At last, Li Wei managed to blow out the candles.
He looked genuinely pleased as he cut the cake and placed the first piece on a small plate.
Then, without hesitation, he offered the first bite to Yu Jin.
Yu Jin blinked.
"What? For me?"
"No, for the table. Of course it's for you, idiot."
Yu Jin laughed and accepted the bite.
He cut another piece and offered it to Li Wei in return.
For a while, the two friends ate in peace.
Then Yu Jin pulled his chair closer and took out his phone.
"Come on. Let's take a selfie."
Li Wei immediately frowned.
"Why?"
"So we can show your aunt that her precious big guy is actually celebrating his birthday."
"I don't like taking pictures."
"You promised her one."
Li Wei fell silent.
Yu Jin raised the phone and leaned against his friend's broad shoulder.
"Just smile."
"I'm smiling."
"That looks like you're about to threaten someone."
"Then take the picture before I change my mind."
Yu Jin burst out laughing.
The camera clicked.
In the photograph, Yu Jin was grinning from ear to ear while Li Wei wore a reluctant but unmistakably warm smile.
Yu Jin immediately sent it to Li Wei's aunt.
"There. Mission accomplished."
Li Wei took another bite of cake and glanced toward the hall below.
The noisy group had quieted down, but some of its members were still looking toward the terrace.
His smile faded slightly.
He adjusted his sunglasses.
"Finish your cake, Yu Jin."
Yu Jin looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because I have a feeling we'll need some exercise when we leave."
Yu Jin followed his gaze and sighed.
"Please, Li Wei. At least let me finish my cake before you start breaking bones."
Li Wei leaned back in his chair.
"No promises."
### Part 9 — Waiting Outside
After sending the photograph, Yu Jin put his phone away and picked up the last piece of cake.
But Li Wei's attention had shifted to the hall below.
The group was getting ready to leave.
Two or three of the young men pointed toward the terrace and whispered to one another before heading toward the restaurant's main entrance.
Li Wei stood up.
"Yu Jin. Let's go."
Yu Jin looked at his unfinished coffee.
"But I haven't finished this yet."
Li Wei adjusted his sunglasses.
"Then drink it quickly."
Something in his friend's expression made Yu Jin reconsider arguing.
He put the cup down and stood.
"Fine. Fine. I'm coming."
The two of them left the terrace and walked through the restaurant.
As they stepped outside, the evening air brushed against their faces.
The restaurant's entrance opened onto a wide pavement beside the road. Decorative lights illuminated the entrance, while the street beyond was gradually darkening.
The group they had encountered earlier stood a short distance away.
They were waiting.
Several of them still held bottles in their hands. Their expressions were filled with amusement and hostility.
One tall young man stepped forward. His shiny shirt caught the light, and his confident grin suggested that he was used to having an audience.
"Hey, big guy!"
Li Wei stopped.
The tall man tilted his head.
"You had plenty to say back there. Now that you're outside, why don't you show us how fast that turtle of yours can move?"
A few of his companions laughed.
Li Wei said nothing.
Instead, he removed his sunglasses and handed them to Yu Jin.
Yu Jin accepted them with a weary expression.
"Here we go. Happy birthday, Li Wei. What a wonderful present."
Li Wei rolled his shoulders.
"I told you we'd get some exercise."
The tall man laughed.
"What's wrong? Can't speak now?"
Li Wei looked directly at him.
"I already told you to keep the noise down. You chose not to listen."
"And what are you going to do about it?"
Li Wei took one step forward.
"You're about to find out."
The tall man threw his head back and laughed.
"Listen to him! The big guy thinks he's scary!"
His companions joined in.
One of them waved a bottle in the air.
Another pointed at Yu Jin.
"Look at his little friend. Is he going to fight for you?"
Yu Jin's expression changed.
"Who are you calling little?"
The tall man turned toward him.
"Oh? The mouse wants to speak?"
Yu Jin stepped forward angrily.
"Watch your mouth, Lambo!"
So that was his name.
Lambo smiled mockingly.
"Or what? You'll bite me?"
Yu Jin clenched his fists.
"I'll break your legs!"
"Enough, Yu Jin," Li Wei said.
Yu Jin looked at him in surprise.
Li Wei still hadn't raised his voice. He stood calmly, watching the group.
Lambo noticed.
