Chapter 122 - Birthday
122 Birthday
“Nian Nian, happy birthday!” Feng Yi Xuan placed the cooked noodles in front of Lan You Nian saying softly.
Lan You Nian was stunned. Birthday? So it turns out today was her birthday? Because in the previous life she suffered death and betrayal on her birthday, and now that Lan You Nian’s birthday represented her mother’s death, ever since Lan You Nian came to this world, she has never celebrated her birthday, much less remembering the day of her birth. She didn’t expect this man remembered this matter and even personally cooked for her birthday.
Maybe to many people, it was just a bowl of noodles but for Lan You Nian, this bowl of birthday noodles Feng Yi Xuan made for her was more valuable than any gift.
Feng Yi Xuan saw Lan You Nian did not move to pick up the chopsticks. He didn’t rush her. Instead, he picked up the chopsticks and personally fed Lan You Nian. Lan You Nian obediently opened her mouth, eating the noodles fed by Feng Yi Xuan.
In fact, Feng Yi Xuan’s cooking wasn’t that good, but Lan You Nian felt this was more delicious than any delicacy she has ever eaten. This bowl of noodles contained Feng Yi Xuan’s affection and caring for her, this was more important than anything.
“I heard Empress Mother said, you have to eat birthday noodles and eggs for your birthday,” Feng Yi Xuan said to Lan You Nian while he fed her, “All of Nian Nian’s birthdays, can I spend it with you?”
Although Feng Yi Xuan’s actions were still the same but eyes filled with expectancy. The meaning of his words was very clear. If Lan You Nian agreed, then it was agreeing to Feng Yi Xuan’s pursuit of her. It can be considered truly accepting Feng Yi Xuan. It would be giving him a pill of reassurance that he can be with her every year, doesn’t that mean the two are together?
Lan You Nian’s tilted head as she chewed was like a little hamster, with her stuffed cheeks, extremely cute, then nodded, “Okay! Every year my birthday, can you make birthday noodles for me to eat?”
Feng Yi Xuan smiled in joy, eyes flashed with purple light. He said seriously, “Good, everything Nian Nian says is good!”
When Lan You Nian saw such a doting Feng Yi Xuan, she felt terrible. How could she not know that her indifference always made Feng Yi Xuan afraid? Now Feng Yi Xuan existed in her heart, she was willing to show her true self to him.
Lan You Nian ate a few bites then said to Feng Yi Xuan, “You eat too!” She hoped to share all her happiness with him.
Hearing this, Feng Yi Xuan took a bite, then frowned with some guilt, “The taste isn’t that good!”
“But I think it’s delicious! Xuan, this is my first birthday, I am very happy, really, because I have you!” Lan You Nian sincerely looked at Feng Yi Xuan, such a pair of clear and pure eyes was like a clear stream that can wash away all the gloominess and darkness.
Feng Yi Xuan’s leaned forward, leaning his forehead against Lan You Nian’s white forehead, his tone contained a touch a warmth, “I am very happy because my Nian Nian finally started to accept me!”
Lan You Nian laughed softly, tilted her small head and then planted a kiss on Feng Yi Xuan’s cheek like a butterfly on water.
The warm feeling on his cheek made Feng Yi Xuan feel as if he was struck by electricity, his mind was completely blank. Nian Nian kissed him. Nian Nian kissed him! Feng Yi Xuan was so happy he wanted to lower his head and kiss that pink lips, but Lan You Nian naughtily dodged it.
“If you don’t eat, it will get cold!” Lan You Nian pointed at the bowl in Feng Yi Xuan’s hands.
Feng Yi Xuan smiled helplessly, kissed Lan You Nian’s lips then left. He liked the Nian Nian who didn’t put up her guard with him.
Feng Yi Xuan picked up the noodles with his chopsticks and continued to eat. Just like this, you one bite, I one bite, as they continued with this most heart-warming birthday.
When Lan You Nian returned to You Nian Pavilion, the moon was high up in the sky. At first, Feng Yi Xuan wasn’t willing to let her go, but when he heard An San’s report that someone was waiting in You Nian Pavilion, Lan You Nian considered it and decided to come back, but it wouldn’t be long before Feng Yi Xuan would go too.
