Chapter 224 Happy Birthday to Me

Chapter 224 Happy Birthday to Me

Jiang Wang was driving extremely fast, and the scenery outside the window was rushing past.

He had only one thought in his mind: Si Yuan absolutely must not get into trouble.

Not long after, he arrived at the Xishan Villa and saw Fang Yan and Zheng Qinyun's car in the distance.

Jiang Wang stopped the car and strode over: "Where is he?"

Fang Yan shook his head, his face grim: "We just arrived and went inside to check. It's empty; Song Yan isn't here at all."

"Not here?"

Jiang Wang's eyes darkened instantly, and anger surged into his heart. He kicked the iron gate of the villa, making a loud "bang".

Where else could he possibly hide?

Zheng Qinyun stood aside, his face also pale: "I really don't know. This is the only private residence he owns in the capital."

Jiang Wang took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and turned to walk towards his car: "Investigate again! Investigate every place in Beijing he might have gone!"

After saying that, he opened the car door, and the car sped away again, leaving only a blur.

——

That night felt exceptionally long.

When did Si Yuan recall the last time she was locked up?

It happened at the mental health center.

The rooms inside, just like now, are not well-lit.

The air was always filled with a strange, cold, and pungent smell of disinfectant and medicine.

The so-called treatment was nothing more than sitting in an empty room, listening to the doctor ask mechanical questions, or being forced to do activities she had no interest in.

She was cut off from all contact with the outside world, and every day she was faced with cold walls, numb caregivers, and patients with empty eyes just like her.

Loneliness, fear, and despair were like a net, tightly binding her, leaving her no room to breathe.

...

And now, that familiar sense of oppression has returned.

Si Yuan's body trembled slightly, not from the cold, but from anger.

This time, it was still because of Song Yan that the nightmare returned.

As dawn broke and a faint light appeared outside the window, Song Yancai entered Si Yuan's room again.

This time, he was carrying an exquisite cake box.

He placed the cake box on the bedside table, gently opened it, and inside was a small cream cake.

He then placed another candle on top and carefully arranged it.

Song Yan sat on the edge of the bed, looked at Si Yuan who still had her back to him, and said gently, "Xiao Yuan."

Si Yuan didn't move, but slowly closed her eyes, not wanting to pay attention to him.

Song Yan wasn't angry. He slowly withdrew his gaze, stared at the cake, and said softly, "Have you forgotten that today is my birthday?"

Si Yuan's body stiffened slightly, but she remained silent and did not speak.

Song Yan chuckled self-deprecatingly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of grievance and disappointment.

“You used to remember everything and would prepare birthday presents for me days in advance. Now that you're all grown up, you've forgotten.”

Si Yuan blinked calmly, as if she were listening to someone else's story.

Romantic tales of love and romance are not suitable for them.

Song Yan's abrupt words only made her feel ridiculous.

After a long while, Si Yuan suddenly spoke, her voice terribly hoarse: "I haven't forgotten."

Song Yan's eyes lit up slightly, revealing a hint of anticipation.

The happiness in my heart, dense and cautious, is about to overflow.

But before he could even speak...

The next second, Si Yuan's voice came again, slightly mocking: "I just won't celebrate your birthday anymore."

The expectation on Song Yan's face froze instantly.

My heart felt like it was being constricted by a barbed wire; the pain was excruciating.

He knew that Si Yuan would never be genuinely happy on her birthday again.

This is the price of trapping her.

It was also the price he paid for his morbid disruption of the balance.

But Song Yan also said that he didn't care.

It doesn't matter if they torment each other, but Si Yuan can only be with him.

He paused, remained silent for a long while, and then forced a slightly strained smile.

He reached out and gently touched the cream on the cake.

"On my eighteenth birthday, I had everything: family background, prestige, and being the center of attention."

His eyes dimmed: "But I don't have you. That year, you were sent abroad."

At that time, the young man knew nothing of sorrow.

Si Yuan left, and he felt a dull ache in his heart, but he couldn't figure out why.

It seems that she was only unhappy because her younger sister was disobedient.

He eagerly awaited his sister's return, hoping she would become the obedient girl she once was.

Only now do I realize that this was the possible end for him and Si Yuan.

Si Yuan had disliked him long before that.

All the tenderness and turning back were useless; his goodness, his appearance, couldn't compare to that person.

And so, inner demons arose.

He turned to look at Si Yuan: "Now I'm twenty-eight years old, and I can give up everything I once had."

"But I have you by my side, and that's enough for me."

"I feel very satisfied, really satisfied."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yan took out a lighter from his pocket; the silver casing gleamed coldly in the dim light.

His fingertips trembled slightly, and with an almost pious anticipation and caution, he lowered his head and brought the candle close, lighting the flame with a "click".

The flickering candlelight reflected in his eyes and illuminated Song Yan's face.

He stared at the cluster of flames for a few seconds before slowly raising his eyes to say, "Happy birthday, brother?"

The room was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of a burning candle.

Si Yuan remained motionless, silent from beginning to end.

Her coldness struck Song Yan's heart like a deadly stone.

The expectation on Song Yan's face gradually faded, leaving only a dense, persistent pain.

He knew he was being subservient, and Si Yuan didn't like subservient men.

But he couldn't control himself; all he wanted was a simple blessing, a blessing from her.

But in the end, he got nothing.

Song Yan slowly lowered his eyes, staring at the flickering candlelight, a self-deprecating smile curling at the corner of his lips, tinged with despair.

Some things are not something he can obtain simply by desperately trying to grasp them.

Not everyone who prays to Buddha gets their wish.

This room locked Si Yuan in, but it also trapped Song Yan.

But he couldn't stop; he had no way out.

Song Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the dull pain in his heart. When he looked up again, the vulnerability in his eyes was replaced by coldness and hardness.

He deliberately softened his tone, speaking each word slowly and deliberately, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue at Si Yuan.

"Xiaoyuan, wish me a happy birthday. Otherwise, I'm not sure if I would do anything to Xiaozhou."

These words instantly shattered the silence in the room.

Si Yuan's body stiffened abruptly, her shoulders tensed even more, and she even paused for a moment.

Her biggest concern is her child.

Song Yan had just managed to exploit her weakness.

Song Yan watched as she finally gave in, slowly stood up, turned around, and looked at him.

But he felt no joy of victory, only waves of pain.

There was no way out, he told himself.