SPTASPTO 10

Chapter 10

She had always believed she was someone special to An Jianqing —
but now, there was another person.
Someone even more important, who had stolen the place she once held in An Jianqing’s heart.

The thought made her chest tighten with discomfort and dissatisfaction —
as if something precious had been taken away from her.

Ning Xuechu clenched her teeth and drew in a deep breath,
trying to drive away the gloom clouding her heart.

But her mind seemed to have a will of its own,
replaying that moment —
An Jianqing holding the photo album tightly against her chest.

The way her slender fingers locked along the edge of the album,
the faint, unconscious smile tugging at her lips as she put it away —
it was all so vivid.

That smile wasn’t the gentle, polite one she usually wore.
It was genuine,
radiating beauty and happiness from deep within —
a kind of joy she had never once shown to Ning Xuechu.

The more Ning Xuechu thought about it,
the angrier she became.

She pushed open the window,
hoping the cold wind might cool her down.

From the adjacent window came a soft, cheerful voice —
“No need to go to all that trouble. It’s just a birthday. I’m already happy that you can come.”

The person on the other end of the phone said something,
and An Jianqing’s laughter rang out, light and melodic —
full of joy.

Ning Xuechu listened in silence,
her mind recalling the background information she’d once found about An Jianqing.

Three days from now — Saturday —
was her birthday.

And she’d have all the time in the world to attend that celebration.

A faint smile curved at Ning Xuechu’s lips.
After the call next door ended, she turned and stepped out of her room.

“Sister,” she said brightly, “your birthday is coming up soon.
I’ll definitely prepare a special gift for you —
I hope you won’t dislike it.”

An Jianqing blinked in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and said softly,
“Thank you, Xuechu. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Then it’s a promise!” Ning Xuechu said happily,
her eyes gleaming. “I’ll even sing you a birthday song!”

“All right,” An Jianqing chuckled indulgently.
“When the time comes, I’ll introduce you to a friend of mine.”

“Who is it?” Ning Xuechu froze —
her mind instantly flashing to the woman in the photo.

“Qiu Mengxi,” An Jianqing said lightly,
her face softening with a happy smile,
a faint blush coloring her pale skin.

Ning Xuechu noticed that expression all too clearly.

She didn’t know Qiu Mengxi personally,
but she had heard the name.

It appeared often enough in entertainment tabloids —
a regular headline, tied to a thousand romantic rumors.

The eldest daughter of the Qiu family —
a woman always surrounded by beauties,
never lacking for admirers,
and known for changing girlfriends every three months.

From top actresses to fashion models —
pure and delicate, sultry and bold —
whomever she set her eyes on,
she always got.

Qiu Mengxi’s family background was illustrious,
and she herself was exceptional —
an S-rank Alpha, dazzling and magnetic,
generous with her money and her charm.

The Qiu and Ning families were both powerful local clans —
sometimes rivals, sometimes partners.

The media loved to pit Qiu Mengxi and An Jianqing against each other —
painting them as natural-born enemies,
two Alphas locked in unspoken competition.

After all, Alphas at the same level rarely coexisted peacefully,
especially when they carried the weight of their families behind them.

No one could have guessed
that the two “rivals” from those rumors
were actually friends.

Ning Xuechu rubbed her tired eyes,
closed her phone, and tossed it aside.

Right now, what mattered most
was preparing An Jianqing’s birthday gift.

After thinking for an entire day and reading countless suggestions online,
she finally settled on an idea.

She bought paintbrushes, paper —
and a pound of sweet-and-sour cherries.

Two nights of effort later,
the gift was finally ready.

Satisfied, Ning Xuechu wrapped it carefully
and decided she would give it to An Jianqing
in front of everyone at the birthday party tomorrow.

Just then, a voice came from the doorway.

“Xuechu, what have you been secretly working on lately?”

An Jianqing stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe.

Startled, Ning Xuechu jumped —
the box in her hands slipped and fell to the floor with a loud clang.

Following the sound, An Jianqing glanced down —
and saw a beautifully wrapped gift box with a delicate ribbon tied on top.

