þÿA Love So Beautiful (•ôbNìSU~¯v„\•ŽY}) BoguMmyFeyn

Zhao Gan Gan's "To: Our Pure Little Beauty" was written in Mandarin. Credits to the
fans who translated the whole story. "A Love So Beautiful", the chinese drama you
loved was based on this novel. Clearly, it was an adaption to this novel. (C) Dolly, Xri,
Youtiaoshutiao
URL: https://www.wattpad.com/story/146652492-a-love-so-beautiful-%E8%87%B4%
E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC%E5%8D%95%E7%BA%AF%E7%9A%84%E5%B0%8F
%E7%BE%8E%E5%A5%BD
Chapter 1
) Chapter 1

December 15, 2017dolly

Untitled.png
Comrade Old Chen, aka my dad, formally retired February of this year. Old Chen who
had been doing hard labour his whole life couldn't sit after just spending half a month
idling at home. It so happened that the Senior Citizen's club in our town was
recruiting members, so off he went. Once he got there, he then found out that his
50-something age was considered the young backbone in the Senior Citizen's club
where the average age was 70. Because of that, Old Chen's passion from long ago
was ignited. Every day, he'd be pedalling his bike towards the club to organize their
recreational activities. This kind of passion, is the kind that has been burning for
years.
It's just that his passion also hasn't been burning for quite some time, and had only
given him an initial show of strength for the first few years. This old man got on a
stool to hang their activity banner when his foot landed on air and fell down.
When I got a call from my mom, I was on the highway, looking out at the billboards.
My entire body broke out into a cold sweat though it was one sunny day. Even though
I was always being beaten by Old Chen when I was young, I was also thinking of
beating him too as soon as I grew up. But despite that, I really love him.
On the way to the hospital, I kept on crying while talking endlessly with the cab driver
about how good my dad is. The driver, a 7-feet tall sturdy-looking man, was moved
by me and floored the gas all the way. When I paid him, he offered to just dismiss the
remaining fare, and told me, "Young child, remember my plate number, XXXX, by all
means, don't flag down my cab again. I have a blabbermouth wife and mom at home
so when I listen to other people talking nonstop I can't help but tremble. Forgive me, I
wish your father a speedy recovery."
.........
I rushed inside the hospital crying, when I got there my mom was peeling apples
while scolding my dad: "Your weary old body is still considered backbone? Fall one
more time and I'll push you straight to cremation. Your backbone (gu gan) I'll upgrade
it into bone ash (gu hui).
I held unto the door frame in tears: "Mom, how's dad?"
Mom looked up at me, "Oh, stop crying, what are you crying for, I've endured so
much to raise you just so your face won't be covered in snot and tears."
I held back my tears and went over to sympathize with the old man who has been
oppressed for such a long time: "Dad, are you alright?"
My dad looked helplessly at the apple mom was holding: "No, your mom already
peeled three apples, and didn't even give me one to eat."
I think there's no way of knowing things from their mouthI simply picked up the
thermos and said: "I'll go get hot water."
I went straight to the nurse's station carrying the thermos and didn't mind my mom
who was crying out behind me: "This damn child, the thermos is full!"
Probably because I looked too menacing, the nurse quickly got the doctor. The doctor
described my dad's condition with a blank face, said the fall affected his lower back
the vertebra was compressing the nerves. In other words, he needs to go through
surgery, and made me prepare 30,000 bucks.
I asked the doctor a few specific questions but he gave me a pointed look, "If I tell
you, you still wouldn't understand, just prepare the money alright? Leave the rest to
us doctors."
I asked again: "Then, when's the surgery?"
He said impatiently: "Line up, when it reaches your turn then we'll do it."
I was itching to cough out a big mouthful of thick phlegm on his face, and then tell
him, "Sorry, I have tuberculosis."
But I couldn't, I could only fish out a few hundred bills from my pocket, and force it on
him, "Then, I can only bother you to take care of it......"
He glared at me and pushed away the money: "What are you doing! I understand
your sentiments as a family member but this is against the hospital regulations! You
really don't have to worry, I will find time to give you a detailed explanation."
I was so beside myself with guilt, thinking that I pinned my narrow-minded yardstick*
to gauge a gentleman in their hearts. Indeed, some doctors were just born
ill-tempered. As I was deeply reflecting on my personal integrity, the doctor then
turned around to leave, but before leaving, he raised his chin and gave me a
meaningful look. I pondered for a long while if he was having cramps or if he was
implying something else with that action, till I copied him and raised my chin as well,
only then did I understand a CCTV was mounted on the wall...... (T/N: To judge a
person's actions with one's narrowed perspective.)
I was just about to ask the nurse where the doctor's office was when my phone rang.
I took it out and looked at it. My heartbeat quickly went downhill at lightning speed as
if stepping on an accelerator that I've almost wanted to go to to the Cardiology
department to have myself checked.
Jiang Chen, my ex-boyfriend.
Shaking, I politely picked up the call, "Hello?"
I've been saying hello for a very long time, but all I could hear was a cacophonous of
noise, it seemed like he just accidentally pressed the phone. I was about to hang up
the call but I heard a delicate female voice saying, "Doc, I'm having chest pain."
It was only then that I remembered how Jiang Chen as a doctor now, was said to
have a bit of reputation. I hung up the phone, confused for a while, then finally
decided that if I have to wallow in the darkness of our motherland's healthcare
system, I might as well be transferred to the hospital where Jiang Chen was. On the
account that I've helped him peel around thousands of tea eggs back in those days,
he has to consider that somehow, right?
I went back to tell my mom regarding this matter, and she told me: "Jiang Chen, that
kid whom you had a puppy love back then?"
Uh........your memory sure knows the more important parts.
Mom asked again, "If we go to the hospital he's working at, will he help us? I mean
does both of you still have mutual affection?"
Truly a "hit the nail on the head" question, I stammered, "He will help us that's for
sure, it's just that........"
"Just what?"
"It's only that, things are a bit like something scissors can't sever, and when sorted
out, is tangled again*." (T/N: too complicated)
The old lady scoffed: "Stop using big words on me. Can't cut with scissors then you
shave it all up! You are going to contact him right now. Your dad must be transferred
tomorrow. I can't stand that bastard doctor here anymore.
I was expecting for my mom to tell me lovingly, Child, we must have integrity,
ex-boyfriends and what not, one shouldn't go around bothering them.' But sure
enough, I've really overestimated my mom this time.
Jiang Chen showed no hints of being surprised when he got my call that it makes me
want to become a doctor, so used to seeing strong winds and big waves*, even dead
bodies and internal organs don't scare him, how can I, an ex-girlfriend, scare him.
(T/N: difficulties, struggles)
I was stuttering when I explained the situation to him all the way through, and
managed to tell him: "Is it okay to transfer my dad to your hospital?"
"Okay." He replied concisely that I was too ashamed to mention the thing about
peeling tea eggs.
He added: "Get everything ready, I'll find an ambulance to pick up your dad for the
transfer."
Finally, he was silent for a long time, and then asked me: "You okay?"
Okay.
After hanging up the phone, I clutched my chest and leaned against the wall of the
lobby, breathing heavily. A young nurse next to me helped me up: "Are you alright?"
I shook my head, although feeling very glad that I had long last seen the light of
humanity in this hospital.
She then went on: "Who did you just call? Seems like you're going to be transferred,
am I right? Which hospital do you know the higher-ups? Introduce me okay? I only
have a month before I finish my internship yet I haven't found a hospital who would
hire me. Can you help me? My grades are actually very good, it's just that I don't
want to accompany hospital directors to bed."
There's really no other way but for me to be entangled with her, so without any better
option I said: "Actually, that person I called is a janitor in a hospital, I promised to
accompany him to bed, so he promised to help me ask around and see if I could
transfer.
.........
Three hours later, Jiang Chen, with an ambulance whizzed in front of me. I haven't
seen him in 3 years yet I didn't dare look up to get a good look at him. I just kept on
staring at what seems like a quite expensive fountain pen in the pocket of his white
coat. I don't know if he already learnt how to write the new characters used in
medicine.
When I was at university, I've always been worried about Jiang Chen, for fear that his
beautiful penmanship's small script would face difficulties in the medical profession.
In order for him to achieve a penmanship that would let him evade responsibility even
if he prescribed the wrong drug, I once forced him to copy my penmanship. It's a pity
that in the end, he failed to learn its true essence.
Discharging procedures, admitting procedures, Jiang Chen arranged everything by
himself. My mom and I were terribly idle, just chatting near the hospital entrance,
each with an apple.
Mom said: "This young man is indeed whom I looked after growing up, really good."
She made it sound like she should be given credit for looking after him while growing
up because he turned out be a good young man, really shameless.
She added: "Such good thing, how did you miss it back then? You've almost
succeeded."
I took a bite out of the apple: "Dad is bored being alone in the ambulance, you go eat
an apple and make him watch."
Mom heaved a sigh, then gladly and diligently went to where the ambulance was,
yelling while running: "Old man, your daughter made me eat an apple for you to
watch."
Jiang Chen was holding a large document and some small receipts when he chanced
upon this scene, he smiled and looked skeptically at me: "You're really too filial."
I looked up at him, he was slightly bent over in front of me, bowing his head to look at
me. The tips of his hair that was drooping over were glowing in the morning light. He
smiled at me like how he used to, his left cheek squeezing out a deep dimple, it was
as though we just ate and watched movies together yesterday.
I averted my gaze, this is a sinister dimple. Back then my little heart was drunk and
fell in this dimple. Now that I think about it, this pit in his face was a giant fraud.
Jiang Chen's existence used to be just like one of those lamp post in the alley. He
lives in the house across ours, the mayor's son, class monitor, looks good, plays the
piano, writes calligraphy, has good grades, and speaks nice Mandarin.
Television and novels label us boys and girls who are friends, and live awfully close
together since young as "childhood sweethearts", moreover, they generally divide it
into two categories: one, the "in love with each other" type. Two people who are close
together like siblings, poking honeycombs and getting stung by bees together,
stealing sweet potatoes and getting beaten together. By the time the two would look
back, only then would they realize that the friendship from long ago has slowly
blossomed into love. The other one is the "sees and hates each other" type. Two
people who opposes the other with equal intensity, already itching to rush ahead to
bite the other when spotted from a distance. When they get the chance, they'd pull
the tire valve of each other's bikes. But later on, when the two would grow up, they
would suddenly realize Ah! This is true love.
Unfortunately, Jiang Chen and I are neither of the above mentioned. In a very long
time, me and him were simply just neighbours who live across each other. Him
playing his piano daily, me watching Chibi Maruko-chan with gusto. Occasionally,
when I'd forget the content in our homework, I would press the doorbell of their
house. He would always mock me, and impatiently ask why I didn't remember.
Probably, because I'm seeking out a favour, so I never bickered with him. Of course,
it might also be because I don't like to argue with people since young. I'm someone
calm and collected, a bit extraordinarily.
Summer vacation of 2nd year middle school going 3rd year, our class secretly
organized a picnic after the exams. During the picnic, Jiang Chen and I was assigned
to wash the sweet potatoes. There were 40 people in our class but we bought 44
sweet potatoes. Jiang Chen just washed those four extra sweet potatoes, and after
that, played skipping stones with the boys on the side.
I was crouching at the lakeside, forced to keep my anger in check as I was washing
the potatoes. The more I wash, the more I get mad. By then a small slab of rock was
dropped right in front of me and splashed me on the face. As I looked up, Jiang Chen
looked nonchalant as though nothing has happened. He raised his hand, and a stone
skipped across the water surface, piercing its stillness in beautiful four successive
skips, along with it were ripples of varying sizes, colliding together and then
dissolving.
It's pretty logical that I should've scolded him, splashed water on him, pressed his
head into the water, or perhaps, pushed him into the lake to drown.
But I did nothing. I just stared at him with a silly look on my face.
The breeze lifted his loose, white school uniform. The sun casting a golden light on
his lashes and the tips of his hair. The slightly raised corner of his mouth was
squeezing out a proud smile on his left cheek.

Right then, time and space froze leaving only the thumping of my heart.
Chapter 2
A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 2

December 16, 2017dolly

Untitled-1.jpg
After summer, we stepped into the busy year of Junior 3. I have always prioritized
important matters above everything else, hence things like immersing myself in
romantic love were promptly kicked to a side. Plus, Meteor Garden was airing
fervently back then, so I changed to being crazy about Dao Ming Si instead.
The event that caused me to confirm my resolution to have being infatuated/fangirling
over Jiang Chen as my life goal happened half a year later. The night before the
mock exams, amidst my mom's beatings and scoldings of, "How did I raise up such a
forgetful pig-headed daughter like you?!", I hurriedly rushed to the Xue You*
Bookshop to buy the 2B pencils I needed to shade the OAS for my mock exams the
next day. (T/N: direct translation of Xue You study friend)
Even though Xue You Bookstore claims to be a bookstore, but it sells a variety of
things from books and stationery to stickers and toys, basically, whatever was
trending among students, it would sell. Later on after muddling through life in the
outside world, I discovered that the two words "Xue You" was a name that all
non-franchise stationery shops and book shops in the country liked to use. I didn't
know if this was because this name would cause numerous students to feel a sense
of familiarity akin to seeing a friend, or if it was because everyone was lazy to come
up with names. But if there was a day where I decide to give back to society, I would
also want to open a Xue You shop, on the surface it would sell books and stationery,
but it would actually be a centre of students to pay a fee and make friends, especially
female students, though if there were special requests, we could also sell male
students at a high price.
I entered Xue You and grabbed a bunch of 2B pencils. At that point in time, using
computers to mark papers had just come into vogue. I thought that the 2B pencil
would appreciate in price in the near future, and I had to stock up. But the truth
proved otherwise. While the price of pencils did rise by ten cents, there were many
pencils specially made for shading the OAS that were produced. While everyone else
was using mechanical pencils to shade their OAS, I still had to pitifully use a knife to
shave my pencils. Prophets are all lonely people.
As I clutched a bunch of pencils, about to pay, Jiang Chen entered through the door.
Perhaps out of a strange adolescent voyeuristic mentality, I subconsciously grabbed
a book off the shelf, using it to block my face as I secretly watched him.
Jiang Chen upon entering made an immediate beeline for the counter. The lady boss
saw him, and smilingly carried up a pile of books from under the counter. "The
embroidered collector's edition of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese Literature* you
wanted, I specially went into the city to obtain its stock." (T/N: namely Romance of
Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin and Dream of Red Mansions)
Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Thank you Lady Boss, how much is it?"
"853 RMB, I'll take 850 from you." The lady boss took his money. "I'm not even
counting in the transport fees."
Jiang Chen smilingly nodded his head. "Thank you Lady Boss."
At that point in time our school fees were 200 RMB per semester, Jiang Chen was
using money worth two school years or four semesters to buy a few rotten books, if
he had so much spare money, he might as well... Actually I also didn't know what he
might as well have done, I've never had so much money, so I was really didn't
understand. Previously, someone told me this joke a news reporter asked an old
woman who lived deep in the mountains, "What would you do if I gave you 100000
RMB?" She replied, "Eat vegetable steamed buns everyday." He asked again, "What
if I gave you 200000 RMB?" She replied, "Eat meat steamed buns everyday." Lastly
he asked, "What if I gave you 1000000 RMB?" She replied, "I would have a vegetable
steamed bun in one hand and a meat steamed bun in the other everyday." I actually
really empathized with the old woman's plight.
"Gege*, gege." A child who had come out of nowhere was calling as he tugged on
Jiang Chen's trousers. (T/N: meaning older brother)
Jiang Chen squatted down and caressed his head. Blinking, he asked him, "Little
friend, are you a boy or a girl?"
The little child sucked on his tiny thumb, and very seriously replied, "Boy."
Jiang Chen was dissatisfied. "I don't like boys."
He was preparing to get up as he said that, the little child hurriedly tugged on his
clothes. "I'm a girl."
Jiang Chen laughed. "So you're actually a girl. Okay then, what did you call me for?"
The little child fished out a box of colour pencils and two crumpled ten-cent notes
from the large pocket of his overalls, lifting them high up to demonstrate how he
couldn't reach the counter. "I'm buying this."
Jiang Chen took the box and stood up to pass it to the lady boss. "Boss, how much is
this?"
"Ten RMB."
Jiang Chen fished out ten RMB. After paying the money, he then squatted back down
to pass the box to the little child. He patted his head and said, "Here, your color
pencils."
The little child chortled as he took the box. "Thank you gege."
After saying "you're welcome", Jiang Chen prepared to stand up straight. The little
child once again pulled at his trouser bottoms, so he could only squat back down
again. The little child clumsily opened the box of colour pencils, and picking out a pink
coloured one, said, "Drawing is very pretty."
"I don't know how to draw." Jiang Chen said as he smiled. "You keep it for yourself to
draw."
The little child shook his head, and pointing at the books in his hand, said, "No, I
draw."
Jiang Chen stared blankly for a moment, then his face broke into a smile. He took out
"Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and handed it over to the little child.
The little child held up the book and sat on the floor, lowering his head to draw
something on it very seriously, while muttering something to himself. At last he
clapped his hands and said, "Done."
I tiptoed and stuck out my head to peep at it, that design looked like a rabbit at first
glance, then looked like a dog when you looked more closely, yet its poise and charm
also somewhat resembled a tiger.
Jiang Chen, taking back the book, looked at it very seriously, then said seriously, "The
dog you drew is very beautiful, thank you."
The little child, fluttering his round eyes, said, "It's a cat."
Jiang Chen did a double take, then laughed. "So it's actually a cat."
I stared at his dimple, it seemed to have deepened somewhat, I really wanted to go
up to him and poke it.
What is known as "being stunned by beauty", what is known as "being killed in a
second". Li Bi Hua* once said being stunned by beauty back at that time, was wholly
because one had seen little of the world. But this wasn't the case for me, in the times
to come, I would repeatedly embellish these two scenes in my mind, just like the
post-productionediting for movies and television. I would adjust the angle of the
scene, add light and shadow variation, layer on sound effects...... (T/N: a famous
Chinese author/scriptwriter she wrote Farewell My Concubine)
"How long are you going to squat at the hospital entrance for?"
"Ah?" With my great post-productionediting project being interrupted, I was
momentarily a little lost. Gazing into Jiang Chen's somewhat impatient-looking face, I
again sounded, "Ah?"
"Get up." He stretched out his hand and with one grab pulled me up from the floor,
dragging me towards the ambulance. In fact, I really wanted to ask him if he had
forgotten to let go of my hand, and also if he was in poor health lately, his hand was
so sweaty...
When we got onto the ambulance, the driver and my mom simultaneously showed
facial expressions looking like they had just caught us in bed together. I helplessly
rolled my eyes, and peeped at Jiang Chen a little apprehensively.He on the other
hand seemed to be totally unaffected and sat by my side. "Little Li, start driving."
After that, he turned his head around to tell my mom, "Auntie, I've already spoken to
my colleague in orthopedics, when we reach the hospital, we'll take another x-ray, if
there is no issue, we'll do the operation this afternoon. Please do not worry, my
colleague is one of the very best orthopedic surgeons in the industry."
My mom hurriedly nodded her head incessantly, and gave a really motherly smile.
"We're really troubling you."
"It's no trouble, it's what I should do." Jiang Chen was also really smiling like a filial
son.
"So noisy!" My dad suddenly spoke up loudly.
Ever since my dad was informed that we were going to transfer hospitals with the
help of Jiang Chen, he had been throwing a tantrum. Later on, the moment my mom
walked away, he gave me a tongue-lashing,its contents being nothing else but one
word backbone! He felt that after how Jiang Chen's mother treated me back in the
day, I should stay far, far away from him. It was best that I spit him in the face with
saliva when I saw him to express my disdain, but now I had gone as far as to accept
his favor!
Three years ago, I graduated from X University's art design faculty. Jiang Chen was
studying both his bachelor's and master's degree consecutively in medical school and
had to study for seven years, but due to his excellent performance, he had already
begun to intern at the various major departments at X University's subsidiary hospital
by his fourth year.
Back then, Jiang Chen was really good to me, the moment he saw me receive my
graduation certificate, he said that he wanted to marry me. Of course, this was mainly
because I was always making baseless fabrications about a bunch of the so-called
elite in society to scare him. For example, the manager who helped me open the door
every day (whose original form was the security guard of our company, for I always
forgot to bring my entrance card to tap in and out); the director who was always
giving me flowers (whose original form was the person who sold flowers downstairs
when I was working overtime late into the night, I would always run into him throwing
away the spoilt flowers that couldn't be sold while on my way home, with my fervent
hints, he would give the flowers to me); the client who treated me to watch a movie
(whose original form was indeed a client, and I did indeed watch a movie, it was just
that I had to write a publicity proposal report for them after watching it)...... An artistic
creation requires an original form.
Once Jiang Chen heard that I was so popular, he became anxious, he said that the
four years' worth of breakfasts he delivered in university must not be delivered in
vain, we had better get married.
I agreed with no sense of shame whatsoever. My thoughts were very simple, the
faculty of medicine in X University was ranked no. 1 in the entire country, and Jiang
Chen was getting the top-tier scholarship every year, there was basically no
suspense that he was a stock with great potential. I had to capture him as soon as
possible, such that when he became a blue chip stock*, I would be the grain-husk
wife who had suffered trials and tribulations together with him, if he dared to divorce
me, I would dare to ask for a half of his assets......(T/N: aka stocks of financially
stable and well-known companies that have good returns)
Of course, actually the simplest thought was that I loved him very much, and I was
afraid he would be snatched away by someone else. One time, I went to the hospital
he was interning at to look for him, and within one hour I saw three patients giving
him their business cards, with one of them even being a guy. This society was too
terrifying, and Jiang Chen's charisma seemed to slay both men and women.
It was just that back in the day, I was almost completely poisoned by television
dramas and novels, and I thought that my love was invincible. But Jiang Chen's
mother made me realise, once my love experienced disturbances, it changed as it
pleased.
One fine afternoon, Jiang Chen's mother paid a visit to my mom. My mom's status in
my household, being a professional housewife, was akin to that of Wu Ze Tian*, but
for the first time, I saw that plucky mother of mine being at such a complete loss of
what to do, becoming meek without herself even noticing. To be fair, Jiang Chen's
mother didn't say any undue remark, and she hadn't fished out a cheque and said,
"Leave my son, tell me how much money you want." She was calmly discussing with
my mom some wedding customs, but it was just the condescending attitude, like she
was lowering herself to talk to my mom, that she exuded that caused my mom to be
filled with trepidation. Watching my mom from the side as she rubbed her hands,
saying, "We'll cooperate, we'll cooperate", my heart was tart and painful, like it had
been soaked in old vinegar. (T/N: the only female emperor in the history of China)
Jiang Chen's mother then sought me out one-to-one for a chat. She gave me a few
pieces of paper and told me to take a good look, and if I agreed, to give my signature.
It was a prenuptial agreement, with its contents roughly being something along the
lines of how I was not marrying Jiang Chen for his family's money, and if we divorced,
I wouldn't be able to get any assets, etcetera.
At that point in time, I was really bewildered. His dad was just the mayor of a small
town, how much money could he possibly have? Was there really a need to act like
we were in a television drama?
I've already forgotten what I was thinking at that time, perhaps it was some noble
matters like love and self-respect, but later I simply could not make up my mind, so I
went to ask my dad. All I can say is that, that was a historic mistake.
Jiang Chen's dad was my dad's indirect supervisor. My dad felt that he was already
such a wimp, being bullied and pushed around by these supervisors on a day-to-day
basis, but for the family of his supervisor to bully his own family members, this was a
matter that he simply couldn't stand. Therefore he told me that if I dared sign, he
would disown me as his daughter.
Thus, I again did yet another stupid thing, which was to give Jiang Chen the
prenuptial agreement for him to return it to his mother. Jiang Chen was really agitated
and furious, and went home to quarrel with his mother. Later on, his mother gave me
a phone call, with the main idea being, if I dared get married to Jiang Chen, she
would dare to die at our wedding. Back then, I had little experience in society, so I
was immediately psyched out by her. I totally didn't think of any other ways to resolve
the issue, for example to not hold a wedding ceremony, so that she wouldn't have a
place to die......
The matter of marriage was hence left unsettled just like that, after that, I didn't know
why, but perhaps work started to get busy, I was busy getting scolded by my
manager, while Jiang Chen was busy attending classes and interning. Plus, most
likely I started bearing grudges in my heart, I would incessantly nit-pick and needle
him, and would provoke him over the most trivial and inconsequentialmatters. I tested
our love by testing his tolerance.
When I said, "Jiang Chen, let's break up."
He was silent for a long time before saying, "Don't you regret it." Then he slammed
the door with a bang and left.
I thought that for two people who loved each other to break up, there should at least
be some large-scale major event, for example, a third party; for example, suddenly
discovering that I was his father's illegitimate daughter; for example, either him or I
contracting a terminal illness...... But in fact, there was no need for that. Uneasiness,
busyness and weariness were enough.
We split up just like that. It was quite amazing, two people who had originally agreed
to be together for a whole lifetime, now had absolutely nothing to do with each other
in just a flash. For a long period of time, I even suspected that perhaps someone had
pressed the fast-forward button for us, causing me to omit some plot circumstances
that made the break-up an inevitability.
My dad was the happiest about my breakup with Jiang Chen. He most likely felt that
this was one victory he had in his confrontation with those of a supervisor social
class. But towards a later stage, my constant inability to find a boyfriend caused him
to feel that the fruits of victory were sometimes bitter as well.
So I guess my dad's feelings towards Jiang Chen were complicated. On one hand, he
hoped that there would be someone who would take over the slow-moving product*
that I was, yet on the other hand, he also felt that he would much rather I be a
slow-moving product than to sell me to Jiang Chen. He was probably experiencing
internal turmoil akin to that of the capitalists existing during the Great Depression
mentioned in our high school politics textbook who would rather pour milk into the
river than give it to the poor. (T/N: meaning a product that sells poorly)
What I didn't tell my dad was that actually, that person wasn't even intending to buy
from you.
Chapter 3

