Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

I stretched and said to her, "Today must be a strange day, because I keep meeting strange people." She looked up at me first, then back to the TV and changed the channel.Said: "Xiaopi. Go Tell that person that today is my birthday. " "Ah?" I was surprised, stopped stretching and asked her, "Really?" "Why did you lie to me?" "Why did you say it now?" "In the past ten years, I have not had the habit of celebrating birthdays. What can I say?" Her reaction was flat. I got up quickly, first checked my wallet for money, then turned and walked to the balcony.

"What are you doing?" She turned to look at me. "Go buy a cake." "It's so late, the cake shop has already closed." "There is a 24-hour cake shop on Zhongxiao East Road." "No need." She turned her gaze back to the TV, "Why bother." I didn't answer, and opened the door with my hands while putting on my shoes. "Hey!" she called out, "It's too late, don't go out." "I'll be back soon, don't worry." I took a step out of the door, then poked my head back into the living room: "It's 28 years old, no

wrong? " "That's right!" She seemed reluctant. "Do you want the 28 number candles? Or two large candles and eight small candles?" "casual." I took another step and turned around again: "Are you sure it's 28? You really don't look like that." "Ke Zhihong!" She suddenly stood up and said loudly. I used to run out. Late night taxis usually don't drive into small alleys, so I have to run some distance. I got in a taxi and went straight to the cake shop on Zhongxiao East Road. As soon as I entered the cake shop, I casually pointed to a cake in the freezer: "That's it."

The boss slowly took out the cake, and when he was about to pack it, he asked me: "Is the birthday person your relative? friend?Or someone you like? " "Is there a difference?" I wondered. "Of course there is a difference, we are a professional cake shop." He smiled: "If it is a relative, I will They will use the family wrapping method.If it is a friend, we will send a few more paper plates.If it's someone you like, I They will send a card. " "Huh? Why?" "If it's a loved one, it's easier to untie the knots that tie the cake so you don't have to cut the rope with scissors.

Cutting the rope is not auspicious, and it will shorten the life of the birthday person. We all hope that the birthday person will live a long life. " He stopped what he was doing, and continued: "If you are a friend, you will like to smash the face of the birthday person when eating cakes. Of course we have to provide more paper plates.If you are someone you like, you must take advantage of your birthday to write something affectionate So we'll give you a card.We are a professional bakery. " "Okay." Without thinking, I quickly said, "She has all three."

"Oh?" He froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sir, you are very good at doing business. Do you want to consider Come to work in our store? " "Stop joking." I said anxiously, "Hurry up, please." "Okay." He smiled again: "Then I will use the relative packaging method and give you a few more paper plates and a card. " "Hmm. Please hurry up." When he was wrapping the cake, I looked at my watch frequently, feeling very anxious. "Sir, please write on this card." "I'll go back and write."

"This is not okay. This cake was sold in our store, we must be responsible, so please Write a few words.We are a professional bakery. " I immediately wrote on the card: Rose, happy birthday to you. "Is that all?" He shook his head: "Insufficient sincerity will affect the reputation of our store. We are professional What about the cake shop? " I added: I will be happy every day in the days to come, and I will envy you even if you are happy. "Still not sincere enough." He shook his head again. I have no choice but to add: May you always bloom charmingly like a night rose.

"Well, it's barely okay. Please sign again." I sign: Ke Zhihong. "Ke Zhihong? This name is very common. Are you sure it's you? Do you have your ID card?" mpanel(1); "Hey." "Sorry. Because we are a professional cake shop, we must be very serious." I actually pulled out my ID card and showed him my name. "By the way, how old is the birthday person?" he asked again. "28." "Sir, so you like girls ten years younger than you." "I'm only 28!" My voice suddenly became louder. "Haha, I'm just kidding." He smiled happily. "Sir, take it easy when celebrating someone's birthday. This

It is a suggestion from a professional cake shop for you. " I scolded a bastard in my heart, and quickly took out a thousand-yuan bill, ready to pay the bill and leave. He held the banknote, raised his hands high, and looked at it under the light for a long time. "What's wrong?" I was very nervous: "Is it counterfeit money?" "Oh." He continued to look at the banknote: "This is real money." "Then why did you look at it for so long?" "Don't you think this blue bill looks beautiful under the light?" "Hey! Change the money!"

