Chapter 66 Happy Birthday, Little Girl

Eight years ago, Anna celebrated her first birthday abroad.

The day before, Michael promised he'd show up early in the morning on her birthday.

They hadn't seen each other in over two months. On her birthday, Anna woke up early, stood on the balcony, and kept an eye out for Michael.

She waited from six in the morning until around five or six in the evening, but Michael never showed.

Anna glanced out the window again.

The sky was dark, and the city lights were just starting to flicker on.

The lively, noisy night outside was a sharp contrast to the dead silence inside her apartment.

She'd been calling Michael non-stop for the past three or four hours, but his phone was always off.

By six-thirty, Anna threw on a coat and headed down to the shopping center.

Being new abroad, she wasn't familiar with the place, and the language barrier made her feel even more uncomfortable and lonely.

She wandered aimlessly until she stumbled upon a brightly lit cake shop.

Peering through the glass at the rows of cakes, Anna couldn't help but think of her parents and the birthday celebrations back in Crystal City.

On a day like a birthday, being alone just made she feel even lonelier.

Especially in a foreign land, that feeling was even stronger.

Just as Anna was about to leave, she bumped into a young guy wearing a silver and gold mask.

He had on a black trench coat, and under the streetlight, he looked even taller.

The guy glanced at the cake shop behind her, a slight, elegant smile on his lips. Looking at fifteen-year-old Anna, he asked, "Hey there, do you like cake?"

Anna looked up at him.

The next second, he handed her the cake he was holding. Seeing her puzzled look, he said, "I won this cake in a raffle earlier, and I have no place to put it. Little girls usually like sweets, so take it."

Anna hesitated at first, but the guy stepped forward and placed the beautifully packaged cake in her hands.

He patted her head. "In this big world, it's fate that we met. This cake looks good; go home and try it."

Anna smiled and accepted the cake. "Thank you."

Seeing her accept it, the guy stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets and chatted, "Why is a little girl like you alone out here?"

"I'm here to study," Anna replied.

He asked, "Are you here by yourself?"

"No, I have a brother," Anna said.

"A brother?" he asked.

"Yeah. A really good brother." Anna looked into his eyes.

The guy looked at her quietly for a while, then suddenly bent down, looked into her eyes, and asked, "Hey, do you want to live in a different environment?"

Fifteen-year-old Anna shook her head firmly and said softly, "I'm happy with my life right now. Here, I can learn the most in the shortest time."

Hearing this, the guy seemed about to say something when a cold voice came from about ten feet away. "Anna."

Anna, who had been looking pretty down, instantly lit up when she heard her name.

It was like the brightest star in the sky had fallen right into her eyes.

She turned around and ran straight to Michael.

Michael took her hand and glanced at the guy who had been talking to her.

Anna raised the cake in her hand and said, "Michael, he gave me this cake."

Michael nodded at the guy and then turned to Anna. "Sorry. There was a problem with the flight, and I got here late."

Anna's eyes sparkled with joy, and even from a distance, one could feel her happiness. "It's okay. The day's not over until midnight, and we've still got a few hours."

As Michael was leading her away, Anna suddenly turned back to the guy still standing there.

She shook the cake in her hand and smiled brightly. "Actually, today is my birthday. Thanks for the cake!"

The guy's lips curled up into a smile. He didn't move; he just looked at her and said, "Happy birthday, little girl."

Before Michael took her out of the alley, Anna turned one last time to look back at the cake shop.

The guy with the mask was still standing there, not moving an inch.

Even though there were streetlights, the distance made it hard to see clearly.

Anna could vaguely tell he was still looking in their direction.

Even though they were far apart, Anna pulled her hand out of Michael's grasp, turned around, and waved vigorously at the guy as a farewell.

That night was the first bit of warmth Anna felt abroad.

A feeling of warmth spread through her, lingering long after the moment had passed.

After Anna and Michael disappeared around the corner, the guy standing outside the cake shop took off his mask.

That face was none other than Charles.

He looked in the direction they had gone and softly said again, "Happy birthday, little girl."

In the study, looking at the familiar mask, Anna was lost in thought for a long time.

Until a deep voice came from the doorway, "Anya?"

Anna turned around, and Charles walked in, noticing the mask in her hand; a wistful look entered his eyes.

Anna looked at him and raised the mask. "This mask."

Charles took it, slightly curling his lips, and said, "I went abroad for a while eight years ago and happened to attend a masquerade ball. This mask was unique, so I kept it as a souvenir."

As he spoke, he put on the mask and asked Anna, "How do I look?"

Looking at Charles with the mask, Anna's thoughts drifted back to the past.

The figure in her memory overlapped with the present Charles.

Eight years was a long time, and many memories seemed buried deep in time.

The scenes might fade, but the memories remained. They weren't lost, just etched onto the canvas of our minds, waiting to be revisited.

As long as the key to unlocking that memory appears, all the details of the past would come rushing back.

"Charles, did you give a cake to a little girl back then?" Anna asked.