Chapter 6: Birthday Presents

Arriving back home, instead of finding grocery bags all over the living room, Jiang Xi found the house spotless and everything had been put away. She was a bit worried about Clara finding out, but was told that Clara is a cultivator herself, so there was no need to worry.

"Did you put things away by magic?" Jiang Xi questioned Yun Jing after coming out from inspecting the kitchen.

"No, I'm not that meticulous," Yun Jing replied, picking up the note left on the dinning table. "But I think I know who did it."

"Who, Li Chen?"

"No, my mother." He showed her the note which read:

Li Chen thought his wife might need help moving

Jing'er, your father and I still have business left to clear

Take care of everyone and don't pick up Li Chen's food habit!

Remember to eat well

~ Love Elise

"Li Chen's food habit?"

"Skipping meals or eating at irregular hours."

Jiang Xi was horrified and was even more determined to set the diet for this family.

"Luna, Clara," Jiang Xi called the two children sitting in the living room. "Do you want to start making cookies now and eat them while you do homework?"

"Okay!" both girls answered and followed Jiang Xi into the kitchen to start making some cookies.

"What types of cookies do you like?" Jiang Xi questioned.

"I like the strawberry cake mix cookies, and chocolate chips, cinnamons, and butter cookies!" Luna answered.

"I like what Luna likes, though I've never tried the strawberry cake mix," said Clara. "But Feng-ge likes chocolate chips most."

"Then Luna will make strawberry cake mix with white chocolate and jie-jie can make chocolate chips for Feng-ge."

Once it was decided, Jiang Xi took out the necessary ingredients and two bows to pour the flowers in. Luna's was the easiest to make, so Jiang Xi decided to mix that one first, letting the children pour the flowers and the egg while she did the mixing. Once finished, Jiang Xi let Luna handle putting the dough on the pan and putting the first batch in, letting Luna look at the oven while she started on chocolate chip with Clara.

Because Clara was older, Jiang Xi let her handle the mixing while she went to help Luna take out the pan and put in new batches.

Once the cookies were done, it was time for a taste and Yun Jing was also given a share as he supervised the girls on their homework. Remembering her birthday cake, Jiang Xi also took them out and cut a piece for the three.

"Mama, today is your birthday?" Luna questioned, shocked.

"It was yesterday," Jiang Xi replied with a smile.

Luna was silent for a moment before saying, "No! We have to make noodles! Luna will make mama longevity noodles!"

"What kind shall we make?" Clara questioned.

"Well, papa and mama went to eat seafood today, and brought back some shrimp and crab," said Jiang Xi. "How about we make a stir-fried seafood noodle dish."

"Okay!"

And so, the children returned to the kitchen to cook dinner.

After dinner, Jiang Xi received a birthday card made by the children and signed with everyone's name on it, which made her really happy because this was the first card she had received. The card was drawn by Luna, who was surprisingly good. On the front was the picture of a birthday cake with the Chinese word happy birthday on top. Inside had a picture of Li Chen holding Luna, who was holding a present in her arms on one panel, while the other panel had well wishes surrounded by pink blooming lotus flowers. On the back was the drawing of their family of three. Seeing this, Jiang Xi was really touched and thought, 'Even if she's not my child by birth, she will be my daughter, my dearest daughter.'

When it was 9, the children showered and it was time for bed, Luna wanting Jiang Xi to tell her a bedtime story.

This was the first time Jiang Xi had entered Luna's room. The room was a mix of green and lavender in color, and there was a large princess bed. There was a small sitting table with a couch, sitting bags, and decorative chairs with stuffed animals all around on one side, set out for entertaining guests, and shelves of books and flower or crystal decorations lined the wall. There was also a dressing table next to a wardrobe and a few drawers.

Both Clara and Luna crawled into bed and waited for Jiang Xi to tell them a story. At first, Jiang Xi took a look at the shelves to see if there was anything to read to them but found that none of the books were short bedtime story books, to which Luna confirmed that she doesn't collect short picture books, but red long ones instead. She said that Jiang Xi can choose a story and finish it another day. And so Jiang Xi chose a story about warrior cats.

When she came out of Luna's room, Jiang Xi found Yun Jing gone and waited until around 10 for Li Chen to return.

