Translator: Re

Editor: Mims

(21)

I don't know if it's because of my sickness but the male G.o.d has been very good to me these last several days.

Buying food and water for me is not really worth mentioning. For several consecutive days, I noticed after waking up that my bad habit of kicking the blanket off in the middle of the night had been cured.

When trying to show off to the male G.o.d, I was told in exchange, “That is what I am doing for you.”

My whole body became rooted in place. I pointed at the male G.o.d and asked while stuttering, “BOSS… you, you, are you falling in l-l-love with me!”

In response, the male G.o.d chose to calmly ignore me and turned to answer the phone.

It can be said that in the past few days the number of times the male G.o.d has answered the phone has risen like a straight line. One time I decided on a whim to tease him.

“New girlfriend ah? Need to report to her every day?”

Wearing the bear hair clip and with the light from the computer screen reflected in the eyes of the male G.o.d, he answered after a while, "It's the business partner I mentioned last time.”

Laughing like a thief, I moved closer to the male G.o.d's side.

“Then why do you need to avoid me every time to sneakily make the phone call?”

BOSS finally turned from his laptop to look at me wordlessly.

More so coldly than defensively, the male G.o.d did not look away and instead suddenly changed the topic stiffly.

“Right, your birthday is coming soon. What gift do you want.”

Using “flattered” to describe my feelings at the moment is not nearly enough.

This specific situation is probably like a mouse that fell into the rice container!

After a while, I stretched out my legs and rested my bare feet on top of the male G.o.d's trouser covered thighs and scratched my head.

“No need for gifts ah…”

Just “remembering" is already very good.

The male G.o.d's tone is still hard, I guess he may not be accustomed to asking people this kind of question. I remember on BOSS's birthday last year, I sent him a Russian doll set. His expression at that time was not much different than his current expression.

Then, a lightbulb went off in my head.

“Didn't I send you an apple on Christmas Eve? You can just get me an orange.”

Thinking about the male G.o.d's character, I deliberately added one more sentence.

“You don't have to buy a big box, the two of us won't be able to finish it.”

If I remembered correctly, sending one *liu ding represents the willingness to try, two represents that you are a pair, and three shows that your love career has risen to the next level.

[T/N: liu ding is an alias for orange]

In my heart, I put my hands together in meditation.

Two liu ding, two liu ding, two liu ding, two liu ding, two liu ding…

(22)

On January 2nd, the sky is clear and the air is fresh, like a fiery sun had dispelled all the cold.

I sent the male G.o.d out to buy the orange, and happily rolled around in the wooden chair. I wondered for a moment if I should persevere in asking an implicit question.

BOSS, you really don't like me, hahahahaha.

I believe that even if I asked him a thousand times, he would also be laughing like I am. Teasing the male G.o.d is a lifelong career that I can't miss a single opportunity of!

As usual, I am lying on the cold window frame waiting for the male G.o.d to return home. The warm sunlight hits my face, and my cheeks feel as if they are absorbing all the fresh air and warmth.

“Ring ring ring, ring ring ring”

Who is calling at this time ah? I flew to the wooden table and pressed the answer b.u.t.ton. Holding the microphone, I leaned back against the window frame.

“Hey, who are you looking for?”

The opposite side was silent for a long time, this isn't a prank call ba?

Just as I was thinking of hanging up, a warm voice said a line, “Xiao Yan, happy birthday.”

“…”

It's him.

“Xiao Yan, I know you don't want to see me, but you listen to Dad. Fang Jingqiu, I will call… help on his side. You should live well, don't wrong yourself, alright?”

My mind didn't have the time to recover, I did not quite understand the words that followed. I stared foolishly at the phone when I suddenly had a very horrible thought.

Too horrible… I did not dare think about it.

Too horrible.

“Dad." I calmly called out.

Kang Lanqing was stunned a bit. When he spoke again, his trembling voice had an obvious joyful tone, “Child… Xiao Yan….”

I tightened my hold on the phone. Looking down, I watched unblinkingly as the male G.o.d slowly walked over on the narrow path.

In the harsh winter, there were withered flowers and gra.s.s on both sides of the small pathway, twisting and turning all the way to the building.

So everything has a natural explanation.

For someone rich and powerful like you, isn't it easy to just hire a private detective to watch your son's every move so that you can react when I am in trouble?

I smiled.

“Dad, I am the same as you, I like men. Mom was so mad her eyes turned red and she drove me out.”

I don't know what to say.

There was some shock but not one bit of sadness. So much time has pa.s.sed that I have learned to face everything with an insipid and rational smile.

