Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

“Is Mom okay?” he asked.

“Her temperature is a bit high, she took some antipyretic, but I don’t know if it will go down later…” Purple Summers explained in detail to him.

After going upstairs to check on Atra Blanc, Alexander came downstairs, saw Purple with her bag ready to go to school, and suddenly remembered something.

“Today seems to be your birthday.”

“Mmm.” Purple nodded her head, “Mom wanted to make longevity noodles, but fell sick. It’s not a milestone birthday since I’m turning seventeen, so it doesn’t really matter whether we celebrate or not.”

Purple didn’t mind this.

Alexander thought for a moment and then said, “Why don’t you go to school later?”

He had been busy lately; it was rare for him to be able to come home in the morning, and he still had to go out later in the evening.

Since he was back, he figured he might as well celebrate Purple’s birthday.

Alexander went to the kitchen, washed his hands, and continued to knead the dough that Atra Blanc had started earlier.

Purple leaned against the doorway of the kitchen, watching him, her gaze softly falling on Alexander.

“Do you know how?” she asked, a teasing smile in her eyes, mixed with some anticipation.

“I guess so,” Alexander said.

Purple couldn’t help laughing, “Either you know, or you don’t. What’s this ‘I guess so’?”

She seriously doubted the quality of the longevity noodles Alexander would make.

Alexander turned to look at her, freed one hand to pinch her nose, leaving a nose full of white flour, “What’s with all the questions, just eat when it’s ready.”

“So domineering,” Purple muttered, touching her nose, but her eyes revealed an uncontrollable smile.

Alexander finished kneading the dough and began to make noodles. He wanted to make the thin and long strands like Atra Blanc did, but didn’t quite succeed. After several attempts, he finally managed to make a thick strand of noodle.

The soup for the noodles was chicken soup that Atra Blanc had prepared the night before. A little salt added to the soup brought out its incredibly delicious taste.

Alexander brought the noodles over to Purple, “Once you’ve eaten your birthday noodles, you’re seventeen.”

Then he patted her head, his tone lingering, “Only one more year…”

“Pervert,” Purple called him, but she couldn’t help smiling.

She picked up chopsticks to start on the noodles, and Alexander also took a pair, poking around in the bowl.

He picked up one end of the noodle and fed it into Purple’s mouth, then found the other end for himself and said with the air of conducting a serious ritual, “Let’s each eat from one end, and if they don’t tangle, it means the rest of our lives will be smooth and fortunate.”

“I’ve never heard of such a custom; you must have made it up,” Purple complained, “Can you please not be so childish.”

Alexander said, “It just so happens I haven’t had breakfast.”

Being a habitual rascal, Alexander felt embarrassing to Purple, yet she had no choice but to comply with his way of eating the noodles.

In the end, as expected, the noodles didn’t tangle, and Alexander was delighted, pecking forcefully on her lips when they finished, the fragrant smell of chicken soup in the air.

“It tastes good,” he declared.

Purple looked at the satisfaction on his face, feeling sweet and warm in her heart, thinking the moment especially beautiful.

From Alexander’s manner, she guessed he was unaware that Nathaniel had sought her out, because even a lion sometimes dozes, and when Alexander was busy, he couldn’t possibly monitor the surveillance 24 hours a day.

This was probably for the best.

After all, she had already made things clear to Nathaniel; there was no need to stir up trouble over it.

And besides… she really did dread Alexander resorting to violence at the drop of a hat.

After eating the longevity noodles, Purple went to school.

Alexander was reluctant to let her go, hugging and kissing her endlessly at the entranceway, “Why don’t you take the day off? Stay home with me to take care of Mom.”

“You just want to take advantage of me,” Purple saw right through him, calling out his lecherous intentions, before reminding him, “In four hours, take Mom’s temperature again, the antipyretic is by the bed.”

Having said this, she left for school.