Chapter 118: Huang Juan's Birthday Is Quite Special (Bonus chapter for reaching 30 monthly votes!)

March 15th was Huang Juan’s birthday. Chen Ming and An Qi had planned a party for that evening at An Qi’s family’s small food stall, but Yang Tian decided to give her a special celebration beforehand, as she was now sixteen and no longer a child.

Yang Tian booked a table at the Golden Coast and brought her there for a private lunch. Since there would be a cake at the evening party, he didn't order one for lunch, opting instead to give her a special birthday gift.

After school, Yang Tian biked Huang Juan to the Golden Coast. It was her first time there, and she felt somewhat out of place. As the most luxurious hotel in Binhai City, its marble floors were as reflective as mirrors, and the staff at the entrance were incredibly enthusiastic. Huang Juan felt both envious and inferior, especially when looking at the waitresses in their elegant cheongsams.

Yang Tian had originally wanted to book the Ziyun Pavilion, the hotel’s most luxurious private room, but it had already been reserved. He had to settle for a table by the window on the first floor, where they chatted while watching the flow of traffic and pedestrians on Zhongshan Road.

"You only ordered these few dishes?" Yang Tian had asked Huang Juan to choose, but she had only picked three simple home-cooked dishes: minced meat with shredded eggplant, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and spare rib and winter melon soup.

"A simple meal is fine. Everything here is so expensive! Don’t we still have the party tonight? We can eat then!" Huang Juan looked around, clearly uncomfortable in such a high-end environment.

"That won't do. I'm celebrating my fiancée's birthday; how can it be just anything?" Yang Tian added an order for roast squab and the Golden Coast’s signature dish, "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea."

"Don't be shameless. Isn't it a bit early to be calling me your fiancée? Fine, two fancy dishes are enough. If you order any more, I'm going to get angry!" Huang Juan laughed softly, scolding him before snatching the menu and handing it to the waiter.

"Here, this is for you!" Huang Juan shook her head and smiled, then pulled a musical boat from her backpack. When she pressed a button, the popular 1999 hit "The Moon Caused the Trouble" played, and the boat flickered with silver light.

She had been eyeing this musical boat at the school gift shop for a long time. It was a new arrival, and at thirty yuan, she had been reluctant to buy it. Yang Tian had gone to the department store and bought her an even higher-quality one for a little over a hundred yuan. He had considered a ring or necklace, but decided they were still students and such gifts weren't appropriate yet.

"Wow, it's beautiful! Wait, why is it different from the one at the gift shop? That one didn't have this heart!" Huang Juan was overjoyed, pointing to the bright red heart on the boat.

"Because this boat represents my heart. None of the others could," Yang Tian teased.

"Cheesy! Little Tian, you’re learning bad habits!" Huang Juan blushed, laughing. A moment later, she stood up abruptly and called out to a group of people nearby, "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Cousin!"

Yang Tian looked over to see a middle-aged couple and a modern-looking young woman walking into the Golden Coast. The man acted with an air of self-importance, barely acknowledging Huang Juan. The woman was older but dressed gaudily with thick lipstick, and the young woman—the cousin—was even more striking, wearing a spaghetti-strap dress that left little to the imagination.

"Oh, isn't this Biao's daughter, Xiao Juan? She must be sixteen or seventeen now, why is she still so countrified?" The middle-aged woman didn't spare Huang Juan any grace, treating her like a child.

"With parents like Biao and Hehua, what else could you expect them to raise?" The man added with a look of disdain.

"Mom, Dad, let's go sit over there!" The cousin said dismissively, looking around as if afraid anyone would realize they knew Huang Juan.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Cousin, it's been a long time. Why don't you join us? It's my birthday today..." Huang Juan was sentimental. Yang Tian recalled that this family had once lived in the same village but had moved to Binhai when they were young. The man, Huang Jian, worked for the Municipal Construction Bureau, and his wife, Jiang Mei, worked in the family planning office.

Huang Jian and Huang Juan’s father, Huang Biao, were cousins. However, Huang Jian looked down on Huang Biao for being a farmer, and Huang Biao, not one to take disrespect, had kept his distance over the years.

"Forget it. I can't stand scrambled eggs with tomatoes; I hate that sour taste!" Huang Jian’s daughter, Huang Ya, interrupted with a sneer.

"Xiao Juan, is this your first time here? It seems Biao made some money selling dates recently, enough to bring a child here to eat! By the way, I heard your dad got beaten up by some thugs, is he better now?" Jiang Mei added mockingly.

"Xiao Juan, it’s not for me to say, but you should choose your friends better. If you’re eating dishes like this, what kind of future will you have?" Huang Jian scoffed before walking away with his family.

As the restaurant filled up, the family couldn't find a table on the second floor and returned to sit at the table right next to Yang Tian and Huang Juan. Huang Juan apologized to Yang Tian, who felt a surge of anger but kept his composure for her sake.

The birthday meal was ruined. Huang Juan had lost her appetite, but Huang Ya continued to speak loudly, bragging about their wealth and her father's upcoming promotion to section chief at the Construction Bureau. She made sure to look down on "country girls" as she boasted.

Suddenly, Zhang Siguo, a high-ranking official, walked down from the second floor.

"Xiao Tian, I'm full. Let's go," Huang Juan said, trying to keep a smile on her face to avoid worrying Yang Tian.

Yang Tian had considered teaching the family a lesson, but decided against it to avoid looking like a hooligan in front of her. However, as Zhang Siguo approached, he didn't even look at the fawning Huang Jian. Instead, he walked straight to Yang Tian.

"Yang Tian, what's the meaning of this? Avoiding me? Do I owe you money?" Zhang Siguo laughed loudly.

"Not at all. It seems your bureau has booked the place, so I thought I'd better leave before I get squeezed out," Yang Tian joked, glancing at Huang Jian.

The family was stunned, especially Jiang Mei, whose face paled as if she had swallowed a fly.

"Oh, it seems someone from our bureau offended the talented young designer Yang! Whoever it is, I will punish them severely! But enough of that—Mayor Lang and the others are waiting for you in the Ziyun Pavilion. They won't lift their glasses until you join them!" Zhang Siguo insisted, pulling Yang Tian toward the stairs.

Yang Tian grabbed Huang Juan and took her with him. As they reached the second floor, Zhang Siguo turned back to Huang Jian, who was standing there foolishly. "You there, did you call for me? Come on up then!"

Huang Jian hurriedly nodded and led his wife and daughter upstairs, breaking into a cold sweat.