reignition

Lu Bozhou clenched his fist at his side, then relaxed it, and then clenched it again.

Seeing that he hadn't made any move for a while, Jiang Mian walked over and reached out to pull his chair away.

Lu Bozhou sat down, clasped his hands together, and pursed his lips.

He seemed rather nervous.

Jiang Mian took champagne from the ice bucket and poured it into glasses. Then she lit all the candles on the table.

Jiang Mian sat down opposite him, raised her glass to him, and said, "Happy birthday."

Lu Bozhou wanted to say thank you, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't say a word.

Finally, he simply tilted his head back and drank the champagne in his glass in one gulp, leaving everything unsaid.

Jiang Mian didn't necessarily want to wait for him to speak.

She took a small sip of champagne, put down her glass, and said, "I had thought carefully about what kind of surprise I should prepare for your birthday."

Lu Bozhou didn't speak, he just stared at her intently.

Jiang Mian continued, "After all, a few years ago, I always did the same thing before your birthday, racking my brains to give you a surprise, but then I thought, you come from a wealthy family, you don't lack anything."

"So I could only try my best to prepare some things by hand to show more sincerity. I learned to cook your favorite dishes, learn baking, learn to make cakes. One year, even the wine was made by hand when the grapes ripened the previous year."

Upon hearing Jiang Mian's words, Lu Bozhou's thoughts were instantly drawn back to a few years ago.

Was it a surprise? Of course it was a surprise, but along with the surprise came a sharp pain that tore at his heart, so painful that even his breathing trembled.

Before, it was as if there was a fog before my eyes; now that the fog has been cleared, I can see all the things I had missed...

He felt regret, but also relief. He deeply regretted missing out on so many wonderful things, and the sincerity she offered him.

Even more fortunately, there was a chance to start over...

“I admit that I have grievances against you, but I also have an obsession with you. I can’t understand what I did wrong to deserve such a heart being trampled on.”

"Everyone has a chance to correct their mistakes, but I don't even know what I did wrong. Just because I love you, I have to suffer such humiliation... Is loving you a crime?"

Jiang Mian looked into Lu Bozhou's eyes and uttered a soul-searching question.

Lu Bozhou felt as if he had been stabbed repeatedly in the heart.

"I was wrong," he said in a hoarse voice. "I was wrong."

Jiang Mian seemed to have released some of her emotions. She took a deep breath and said, "Eat up, it should taste alright. I prepared it again according to my memory, as a birthday celebration for you, and also as a way of giving an account to my past self."

It's also a way of telling my past self that those sincere feelings were finally not betrayed, but cherished and treated.

She has to make peace with herself eventually.

"It's delicious." Lu Bozhou ate the birthday dinner she had prepared.

But I still feel it's a bit of a pity, "It would be great if it were your wine."

Jiang Mian looked up at him and said, "Later."

He paused, then added, "It depends on how you perform."

"I'll behave myself."

Although there was no wine she had made herself, there was a birthday cake and birthday gifts.

Jiang Mian pushed the cake with lit candles in front of him and softly sang a birthday song.

"Make a wish."

Jiang Mian looked at him in the candlelight.

"I only have one wish," Lu Bozhou said softly, "that you come back to me and never leave again, so that the three of us can live happily together. That's all I wish for."

Apart from that, nothing else seems to be important.

This wish, however, was not granted by heaven or by fate.

Only she can make it happen for him.

After Lu Bozhou finished speaking, he blew out the candle.

Jiang Mian pointed in another direction, "Your birthday present is over there."

Lu Bozhou stood up and walked over, and saw a large... even though it was covered with a cloth, he could recognize it as a picture frame at a glance.

She had given him paintings before, all with frames covered by cloth like this.

Although he didn't say anything at the time, he actually looked forward to the process of lifting the veil every time.

Lu Bozhou gently reached out and slowly pulled the covering cloth off the picture frame.

Then I saw the painting in the frame, with its warm and bright colors.

He and the child, and she was also in the picture.

Lu Bozhou immediately recognized this as a scene from when they were on the ship.

“Mianmian…” Lu Bozhou’s voice was hoarse as he turned to stare at her blankly.

Jiang Mian looked at him and said, "I've granted your birthday wish."

Lu Bozhou paused for a few seconds before suddenly realizing the meaning behind Jiang Mian's words.

He rushed forward and pulled Jiang Mian into his arms.

Her voice was low, hoarse, and excited, "Really? Really?"

Jiang Mian was held tightly in his arms, and he sighed softly, "Today is your birthday, and birthday people have special privileges, so I'm giving you a chance to fulfill your wish."

Lu Bozhou was speechless, his lips pressed against her ear.

“But Lu Bozhou, this is the only time. I’ve only lived my life once, so I’m only trying one last time. It’s giving you a chance, and it’s also giving myself one last chance for my feelings. If we still can’t make it this time, then… let’s just forget about it.”

Lu Bozhou hugged her tightly, "Once is enough. Once is enough for me to thank God."

Thank God for bringing this woman back, thank God for giving him another chance.

He will be grateful and fortunate for this for the rest of his life.

He will always be good to her.

Lu Bozhou found her lips and kissed them, his lips trembling.

In a daze, Jiang Mian seemed to taste a salty liquid. She opened her eyes and saw the tear stains at the corners of Lu Bozhou's eyes.

She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, then hugged his neck.

Between kisses, she whispered, "Happy birthday."

Perhaps because he was so pleasantly surprised, Lu Bozhou felt a little anxious.

This was not only reflected in the fact that the painting had to be moved immediately, but Jiang Mian said that it was not allowed to be moved again the next day.

Song Xun quickly found workers and a truck to carefully transport the painting back.

This is also reflected in his refusal to let Jiang Mian go home.

It wasn't that he had any improper thoughts; he just wanted to hold Jiang Mian in his arms.

It seems like this would create a greater sense of realism.

The car had already arrived at the Jiang family's building.

but……

"Ten more minutes."

Lu Bozhou put his arm around her, rested his chin on the top of her head, and smelled the fragrance of her hair.

Jiang Mian sighed, "How many ten minutes has it been already?"

Almost two hours have passed, and she still hasn't been able to leave.

Lu Bozhou coaxed gently, "Just ten more minutes, let me hold you for another ten minutes."

Jiang Mian sighed softly as she watched the time grow later and later.

“Let’s go back to Lanshan Mansion,” Jiang Mian said.

Lu Bozhou was about to delay a little longer, but before he could speak, he heard Jiang Mian continue, "I'll go back with you."