But…

Dad…you abandoned everything for that man yet told me to love myself.

Is it because you already knew that I am a child n.o.body loves?

(22 continued)

My mind was blank for a moment. In fact, in that moment, I didn't think about anything at all.

When the male G.o.d entered and began taking off his shoes, I sat on the floor and hugged my knees.

Looking up at him, I asked, “How many liu ding did you buy ah?”

He lifted the bag in his hand, his bright eyes containing a slight smile, and said, “Two.”

I laughed.  He really bought two ah!

Depressed, I buried my head in my knee and muttered, “Fang Jingqiu…”

This is the first time I called BOSS by his name. The rest of my words were stuck in my throat.

He approached me and squatted down. He gently rubbed my head.

“What happened?”

“… How do you know when my birthday is?”

“…”

“Is it because when that person and you made an 'unconditional' trade, he told you to take good care of me and treat me well?”

The male G.o.d was silent.

When he spoke again, his tone was a little fl.u.s.tered.

“He did say this, but even if he doesn't tell me to, I will still be like this to you.”

Is that so.

Would you notice that I will randomly kick off  the blanket and get up for me in the middle of the night to tuck me back in?

Would you know my birthday even though I have never mentioned or celebrated it in these past four years?

He held my head, forced me to look up, and told me seriously.

“Kang Yan, after I succeed I will keep you by my side and treat you like a close brother.”

The temperature of his palm pa.s.sed from my forehead to the depths of my body, so warm.

Oh……

I lifted the corners of my mouth and forced his hand down from my head.

“But I am not special. BOSS, I didn't have any intentions to… stay.”

After I finished, I quickly stood up.

After piling the little bear and flower hair clips, apple, orange, house key, and floral blanket before him, I wiped my sweat and said to him, “This is all.”

The male G.o.d looked at me and the pile of familiar objects below at a loss of what to do.

To say sad, in fact it is not too sad.

If I say disappointment…maybe a few points.

At least it was not yet to the point of crying or it will really turn into an eight o'clock dog blood drama. I don't want to think about it.

I want to say a few words to amuse myself, but now is not a good time. My eyes spun a few times and my head felt empty.

Maybe tomorrow, everything will be alright.

“My home, you can stay for as long as you like and leave whenever you like. Tell my dad that if he doesn't ask that man to help you, I will never forgive him. So it should be OK.”

I maintained my expression as I put on my coat, only taking my wallet when I left.

I really think this farce is rather amusing.

If it was not, then what kind of expression should I make?

Like all idol dramas, as I was stepping out the door, he tightly held onto my arm from behind.

I tightened my lips. “…I gave you everything.”

Everything.

My head also did not return and I blurted out, “Let me go.”

Let me go, alright?

(23)

“Ah Yan, Ah Yan! I have the money, what now!!”

I 'oh, oh'd two times, one aimed at the price displayed on the screen, then said to the child whose hair was dyed like a parrot, “Thirty-six and a half.”

The child dug out thirty-seven and threw it on the checkout counter, the corners of his mouth rising toward the sky in a pretentious smile.

As I was getting the change for him, I said earnestly, “Kid, it's so late, quickly go home ba.”

He stared at me like I was mentally ill and left with his things while cursing.

The store manager came to the cash register. He didn't blame me, only teasing, “Social worker Kang, teaching children again ah? Often telling people to go home, are you trying not to do any business ah?”

I shook my head and solemnly said to him, “Manager, it's late, you should go home too. I can hold down the whole convenience store on my own.”

The manager laughed and said in appreciation, “Look at you not immediately hurrying home after work. Do you want to change to full time?”

I wanted to refuse but didn't want to at the same time.

“Don't keep me, I want to convert to Buddhism.”

After work, I waited at the bus station. s.h.i.+vering from the cold, I tightened my furry scarf and kicked the stones on the side of the road.

From my pocket I took out my cell phone for a moment, then shut it down.

Five days have pa.s.sed since I left home. On the first day, BOSS made an average of one call every hour, it can be said to be a *ghost chasing call.

[T/N: 奪命追魂- reference to the movie Chasing Ghosts (2005) ]

As a result, I directly turned off the power on my mobile phone and ran to the neighborhood's old apartment to rent a small unit.

The restroom is shared by each floor and the sanitary conditions are rather poor. But for someone living alone, it was unexpectedly secure.

In this era when the price of this property is more volatile than the price of seafood, I calculated my deposits in the bank versus my expenditures and I'm afraid that it will not last long.

On this night, as I was thinking of some unrelated literature, the light bulb in my mind flashed and I suddenly thought of *four words.