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 3

December 20, 2017dolly
Untitled
My dad underwent the operation early in the morning the next day. Jiang Chen had
recommended a female doctor, her surname was Su, her beauty had an air of
intelligence and intellect to it, and standing next to Jiang Chen, together they were a
talented man and beautiful woman.* (T/N: a Chinese idiom referring to a very
well-suited ideal couple).
Initially, my mom didn't trust Doctor Su very much, she felt that all beautiful women
were in general, quite useless. Because of this stubborn notion she had, I used to
think that my mom considered me a beautiful woman in her heart for the longest time.
Doctor Su pointed out that she previously had, with bare hands, beaten up a gangster
till his shoulder joint dislocated, then once again with bare hands relocated the
shoulder joint. We, one after another, professed our utmost confidence in her medical
expertise.
Jiang Chen accompanied us at the entrance of the surgical theatre. My mom clutched
my hand tightly, while I patted the back of her hand comfortingly.
After sitting for about ten minutes or so, my mom started to forget about her
uneasiness. She first looked at Jiang Chen and me, her eyes spinning back and forth
between the two of us, then she gave a motherly smile. "You see, back when you and
Xiaoxi were dating, we didn't have the time to sit down and chat, instead now......"
She paused, then gave a long sigh. "The heavens makes fools of us all."
I was basically in a frozen state, and I wanted to dig a hole and dive right into it.
Jiang Chen smiled, and said, "I wasn't sensible back then, and didn't know how to
cherish Xiaoxi."
I couldn't help but take a stealthy glance at Jiang Chen. Such a beautiful pleasantry.
My mom chuckled, "That's not the case, it's our Xiaoxi who doesn't have the good
fortune."
Time passed quickly under their sham exchange of pleasantries. Perhaps because it
wasn't a complicated surgery by far, or perhaps it was because of Doctor Su's
excellent medical skills, in any case, the lights of the operating theatre dimmed and
Doctor Su came out wearing a mask.
My mom suddenly grabbed my arm again. Her fingernails dug into me till I really
wanted to send greetings to my maternal grandmother. (T/N: basically Xiaoxi is
cursing)
Doctor Su unhurriedly took off her mask, revealing her upturned corner of her mouth.
"The operation was successful."
My mom let go of my hand and leapt onto her, looking like she wanted to hug and
kiss her. Thankfully, all she did was just hold and pull on Doctor Su's hand, patting it
repeatedly. "Thank you so much, thank you so much."
I was extremely moved and intoxicated by this display of how the miraculous hands
of a healer could move the heavens. Jiang Chen standing by my side used his elbow
to gently bump against me, and spoke softly, "If you don't pull your mom away soon,
Doctor Su's hand is going to become crippled."
I took a look. Indeed, there was a large patch on the back of Doctor Su's hand that
had reddened. My mom had lately been learning paisha* from the old Traditional
Chinese Medicine doctor on the Hunan channel and had achieved quite some
success. There was one day when she couldn't find a knife to smash garlic, so she
used her bare hands to smash the garlic into pieces on the chopping board. ((T/N: a
traditional Chinese medicine healing method where you hit the skin to produce light
bruising to release toxins in your body etc)
I hurriedly went over to pull my mom away. "Mom, you should hurry and see Dad."
My mom struggled out of my hands and reproached me. "Your dad's anesthesia
hasn't worn off yet, what is there to look at? I need to thank Doctor Su properly."
Doctor Su took two steps back and repeatedly waved her hands. "Auntie, don't be so
courteous, this is what I ought to do. I still have a surgery later, I'll head off first."
Tch, a white-clothed person who fled when defeated.
My mom with great disappointment turned towards Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen-ah,
thank goodness for you this time round..."
Jiang Chen placed his two hands behind his back, leaned over till he was beside my
ear and softly said, "Save me."
I couldn't help but shrink my shoulders back. Suppressing a rush of emotion that
made me want to bite my tongue and commit suicide, I pushed my mom and said,
"Hurry and go take a look at Dad, Jiang Chen has outpatient clinic later on."
Just at that moment, the nurse came out pushing my dad's hospital bed, and so my
mom followed them away.
There was just me and Jiang Chen left. I swallowed my saliva, raised my head and
smiled as I said, "Thank you this time round."
He nodded, "It's nothing, I'll head off first."
The word escaped out of my mouth. "Huh?"
He smiled. "I have outpatient clinic."
I watched Jiang Chen walk away, rubbing my ear and smiling stupidly.
It was the first year of university back then. Jiang Chen had gotten into X University's
medical school, while I, as an arts exam candidate had scraped through and just
made it into X University's art school. Jiang Chen's faculty was having a welcome
dinner for the freshman, and I had shamelessly begged him to take me along as
someone who had had a one-sided love for him for many years with no results. This
was mainly because I had heard that at the welcome dinner, the seniors would foot
the bill no matter how much you ate, and I was really pleased with this way of doing
things. Later on when I became the senior, whenever there were welcome dinners, I
would have a stomachache and be unable to attend them.
There were quite a lot of people that day, with eight tables reserved at the small
restaurant at the North entrance of the school. By the time Jiang Chen and I reached,
there weren't many seats left, and him and I were thus separated to join two tables. I
gazed at him from afar, thinking that this was really great, for there was no one who
would bother/manage me even if I ate too much.
After sufficient food and alcohol, the seniors brought the juniors over to the field to
play games. There was a game which had originated from God-knows-what random
place and then became a trend all around the world called "truth or dare."
That beer bottle spun and spun till it stopped in front of a girl. Given that the student
before her who had chosen to do a dare had had to pull at a stranger and say, "You
see, this is my left liver lobe, this is a gallbladder sac, this is the right lung lobe, this is
the kidney, here, there is a straight tube called the ureter......", the girl therefore chose
truth.
A male senior who was like a big grey wolf guided the questioning in a skillful and
methodical manner, saying, "Junior, do you have a boyfriend? Or someone you like?
Who is it?
I thought to myself that this question was too kind, for he should at least ask the color
of her underwear or something along those lines. Then when that girl blushed and
nodded, her eyes were flickering uncertainly towards Jiang Chen, I suddenly felt that
this question was too hard-hitting......
Everyone started to hoot and cheer and wanted Jiang Chen to declare his stand.
Jiang Chen who all along had been standing behind my back suddenly leaned down
and spoke beside my ear, "Save me."
I was momentarily dazed, feeling his breath from those two words tickling my neck
causing it to itch. After scratching my neck, I grew some wits in the midst of anxiety
and said, "My...... My...... stomach hurts."
Behind me, Jiang Chen gave a long sigh, put his hands on my shoulders to support
me, and said, "Everyone, sorry, my girlfriend's stomach hurts, I'll send her to the
school hospital."
I was dragged along by Jiang Chen for a few steps before I came out of my reverie
and realised that what he had said just now was "girlfriend", so I asked him while
trembling, "I that.... That......just now, I seem to have...... Heard you say
girlfriend'......"
I seemed to see his face redden strangely, before he spoke boldly and with
conviction*, "That's right, what about it?" (T/N: referring to being assured when you
think you are on on the side of reason)
My heart rate sped up instantaneously, and I almost vomited. Stammering, I said,
"Nothing, about that... Welcome you."
Every time I reminisced about the past, I was able to not feel regretful about wasting
my years away, and not feel ashamed for not having much achievements. But I really
wanted to die for saying something similar to the welcoming words of those in the
female special services industry* at such a crucial moment. (T/N: referring to
prostitution)
At night, I stayed in the hospital to take care of my dad, and made my mom go back
to my place to rest. That old lady refused to initially, later on after I told her a few of
the hospital's ghost horror stories, she said that she suddenly felt utterly exhausted
physically and mentally, and that she had better go back to rest, so that she could
have sufficient vitality to take care of my dad tomorrow.
Tonight, Doctor Su was on shift duty, after doing her ward rounds twice, she just
settled herself down in my dad's ward, and insisted on pulling me to chat.
Taking into consideration her status as a benefactor, I could only strive to prop up my
eyelids and accompany her to chat.
She asked, "How did you and Doctor Jiang know each other?"
I answered, "Schoolmates."
She muttered to herself, "I thought you were a couple, but seeing as how he didn't
stay behind to accompany you tonight, I guessed that too."
After she had finished talking to herself, she asked again, "What kind of
schoolmates?"
I answered, "Kindergarten, primary school, middle school, high school, university."
She thought this merited much astonishment, and also pointed out that this was a
fate that was hard to come by, she said, "Yo yo yo, childhood sweethearts, growing
up looking at each other's reproductive organs since young, you are really fated."
I was so taken aback that my mouth that was open from yawning only closed itself
after a long time. I wiped away the tears squeezed out during my yawn, and was just
about to say something, when Doctor Su yet again asked a question. "Does he have
a girlfriend or not?"
I replied honestly. "I don't know."
She enigmatically moved close to my ear. "I'll tell you something, you can't tell Doctor
Jiang."
I nodded.
She smiled with the air of a gossip monger*, "We all suspect that Doctor Jiang is
gay." (T/N: the original term literally means three-eight, often used to describe a
woman being improper, frivolous, talking behind someone's back)
I stared at her in astonishment, she then explained, "He never appears bringing a
woman, plus he maintains his distance from all female doctors, female nurses and
female patients. But it's not surprising for people in our line to have such a problem,
once you understand the female body too well, it loses its sense of mystery."
I hesitated for a moment, and then asked still, "It seems like this industry of yours
also understands the male body very well, right?"
She thought for a while dazedly, then clapped a hand to her head, suddenly
enlightened and said, "That's also true."
Thus, both of us separately pondered for a few minutes. During these few minutes,
the whole time I was pondering how exactly could I send her away to leave, I was
really sleepy. Regretfully, Doctor Su asked again, "You've known him for so long,
have you ever seen him have a girlfriend before?"
My sleepiness dissipated in an instant, I gave two forced laughs. "I have."
"Ya, that's such a pity." She sighed in disappointment.
I gingerly probed. "What's a pity? You like him?"
She laughed bashfully. "No, I have a partner. My partner is doing his PHD at X
University, he's studying psychology, the direction of his topic for his graduating thesis
is the analysis of the psychology of homosexuals, mainly to research into the
psychology of homosexuals belonging to the elite class in society. He was just vexing
about being unable to find research subjects......"
After thinking for a bit, I suggested, "Why not you go online and find some novels for
him to read? Aren't danmei* novels in trend currently? Those male leads inside are
CEOs, doctors, lawyers and military men, there's every single elite industry. Art
originates from real life, let your boyfriend see if he can find anything useful." (T/N:
boy-love novels)
She waved her hand and said, "I thought of that long ago, and I've researched into it
before, I think it's not reliable, those novels are almost all written by females. In the
minds of females, men are animals who think with the lower halves of their bodies,
and when two animals who think with their lower halves of their bodies gather
together, if they are not using their lower halves of their bodies, they are using their
lower halves of their bodies frequently and excessively. It's not helpful for academic
research."
I thought for a bit, and felt that that made quite a bit of sense, so I made an "oh"
sound to assent.
She then said, "Do you think Doctor Jiang has any tendencies towards
homosexuality? I saw that those novels all say that you can make a man who isn't
gay become gay, what's the scientific name for it again? Oh, it's called "breaking
crooked*", why not I break him crooked, how about that?" (T/N: common phrase
online, given that in Chinese, being straight is also called which literally means
straight so to break someone crooked is to become gay.)
I opened and shut my mouth repeatedly, and stammered as I said, "That's... Not very
good..."
She patted my shoulder. "Don't be nervous, I was joking with you, you don't get my
humor."
......
"Oh right, you make a guess as to why I chose to study medicine? And also why I
chose orthopedics?" She requested suddenly with great excitement.
I hadn't yet recovered from her previous display of humor, and said feebly, "Your
family members are all doctors?"
She shook her head.
I guessed again. "You saw someone who suffered greatly because they had a bone
disease when you were younger?"
She was still shaking her head.
I became serious. "You resolved to hang your gourd bottle and save the world?* You
and your boyfriend agreed to try for medicine? You accidentally filled in the wrong
college application choices during the time of the national college entrance
examinations?" (T/N: in olden China, doctors would hang a gourd outside their shops
to signify that this was a clinic. This idiom means to practise medicine to rescue the
people of the world from their suffering)
"All of them are not," she said triumphantly, "My family sells pork, I would feel very
excited every time I saw my dad chopping pork."
......
The corners of my mouth quirked. "Hehe, influenced by what you see and hear."
She once again hit my shoulder hard. "You believed it again, you really don't get my
humor. All of my family members except for my younger brother are doctors."
Chapter 4

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 4

December 25, 2017dolly
chapter4.png
Last night Dr. Su and I had a long, intimate talk until 5 in the morning, after which she
high-spiritedlypatted my ass and said, "I'll go prepare the endorsement for the next
shift, I'm off-duty today."
By the time I hit the hay, I didn't know if I was asleep or awake. In my drowsy state,
there seems to be a person standing right in front of me, I even asked him if he was a
ghost. It also seems as though I've explained to him about the karmic relationship of
involving third parties when settling things.
This kind of sleep akin to being in a trance is the worst, my brain is running rapidly
with past memories, not even neglecting the smallest of details. I couldn't tell if I was
dreaming or remembering the past. Many people would say there's no worth looking
back at the past, but my past is very worthy. It's the most proactive, lively, cheerful,
morale booster, inspiring, reverse pursuit in history, and can be called the "The
Successful Story of a Bright Girl*". (T/N: referring to Jang Nara's 2002 drama)
I had a crush on Jiang Chen that time. It was after one week of careful deliberations
that I combined information from novels, manhwa, and dramas, and was able to
come up with three plans: a love letter, by passing it on, and a direct confession. It
took yet another week of conducting a comprehensive analyses of these three plans.
The disadvantage of letters: first, I'm not good with words, and second, Jiang Chen
often receives letters but he almost never reads them. The disadvantage of passing it
on: first it's easy to pass on the wrong message, and second, from what I've gathered
in the numerous love conspiracies in novels and dramas, I found out that the person
who would pass on the message will end up with the protagonist; so in the end, I was
left with only this road to confession.
We always think that there are countless possibilities in life, afraid of this, afraid of
that, in the end there would still be only one remaining possibility.
I flipped through the Yellow Calendar*, and picked an auspicious burial date to
confess to Jiang Chen. He was on student duty at that time, so I was following him
from behind and then I called him. He turned around, along with the broom he was
holding, giving me a mouthful of dust from the action. (T/N: a special calendar which
gives information whether a particular day is propitious)
I said: "Jiang Chen, I like you, puh, puh, puh."
At first, he gave me a blank stare, and then furrowed his brows saying: "puh, what?"
I was very vexed and hurriedly explained: "I'm not puh-ing at you, I just ate a mouthful
of dust, I said I like you."
He continued the act of furrowing his brows, two creases were scrunched in between
his brows, really good-looking.
He said: "I don't like you."
It was an era where everyone loves to engage in ambiguous relationships, and also
at that time, there wasn't a song that tells about the grievances suffered by people
involved in such, so even though it's not really what they feel, most of the people
would still say: "I'm not suitable for you, you deserve someone better." or, "We're still
too young, we should study well and enter a good university first.", and such
nonsense. Jiang Chen's chop the nail and slice the iron* rejection made me think that
his ruthlessness really stands out from the rest. Hence I've decided to become even
more determined in liking him. (T/N: firm and resolute)
So Jiang Chen was pestered by me. Every day, I'd wait very early in the morning in
the mouth of the alley between our houses. When Jiang Chen comes out, I'd put on a
bright smile with the radiance of spring, and say, "What a coincidence, I'm on my way
to school too." I'd pack my things as well before the dismissal bell would start ringing,
so when it rings I'd rush to the stairs, wait for Jiang Chen to walk past me, and then
I'd say, "What a coincidence, I'm also leaving school."
I was so muddleheaded that I choked on my own saliva, I woke up, blinked at the
ceiling a few times, and began to get in a trance again. I saw myself on the stairs,
smiling at Jiang Chen. In a blink of an eye I was pulling on Jiang Chen's bag,
pleading. "Wait for me for ten minutes, okay? I'm going to hand over my work to our
English teacher."
He pulled back his bag: "What were you doing in class? Li Wei is waiting for me
downstairs." After a pause, he added: "We're going to buy some things for the class
meeting."
Maybe, my heart made a little rebound because I've been disguising as someone
virtuous and submissive for a long time. Maybe, I was just mad with anger. In short, I
aimed for his shins and gave him a kick: "Go find your Li Wei!"
He probably didn't expect it, and yelled while hopping on one foot: "Chen Xiaoxi you
lunatic!"
I leaned on the railings afterwards, watching Jiang Chen and Li Wei walk towards the
school gates. It was nearly dusk, an orange sheet was draped in between heaven
and earth looking as if someone knocked over a bottle of Sunkist in their hurry, and
dyed everything in orange.
I was only 16 years old at the time the first time in my life when I felt utterly sad.
The scenes in my dream were switching over very casually. This time, I'm standing
on the classroom door blocking Jiang Chen, "I have something to say to you."
He gave me a quick glance with his arms folded across his chest: "Speak."
After kicking him on his leg, his responses to me were less than before. I let love and
pride battle it out for a few days. Later on, Love annihilated pride. So I came over to
apologize.
I bowed my head and said softly like a whisper: "I shouldn't have kicked you that day,
I'm sorry."
He didn't give me an answer for a long while, so I looked up and saw him looking
absentmindedly at the basketball court downstairs. I got angry again and shouted
loudly: "Jiang Chen!"
He lowered his head to look at me, "I'm not yet deaf, you said sorry right? It's nothing.
After saying that, he turned around and walked away.
I was looking at his back, my heart was suddenly filled with a deep sadness, like how
my mom burnt the braised chicken wings, with the thick smoke irritating my nose
leaving it with a tingling sensation.
I subconsciously rubbed my nose and called him: "Jiang Chen."
He looked back.
I said with a bitter laugh: "Hehe. Do you think, I like to be unlucky?
He stared dazedly at me for a moment, and replied: "I just wanna go down to play
ball."
I said nothing, there's a deep sadness in my heart that it would be better for this heart
to die from such sadness.
He seemed to stand in front of me a long time, and finally said with a slight
anxiousness: "I really didn't mean any of that, our team is losing very quickly."
I nodded in understanding, "Go quickly, jiayou! (T/N: lit. add oil, it's the equivalent of
hwaiting in Korea and ganbatte in Japan)
He turned around and ran, after running a few steps, he suddenly stopped and called
me: "Chen Xiaoxi."
"Why?"
"Help me go to the corner store and buy a bottle of water." He said with a smile, his
dimple was filled with the rays of the setting sun.
Before I could respond, he took three steps and then two steps*, and ran down the
stairs. (T/N: means walking hurriedly lit. describing the manner of walking where
three worth of strides becomes two)
I still went to the corner store, torn between Yi Li water and Nongfu Spring water for
quite a while but eventually picked Nongfu Spring as it is 50 cents cheaper.
There were a lot of girls at the sides of the basketball court, I even saw Li Wei. She
was holding a bottle of Mai Dong which is more expensive than my Nongfu Spring by
two and a half bucks.
During halftime, Li Wei called Jiang Chen so that she could hand over her drink, I
blankly followed her from behind, sighed as she was walking at lightning speed,
scurrying like she's about to fly.
Jiang Chen didn't accept her drink, instead, he gave me a quick glance and said a bit
awkwardly, "I already told Chen Xiaoxi to bring me water."
"I bought a sports drink with added electrolytes. If not you then who else would be
able to drink it, quite wasteful." Then she smiled softly and tenderly.
I thought I couldn't let her be this embarrassed, so I placed the Nongfu Spring on
Jiang Chen's hands and gave them a squeeze, snatched the Mai Dong from Li Wei's
hand, twisted the lid open, took one big gulp, and wiped my mouth with the back of
my hand saying: "Not wasted, not wasted. I just ran over from the corner store and
sweated a lot, thank you very much."
She bowed her head in shame, like Xu Zhimo's writing about that very shy lotus
flower and so on. I like reading that poem, it's truly a masterpiece.
"Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi!" My mom's continuous shouts roused me from my shy lotus
flower dream. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Mom, making loud noises is prohibited
in the hospital."
My mom gave me a sideways glance, "Just now you were talking about losing face in
your sleep."
"What did I say?" I asked her while removing the eye gunk at the corner of my eyes.
"Lotus, shy or something." She replied.
"The tenderness when you bend your head low, is like a lotus flower too shy to stand
the cool blow.' A poem* by Xu Zhimo. Indeed, our Xiaoxi is like me, possesses the
sentiments of a poet." My dad gave his input while lying on the hospital bed, looking
immensely proud.
I turned to look at him, and talked nonsense: "I dreamed of my language & literature
teacher in high school, she asked me to recite Second Farewell to Cambridge'."
My dad's face suddenly turned black, "This is not Second Farewell to Cambridge'!
This is Sayonara'!" (T/N: Both are poems by Xu Zhimo)
My mom chimed in, "Jang Nara right? I know her! A Korean, bangzi, bangzi*.
(T/N: The pinyin for Jang Nara is Zhang Na La while Sayonara is Sha Yang Na La so
her mom misheard. Bangzi lit. means long, sturdy stick in Chinese, a term referring to
Koreans, in the olden days during the Japanese invasion in China, they give Koreans
stick instead of guns to beat the Chinese with, hence the origin of the term.)
I looked at my mom in a different light, she puffed out her old chest, "Ever since our
home has been installed with the internet, the housewife has become liberated."
As a member of the lurking club for a long time, I was prompted by a sudden impulse
and logged in to Tianya Club. I discovered that I actually replied to a lot of forum
posts, not only that, most of them were about handsome guys. I thought that I was
honestly confronting my inner desires while sleepwalking, only to find out later on that
I accidentally enabled our home computer to automatically log in to Tianya. The
saddest thing in the world that nothing can surpass is to have a Tianya Club mom.
(T/N: Lurking means someone who reads forum posts but never replies or comments.
Tianya Club or End Of The World Club in English is a popular internet forum site.)
After eating lunch, my Tianya Club mom shoved on my arms a bag of fruit my dad's
colleague brought over this morning, and forced me to look for Jiang Chen to express
gratitude. I think that by sentiments and by logic, I ought to earnestly and seriously
thank Jiang Chen, so I went out and carried the large bag of fruits.
When I got to the doctor's office, only then did I begin to get a bit nervous. This is
Jiang Chen and I's exclusive and first official meeting after not seeing each other in
over the last 3 years.
I knocked on the door, the reply coming from the inside was, "Please come in." I
pushed the door open and found Jiang Chen buried in his desk writing on something,
he also raised his head to give me a quick look, and said dully, "Find a chair to sit on."
As an ex-girlfriend, in the face of such a generous* ex-boyfriend, I feel immense
pressure. (T/N: idiom used is not literally about being generous but to describe
someone's open-mindedness, natural and carefree manner not being the slight
cautious.)
I placed the bag of fruits on the table, pulled a chair to sit face-to-face from him
across the table, and pleasantly said, "My mom asked me to bring some fruits for
you."
He looked at the bag of fruits and said, "Thank auntie for me. I went to take a look at
Uncle Chen this morning, his condition is very stable. I reckon that he can be
discharged in two or three days. He can come back after a week to get his stitches
removed."
When he was done talking, he bowed his head down to write some things with an "I
am very busy." look. I awkwardly sat for around two minutes and then got up to leave,
and also to conveniently express my gratefulness to him. In the end, I hypocritically
and politely said the lines, "Thank you for your help this time, I really don't know how
to repay you."
He actually stopped twirling his pen, smiled at me and said, "Introduce me to a
girlfriend."
I carefully observed his expression, he really wasn't joking. I feel depressed. This
action of asking an ex-girlfriend to introduce a new girlfriend is a bit inhumane. Like
when you're fired, your boss would still write you a recommendation letter; or when
cheating, your teacher would give you the answers; or when remarrying, you'd ask
your ex-wife to be one of the bridesmaids......
All sorts of feelings were welling up in my heart, like in his mind, just how great does
he think my personality really is.......
I heaved a deep sigh, and gave him a hollow laugh, "What kind of girlfriend do you
want?"
He sized me up for a while, my heart was caught in my throat as countless lines were
flashing through my mind like, "Someone who is just like you would be good."
Otherwise, "Actually, I've never forgotten you....."
"A little taller, and thinner than you would be good enough." He said.
My unrequited, little precious heart quickly resumed its normal beating, I smiled stiffly,
"Your requirement isn't very high, I'll help you look around."
The pen on his hand was twirled beautifully between his fingers as he said, "Then, I'll
thank you in advance."
Chapter 5

