Birthday
The sound of children playing reached Ai Hua's ears only faintly, as if carried from a great distance. She stood gazing down at them from the height of the Bubu Pharmacy building, her eyes soft and thoughtful. A smile blossomed across her face when she noticed a little girl dancing with pure joy after receiving a flower crown from her older brother. How sweet, Ai Hua thought to herself. How wonderfully sweet the world could be in these small, fleeting moments.
“Ai Hua jiejie.” Ai Hua felt someone calling her name and looked down to find Qiqi tugging gently at the hem of her clothes.
“Qiqi, what is it?” Ai Hua lowered her head toward the young zombie girl, her voice warm and patient.
“There is a letter.” Qiqi extended the envelope toward Ai Hua with both small hands.
“From whom?” Ai Hua took the letter and tried to discern who might have sent it, turning it over in her fingers as if the paper itself might whisper its secrets.
“Qiqi does not know.” Ai Hua gazed at Qiqi for a moment before offering her a tender, reassuring smile.
“That is alright. Thank you, Qiqi.” She stroked Qiqi's head gently, her palm resting there for a heartbeat longer than necessary, before the little zombie girl turned and shuffled back to her usual place.
Ai Hua opened the letter and began to read. The contents spoke of someone who had discovered an injured bird and was now nursing it back to health, carefully feeding it day by day. Without needing to investigate further, Ai Hua already knew the sender. It was Xiao. She could tell from his distinctive handwriting, those familiar strokes and curves that had become so recognizable to her eyes over time. The letter also mentioned that Xiao wanted Ai Hua to give the bird a name, to strengthen the bond between them. A faint blush crept across Ai Hua's cheeks as she read that particular line, but she could not help letting out a small, quiet laugh.
“A name, hmm?” she murmured, lifting her gaze toward the sky, which today was a shade of blue that reminded her of her own hair.
“Xiao!” Ai Hua called out as she approached him. Xiao was crouched low, observing the bird as it pecked happily at the food he had brought. His attention was entirely fixed on the small creature, his expression as unreadable as ever.
“Hm. You came,” Xiao said, his voice flat, though there was no coldness in it—only his usual matter-of-fact way of speaking.
“Yes. I also brought some medicinal plants that can help speed up its recovery.” Ai Hua lifted the bag she was carrying, which contained a bottle of medicine she had carefully prepared herself. “How is it progressing?” she asked, turning her attention to the bird with its reddish feathers. A small smile touched her lips when the little creature finished its meal and let out a soft chirp, a sound that seemed to express nothing but pure contentment.
“The wound has begun to dry. Perhaps in two more days, it will be fully healed,” Xiao explained, his eyes still tracking the bird's movements.
“Hmm, that's good. That's very good. Hee hee... look, he's sniffing my finger. Hey there, little Xiao, do you like me?” Ai Hua's playful words made Xiao raise one eyebrow ever so slightly.
“Little Xiao?” he repeated, echoing the name back to her as if testing its weight on his tongue.
“Yes. You asked me to give him a name, didn't you? So I am going to name him Little Xiao. Isn't that adorable?” Ai Hua turned to face Xiao and threw him a bright, beaming smile.
“The name is repetitive,” Xiao said plainly. In Mandarin, the word xiao meant “little,” so the bird's name would literally translate to “Xiao Xiao”
“But that is exactly what makes it so cute!” Ai Hua insisted, stubbornly holding her ground. She was determined to name the tiny bird Little Xiao, and no logical argument would sway her.
“Why must it be my name? You could give it any other name,” Xiao protested, though his tone remained as flat and uninflected as always. There was no real resistance in his voice, only a mild bewilderment.
“You are the one taking care of him. Is it not natural to name a child after the parent?” This time, Ai Hua's words only seemed to deepen Xiao's confusion. He tilted his head slightly, processing her strange logic.
“I do not have a child,” Xiao said, shaking his head slowly.
“Then consider this one your child now,” Ai Hua replied, her eyes shining with such radiant happiness that Xiao fell silent. He found himself unable to argue, even though the entire situation felt utterly absurd to him. Something about the light in her eyes made resistance impossible.
Ai Hua began applying the medicine she had brought to Little Xiao's injured wing. The bird remained perfectly calm, completely compliant under her gentle touch. He did not struggle or try to escape. Instead, he rubbed his small head against Ai Hua's finger, a gesture so trusting and affectionate that it made the girl smile even wider. When she finished treating Little Xiao, Ai Hua stood up and turned to face Xiao.
“The wound looks quite good already. If the medicine reacts well, Little Xiao might be able to fly again by tomorrow,” she said, sounding very much like a healer reporting a patient's condition to a concerned parent.
“That is good,” Xiao replied, his expression still unreadable. Yet if one looked closely enough, a soft warmth glowed from within his gaze, a gentle light that he rarely allowed others to see.
“Ah, yes. I almost forgot.” Ai Hua reached into her brown cloth bag and rummaged for a moment before pulling out a small bottle containing a liquid of the softest purple hue. “Happy birthday, Xiao,” she said, extending the bottle toward him.
“It is an aromatherapy blend that I prepared myself. The main ingredient is the Qing Xin flower, but I also added some extract from a flower that comes all the way from Fontaine. If you ever need to relax, I think this scent will help calm your mind and ease your spirit,” Ai Hua explained, her voice gentle and sincere. She smiled when Xiao lifted the bottle to his nose and sniffed it.
“Mm. The fragrance is quite pleasant,” Xiao said, and though his face remained perfectly neutral, the words themselves were praise enough. Ai Hua laughed softly, knowing that coming from Xiao, this was a genuine compliment.
“Then it is my turn.” Ai Hua blinked rapidly, her heart skipping a beat when Xiao suddenly stepped closer to her. She could smell him now—the clean, subtle scent of bamboo that always seemed to cling to his clothes and skin. He was so close that it felt like an embrace, though he had not yet touched her.
“Eh?” Ai Hua gasped softly when Xiao reached out and began to stroke her hair. His fingers moved slowly from the crown of her head all the way down to the strands that framed her cheeks. Then he took her hand in his, lifting it gently, and placed a small token into her palm—a tiny flower-shaped pendant carved in the likeness of a Qing Xin blossom.
“Happy birthday, Ai Hua,” Xiao said. “Use this whenever you feel lonely. It will keep you company.” His voice was quiet, though his expression remained as composed as ever.
Ai Hua gazed down at the glowing token in her hand, her eyes wide with wonder. The fluttering sensation in her stomach—the one that had appeared when Xiao came so close to her—still lingered, but she tried her best to hide it, to focus her attention on the beautiful object resting in her palm.
“Xiao, this is absolutely beautiful. Thank you,” she murmured, lifting her eyes to meet his. Her gaze was slightly misty, touched by emotion she could not fully name.
“You are welcome.”
As Ai Hua turned her attention back to the token, admiring its delicate craftsmanship, Xiao allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. It was subtle, but anyone who did see it would recognize immediately that this smile was genuine and sincere. It was a smile that Xiao reserved for only one person in the whole world. It was a smile meant only for Ai Hua.