Chapter 82: Birthday Evening
Upon arriving at the old residence, An Wen followed obediently behind Chu Qichen. The moment she caught sight of Grandfather Chu, she dashed away from Chu Qichen’s side and settled onto the sofa beside him.
"Wenwen is here," Grandfather Chu said, overjoyed.
"Thank you, Grandpa, for celebrating my birthday," An Wen replied sweetly.
Finally free from Chu Qichen’s presence, the air itself felt fresher.
"What’s there to thank? If only you’d agree to live with Grandpa, I’d celebrate your birthday every day."
The Chu family had only one son in three generations, and Grandfather Chu had long yearned for a granddaughter. Seeing An Wen’s beauty and obedient demeanor, he had already grown fond of her, treating her as his own granddaughter.
"Grandpa is the best," An Wen said with a sweet smile.
Father Chu and Mother Chu were also present, having prepared generous birthday gifts for An Wen.
Mother Chu had recently been watching Ding Qian Kun and only then learned that An Wen had become an actress. After calling her son, she discovered An Wen had signed with Huayi.
With their own company backing her, there was no way she’d suffer any grievances. She was still young—playing in the entertainment industry for a few years was fine.
"Xiao Wen, is Song Jia the one managing you?" Mother Chu suddenly asked.
"Yes, Sister Song," An Wen replied obediently.
"She’s quite capable. Listen to her advice, and if you ever run into any difficulties, just call Auntie for help," Mother Chu said.
Father Chu nodded in agreement.
An Wen smiled and said, "Okay."
"Wenwen, have you told your parents about this?" Grandfather Chu asked.
An Wen shook her head and said sweetly, "If my parents found out, they’d never agree. Grandpa, you all have to help me keep it a secret."
Grandfather Chu had seen the old An Wen—timid, beautiful, and obedient, yet extremely introverted. The current An Wen was lively, spirited, and full of charm.
Even if he had reservations, he couldn’t bring himself to stop her.
An Wen thus enjoyed a second birthday meal and blew out candles on another cake. Then, An Mother’s video call came through.
Standing by the cake, An Wen chatted happily with An Father and An Mother. Seeing her so cheerful, their moods lifted as well.
"Wear more layers, Wenwen. Don’t you dare get sick," An Father said.
"Okay," An Wen replied obediently.
"Wenwen, Grandpa wants to talk to you," An Father suddenly said, turning the phone toward An Grandfather. Though initially still a little upset, the moment An Grandfather saw his granddaughter’s smiling face, his expression softened instantly.
"Wenwen, bundle up. Di City is so cold right now," An Grandfather said worriedly.
"I wear a down jacket when I’m outside, Grandpa. Don’t be mad anymore—I miss you so much," An Wen said sweetly.
Because An Wen had stubbornly insisted on returning to China alone, An Grandfather had been furious with her, refusing to call for nearly a year.
Hearing his granddaughter say she missed him, his heart warmed. "You heartless girl, Grandpa misses you too."
"Grandpa, I’ll find time to visit you this year," An Wen said sweetly.
"Good! Grandpa can even come see you."
Hearing that An Wen would visit them in Country M, the An family was overjoyed.
After chatting a while longer, An Wen finally ended the call.
That night, she stayed at the old residence.
On Weibo, An Wen’s Birthday Cake War had already topped the Hot Search list.
The video of An Wen, Xia Jin, and two others having a chaotic cake fight in the hotel hallway that afternoon had been recorded and uploaded online.
In the clip, all four were covered in cream, looking utterly disheveled. Xia Jin’s face was almost entirely obscured, with only her eyes visible, and her hair was completely caked in cream.
The four of them were in a chaotic brawl, smearing cream on whoever happened to be nearby. Ye Xiaoxing, while being covered in cream by Cheng Hanwen, shouted, "Little Sister! Save me!"
An Wen rushed over to help, but Ye Xiaoxing, caught up in the frenzy, ended up slamming the cake right into An Wen's face.
An Wen stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.
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