In the outer chamber of the pavilion, it was brightly lit. Lan You Nian walked into the pavilion and saw Lan Jian Jun sitting there. It has only been a few days, but his hair seemed to be whiter. For some reason, Lan You Nian’s heart felt sour. This was an emotion between father and daughter.
Lan Jian Jun saw the approaching daughter. She was even more beautiful than her mother, stronger and more indifferent than her mother. As Lan Jian Jun watched his daughter gradually approaching, he seemed to see the difficulty of each step she took. From a young child to this, it’s only unfortunate that there wasn’t a father’s figure in the past.
“You’re back?” Lan Jian Jun tried to soften his rough voice, tried to soften his long-time stern face.
Lan You Nian sat down at the table, looking at the rich assortment of dishes on the table, and deliberately asked in confusion, “Why is General Lan here? This girl remembers today is the day Lan Yin is to be buried, is it to celebrate?”
Not going to answer Lan You Nian’s sarcastic words, Lan Jian Jun ladled a bowl of rice and chose some dishes he thought were good and put it into Lan You Nian’s bowl, “Today is your birthday, father came to spend it with you!”
Lan You Nian didn’t touch the food in the bowl, instead poured a cup of wine for Lan Jian Jun, as well as for herself.
“Speaking of which, today really isn’t a good day!” Lan You Nian’s lips curled into a sneer, but thinking of how Feng Yi Xuan spent her birthday with her, her eyes warmed, perhaps in the future, this day will become a good day.
Lan Jian Jun downed the wine in the cup, “In the past, this day gave me a lot of pain because father lost his most beloved woman, but father is glad that you are in this world, you are my daughter!”
Lan You Nian followed in sipping the wine, a resentment suddenly rose in her heart. Lan You Nian knew this was the predecessor’s resentment. Lan You Nian pressed on her heart, saying inside, does your heart ache? Does your heart ache for your father? Rest assured, I know what to do, you can leave!
Suddenly she felt her body was a lot more relaxed. Lan You Nian that the predecessor’s resentment has left. She now knew her father still loved her. She really is a kind girl.
“Why don’t you guess when this girl was being abused, what she was thinking? When I was being chased, what was I thinking? When I was at the cliff, what was she longing for?” When she was better off dead, what did she resent?” Lan You Nian spat every single word out.
“I…” Lan Jian Jun suddenly didn’t dare think about it, nor did he dare to listen. He stretched out his wide but calloused hands, pulling Lan You Nian’s cold small hands, but no words escaped.
“I was thinking, why does everyone call General Lan as a hero? Why, as your daughter, it is so painful?” Lan You Nian said without any trace of affection. She glanced at the hand being held by Lan Jian Jun but didn’t avoid it.
“Sorry,” Lan Jian Jun said guiltily, “Sorry, it’s all father’s fault!”
Lan You Nian saw Lan Jian Jun’s red eyes saw the one everyone praised as general shed tears in front of her, saw his face gradually age, saw his eyes filled with guilt, saw him, because of anguish, shake.
“I forgive you!” Lan You Nian smiled. She didn’t want to hate this desolate man because of her predecessor’s matters.
Lan Jian Jun looked at Lan You Nian incredulously, then held Lan You Nian tightly, murmuring, “Father….”
“I understand!” Lan You Nian said. She understood Lan Jian Jun’s love for He Xiao Ran so wasn’t able to accept some things. Now she accepted this body, this man has done a good job of his role as father, she didn’t want to pursue this matter anymore.
Waiting for Lan Jian Jun to calm down, he kept looking at Lan You Nian, one moment saying, “Nian’er, why are you so thin?” A while later, he would say, “Why are your clothes so plain?”
“I want to know the matters between you and An yiniang, let’s talk about it?” Lan You Nian interrupted Lan Jian Jun’s ramblings. She didn’t expect such a serious man will rattle on like an elderly old lady. She didn’t know whether accepting this father was right or wrong.
