Chapter 44: Consider it My Treat
After settling the time for Chen Wei to join the cast and getting him to sign the contract, Zhang Quan didn’t stay a moment longer. He gathered his things and left in a hurry, as if he were afraid that if he stayed another second, Chen Wei would change his mind.
Chen Wei let out a chuckle. Zhang Quan was simply afraid that he would choose to back out because he couldn’t handle the physical suffering the protagonist had to endure during filming.
But Zhang Quan was wrong.
From walking out of that small, destitute place to reaching his current position step by step—suffering was the one thing Chen Wei knew how to “eat” best.
From entering to leaving, Zhang Quan had spent less than ten minutes.
Just as he left, the server brought out the prepared desserts. Looking at the two identical sweets in front of him, for some reason, Chen Wei suddenly remembered that little boy who had shared a cake with him on the street on his fifth birthday.
After that time, during his sixth birthday…
His mother couldn’t leave the house, so he went to that cake shop alone with the money he’d earned by doing other children’s homework for them.
It was still the same owner. It was as if he were specifically waiting for him to appear.
Taking his money, the owner handed him two pieces of cake with his usual beaming smile.
Picking up the cakes carefully, Chen Wei left the shop in high spirits, intending to head home. It had always been a regret of his that his mother didn’t get to eat his birthday cake the previous year. Furthermore, his mother had been unhappy ever since giving birth to his younger brother, and he wanted to use this opportunity to cheer her up.
However, he had only walked a few steps when he heard footsteps behind him. Sensing something, he turned around. He discovered that the person following him was actually that impolite child from the year before who had taken a share of their cake.
Subconsciously hiding the cakes behind his back, he stared at the other boy with a face full of wariness. “Why is it you again?”
The brat who took his cake and ran off without even saying hello!
However, the other boy completely ignored the defensiveness and hostility in his eyes. He simply walked up to him with a serious face, held out his hand, and said with total confidence:
“One of those cakes in your hand belongs to me.”
“Huh?” Chen Wei was shocked.
He didn’t understand how one of the two cakes he’d paid for with his own money suddenly belonged to this boy. Those were clearly meant to be taken home for his mother to make her happy!
Clutching the cakes tightly to his chest, Chen Wei didn’t want to talk to this strange boy anymore. He turned to run.
But before he could take two steps, he was seized by the boy who had stepped forward.
During the struggle and pulling, the cakes in Chen Wei’s hands fell uncontrollably to the ground.
Splat!
The two stopped their movements simultaneously.
The moment the cakes hit the dirt, Chen Wei’s eager heart fell along with them. He only knew that without the cakes, his mother wouldn’t be able to be happy. But he didn’t have any extra money to buy another piece.
Chen Wei stared blankly at the ruined cakes on the ground, tears rolling down his face one by one.
He cried very bitterly—so much so that he didn’t even notice when the troublemaking boy ran off.
An unknown amount of time passed.
A pair of hands holding cakes suddenly appeared before his eyes. Chen Wei wiped his tears and looked up. Seeing the culprit who had ruined his cakes, he stubbornly turned his head away.
If it weren’t for him, his cakes wouldn’t have fallen. What was he doing acting like a good person now?
Seeing that he wouldn’t move, the boy was forced to speak up to coax him.
“Here, the cakes are for you. Stop crying.”
“I don’t want your cakes.”
Pushing the boy’s hand away, Chen Wei prepared to run off in a huff.
His wrist was suddenly grabbed. Chen Wei looked up. The boy forcibly stuffed the two wrapped cakes into his hands.
“To compensate for your cakes,” he said. “Also, happy birthday.”
Having said his piece, the boy let go of his hand and turned to leave.
Six years… aside from his mother, this was the first time someone had said “Happy Birthday” to him.
Looking at the small back that was about to disappear in the distance, Chen Wei eventually couldn’t bear it and called out to stop him:
“Hey! My mom says that birthday cake only tastes sweet when shared with a friend.”
As soon as he said this, the boy indeed paused in the distance.
Back at that same flower bed.
Chen Wei first placed one of the pieces carefully beside him, making sure it wouldn’t fall. Then, under the boy’s gaze, he opened the other one and handed it over.
Holding the cake in one hand and a fork in the other, Chen Wei gave a polite smile. “You eat first.”
The boy didn’t act shy. He took the fork and cake from Chen Wei and lowered his head to eat on his own.
Poor Chen Wei watched from the side, his mouth watering. But since the other party didn’t stop, he felt embarrassed to speak up. He couldn’t exactly say that the piece was actually meant for both of them, could he? That would be too rude!
The boy finished the cake quickly. When he looked up at Chen Wei, he realized the other was staring straight at him, while the other piece of cake sat beside him untouched.
The boy was surprised. “Why aren’t you eating?”
“Hehe.” Following his gaze, Chen Wei bit his lip and rubbed the back of his ear awkwardly. He explained, “That piece is specially reserved for my mom.”
Boom—
The boy froze as if struck by lightning. He was somewhat incredulous. “Reserved for… your mom?”
Chen Wei gave a light nod.
The boy finally lifted his empty cake box with a stiff posture, his eyes wandering and unfixed as he looked at Chen Wei. He asked:
“Then this one…”
A wave of shame washed over him, and Chen Wei couldn’t stay a second longer. He nimbly picked up the other cake and took off at a small run.
While running, he didn’t forget to turn back and wave his hand at the other:
“Just consider it my treat!”
Rare childhood memories surfaced in his mind. Chen Wei’s mood seemed to be infected by the joy that stranger had brought him.
Chen Wei remembered that for every birthday after that, he would return to that cake shop. And that boy would always appear on time, as if they had a pre-arranged appointment.
As friends who purely shared cake, the two of them tacitly never asked about each other’s background or names. Once the cake was eaten, they would wave goodbye and go their separate ways.
This continued until the year his mother left and his brother went missing.
The promise to buy his brother cake was broken. To punish himself, Chen Wei never celebrated another birthday. Similarly, he never returned to that cake shop.
Translator’s Note:
- Eating “bitterness” (吃苦): A very common Chinese idiom meaning to endure hardship or toil.
- “Consider it my treat”: This is a cute moment of face-saving for young Chen Wei. Even when he was poor, he had his pride!
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