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 5

December 25, 2017dolly
1
It's a double update! Happy holidays everyone, and Happy Birthday to Hu Yitian!
-
My dad was discharged after two days, and the operation wound was healing well. As
it was too cumbersome to travel back and forth, my dad removed his stitches at a
local hospital. According to my mom, right after the day his stitches were removed,
my dad went straight back to the Senior Citizen's club. I praised my dad's warrior-like
spirit over the phone.
When I woke up this morning, half of my pajamas are wet. I quickly changed and
rushed to the train station. Once I entered the train, while the air-conditioning was
blowing, I realized that my clothes were again half drenched in sweat. As I was
wearing a white top, it became a little see-through. I looked around, there were quite
a few men who looked wretched. But none of them seemed to have intentions of
looking at me. I decided not to admit that I am the one without charisma. But instead,
it was due to the hot weather that the indecent looking uncles are too lazy to be
indecent.
Fu Pei* came up to me the moment I entered the office. (T/N: Xiao Xi's Boss)
"Chen Xiaoxi, why don't you go and take photos for the product catalogue today.
Don't you love to take photos?"
I looked out at the skies outside, starting to feel a little miserable, I stated, "My dad
mentioned that this name which I have symbolizes that there is always hope in life.
No matter how big or small, it will always be good. But he didn't expect that 20 years
later there is a young man called Chen Guan Xi*. He also didn't expect that said
young man is a film lover and an arts lover, and even more so, a young man who
gained fame from a work, kickstarting a series of "rated*" trend. This means that
there are always unexpected things in life. So please do not think that because I am
called Chen Xiao Xi, means that I love photography." (T/N: Chen Guan Xi = Edison
Chen, an actor. For "rated", the original word used in the novel translates to "door". I
did a bit of research and found out that Edison Chen had abit of scandal on nudes
and stuff. So I decided to use "rated" instead.)
Fu Pei took out his calculator from the drawer, "Talking back to boss minus 2% salary,
took leave minus 3%, late minus 1%....."
I nodded, "Sure, just deduct it, but give me my salary for last month first."
He set aside his calculator slowly... "Miss Xiaoxi, please rest. I'll take care of the
product catalogue instead."
I nodded again, and went to sit below the air-conditioner.
I've been with this company for over two years. When I broke up with Jiang Chen, I
quickly found a new apartment and a new job. I'm not afraid of him finding me, but
afraid of him not finding me. I'm as low as a human can get.
The company has a total of 3 persons: the boss, Fu Pei, accountant, Situ Mo. I'm in
charge of designing. We are a small enterprise, and count largely on Fu Pei to take in
orders to continue our business. We have decent reputation. But ever since Fu Pei
dated and broke up with an ex-customer, she went to spread bad rumors about the
company and caused our sales to drop badly. We even encouraged Fu Pei to sell his
body to snatch projects, but he refused. We do not understand why, as from our
understanding of his viewpoint in love, this is a double win for him.
Fu Pei has left the office. Situ Mo has been away for almost a week as her kid is
running a fever. As such, I'm left alone in the office. I brewed a cup of tea and strolled
to my computer. I drank my tea and waited for the computer to auto-login applications
such as QQ, MSN, SKYPE. All messenger apps. There are more and more
messenger systems but less and less things to talk.
The first thing to pop up on MSN is Zhuang Dong Na, a customer. Last year end, our
company designed a gift hamper for her company. There are gift cards, cups,
calendar, etcetera. It was a pleasant deal, and we can be counted as an
acquaintance. I introduced her to Jiang Chen last week. She's a decent woman.
Taller, prettier, slimmer, had better temper and more successful in career than me.
The only thing that she cannot compare is that my feet is smaller than hers.
I heard that they are getting along pretty well. Jiang Chen even initiated a few dates
with her. According to my experience, this doesn't come by easy. It was a little
depressing to hear about it. I even felt like tearing them apart, but I controlled myself.
I opened the chat with Zhuang Dong Na, she repeatedly sent a few "Are you there". I
realized she didn't put question marks. What a disappointment to our punctuation
marks.
I slowly typed, "I'm here now."
I specially used red for the full stop* and increased it by one size. Hopefully she will
feel ashamed. (T/N: The period for Chinese is a full stop.)
Zhuang Dong Na says, (10:16): Help me with something?
I saw the question mark and felt pleased. Hence I quickly replied: "Tell me about it."
Zhuang Dong Na says, (10:20): Jiang Chen has a patient who is holding a banquet to
celebrate his full recovery tonight. He has a bring-a-date along to the banquet, but I
have to go Shanghai for a business trip tomorrow afternoon. Can you go with him on
my behalf?
I hesitated for a while and typed, "I don't think that's a good idea.."
Zhuang Dong Na says, (10:24): Why not? I already told Jiang Chen, and he agreed.
Also, it is better to bring along a date in this kind of occasion. I heard that the patient
is a big shot, and wants to matchmake Jiang Chen. You don't wish for us to end our
relationship when we just started right..
I'm speechless from looking at her reply. When I introduced her to Jiang Chen I
already told her that we used to date. She doesn't mind. Even if she doesn't mind, at
least respect the ex-girlfriend. There's a saying, Kindness is when someone is
hungry, I don't munch loudly when eating meat.' Not only are you munching loudly,
but you are even asking me to take tissue to wipe your mouth. That's so uncivilized..
Zhuang Dong Na says, (10:25): Xiaoxi please please please please I beg you I beg
you I beg you
Look at this person. Once anxious she forgets about punctuation. Have you ever
thought of the punctuations marks' feelings.
I sighed, and replied, "All right, since you guys don't mind."
Zhuang Dong Na says, (10:28): Xiaoxi I love you so much, thanks thanks thanks
thanks thanks thanks. Jiang Chen will pick you up tonight and bring you to buy a
cocktail dress. He'll pay.
I drank a huge mouth of tea and typed, "Okay."
I pressed the enter key and thought, "My whole life is messed up due to my
kindheartedness." When I was young, I still remember my form teacher during
primary school whom everyone hated fell sick. Nobody wanted to visit her, but I did.
She was elated. She gave me all the fruits and eggs and whatever from her ward. I
was so full I couldn't walk properly. All because I was too kind.
My day passed by absentmindedly.When Fu Pei came back, he took two pictures of
me sitting at my desk. He uploaded it to the computer for me to see. It was taken
pretty well, like an elderly with dementia who has lost her way.
I was in the squatting toilet when my phone rang. I have a problem of needing to use
the toilet whenever I am anxious. I always spent the last 15 minutes before national
examinations in the toilet.
I lifted my pants, and took out my phone. Indeed, it was Jiang Chen. I took a deep
breath and realized this isn't the best place to be doing so. Instead, I pinched my
nose and said, "Hello?"
"It's me."
"I know."
"Why are you speaking in a low muffled voice?"
I walked out of the toilet, released my nose and said, "I'm not."
"Were you in the toilet?" Jiang Chen chuckled while saying.
I looked around in shocked.
"How do you know?"
"Guessed. Have you knocked off (from work)?"
"If you're so good at guessing you can continue guessing then." I replied curtly.
"I'm under your office. Just come down when you're done."
I packed up and walked down. I looked around but didn't see him. I was thinking if
this is his idea of revenge for all the times I was late for our dates 3 years ago.
After sneaking around for a while, a car stopped in front of me and honked a few
times. I bent down to take a look but was unable to see through the tinted window.
When I wanted to take a closer look, there was honking again. I backed a few steps
away in shock. I was enraged and wanted to start scolding, but the window winded
down slowly and Jiang Chen instructed, "Get on."
I opened the door and went in. He frowned and asked, "Why are you so slow, I
thought you knock off at 5:30 PM? Put on your seat belt."
I put on a face and mumbled to myself, "Chen Xiaoxi, you just ended work? Sorry to
trouble you tonight, and thanks."
Jiang Chen gave me a look, "You're welcome."
I twitched my lips, "So polite."
I secretly looked at him. He was wearing a black suit with a sapphire blue tie. So
handsome.
He suddenly leaned towards me. I quickly pulled and fastened my seat belt and said,
"I already fastened it."
He opened the compartment in front of my seat and took out a bottle of water. He
passed me the bottle and snorted.
I felt like dying when I took the bottle over. If I die, Jiang Chen will probably write the
death cause as thinking too much' or died from shame'.
When we were on the road. I drank the water in small sips. I'm actually not thirsty, but
my throat's a little dry.
It was eerily quiet in the car. I started to tear the bottle label in boredom. I didn't know
where to throw it after I tore it out. So I asked him where to throw it.
He turned his head to look at me, "That compartment I opened just now."
I opened the compartment and threw in the wrapper. Feeling a little guilty, I asked,
"You are still drinking Nongfu Spring water?"
I always see him drinking Nongfu Spring water ever since I bought him that for the
first time. At that time I was quite contented with myself. Even though I bought
Nongfu Spring because I wanted to save 50 cents, I didn't expect to buy what he
would've come to love. It really is like sowing fruits even when you didn't plan to plant,
two hearts beating as one.
But he simply replied, "Hospital gave it for the festivities, there's still a box of it at the
back seat."
I turned my head and saw the carton of Nongfu Spring. Casually praising his hospital,
"Your hospital is not bad! Giving out gifts during festivals. Unlike my company, there's
only overtime during festival seasons."
He was driving attentively and didn't reply.
Seeing how he has no intention in responding to me, I stopped talking. As I grow
older, I stopped doing things like being excessively passionate to a cold shoulder*.
This coldness from him is nothing to me. I used to do it regardless of his reaction, but
not anymore. (T/N: stick hot face on cold buttocks)
Chapter 6

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 6

December 27, 2017dolly
Untitled.png
Jiang Chen's car stopped in front of the LV flagship store, I jumped in shock, basically
I only ever saw this brand in a certain famous author's books, in real life, I was still
more familiar with AV* instead. (T/N: referring to p*rn videos)
The central control of the car doors unlocked with a knocking sound. Jiang Chen
said, "You get down and wait for me, I'll go and park the car."
I got off the car and loitered at the same place waiting for him to return, sneaking wily
peeks at the LV store through the glass windows from time to time. Perhaps it was a
figment of my imagination, but I just felt that the orange coloured lights appeared to
be especially opulent and luxurious.
"Let's go." Jiang Chen was standing behind me since who-knows-when.
I jumped in shock and stammered, "It's better we don't, it's really expensive, plus it
seems like all they sell inside are bags, I didn't see any formal clothes at all."
He followed my line of sight and took a look, "Did you think I was going to bring you
to enter LV?"
"Were you not?"
He looked at me like how he would a lunatic. "You're not my wife, why would I buy LV
for you!"
......
He led me to make a detour around LV. We entered an alley and came to the
entrance of a clothing store. I raised my head and looked; this store's name was too
honest "Can't afford to buy LV".
I pointed at the signboard and told Jiang Chen, "Look, it's mocking you."
He lifted his head to take a glance, "It's mocking you."
I curled my lip, "Wait till I become wealthy, I will go to each and every famous brands'
stores, and just tell the shop assistant, I don't want this item, I don't want this item,
wrap everything else up.'"
He shook his head and said, "You might as well say, Wrap this item and this item up,
wrap everything else up and mail them to the Red Cross Society.'"
His skills* were more profound than mine...... (T/N: referring to skills/abilities that are
built up through religious practice a Buddhist concept)
The shop owner was a young lad, his looks were not bad. Looking at him, I kept on
thinking that he looked familiar, most likely in my subconscious, I wanted to get
familiar with all handsome men.
The young lad came forward to welcome us. "Doctor Jiang, bringing your girlfriend to
buy clothes?"
Jiang Chen pushed me forward and said, "Help her coordinate a set of clothes that
she can attend a banquet in."
The young lad's eyes swept over me from head to toe, he said, "Will do, the beautiful
lady's aura is especially matching of my shop's clothes, I will immediately coordinate
several sets for you to choose."
Indeed, my aura is an aura of not being able to afford to buy LV......
While the shop owner was picking out clothes, I asked Jiang Chen, "You know him?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "He is Doctor Su's younger brother."
Younger Brother Su's ears were working especially well, and he joined in our
conversation. "I am called Su Rui, my sister might come over in a while."
I lowered my head to look at him. He was squatting on the floor choosing shoes, and
his butt was sticking high up in the air. His low-waisted jeans caused a large part of
his waist to be exposed, it was quite slim.
"Chen Xiaoxi." Jiang Chen suddenly called me.
"Ah?" I took back my gaze that was fixated on that slim waist, and turned my head
back to look at him.
He pointed at my foot. Lowering my head, I saw some green creature that was similar
to a lizard stopping beside my foot, its long tail swaying slightly. On reflex, I used the
tips of my toes to kick it away at lightning speed, then hid behind Jiang Chen's back
while shrieking at a high frequency.
The green creature rolled once on the floor, flipping over to reveal a belly that was
somewhat light-coloured,it's four legs treading disorderly in mid-air.
Su Rui straightened his body and walked over, beamingly picking up the green
organism. Placing and displaying it on his arm, he told me, "Don't be afraid, don't be
afraid, this is the lizard that I am rearing."
I stuck my head out from behind Jiang Chen's back. "Is it poisonous or not, will it bite
humans?"
"It won't, it won't, it is very obedient." Su Rui extended his arm out, and invited me
with great enthusiasm, "Touch it and see."
I had difficulty rejecting such great hospitality, and stretched out my trembling hand.
Just as my hand reached in front of the lizard, it suddenly stuck out a fleshy forked
tongue with a hiss. I was so scared that I rapidly pulled back my hand, and went back
to hide behind Jiang Chen once again.
Su Rui laughed heartily. "Xiaoxi, do not scare jiejie*, she didn't kick you on purpose
just now." (T/N: jiejie: means older sister, can be used to refer to women older than
you.)
"Xiaoxi?" Jiang Chen repeated it once, and began laughing too. (T/N: Xiao means
small. Our main character's name is , where the xi' means hope i.e. her name means
Little Hope. Su Rui's lizard is called , where the xi' means lizard i.e. its name means
Little Lizard.)
I impetuously replied him before I realised, and was considerably indignant. "It's also
called Xiaoxi?"
"Also?" Su Rui was very excited. "Who else is called Xiaoxi? This really is a good
name."
I, who had a good name, raised my hand up slowly. "Me, Chen Xiaoxi......"
"Too fated!" Su Rui moved around till he was behind Jiang Chen and stopped in front
of me.
Stroking the lizard's head, he said, "Su Xiaoxi, this jiejie has the same name as you,
you two are too fated, greet jiejie, come and give jiejie a kiss."
With a forced laugh, I moved 'round till I was in front of Jiang Chen, stuck out my
head and waved my hand. "Hello, hello, there should be no direct contact between
men and women, there's no need to kiss, no need to kiss." (T/N: there is some
wordplay here, the idiom makes use of the word , which in the context of the idiom
means "personal" i.e. no personal contact between men and women (this is a
Confucianism concept). But also means kiss, so Xiaoxi is playing on the double
meaning here.)
Su Rui gave an appearance of being insulted. "Xiaoxi is a girl."
Jiang Chen pulled me away from hiding in front of his chest. "Go and change your
clothes."
Only then did Su Rui put Su Xiaoxi down and took several pieces of clothing from the
clothes rack to pass to me. "Try them first, what shoe size do you wear?"
Basically, my feet were abnormally small, being asked my shoe size was humiliating
for me......
Hence, I said, "35."
Jiang Chen slanted his head and looked at me, saying, "Size 33 and a half, 34 with a
semi-insole is also okay."
......
Su Rui scratched his head and told me, "I need to search and see if there are shoes
that are size 34, you can go in and change your clothes first."
I clasped the clothes and went in to change, but met with trouble when changing into
the first set. The zipper at the back was entangled with my hair, and it got stuck
halfway, I couldn't pull it up nor could I pull it down. Helpless, I could only give a cry
for help towards the outside, "Su Rui, the zipper is stuck, it doesn't move when I pull
it."
The curtains were lifted open, but instead it was Jiang Chen who came in. I stared at
him blankly. He didn't say anything, and directly moved round to behind my back. He
drew up my hair and lifted it high up with one hand, while using the other hand to pull
up the zipper in one swift motion. After he pulled the zipper up, he walked away
abruptly. I was in deep admiration of his craftsmanship.
I changed into quite a few sets of clothes, and finally Su Rui helped me choose a light
green muslin evening gown. It was light as a feather when I wore it on myself,
causing me to have a sense of panic that I wasn't wearing any clothes.
Su Rui with great difficult managed to search and produce a pair of light yellow high
heels that were size 34, after adding a semi-insole, I could, just barely, wear them
and maintain my stability.
Su Rui praised my new manner of dressing till I was an extraordinary beauty of the
celestial and mortal worlds. Even though I couldn't find a slightest sliver of the
stunning/breathtaking appearance that he was talking about when I looked into the
mirror, but I felt that what he said was indeed too true, I sincerely wanted to befriend
him.
Su Xiaoxi tried to approach me a few times, but was always scared off by me giving
her a look that said, "If you dare come over I will use my high heels to grind and kill
you."
Jiang Chen sat on the sofa inside the shop, lazily sizing me up with a few glances
from time to time. Of course, I didn't dare hope that he would be like what normally
appeared in television shows or novels, where he would hold his breath and be blown
away by my beauty, but at the very least, he shouldn't appear like he was watching
the news broadcast.
"Are you done?" He stood up from the sofa.
"I'm done, you can pay the cash." I lowered my head and studied the collar of my
gown, the edge of the V-necked collar was folded into very pretty looking little pleats,
like green waves of wheat*. (T/N: referring to the waves of wheat in the field that
appear when the wind blows and causes the wheat to move up and down)
Su Rui announced noisily. "Forget it, forget it, they have too much fate, just regard it
as a gift from Xiaoxi to Xiaoxi on their first meeting. 800 in total, the gown is 500, the
shoes are 300."
I glared at him, this was a ripoff, similar clothes could be obtained on Taobao* with
80RMB, shipping included. (T/N: online shopping website)
Su Rui smiled at me. "Don't give me a look as if you regard me as an evil
unscrupulous businessman. These clothes of mine are not the kind that can be found
all over the street, they are all personally designed and made by me, there's only one
piece of each."
Jiang Chen, contrariwise, didn't say anything, after paying the money, he said "Thank
you" and pulled me to leave.
I put on my makeup in the moving car with great difficulty. Fortunately the road
conditions were not bad, on the whole, after finishing putting on makeup, my facial
features were still normal.
While waiting for the red light, Jiang Chen suddenly started laughing, his eyes filled
with mischief, and said, "Your makeup skills have improved considerably."
I gave him a disdainful look, I knew what he was laughing about.
At that point in time, it was Senior Year 3. We were battling the national college
entrance examinations day and night. In faraway places, there were a few fellow
people similarly battling the national college entrance examinations who couldn't
withstand the pressure and ended their own lives. This news was passed around the
various major departments, and after being passed around for a long time, only then
did it trickle down to this school of ours in a faraway small town. The school principal
urgently called for a meeting, and after that, one month before the entrance
examinations, the teachers decided to organise an evening party for us children deep
in the abyss of suffering. The evening party's name was "Heading towards tomorrow".
I personally felt this name was very meaningless, unless you died, everyone had to
head towards tomorrow. The programme items were prepared by the Senior Year 1
and 2 students, recitals, chorus singing and so on, in short, programme items that
would cause people to not want to live till tomorrow at all when they watched it.
Before the evening party took place, the teachers were stumped by a matter. The
students were to go on stage, and had to put on makeup. There were only a few
teachers in the school who knew how to apply makeup. Just applying makeup for one
choral group, it would be daylight by the time they were done. Hence the school at
the last minute decided to let the students in the arts class share part of the large
responsibility of applying makeup. As the leading student in the arts class, I thought
to myself that everything was within my control, but I didn't anticipate that it would
turn out that a human face was quite different from a canvas. Every girl that had me
apply makeup for them cried after looking at themselves in the mirror, and further
expressed that if they had to go on stage looking like this, they would choose to bid
farewell to tomorrow. And at that point in time, Jiang Chen just so happened to walk
past that classroom. I was surrounded by a group of crying junior girls, at a loss of
what to do, while he stood outside the classroom laughing till his hands were dancing
and his feet were stamping*. The junior girls, on account of being jeered at by an
influential figure, cried themselves hoarse even more distraughtly. (T/N: meaning to
be really animated (dancing, gesticulating, etc) with joy)
Even though it had been many years since then, but the moment I recalled this
incident, my temples still pulsated and throbbed, and it was like the undulating
cadence of weeping sounds were still lingering on by my ears again.
"Reached," Jiang Chen said, and the car slowly came to a halt as he pulled over.
I rubbed my temples, gave a sigh and grumbled, "Next time, don't make me recall
these sorts of incidents that I can't bear to recollect."
The car had stopped for quite a while at the same place, yet he did not open the car
doors at all. I turned to look at him, puzzled. His eyebrows were creased tightly, his
eyes gazing out into a distance, his jaw was braced tautly, and his two hands
clenched the steering wheel, with his knuckles turning white.
I knew he was being angry, but I was a little unable to make sense of his sudden
onset of anger.
I asked him in a low voice, "What's the matter?"
He seemed to take a deep breath, and he slowly let go of the steering wheel, turning
his head around to smile at me. Perhaps I shouldn't call it a smile, he was only
pursing his lips together into a line, squeezing out a deep dimple on his left cheek. He
said, "It's nothing, my stomach hurts."
"Ah? That what should we do?" Once I become nervous, I become a little incoherent
and confused. "Why would your stomach hurt? Did you not eat anything? Do you
have medicine or not? Let's go to the hospital..."
"I'm alright," he said.
"How could you be alright? Do you know that if your stomach hurts, it could be a
hemorrhage of your stomach, or a stomach ulcer, or a stomach perforation, or
stomach cancer......"
He looked at me, smiling. "What else?"
I said uncertainly. "Your stomach tearing apart?"
I said with emphasis, "No matter what, let's go to the hospital quickly, you could
possibly die in the next second!"
He suddenly stretched out his hand and pushed my forehead, smilingly saying, "Are
you the doctor or am I the doctor?"
I was puzzled and perplexed by his sudden good spirits, only repeatedly verifying
with him that his stomach would not tear apart. He also repeatedly guaranteed me
that he was already alright, and finally, with great helplessness expressed that if any
unforeseen misfortune were to happen to his stomach, I would be the one operating
the surgical knife during the surgery.
Hearing that he was willing to die in my hands, I then set my mind at rest.
Chapter 7
A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 7
December 27, 2017dolly
Another double update! Enjoy.
Before entering the banquet hall, Jiang Chen who had been walking ahead of me
suddenly stopped and walked a few paces back to stand by my side. He bent his
elbow and looked at me as though he was offering it.
I looked back at him suspiciously, "Do we have to strike a pose? Who's taking the
pictures for us?"
He glared at me so I quickly laughed it out, squinting my eyes, "I'm just joking with
you."
After I was done talking, I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm, and lightly held
unto it, "There's a thing in the movies where everyone has to be arm-in-arm when
making an entrance."
I looked at my hand that was clutching on his black suit when all of a sudden, a knot
seems to be forming in my chest, I couldn't help but grasp his arm firmly. He bent his
head to look down at me, and said softly as if trying to gently calm me, "Go look
around as if you're watching a movie."
I looked around the banquet hall. A large crystal chandelier was hanging from the
ceiling, twinkling in a multitude of brilliant lights and vibrant colors. Under the
chandelier were wandering men and women with wine glasses all lively. Long tables
were covered in tablecloths the colour of champagne, and filled with food that it
makes one's mouth water. This is definitely a movie about gourmet.
"Chen Xiaoxi, don't just look at the food, smile." Jiang Chen suddenly bent over and
whispered quite close to my ear, his hot breath tickling it. I couldn't help but shot him
a glare.
"Smile." He said once again.
I followed his line of sight a group of people were slowly walking towards us,
crowding around a small, familiar-looking old man.
Jiang Chen half dragged me towards them. I asked him through the forced smile
plastered on my face, "Which one is your patient?"
"That old man in the middle."
When I looked at said man though, he was beaming in the pink of health, and doesn't
look like someone who just recovered from a serious illness so I inquired, "What's his
illness?"
"Heart disease."
Jiang Chen was just about done with his reply when we've finally reached them.
They greeted each other with a simple handshake, I heard Jiang Chen calling him
Secretary Zhang* and it dawned on me where the feeling of familiarity came from I
saw him in the local news and not only that, I saw him lots of times. The fact that I
watch the local news no more than ten times an entire year, his appearance in them
is certainly very high then. It will be good if we're introducedafter all, he's a very
sought-after member of the ruling class* of society. (T/N: secretary means a chief
official of a branch of a socialist or communist party. The ruling class refers to the
elite, upper echelons of society)
Secretary Zhang was all smiles, looking at me, "Is this Little Jiang's girlfriend?"
I shot a quick look at Jiang Chen and thought to myself if I should send the Buddha to
the furthest of West*, I put on a smile and nodded, "Hello, my name is Chen Xiaoxi."
(T/N: Sending Buddha to the West is a proverb meaning if you're helping someone
then help them till the end, not giving up halfway.)
Secretary Zhang also nodded. Men of this age are rather kind, when he smiles his
appearance looks like that of a mere mortal who finally achieved immortality through
cultivation, "Miss Chen looks really beautiful, indeed a talented man and a beautiful
woman*. I was actually thinking of introducing my granddaughter to Little Jiang, it
seems like my granddaughter doesn't have enough luck." (T/N: means ideal couple)
I didn't know how to answer to that, so I just smiled apologetically.Jiang Chen decided
to take on the subject himself, "Secretary Zhang's favor and high regards, I dare not
make presumptions*."(T/N: lit. dare not pull myself up high, a humble phrase of
someone not daring to make friends or settle as relatives with people in a higher
status than themselves.)
Secretary Zhang laughed and suddenly announced in a clear, distinct voice, "Ladies
and gentlemen."
His voice wasn't particularly loud, however, there's a strange summoning force to it.
The hall packed with people went silent and seemingly turned their heads towards
our general direction. My hand that was pulling Jiang Chen's arm subconsciously
tightened, he extended his other hand and gently patted the back of my hand.
Secretary Zhang raised the wine glass in his hand, "This is my benefactor, Doctor
Jiang. I'm asking everyone to help me thank Doctor Jiang and his girlfriend with a
glass of wine. Thank you!"
When he was done with his toast, we were then handed a glass of wine each.
Jiang Chen also made a toast to him, "I'm simply doing my job."
Honestly speaking, I was really terrified, I've never meet the people of this kind. In my
memory, the biggest crowd I've ever faced was when I joined a choir competition
during grade school. At that time I was right in the middle of a group of children
singing with our mouth wide open. My legs on the other hand, were trembling as that
of someone with infantile paralysis.
Now, a bunch of people were looking our way in unison, moreover, every single one
of them is an elite tycoons, influential officials and such. I wanted to say I'm just an
ordinary person who just came over to watch a movie so please don't look at me.
Fortunately, the limelight was on us for only a short while. When everyone was done
drinking, they quickly resumed to where they had left off, only then did I also notice
that in my nervousness, I spilled wine on my hand.
It was only Secretary Zhang who seems as though he has no intentions of letting us
go and toasted us another glass of wine again.
"Little Jiang, when you get married, remember to send me an invitation."
"We will surely send out an invitation but you mustn't drink anymore wine, your heart
can't stand it." Jiang Chen said smiling, in a tone laced with strong authority unique to
that of doctors.
Secretary Zhang actually let out a smile and put the glass down. I was thinking about
how to escape unharmed, and looked down languidly at the skirt I was wearing,
analyzing where I should wipe my dirty hand so as the stain wouldn't be too obvious.
"Chen Xiaoxi, go to the restroom." Jiang Chen said before he was whisked away by
Secretary Zhang.
After I was done washing my hands, I spotted Jiang Chen and Secretary Zhang from
a distance, surrounded by a group of people. I hesitated for a moment, I think it's
more fun to stay right beside the long table and stuff myself. Anyway, I've already
shown my ability of blocking the Secretary's granddaughter, now I can finally show
the ability of my stomach.
I stood right beside the table, observing it for a moment. I found out that the food
looked the same when they were taken out, as the few people who went to table
stayed there for no more than ten seconds. So I felt reassured and took a big plate,
prepared to eat everything from the beginning of the table right till the end, and to
satisfy my desire to exploit the ruling class.
I was only able to eat four dishes when I encountered an obstacle. Of course it's not
about being full, I'm very confident about my stomach.
In front of me was a group of women. They were chatting by the table, and are
naturally dressed for the banquet with brands that I obviously can't afford. It's hard to
say if they look beautiful, as their makeup was done by someone with the hands of
the gods. Indeed, the true features of the human race already cease to exist.
As the table was pushed right against the wall, and by the looks of it, these women
are going to stand there forever, I probably wouldn't be able to try every food there is
before the banquet is over. Just by the thought of it, I'm already itching to set this
group of women on fire.
I silently walked past them, intending to eat the dishes placed at far end of the table.
When I passed by their side, I was called over by a woman, "Hello, Doctor Jiang's
girlfriend."
I turned around, the girl who spoke to me looked beautiful, even though she was also
dress to the nines and wearing thick makeup, she was able to look amorous and
refined. She looked quite a bit like the Cleopatra in my middle school's World History
textbook, and also amazingly tall wearing a pair of high heels which I reckon, is more
than ten centimeters a look that can't be put together without breaking through the
roof of the banquet hall.
I smiled at her, "Hi."
She came close to me and pulled my hand, "My grandfather being able to recover
this time was truly thanks to Doctor Jiang. I was in the hospital looking after our old
man when he got sick and I can say that Doctor Jiang is really dedicated to his
patients. For around half a month, I hardly ever seen him leave the hospital. It's
fortunate that he has a girlfriend like you who is understanding of such things."
I know that I'm quite sensible, but this really has nothing to do with me.......
I was still holding the big plate on one hand, the other was pulled by her. I had no
choice but to stare at her hand that was holding mine, so soft as if there's no bones,
her fingers long and slender like pared scallions, her nails coated with a layer of pale
pink, looking like the layer of brine sauce dripping from a first-rate Hong Kong-style
chicken feet.
Perhaps she noticed my awkwardness and loosen her hold on my hand. "I think
Doctor Jiang is still being dragged around by my grandpa. Being alone you'll get
bored, come and join our chat."
I had to put my plate down, assume an air of enthusiasm and listen to them talk. I've
managed to catch bits of their topic, Ivy League schools abroad, holiday resorts,
famous brands......I really don't understand these things, so I wasn't interested.
Now they're talking about whose rich family was raising a dog with a very long breed
name, whose rich family was rearing a foal, etcetera........This animal topic soon
switched to food.
A woman with a ferocious mouth of a beast* said, "The French truffles that XX
restaurant air-freighted arrived. I just went to eat yesterday, it was pretty good." (T/N:
means someone who looks very covetous or greedy)
"Really? I'll have my boyfriend take me there tomorrow."
"I heard that the blackfin tuna in YY restaurant is good too. "
"Really? Then we'll go there in another day. But I still prefer Kobe beef. "
........
"If I want to eat truffles, I'll fly to either France or Italy, French black truffle is pretty
good, Italian white truffle is alright too. I don't eat blackfin tuna. Kobe beef is
something I have no choice but to eat when going to Japan. However, I'd rather eat
caviar and only the freshest. If the globules look plump and smooth, then without any
seasoning or other food, I'd use a spoon made from ivory and eat a spoonful from a
chilled glass bowl." A sweet and charming voice strangely made this group of rich,
young misses miraculously turn silent.
I look at the woman who just spoke, she was leaning lazily against the table, smiling
yet not smiling, and is very beautiful. Her beauty is not that of a goddess from the
heavens who doesn't eat worldly food*, her beauty is aggressive, you can even say
flashy. It's the kind that when a man sees her, they couldn't help but indulge in their
own fantasies, and when a woman does, they couldn't help but want to throw sulfuric
acid on her beautiful face. (T/N: According to folklore, the Daoists believed that
celestial beings never ate cooked food. Later on, this phrase was used to describe a
person who has otherworldly qualities similar to that of celestial beings a pure
beauty.)
She was wearing a customized greenish coloured qipao* embroidered with red
flowers. The dress doesn't have exaggerated slits or a plunging neckline but only
clung to her curves like a glove. For the first time in my life I finally saw someone look
tempting in clothes that's actually conservative. (T/N: a close-fitting Chinese dress
with a mandarin collar and slits)
I also noticed that when she spoke, the women around showed a look of disdain, so
much that some even whispered "vixen" under their breaths.
When I heard the word "vixen", I felt completely relieved, that's right, growing into
such a bad vixen is truly a waste of talent.
Perhaps because the conversation has gone stale, the granddaughter of the host,
Miss Zhang, suddenly turned to me with a smile and asked, "What does Miss Chen
usually like to eat?"
I was caught off guard by her question, don't know if she was trying to save the show
or trying to embarrass me, so I replied evasively, "I don't have something I particularly
like to eat, I usually just eat at random."
"I saw Miss Chen eating a lot of stuff just now, surely you've done quite a research on
food, don't keep your secret so selfishly."
"It's like this." I rubbed the back of neck, a bit distressed. "I think Nissin's egg instant
noodles is quite delicious. Master Kong is alright too. I also like mine a bit soggy. And
then the eggs, it's best to have two; crack one and mix it with the noodles, the other
one is poached at the side. When it has come to a boil, only then will you add the
seasoning, don't add any more than that, just that bit to make it palatable, a lil' salt,
and some soy sauce. Truly delicious."
........
There was silence as though the Grim Reaper came.
See? Why must you let me share my expertise? I really didn't want to.
Chapter 8

