Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 191: A Misunderstanding

An Yuanyao could no longer remember the last time she had celebrated her birthday.

After her student years, when her naive younger self married Li Chongming, birthdays had quietly disappeared from her life. Over time, she even forgot the significance of the day herself.

September 10th—her birthday.

She was certain she had never told Liu Changqing her birth date, nor did she have any idea where he had gotten such mistaken information.

But... even if the date was wrong… even if today wasn’t her actual birthday…

Seeing this scene—the kind that only seemed to happen in TV dramas—An Yuanyao felt something inside her begin to unravel.

Her eyes fluttered closed for a brief second as she fought to regain control, determined not to let tears fall.

With the back of her hand, she quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. Then, clutching the bouquet of roses tightly, she rose from her seat and walked over to Liu Changqing.

He stood up abruptly, clearly flustered, and began to stammer an explanation.

“Listen, I—this isn’t what it—”

Before he could finish, An Yuanyao stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around him.

Liu Changqing froze, his entire body stiffening from the sudden embrace. He felt her face press into his shoulder, the warmth of her breath brushing against him with every inhale. His arms hung uselessly at his sides, his shoulders locked in place like rusted hinges.

The three young servers witnessing the scene were on the verge of tears themselves—it felt like they were watching a scene straight out of a romantic drama.

Then, a soft, muffled voice broke the silence.

“My birthday… is tomorrow. If you wanted to surprise me… you should’ve at least gotten the date right…”

The words were quiet, but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Liu Changqing’s mind went blank.

Tomorrow’s her birthday?

The three servers, who had been deeply touched a second ago, now sported identical expressions of annoyance.

Seriously?! they fumed inwardly, glaring at Liu Changqing’s back.

This old guy messed up the date?!

Unaware of their reactions, Liu Changqing could only stare at the woman in his arms, his voice low and uncertain.

“I… I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay,” she replied softly, lifting her gaze to meet his. “You remembered, and that’s enough.”

Her eyes, framed by long lashes, seemed impossibly close, and Liu Changqing suddenly felt his throat go dry.

Then, before he could process it—

A soft, fleeting touch on his cheek.

His pupils contracted as he felt the warmth where her lips had just brushed. His breath quickened, a sudden, strange heat spreading through his chest.

“You…” His voice was hoarse, caught between shock and something unfamiliar.

“I’m really happy,” she said, her cheeks glowing a soft pink. “Thank you.”

Their faces were mere inches apart, the tension between them palpable. An Yuanyao lowered herself back onto her heels, but her arms remained draped around his shoulders.

A few moments passed in that fragile stillness.

Liu Changqing, still dazed, raised a hand and touched his cheek where she had kissed him. His fingers lingered there briefly before he spoke.

“Uh… w-wait a second. I need to… check something with them.”

“Okay.”

Her voice was soft, her face still flushed. She stepped back slightly, letting her hands drop but keeping the bouquet close to her chest. Her expression, glowing with joy, made her emotions crystal clear.

Liu Changqing inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself before turning on his heel and heading straight for the three servers.

The girls stood uncertainly, exchanging puzzled glances as he approached.

Without preamble, he gestured toward the door. “Step outside with me.”

The trio, confused but compliant, shuffled out of the private room. Liu Changqing followed, closing the door firmly behind him.

Once in the hallway, he turned back to face them, his expression serious.

“...You sent that to the wrong table, didn’t you?”

His question landed like a hammer, and all three servers immediately stiffened. Their eyes darted between each other before one of them spoke up, voice firm.

“No, we didn’t!”

She gestured behind her to the room number plaque. “The manager told us this morning—if you called, we were to bring the cake right in. The room number is…”

Her words faltered as she turned fully to look at the number on the door.

And froze.

Her outstretched finger trembled mid-air, her face paling rapidly.

Her eyes widened, her expression shifting from confidence to horror. Her lips quivered, and an almost inaudible whisper escaped.

“W-we… messed up…”

The other two servers, seeing her reaction, immediately panicked.

“What?!”

“You… you messed up the room?!”

“You can’t pin this on me!” the first server snapped, spinning around. “You’re the one who opened the door!”

“I opened the door because you said this was the room!”

“The manager told you the number, and you still messed it up!”

“You’re the idiot! Fat cow!”

“You’re calling me fat?! Even the manager never called me that!”

The hallway erupted into chaos as the three began bickering at full volume, their voices sharp and accusatory.

Liu Changqing watched them, his face darkening as the argument escalated. The last thing he wanted was for An Yuanyao to overhear this disaster.

He clapped his hands sharply. “Enough!”

The word cracked through their squabble, silencing all three instantly.

Their expressions collapsed into pleading panic as they realized how badly they had messed up. Their eyes shimmered with unshed tears as they huddled together, looking up at Liu Changqing like scolded puppies.

“P-please, sir…” they whined in unison, their voices sweet and pitiful.

The exaggerated, syrupy tone made Liu Changqing’s skin crawl, and he instinctively took a step back, goosebumps rising on his arms.

Suppressing his irritation, he rubbed his temples and sighed deeply.

“Call your manager. I’ll handle this directly with them.”

The girls exchanged fearful glances but nodded and hurried off.

Inside the Private Room—

Alone once more, An Yuanyao stood before the cart, her eyes lingering on the untouched cream cake.

She hadn’t moved the bouquet from her seat, carefully setting it down to ensure it wouldn’t fall.

Her fingertips lightly brushed the cake’s frosting, her heart still fluttering from the moment before.

So he planned all this… How did he even learn about surprises like this?

The date mix-up didn’t even matter anymore. Seeing how much effort he had put in, how could she hold a grudge?

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But then—her gaze caught something.

To the side of the cake, next to the cutting knife, lay a sealed envelope. It had been tucked in such a way that she hadn’t noticed it at first.

Frowning in curiosity, she reached over and picked it up.

Slipping the card from within, she unfolded it and began to read.

Her smile… gradually faded.

The warmth that had filled her chest moments ago ebbed away, replaced by a strange stillness.

Her gaze lifted from the card to the door. The flush on her cheeks, born from excitement and happiness, slowly drained from her skin.

She inhaled once, slow and steady, before lowering her eyes back to the page.

The name written at the top… wasn’t hers.

It belonged to someone she didn’t know.

The realization came crashing down.

So that was why Liu Changqing had looked so confused when the servers entered…

This… was a mistake.

Before she could fully process the sting of disappointment, the door creaked open.

Her fingers, still clutching the card, swiftly darted behind her back.

Facing the returning Liu Changqing, she forced a smile onto her lips, though it felt tight and uncertain.

“So…” she ventured, her voice carefully light, “what… did you talk to them about?”