"What's the matter, big guy? Afraid your friend will get hurt?"
Li Wei's eyes narrowed.
"No. I'm trying to give you a chance to walk away."
For a brief moment, the group fell quiet.
Then Lambo burst out laughing.
"Did you hear that? He's giving us a chance!"
He gestured toward his companions.
"Come on, boys. Let's teach these two a lesson."
Several men stepped forward.
One picked up a stick lying near the roadside. Another tightened his grip on a glass bottle.
Yu Jin moved closer to Li Wei.
"Well, I guess talking isn't going to work."
Li Wei handed him a brief glance.
"Stay out of my way."
"Like hell I will."
Before either of them could say anything else, one of Lambo's men charged forward.
The first attacker swung a glass bottle toward Li Wei's head.
Li Wei reacted immediately.
He shifted aside and caught the man's wrist before the bottle could connect. With a sharp twist, he forced the attacker to lose his grip and stumble forward.
Li Wei drove a punch into his face.
The man staggered sideways and crashed to the pavement, clutching his nose.
Another attacker rushed in from the side with a stick.
Li Wei ducked beneath the swing. The stick cut through the air above his head.
He stepped inside the man's reach and struck him hard in the stomach.
The attacker doubled over.
Li Wei followed with a short punch to the face, sending him stumbling backward into one of his companions.
"Come on!" Yu Jin shouted, stepping toward the next man. "You wanted a fight, didn't you?"
A third attacker lunged at Li Wei.
Li Wei turned just in time to avoid the blow. He drove his fist into the man's ribs, then pushed him away before he could recover.
Someone hurled a bottle toward him.
Li Wei twisted aside.
The bottle missed him—but struck another member of the group behind him, shattering against the man's shoulder.
"Watch where you're throwing that!" someone yelled.
For a moment, the attackers hesitated.
Li Wei didn't.
He moved forward, using his strength to keep them from surrounding him. Whenever one tried to approach from the side, he turned to face him, forcing the others to hesitate rather than attack together.
Yu Jin, meanwhile, had become thoroughly involved in his own fight.
He grabbed one attacker by the shirt and shoved him away.
"That's for calling me a mouse!"
The man swung at him.
Yu Jin ducked awkwardly, stumbled, and threw a punch that landed against the man's jaw.
"Ha! Take that!"
He barely had time to celebrate before another attacker rushed toward him with a stick.
Yu Jin raised his arms to protect himself.
The stick struck his forearm.
"Ow! You bastard!"
His face twisted with pain, and anger immediately replaced his surprise. He shoved the attacker backward and landed two quick punches before kicking him away.
"That hurt!"
Li Wei glanced toward him.
"Stop complaining and watch your left!"
Yu Jin turned just in time to avoid another swing.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I just did!"
Despite the argument, the two friends moved with an instinctive awareness of each other. When one became occupied with an attacker, the other kept nearby opponents from closing in.
Then Lambo entered the fight.
He moved toward Yu Jin while the latter was distracted.
Lambo drew back his fist and aimed a heavy punch at Yu Jin's stomach.
Li Wei saw it.
He abandoned the man in front of him and crossed the distance in two quick steps.
Before Lambo's punch could land, Li Wei slammed a fist into his face.
Lambo staggered backward.
A second punch sent him crashing to the ground.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Lambo struggled to sit up, dazed and holding his face.
His companions looked at one another.
They had expected a fight.
They hadn't expected Li Wei to be this strong.
One by one, the remaining attackers began backing away. A few hurried toward the street, while others dragged their injured companions with them.
Within moments, the pavement was almost empty.
Only Lambo remained on the ground.
Yu Jin rubbed his injured forearm and looked around.
"Well," he said, breathing heavily. "That was certainly one way to celebrate a birthday."
Li Wei walked toward Lambo.
The tall young man looked up at him, his earlier confidence completely gone.
"W-Wait! Don't hit me again!"
Li Wei stopped in front of him.
"You ruined my holiday."
Lambo swallowed.
"I'm sorry!"
"You made fun of me, insulted my friend, and then decided to start a fight."
"I won't do it again! I swear!"
Li Wei crouched slightly so he could look Lambo in the eye.
"Remember something. If you want to act tough, be prepared to face the consequences."
Lambo nodded frantically.
"Yes! I understand!"
