Liza had recently learned it was Gavin’s birthday. At rirst she didn't really care—it wasn’t really her concern. But on second thought, she realized she owed him at least a token of appreciation. After all, she still needed his help with her strange condition that made everything taste bitter. Determined to find a suitable gift, she hailed a taxi and headed straight to the nearest internet café. Meanwhile, in his apartment, Gavin sat on the sofa, his expression thoughtful as he examined the gift from Black Tide. The box contained a pair of intricately designed silver cufflinks and a simple greeting card. The card read: Happy birthday. The signature was bold and unrestrained—unmistakably Black Tide’s. Gavin set the card aside and focused on one of the cufflinks. The design was exquisite, featuring a coiled five-clawed dragon with gleaming obsidian eyes. Under close scrutiny, the patterns seemed to shift, almost bringing the dragon to life, evoking the sensation of soaring through clouds. He pressed his fingers to his temples. The cufflinks were undeniably impressive, but their bold design leaned toward a younger aesthetic. They didn’t quite match his reserved style. This was a surprising departure from Black Tide’s usual quirky digital greetings—often animations of figures waving light sticks to cheerful rhythms. What had prompted the change this year? As he pondered, his mind wandered to Liza. Black Tide had only sought his guidance occasionally, yet she made the effort to express her gratitude with thoughtful gifts. But Liza? Despite relying on him for help with her condition, she hadn’t even acknowledged his birthday. Did she expect him to keep helping her while she remained ungrateful? If so, he might as well let her endure that bitter taste forever. His internal grumbling was interrupted by the soft chime of a new email.Gavin clicked on the notification, his mood still tinged with irritation. The email began simply: Happy birthday! Underneath, a second line read: I wish you happiness every day. Wishing you all the best! His first instinct was to scoff at the cliché sentiment, but his fingers froze when he saw the sender’s name: Liza. Gavin’s expression shifted. Her words were plain and straightforward, yet they carried an unexpected sincerity. He stared at the message for a moment, his lips twitching slightly upward despite himself. But was she seriously trying to get away with just an email? Did she think he was that easy to placate? Suppressing his amusement, he continued reading. At the bottom of the email, there was a clickable link. Curious, he tapped on it.The familiar strains of a cheerful birthday song filled the room. On the screen, a brightly animated figure danced, waving a colorful light stick in rhythm with the music. Gavin blinked, momentarily stunned. The animation was nearly identical to the ones Black Tide used to send him. He leaned back against the sofa, his gaze fixed on the screen as an unspoken question lingered in his mind. The cufflinks, the familiar animation, the greeting—all of it suddenly connected in Gavin’s mind, forming a picture he hadn’t expected. Black Tide… Liza… Various emotions flickered through his dark eyes. Without wasting a second, he grabbed his car keys and drove straight back to Longwan Residential. Upon entering, he headed directly to the third floor. There, in a corner, were Liza’s tools and materials, left as if waiting for him to uncover the truth. He began sorting through them methodically, his movements calm but deliberate. Among the scattered items, a stack of designs caught his eye. The papers were filled with sketches, each one refined and altered countless times. And then he saw it—a design that was an exact replica of the cufflinks he’d received earlier. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. It wasn’t amusement, but rather a mix of revelation and disbelief. “So… Black Tide is Liza,” he muttered under his breath, his voice carrying an inexplicable emotion. The realization struck him like a jolt. Liza, the woman cast aside by her family and sent to the countryside, was none other than the skilled hacker who had worked with him for years under the alias Black Tide. On the surface, they seemed like two people whose lives couldn’t have been more different, yet here they were, intertwined in ways neither could have predicted. But his fleeting smile quickly faded as another thought crossed his mind.He remembered the message Liza had sent him not long ago, asking, What does it mean to like someone? His own response echoed in his head, and he winced. Hadn’t he told her not to waste time liking anyone? He groaned inwardly. If only I could go back in time, I’d slap myself for saying something so ridiculous! Discovering Liza’s identity as Black Tide had surprised him, but beyond that, there was an unspoken, complicated feeling he couldn’t quite name. Until now, Liza had seemed like a drifting cloud to him, ephemeral and untethered, as if she could vanish from his life without a trace at any moment. Their only connection was a marriage certificate—nothing more, nothing less. But knowing she was Black Tide changed everything. Black Tide wasn’t a fleeting presence. She was someone he’d known, trusted, and even relied on for years. This connection gave their relationship a deeper meaning, like a kite tied to a sturdy string or a tree with deeply rooted foundations—strong, unshakable, and suddenly far more personal. Elsewhere, George felt a wave of unease when he received Gavin’s call. Ever since Liza had asked him to procure materials earlier, he’d suspected it wasn’t just for a simple birthday gift. He had a nagging sense of impending doom, as though a blade hung precariously above his head. Even before Gavin could speak, George launched into an apology. “President, I’m sorry! I misunderstood Young Madam. If you want to punish me, I won’t resist! Just… please don’t dock my year-end bonus. Anything but that!” Gavin remained silent for a moment, a slight smirk playing on his lips. George’s mistake had unwittingly helped him uncover Liza’s secret. “Five minutes,” Gavin finally said. “Find Young Madam if you want to make up for your mistake.” George blinked, startled by the surprisingly lenient order. “That’s all? Alright! I’ll get it done immediately!” After the call ended, George paused, replaying the conversation in his mind. Something about Gavin’s tone struck him as odd. He didn’t sound angry—if anything, he seemed… pleased? George shook his head, muttering, “Has the President gone mad from rage? Or is this some kind of trap?”