"Yeah," he replied, still slightly breathless, rushing to explain. "I finished my exam this afternoon early, bought a ticket, and came straight here." He then slumped dramatically. "Aw, you don't look surprised at all. I guess you don't like your present." He clutched his chest with the arm covered by his raincoat sleeve. "My heart is broken! Ow!"

The rain outside was torrential. Droplets clung to his face, and his bangs were plastered to his forehead, looking adorably pathetic.

"But," he declared, "being the clever guy I am, I have a backup plan."

He gestured for Qiao Li to move aside and struggled to remove his raincoat one-handed.

Qiao Li wanted to help but was stopped by Feng Yi. "Don't come over here. You'll get splashed."

Finally, with the raincoat off, Qiao Li saw a cake box in his other hand.

He stepped inside, bringing with him the chill of the rainy night, and closed the door. Without a trace of fatigue, he energetically changed his shoes and hurried into the living room with the cake.

Qiao Li followed him. He placed the cake on the coffee table and turned to her, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Should we blow out the candles first or open the presents?"

"I..."

"Okay, okay," he interrupted, "I know, both options are incredibly tempting. Let's blow out the candles first." Qiao Li didn't even have a chance to speak.

Feng Yi took the cake out of the box, inserted the candles, lit them with the provided lighter, then dashed over to switch off the lights before rushing back.

"Make a wish, make a wish!" he urged Qiao Li.

Overwhelmed by his enthusiasm, Qiao Li obediently crouched down, closed her eyes, and made a simple wish for peace and safety. Feng Yi immediately launched into "Happy Birthday."

Having no elaborate desires, Qiao Li opened her eyes after her brief wish.

Feng Yi stopped singing and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Make a few more wishes. It's your birthday; the heavens won't mind you being greedy."

Qiao Li dutifully closed her eyes again, racking her brain for more wishes.

Feng Yi finished the Chinese version of the song and, without pausing, started singing the English version. He seemed determined to give Qiao Li a half-hour to extort the heavens for every possible blessing.

Qiao Li opened her eyes with a sigh. "Okay, I'm done. I made lots of wishes."

"Alright," he said, feigning disappointment before switching to an expression of pure excitement. "Blow out the candles! Blow them out!"

Qiao Li blew out the candles.

The room plunged into darkness. Feng Yi clapped enthusiastically, like a kindergartener celebrating a birthday at McDonald's.

He sprang up, flipped the lights back on, and dashed back, finally taking off his backpack.

Now, a hint of hesitation crept into his demeanor. He fidgeted with the zipper, muttering, "Um... it's not a very good present, just... um... well... don't be disappointed, okay?"

Seeing his nervous glances, Qiao Li felt an urge to ruffle his hair. "I won't be."

Still hesitant, Feng Yi took a deep breath. "You promised." He quickly unzipped the backpack.

He pulled out a small box, his hands trembling slightly. "This is a necklace. I picked it out myself. It might not be very pretty. I don't really know about this stuff."

He blushed, watching Qiao Li's expression as he slowly opened the box.

Inside lay a simple, elegant necklace, completely unlike Feng Yi's usual boisterous style. It was a classic design, appropriate for any occasion.

Qiao Li could almost picture him standing at the counter, carefully scrutinizing each piece, brows furrowed in concentration.

"I love it," she said.