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 8

December 29, 2017dolly
8.jpg
After receiving a valuable lesson on instant noodles from me, the group of ladies
suddenly had no more interest in chatting. They were all looking for excuses to leave.
I think this is a bad gesture, a gesture of tearing down the bridge after crossing the
river.* (T/N: Partly to "abandon" the person who helped you after achieving your
goals. She probably meant imparting her instant noodles knowledge to them.)
When I was preparing to lift up my plate to continue eating every dish on the long
table, I realized the vixen is still leaning on the table. Unsure of when she had another
glass of red wine on her hand, she gently swirled her wine and asked, "What is your
name?"
I looked left and right to make sure that she was talking to me and answered, "Chen
Xiaoxi, the Xi' from hope."
She raised her glass towards me and bottoms up-ed the wine. She then said, "Hu
Ran Ran, the "Ran" from having affair with people." (T/N: To have an affair with
people (plural sense) is (Gen Ren You Ran). The same Ran' in Hu Ran Ran's name.)
I looked around, unable to find any glass of wine to return her toast. So I lifted my
plate of sushi to return her the toast instead. I ate the sushi in one mouth, almost
choking to death. Finally I rubbed the tear off the corner of the eye and said, "Nice
meeting you."
"You don't have to cry from feeling moved." She said as she passed a tissue to me. I
was quite shocked from the fact that she didn't seem to have any clutch or bag on
her. Her dress was stuck onto her like a second layer of skin that will burst upon
breathing. I don't think that she can stuff any tissue in that.
I took the tissue and said thanks.
She just leaned on the table while looking at me walking back and forth the table and
eating happily, she asked if it's delicious.
"Its delicious! Do you want some?" I pointed at the cakes in my plate. Only then did I
think of her caviar analogy and felt that it was unnecessary.
She pointed at her qipao that she was wearing and said, "It will burst if I eat."
I nodded and open my palm to show her the tissue that she passed to me and said,
"Your dress is too scary. Where did you put the tissue?"
She pointed in between her legs and said, "Stuck it against my inner thighs, together
with my phone."
I looked her at smooth legs that were not donning any stockings. I twitched my mouth
and looked at the tissue on my palm. It didn't feel right to be holding or throwing it
away. I'm having mixed feelings knowing that it was taken out of her inner thighs.
Hu Ran Ran laughed out loud and said, "I'm just joking! How cute. I took it from the
table."
I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck and laughed along, "I only have eyes for
food."
I finished eating 58 dishes with her looking at me. I took a piece of serviette and
imitated her by leaning sultrily on the table and wiped my mouth.
Hu Ran Ran turned her head to looked at me and asked, "Are you the doctor's
girlfriend?"
I touched my nose and replied, "Sort of."
Also secretly adding a "used to" in my heart.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and said, "Zhang Qian Rong will snatch from
you."
"Ah? Who?" I asked while trying to stop myself from staring at her dark brown wavy
hair.
Her hairstyle is my favorite big, wavy, hairstyle. I wanted to do it when I was in
university. But Jiang Chen said I looked refreshing and natural in short hair. That was
how I donned a mushroom bob hair for four years. It was only until we broke up that I
grew out my long hair. Now that I think of it, how is refreshing and natural a
compliment? It's more like a line in an air freshener commercial.
"Zhang Qian Rong, Old Zhang's granddaughter. There, she's currently walking
towards your boyfriend." Hu Ran Ran said while pointing with her chin.
I followed her line of sight and saw Zhang Qian Rong walking towards Jiang Chen
and Secretary Zhang. Swaying her hips like she was performing a ribbon dance.*
(T/N: A traditional Chinese dance.)
"Old Zhang is really old." Sighed Hu Ran Ran. "The most a few more years to live."
I looked at her in surprise. She laughed and said, "If I said I'm his mistress would you
believe?"
I forced out a laugh not knowing what to reply.
She continued, "I used to be a nanny in their house."
I couldn't control myself and went, "Ho..w...?"
I wasn't able to find the right words to phrase my question. Thankfully she continued
it for me.
"How was I able to climb onto Old Zhang's bed? Whenever he is the only one left at
home, I'll mop the floor wearing a low-cut nightgown."
"I see..." I dragged my words as I am not sure what to reply. I can't be praising her for
that, neither can I wish for her to succeed. Even more impossible for me to be calling
her shameless. Ah, what a difficult situation I'm in.
She was laughing and seemed to be enjoying my embarrassment.
I'm glad to be of amusement to you.
"Your boyfriend's coming." She said while covering her mouth.
"Ah?" I looked up, and Jiang Chen was already standing in front of me. I couldn't help
but praise him saying, "You sure walk fast."
Jiang Chen politely nodded to acknowledge Hu Ran Ran's presence. Then he looked
at me and said, "Let's go."
He walked off right after finishing his sentence. I waved goodbye to Hu Ran Ran and
ran in small steps to catch up to him while asking, "We can leave? But the banquet
hasn't ended yet."
He stopped walking until I'm beside him. We walked out side by side as he answered,
"We're going back. I still have an operation tomorrow."
"Oh," I followed him out.
He went to get his car while I waited outside the hotel. Suddenly remembering that he
didn't seem to have eaten anything. Moreover, he had gastric pain before coming.
Hence I decided to discreetly return to the banquet to get some food for Jiang Chen. I
only took two steps before hearing a honk. I turned back to open the door and
propped half my body in to say, "Aren't you having gastric pain? I see that you didn't
eat anything just now, I'll go take some food for you. Will be back soon."
Just as I turned to walk back in right after finishing my sentence. Jiang Chen
repeatedly shouted my name behind me. I had no choice but to walk back and said,
"Don't worry. The food's really great inside. There's nobody eating it anyways. No one
will mind even if I were to take some."
"Get on." He said while tapping the steering wheel impatiently.
I came to a sudden realization that ever since we met again, he has been strangely
losing his patience with me often. I'll give you an analogy. It's like you when only
raised a dog with the intention of slaughtering it to eat. However, not only won't the
dog grow any meat, but he thinks that he is a beloved pet, always trying to get
attention from you. Don't you think it's annoying?
I entered the car silently, closed the door and put on my seat belt.
"I live at XX neighbourhood XX street. If it's not convenient you can just drop me off
at any bus stop. I can take bus back."
He stared at me for quite some time. They say the eyes are the windows to one's
soul. Hence I stared at his windows for a while, only to think that his dark circles are
quite severe. However say the saying goes, "Even if you walk a cow to Beijing it is
still a cow."* Even when a handsome guy grows dark circles, he is still a handsome
guy but with dark circles. (T/N: this is translated literally.)
In the end I was still unable to see anything from his eyes. Eyes are indeed the
windows to one's soul. However, some people's eyes are anti-theft windows. Those
without enough skills can only feel distraught.
Nonetheless, Jiang Chen still drove me to my house. I thanked him for sending me
home, but he didn't seem to have any gratitude towards me accompanying him for
the night. But I decided not to fuss about it.
I got out of the car and prepared to close the door. While I was closing I couldn't help
but peek a look at him. This is the after-effect of being in a one-sided love for too
long. Even during the four years that we were together, I still peek at him
subconsciously.To the point where when he was taking ophthalmology he suspected
that I had suffered from strabismus.
His right hand was on the steering wheel and left arm pressed on his stomach. He
was frowning as though he was waiting for the sound of the door to close.
In the end, I didn't close the door. I stick my body in and asked him like a plea, "Why
not you come to my house? I'll cooked noodles for you. Will be fast, I can do it in ten
minutes."
He shook his head, "It's okay, I'll be fine after taking medicine."
I went in the car fully and sat down with my arms crossed. "Up to my house for
noodles! If not, I won't get out of your car."
Jiang Chen turned to look at me and sighed, "Let's go."
I smiled and hopped out of the car. Bringing him up four storeys of stairs to my rented
apartment.
I poured him a cup of water and went to the kitchen. Thinking that since instant
noodles isn't very healthy, I cooked vermicelli and added two eggs for him instead.
When I came out with the noodles, he was already asleep while leaning against the
sofa's armrest.
I placed the bowl on the table, squatted in front of him thinking whether I should wake
him up or not. I even contemplated for a long time whether I should secretly kiss him
like how it is in the movies. Or should I used my finger to outline his features? Or
should I just silently watch him sleep while I cry.
In the end I just tapped on his shoulder and said, "Jiang Chen, the noodle's ready."
Some things are like being in a competition. Since you decided to withdraw from the
match, you have no rights to compete again. You can only watch in agony. That's
why, Liu Xiang, I understand your pain in withdrawing from the Olympics.
Jiang Chen's eyelids fluttered a little, opening slightly to look at me, and shut it again.
Hence, I pushed him again, "Wake up, the noodle's getting soggy."
He made a "tch" sound and pushed my hand off with his eyes closed. "Stop fooling
around, I'm very tired."
Perhaps he sounded as though it was meant to be, I thought it felt a bit intimate..
I hugged my knees while seated on the floor, looking at him absentmindedly,or at a
corner. Suddenly I felt like I'm really pitiful until I entered a dimension with no one
else.* (T/N: I'm guessing she fell asleep.)
After I was done feeling miserable, I looked up and saw Jiang Chen eating the
noodles and watching television. The volume's very low, but he was watching it
attentively.
I turned to look at the television, it's currently airing a basketball match. A black man's
head slammed onto the armpit of a white man who was shooting. The white man fell
to the ground and tossed around in agony.
If I'm the black guy I would have reported the white man. Armpits vs Head, this is
obviously racism.
Jiang Chen finished the noodles, asked for a tissue to wipe his mouth and said that
he will be going.
Since there aren't any excuses to make him stay longer, I can only tell him to drive
back safely.
When he walked to the door, he turned back to look at me, as though he was hinting
something. I had no choice but to stand up and walked towards him saying, "I will just
send you to the door. I wore heels for the entire night and my legs are breaking. If I
were to send you down I still have to climb back up four storeys again."
Jiang Chen leaned on the door waiting for me to walk in front of me. He suddenly
said, "Chen Xiaoxi, have you never, ever felt that you have done me wrong?"
This is a classic reverse questioning. An obvious answer hidden within the question
to prove a point. After a short breakdown of the question I decided, that Jiang Chen
probably thinks that I should and must feel that I have done him wrong. The only
thing that I'm not sure, is that whether this question is meant for the breakup three
years ago, or it's for my laziness in not wanting to walk him down the apartment.
I thought for a while. No matter what he is referring to, I will still be the one in the
wrong. It's not that I can't apologize. Therefore, I put my legs together, arms by my
side and decidedly to apologise sincerely in an army position. But Jiang Chen didn't
even wait for me to finish my series of actions. He gave me one last look and went
down the stairs.
This time round I understood his expression. Nothing but dislike, detest, disgust,
etcetera. I could understand that, as I felt disgusted by myself too.
Chapter 9

