After midnight

The next morning, An Yan and Su Zi Ling said goodbye to Wu Ying and the others and walked along the roadside trees towards home. The air and the ground were wet, as it had rained last night.

"It's been almost three weeks since Xiao Su started school. Time flies so fast." Su Ziling sighed as he walked.

"Yeah." An Yan agreed absentmindedly.

Su Ziling secretly looked at An Yan's expression under the shade of the early spring trees. An Yan didn't look abnormal, but he always felt that An Yan was not in a good state. The war had just ended, and he was immersed in the grief of losing Yin and didn't care about An Yan. But now, a month has passed, Song Yu is dead, Liu Jiu is also dead, and they have just said goodbye to Wu Ying and are about to step into a new future.

Everything was truly over, but why did he still feel that something was wrong with An Yan, like the wind, gone at the touch of a finger?

"An Yan, what's wrong with you? What are you worried about?" Su Ziling stopped.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that so many things happened in just one year." An Yan blinked.

Su Ziling was very angry. He could tell that An Yan was lying or evasive. So he asked, "An Yan, how are we going to get back? I mean, are we going to take Xiao Su back to the new world?"

An Yan then looked at Su Ziling and realized that Su Ziling was in a bad mood. "Sorry, I want to wait a little longer. Uncle Fang is negotiating with Jiudu right now, and the situation is still unclear. I am worried."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier if you were worried? I have good news for you. Xu Xing and Bai Ming promised me to help out in their store for a while and they'll pay me."

"help?"

"Yes, I guessed that we can't go back for the time being." An Yan was indeed worried about the issue of going back. Although he wanted to go back as soon as possible, he wanted to go back with An Yan.

"Besides, the world is peaceful now, and everyone is living in harmony. I can't just stay at home and do nothing if I don't go find a master to practice. So I plan to go out to work and earn some money." Su Ziling recovered and talked as he walked, his abacus clacking.

"Zi Ling, when is your birthday?"

"It's the end of the month. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Su Ziling deliberately said it vaguely. When he wanted to tell An Yan before, An Yan changed the subject. Now Su Ziling didn't plan to tell him right away. Moreover, Su Ziling knew too well that An Yan was trying to change the subject again.

"I promise you, after your birthday, we will return to the ordinary life we ​​were supposed to live."

"Really? Then you'd better remember it clearly. An Yan, my birthday is March 3th."

"I remember it clearly. I won't forget it."

"You won't forget?"

"I won't forget. I'm not lying to you. How about this, at midnight when the two worlds meet next time, we'll go back and spend the whole month of March.

"Okay, I'll remember that." Su Ziling agreed readily, and was completely happy now. He strode towards home, which was just around the corner.

After that, after making an agreement with him, Su Ziling found that An Yan had become much more normal, no longer absent-minded and no longer often in a daze. This was what Su Ziling feared the most, he didn't know what An Yan was thinking.

Two days later, on March 9, Jiu Xiang announced that Song Xinjun would be the new head of the Song family. Afterwards, the new government of the revolutionary army returned the control of the four areas of Beiguan, Beizhong, Beicheng and Shacheng to Jiudu.

After that, the news that Su Ziling could hear stagnated for a while. It was not until the 21st that Jiu Xiang and Fang Hao jointly issued a statement announcing that the Revolutionary Army would be incorporated into the Security Bureau and a new Security Bureau would be established. Lin Nuan was appointed as the director of the bureau and Zhou Chen as the deputy director.

Su Ziling was completely stunned when he first heard the news. It seemed that only then he realized that the world was really changing to some extent.

He said goodbye before he got off work and rushed home to find Anyan. Anyan had been staying at home these days and almost never went out except to buy groceries and cook.

"An Yan, have you heard? The Revolutionary Army has been merged into the Security Bureau, and Lin Nuan is now the director of the Security Bureau. She is so amazing. Now she is responsible for the Lin and Lu companies, and she also has to worry about these national affairs. I am worried whether she can bear it. By the way, didn't you go to see her the next day after we came back? How is she?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since that day."

"That's right. She's so busy now. Why don't we take some time to go see her? Maybe she has something to tell you?"

Su Ziling carefully looked at An Yan's face. Lu Li was still in the hospital bed and had not woken up yet. Lin Nuan was pregnant and it was the most difficult time for her.

"No."

"Are you really not going?"

"No, someone will take good care of her."