"Yes." He accepted the banknotes and said, "The total is 360 yuan, and I need 540 yuan from you." "It's 640 yuan." "Sir, do you really not consider coming to work in our shop? Even in this impatience, your arithmetic Still very good, really not easy. " "Hey!" My voice became louder and louder: "Quick change!" After taking the change and the cake, I rushed out of the store immediately. "Sir, next time, don't forget the birthday of the person you like, or you will be tricked when you buy a cake what.This is a professional cake shop」

His voice still sounded behind me, but I didn't hear what he said later. Get in a taxi and go back downstairs. Immediately I rushed through the door, got on the elevator, and ran back to Seven C. It was 12 o'clock with only six minutes left. I quickly put the cake on the coffee table and untied the rope. Bastard, what is the family packing method?The knot was still so tight. I had to use my mouth to help and try to untie the rope. "Use scissors." Ye Meigui took the scissors and handed them over. "No." With the rope in my mouth, I shook my head and said vaguely. "If you want to use your teeth, it's better to call it Xiaopi." She said with a smile. Hu finally untied. I took out the cake, plugged in the candle, and rushed to light the fire, but couldn't find the lighter. "Lighter, Lighter" I pulled out the candle, ran to the kitchen, turned on the gas burner, lit it, and plugged it back in on the cake. "Turn off the lights, turn off the lights" I stood up, ready to run to turn off the lights. "Wait." Ye Meigui said suddenly. "Look at you, you're sweating profusely." She came up to me with a tissue in her hand and wiped the sweat off my brow. "Wipe it later, it's almost 12 o'clock." "No." She changed to a new tissue: "Wipe off the sweat." She wiped it again. "You can turn off the lights." "Ok." I turned off the light and sat next to her. Cleared his throat, picked up Xiaopi, grabbed its front feet, and sang while clapping: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!" happy day "You stole the shot." "It's okay, let me finish singing first." "No." She smiled: "You sing so fast, are you cursing me to die soon?" I had to slow down and sing again: "Happy Birthday to You" "Too slow. Do you want me to procrastinate?" "Rose, stop playing. Let me sing." "Okay." She smiled happily. "Make a wish." After singing the happy birthday song, I said, "You can make three wishes, and say the first two. Don't say the last one. " "Well." She put her hands together, closed her eyes, lowered her head, and said softly: "The first wish, I hope that People will not be confused in the future, and they will be careful in everything. " When she talked about that person this time, she didn't add any emphasis, but just mentioned it lightly. "Second wish, I hope that person works well and lives in peace." "Don't say your third wish." I whispered to her, "Don't waste your wish on me. superior. " "You don't care." She opened her eyes and gave me a glare: "My birthday is my biggest. And I said that Is that you? " "Oh. Since it's not me, then I can continue to be confused, and work doesn't have to go well." "Hey!" She interrupted me, "Don't talk nonsense." "Okay." I smiled, "Hurry up and make one last wish." Ye Meigui closed her eyes again, lowered her head, and clasped her hands together. It looks like a night rose in bud, the petals tightly wrapping the stamens. There was no light in the living room, only the faint light of candles. So for the first time, I saw the night rose swaying under the firelight, quiet and charming. And quietly, waiting to bloom. After she finished her wish, she blew out the candles, and I turned on the lights in the living room. It was only 30 seconds before 12 o'clock. "It's dangerous." I smiled and said to her, "Happy birthday." "Thank you." She also smiled. Then she cut the cake and we sat down to eat it. I sat on the sofa to her left, not the one by the balcony. "Huh? This sofa seems to be softer." I sat on the sofa, bouncing back and forth. "Really?" She said lightly, "Then you can sit here from now on." "Really?" I asked. "Nonsense. You can sit wherever you want." "Rose." "what?" "I am very touched." "You can be a little more boring." "I'm really touched." "Hey!" "Rose." "What do you want to do again?" "I'm sorry, the time is too short, I don't have any gifts." "It's okay again. You've already bought the cake, so I'm happy. Don't send me any more presents." "Really?" I patted my chest, "It's okay." "Hey, you don't seem to want to give me a present." "It's not that you don't want to, but that your gift is too difficult to give." "why?" "Because there is no gift worthy of you." "boring." She picked up the plastic bag containing the cake and looked inside: "Why are there