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 9

January 2, 2018dolly
chap9.jpg
T/N: Everything in bold are written as is in English.
Happy New Year! I wish you all will be happier, healthier, wealthier this year!
After a few days, Zhuang Dong Na who had returned from her business trip made a
phone call to express her gratitude, the general idea being that she had come to
know that Jiang Chen did not properly express his thankfulness towards me, and she
felt that her family's* Jiang Chen was too unthoughtful. Her original words were, "You
know this, our family's Jiang Chen doesn't really care for the ways of the world*, but
this is also his strong point, I kinda like it, hehe." (T/N: "our family's" is kind of an
intimate way to refer to someone, meaning something like "our") (T/N: "ways of the
world" i.e. how to be diplomatic, how to establish relationships and connections, how
to conduct yourself in society etc)
Zhuang Dong Na graduated majoring in English, she always liked to intersperse her
speech with English, in the past, she also loved to mix English in when she chatted
online, for example, "I'm going for a business trip this weekend, we'll have a meeting
when I'm back", she will type, "I'm going for a business trip this weekend, we'll have a
meeting when I'm back."
Later on there was once when Situ Mo said that she simply could not stand it any
longer, so she innocently and guiltlessly asked Zhuang Dong Na, "You are always
switching between input methods, are you not tired?" Zhuang Dong Na readily
accepted good advice and corrected this foible of input methods, Situ Mo was deeply
gratified about this.
Zhuang Dong Na suggested that to express their gratitude and to make amends, they
would like to treat me to a meal. I rebuffed the offer tactfully, but perhaps I was too
tactful, to such an extent that she was totally unable to understand my unwillingness.
In short, she self-involvedlyannounced the time and place and then hung up the
phone at once.
As I was going to be forced into being treated a meal, I was therefore in a very bad
mood. Hence Fu Pei and Situ Mo being my colleagues were unfathomably insulted
by me quite a few times, causing Situ Mo to be so angry that she said that she
wanted to resign and go home and have her husband support her. I keyed in to this
matter of her moving out her husband as a backer and reviled her once again, and
finally forced her to admit that she herself was unworthy of the
cultivation/training/education that our motherland gave her, and that she was a
parasite utterly devoid of a heart and a conscience. Only then did my mood
grudgingly improve.
Before I got off work, I received a phone call from Su Rui. After the banquet, we
somehow inconceivably became friends.
I had thrown the dress for that banquet into the washing machine, and after it came
out, no matter how I looked, I felt that it looked like a mass of rotten vegetable leaves,
hence I carried the dress to go and find Su Rui. He used a machine that looked like a
vacuum cleaner to iron the dress back into its original light-green floaty appearance.
He told me that that machine was called a garment steamer, I told him that in my
mind that was a vacuum cleaner. After that, we then got into an argument, he said I
wasn't respecting him, I said he was making a mountain out of a molehill. We argued
till it was time to eat, and as such he then brought me out to eat. After we finished
eating I paid the cash, he then announced that we had now become friends through
fighting*. (T/N: the original phrase is which literally means if you don't fight, you won't
become friends.)
Su Rui said that he was running errands near our office, and asked if I wanted to eat
together after I got off work. I told him that I was going to have a meal with Jiang
Chen and Jiang Chen's girlfriend. He expressed his sympathy towards me, and
volunteered to accompany me there. He said that he wanted to go to help me boost
my courage, I felt that he wanted to go to scrounge a free meal.
I considered it for a while, and thought that it was really a little desolate to go and
meet the husband and wife' pair of my ex-boyfriend all alone by myself, so I brought
Su Rui along.
When the two of us reached the restaurant, they had not yet arrived. We chatted for a
while till we discovered that we couldn't see eye to eye and nearly ended up in a fight.
Hence Su Rui then borrowed two pens from the waiter, we both separately unfolded
paper napkins to draw designs, he drew costume designs, I drew illustrations. After
we finished drawing, Jiang Chen and co still hadn't arrived, therefore as such we then
exchanged our drawings for evaluation. Su Rui said my illustrations were childish,
and were for little children to see; I said his clothes were ugly, and weren't for
mankind to wear...... Thankfully Jiang Chen and Zhuang Dong Na arrived before we
broke out into a terrible fight.
"You guys have come at long last." I smiled as I reproached, forcing myself to move
my eyes away from those five claws that she had tucked into Jiang Chen's arm. "If
you were any slower you would be just in time to collect my dead body."
Zhuang Dong Na laughed as she explained, "I said we were to come here separately,
but he insisted on making a detour to the office to pick up me, so we went on a longer
roundabout route, sorry." After she finished speaking she paused, looked to Su Rui
and asked, "This person is?"
"I am Su Rui, Xiaoxi's friend, my older sister and Doctor Jiang are colleagues too. I
originally wanted to arrange to have a meal with Xiaoxi today, she said she had
already made arrangements with someone else, I then shamelessly followed along to
come and scrounge a meal, you guys don't mind, right?" Su Rui fought to reply
before I did.
"Of course no, it's more lively when there are more people," Zhuang Dong Na replied
and turned her head back to smile sweetly at Jiang Chen who was in the process of
helping her to pull out her chair.
After we all were seated and had finished ordering our food, suddenly nobody opened
their mouths to speak again, the scene solidified/condensed for a moment. I looked
towards the two persons opposite me, it seemed like they didn't have any intent to
rescue the situation. As someone whose back would turn numb when faced with
awkward silences, I could only look at Su Rui pleadingly for help.
Su Rui easily grabbed the paper napkin on the table top and passed it to Zhuang
Dong Na, saying, "This is the drawing of the design I customised for Xiaoxi according
to her measurements."
Zhuang Dong Na took it, looked at it in detail for a while and praised, "You are so
talented, this dress is very beautiful and fits Xiaoxi very well." After she finished
speaking, she even pushed it till it was in front of Jiang Chen and said, "What do you
think."
Jiang Chen's gaze swept over it indifferently. He nodded and said, "Mm, not bad."
As someone who had just insulted this dress a few minutes ago saying that it was not
for mankind to wear, in the face of such compliments, I could only tearfully give a
hollow laugh and echo in agreement.
Su Rui rubbed his head and laughed bashfully, "I drew this at random. I don't know
why, but Xiaoxi is really suited to the fashion style that I design, I discovered this
already the last time when Doctor Jiang brought her to my place to buy clothes.
However back then I thought that they were a couple."
I hurriedly explained to Zhuang Dong Na, "That was the time when you had me
accompany him to the banquet on your behalf."
Zhuang Dong Na smiled and didn't answer, instead it was Jiang Chen who lifted his
head and swept his gaze over me. This was the first time he had looked at me
directly since he came in till now, probably I was accustomed to being bullied by him
for many years, for the moment I saw him look at me, I hastily gave a fawning smile.
After my smile was returned with his apathetic gaze, I then thought, why was I so
f***ing subservient......
The dish that Jiang Chen ordered was the very first to be served. The medium-well
steak sizzled on the slate plate. He took a fork to prick and break open the poached
egg that was still undulating by the side. The egg yolk slowly flowed into the plate that
was giving off smoke, and the hot oil spurted once and crackled and splattered all
over. Jiang Chen smoothly picked up the paper napkin beside his hand to block the
splattering drops of oil, and after it was all over he even used the napkin to wipe the
edge of the plate all around.
I knew that that paper napkin was Su Rui's design drawing, seeing Jiang Chen
conveniently knead that paper into a wad, I inexplicably felt a sense of satisfaction in
my heart.
Su Rui and Zhuang Dong Na were chatting about everything under the sun, I would
also join in and say a few sentences from time to time. On the other hand, Jiang
Chen was practically silent, even if the topic of conversation shifted to be about him,
he would also flatly divert the topic of conversation away.
However, eating this meal was still incomparably depressing* for me. Even though
Jiang Chen didn't talk, yet Zhuang Dong Na from time to time would lean beside his
ear to whisper privately, as she did so her eyes would spinningly gaze at me and it
seemed like she was smiling yet not smiling at the same time. (T/N: original phrase is
which literally translates into stifled/suffocated heart)
Su Rui was so upset he couldn't stand it, and imitated her by leaning beside my ear
to speak softly, "It's obvious she's provoking you. She really has no moral character."
I pushed him away with a slap. "Don't speak while leaning into my ear, it's
disgusting."
Su Rui laughed good-naturedly."Don't tell me that you even know how to be
embarrassed?"
I held up the corn puree. "You can give it a try and see if my shame will turn into
anger*." (T/N: original idiom refers to when one is so humiliated and embarrassed
they fly into a rage)
Su Rui hastily waved his hands. "I was wrong, okay?"
I arranged the bowl back to its original position, satisfied. Only then did I discover that
Zhuang Dong Na was just watching us attentively, smiling with a face full of interest. I
cast a glance at Jiang Chen out of the corner of my eye, he was cutting up his steak
nonchalantly. Silent, skilled, graceful.
His expression suddenly made me recall how back during our university times, I often
accompanied him at the hostel as he used pig skin and pig intestine to practise
suturing and tying knots. That silent and serious energy he had always made me feel
like I was watching a movie about a perverted surgeon murderer or something along
those lines.
"Xiaoxi, I feel that Su Rui is quite good to you," Zhuang Dong Na smilingly said, and
she even turned her head to ask Jiang Chen as if she was seeking assistance, "Isn't
that right?"
Jiang Chen ran his eyes over us once with a look of examining a patient, and flatly
spat out a word, "Right."
Su Rui didn't know to have the slightest degree of shame at all, and he parroted while
gesticulating joyfully, "Chen Xiaoxi, you see, they all say that I am good, you are the
only person who isn't discerning."
I don't know why I suddenly lost interest in bickering with him, I replied him
dispiritedly, "I also think that you are really good."
I don't know if it was that my tone of voice had warped as it transmitted through the
air, or if the obstructive items such as earwax in Su Rui's ears were too numerous
causing distortion of sound. In short, he seemed to have taken it seriously, he first
stared blankly, then he suddenly gazed at me with both eyes soft and gentle like
water. He smiled at me bashfully, his face unreasonably reddening all over.
I was so shocked that my four limbs went cold, I rubbed my neck and said, "Why are
you blushing for no reason, don't smile at me, it's ridiculous, the way you are smiling."
Su Rui smilingly watched me be at a complete loss of what to do. I watched as the
red flush on his face mystically disappeared in a flash just like the ebbing tide, and
asked suspiciously, "You're playing with me, right?"
He glanced at me, not saying a word, lowered his head and began eating the seafood
paella quietly.
His sudden shyness made me feel uneasy from head to toe, it was like a crowd of
ants climbing slowly in military formation from the soles of my feet up my body,
climbing to my scalp......
I practically wolfed down the remaining pasta in swallows, and even nearly choked
while doing so. Su Rui very kindly patted on my back and said, "You be careful, don't
be choked to death."
I was just about to say, "Is that the way to talk?", when Jiang Chen suddenly opened
his mouth. "Don't worry, she won't die, even when noodles spout out of her nose, she
still won't die."
I waved aside Su Rui's hand and glared at Jiang Chen viciously.
He was talking about something that happened during our first official date. At that
time, we had gone to the only Western restaurant near our school. Back then, I was
feeling especially nervous in my heart. There were feelings of luckiness that the pie
pasty that dropped from the heavens* had just so happened to be picked up by me,
and there also was apprehension due to fear that that person who had thrown the pie
pasty into the mortal realm would regret and come and ask me to return it to them.
(T/N: reference to a Chinese idiom referring to one enjoying readily available things
without putting in effort for it to reap where one has not sown. The idiom alludes to
Exodus in the Bible where God provided manna for the Israelites)
Lost in thought, I ordered a plate of pasta, and after that just kept on engrossing
myself in eating the pasta. Just as my eating was in full swing, Jiang Chen who was
sitting opposite me abruptly said a sentence "Chen Xiaoxi, accompany me tonight."
Excessive fright caused me to choke till my tears and mucus overflowed, and most
frightfully, a violent cough resulting in me spouting out the noodles in my mouth from
my nose......
I looked at the strand of noodle that was wobbling on the edge of the drinking glass,
every hope in my heart turning into dust, and begged Jiang Chen to break up with me
as I wept, further promising that I would never pester him ever again in the future.
Jiang Chen used a paper napkin to help me wipe my tears and mucus while he
comforted me, saying, "I didn't see anything, I really didn't see anything......"
I cried and collapsed into his embrace. We forsook holding hands, laying hands on
each other's shoulders, holding waists and such other incremental steps to directly
leap into hugging each other on the first date, this could also be considered as a gain.
Later, Jiang Chen said that he had merely wanted me to accompany him to the
overnight classroom to study, because they were very soon to sit for one of the "Four
Famous Resits" of the study of medicine the Pathology examination. This matter was
always used for a very long period of time after as evidence for Jiang Chen to accuse
me of having dirty thoughts.
I glared at Jiang Chen fiercely, Jiang Chen glanced at me coldly, it was as if there
were flames in the air crackling as they burned.
"I'm sorry, our family's Jiang Chen is joking." Seeing that the atmosphere was amiss,
Zhuang Dong Na hurriedly came out to smooth things over.
"No worries, our family's Xiaoxi won't mind." Su Rui said, seemingly to help me strive
to vindicate myself.
...... The corners of my eyes spasmed. There, even becoming one family.
I suppose, there was only one patriotic song that was popular when we were young
that could explain the degrees of familiarity and distance in this section of
conversation of theirs "We all have one family, its name is China...... Our large China,
one really big family......*" (T/N: Lyrics of a patriotic song "Large China"/
Chapter 10

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 10

January 8, 2018dolly
01.gif
Triple updates ahead! Brace yourselves.
After dinner, Zhuang Dong Na, in order to assume the role of a generous and polite
hostess, offered to have Jiang Chen send us home. Taking into account the location
and time, as well as the cost of taking a cab, Su Rui and I graciously and
shamelessly accepted this blessing.
I thought Zhuang Dong Na would accompany us throughout the trip, but I didn't
expect that Jiang Chen, with a doctor's practical and realistic way of handling things
efficiently, would plan the most convenient route according to the geographical
location of our addresses. Hence, Su Rui alighted the car ten minutes later, Zhuang
Dong Na also got home, but not before throwing me an intense look as she got off
which I interpreted as that of, "You better stay away from my boyfriend. You're an
unwanted third party who caused me not to kiss my boyfriend goodbye!"
When it was only me and Jiang Chen left inside the car, in order to avoid swords
being drawn and crossbows being bent*, I had to close my eyes and pretend to be
asleep. Only that I have no idea why, but the car suddenly came to a stop at the
roadside and the engine was slow in turning over, making my little act of pretending
to be asleep very hard to perform. (T/N: Swords drawn, crossbows bent means be in
mutual hostility)
Just when I was struggling whether to carry through the act till the end or to wake up
to know what was happening, Jiang Chen's voice suddenly reached my ears, "Chen
Xiaoxi, stop playing dead in front of me. The car stalled, get off and give it a push."
As I am certain that I could never afford even a single tyre in this lifetime, I only have
the most superficial, and the most literal understanding of a car's brand and structure.
For example, BMW is the most expensive of all cars, because its name has the word
"treasure". Mercedes-Benz is the fastest of all cars, because it is called "run fast".
Shanghai Volkswagen is the most common/popular car, because its name is very
familiar, and besides, all the cabs in the city are Shanghai Volkswagen. The rest of
the car brands are just there to buy soy sauce*. (T/N: BMW is "Bao Ma" in Chinese
with the word "bao" meaning treasure. Mercedes-Benz is "Ben Chi" with "ben"
meaning to run and "chi" meaning fast therefore run fast. Shanghai Volkswagen is
"Shanghai Da Zhong" with "da" meaning big and "zhong" meaning crowd, therefore
big crowd/ masses, also "popular" when put together. "Buy soy sauce" is a buzzword
meaning irrelevant (in this context) or to express disinterest. It was popularized when
a passerby was asked his opinion regarding Edison Chen's scandal and his reply was
"I don't give a sh*t. I'm just out buying soy sauce.)
Jiang Chen's car is a soy sauce car.
In the TVs, cars also frequently stall, hence I just calmly accepted the fact that Jiang
Chen's soy sauce car broke down.
I don't know if it was that I was as strong as an ox or if a soy sauce car stalls its
engine in a "soy sauce" way, in short I just casually gave it a push, and it lurched
forward. I even got a sense of achievement which I find embarrassing to have.
I set off at a quick trot after the car to pull the car door open, only to find out that
Jiang Chen had locked the car door which infuriated me instantly. Using a lowly
person's mind, I guessed Jiang Chen's little act of making me get off the car was just
to play with me. Hence I turned on my heel, and walked away at an exceptionally
slow pace. My walking away was just to show I can still walk away with my head held
high with my ego intact. I really don't intend to leave him as it's a terrible location to
hail a cab.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen reversed his car and was keeping up with me, I figured that
since he isn't my boyfriend now, it's rare that he's still willing to lend me a hand out of
an embarrassing situation, as such, "When there are steps for you to descend, do not
hesitate to descend. Do not wait till there are no more steps and you can only stomp
your feet in vain*." So I hurriedly opened the car door, but it was still locked......(T/N:
Giving someone steps to descend" is a Chinese way of describing allowing someone
the chance to save face. The sentences here are a play on a poem from the Tang
dynasty "Golden Thread Robes" where the original subject matter of these two lines
were about flowers "Do not hesitate to pick the twigs when flowers are in bloom, do
not wait till the flowers wither and picking the twigs will be in vain.)
I couldn't help but scold him, "Jiang Chen, you can't insult me like this, if you don't
want to send me home then say it outright, you, not opening the car door, what are
you trying to get at!"
The window of the front door slowly rolled down, and Jiang Chen stuck his head out,
"Chen Xiaoxi, you're freaking sick ah. Come take the front seat!"
.......
I fiddled with the handle, and embarrassedly opened the front door, after I got in and
put on the seatbelt, I sincerely and earnestly told Jiang Chen, "I was, of course, only
joking with you just now, but it was wrong for you to swear."
Jiang Chen ignored me, one foot was stepping on the gas pedal to its maximum
extent. I burst with joy when I felt the seatbelt on me. Fortunately I've fastened it right
away, otherwise, I would have long flown through the windshield, and ten minutes
later, the police officer uncle would have arrived to outline my corpse with a chalk.
Jiang Chen whizzed through the road. Perhaps he started to contemplate how truly
precious one's life is, and slowed down little by little. I felt relieved put away my look
as though I was greedy for life and afraid of death, and switched it to a tranquil face
as though I was accustomed to seeing strong winds and big waves.
The entire drive to my place went in silence, Jiang Chen finally stepped on the brakes
and said, "We've reached."
As I was undoing my seatbelt, I thanked him as well, "Thank you for the dinner and
for sending me back."
To this he nodded faintly, there was no sign of wanting to initiate small talk with me. I
opened the car door preparing to get off, my feet haven't even stepped on the ground
when my phone rang. Hence, I was fishing for my phone inside my bag while getting
off the car, only when I got on the ground did I manage to find my phone, it was Su
Rui.
"Hey."
"Chen Xiaoxi, did you got home?" Su Rui's voice was indistinct.
"Just arrived." I turned around and closed the car door. Just as I was about to lean on
the car window to wave Jiang Chen goodbye, the car lurched forward like a shooting
arrow, leaving a cloud of dust on its wake.
"......conspicuous." A bunch of indistinct words from Su Rui went through my ears, I
put down my hand that was hanging mid-air with a wry smile, "Speak properly, I can't
hear you clearly."
Su Rui said, "I'm eating ice cream, I said I was afraid Doctor Jiang giving you a lift
was to destroy your corpse not leaving any marks. After all, when doctors kill, they're
the most inconspicuous.
I replied with a snigger, "You're such a girl, actually eating ice cream."
"Who said eating ice cream is girly!" Su Rui yelled, "My dad also eats ice cream!"
I laughed heartily, "It only proves that your dad also has feminine qualities."
"Hey, when it comes to my dad, I only feel sad." I could detect from Su Rui's voice
that he was laughing. "I've always suspected that him marrying my mom, and giving
birth to jie jie & I were just a pretense. I also made my brother-in-law take away my
dad for his research. It's a pity he did not dare do so."
"It's better to have given birth to a piece of barbecued pork* than you." I replied while
almost turning my bag upside down, looking for the building key. "Hey, is there
anything else? I can't find my key, I have to concentrate in looking for it." (T/N: a
popular, wacky expression more popular among the Cantonese speaking regions
used to voice a mother's disappointment over a misbehaving child (implying a piece
of char siu is much more appealing than their child at this point, lol.)
"Nevermind, you're so heartless, bye." Su Rui's words were indistinct. I reckon he ate
ice cream again.
"Bye." I threw my phone into my bag, and was rummaging through it under the faint
light emitted by the lamp post when suddenly, a car was approaching with its
headlights glaring. I subconsciously grabbed my bag to block my eyes with. I thought
the car was just going to pass by quickly, but it came to a stop not far away, its
headlights were not turned off and seemingly looked brighter and more dazzling. I
tried hard to adjust my sight on the strong light and slowly lowered my bag, looking at
the person in the strong light beam walking unhurriedly towards me.
Jiang Chen.
The Jiang Chen that accompanied me through my most pure, most beautiful years.
The Jiang Chen who is my favorite, looking as though he just crossed over the
merciless times, the prehistoric universe, and was suddenly standing in front of me
again.
I bit my lower lip with a wry smile. It's no wonder that in action movies, cops love to
use bright lights when interrogating criminals, it turns out that it could help make
people want to instantly pour out and reveal some things buried in the depths of one's
mind.
"Chen Xiaoxi." Jiang Chen called out my name whilst looking at me.
I lifted my gaze to meet his, put on a strong act, and smiled at him with such
calmness, "Why did you turn around back here?"
I desperately tried to suppress the surging from deep inside my heart, I desperately
tried to ignore the voice in my heart that continuously clamored at me to chase back
this stupid guy who wants to take my life.
He reached out his hand to me, and opened his palm, "You dropped your keys in my
car."
"It probably fell out when I was looking for my phone." I picked up the keys from his
palm. "Thank you."
In the movies, those travel-worn male leads who are on their way home, would never
return just to hand over a key. I really am not fated to become the female lead.
Jiang Chen, however, didn't turn away like what I have imagined, he was just
standing there looking at me, which made me strongly doubt if I ought to give him a
bow or kneel in front of him in order to express my gratitude.
I also don't know how long it took before he said, "Chen Xiaoxi, I'm very busy, I have
a lot of things to do, do you understand?"
I smiled apologetically,"I understand, I'm sorry for troubling you to make another trip."
He still did not budge, "You know I'm not talking about this."
I shook my head, "I don't know."
His face suddenly looked angry, "Do you have to make me explain it to you clearly?"
I nodded, "Explain clearly."
He's really angry, because when he gets angry he would squeeze his mouth tight
which would make a dimple slightly deeper than that of when he smiles, appear. I
zeroed in on the dimple which looks darker than the rest of his face in this backlit
state when my heart suddenly had a strange impulse. Before I could react, I've long
reached my hand out to poke his dimple twice with my index finger.
He certainly did not expect me to suddenly do such an action because I also didn't
see that coming too.
What both of us didn't expect made us very shocked, so he was looking at me, and I
was looking at him, in mutual silence.
Finally, he let out a cough twice, "What do you mean?"
I casted him a sincere look, "I really don't know."
Jiang Chen gave a long sigh, and grudgingly said, "Why do you not know anything at
all?"
I bit my lips and replied, "Since you know everything, you tell me."
He stared at me for a moment with a complex expression, looking as though he had
made up his mind on something and is determined, like he's about to smash an
already cracked pot to pieces*, he said with a deep voice, "Apologize to me." (T/N: it
means writing oneself off as hopeless in the midst of a setback so they act recklessly,
and let things unfold on its own for the worst.)
I froze for a moment, "What?"
"Apologize to me." He repeated with his deep voice.
I found it a bit unbelievable, using such calm and collected, mature voice for a
childish request like this, acting as if it's the rightful thing to do, what's up with him?
"Apologize." He urged impatiently.
When it comes to Jiang Chen, I always have this indescribable feeling of being small,
this feeling makes me involuntarily take his every word, so I squeezed the key tightly
in my hand and uttered in a low voice, "I'm sorry."
He breathed a sigh of relief, "There won't be a next time. Got it?"
I nodded, with a vague feeling that we don't seem to be talking about the same thing,
as a matter of fact, we're really not talking about the same thing as Jiang Chen
suddenly gave me the most gentle smile, and said, "Come over here."
I didn't know I've already taken two steps towards him, he leaned over, and kissed
me.
It's a quite a long kiss, if I have to describe it, I think it's like I swallowed roughly
around a can of cola of Jiang Chen's saliva.
Chapter 11