"Okay. An Yan, the world is getting better, right? The pain we've suffered and the blood we've shed are not in vain, right?"

"Yes." An Yan smiled.

"I don't know what news will scare me in the future, what do you think, An Yan?"

"I don't know, but that has nothing to do with us."

"Yes, I will be able to go back soon. I hope I can see them again when I come back here in the future. Lin Nuan, Lu Li, Song Xinjun, Zhou Chen, Shangguan Can, Sister Wuying, Ye, Qing, He, Wu, Ajiu... and Bai Ming and Xu Xing." Su Ziling couldn't bear to leave after counting.

"I don't know what the old master is doing now?" Su Ziling said as he looked at the moon outside the window. The moon was bright and clear.

"Since you miss them, why not invite them over to play on your birthday."

Su Ziling's eyes lit up but he immediately shook his head, "No, I'm satisfied to have you and Xiao Su on my birthday."

An Yan didn't say anything else. At this time, the other person in the conversation, Xiao Su, happened to come down from upstairs and ran into An Yan's arms, nestling on him and not moving.

"Brother Ziling, let's have a speed puzzle competition. I'll let you choose one first." An Xiaosu was very arrogant.

"Come on, but the loser will have to do housework for the whole day tomorrow."

"No problem." Xiao Su jumped out of An Yan's arms and sat down next to Su Ziling.

An Yan smiled nonchalantly and looked up at the bright moon hanging outside the window. At this time, the moon was blocked by a wisp of dark cloud.

Soon, in just a week, Su Ziling's birthday arrived. At the end of March, the roses in the garden bloomed. Early in the morning, Su Ziling went to pick a bunch of the most colorful ones and put them in a vase on the coffee table in the living room. The roses had just been washed with clean water, and the stamens were wet.

"Brother Zi Ling, happy birthday!"

"Thank you, Xiao Su. Why did you get up so early today?" Su Ziling came down the stairs. The living room was brightly sunny.

"It's not early for me. Dad has already gone out."

"What did he go out for?"

"I don't know." Xiao Su shook his head.

"Really don't know?" Xiao Su nodded again.

"Okay, even if you don't know." During the time that Su Ziling was helping out at the bar, he had been working day and night. Yesterday, he finished his last shift and didn't get home until two in the morning. Now he was hungry and was looking for something to eat.

Su Ziling went into the kitchen for a few minutes and then went back to his room to sleep. He was woken up at noon. Xiao Su patted him to wake him up, and he quickly got up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and made sure he was dressed properly before going downstairs.

When he went downstairs, he found that nothing had changed. There were only two more dishes and a bowl of longevity noodles on the table. Su Ziling took a closer look. Although the noodles were fragrant and the dishes were all his favorites, Su Ziling felt that they were not special enough.

"Happy birthday, Zi Ling. Congratulations on turning eighteen."

"Thank you." Su Ziling sat at the dining table and picked up his chopsticks and asked, "An Yan, don't you feel like something is missing?"

"Isn't it true that birthdays are all about eating noodles? What else is missing?"

It's embarrassing to ask for something if others don't ask. Cakes are, and gifts are of course. Okay, let's eat. Su Ziling swallowed the noodles in two or three mouthfuls. Lunch was over in a hurry.

After lunch, Su Ziling watched An Yan and Xiao Su busy with their own things and no one paid any attention to him. He didn't want to get bored and went upstairs after a long sigh. Out of sight, out of mind.

Su Ziling didn't expect that he could sleep so well. He just lay on the bed for a while but felt sleepy again. As if to make up for the sleep he missed due to his previous upside-down sleep schedule, Su Ziling slept until dark, and it gave him a headache.

It was dark. Su Ziling pushed open the door and it was completely dark outside as well.

"An Yan? Xiao Su?" He called them tentatively.

Suddenly, the view in front of me lit up. The colorful light bulbs tied to the fence on the second floor were flashing, and the light extended down the stairs.

"An Yan? Xiao Su?" Su Ziling called again tentatively.

At this time, the sound of the piano suddenly sounded. I don't know where a burst of notes came from, elegant and moving. The notes flowed happily, repeating the same melody over and over again, wishing you a happy birthday~ Happy birthday to you~

No one knew what these two people were doing in the living room all day, so Su Ziling walked along the glowing light of the small colored lights and finally stood in the living room.