“What’s this, Xuechu?” she asked, stepping closer.

Panicking, Ning Xuechu hurriedly picked up the box,
turned away, and hid it inside a cabinet.

“N–nothing,” she murmured.

“Can I take a look?” An Jianqing asked, her voice soft and teasing,
her eyes glimmering with knowing amusement.

“I…” Ning Xuechu hesitated, realizing there was no hiding it.
Her cheeks flushed pink,
and she lowered her head shyly.

“This is your birthday present,” she whispered.
“I wanted to give it to you tomorrow.”

“And what if I want to see it now?” An Jianqing said with a playful smile,
taking a few steps closer.

She could have held back her curiosity —
but the sight of the nervous, secretive girl stirred something in her —
a warm, mischievous urge to tease her a little.

“I…” Ning Xuechu’s face turned even redder,
her dark eyes glimmering as if she might cry.

Realizing she had gone too far,
An Jianqing was about to say something to ease the tension —
when the girl suddenly lifted her head,
determination shining in her eyes.

“Sister,” she said, her voice soft but steady,
“close your eyes, and I’ll show you.”

Her face was scarlet as she spoke,
and her fingers fidgeted nervously along the edge of the box.

An Jianqing couldn’t help but laugh quietly,
half in reassurance, half in affection.

“All right,” she said, smiling.
“I’ll close my eyes.”

And with that, she shut them,
letting herself fall into darkness,
completely unguarded.

“Sister…” Ning Xuechu’s voice came sweet and low,
the sound almost trembling.

As she began untying the box,
she whispered,
“You’re not allowed to peek.”

An Jianqing couldn’t help but find the situation amusing. Suppressing a smile, she promised seriously,
“I won’t peek. I’ll only open my eyes when Xuechu says ‘okay.’”

“Then…” Ning Xuechu swallowed the last word “okay” back down into her throat.

She carefully began unwrapping the box, her face still full of innocent sincerity.

Even though An Jianqing couldn’t see her, she made sure every move looked cautious and pure—she couldn’t let her true nature slip.

Halfway through opening the box, Ning Xuechu stopped and waved her hand in front of An Jianqing’s face.

“Xuechu, can I open my eyes now?” An Jianqing tilted her head slightly.

Losing her sight made her rely more on sound; she instinctively tried to catch every small noise with her ears.

“Not yet,” Ning Xuechu quickly replied, her voice trembling with nervousness. “You can’t until I say that word.”

“Alright,” An Jianqing agreed softly.

Children were indeed children—so earnest about keeping promises, unwilling to break them even a little.

Ning Xuechu quietly exhaled. As she reached the last layer of wrapping, her fingers began to tremble slightly, and her heartbeat quickened.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell if she was just acting or truly nervous.

But one thing she was certain of—she really wanted to see An Jianqing’s expression when she opened the gift.

“Jiejie, it’s done. You can open your eyes now.” Ning Xuechu’s voice was soft and quivering.

An Jianqing immediately noticed the tremor.

Losing her sight had sharpened her other senses—she could clearly feel the child’s tension, and she caught the sweet-and-sour scent of cherries wafting from the box.

“Cherries,” An Jianqing said with her eyes still closed, her lips curving in delight.

Ning Xuechu stared at that smile for a few seconds, and a flicker of dissatisfaction bloomed in her chest.

That smile was too fake—it didn’t come from the heart. There wasn’t even a hint of real surprise in it.

“Not exactly,” she said softly. “Jiejie, open your eyes and see.”

At that, curiosity flickered in An Jianqing’s heart.

She opened her eyes—and when she saw what was inside, she gasped, covering her mouth in astonishment.

Her brows and eyes lit up with pure, unguarded joy.

A wave of satisfaction washed through Ning Xuechu. Biting her lip, she asked nervously,
“Jiejie, do you like it?”

“I love it,” An Jianqing said with genuine happiness, taking the gift carefully into her hands. “Thank you, Xuechu. This is the most surprising gift I’ve ever received.”

Inside the box was a colored pencil portrait of An Jianqing—and seven cherries.