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 11

dolly
Untitled.png
After experiencing a series of what feels like I've been struck by lightning, naturally I
don't remember how I went back home to wash up and lie on my bed.
After lying on my bed for about half an hour, only then did I slowly start to regain back
my composure. I started thinking if this is me dreaming at night about what I was
thinking in the day*, or there's something wrong with Jiang Chen's brain; or did I
fantasize too much, or was Jiang Chen possessed by a ghost. No matter what I
thought off, I still couldn't think of a reasonable answer. Hence, I could only tell myself
to treat it as though I got bitten by a dog. (T/N: a Chinese idiom that describes if
someone is continuous thinking about something in the daytime, you will end up
dreaming about it at night. It's quite true. Happens to me quite a lot!)
I slowly fell asleep while recollecting the flavour of been bitten by a dog.
When I woke up the next day my cheek muscles were hurting badly. Probably
because last night I was dreaming endlessly. In the dream it was all about the kiss
with Jiang Chen. Because of that kiss, we constantly overused our lips and tongues. I
think this is not good, I am a little shy.
While on the way to work on the train, my phone rang. I stared at the 3 words that
were flashing on my phone screen Zhuang Dong Na. I was so scared I shuddered. At
this moment I really admire the mistresses in our community. How strong are they
psychologicallyto be able to withstand that guilt when facing the legal wife?
I swallowed my saliva and answered the call, "hello."
"Hey it's me. How was last night?" Zhuang Dong Na said with a happy tone to it.
I almost bit my tongue the moment I opened my mouth, "Dong Na... I.... That..."
"Which?" She asked.
I wanted to apologize to her, but I also felt that I was quite innocent. Therefore, I
couldn't finish what I wanted to say. Instead I quickly said, "I am on my way to work,
the train is too crowded. I will call you back later."
I hung up straight away. There is actually not much people this morning. The mere six
or seven people in the cabin all looked at me when I dropped the call. The looks on
their faces seem to be saying: "Look at you blatantly telling a lie, your face just looks
like a mistress face, you won't die a good death..."
The me who won't die a good death gloomily hid to a corner of the cabin and call Situ
Mo. I briefly explained to her about what happened and sought her advice as a
person's wife whether I deserve a death penalty or not.
Situ Mo comforted me and said, "You don't have to be scared. Woman like Zhuang
Dong Na will the most grab your hair and bang you into the wall for revenge. She
won't find people to gang rape you."
She also told me to call Fu Pei since she thinks that he, as a role model of someone
who toyed with countless of girls but has yet to be thrown to jail, he should be able to
tell me how to handle such situation.
Fu Pei was dismissive after hearing my description of what happened, which I
avoided the important points but harped on the insignificant. He said, "You called
early in the morning to disturb my sleep just for this small thing? Obviously, the guy
should be the one to solve this problem. What are you worried for?"
As expected of a player, his words woke me up.
I hung up my call with Fu Pei and called Jiang Chen. In order to give me enough
confidence, the moment the line engaged I started to ramble on, "Jiang Chen you
listen, I don't care about why you kissed me last night, but a kiss is a kiss, I have to
point out that your action is extremely wrong, you have a girlfriend now, you kissing
me means you are forcing me to walk a road of being a mistress. My mom said, a
mistress who destroys other couple's relationship will have bad karma. That's right, I
still love you, but you should stop looking down on people, I will definitely not be a
mistress......"
I stopped to take a breath, realized that the other side of the line was quiet and
thought that Jiang Chen was reflecting, I decided to take advantage and fired again,
"I mean, if you think that you were acting on impulse last night, I can act as if nothing
happened. If you say you still have feelings for me, then lets take it step by step. You
settle with Zhuang Dong Na first, then you have to woo me...... Why are you not
talking?"
"Er.... I'm Doctor Su." A female voice came through the line, "Doctor Jiang is not
around, I saw that his phone was ringing for quite long, and the screen shows your
name, so I helped to answer."
For that moment it was like a bolt from the blue. The thought that those shameless
words I said just now had gone to her ear, I felt like killing myself by swallowing my
phone.
I gritted my teeth and grumbled, "Why didn't you say anything when you picked up
the phone?"
"You spoke too fast, I wasn't in time to make a sound." She replied.
I thought that wasn't right and continued, "But I clearly stopped in between to take a
breath."
She answered, "Oh, at that time I got addicted to what you were saying, felt that it
was too exciting so I didn't have the heart to make a sound."
.......
I really don't want to use vulgarities to greet our benefactor, so I can only restrain my
anger and said, "Alright, please get Jiang Chen to return a call to me."
"Wait, wait, If you really like Doctor Jiang, then what about my brother?" Doctor Su
asked worriedly.
I'm confused. "What's it got to do with Su Rui?"
She said, "My brother likes you ah*. How about I give you an idea. You shouldn't be a
mistress that eats back from the same pasture**. It's lack of moral. You should just be
with my brother. In a few more years he will be legal to marry and you two can just
register for marriage." (*T/N: ah is like an exclamation.)(**T/N: There is a Chinese
idiom that goes, "a good horse doesn't come back to eat the same pasture", meaning
that one should not go back to one's past experiences in any circumstances.)
I didn't quite understand. "What do you mean? How old is Su Rui this year?"
She said, "17. He didn't want to attend the national college entrance examinations
last year, said that he wants to start his own business, so he opened a shop. The
clothes in his shop are all designed by him. I feel that my brother is a genius, he has
a lot of potential. You should just be with him, our family won't mind that you are old."
17 ah.... Why does this kid look so old?
I said without strength, "You should stop joking, I will be sent to jail for seducing a
minor."
She continued to advise, "Furthermore, I think an older woman and younger man
relationship is pretty good, you can use my brother's yang to replenish your yin*, you
won't seem old easily that way too." (T/N: The idiom used in the novel is "take yang
replenish yin", though the correct idiom should be "take yin replenish yang". It is
believed that yin is female and yang is male. In ancient times, a male will borrow a
female's yin to strengthen himself through sleeping with her. Dr. Su exchanges Xiaoxi
and Su Rui's roles here, that's why the yin and yang words are switched in the novel
version.)
....I sincerely feel that, the Su siblings were sent from the heavens to catch me for
spreading happiness in the human world.
Therefore I moved my phone a little further from me, my voice drifting away from the
phone, "What... ah... the sig..nal... in train... not good... I need to work..... Bye...."
I kept my phone and heaved a sigh of relief. I looked up and saw at all the people in
the cabin are staring at me, with despise in their eyes. I opened my mouth in an
attempt to explain something, but ultimately decided to turn around and face the
cabin's wall.
Behind me came voices of people in conversation, "Ay, young people these days,
can't even lie properly, working on a weekend?"
"It's you who can't keep up with times, some careers will only have good business on
weekends and night time."
"Seducing minor ah.. Should be shot to death."
"Ay this you do not understand. There is no gender, age, height differences in love."
"Then why not we don't categorize at all, we can date chicken, duck, cow, sheep, or
dog."
......
I escaped the train at the next stop and took the opposite train back home. Why did I
forget that today is a weekend....?
It took me about 1 hour plus for me to finally reach home. At this time, I am also too
tired and lazy to care about the tangled and complicated feelings anymore. I decided
to make use of this beautiful holiday to take a long nap. I even specially turned off my
phone. Even a soul-stirring romance cannot go against the carefree-ness of being
able to sleep without any trouble.
I switched off my phone, changed into my pajamas, tossed around in my bed but was
unable to find peace. In my head is all the stares and looks from the people in the
train. I have this feeling that if I don't do anything, I will definitely go to hell when I die.
Therefore, I got up and took my phone and prepared to call Zhuang Dong Na. My
finger hovered above the call button for a few seconds, but was unable to find the
courage to. In the end I only sent out a short message: Jiang Chen kissed me last
night, I swear I didn't seduce him, sorry.
As I expected, the phone rang almost immediately. Zhuang Dong Na told me a
shocking news, she said that she and Jiang Chen had never dated, she was only
asked by Jiang Chen to play along with him. The remuneration is that she can
receive family-like-care when if needs to go to the hospital to see the doctor. I am not
sure what to reply, I can only express my shock about this deal. After all, the
remuneration is also not very auspicious....
Lastly, Zhuang Dong Na asked if I can introduce her to Su Rui whom we had dinner
with together last night, I told her that he is only 17 years old. She used a single word
starting with F' to end our call. (T/N: Yes, its probably that 4 letter word.)
Chapter 12

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 12

dolly
Thank you for patiently waiting! Let's welcome Wu Bosong.
Hanging up the phone, I felt that there was a need for me to sort out my own state of
emotions properly. Hence I clasped a cup of tea and sat by the window, constructing
an artistic mood of me being deep in thought.
Having broken up for three years, I really wasn't waiting for Jiang Chen. I wanted to
find a person, perhaps his eyes would resemble his, perhaps his dimples would
resemble his, perhaps he would like to drink Nongfu Spring just like him, and yet
perhaps he wouldn't resemble him in any way...... Then we would have a romance,
get married, and rely on each other for a long time. I would love him, just like how I
loved Jiang Chen, not in the least holding back.
Yet that Jiang Chen whom I was not waiting for, mistakenly via a combination of
unexpected random factors, had returned in front of me again. Furthermore, it
seemed like he was unlike me, he was waiting for me. If he wasn't, I also decided to
continue misunderstanding it as such, for who asked him to find a shill*? In television
drama serials, the male and female leads' shills were all used to stir up the other
party's jealousy, even though the remuneration he offered Zhuang Dong Na made me
suspect that it was more probable that he was actually helping the hospital to solicit
customers. (T/N: shill "an accomplice of a confidence trickster or swindler who poses
as a genuine customer to entice or encourage others" [Definition from Oxford
Dictionaries])
In my heart, I silently fashioned Jiang Chen into a person who was painfully awaiting
my return and who would stop at nothing for me, moreover feeling that upon analysis,
this matter was quite entertaining. For a while, I also didn't know how I ought to
evaluate Jiang Chen's IQ for doing such a childish thing. But Jiang Chen's IQ when it
came to relationships had always not been very high, I had profound experience in
this aspect.
For example, our first kiss.
At that time, Jiang Chen and I had been dating for the greater part of a month, our
progress had always stopped at the kind of superficial stage such as holding hands to
exchange the perspiration on our hands. Occasionally Jiang Chen's male hormones
would be in excess, and he would kiss my cheek, it was very pure and of small
beauty.
However, after Lin Xiao from our dorm who had ample experience in romance
pointed out that such progress was severely lagging when compared to the general
romances of young men and women, I was very vexed. I thought that it was because
I myself had insufficient charm that was not enough to cause Jiang Chen to generate
towards me the urges that young men ought to have. For this reason, I called the
entire dorm over to inspect my shortcomings together, and finally the conclusion of
the inspection that we arrived at was that I was not feminine enough. And for us, this
group of humankind who had never left our ivory towers, femininity equalled wearing
a dress, and it had better be a low-cut one.
Actually, this was a prejudice, femininity really had no relation to whether you were
revealing your two bare legs or the two pieces of flesh in front of your chest.
My omnipotent roommates helped me find a dress that revealed my chest, I twirled
around a few times showing it off in the dorm, one after another, they expressed that
they did feel my feminine fragrance assail their nostrils. (T/N: in Chinese, femininity
translates directly to "woman smell", hence assailing nostrils)
After that, I went off alluringly to go on a date with Jiang Chen. As we sat on a long
bench beside the sports field, Jiang Chen indeed appeared to have a heart of a
monkey and the mind of a horse*, I felt very accomplished, hence I also pulled the
hem of my skirt up, only to see a few red bumps that came from mosquito bites lying
side by side on my thigh. I could only pull the hem of my skirt back down. T/N: idiom
describing someone with disorderly messy thoughts that are as uncontrollable as
monkeys/horses, means something like being frisky/capricious etc
Jiang Chen told me about the interesting anecdotes of their medical faculty. He said
that there were a few senior guys in the cohort before his who stole a sheep leg after
finishing their experiments to bring back to the dorm and cook hotpot, after they were
done eating the entire dorm drowsily slept for two days, it turned out that that sheep
had been injected with a great amount of anesthesia; he also told me about a time
when their faculty's dorm caught a thief, the whole group of them surrounded the thief
and beat him up wildly, the thief really couldn't endure it any longer and hence
pretended to be dead, someone produced a stethoscope from their dorm and
diagnosed that this person's heartbeat was strong and powerful, hence everyone
beat him up even more happily; he also said......
In short, Jiang Chen suddenly became a chatterbox, and being his girlfriend, I could
only laugh with him, moreover, I laughed till I was like a blossoming sprig trembling
disorderly*, if not it appeared like I wasn't giving him face*. (T/N: a Chinese idiom
describing the physical movement of a beautiful/wanton woman laughing heartily)
(T/N: giving face' is a phrase that is a direct English translation from Cantonese which
means showing someone respect and honour. This whole concept of giving face' is
really important in Chinese culture e.g. if your employer says something wrong, even
when you correct him, you have to be tactful and ensure you are giving face' to him at
the same time.)
He talked and talked, then he suddenly asked me, "Did you spray perfume?"
I didn't, so I firmly shook my head.
He looked at me suspiciously, took a deep breath and said, "I definitely smelled
something."
I with great exertion took a few breaths, then with a sudden epiphany said, "Oh, you
are talking about this? This is the smell of eau de toilette, my thigh was bitten fiercely
by mosquitoes."
He skeptically said, "It doesn't smell like eau de toilette."
I took a moment to recall, scratched my head and said, "Eau de toilette wasn't cooling
enough, I applied some medicated oil as well."
......
He didn't say anything more. I also didn't know what I had said wrongly, but I roughly
guessed that he did not like the smell on myself at all, hence I quietly shifted myself
to the furthest end on the bench. Half my butt was hanging in the air.
Just like this, we remained in a deadlock on a stone bench beside the sports field.
Finally, he suddenly said angrily, "Chen Xiaoxi, come over here."
I thought, "He isn't going to beat me up, is he?" I had heard of a type of boyfriend who
derived enjoyment from beating his girlfriend. However, I still shifted my butt
horizontally across while asking him, "Whatever for?"
"Give me a kiss," he answered.
I turned rigid at the one-third position of the bench, not knowing what to do. Even
though it was my final goal to have him put forward this request, but I still failed to live
up to expectations and was scared out of my wits. I most likely am that sort of people
they talk about who has the heart of a thief* yet has no guts of a thief. (T/N: meaning
evil intentions)
"Hurry up," he urged.
"Oh." I subconsciously shifted to his side quickly. The stone bench was a little
ice-cold at the region by his side, I rigidly sat up straight, it was like there was a slab
of stone vertically erected on top of a slab of stone.
Jiang Chen turned my shoulders over with immense strength, causing me to have to
sound out an "Aiya!" to remind him to not wring and dislocate my shoulders.
He said, "What are you saying "Aiya" for, why are you so unromantic*?" (T/N: the
original Chinese idiom means to not understand when the other party has romantic
intentions towards you, to be unromantic/insensitive)
As soon as he finished speaking, his lips came over and pasted against mine, I
thought, "You can't do this, you can't not give me time to defend myself after
criticising me and just block my mouth, it's not like you are paying me hush money
over here."
Later on, I asked him if he was attracted by my swaying, elegant appearance when I
wore a dress, he said, "No, your calves are quite thick,"; I then asked him if it could
be that he was attracted by the smell of eau de toilette combined with medicated oil,
he said "No, it smells like Formalin,"; I refused to drop the matter and asked if it could
be that the calling sounds of the insects at the sports field had awakened his
animalistic side, he said, "Are you nuts?"; I said, "Then what is it exactly?", he said
that he just wanted to kiss and see if the tactile sensation of the skin tissue of the lips
was any different from that of normal skin.
......
That flower-petal like romantic dream about my first kiss of mine was ruthlessly
defiled by him just like that, I might as well have given my first kiss to someone
else......
Just as I was vexing about not having given my first kiss to a stranger back in the day
and recalling the most handsome stranger I had seen in my life, the doorbell rang. My
heart dropped as it thumped a few times, like the feeling of weightlessness you get in
a descending elevator. I took a deep breath, and prepared to deal with Jiang Chen
with the face of a cold stepmother*, perhaps I could get a few pleading cries in
exchange from him, to make up for the many years of hardship chasing him when I
was young.
It was just that I was too happy, my hand as I reached out to wring to door handle
was trembling as if I was holding a cheque for 20 million RMB.
I tremblingly opened the door, before I saw clearly who had arrived, I was almost
strangled to death by a bear hug. I thought that it was Jiang Chen erupting with
passion, and gratifyingly patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be emotional, don't be
emotional."
Just as I finished speaking, I smelled a strong scent of Eau de Cologne, hence I with
great force pushed away the person who was hugging me.
The person who was standing before my eyes had slender eyes, the outer corners of
his eyes were slanting up, he was giving a lopsided smile, from the corners of his
mouth were two arcs, it was really devilish with a hint of uninhibition.
He was Wu Bosong.
I have to admit, I have never been a brave or persistent person, in my entire life, the
most brave and persistent thing I have done was to chase after Jiang Chen, but even
with regards to this matter, the evaluation that Jiang Chen gave of it was not good.
He said, "You are like a cat who has only ever eaten cat kibble, when you see a rat,
you only know how to pursue it based on natural instinct, but if you see a fish, you
would also be enticed away very quickly by it." In this inspired and masterful analogy
of his, I was the cat and he was the rat, and Wu Bosong was that fish.
In other words, Wu Bosong was a brief interlude in the thorny road of me having
unrequited love for Jiang Chen, I described this brief interlude as another small
beauty I picked up enroute of not being able to obtain love. Jiang Chen's description
was more direct and hard-hitting, he used two idioms involving plants to describe it,
he said, "Temperament like water, like a poplar tree*; the red apricot tree growing
over the garden wall*." I felt that he truly was mistaken. (T/N: the first idiom describes
a woman who is fickle minded and frivolous and who is not single-minded in love)
(T/N: the second idiom describes a wife who is having an affair/illicit lover)
Wu Bosong transferred to our class in the second semester of Senior Year 3 from
another part of the country. Carrying his schoolbag on his back, he entered the door
following behind the form teacher's back. With our creepy/wretched form teacher
whose forehead was balding and who foamed at the corners of his mouth when
speaking serving as a foil, the transfer student's appearance with a thick head of
chestnut hair that grew past his ears, smiling with the corner of his mouth slanted was
very stunning, just like a celestial being.
He smiled as he nodded, saying, "Hello everyone, I'm called Wu Bosong."
The moment he lowered his head, I felt like there was a ray of light flashing, only then
did I realize that there was a shiny reflective object on his earlobe, it was most likely a
stud earring.
Towards a transfer student of unknown origin, everyone's hearts were all surging with
curiosity, and towards a transfer student of unknown origin who was wearing a stud
earring on one ear and yet was not forced by the teacher to chop off his ear,
everyone's curiosity was surging even more turbulently to the maximum possible
limit.
As the head of the "Curiosity Sect", I was pushed forward by the flowery, elegant
words of everyone who was shameless and had placed all their hopes and
expectations on me to have a chat with the transfer student.
Hence, my opening words were, "Classmate who has just arrived, let's have a chat."
He was in the process of shoving books into the belly of the school desk, when he
heard my words, his hands paused for a moment, and he lifted his head to take a
look at me. "Chat about what? Handing in protection fees?"
I scratched my head and asked unknowingly, "What protection fees?"
He stuffed the last stack of books in his hands into the desk, straightened his body,
and laughed while crooking the corner of his mouth, "I'm joking, I'm called Wu
Bosong, what about you?"
I could clearly hear a few sounds of people sucking in breaths from behind my back,
and noises of "Chen Guanxi"...... The more I heard, the more angry I was, I turned
around , put my hands on my waist and shouted at the female classmates behind me,
"What Chen Guanxi! I'm called Chen Xiaoxi, how many times must I tell you guys,
this is not funny, not funny not funny not funny!"
Even though back then Edison Chen's great and noble pioneering work of the "gate"
series* had not yet happened, but there were still quite a few senseless people who
liked to repeatedly use our names to make jokes, I was often pressured by this till it
drove me mad, it wasn't funny, it wasn't funny, what exactly was so funny about
this...... (T/N: mentioned in an earlier chapter was Edison's photo scandals, because
it was so far-reaching and so widely publicised, it's often called the "Gaudy Photos
Gate" in Chinese media, like how scandals are often labelled with the -gate suffix)
A group of classmates were baffled by me shouting at them, only after quite a while
did someone faintly say, "We were saying that he looks like Edison Chen when he
smiles, you are too sensitive......"
......
I, that... I don't want to live.
Wu Bosong behind me laughed as he asked, "You're called Chen Xiaoxi?"
With my back facing him, I nodded. "Yes, welcome to our class."
After I finished speaking, I escaped back to my seat without looking back, leaned
forward and laid down on the desk pretending to be dead. Just as I was pretending to
the point of perfection, till even I myself thought that I had really died, something
poked me from the back. I turned my head around weakly, Jiang Chen who was
sitting at the desk behind mine was dangling a ballpoint pen that was sandwiched
between his thumb and index finger. "Your pen dropped."
I took it easily. "Oh."
"Meddling in other people's business, right." Jiang Chen's whole face was rejoicing in
my misfortune. "Edison Chen is staring at you and smiling."
I inclined my head and took a look at Wu Bosong, indeed he was looking at me while
smiling, I could only squeeze out a smile reluctantly in response. Turning my body
around, I collapsed my upper body on Jiang Chen's desk and wailed in anguish, "It's
so embarrassing, I'm not going to live."
He used the practice book in his hand to tap me on the head. "Serves you right, if you
think it's embarrassing, in the future, don't go and join in the fun blindly."
I had since long ago trained my entire body to be completely impervious to Jiang
Chen's blows, I could even shamelessly ask him, "If I were to look for him to play*,
would you be jealous?" (T/N: meaning to hang out)
He looked askance at me. "I'll thank him."
Chapter 13

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 13

dolly
Wu Bosong's arrival instilled a new force into the male students of our remotely
located school. For a point in time, the female students were also falling over each
other in their eagerness to spread the news: Class 6 of first year high school came
out with a fresh good whose style was considerably unconventional,and a smile
which resembled that of Chen Guanxi's.
Wu Bosong's limelight has overshadowed Jiang Chen for a short while, I've endlessly
felt so sorry for Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen on the other hand, only commented that
there was something wrong with my brain.
In order to express my support for Jiang Chen occupying the number one male
position in the entire campus. I kept on showing my disdain towards Wu Bosong's
appearance, and on more than one occasion, has publicly made high criticisms with
regards to his look. Included among these, was his brown hair which countless of
girls have beautified as that of a Japanese hairstyle, together with his Western-style
stud earring I said a yellowish hair was naturally due to malnutrition, and that wearing
stud earrings, was naturally effeminate. I've also said, he made himself look like a
bad boy, his performance in school must be very poor, and that surely he isn't a good
person, a delinquent, and perhaps is someone who takes drugs and kills people.
I don't know why the younger me must have to shamelessly slander Wu Bosong this
way, perhaps all the exam-oriented education was wrong. If at that time I committed
murder and arson, perhaps it's also the mistake of this education. In short, a
thousand mistakes, were all my mistakes.
However, Wu Bosong in my unflagging efforts of slandering him, showed
magnanimity that was rare within people of our age. Whenever our gazes would
meet, he would give me a faint smile, his eyes filled with mirth, as that of a father
watching a mischievous son.
With regards to this matter, it was Jiang Chen's behavior which surprised me. There
was a time when he suddenly called me over to a dusky corner, I was thinking that he
either wanted to confess his love, or collude in scheming with me. Hence, my heart
was anxious from too much excitement.
It turned out that, he only gravely and seriously gave me a warning, "Chen Xiaoxi, I
don't want to hear you speak ill against Wu Bosong again."
I tried to suppress my frustration and asked him, "Why?"
"Making rumors is wrong." He simply said so.
I could only nod like pounding garlic* and express regret for my past deeds. (T/N: The
expression pounding garlic refers to nodding one's head (also commonly kowtowing)
lots of times as though one's head looks like a pestle pounding a garlic.)
At that time, I had some kind of a very inexplicable tendency to worship Jiang Chen.
Even if he'd say that the sky is green, the clouds are blue, the color of poop is that of
a rainbow, I would only nod and say, Yes, you are right.'
Of course, I'm also quite fortunate that I've worshipped such a person during my
moronic phase. He'd point out to me some things that were wrong, and indeed those
things were wrong.
So as to convince Jiang Chen that I've sincerely repented and mended my mistaken
ways, I ripped a page from my desk mate's notebook which has a photo of F4 at the
very top, and wrote a very touching apology towards Wu Bosong on this tiny slip of
paper during our Math class.
I've long forgotten what I wrote word per word, but I remember receiving his reply
which was written on a scrap paper, "It's alright, but my name is Wu Bosong, not Wu
Songbai.
(T/N: The characters for Wu Bosong's name is with bo' being an identical character to
bai' which means cypress, and song' meaning pines individually, but when
interchanged will become songbai' which is a collective word for pines and cypress' in
Chinese.)
His correction has made me realize that his name was extremely confusing. This
reminded me of a topic in my homework during the summer vacation of grade school:
Write down words that have similar configuration* as the following words bee (
mifeng) honey ( fengmi)'. And the reason why this was so deeply ingrained in my
memory was because my answer made Old Chen give me a ruthless beating flow
downwards ( liuxia) vulgar/ obscene ( xialiu).
(T/N: The question was to come up with words that can be reversed and still come up
with a word that is closely related to the original word, another example would be cow
( nainiu) milk ( niunai) but of course Xiaoxi's mind doesn't work like that.)
After this matter has passed through, my favorable impression towards Wu Bosong
has naturally increased significantly, I felt that he was truly a virtuous man who
requite evil with goodness, furthermore I thought that the stud earring on his ear was
truly sparkling, especially attracting affection.
But strangely enough, Wu Bosong was surprisingly so good to me. He would buy me
all sorts of snacks from the corner store. He would teach me English and Math ( I
guessed it right, his grades were indeed very poor, besides English and Math of
which he is unexpectedly ranked first in the entire school, his scores on the other
subjects were of single digit.) He would give me his jacket when it suddenly gets
cold......There was once I was left behind after dismissal to update the bulletin board,
he even cooked instant noodles for me and carried it over to the classroom ( he's the
only student in school who stays at the teacher's quarters), and that bowl of noodles
even comes with an egg. The steam from the noodles made my eyes sting, I was
slurping noodles while asking Wu Bosong who was helping me color on the bulletin
board, "Why are you so nice to me?"
I'd drawn a girl on the bulletin board, the girl was virtuously holding a book with both
hands, at that time, Wu Bosong was coloring the cover of the book yellow, he said
that it was called a girl looking at a yellow* book'. (T/N: Porn is literally yellow book in
Chinese.)
Wu Bosong didn't turn his head when he replied, "There are plenty of reasons why."
I gave it a thought, this guy shouldn't have taken a liking to me, right? But I believe
that it might also be possible, after all, he isn't blind.......Actually, my
self-confidencehad long been spooked away by Jiang Chen, leaving it to scatter into
pieces, that I reckoned a senior monk who has already achieved the Dao could never
beckon it to come back.
Hence, I just simply ate the noodles while he continued coloring, with chalk dust flying
about. Occasionally, I would also ask him a question or two, "Where did you study
before? Why did you transfer to our school?"
He was already coloring the girl's skirt pink, "X province, my dad wants me to study
second year high school abroad. He has already contacted the school and planned
everything, so I said I wanted to go back to grandfather's hometown to have one last
look."
"Ah? Then aren't you leaving soon?" I suddenly felt quite disappointed that he was
going to leave. Who's going to fill up my stomach which has just been going through
puberty in the future?
He threw away the chalk, and turned around to sit on the desk facing me, "Why? You
can't bear to part with me?"
I reached out my hand and patted his legs that were shaking in front of me, "Stop
shaking, it's making me dizzy, it's just that I'll go through starvation when you're
gone."
He didn't say anything, just looked pensively out the window, I also foolishly followed
suit, and saw Jiang Chen standing by the window. Shrouded by the faint light of the
coming evening, he was using his extraordinary temperament to aptly convey the
ghost part in A Chinese Ghost Story'.
I don't know why, but watching him, because he was situated in a poorly lit area, as
well as his sorry lump of a figure, I suddenly had a feeling of being caught, like a
maiden guilty of being defiled on the bed. As I was holding the bowl of steaming
noodles with both of my hands, I was itching to knock my head unto it.
Jiang Chen raised his knuckles and knocked on the glass window, "Chen Xiaoxi, I
bumped into Uncle Chen at the alley just now, he asked me to call you home for
dinner."
After he was done saying it, he left without another word.
I placed the bowl on the desk and hurriedly ran out. Wu Bosong was calling me from
behind, a few words and Chen Xiaoxi'. When I made it to the door, I heard him say,
"You haven't finished eating yet."
I replied in one breath, "You can throw it, I'll eat at home."
I ran out, but I couldn't find Jiang Chen, obviously because his legs were surely a lot
longer than mine.
I spent a few minutes idling in the playground, and returned to the classroom to
retrieve my bag. I stood in front of the classroom door watching from afar, Wu
Bosong was still coloring the girl's skirt, the golden hue of the twilight was pouring
forth to the room, from the windows, the door, as well as all the little gaps, the chalk
dust was dancing in magical flurry as the light catches them, the hot steam visible in
the light was rising slowly from the bowl of noodles. I thought that the back view of a
person, surrounded by the fluttering chalk dust, and the hot steam looked really nice.
I walked over to where he was, "I forgot my bag, and I also haven't eaten the egg in
my noodles."
He turned around and smiled, showing a perfectly eye-catching set of pearly whites,
"I've eaten the egg."
I was astonished, "You're really too fast."
He grumbled with much grievance, "You told me to throw it away ah, an egg is
wasting an extra 50 cents."
He wasn't done talking but I've long seen the poached egg lying on top of the
noodles, so I rolled my eyes and said, "You're too bored."
He shrugged and turned around to continue coloring, I took the chopsticks and poked
through the egg with it, when I was holding it to stand upright it looked like an
umbrella, so I very excitedly told him to take a look at it, "Hey, do you think this looks
like an umbrella?"
He glanced sideways with a very scornful look, "If you won't eat it then I'll eat it."
He suddenly went silent, and then the egg that was skewered on the chopstick was
snatched away by him using his mouth. I was holding my now empty chopstick,
stunned. He must have been trained to snatch things with his mouth, right.....
Perhaps, that day when Jiang Chen left hurriedly, it has briefly took away my
infatuation for him, and perhaps knowing that Wu Bosong was going to leave so
soon, it made me cherish the friendship between us even more. In short, I no longer
hovered around Jiang Chen all day long, and instead suddenly became very close to
Wu Songbai, as though he was an old friend of many years. But in the eyes of our
schoolmates, we already looked like young sweethearts. I also don't know if we
thought it was something not worth doing, or just because we wanted to uphold the
principle of a clean hand needs no washing*' but we didn't do so much as explain
ourselves. Anyway, things like feeling like old friends at first meeting*' was something
too profound that these brats who only got into high school would never understand.
(T/N: The entire saying is literally one who is pure is naturally pure, one who is
impure is naturally impure' which means no matter how much an innocent person is
implicated, they're still innocent. And no matter how much a vile person denies their
wrongdoing, they're still vile, as such that they are both innocent then it will show, or
in this case, let the truth speak for itself.)(T/N: Means they clicked/ hit it off right
away.)
He only studied in our school for one semester, and went abroad summer vacation of
first year high school. He had to ride the sleeping bus to go to the city, and then
transfer on a train for X province, and from X province he would fly to New Zealand. I
sent him off to the bus station, tugging on the strap of his backpack with reddened
eyes, "You must remember to send me snacks back from New Zealand......"
He patted my head, cupped his fist with the other hand, and then winked at me, "I'm
sure we'll meet again someday."
When the bus started moving, I waved my hand as hard as I could, he opened the
window and stuck his head out, "I'll send you snacks from New Zealand."
I tearfully tried my hardest to nod, "You have to send the most expensive and
delicious. Also, we will always be best friends."
He smiled and then shouted, "Alright."
I remember running into Jiang Chen at the mouth of the alley on my way home, his
back was against me, standing in front of the electric meter box of their house. He
was using a screwdriver to pick the wires, the back of his white t-shirt was soaked in
sweat, and the cottony material was softly clinging to his back, showing a faint skin
colour.
I couldn't help but be curious and ask him, "What are you doing?"
He inclined his head towards me, and said a bit distracted, You cried?"
I rubbed my eyes and replied, "Wu Bosong left."
He let out a grunt, and faintly said he also knew, and then whipped his head back to
pick on those red, yellow, white, and green wires.
I asked again, "But what really are you doing?"
Jiang Chen suddenly thrusted the screwdriver into the pocket of his jeans, and
snapped at me, "Counting the wires, couldn't I?
I was confronted by such temper which was a bit ridiculous so I yelled, "Alright! I just
thought you were repairing the fuse or whatnot."
His face became livid and then blanched, it took him a long while before he softly
mumbled, "I'm crazy." After which he turned around and went inside their house.
I closed the electric meter box that was opened widely for him. In fact, I also thought
that his action of counting wires really did make him look a little bit crazy.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER
We're about to head out of the drama plot soon so I'm gonna stop putting in header
photos. (and not because I was too lazy to look for one hahaha *nervous laugh*)
Chapter 14