A few candles were lit on the floor of the living room, and An Yan played piano music for him behind the flickering flames. Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~

"Brother Zi Ling, happy 18th birthday!" Xiao Su came out of the kitchen with a cake and presented him with a lovely smile and the final scene. Su Zi Ling had never expected such a scene. Although it was a common trick, Su Zi Ling was still moved.

He was really touched. He looked at Xiao Su and then at An Yan who was sitting not far away. He closed his eyes, made a wish and gently blew out the candle.

The music stopped, the lights came on, the balloons swayed gently, and An Yan came over. He and Xiao Su stood in front of Su Ziling, and at that moment, Su Ziling wanted to lean over and hug them. But he didn't open his chest because he saw the coffee table in the living room was piled with gifts, and then he was pulled over.

"Brother Zi Ling, eat the cake first." Xiao Su pulled Su Zi Ling with both hands and pressed him on the sofa with both hands. An Yan took the cake and placed it in front of Su Zi Ling.

"Cut the cake quickly, Brother Zi Ling. This cake was made by my father himself."

The star-shaped colored lights on the wall were still twinkling, the candles on the floor were still burning, the balloons piled on the sofa were pushed aside, and Su Ziling reached out to cut the cake. While cutting, he used his eyes to ask An Yan if what Xiao Su said just now was true.

"It's true. I made it for a whole day. But these colorful lights, candles, and balloons were all Xiao Su's idea."

"That's what I told you." Su Ziling didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He took a bite of the strawberry and it was quite sweet.

"Is Brother Zi Ling unhappy?" Xiao Su felt very aggrieved.

"Happy, thank you Xiaosu."

"Hehe." Xiao Su continued to show her courtesy after receiving the compliment. She put down the cake in her hand and took out a small and exquisite box from the gift box next to her. "This is a gift from me. Open it and take a look."

Su Ziling opened it and found a men's necklace. A three-dimensional pendant was tied to the silver necklace, and the pendant was a burning fire.

"Brother Zi Ling, if you look carefully you can see the trickle of water in the fire. I fell in love with it at first sight and spent all my pocket money on it."

Yes, the pendant is lifelike. In addition to its outline resembling a burning fire, the inside of the pendant is also carefully carved with wisps of dancing flames. These flames, viewed from the opposite side, look like a trickle of water originating from the top of a mountain.

"I like it very much. Thank you, Xiao Su. Xiao Su has a good eye."

Su Ziling took the gift and came over with a smile and asked, "An Yan, what about yours?"

An Yan reluctantly picked out his own. Su Ziling looked at the ones in An Yan's hand and then at the ones still piled on the coffee table and asked, "Whose are these?"

"There are many people's. Some were sent by Wuying, some were prepared by Ye, and some were from Xu Xing and Bai Ming. Do you want to see theirs first?"

Su Ziling smiled gratefully at the pile of gifts and said, "No, I want to see yours first."

"Okay." An Yan said as he took it out and handed it to him.

It was very heavy, too heavy. Su Ziling almost couldn't hold it. Besides being heavy, it was also very big, which made Su Ziling even more excited. Su Ziling carefully opened the box on the edge of the coffee table, and saw ten brick-like things neatly stacked there.

"what is this?"

"I customized a calendar for ten years. The first page is today, with your birthday as the annual ring."

"Customized?" Su Ziling was puzzled. This gift was strange. He casually opened the first page of the first book, and it was handwritten, "Happy 18th Birthday to Su Ziling." Su Ziling quickly turned to the second page, and it was also handwritten, "Is the sun out today?" Under the handwritten line, An Yan even drew a sun and a small red flower under the sun.

Su Ziling wanted to continue flipping through the pages, but An Yan raised his hand to stop him. "You can read the rest later. You can turn a page every day."

"Every day? Ten years, three thousand six hundred and fifty days. You wrote a ten-year calendar for me by hand?" Su Ziling was stunned by the huge surprise.

"Yeah." An Yan nodded.

"Okay, I'll see tomorrow." Su Ziling put it away solemnly and suddenly thought of something and asked, "Was this also Xiao Su's idea?"

"Stupid brother!" Xiao Su yelled.

"…Do you want to go and see other people's gifts? Aren't you looking forward to it?"

"Looking forward to it." Su Ziling grinned.

It was rare for An Yan to be shy, so Su Ziling didn't expose him. Then Su Ziling looked at many gifts in succession, but in his heart, he had already got the best. Just like he said at the beginning, it was the best to have Xiao Su and An Yan together on this birthday.

The sun will definitely come out tomorrow, and it will shine brightly.