[This chapter is dedicated to Fe_Roberts for being one of the generous giver of gifts to my bookst month of June. Thank you so much for the support and for the generosity~!]


    ***


    After talking, Shu Xian already bode Pan An good night. However, when the professor entered his room, he thought of talking to Shi Lian, plotting with her a birthday celebration that will soon happen since she is Shu Xian''s best friend.


    As Pan An was dialing for Wang Lei''s number, he immediately answered it, the CEO still awake.


    "What''s up?" Wang Lei asked, Pan An hearing a girl giggling with him. "Shi Lian, if you n on hanging out with me in my room just to y with myputer, then shut up! I''m on the phone!"


    Pan An rolled his eyes when he heard the siblings talking to each other. Not wanting toment about it, he instead told Wang Lei directly what his ns are,pletely getting the attention of the siblings.


    "I''m nning to have a birthday party for Shu Xian," he started, soon after, Shi Lian approaching her brother to listen to their conversation.


    "Woah! You''re going to throw a party for Shu Xian? Why?"


    Wang Lei now put his phone on loudspeaker. With the siblings listening to him, Pan An further spoke, answering Shi Lian''s question.


    "Shu Xian told me that she never celebrated her birthday and that she''d only eat with you, right? Well, I actually felt bad about it and I want to throw her a simple celebration. I already asked my mother and my sister about helping me."


    "Woah, indeed," Wang Lei eximed, a grining to his face as he talked to Pan An over his phone. "What amazed me is the fact that your older sister Ru Shi is agreeing on this."


    "Well," Wang Lei started, scratching the back of his head with his extra hand. "She wanted to meet Shu Xian and somehow, mother has told her about her and it made a good impression. She''s willing to help," he added, Shi Lian, now replying to what he said.


    "If this is going to happenter on, how do you want us to help? Because I agree… I long want to give Shu Xian a surprise birthday party, but it didn''t ur to me to hold it simply and that it would be a surprise still. I always thought of extravagant ones."


    "She wouldn''t like that," Pan Anmented, making Shi Lian scoff.


    "You talk as if you know my best friend more than I do. Of course, I know she doesn''t like something extravagant! I just didn''t think of having a simple party, that''s all!"


    "Yeah, yeah…" Wang Lei teased, narrowing his eyes at her. "Now let''s listen to what Pan An is going to say. This is indeed for Shu Xian," he added, the siblings now going quiet.


    "This is what I thought," the professor started, further telling them his ns. "My family and I discussed that the party will be held in this very house. Preparations will be started by them the moment Shu Xian and I leave."


    "Alright," Shi Lian nodded even though Pan An couldn''t see her. "And then what?"


    "I need your help to help them prepare ording to what her preferences are. Since her time out is 7 PM from her duty from the library, you will have the time to decorate with my family, right?"


    "Of course," Shi Lian answered proudly, already excited of what they''re going to do for tomorrow. "Leave it to me!"


    "Thank you. Tell Zhang Ren that since they''re working together, he will distract Shu Xian for the meantime—make it seem that people have forgotten her birthday," Pan An added, the siblings furrowing their brows in worry.


    "I think that would hurt the girl," Wang Leimented, Shi Lian, agreeing with him.


    "Yeah! Shu Xian may not see her birthday as something important, but I always greet her at least! I would feel bad not saying anything to her, too!"


    Pan An understood their point. However, with wanting to surprise Shu Xian with everyone preparing a simple celebration for her, he thought that it would only be for this year so that she would be at least surprised.


    "Only for now, guys. Don''t worry—she''ll love our surprise after," he added, making the two sigh as they still agreed on what they said.


    "Alright," Wang Lei said, scratching the back of his head. "But I wonder if Shi Lian can keep it in since it''s difficult for her to lie to her best friend."


    "Yeah, I don''t disagree on my brother on this one," Shi Lian chimed in, Pan An, further convincing them.


    "Come on… only for this year! Let''s try to make a difference and surprise her even though it''s a small kind of surprise," the professor said, the two now sumbing to his decision.


    "Fine, then… any other thing that you have in mind?"


    Pan An contemted for a while. With him remembering what Ru Shi has told him when ites to presents, he asked Wang Lei for a favor.


    "Tomorrow, apany me to buy something simple for Shu Xian—like a ne or a bracelet or something."


    "Ooooh~!"


    Shi Lian eximed, a teasingughing after.


    "I didn''t know Pan An has something like this hidden in his sleeve! She may not be using essories much, but this is something cute and thoughtful to receive! She''ll definitely learn to wear it!"


    With Wang Lei chuckling with what his little sister had said because it''s unusual for his best friend to ask him a favor when ites to looking for a present to give for a girl, Pan An couldn''t help but call for their attention as they were both chuckling at him.


    "Come on, guys… I''m serious here," he scolded them, Wang Lei, nowmenting on Pan An''s small change.


    "With you worrying about this too much, it''s as if you never had a girlfriend at all!"


    Pan An rolled his eyes at the siblings even though they couldn''t see him. With Shi Lian and Wang Lei continuing tough, the professor just ended the call, pissed at them with how they''re teasing him.