"Sorry," said Li Chen, coming to kiss her on the check. He noticed that Jiang Xi went stiff for a moment and paused his action before continuing. "How was your day?"

"It's good," Jiang Xi replied. "Luna brought Clara back for a sleep over and we made cookies and had stir-fried noodles for dinner. Luna also made be a birthday card." Jiang Xi smiled and showed and proudly showed Li Chen the card. "She's really good with drawings. Is she really five?"

Li Chen gave a small chuckle and sat on the couch. "You might need to get use to Clara's presence, Luna often sticks to her."

Jiang Xi nodded and Li Chen continued, "Before you came, I often have to pick Luna up from Bao manor."

"Bao manor?"

"Um, Bao Group's CEO, Bao Ze Min, is Clara's grandfather. Because I'm often busy and sometimes need to be away for filming, Luna stays with Clara."

"Oh… then, Li Chen, are you a second generation?"

"Well… but you don't need to worry, I don't contact my family often and I won't allow them to control me."

"Oh…"

There was so much more she wanted to ask, but reading his facial expression and the aura he was giving off, Jiang Xi could tell that Li Chen did not want to talk about his family, so she left it at that. The two sat in silence for a moment before Li Chen pushed a small box to Jiang Xi.

"This is…" Jiang Xi looked at Li Chen, wondering if it's what she thought it was that was in that box.

As if to confirm it, Li Chen pulled on the chain around his neck and showed her the ring. "I'm an actor, so this kind of thing cannot be worn openly for now."

"Oh," Jiang Xi nodded in understanding and stared at the closed box.

Seeing this, Li Chen took the box and bent down on one knee beside her.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Jiang Xi questioned.

"I just remembered that we seemed to have skipped this step," Li Chen muttered. "Rong Jiang Xi," he took her hand and slipped the beautiful purple gem ring on her ring finger, "although our marriage started from a one-night stand, I hope you know that you have my sincere heart. And even though it's not very romantic and none of this follows the normal routine of dating, I would still like to go through the process."

Li Chen then took off the ring from around his neck. "If you want, we can back track and go through the dating process, but I'm not a very romantic man and I probably cannot do the sweet love routine of high schoolers or publicly go out with you too often, but if you want it, as long as I can, I will do it. So, Rong Jiang Xi, will you accept me?"

Jiang Xi stared at the simple, yet beautiful silver ring in her hand for a moment, observing that the purple gem seemed to change into a rich bluish-green color under the light, just like her precious stone that Ah Ren had given her when she was 5. Jiang Xi wondered if it was intentional on his part, knowing that it was precious to her, and for some reason, this made her a little touched as she took Li Chen's ring from him.

"I also don't know much about love," she began. "I thought I know what love is, but it seems I was really naïve." She placed the ring on his ring finger. "I probably don't know what love is, but I promise that I'll try my best to fill the new role. And although it would be nice, I don't need you to do anything that'll make you feel uncomfortable. I think that as long as you can take care of me, I'll be happy even if I can't get all your love."

Li Chen smiled and warmly kissed her on the lips, causing Jiang Xi to blush. As a traditional woman, she knows that she should get used to these things, so doesn't avoid it as much.

"Have you sorted out your stuff?" Li Chen questioned, leaning over her on the couch.

"Not yet," said Jiang Xi. "I was waiting for you to come back and confirm with you."

Li Chen chuckled. "You don't need to wait for my permission," he said. "What's mine is yours now." He leaned in for another kiss, deepening it as he pushed Jiang Xi to lay down on the couch.

"I was thinking of letting you sleep in a different room if you had chosen the dating route, but since you choose to fulfill the wife route, I hope you can put up with it." Jiang Xi was shocked by his words as Li Chen leaned back, frowning. "Of course, I won't force you."

Jiang Xi thought about his words for a moment, before saying, "I-I'm not very experienced, I hope you can teach me?" She was too embarrassed to look at him and felt like hiding in a whole for saying such things but was taken by surprise at the harsh kiss that came.

"You asked for it yourself, Rong Jiang Xi," said Li Chen. "Don't regret it."

And with that, he pulled her off the couch and carried her to their bedroom.