The household staff, following Finn’s instructions, knew that today was Aoife’s birthday. They decided to give her a special birthday celebration, preparing dishes that she loved.
Early in the morning, even before dawn, they started making a cake. They specially invited a fondant cake master, who crafted a doll that bore a striking resemblance to Aoife. The cake was so beautiful that one would want to preserve it rather than eat it.
The cake was sweet but not cloying, and the fruits were freshly flown in from abroad, ones that Aoife had never seen before.
Aoife lay in bed, unable to sleep. She had been awake all night, in a daze for too long. By nightfall, she was unusually alert, listening to the patter of rain outside.
Deciding to sit up, she walked over to push open the window and look outside. While inside, she hadn’t noticed much, but looking out the window revealed heavy rain. She reached out, feeling the large raindrops hitting her palm, causing a slight sting.
It had been nearly three years since Aoife came to Chiwood, and this was the first time she had seen such heavy rain. Aoife detested rainy days.
Her fragile body couldn’t handle the cold air pouring in from outside when she opened the window. Goosebumps formed on her skin, and as the cold wind blew, her flesh grew numb, leading her to sneeze.
She stood there for who knows how long until she felt unsteady on her feet. Only then did Aoife turn back and lie back down, feeling a bit dizzy due to catching a chill. This time, Aoife fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
She used to be able to fall asleep at will, but now she needed to be sick to achieve sleep.
At eight in the morning, Linda woke Aoife up for breakfast. Aoife looked pale, feeling sick and heavy, as if a mountain was weighing her down.
She checked her phone again but still had no network.
“Linda, do you have internet on your phone?”
Linda shook her head. “No internet.”
There was no way there was no internet in this place. The only explanation was that Finn had turned it off, not wanting her to know what was happening outside, guarding her and Ethan.
But what was there to guard against?
She dared not even think about it, let alone act on it.
Love deep, fate shallow, destined to love but not to possess.
Ethan was like a seed fallen from the sky, landing on her heart by chance, inconspicuous at first. With time, the seed sprouted, grew strong, and finally became a towering tree, covering her entire heart.
Suddenly, a dull pain spread across her chest. Aoife reached out to touch it, trying to dispel the pain.
Following Linda downstairs, Aoife was amazed to see a row of neatly lined-up people as soon as they got off the elevator.
There were chefs, butlers, and Linda standing there as well. They all held heart-shaped balloons, looking at Aoife in unison and saying, “Miss Powell, Happy 21st Birthday.”
Twenty-one, such a youthful and vibrant age. What was it like for others at twenty-one?
Aoife didn’t know. All she knew was her own twenty-first birthday. Her appearance was young, but her soul was withered, and her heart felt old and weary.
“Thank you,” Aoife said hoarsely, forcing a smile.
In the past, she had celebrated her birthdays alone, so it was rare to have so many people accompaning her this time.
“Come and have some cake.”
“The candles are all in place, just waiting to be lit for your wish.”
Guided by Linda, Aoife went to the dining room. A beautiful cake was placed in the center of the table, ready for the twenty-one candles.
Aoife looked at the candles in her hand, then at the beautiful fondant cake on the table, unsure of how to proceed.
It wasn’t until people around her started urging her that she carefully placed the candles around the cake, not wanting to disrupt its beauty.
After lighting the candles, Aoife watched the flickering flames. The sky was clear after a night of rain, with the window opened, a mild breeze blowing in, and the candlelight shimmering.
Make a wish…
Since her grandmother’s passing, Aoife had never had a proper birthday celebration. When her grandmother was alive, she would prepare a bowl of noodles for Aoife, calling it Longevity Noodles. She instructed Aoife to eat the noodles without breaking them, sucking them in from beginning to end, saying it would bring long life.
Aoife didn’t know what wish to make. She was always incredibly unlucky, and none of her wishes had ever come true, it felt like a wasted effort.
If only her birthday wish could really come true…
Aoife clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, bowed her head, and prayed silently in her heart.