Li Wei straightened.
"Good. Now get up and leave."
Lambo scrambled to his feet, but Li Wei spoke again.
"And if you ever decide to bother us again, don't expect me to be this patient."
Lambo hurried away.
Yu Jin watched him go, then looked at Li Wei.
"Wait a second. What about my revenge?"
Li Wei turned toward him.
"Your revenge?"
"Yes! He called me a mouse!"
Yu Jin picked up the stick that had fallen nearby and gave it a few angry swings.
"I still have a score to settle!"
Before Li Wei could stop him, Yu Jin ran after Lambo and gave him a couple of quick whacks across the back.
"That's for the mouse! And that's for ruining our birthday celebration!"
"Ow! I'm sorry! I said I'm sorry!"
Yu Jin finally dropped the stick and hurried back.
Li Wei stared at him.
"You finished?"
Yu Jin nodded proudly.
"Now I am."
Li Wei shook his head.
"You're an idiot."
"Look who's talking."
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then Yu Jin burst out laughing.
A reluctant smile tugged at Li Wei's lips.
At least the fight was over.
And, for once, his friend seemed satisfied.
The night had grown darker by the time the two friends finally started heading home.
Yu Jin switched on his phone's flashlight as they walked toward the road.
"So," he asked, "how was the exercise?"
Li Wei rolled his shoulders.
"Not bad. But they were pretty weak. I barely broke a sweat."
Yu Jin stared at him.
"Pretty weak? You nearly got hit by a bottle!"
"But I didn't."
"That's not the point!"
Li Wei glanced at him and stopped walking.
"Come here."
Yu Jin looked suspicious.
"What now?"
"You've got a cut on your face."
Yu Jin touched his cheek and winced.
"Oh. It's nothing. Just a scratch."
Li Wei examined it for another moment.
"Still, you should clean it when we get home."
Yu Jin gave him a teasing smile.
"Look at you, suddenly acting like a responsible adult."
"Don't make me regret caring."
Yu Jin laughed and followed him toward the road.
A taxi was waiting nearby. They climbed in, gave the driver their destination, and settled into the back seat.
As the car moved through the city, Yu Jin suddenly leaned forward.
"Hey, isn't that our classmate?"
Li Wei glanced out of the window.
On the other side of the street, a young woman was walking toward a nearby building.
"Who?"
"That girl from our class. The one who used to sit near the corner."
Li Wei looked for another moment.
"Oh. Her."
"Apparently, she's become a doctor. A surgeon, even."
Li Wei leaned back against the seat.
"Good for her. Everyone has their own path."
Yu Jin turned toward him.
"That's all you have to say?"
"What else am I supposed to say? Congratulations to her."
Yu Jin laughed.
"You're impossible."
Li Wei put his sunglasses back on and turned toward the window.
The rest of the journey passed quietly.
When the taxi finally stopped outside their building, Li Wei stepped out and started walking toward the entrance.
Yu Jin paid the driver and hurried after him.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
Li Wei stopped in front of the door and looked back.
"Are you going to open it, or should I?"
"I'm opening it!"
Yu Jin unlocked the door, and the two friends went inside.
Li Wei headed straight for his room.
"I'm exhausted. I'm going to get some sleep."
Yu Jin waved from the hallway.
"All right. Good night, birthday boy."
"Good night."
Li Wei entered his room, closed the door, and sat on the edge of his bed.
For a while, he simply rested.
Then his gaze drifted toward the cabinet opposite him.
A framed photograph stood on top of it.
In the picture were his father and mother.
Li Wei looked at their faces quietly.
The playful expression he had worn earlier was gone. His eyes lingered on the photograph, and for a brief moment, the room seemed quieter than usual.
He didn't say anything.
After a while, he climbed into bed and pulled the covers over himself.
The day had been noisy, irritating, and far more troublesome than he had wanted.
But he had celebrated his birthday.
He had eaten cake with his best friend.
And he had sent his aunt the photograph she had asked for.
For Li Wei, that was enough.
He closed his eyes.
Soon, his breathing grew steady, and sleep finally claimed him.
The photograph remained on the cabinet, its two smiling faces watching over the quiet room.
Outside, the city continued to move through the night.
And Li Wei, who wanted nothing more than a peaceful life, slept without knowing what tomorrow might bring.