[T/N: Hai jun ming zhu. (還君明珠- literally "return the pearl") ]

In the darkness, the bus approached from the distance, raising the dust on the ground.

My frozen mouth sang, “You are the wind, I am the sand, winding around the world…”

Under the strange eyes of the driver, I calmly found a window seat and disorderly sang the theme song of Huanzhuge.

[T/N: the lyric he sings is from the episode "New Pearl Princess" (新還珠格格) of the TV series Huanzhugege 2 (還珠格格 2) ]

(24)

It had already been two weeks since I left home when I b.u.mped into a cla.s.smate from college in the convenience store.

Laoda's whole body was wearing a military uniform, his figure that was taller than me looked very imposing. I looked around behind him, then found an opportunity to suddenly pounce.

[T/N: Laoda is actually a way of saying "boss" (not his name) but since we already have BOSS, I decided to keep this one in pinyin]

Standing by the Durex shelf picking and choosing, he was obviously shocked by me. I winked at him.

“Are you using it or is the other party using it?”

He rolled his eyes unhappily, wisely bypa.s.sing this topic.

“There has been no contact for three months. You also didn't come to the university party last week. Where did you, this kid, die off to?”

I fawningly patted his shoulders.

“I… it's a long story. Laoda, don't be angry!”

Laoda's domineering and hot personality has not changed. He frowned when he heard that and pulled the smiling me to go out. Before leaving, he did not forget the store manager.

“Today Kang Yan is contracted with me!”

“…”

When I returned to the present, I was sitting at a food stall not far away. A beer girl wearing a skirt so short that it was the same as not wearing anything, smiled sweetly and put down half a dozen beers.

Laoda skillfully opened the bottle with his teeth and patted my head roughly.

“If you have a long story to tell, then talk slowly. I am covering you.”

He is one of the few people who knows that I like men. I remember… it was similar to what happened at that time.

That year, I just came out to my mother. Mother said coldly, “I just knew it. Your eyes are the same as that father of yours.”

When Laoda found me in the park downstairs, I was crying so much. Then he said, “What are you afraid of, you have me to cover you.”

After I finished crying that night, I sang beside him, “Friends walk together for a lifetime” and staggered back to his dormitory. He took me in for a long time.

Although he has changed, he still said the same thing to me.

I poured some beer and said to him just like that time, “Laoda, if the one I liked was you, it would have been fine.”

He was the same as then, when he laughed he showed his teeth.

“What a stupid thing to say.”

(25)

Like dumping garbage, words poured out. I drank a lot of beer as I incoherently talked and laughed stupidly from time to time.

After listening, Laoda went straight to the point and asked, “In simpler terms, what are your plans now?”

I lifted two fingers and said vaguely, “Two choices.”

“One, I am going to shave right now… ah no, go to the temple. Two, I will re-open my mobile phone… on the day he makes his comeback, I will run away to become a monk.”

Laoda has a shocked expression.

“Your meaning is, the next time I see you, you will definitely be bald?”

He probably thought that I was confusedly saying things and rubbed my messy hair regrettably.

“What a pity, it's feels very nice.”

After touching it for a while, he used a tone to coax children to say, “Kang Yan, I am still not clear about your att.i.tude. Since you made a decision, why are you still hesitant?”

I blinked, then whispered to myself, “I want to go, but I'm not rea.s.sured. I want to stay, but I am also not willing.”

I clearly said “Let me go”, these three words.

I clearly should have already let everything go.

Laoda, who practiced Kung Fu, took the phone out of my pocket with the momentum of a tiger and pressed the power b.u.t.ton.

“… Your BOSS sends you a message every hour on average, he really has good perseverance.”

Unable to comprehend what happened, I looked at the familiar phone in his hands. Laoda quickly swiped the screen and put his ear close to the screen.

“Wei, Xiao Kang Yan is at the XX road x.x.x food stall, come and take him home.”

Wò…….zāo…….

[T/N: English equivalent would be "wtf"]

After Laoda hung up, he told me, “Hurry and get drunk! Mother-in-law will give you a hand. Remember to thank me later!”

After he said that, he paid the bill. Before leaving, he looked in the distance.

“Yo, that's your BOSS? Quite handsome ah.”

The uncles were rowdily playing guessing games and the beer girl's delicate laughter gradually faded as she walked away.

All that was left was me sitting at the food stall watching with wide eyes as the male G.o.d walked towards me from the darkness.

Little Corner

Re: I nominate Laoda for Best Wingman and Mother-in-Law 0w0

MadMadamMims: thanks for the welcome ^^  ? ky's dad likes men huhuhu also boss bought two oranges TT