so many paper plates?" "Oh." I had no choice but to say, "The boss is very polite, he gave more." Of course I didn't dare tell her that it could be used to hold a cake and throw it in the face. Because I must not be cruel enough to hit her; but if she wants to hit me in the face, she may not blink eye. "Huh? There's another card." She picked up the card and looked at the words on it.Then say, "Happy birthday to you, Rose." "Happy every day in the days to come, even happiness will envy you." "May you always be like a night rose, blooming charmingly." "Sorry." I scratched my head, "I was in a hurry at the time, and the handwriting was rather sloppy." "No." She smiled, "It's beautifully written." She looked at the card carefully again, and then said: "However, may you always be like a night rose, blooming coquettishly." Put this sentence, it is not well written. " "What's wrong?" "I don't have to be like Nightrose at all." "why?" I am not only puzzled, but also nervous. Because if even Ye Meigui said that she is not like Ye Meigui at all, wouldn't I become a "dead neighbor" The one in that article, the one who dropped the axe? "Idiot, I'm Ye Meigui, why don't I look like that." Ye Meigui smiled happily, her eyes sparkled with laughter, and her voice was full of enthusiasm. The night rose that had just budded in the dark suddenly bloomed at this time. It finally dawned on me that I was definitely not the one to drop the axe. Because Ye Meigui is Ye Meigui. "Student, hurry up!" The senior sister panted, "Hurry up and invite me." Without thinking about it, I straightened my body and saluted without bending my knees. Stretch your right hand flat, and then draw a perfect arc to the lower left side of your body. As soon as my right hand stopped, the senior's right hand pulled the skirt slightly at the same time, and bent her knees. The senior turned her head towards the person who was running towards her to invite her to dance, smiled and shrugged. Then he took my right hand, ready to position.After positioning, she said: "Student, your action this time is very standard. allow. " "Thank you, senpai." "Unfortunately, there is one flaw." "flaw?" "Hmm. You're not smiling." Senior sister turned to face me: "Come on, smile again and let me see." I tried to move the corners of my mouth, trying to draw a perfect arc to express a smile. But the corner of the mouth seemed to weigh a thousand catties, and I couldn't pull it up no matter how hard I tried. Senior sister looked at me quietly for a while, and finally said: "It's okay, don't force it." Senior sister, this is our last dance in the square. Anyway, I couldn't smile. During the last dance of "The Last Dance", the lights are usually dimmed. Because everyone is used to being in the dark, farewell. So before the music of "Night Rose" sounded, the lights gradually dimmed. Although in the dark, I can still see senior sister's eyes clearly. But I couldn't see her face clearly. I kept turning around the senior sister, keeping my eyes on the senior sister's eyes. I seem to see the petals and stamens of the night rose, and the looming water drops on the petals. The senior sister sang Ye Meigui softly, although the voice was soft, it was very clear. The phrase "flowers and shadows cuddling each other" was sung by the senior sister very tastefully. Whenever I hear my senior sing this sentence, I always see a night rose quietly standing in the wilderness in the dark. And to accompany her, there is only her own lonely shadow illuminated by the weak moonlight. I don't know if Senior Sister is lonely or not. Although Senior Sister is an orphan, she is definitely not alone in the club. Because the club is her home, and there are too many people who like her. But after tonight, senior sister will leave. She must feel lonely, right? The senior sister's singing made me engrossed in hearing it, and I forgot about the movements under my feet. By the time I realized it, the music had already reached "Who Entrusts Flower Dreams". Night Rose is over. As soon as the music stopped, many people came to bid farewell to the senior in the dark, and the senior smiled happily. After the people around her left one by one, she looked around in the dark and soon found me. She beckoned to me, and I walked over right away. "If I hadn't been looking for you in the dark before, I wouldn't be able to find you now." Senior sister smiled and said, "Come with me for a walk." "Ok." We left the square without talking to each other all the way, and walked towards the senior sister's bicycle. She walked slowly, occasionally turning her head to look in the direction of the square. I really want to tell my senior sister that even if she leaves the square, she will never be alone. Because senior sister is a