Chapter 101 Outing (3k)

"Birthday?" Continue your journey with empireWhen Lin Xiaolu heard this word from Emerald Sparrow's mouth, she couldn't help but exclaim out loud, but she quickly realized it was inappropriate, so she covered her mouth and looked around anxiously, afraid that someone might have discovered them.

"Yes, I've confirmed it, and Xia Liang's birthday is coming up next."

Emerald Sparrow also lowered her voice, whispering at a volume that wouldn't be overheard by others: "So, we should prepare a birthday party for her."

"Not telling her?" Lin Xiaolu asked with some confusion.

"It seems she doesn't want us to know."

Emerald Sparrow folded her arms: "I don't know what that kid is thinking, not wanting to cause trouble?"

"So, what do we do?"

Lin Xiaolu was somewhat eager: "If we're not telling her, then we're setting up a surprise, right?"

"Yes, I've already bought the specific decorations and snacks, and I've also ordered the cake. I'll take her out on the pretext of going shopping on her birthday."

Emerald Sparrow blandly glossed over the details that should have been explained: "When we come back, I'll send you a message, and then, you guys can go ahead and decorate the living room."

"Just like that? Leave it to me... wait a second."

Lin Xiaolu spoke halfway before suddenly catching on: "Shopping? Just the two of you?"

She raised her voice an octave just mentioning it.

"Keep it down, don't let others hear."

Emerald Sparrow seriously gestured for silence: "Right, we'll probably leave in the morning and then take her back in the afternoon."

"Ah, but, this..."

Lin Xiaolu opened and closed her lips, revealing her canine teeth: "This, this isn't fair..."

What she really wanted to say was "I want to go shopping with you too," but as the words reached her lips, they got hitched slightly and turned into this kind of fragmentary sentence. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Birthday girls always deserve some special treatment."

Emerald Sparrow sighed with a hint of helplessness, and patted Lin Xiaolu on the arm: "When it's your birthday, if you want to go out, I can take you too."

"My birthday just passed a few months ago, the next one won't be until next year..."

Lin Xiaolu looked displeased.

She actually wanted to say: How come you're taking her out and leaving us at home? But a subtle sense of shame prevented her from voicing it out loud.

She didn't want Emerald Sparrow to think she was being petulant.

"I'm sorry, just indulge her this once, okay?"

Emerald Sparrow's voice softened, gently saying: "Just this once, okay?"

"... Okay." Lin Xiaolu nodded gloomily.

"Besides, that kid, despite her troublesome nature, really lacks affection."

Emerald Sparrow continued to persuade: "If we give her a surprise together, your relationship with her can also improve, right?"

"Who wants to get closer to her."

Lin Xiaolu muttered reluctantly, yet her expression subtly showed a touch of willingness:

"Then, for your sake Emerald Sparrow, I'll agree this one time."

"Mhm, thank you."

Emerald Sparrow whispered her thanks and thus the plan was set in stone. From then on, the details of the day's adventures became clear enough.

As for where to go for fun on the weekend, Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang had discussed it early on, originally listing the amusement park, film and television city, and the aquarium as options.

After further discussions and checking online reviews, they finally chose the amusement park.

According to Xia Liang herself, when she was a child, her parents had taken her to the old amusement park in Fangting City. Even though the park had lost much of its popularity over time due to the construction of other theme parks, it was still in business, and she wanted to visit the old amusement park again.

As for the film and television city and the aquarium, while these were also popular local attractions, the former had recently had numerous operational incidents and the latter was undergoing renovations, so they did not become their final choice.

If all had gone well, Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang would have visited the amusement park together on the weekend. Alas, life is unpredictable.

On that Sunday, it rained.

Sitting in the somewhat gloomy living room, staring at the drizzle outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Xia Liang lay immobile on the back of the sofa. The sudden downpour had thrown their plans into chaos, leaving her momentarily at a loss, even the smile that was usually on her face had faded, leaving only a trace of faint disappointment.

Boom!

The deafening thunder suddenly erupted, striking flashes of lightning shot through the dark sky. Soon after, another bolt illuminated Xia Liang's face, leaving her complexion ghostly pale.

Emerald Sparrow said nothing, as even the weather forecast had failed to predict the storm. No matter how well she had prepared, she could never have foreseen such conditions on the weekend.

No one would willingly brave a downpour to go to an amusement park, and even if they did, the experience would be nothing short of miserable. Without a doubt, their original plans had been utterly washed away.

All they could do now was stay at base, hoping the rain would stop soon. But the endless curtain of rain stretched on, and the overcast clouds above showed no signs of breaking anytime soon.

Contrary to Xia Liang's obviously disheartened atmosphere, on the other side of the living room, Lin Xiaolu was wearing headphones, sitting in the middle of the sofa, playing with her phone; Bai Jingxuan was happily playing with Moke, enjoying their playtime together. The scene in the living room was as usual, as if the day was meant to be like this, with no appointments or outings planned.