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 14

dolly
Chen Xiaoxi , don't you think letting your guest wait at the door is a very ill-mannered
thing to do?" Wu Bosong knocked on the opened wide metal gate, creating a
clanging sound.
I leaned on one side to let him in, he sat on the sofa and laughed at me. I was still too
immersed in memories and shock to snap out of it, I blinked and blinked my eyes, he
was still there.
I fixed my eyes on him, from his ocean blue striped polo-tee to his Nike track shoes,
then to his youthful 17~18 years old looking face. Su Rui should really learn to take
care of his skin from Wu Bosong.
He suddenly took something out of his pocket and held it out in a fist towards me,
"The New Zealand snacks that I owe you."
I spread out my palm doubtfully, he shifted this fist above my palm and let go of a
packet of long green sweet. That packaging, that outlook, that is quite an international
sweet Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum.
He is still smiling at me. I turned my head, having a sudden urge of wanting to cry. It's
not that I want to be pretentious, but he's the friend that treated me the best during
my youth, and he just suddenly disappeared, and suddenly appeared again, as
though he had never missed a part of my life.
Furthermore, he still looked so young. Time didn't bear to slash his face but hacked
mine into pieces. How can I not be sad? How can I not cry?
Wo Bosong was caught off guard, "Why are you crying?"
I stomped my feet and roared at him, "Where have you been all these years? When I
fought with my boyfriend I couldn't find you, when I fell out of love I couldn't find you,
when I lost my job I couldn't find you, when I was hungry I couldn't find you too...."
He laughed while watching me make a fuss and pulled me down to sit on the sofa to
say, "Calm down, I'm not your Chen Shi Mei*, it's not good to cry like that." (T/N:
Chen Shi Mei was a heartless man who abandoned his wife and child for riches and
politics influences in the Qing dynasty. Since then his name is used to represent a
heartless man.)
I glared at him tearfully. I was crying like a pear blossom*, I was so pitiful, I was
paying respect to our long-lost youth, crying for our incomprehensible friendship, stop
putting gold to your own face**.(*T/N: Originally used to describe Yang Gui Fei crying.
She was one of the four beauties of ancient China. Now it is used to describe how
loving/delicate a girl looks when crying.)(**T/N: self-praise)
After that we sat cross legged on the floor before the sofa, drank plain water and
talked about our past.
Wu Bosong said, "After I reached New Zealand for half a month, when things were
finally all settled down, my father called me to tell me that his company had declared
bankruptcy."
I have never experienced bankruptcy, neither does my family's financial ability have
the qualifications to declare bankrupt. The most we can only declare that we have no
money. Therefore I was not able to understand the seriousness of that. But I didn't
want to appear as ignorant, so I said in great sympathy and sadness, "Ah! How can
that be....."
Heavens and earth know that my words were euphemistic terms of expressing
comfort, its to lament the state of the universe and pity the fate of mankind. However,
Wu Bosong still explained in detail about how his father trusted the wrong person,
how the business went downhill, how there were cash flow problems. He explained till
my eyes, expressions were lifeless. Finally he said, "Even if I tell you too much you
also won't understand."
After saying that I wouldn't understand, he carried on as though I understood. He
explained more on the terms of bankruptcy law, and I had to act as though I was very
sad even though I couldn't understand anything. At last I couldn't take it anymore. I
interrupted him and said, "Stop talking, I am too sad. If you continue to talk I will even
feel like donating money to you."
Wu Bosong looked into my eyes very seriously, "You don't understand, right?"
I shrugged, "I think I don't understand. Why not you start talking from why you
disappeared?"
He laughed bitterly. "Sister, I went from being a young master* to having to work night
and day to survive at a foreign country. You say where do I have the time to show
concern about you?" (T/N: Young master is like Korean equivalent of a chaebol.
Meaning a kid from a well to do and rich family.)
I nodded my head to show my understanding, "So, you returned with a successful
business?"
He glared at me, "Don't you think that you should show care for the me who had
suffered so much the past years?"
I said, "I will. But the level of care will depend on how successful you are."
Wu Bosong acted like he wanted to pour the cup of water on his hand on me, "These
few years that we didn't see each other, you've become wittier."
I was feeling smug, "Our ancestral land's education is good."
What he continued saying was basically about how a man strived in a foreign land.
Working part-time, applying for scholarship, entering a multinational corporation....
Anyways it was pretty positive and inspirational. I listened till my blood was boiling
with passion, making me want to strive for the best.
I asked him, "So your company sent you back here?"
Wu Bosong nodded, "That's right, just came back and I still can't acclimatize. Have
been having diarrhea for three days, and I met Jiang Chen in the hospital."
"Jiang Chen told you I am here?" Only then did I remember my issue with Jiang
Chen, so I told him what happened while adding oil and vinegar*. (T/N: adding other
things or exaggerating on certain things that might have/ did not happen.)
Wu Bosong sighed, "I have to say, Jiang Chen is really unlucky to have met* you."
(T/N: original word used here is . Usually used with negative things or trouble that
one might have gotten into.)
I got really angry hearing it, I jumped up and threatened to use a broom to sweep him
out.
He stood on the floor as though he was the ocean-quieting needle* , and said very
calmly, "Have you ever thought about it, you finally managed to catch him after
chasing after him so shamelessly. You then unreasonably broke up with him, but you
still hope that he will one cry, two make a fuss, three hang himself** to plead to you.
Aren't you making things too difficult for him?" (*T/N: Referencing from Journey to the
West, lit. translation of , which is a loooooong and huge pole that stands on the
Dragon King of the East Sea's palace that no one could move until Sun Wu Kong
came along. This same pillar later became his Ruyi Jingu Bang.) (**T/N: lit trans of .
Which just means to make a big hoo-ha if the person doesn't get what s/he wants.)
I said, "You can't be like this. We have to have principles. You are a friend on my side.
Your principle is to back me up. If I were to kill someone, then you must destroy the
corpse for me, this is principle."
Wu Bosong drank a mouth of water, "I didn't contact you even after leaving for so
long, that is because I believe even without my care you can still live very well, Jiang
Chen will take care of you well."
I said, "You are too much. You abandoned our friendship and made it sound so
dignified, everything is correct from your point of view, you think you are a parent?"
Wu Bosong spoke again, "Do you know during the times we were always together, I
could always feel Jiang Chen's faint gaze. His feelings towards you is definitely not
lesser than your feelings towards him."
I said, "Wu Bosong you really have no shame. You can use a faint gaze to determine
Jiang Chen's feelings towards me. So why can't you see from my faint gaze that I am
going mad from your lecture? You should just return to New Zealand and sleep
together with the koalas on the tree."
Wu Bosong continued, "You think that it is impossible for you guys to be together, that
his Mother will not agree. Don't you like to watch romance, like to watch idol dramas?
Wouldn't true love triumph over everything else? If true love doesn't triumph over
everything why would it be freaking called true love. Also, koala belongs to the
Australians*, not New Zealand. (T/N: not sure why the author used Australians here
instead of Australia.)
I think we can't come to a consensus even if we were to talk half a day, so I solemnly
suggested, "Forget it forget it, let's not talk about it, let's talk about something
serious."
Wu Bosong said, "What serious thing?"
I said, "You just came back from overseas, you should have some imported goods,
right? Anything to eat, wear or use, or even if it's just plastic bag, give me one. I really
look up to foreign things."
Wu Bosong sighed again, "I just hope you correct your attitude, stop faking, I thought
you are some kind of invincible youth or pretty girl."
I said, "It's wrong of you to say that. Speak properly. What kind of hero are you to
attack people's age? Furthermore, I was also 15 ten years ago."
Lastly, he threw a bomb, "Jiang Chen got me to tell you that he has a big surgery this
afternoon, and he will be on duty at night. He has no time to eat dinner, asked you to
deliver it to him."
I said, I am not his maid, not delivering not delivering I am not delivering.
He shrugged, "We shall see you will deliver or not."
Wu Bosong really just stayed at my house and refused to go. He laid on my sofa and
tormented my 10 years old antique TV. Speaking of which, products nowadays are
really getting from bad to worse, this 10 years old antique TV's remote control
batteries can last for a year. My (parents) house recently bought a new LCD TV. The
remote control's batteries have to be replaced once every month. Every end of the
month when I call back home my mother will always scold about the LCD TV's
controller running out of battery again, it's all your dad's fault, insisted on changing a
good solid TV to an LCD one.
It was time to eat. I really could not endure it anymore, so I took my bag and said to
him, "Wu Bosong, treat me to a dinner, I'll give you a feast to welcome you back."
He stopped for a while, and frowned, "Your logic is quite shameless."
I accepted his praise modestly. Insisted on cheating him to the highest class and the
most luxurious, a restaurant that I can usually only look at from afar. He held on to
the taxi's door and said he refused to leave the car no matter what. He said, "I can tell
from one look that the ingredients in this restaurant are all like me, they just got
shipped over from overseas. Even if you want to build up Jiang Chen's health you
also shouldn't use my money to do it. My money is hard-earned money. My dad's
bankrupt."
The taxi driver looked at the meter fare that is increasing. The evil black smile on his
face is as equally heartwarming as a melted chocolate. He said, "Aiya* you two
young couple stop fighting, talk nicely, I'm not in a rush, young couples are all like
that." (T/N: A form of exclamation.)
I felt very helpless about our citizens who are in the transportation line and their love
to pair up boys and girls. Actually that's not correct, all of our homeland's citizens in
every trade like to pair up boys and girls that they see. Their pairing logic is also often
immoral. There was once me and my dad went to a department store to buy shoes.
The sales lady persistently praised the leather shoes that me and my dad were trying
on. "Miss your taste is amazing, the shoes you picked really suits your boyfriend....."
We ultimately ended up at a good quality but affordable restaurant. I don't know why,
the restaurant that I suddenly felt like eating at was near the hospital. I guess this is
fate.
Chapter 15

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 15

youtiaoshutiao
After we finished eating dinner, Wu Bosong suggested that we hang around at that
unlucky restaurant to drink the instant milk tea which we could have unlimited refills
of. He originally suggested drinking the instant coffee that similarly had unlimited
refills, but I thought that this act was very shameless, and furthermore, was
shameless in a very bourgeois way, so we changed to drinking milk tea.
However, after the fifth time that we got the waiter to help us refill our milk tea, we
both didn't dare to drink it, for we kept on suspecting that that waiter who looked very
sour-faced had spat saliva into it.
I watched the sky outside the window darkening slowly, felt for my mobile phone in
my pocket, and interrupted Wu Bosong who was vividly describing just how fresh,
tender and succulent the lamb chops in New Zealand were. "I think you must be tired,
you had better go back home and get over your jet lag."
He cast a glance at me. "I've returned for a week, what jet lag is there to get over?"
I spoke again, "Didn't you say that you hadn't yet acclimatised and had diarrhoea?
This proves that though you think you have gotten over the jet lag, the jet lag is not
letting you off."
Wu Bosong snorted. "You want to go and deliver food right, I'll go together with you, I
can conveniently go to the hospital for a return checkup at the same time."
This person sure was shameless, he had the nerve to go for a return checkup for
diarrhoea, this type of illness that had never seen the world*, he truly was wasting our
homeland's medical resources. (T/N: "seeing the world" a phrase usually used to
refer to people undergoing experiences, getting familiar with the ways of the world,
enriching themselves with life experiences etc)
I swept at my hair, held up the milk tea and drank one mouthful, then recalled how
this milk tea possibly had been spat at with saliva, immediately I felt incomparably
indignant. "Who said I was going to deliver food! Do I not have dignity*, do I!" (T/N:
the original phrase ' is a slang/modern phrase which refers to when someone insists
on doing something while knowing that they will get hurt/it is not right/it will take away
their dignity; stooping to a new low, bringing on himself humiliation, cheapening
themselves)
He nodded his head, and expressed appeasement, "If you're not delivering, then
don't deliver, what are you getting so stirred up for? He won't die by not eating one
meal."
A hundred claws were scratching at my heart as I watched the sky darken little by
little. One moment I was fantasising about Jiang Chen getting a stomach
haemorrhage and collapsing on the operating table; the next I fantasised about him
getting so hungry till he gnawed on his own fingernails to satiate his hunger; then I
fantasised about his stomach being so painful till he turned mad, and used the
surgical knife to cut open his own stomach......
In my brain dwelt a horror movie director, I was suitable to dwell in a mental hospital.
I gazed at Wu Bosong sitting opposite me who was unperturbedly and calmly
watching me be brassy and restless, and suddenly came to a realisation. If I were to
be looked at like a laughing stock, this old woman* would also reserve (herself) for
Jiang Chen to look at, staying on here to amuse this chap who was now being sold
domestically despite being initially produced for exports*, just how severely ill was I
exactly? (T/N: colloquial slang which can refer to yourself) (T/N: a Chinese business
term, referring to products that were meant to be sold overseas, but now are sold
domestically [these products can't be sold in the international market for whatever
reason, and hence must be sold domestically to minimise losses on the
businessmen's end])
Hence I slapped the table and shouted, "Waiter!"
The waiter feebly strolled over, he was even clutching a glass pot of milk tea in his
hands. With waning enthusiasm, he asked me, "Refill the milk tea, right?"
"One seafood baked rice, one chicken soup, takeaway." I glared at Wu Bosong as I
spoke.
He whistled loud and clear, and teasingly said, "You are still able to eat?"
I watched as he lifted that cup of milk tea that was plausibly spat at with saliva and
drank a mouthful. I said, beaming, "I'm delivering food to go and give to Jiang Chen."
He put down the cup and smiled. "That's more like it, all who make life difficult for
themselves are fools."
His smile inexplicably caused me to sense a trace of sorrow, it was as if he had
experienced the impermanence of time*. (T/N: original phrase short form of the idiom
"" which literally means "blue seas, mulberry fields" how over time, the blue sea
turned into cropland for mulberry trees, and how the cropland for mulberry trees
turned into sea. The idiom refers to great changes, how things of the world are fickle
and change easily, etc)
I stretched my hand over to pat the back of his hand. "If you love me, you have to let
me know, only then can I reject you."
He glared at me, and slowly spat out two words*. "Get lost." (T/N: Okay tbh in the
original text it is one word, I'm adapting it to English:P)
I ignored him, and continued speaking, "Really, some people are like me,
comparatively more stupid and comparatively having a greater inferiority complex. If
you don't make it clear, she won't know."
Wu Bosong turned his hand over to pat my hand. "Not everyone is as lucky as you
are, to have the opportunity to start afresh."
After he finished speaking, he smiled bitterly. His gaze seemed to have penetrated
through me, and was looking at a faraway place.
People like me who aren't often melancholy and moody are very scared of these sort
of scenes which require sighing and lamenting. Often I would be at a loss of what to
do, and often I didn't know how to comfort people. Thankfully we were very good
friends, even if our separation had caused us to no longer be familiar with each
other's stories, but we weren't scared of this type of awkwardness.
I carried the bento box and walked towards the hospital, Wu Bosong stood across the
road waving his hand at me, looking like the lucky cat* in a display window. (T/N: for
those not in Asia (?), this is referring to the Japanese lucky cat (a cat figurine which
has a paw that moves back and forth) that is often placed at the display windows of
shops and restaurants in Asia, meant to bring about good fortune)
I still remembered the location of Jiang Chen's office. Even though I'd only been there
once, and even though I was a person who a poor sense of direction, but I could just
remember it, I knew I had to turn left, turn right, go up the stairs, and see a fire
hydrant.
It was just that I stood at the entrance, fixing my gaze on "Doctor Jiang" on the door
plate for a really long time., so long till a sanitation worker auntie came up to use a
wet rag to wipe the door plate and even said, "You aren't sent here by the supervisors
to inspect hygiene, are you? I actually wipe these door plates everyday."
I thought that I couldn't let the auntie be overly terrified, so I could only hurriedly smile
at her, and say, "No, no, I'm here to find Doctor Jiang."
The auntie let out a breath and said, "I've dwelled in this hospital for so long, I haven't
yet seen anyone who goes through the back door by bringing a bento box."
I said, "No, no, my bento box is actually all filled with hundred-dollar notes."
She said, "Your bento box is only that big, how much money can you pack in?
Nowadays, other people are all giving credit cards, you truly don't know to keep up
with the times."
I still wanted to say something when the door opened. Jiang Chen expressionlessly
said to me, "Come in."
The moment I entered the door, he seized over the bento box in my hands. He said,
"Do you want to starve me to death."
Jiang Chen swept out a little corner of his office table and placed the bento box on
the table, and then began to eat self-absorbedly. I was left hanging at the side. I
watched as he wrinkled his brow, picking out the onions in the rice. He said, "Chen
Xiaoxi, why did you order a meal with onions!"
I wanted to say, "How can you be so shameless, I bought food for you and you're still
despising it," I wanted to say, "Go on being arrogant, see if I'll still bring food for you
next time......"
But I did not, I thought about how very long ago, when we were still attending
university, I brought his clothes and blanket back to my dorm to wash and dry. In the
hostel, washing and drying kept me fully busy for almost three days, yet when I went
back, he told me, "Chen Xiaoxi, you got dye onto my clothes." Back then I already
said, "How can you be so shameless, where else can you go to find such a
considerate girlfriend, don't think that just because it was I who chased after you, you
can take advantage of me."
He said, "Are you nuts, I'm using the standards of my future wife to make requests of
you, if you're not willing, then forget it."
I pasted myself onto him and shook his arm, saying, "No, no, where is it dyed? You
tell me, I'll change the next time round."
Huh, that time.
******
"Chen Xiaoxi." Jiang Chen brandished the chopsticks, waving it a few times in front of
me. "What are you in a daze about?"
I shook my head, and said laughingly, "I thought of that shameless mouth and face of
yours, always despising this and that when I helped you wash your clothes in the
past."
He picked up a piece of squid and stuffed it into his mouth, and said unclearly, "How
can I compare to you in terms of shamelessness."
I stared blankly at him, yes, how could he compare to me in terms of shamelessness,
coming as soon as I said I would come, leaving as soon as I said I would leave, and
actually daring to look back despite being like this.
Jiang Chen suddenly lifted his head, and fixed his gaze on me while saying, "I'm
talking about that matter of the library."
Oh, so it's actually about that, caused me to deprecate myself for a moment there.
(T/N: if this sentence is unclear, basically Xiaoxi thought Jiang Chen calling her
shameless was about her breaking up with him after being the one to chase after
him, so she was self-deprecating herself, but turns out that he was just talking about
something else.)
That seemed to have been the winter of our third year in university, everyday I was
accompanying Jiang Chen as he studied in the library. Libraries in southern schools
had no such thing as central heating, I was scared of the cold, but yet I also wanted
to keep him company by his side, so I could only dress myself slightly thicker.
My basic outfit was one thermal underwear, one hoodie, two woollen sweaters, one
jacket, one thermal pants, one pair of jeans, two pairs of socks, one pair of
ankle-length boots, one scarf and one pair of gloves. I remember that when I wore all
these clothes on myself, my wardrobe appeared very much to be completely empty.
This slightly thick outfit of mine caused my movements to appear somewhat
inconvenient, and the most prominent manifestation of this inconvenience was on the
issue of reading novels. That thick woollen gloves caused my fingers to be extremely
clumsy, I always could not accurately rub out one piece of thin paper such that I could
then advance into the action of turning the page.
And I don't know if fellow student Jiang Chen was frozen to the point of foolishness or
frozen to the point of stupidity or frozen to the point of enlightenment, in any case,
after he discovered that that I had been staring blankly at the same page of the novel
for ten minutes, he took the initiative to help me flip that page over. After that, we
slowly built up a strange rapport I would quietly read my book by his side, and when I
read till the point that I needed to flip the page I would then use my arm to bump
against him, he would then, without even lifting his head, stretch out his arm to help
me flip the page of the book.
This matter actually was not shameless at all, and basically could even be considered
as warm. The shamelessness was an accident that extended from this warmth.
As we were conducting this daily activity of "bumping and flipping" in the library
everyday, a certain reporter from our school paper was just sun tanning idly on the
lawn outside the library. Through the large glass window of the library that reached
the ground, she unintentionallydiscovered the interactions between Jiang Chen and I,
and furthermore believed that this interaction was extremely suitable for a theme that
she was going to plan out next "The little beauties in the school campus". Hence, she
laid in wait for us in the library for many days, and with complete disregard for our
rights of publicity carried out a 360 degree omni-directional secret photo-taking of us.
What was shameless was that, after she finished taking the photos, she had to do
post-productionediting of the photos, upon hearing that I was from the arts faculty,
she directly called on me, and what was even more shameless was that, under her
continual and persistent persuasion of how we shouldn't leave blank spaces in our
youth, I gladly agreed to do post-productionediting with Photoshop and the like for
this set of photos at no cost. Moreover, I edited it such that the resulting effect was
extremely dreamy and aesthetically-pleasing, extremely like a storybook couple of
immortals, extremely like a pair of birds flying together*, extremely like a pair of
mandarin ducks frolicking in the water*...... (T/N: "A pair of birds flying together" refers
to a couple that is very loving, that accompanies each other and doesn't leave) (T/N:
In Chinese language/culture, mandarin ducks are a symbol for a couple as the
mandarin ducks often stick together as a pair when you see them in ponds. Mandarin
ducks are often used in songs/poetry/etc to describe/be analogies for beautiful
romantic love.)
That series of photos caused a very huge sensation after it was published on the
school paper, the school paper and school forum took advantage of this to act
together and launch a comparative evaluation of "school campus lovers", Jiang Chen
was chosen to be one of the top three contestants. Competing side by side with him
was a certain dear friend from the Chinese faculty who jumped into a river to fish out
a ring for his girlfriend and another dear friend from the History faculty who personally
made a set of hanfu* for his girlfriend. Compared to them, Jiang Chen's performance
seemed to be comparatively more insignificant, but it was worth mentioning that the
dear friend from the Chinese faculty looked like Tao Yuanming* in our Chinese
language textbooks, and the dear friend from the history faculty had looks that were
very much characteristic of academia he looked like the restored sculpture of the
Peking ape-man*. Hence, fellow student Jiang Chen from the medical faculty who
didn't look at all like a medical specimen bravely seized first place with a poll count
that remained high throughout, and was honoured with the title of "School Campus
Lover". This result tells us that you need to depend on looks to make a living in
society. (T/N: hanfu traditional Han Chinese costume/dress) (T/N: Tao Yuanming a
famous and great writer and poet from the Jin dynasty) (T/N: Peking ape-man/Peking
man Homo erectus pekinensis, of human lineage, his fossils were discovered near
Beijing in the 1920s)
I felt that as the only science student in this competition, Jiang Chen had really
gained honour on behalf of science students.
So I didn't know why Jiang Chen upon knowing the entire sequence of events of this
matter was so angry that he nearly whirled me to go hit the wall.
Chapter 16