“May Ethan live a hundred years, may joy be ever-present, may he achieve remarkable success…”
Finally, a genuine smile emerged from Aoife as she blew out the candles. The cake was cut, and Aoife ate a slice, finding it delicious.
Beside her, Linda asked, “Miss Powell, do you find it sweet?”
Having endured bitterness for so long, even the sweetness of the cake tasted a bit bitter to Aoife. She simply replied, “Sweet.”
Having cake for breakfast was fulfilling, and at ten in the morning, the family doctor paid another visit. After taking Aoife’s temperature and finding a slight fever, the doctor assured her that it wasn’t a significant issue.
The doctor instructed Aoife to take her medicine on time, as delaying treatment could lead to more serious problems.
There were few cold medications prescribed; most were supplements to boost her health. They even included nutritious meals for the chef to prepare daily, all aimed at helping Aoife regain her strength.
The family doctor stayed until noon, having been here for a while without seeing Finn. Curious, the doctor asked about him.
“Where’s Mr. Snearl? I haven’t seen him around.”
Finn had always been like a watchful wolf, constantly keeping an eye on Aoife, following her wherever she went and being a nuisance. Not seeing him this time felt oddly unsettling.
“Mr. Snearl went out last night.”
When the family doctor arrived and saw the birthday cake on the table, they made an assumption that today might be Aoife’s birthday. Finn, afraid of upsetting Aoife on her birthday, chose to stay out and not come back.
Unexpectedly, even the usually high and mighty Finn had a day of hiding.
The family doctor didn’t linger long and wished Aoife a happy birthday before leaving.
Today was Children’s Day, so elementary students had the day off.
Linda’s daughter was in sixth grade and had gone to school in the morning for the Children’s Day ceremony, receiving a gift from the school before leaving. Forgetting her house keys, she came to find Linda to get them.
The little girl had been here before but never stayed long before leaving. She had seen Aoife from afar, but was too intimidated to come closer.
The reason the little girl knew Aoife was that she liked Ethan. Ethan was her idol, and she could be considered a half-hearted fan. She would collect his autographed photos and check his recent schedule in fan groups.
She knew that Ethan and Aoife had acted in a school drama together, filmed a year ago but still unreleased.
Receiving a call from her daughter, Linda went outside to meet her and found her rubbing her eyes with tears.
“Grace, what’s wrong? Why are your eyes so red?”
Her eyes were dangerously red and swollen, a clear sign of having cried all night. Linda hadn’t been very attentive to her daughter due to work, but seeing her like this made her worry. Had her daughter been bullied at school?
Her already dried-up eyes filled with tears again at her mother’s question.
Linda, concerned, reached out to wipe her daughter’s tears. “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you at school, Grace? Come inside, and talk to me. If someone’s bothering you, I’ll go to school and sort it out right away.”
Choking on her words, the little girl stammered, “No… no one bullied me…”
“Then what’s the matter?” Linda saw her daughter hesitating to speak and felt increasingly anxious. Leading her daughter by the hand, they sat on the living room sofa.
Once things calmed down, the little girl took a deep breath and said through sobs, “Mom, the person I like… died… he jumped off a building and committed suicide.”
Linda was shocked at the news, wondering who had died. Was it a close friend from school?
“Who died?”
“It’s Ethan, you know him, I have his autographed photo in my bedroom. He died… jumped off a building… even though he promised to stay with us… why… why did he break his promise… Mom, I feel so terrible…”
Being young, it was her first experience of being a fan, and her admiration for Ethan was sincere. He was her first idol, and in the eyes of a fan, an idol was more like a virtual character. He represented the self she wanted to strive to be, a model.
She never thought of transferring her affections to someone else. Ethan’s presence had encouraged her during her toughest days, and he was truly like a star, an unattainable North Star that had always guided her in the right direction.
But now, a star like Ethan had died, at the age of twenty-four, and they would never see him again.
“You say… who… died?” A tremulous voice came from behind.