charming night rose, although she may bloom alone, there must be many people Like her, get close to her. Finally, I arrived at the place where my senior sister parked her bicycle. The senior held the handle, gently kicked off the support frame, turned to me and said, "Student, I will be in Taipei next week. up. " "Have you found a job, senpai?" "Yeah, I found it." "Congratulations, senpai." "Thank you." She smiled. "From next semester, you will be a senior. Be a role model for your juniors." "Oh, good." "Not only when you ask to dance, but also when you dance. You know?" "Yeah. I see." "The invitation to dance should be generous, the dancing should be relaxed, and the learning of dancing should be serious. Do you understand?" "ok, I got it." Senior sister led the bicycle and started to walk forward.I also followed behind her. "It seems that there are still many things to explain, but I can't remember them all at once." Senior Sister smiled: "Do you think Senior Sister is talkative?" "No, senpai. I like to hear senpai talk." "Then do you like to hear me sing?" "Yes. Senpai sings very well." "thanks." "From now on," the senior looked at the direction of the square again: "Remember to talk to yourself more, and talk to others more. Your words are too few. " "Senior, don't worry. I will work hard." "Well. That's good." The senior sister smiled again. The senior sister stopped, stepped on the pedal of the bicycle with her left foot, and suddenly turned her head to ask me: "Student, do you think Ye Mei What is a rose? " "Night Rose is a song, a dance, and" I thought for a while, "and my senior sister is also very similar to Night Rose." "Do I look like that?" "Yeah." I nodded, "Sister is very similar to Ye Meigui." The senior sister laughed, that look, that smile, was Ye Meigui at all. "Student, do you like Night Rose?" "Sister, I like Night Rose." "Really?" "Ok." "Okay. Now let's not call each other sister and brother." Senior sister smiled: "Tell me, you like Ye Mei Rose? " "I like Night Rose." "I'll ask again." "it is good." "Do you like Night Rose?" "I like Night Rose." "Remember your voice and tone now." The senior sister finally stepped into the car and said, "In the future, if one day, When we meet again, you must say it again. " "it is good." "Don't forget this promise." "Yeah. I won't forget." "Can you say that again?" "I like Night Rose." "Again. Okay?" "I like Night Rose." The senior sister nodded and rode away. After riding more than ten meters away, I turned my head and waved to me. I heard my senior sister singing "Night Rose". That's right, senior sister is singing, I can hear it clearly. Especially the sentence "flowers and shadows leaning on each other". The senior sister turned her head twice in total, once to the left and once to the right. Then there is no turning back. I looked at the back of the senior sister, and gradually drifted away; when I heard the singing of the senior sister, the distance became thinner. Night Rose became smaller and smaller in my eyes, and finally disappeared around a corner. As soon as Ye Meigui left my sight, I suddenly ran forward. "Sister, did you hear that?" I said loudly, "I like Night Rose." "Sister" "Did you hear that?" "I like Night Rose." That was the last time I saw my senior. Ye Meigui finally returned to work in kindergarten. My living habits have to change again. Because Ye Meigui had to go to class early, so when I got up, she had already gone out. In the past, whether I took the MRT or the bus to work, I could always see her before going out. Now I suddenly can't see her before going to work, I feel really uncomfortable. It can even be said that I hardly want to go out. On Ye Meigui's first day in kindergarten, she left a note on the coffee table. She held a glass half full of water over the note, which also contained a vitamin pill. The note said: "I'm going out first, see you tonight." Then draw a rose. The rose was painted very carefully, and even had branches and leaves with distinct veins. And the lines of each petal are also very clear. I looked at the roses on the note and was in a daze. When I woke up, it was too late. I was ten minutes late that day. I always fold the note carefully and put it in my wallet. Whenever I feel tired in the company, I will take out the note and look at the rose. As of today, I have nine roses in my wallet. When I was in Tainan, I rode a motorcycle to work. When I first came to Taipei, I could immediately develop the habit of taking the MRT to work. I can also adapt to the time when the MRT is suspended and I take the bus to work instead. When I go back to work by MRT, I can get into the situation immediately. But now I can't see Ye Meigui before going to work every day, and I can't get used to it. During the