Dong Jiao was enjoying a moment of happiness when Xiang Shen walked in with a large cake in his hands. "Happy birthday! Happy birthday! Happy birthday!" he sang in English the globally beloved "Happy Birthday" song. Dong Jiao was delighted—she didn't know that Xiang Shen had actually remembered her birthday. "Xiang Shen! Thank you so much for the birthday cake!" she said warmly, her face glowing with happiness and gratitude. Xiang Shen replied, "You're welcome! You're welcome!" Dong Jiao then pointed to the bouquet of roses and the jade pendant, asking, "Are these gifts from you?" Xiang Shen was momentarily surprised, then quickly confirmed with confidence, "Yes! Yes! I checked the calendar this morning and suddenly realized it was your birthday, so I booked a large bouquet of bright red roses for you, and also bought you this elegant jade pendant." Dong Jiao was deeply touched and her face turned a deep shade of red with embarrassment. It's incredible—my foreign director, the one who remembers my birthday! "And by the way, this birthday cake in my hands was specially made by me at Kyoto's very best Italian pastry shop! It's delicious!" Sean's forehead was beaded with sweat, clearly having arrived late due to traffic. Dong Jiao felt an inexplicable sense of warmth toward Sean. At this moment, Sean intensified his efforts. Seizing the moment when Dong Jiao was most fond of him, he lifted a second bouquet of fresh red roses hidden behind him, knelt slightly, and said to Dong Jiao, "Esteemed Miss Star, I have long admired you. Today, on your birthday, I'd like to formally express my love—I love you! Please accept my affection!" Sean's voice was strong enough to be heard by all diners in the second floor of Xiangmi Restaurant, who all turned to look at them with admiration. Many clapped with approval. "The director is asking the star to marry him! Haha!" "Dong Jiao has now been guided by such an internationally renowned director—her star will surely shine even brighter!" "What good fortune for Miss Dong Jiao! She's been passionately pursued by a foreign director!"... Shaoen knelt half on one knee, extending both hands to present a golden ring. As soon as Dong Jiao lowered her hand, Shaoen would personally place it on her fingers. Dong Jiao felt under constant attention, experiencing an unfamiliar sense of pressure. "Promise me! Believe in me! Just agree to be my girlfriend—whether it's a simple nod or a yes. I will treat you well! I will treat you well! I will never be like that person who didn't know how to cherish you! I want you to know that I truly value you—more than anyone else. I will make you happy for life!" Shaoen's words moved Dong Jiao to tears. Gao Liang, do you know? Even if you're so wonderful, you still refused me. Dong Jiao still carried Gao Liang in her mind. "Promise her! Promise him now! If you don't agree, he'll keep kneeling—never rising again!" Shawn had always been so seriously kneeling there, while our female lead, Dong Jiao, kept hesitating—should she agree to him now? This made the onlookers increasingly impatient. Such a wonderful foreign director, now established in China, receiving constant positive coverage. How many beautiful women must be drawn to Shawn, simply because he's a well-known, high-profile international director—often referred to as a "big-name" figure. The dream of marrying a foreign director, a "cosmopolitan gentleman," to achieve stardom is a pursuit many young women tirelessly strive for. Yet Shawn, this so-called foreign director, is truly more interested in the landscape than in the director's role itself. That "landscape" refers precisely to Dong Jiao. Today, Dong Jiao is immensely popular, shining brightly like a cluster of delicious grapes, ripe for picking. Leveraging his advantageous proximity—being close to the water, so to speak—Shawn has launched a persistent romantic pursuit toward Dong Jiao. Just as Dong Jiao was wavering and Shawn remained kneeling in devotion, suddenly, a soft click—every single light in the room went out. Oh no! The power went out. Many people were having dinner when the lights suddenly went out. This is the first time such a five-star hotel has experienced a power outage. After a while, a single candlelight caught everyone's attention. They turned to see a female server pushing a high-level birthday cake toward them. The cake cart was playing a familiar song, sung in both Chinese and English: "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Wait—how come someone else is celebrating their birthday too? Dong Jiao was puzzled. She turned to Xiao Shen. Xiao Shen looked completely bewildered. Hey, he had just asked Dong Miss to marry him moments ago—something that seemed to be about to come to fruition—and now, with the power outage just at this crucial moment, it was truly disappointing. Lao Zi's mission today is to secure a romantic connection with Dong Miss—ideally, to confirm a boyfriend relationship. Now, here it is, another birthday celebration. The romance in the air is actually more refined than I expected. Who's celebrating? Hmph! Is it possible that someone else knows romance better than I do? Is Dong Miss any more distinguished than I am? Unexpectedly, here's Rain Di, Dong Ji's close friend, also present. She's exactly one year younger than Dong Ji, and Dong Ji knows her birthday is today—June 8th. Ah! It's her birthday! "Rain Di! You're truly lucky—already receiving romantic pursuits so quickly!" Dong Ji teased her close friend. Rain Di smiled and said, "How can I possibly compare to you? Just now, Director Xiao En knelt down and proposed to you! I was completely stunned! If it were me…" "Wait a minute! Look—there's the birthday cake from the senior management team being brought over toward us!" "董姣望着那精致的高层生日蛋糕，不禁张大了嘴巴，显然被这精美的大蛋糕深深吸引。" "I'm so happy!" Rain Du nearly jumped up. Rain Du had assumed it must be a handsome man from the Kyoto City Film Academy, who had been passionately pursuing her, who had come to surprise her with a birthday gift. But instead, the birthday cake cart carried by the female server passed right by her, heading straight toward Dong Jiao. "Ladies and gentlemen, Dong Jiao, today is your 20th birthday—happy birthday to you!" The server smiled warmly, and Dong Jiao felt so excited and surprised. Without hesitation, she said, "Who is it that has made my birthday so unforgettable? Who has actually sent me a genuine Italian pastry cake?" "Miss Dong! I've brought roses, a jade pendant, and the Italian pastry cake. The gentleman who made these gifts is very busy—he didn't come himself. But he remembered your birthday, and even in the midst of his busy schedule, he entrusted me to deliver these heartfelt wishes to you. Happy birthday!" The beautiful female server spoke with heartfelt sincerity, making Dong Jiao feel the preciousness of the birthday gifts. Everything became clear. The person who had given her the vibrant red roses and the jade pendant she particularly loved—worn on her wrist—was not Sean, but someone else.