed the door behind her, letting the twins sleep for the night. They went to the porch and looked at the bright moon above the sky, illuminating the garden.

  "I'll be fine, Moyu. I'm so sorry for troubling you," Gu Yuyao rubbed her arm and looked away. "I also apologize for keeping secrets from you."

  "Yaoyao, you owe me nothing," Tang Moyu patted her friend's shoulder and shook her head. "I understand that there are things you aren't ready to share with us, but I hope you won't forget that Meili and I will always be here for you, no matter what happens."

  Gu Yuyao felt like she was about to cry again. Who said that this empress was cold and unfeeling? Those people who talked bad about the empress probably had no idea how kindhearted she could be.

  "What about your family? Have they contacted you yet?" Tang Moyu asked curiously. Gu Yuyao had already been with them for weeks. It would be impossible for the Gu family to not know that Gu Yuyao was here in Shenzhen.

  "Not yet, but I'm sure they will." This time, there was no hesitation nor fear in Gu Yuyao's eyes. After her heartfelt confession to He Lianchen, she suddenly felt courageous to face the family that had abandoned her for years.

  "Then that's good to hear. Call me anytime if you need anything," Tang Moyu reassured her before she left Peach Blossom Garden with He Lianchen.

  The drive back to her apartment was filled with silence, but the tension between her and He Lianchen was apparent. It wasn't hard to notice how they craved for each other.

  As soon as her door closed behind them, He Lianchen had pinned Gu Yuyao between him and the door and kissed her with unbridled hunger. He wanted her to remember that he was still with her, and nothing could hurt her anymore as long as she was with him.

  Through his kisses, He Lianchen hoped that she wouldn't dare to forget about him, to leave him again. He didn't want her to feel alone, ever. All he knew was that he was willing to do everything in his capabilities to make her happy.

  Gu Yuyao accepted him and let the fire consume both of them. With him, she would never need to pretend that she was alright again. She was aware that something had changed between them since her confession earlier.

  With heavy-lidded eyes, she looked at him filled with desire. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. They pulled each other's clothes and threw it haphazardly on her cold floor as He Lianchen picked her up, brought her to her bedroom, and tossed her on the bed.

  Flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and tousled hair. Gu Yuyao was still as beautiful as He Lianchen remembered.

  The two made love to each other with her body moving along his as it used to many years ago. Memories flashed through their mind, elation coursing through them as they realize that they could still excite each other.

  He Lianchen was the first one who succumbed to slumber. Gu Yuyao however, had a hard time falling asleep next to him. Morning came and she heard her doorbell rang, indicating the arrival of an unexpected guest.

  When she opened the door, the words she heard were ones that Gu Yuyao had already anticipated. A man in crisp suit, dark sunglasses with an earpiece was standing right outside her door. She raised a brow on him.

  "Miss Yuyao, it's time to return home."