time of the nine roses, Shuhongdao got very close to Yuan Shanzi instead. Every day after lunch at noon, he always pulls me over for coffee. After drinking coffee, he would chat with Sugiko Hara at the bar. Sometimes I will wait for him outside the store, if I wait for a long time, I will go back to the company first. As a result, he was late for work several times in the afternoon. But he didn't care at all. Today I was outside Yuan Shanzi's shop again, waiting for the Shuhong Road. Look at your watch and prepare to go back to work.Shuhongdao suddenly ran out and said to me: "Xiao Ke, accompany me to buy spend it. " "Why do you buy flowers?" "I want to give Sugihara Hara." "Go buy it yourself." "Then tell me, what kind of flowers should I buy?" "I do not know." "What?" Shu Hongdao was surprised: "You don't know?" "Yeah, I don't know. How?" "As an engineer, you don't know what flowers to buy?" "Then you know?" "Of course I know." "Since you know, why ask me?" "I'm not asking you, I'm testing you. I didn't expect that you don't even know this, it's so pitiful." "Hey!" When I turned around to go back to the company to work, Shuhongdao dragged me to the flower shop. The flower shop is in the alley to the right of Yuan Shanzi's coffee shop. This flower shop is not on my way back to work, so I never pass by. As soon as he arrived at the flower shop, Shu Hongdao immediately went in to pick flowers. But I was attracted by the words made of flowers on the left and right walls of the store entrance. The words on the left wall read: "Boundless Sea of ​​Bitterness"; When the boss came out and saw me, he smiled and said to me, "Benefactor, you are finally here." I froze for a moment and looked at him carefully. Ye Meigui's birthday is over, I shouldn't meet strange people anymore. "Do I know you?" I asked him suspiciously. "If you have the sea in your heart, you will naturally have the sea in your eyes." After he finished speaking, he smiled meaningfully at me. I finally remembered that it was a landlord I met when I first came to Taipei to look for a house. He looked at me as if he already knew who he was, so he smiled and said, "I never expected to meet you again, We are really destined. " "How will you be here?" "I run a flower shop here during the day and come home at night." "Oh." I replied, "I didn't expect you to remember me." "When I first saw you, I made a very deep impression on you." "yes?" "Yeah." He nodded, "From your appearance, you are a very persistent person." "Perseverance?" "That is to say, among the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance, your ignorance is very serious." "why?" "Because you're an idiot." "Hey!" "Haha," he suddenly laughed heartily, "Your reaction is still the same, very direct." I started to pretend to be dead and ignore him, turned my head slightly, and looked at Shuhongdao who was still picking flowers. "That gentleman," he said, pointing at Shu Hong, "is also an obsessive person. But the two of you are attached in different ways. same. " "What's the difference?" This made me curious, so I had to ask him. "That gentleman, like you, likes flowers very much." He smiled: "But what he is obsessed with is color, He only likes yellow flowers.and you" "how?" "But you only like one kind of flower." I looked at him with wide eyes.He smiled again, and suddenly asked me: "Like a hundred flowers blooming in a garden, can you Can you tell which flower is your favorite at a glance? " "of course can." "What kind of flower is it?" "Rose." "What kind of rose" "The rose that blooms at night, the night rose." After listening to it, he smiled and said, "Isn't this still an attachment?" I was slightly taken aback. "Okay, let me ask you again." He looked at me, "Which one is it?" "What's the meaning?" "Which night rose do you like?" "This" I suddenly couldn't answer, and stood there, dazed for a long time. While I was in a daze, Shuhongdao had already selected the flowers, asked the boss to wrap them up, and paid the bill. When Shuhongdao walked out of the store and pulled me to leave, I came back to my senses. I took a few steps and stopped.Turning to look at the boss, just in time to meet his line of sight. "Don't forget what I said when I first saw you," he said. "What did you say?" "We can't see things with our eyes, we have to see with our hearts." "so what?" "So if you have the sea in your heart, you will naturally have the sea in your eyes." When I wanted to ask again, Shuhongdao pulled me away again. I walked and thought, trying to figure things out. When I got to the downstairs of the company, I found that the flood relief road was gone. He probably went in when he passed the door of Yuan Shanzi's shop. It seems that he goes to work this afternoon and will be late again.