Chapter 499: Extra: Ye Linyuan - Snowy Night, Melting Kiss (Part 4)

"Twenty-five more gifts?"

Ye Linyuan looked at her, seeming a bit confused.

Jiang Qingli said, "There’s a gift for every year, from your first birthday to your twenty-sixth."

Growing up, Ye Linyuan had never celebrated his birthday, and of course, he’d never received a single gift.

So, Jiang Qingli had prepared twenty-six gifts to make up for all of them at once.

"But," Jiang Qingli said, feeling a little nervous as she saw the warmth melting in his eyes. She gave him a warning in advance, "I don’t know what you would have liked as a child, so I just guessed. If there’s something you don’t like, don’t you dare say it—"

Before she could finish, Ye Linyuan cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.

He lifted her with one hand supporting her bottom, the other holding the back of her head. He lowered his head and captured her lips, his kiss dominant yet filled with a clinging, fervent heat.

Jiang Qingli resisted a little at first, but his dominance was laced with a rare display of tenderness. She relaxed her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

The kiss didn’t last too long.

Just as Jiang Qingli’s hand slipped under the hem of his shirt, he grabbed her by the wrist.

"Don’t be so impatient." His forked tongue flickered softly against her earlobe as Ye Linyuan let out a low chuckle. "Let’s open the presents first."

The tips of Jiang Qingli’s ears burned. As he went to find the gifts, she retorted, "Hey, you’re the one who kissed me first."

’Who’s the impatient one here?’

’The great evil villain is certainly good at turning the tables...’

Jiang Qingli fought the urge to roll her eyes and told him to hurry up and find the presents.

With the acuity of an S Level Beastman, finding the gifts that seemed so thoroughly hidden wasn’t difficult.

Jiang Qingli had expected Ye Linyuan to find all twenty-odd gifts at once, but he didn’t seem to be using his keen senses. Instead, he just ambled slowly back and forth through the galaxy of string lights, only occasionally finding a gift to hold in his hand.

It was as if he were playing a game, or perhaps carefully admiring everything she had set up.

Amidst the soft, shimmering glow, the young man kept his eyes lowered, a faint smile constantly gracing his lips.

’It’s rare to see this pretentious snake smile for so long.’

It was still early, so Jiang Qingli wasn’t in a hurry. She sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the smiling expression in the young man’s eyes.

Something nudged her fingers. Jiang Qingli looked down to see the little black snake fawningly burrowing under her hand, rubbing its head against her knuckles.

Little Black acted like a puppy whenever it saw her now, but it was also terrified of Ye Linyuan, so it could only sneak over when he wasn’t looking.

Jiang Qingli casually stroked Little Black’s head, and it squinted its eyes in comfort.

’...Why is it acting more and more like a puppy?’

030: "It’s probably because Ye Linyuan was injected with wolf or canine genes. Since this little guy drank his blood, it picked up a few things. Plus, you’ve always been popular with animals."

Little Black was enjoying being petted. It flicked its tongue out, but before it could touch Jiang Qingli’s fingers, the entire snake was grabbed by the tail, lifted up, and tossed aside.

The snake tumbled across the floor a few times and looked up gloomily at the suddenly-appeared Ye Linyuan.

Jiang Qingli: "Hey, be gentle! Your blood runs in its veins!"

Ye Linyuan: "..."

If Jiang Qingli didn’t like it, he wouldn’t have bothered to let out his blood for such a creature.

He averted his gaze and placed the various-sized gift boxes he was holding onto the table, where they formed a small mountain.

After putting them down, Ye Linyuan turned to leave.

Jiang Qingli grabbed him. "Where are you going?"

Ye Linyuan: "There are only twenty-four."

He had already searched the entire first floor and the staircase; there were only twenty-four.

"Stop looking for now." Jiang Qingli glanced at her watch. "It’s getting late. Let’s have cake first!"

She took a cake out of her Space Ring, set it on the table, and announced, "Look! I... assembled it myself."

The family chef had prepared the cream and the cake layers, and Jiang Qingli was in charge of putting it all together. Fortunately, her handiwork wasn’t bad, and the cake looked quite presentable.

Ye Linyuan didn’t like sweets, so it was only a four-inch cake. The piping along the edge was a bit crooked, and next to the "Happy Birthday" message, a wobbly snake and a pear blossom had been drawn in black and gold frosting.

Ye Linyuan looked at it without a word, but the emotion in his eyes clearly showed that he liked it.

Jiang Qingli stuck candles in it. "You can make a wish in a bit. Or maybe you should make twenty-six of them... You’ve never made a wish before, so you should be able to make up for them all at once, right?"

"Mhm."

Ye Linyuan didn’t believe in such things, but he would do as she said.

He followed Jiang Qingli’s instructions, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes.

After he made his wishes, the two of them ate some cake and sat in the living room to open presents.

Jiang Qingli had marked each gift box. The presents for ages one through twenty-five were lined up on the table, and she told Ye Linyuan to open the first one.

Ye Linyuan tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a jewelry box.

A longevity lock rested quietly on the black velvet inside. The bell was exquisitely crafted, and the engraving was a winding serpentine pattern. It let out a crisp chime as Ye Linyuan picked it up.

Jiang Qingli said, "I remember I had a longevity lock when I was little, too. It’s a bit childish for someone your age, but it should be appropriate as a gift for your first birthday, right?"

’The younger Ye Linyuan was super cute; it would have definitely suited him.’

Ye Linyuan stared at the longevity lock, rubbing it gently with the pad of his thumb. "It’s appropriate."

He placed the longevity lock back in the jewelry box, put it away safely, and opened the second gift.

The gift for his second birthday was... a hamster plushie.

Jiang Qingli explained her reasoning, "I saw that Little Black really likes mice, and mice are a major food source for snakes, so I got you one." She held it up and gave it a squeeze. "Do you like it?"

Ye Linyuan: "I like it."

’Jiang Qingli would be coming over often anyway. It would be perfect to support her back.’

...

Ye Linyuan opened one gift after another.

From early childhood to his teenage years, and all the way to his present youth...

Every gift Jiang Qingli had prepared was chosen with his age and preferences in mind.

—It was as if he were just like everyone else, with two parents, growing up in a normal family.

Among these gifts were cute little dolls and custom-made brooches.

To the Underground City Lord, who possessed immense wealth, these things were not unobtainable treasures.

However, the thought and the love behind them were the priceless treasures Ye Linyuan wanted to cherish forever.

His heart felt as if it were submerged in a hot spring, every inch of it soaking in the warmth.

Amidst the scattered starlight, Ye Linyuan wrapped his arms around the girl beside him and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "Thank you."

Everything about today had far exceeded his expectations and imagination.

He wasn’t very good at saying sentimental things, so all he could say at this moment was "thank you."

Jiang Qingli hugged him back instinctively. A few seconds later, she realized what he’d said and blinked in surprise. "What did you say?"

"Thank you."

Ye Linyuan repeated himself, his breathing deep as he enunciated each word.

A huge smile spread across Jiang Qingli’s face, and she hugged him tighter. "I’m glad you like them. I thought you were going to make fun of them."

"I wouldn’t," Ye Linyuan said. "I like them."

After a moment, Jiang Qingli said, "Actually, I didn’t quite hear you just now. Can you say it again?"

’It’s not every day you get to hear the villain say thank you.’

Ye Linyuan: "..."

He said "thank you" two more times, and Jiang Qingli, satisfied, gave him a peck on the lips.

Then she remembered the most important thing. "Oh, right."

"There’s one last gift. I have it right here."