Ning Xuechu’s drawing skills were excellent; she had captured every delicate feature vividly, especially the eyes, which seemed alive. It was almost better than a photograph.

But what truly stunned An Jianqing were the cherries—each one had a tiny carved character, together spelling:
‘Happy Birthday, An Jianqing.’

Such a clever, romantic idea—one that must have taken time and care. It clearly showed how much thought Xuechu had put into her birthday.

“Jiejie, I’m glad you like it. I was worried you’d find it shabby… after all, my gift can’t compare to the ones your friends will give.”

She lowered her head as she spoke, her hands clasped together in front of her. The frail figure looked utterly self-conscious.

An Jianqing froze for a moment, then realized whom the girl meant by “friends.” Her voice softened.

“Xuechu, it’s not about how expensive it is. What matters is the heart behind it. I like your gift the most.”

“Really?” Ning Xuechu looked up with wide eyes, then threw her arms around An Jianqing.
“As long as Jiejie likes it, all the time and effort I spent was worth it!”

Caught off guard, An Jianqing stiffened as the scent of cherries filled her nose.

To carve words into each cherry, the child must have worked so hard.

Hearing the joy and faint sob in that small voice, An Jianqing’s heart softened. She let the girl hold her.

No matter how mature and obedient she seemed, growing up in such a different environment had left her deeply insecure.

Emotionally, she was still fragile—easily swayed, easily hurt.
Keeping her true identity hidden for now had been the right decision.

After a moment, Ning Xuechu let go on her own, wiping her tears and asking softly,
“Jiejie, was I really embarrassing just now?”

“Of course not. You were adorable, Xuechu. I like you no matter what you look like.”

An Jianqing smiled gently, patting her head.
“Thanks to you, I’ll remember today as a beautiful moment.”

Ning Xuechu’s lips curved upward. Her smile was radiant.

Even though she’d given her gift earlier than planned, An Jianqing’s warm praise made it all worth it.

“Jiejie, can I still come to your birthday party tomorrow?” she asked carefully, her big eyes shining with hope.

“Of course. I’ll drive you there myself,” An Jianqing replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Jiejie.” Ning Xuechu’s smile deepened.

Finally, after hiding her for so long, An Jianqing was willing to take her out.

Though she didn’t know how that woman would introduce her—

—she felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

That night, she barely slept. Her mind kept replaying every possible scenario—what kind of people she might meet, how she should act, how to respond perfectly.

She practiced it all again and again in her head, until morning light crept through the window.

Even after staying up all night, she didn’t feel tired at all.

“Xuechu, did you not sleep well yesterday? You look pale,” An Jianqing asked over breakfast, concern in her voice.

“Today is Jiejie’s birthday—I’m just so happy,” Ning Xuechu said with a soft laugh, her cheeks tinged pink.

An Jianqing couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was her own birthday, yet Xuechu seemed even more excited than she was.

But that only showed how much the girl truly cared about her.

“Xuechu, come to my room later. I have something I’d like to ask you to help me with.”
An Jianqing hesitated slightly as she spoke, her delicate cheeks slowly flushing pink, her expression tinged with shyness and unease.

Ning Xuechu froze for a moment, then quickly smiled and replied,
“What is it, Jiejie?”

“You’ll find out later,” An Jianqing murmured softly, lowering her head to hide the color rising in her face.

Ning Xuechu was full of curiosity, her mind spinning through countless possibilities—so much so that she lost her appetite entirely.

When she finally entered An Jianqing’s room, the first thing she saw was still the sea of roses.

Even after two days, the roses were just as fresh, their fragrance as strong as ever.

“Ah-choo!” Ning Xuechu sneezed, rubbing her nose lightly with a fingertip.

The scent was overwhelming—almost suffocatingly strong—but An Jianqing didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, she looked as if she were enjoying it.

“Xuechu, which of these dresses do you think looks better on me?” An Jianqing asked softly, pointing at a pile of clothes spread across the bed, her face still faintly red.

Ning Xuechu’s throat tightened; a surge of irritation rose unbidden in her chest.