Lan Jian Jun put away his feelings, recalling and telling the matters of the past…
He and his wife He Xiao Ran were childhood sweethearts and were still deeply in love. Even if they were married for many years, they still didn’t have children. Lan Jian Jun felt this wasn’t important. Later, seeing how his wife seemed to be melancholy because of the problem of children, Lan Jian Jun saw with his eyes and was anxious inside.
Later, his subordinate, who was also his friend of many years, died on the battlefield, his wife also let go not long after, leaving a few years old child behind. Lan Jian Jun pitied this child. He felt this child was good, and without any parents, summing it all up, he welcomed Lan Mo Xian into the manor, recognizing him as his own son, becoming Lan manor’s legitimate heir, granting his wife’s wish.
Sure enough, from then on, his wife was much happier, her mood was much better. Mo Xian this child was very smart and sensible. He and his wife really were fond of him. The two regarded Mo Xian as their own son. At that time, their family of three was in perfect harmony.
But at a banquet, Lan Jian Jun saved a woman who almost fell into the lake. He didn’t think too much about it; he just thought he was simply lending a hand. But he didn’t expect for An yiniang to have some other ideas about him.
Later, whether it was the Empress or the Prime Minister, they all pressured him to marry An yiniang as a wife, but Lan Jian Jun never agreed. Later, An yiniang was willing to enter Lan manor as a concubine. This stirred the entire capital. But Lan Jian Jun only loved He Xiao Ran. How could he let An yiniang enter the manor?
The Prime Minister’s suppression, as well as the Empress’s provocation, did not force Lan Jian Jun into an agreement. But he never thought that Empress’s faction would poison Xiao Ran. He could only watch as his wife was tormented by the pain but was unable to do anything about it.
Later, An yiniang found him and said that she knew what poison the Empress gave Xiao Ran. As long as he let her enter the manor, she will steal the antidote.
Lan Jian Jun felt lost at the time, so he told this to his wife. Xiao Ran couldn’t bear to see him so upset, and she was reluctant to die, so in desperation, he agreed to An yiniang’s request. An yiniang was brought into the manor, he got half of the antidote to save his wife, the other half would only be given when An yiniang was pregnant with child.
But Lan Jian Jun never touched An yiniang. Every time that he was supposed to be doing it with An yiniang, he gave her a drug and then let a death guard it. Xiao Ran knew about it, so Xiao Ran wasn’t upset when An yiniang got pregnant.
When An yiniang was pregnant with her first child, he finally got the whole antidote. In the following days, he and his wife and Mo Xian still lived the same life. An yiniang was like an invisible person in Lan manor, no one took notice of her, nor did he allow An yiniang to meet with Xiao Ran.
As for the later two children, that was due to being forced to by Prime Minister An as well as the old madame’s interference, so he allowed the death guards to do that stuff. He simply thought that if An yiniang knew her place, he would simply think of it as raising a few idle people in Lan manor.
When he learned Xiao Ran was pregnant, Lan Jian Jun felt everything was perfect. They always discussed that it must be a girl in her belly. Xiao Ran always said over and over again how she was going to pamper their daughter, always reminded him and Mo Xian to protect that girl but when he saw his newborn daughter, he lost his beloved woman.
When his daughter was young, her eyebrows carried shadows of Xiao Ran, her temper was as gentle and soft as Xiao Ran, so Lan Jian Jun didn’t dare nor did he want to look. He can only compensate this daughter with material things, but this was where he was wrong. Now he really regretted why he didn’t protect their daughter.
After listening to Lan Jian Jun’s story, she sighed and found herself being held in a warm embrace, thinking this man really came in time.
Glancing at Lan Jian Jun who was already in a drunken stupor, Lan You Nian intrusted Zhang Lin to send him back to his courtyard.
“You really think Lan manor is your own residence?” Lan You Nian laughed.
Feng Yi Xuan opened the closet, finding Lan You Nian’s sleeping robes putting them behind the screen, then brought him some hot water, asked, “Aren’t I marrying into Lan manor? It’s best to get used to it!”
Lan You Nian was speechless. It seems that she once said that she won’t marry, Feng Yi Xuan had put it to heart, he actually wants to marry into Lan manor, this man, there’s no way for her not to love him.