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 16

dolly
Jiang Chen emptied the bento box in less than ten minutes, after which, he even
bossed me to throw it out when he was done. As I was outside, carrying the plastic
bag with me, I happened to chance upon the sanitation worker auntie again while she
was taking out the trash, she greeted me kindly, "Little girl, has your gift' been sent
out?
Her voice calling me little girl made my heart feel very comfortable with her, hence I
replied truthfully, "Actually, I didn't come here to give him a gift', I'm just delivering his
meal."
She insisted, "Did Doctor Jiang give you a scolding? Don't be scared, no family has
one member, no matter young or old, who isn't suffering from an ailment, give
something to the doctor so your heart would feel at ease, I've been working in this
hospital for quite a few decades, I've seen this scenario countless times, rest assured
I will not run my mouth."
I gave it a thought, if I didn't explain things clearly, it would surely tarnish Jiang Chen's
medical ethics, something I really don't care about, what I couldn't take was how this
auntie indirectly cursed my family, so I said with my whole chest, "Actually, it's like
this, Doctor Jiang and I used to be a couple, and until now there's still a bit of
affectionate ties."
The auntie looked at me, clearly a little bit taken aback, and then sized me up
meticulously for quite a long time. In the end, she let out a sigh and wheeled the trash
away. Right before leaving, she mumbled under her breath, "So young, it turns out it
was to get her mental illness looked at."
......
When I returned to Jiang Chen's office, he was engrossed in writing something, I
walked over and knocked on the table hence he looked up.
I told him, "There's nothing for me to do, I'm going home."
Jiang Chen's right hand was holding the pen, scribbling on his notepad, his other
hand was used to turn over its leaves, he said with nonchalance, "Chen Xiaoxi, if you
walk out that door right now, we're over."
I thought that the content of his words sounded very intense, it should have been
expressed with feelings likened to waves surging forth, yet he said it so flatly like
stagnant water, all was said in one breathe without any slight pauses, one can
seriously consider this as a talent.
I was standing. He was sitting. But even though I was towering over him, I also felt
like my imposing aura was rather losing ground a little bit. I was looking at him. He
was also looking at me. But even though we were so close, I couldn't even guess
what's going through his mind.
I said, "There's no need to put it so seriously, I just saw that you were quite busy,
didn't want to disturb you."
Jiang Chen's fountain pen was twirling between his fingers, he said, "Doctor Su told
me, you called me this morning to clear the air, so I'll make myself clear right now as
well, and you can leave when you're done listening.
I swallowed a lump in my throat, and let out an "en" to indicate that I was fine with it.
He asked, "Three years ago, it was you who suggested of breaking up, right?"
I replied yes.
He added, "The reason of our breaking up was because of my mom, is that right?"
I replied yes, but immediately took it back and said it also doesn't seem to be it, and
that actually I wasn't too sure of what I've said.
He threw the pen on the table with a thump, and my heart tightened all of a sudden,
that's probably a very expensive Parker pen.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, and said with a hint of weariness, "Chen Xiaoxi,
tell me, have you ever thought about me in the past three years?
This conversation was fast becoming emotional, I wanted to speak, yet it seems like I
was choking on something.
The first week after I broke up with Jiang Chen, almost every night, I would suddenly
rouse from my deep sleep, strands of hair sticking on my moist cheek and neck,
when I'd touch my pillow, and the chest area of my duvet with my hand, it would feel
wet.
It was too painful for me to bear, I really wanted to go back and beg him, say it's all
my fault, and that I've changed, I've changed........
As a matter of fact, I really went over to see him. One morning, I stood across the
hospital, around lunch time, I've seen him with his colleagues chatting and laughing
until they arrived at a small restaurant nearby to have their meal. I looked at his
smiling face from afar, I could even see his dimple, filled with such radiance. I felt
hatred, I felt bitterly disappointed, I felt so foolish, I thought I should have rushed to
the middle of the road and get run over by a car, I don't believe that he would still be
able to continue eating his meal right next to my blood.
At that time, lots of thoughts flashed through my mind, but in the end, I chose to
return home I wanted to buy a pineapple bun at the bakery downstairs but probably
because I was crying so hard which astounded the world*, it frightened the
kind-hearted lady boss who gave me three instead, and even told me how there's no
difficulties in life that one couldn't overcome. If I could act well enough, I'd go there
every single day to cheat her on those bread. (T/N: Used when a person's words
and/or actions are unusual that most people are shocked.)
Longing for someone can tear one's heart as well as rip one's lungs. So much that
some people dare not touch these words longing for someone. I've always said I was
never a brave person, I'm afraid of pain, I'm afraid of sadness, I've put my longing
towards him in a box, and affixed a seal, "If you dare open this you will suffer in pain
to death, serves you right."
It was truly effective, hence, I haven't thought about him.
Jiang Chen hit the table impatiently, the tone of his voice was harder, "Is the question
really so difficult."
I was suddenly filled with hate that could topple the mountains and overturn the seas,
I doubled my fist, clenched my teeth very fiercely, and spat out a word, "Difficult."
He sneered, "Chen Xiaoxi, why really are you so bold with your convictions?
Sneering, are you? Who didn't know how to do that, once I bare my teeth I become
the Emperor of Sneering they talk about!
I "humph"-ed a few times as I sneered, and asked in reply, "What about you? Why
didn't you look for me? Why didn't you coax me? Why did you really break up with me
when I suggested to break up? Why did you ask me if I was thinking of you or not?
Why are you sitting while I'm standing....."
Jiang Chen was a bit confused by my series of questions, so it took him a moment
before he stood up slowly. When I saw him standing up, I panicked. I took a few steps
back and said, "Why are you standing up?"
But he instead, suddenly smiled, reached out his hand to grab my wrist, dragged me
forcibly, pushed me to sit on his chair, and then said, "Now, you're the one sitting
while I'm standing, happy?
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I think Doctor Jiang's sense of humor came off a
bit awkward, even though I was known for having a rather odd haha point' but I really
couldn't laugh at it no matter what. (T/N: haha point means the threshold of which
one can laugh like how having a low haha point means someone is easily amused.)
With his hands propped on both armrest, I was caged between him and the chair.
This action is rather nice, very ambiguous, like a set for when an ordinary male lead
wants to act like a rogue towards the female lead.
He smiled and leaned close to my face, stopping at a distance where I could feel his
hot breath fanning my face, "You were the one who suggested about breaking up,
why should I lower my voice and stifle my anger in order to coax you?
I shrunk down in my seat, "You're a man, shouldn't you coax me?"
He was gazing at me calmly, "At that time, I felt very tired."
I've also calmed down a lot, "You were tired for a long time."
Those words sounded very sarcastic, but there's really nothing much to it, it just
slipped from my mouth, that's all.
He let out a sigh, "I actually looked all over for you."
I was shocked when I heard it, and worked hard to rack my brain for my memories of
those days for fear that at which intersection which male friend have I hugged or held
hands with or blew the dust off my eyes, by which resulted to a misunderstanding, but
there was none. Those days, I was wandering around like a spirit. Unless they're fans
of the movie Ghosts', men would never want to be near me, so I retorted with
confidence, "You're talking nonsense, where did you try to look for me?
He was about to say something when his phone that was placed on the desk
suddenly let out a ring so he turned around to look at who was calling. And then in a
blink of an eye, I found him facing me while he leaned his body over me. I held my
breath. Here it comes, here it comes, the time to act as a rogue has come. His hand
went pass my shoulder and my heart gave a vicious contraction. But in fact, he was
only trying to pull out his white coat that was hanging from the back of his chair. He
was donning on his white coat while explaining to me, "Emergency room's number."
The phone on the desk with it most simple ringtone started ringing again, Jiang Chen
grabbed the phone and answered it while walking outside, knocking the door open
and then knocking it shut. I'm alone in a room filled with loneliness, I think the timing
that was picked for when the phone would ring just now was too good, was there a
director who yelled action somewhere?
I was thinking he won't be back for quite a while, so I boringly pushed my feet against
the floor, driving on the wheels attached under his working chair, and sliding it all
across the room, but my last slide came off a bit too hard, and I suddenly heard a
clicking sound the chair went out of balance and I befriended the floor, followed by
the chair, with my forehead hitting first.
It was truly a pretty strong hit, if one would capture a shot of it from a distance, it
would be sort of how a fish would look like, right when the chef is about to kill it,
placing it on the chopping board while it flips everywhere, and then giving it one clean
smash to make it lose consciousness.
I held unto the chair on the ground for a while, in a daze, it took me a long time before
I was able to handle it. When I slowly stood up, I thought I have to go to the
emergency room to look for Jiang Chen, I'm in an emergency too, if undetermined
intracranial hemorrhage from cerebral concussion was deemed as one.
I followed the hospital signage, and was moving slowly, feeling the wall with my hand.
Deep inside I was really scared, this cerebral concussion and intracranial bleeding
have something to do with body fluids and so on. If I walk rapidly, perhaps these
brains or blood would slosh tremendously making it gush out.
With great difficulty, I've managed to arrive right at the door of the emergency room, I
supported myself with the wall, and whimpered for the inside, "Jiang Chen, Jiang
Chen. Come out quickly, I'm Chen Xiaoxi."
Jiang Chen didn't come out, instead it was a nurse, she yelled at me with a scowl on
her face, "This is a hospital! A hospital! Why are you so loud!"
I dare not say that she yelled louder than I did, I'm afraid she'd quickly yell even
louder that the sound waves emitted would go through my eardrum, and send
vibrations to my brain. Also, my head feels very fragile at that moment.
So I said slowly, "Can you please help me call Doctor Jiang Chen?"
She casted a glance at me, "Doctor Jiang went to the restroom."
I wasn't expecting this answer, I thought that when he went out in a hurry just now,
there must be something like a fractured head with blood gushing out, the intestines
eviscerated from the abdomen which needed prompt treatment. I can't believe he still
has time to empty his bladder.....
The nurse went back inside the emergency room, I leaned against the wall, waiting
for Jiang Chen to return.
The hospital's incandescent lights were glaringly pale as always, but I believe that my
complexion was perhaps even paler, because Jiang Chen started running a hundred
meter dash towards me. I thought it was very romantic, just like how Yi Ping* ran
towards Shu Huan at the train station. We were just swapping roles. (T/N: She's
referring to the ending scene of Romance In The Rain, a 2001 drama starring Zhao
Wei as Yi Ping and Leo Ku as Shu Huan.)
I seem to softly collapse into the arms of Jiang Chen, he was supporting my head
with one hand, the other was trying to pry open my eyelids. His hands shaking like
that, I was, however, scared that he was going to poke my eyes blind.
Chapter 17

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 17

youtiaoshutiao
After quite some time of chaos, it turned out that all I had was just a mild cerebral
concussion. Those symptoms where I was giddy and my head was spinning were all
just me scaring myself till I became ill, and by association Jiang Chen was also
frightened quite terribly. Here, I must criticise Jiang Chen's psychological strength for
a bit, as a doctor who had spent countless years in the foul wind and bloody rain*, he
really appeared like he had never seen the world before. (T/N: referring to a ruthless,
treacherous atmosphere/environment of an insane massacre.)
According to the statement of the eyewitness the sour-faced little nurse, Doctor Jiang
Chen had cradled my head while displaying his lion roar towards the emergency
room, "PENLIGHT! STETHOSCOPE!"
The little nurse staggered out holding a penlight and a stethoscope. While Jiang Chen
was tremblingly flipping over my eyelids to use the penlight to shine and look at my
pupils, she, carrying an attitude of "there is no harm in trying", used strength
distinctive of nurses to pinch my renzhong* once, immediately I shrieked and
bounced awake. (T/N: Renzhong: the "human centre" acupuncture point you can feel
it by feeling the area beneath your nose where there is a depression. It is a key
acupuncture point to press when restoring consciousness of someone after they
faint)
Seeing me become awake, Jiang Chen's complexion was not very good, he probably
thought that the nurse had stolen the limelight from him as the doctor.
He used the tiny penlight to shine at my pupils and looked at them carefully for a
while, only then did he keep the tiny penlight in the pocket of his white coat and ask
me, "What happened to you?"
I pulled myself up by holding on to the arm that he had looped around me and sat up
straight, "I fell down and hit my head."
He wrinkled his brow and felt the back of my head with his hand. His fingers passed
through my hair, carefully pressing on my scalp. He pressed till I made a "chi" sound
expressing pain before he stopped, after which he then pulled my hand to feel that
area of scalp, "Look, a bump has risen up here."
The way he spoke was calm like a gentle breeze and a floating wisp of cloud, as if
the bump on my head was caused by a mosquito sting.
I pressed on that projecting lump, it was about as big as a quail egg. Pressing on it, it
was softer than an egg with its shell intact, yet it was harder than an egg with its shell
peeled, its hardness was just nice.
Jiang Chen pushed aside my fringe and asked me, "Is there anywhere else that got
hurt when you fell?"
I shook my head and said that there wasn't, he clutched my neck, "Don't move your
head! Where did you fall?"
"Your room." I patted his hand as I spoke.
He held me by the arm as we stood up, "Why didn't you give me a phone call to ask
me to go over?"
I glimpsed at him, feeling aggrieved. "I forgot to."
I supported myself by holding on to his shoulder, and followed him, walking slowly
towards the emergency room. That nurse followed behind us, expressing her delayed
concern, "Hey, if I had known earlier that you were Doctor Jiang's friend, I would have
let you come in to sit."
Jiang Chen made me lie down on the hospital bed in the emergency room, "I'll go get
medication."
The little nurse dragged a chair over to sit by my hospital bedside, and asked me
beamingly, "Are you Doctor Jiang's girlfriend?"
I didn't feel like replying her, I was busy pressing that bump on the back of my brain.
Just applying a slight force immediately caused a sort of numbing pain to spread from
my forehead to my toes, it was very satisfying.
The little nurse waited for quite a long time and didn't manage to wait for my reply.
Knowing herself that it was meaningless, she dragged her chair away and went to sit
in front of a tiny window.
Jiang Chen returned holding a steel tray, on it was a cup of water, a medicine jar, a
few cotton buds and a few white pills.
He picked up the pills and placed it on his palm, I then picked up the pills from his
palm and threw them into my mouth, then I flooded (my mouth) with water to send
them down.
After I finished eating the medicine, he made me sit cross-legged on the bed with my
back facing him. He wanted to help me apply medication, that little nurse tried a few
times to come over and help, and every time was always sent away by my fierce
glare.
Jiang Chen first flipped over my hair. As my back was facing him and I couldn't see
his expression, I hence automatically fitted him in my mind with a facial expression of
him lightly creasing his brow, with a tender and pained* gaze. However, very quickly, I
soon overthrew this gentle expression ruthlessly in my mind, for he had used the
cotton bud to, while exerting all his strength, fiercely and crazedly jab at that bump on
the back of my head. (T/N: "pained" the original expression is "" which literally means
"pained heart", usually refers to when your heart hurts/you feel sorry for someone you
love dearly who is going through a hard time)
Immediately, hot tears filled my eyes, I turned my head upwards and backwards to
look at him. "Be gentler, don't jab out my brains."
With his hand, he supported my head till it was straight, and said, "Got it."
After that, he threw away the cotton bud, what then next plastered on (the back of my
head) was his fingers. His fingers were warm, mixing together with the cooling
ointment as he slowly kneaded my scalp.
I suddenly felt a burst of tartness and limpness in my heart. I slowly leaned back,
lightly leaning on his body. His fingers paused momentarily, before he once again dug
out a lump of ointment and smeared it on my scalp.
The little nurse had originally been sneaking peeks craftily from the side, but for some
reason, she suddenly gave two forced chuckles towards us, and with an air of
sternness and righteousness, proposed that she was going to go out and conduct a
ward round. With regards to her abrupt transformation into someone so industrious,
hardworking and dedicated to her work, we can only term it as a moment of
enlightenment.
Jiang Chen allowed her moment of enlightenment, she then went out to conduct ward
rounds, looking back three times for every step she took*. (T/N: literal translation,
meaning to be reluctant)
Just like that, I leaned on Jiang Chen's third, fourth and fith ribs. He silently kneaded
my head, kneading kneading kneading kneading, he was kneading for too long a
time, I then felt spooked and scared, thinking if he wanted to knead my skull and
scalp till it became thin so that it would be easy for him to poke a straw in with a "pop"
sound to suck up my brains......
Thankfully Jiang Chen did stop. He used that hand of his covered in ointment to
encircle my shoulder from behind my back.
He said, "I have been waiting for you to regret all along, waiting for you to come back
and plead with me. I would definitely have to mock you properly, then make you face
the surgical knife and vow that you would be hacked to pieces if you ever dared to
say the two words break up' in the future."
I wanted to turn my head over and tell him, "This mentality of yours is too unhealthy,
plus how can you say such gory words to me when I am such an adorable girl? I'm
very cowardly, I will be scared."
But Jiang Chen was holding my shoulder bone with a death grip, with a manner quite
like he was going to crush me to pieces any moment, therefore I didn't say a word.
He spoke again. "But you unexpectedly never came."
I thought to myself, that's you not seeing it, I even saw you ordering a meal of char
siu* rice in the restaurant. (T/N: char siu a particular way of preparing barbequed pork
in Cantonese cuisine that is sweet and savoury)
He said that he went to look for me after more than a month, he said that it was the
first time he had watched helplessly as a person died in his hands, he said that the
situation back then was truly out of the ordinary and his emotional state was truly
fragile, he needed a girlfriend to give him support and encouragement, so he decided
to make the first move and forgive me. Hence, he went to look for me, but downstairs
from my house, he saw me directing a few huge men to move my luggage
downstairs, after which he then returned to the hospital in a fit of pique.
I sighed, the heavens ought not to be so merciless and cruel, making trouble without
reason.
This matter was like this, at that time, after I finished saying the words "break up",
Jiang Chen threw down a sentence "Don't you regret it" and following that swung the
door and left. After he swung the door, that old, feeble, diseased and spoilt door gave
up on barely maintaining its existence while being on its last legs, and breathed its
last without turning back.
And coincidentally,the next day was the day that that balding landlord of mine
dropped in to collect rental fees. He looked at that door on the verge of collapse*, and
most likely he thought of those strands of hair of his on the verge of dropping out*, so
he was furious. (T/N: in the original text, the words used to describe the door and the
hair are exactly the same, I changed the translations in each situation a little to fit
both contexts)
He faced the spoilt door, reviling me. My landlord's educational level was very high,
he reportedly was a postgraduate student from ancient times. He escalated this
matter to the high degree of how university students in the present age generally had
no cultivation, furthermore insisting on his belief that the financial crises, droughts,
earthquakes, floods and even bird flu were all the fault of university students. I did
attempt to explain that it wasn't my fault that droughts occurred, because I only
washed my clothes once a week, but he didn't listen, he insisted on me paying a
thousand RMB for the cost to replace the door.
Even though I appear to be dim-witted, I wasn't stupid. This lousy wooden door was
at most worth 200 RMB, with one turnover he raised the price by 5 times, this was
even more dishonestly profitable and more shameless than real estate. Of course, a
few years later, I discovered that I was wrong, nothing could be more dishonestly
profitable and more shameless than real estate.
Due to the matter of this door, the relationship between my landlord and I completely
broke down. He was determined to ask for compensation of one thousand RMB, I
was determined to compensate five hundred. Stuck in this deadlock, he made me get
out from his apartment, I hence got out. And the day that Jiang Chen came, I was
doing the preparatory actions to get out.
I mournfully told Jiang Chen the story of me being bullied in every possible way by
that landlord, after Jiang Chen had finished hearing it, he gave a deep sigh and said,
"Then let's reconcile."
I was extremely perplexed, look at how he said these words, so in his mind, these
three years of ours was just an endless quarrel?
Perhaps I was silent for too long, Jiang Chen spoke again, he said, "Chen Xiaoxi, I
am a doctor. I've gotten used to the sight of life and death, struggles and suffering.
According to your logic, my life ought to have transcended worldliness greatly, why
must I be intertwined and entangled up with you? The moment I turn around there is
a pretty nurse, the moment I nod my head I can have a new life, why should I keep
thinking about you."
I listened, this wasn't right, these words were completely different from that request to
reconcile, could it be that that brief silence of mine was thought by him to be me
putting on airs, and he had decided to no longer entertain me?
I turned around and hugged his waist, "Okay, let's reconcile."
He didn't speak for a long time, I got anxious, saying while wringing his clothes with
my fingers, "You can't play this sort of love games with me where you welcome me
while desiring to reject me, I'm already old enough to marry and have children."
Jiang Chen patted my back, "I got it."
I let go of his waist, and raised my head to look at him. "What do you mean?"
He lowered his head and leaned in close, I covered my mouth with lightning speed,
and spoke with a smothered voice, "Are we reconciling or not after all, if you don't
make it clear I won't let you kiss me."
He tilted his head looking at me, and smiled. "Okay, we'll reconcile."
After he finished speaking, he pushed aside my hand, and kissed me.
As our lips and tongues rolled and turned, I tried hard to stay clear-headed and reflect
on a question. Initially it was him who asked to reconcile, why was it that in the end it
again became me who begged him to reconcile? Furthermore, I even had to stoop to
seducing him to ask for reconciliation?
But my clear-headedness only lasted for about three seconds, after which my
long-neglected lips then ruled over that mind of mine that didn't have much of its own
opinion.
Really, our embrace and kiss were very romantic the disinfectant smell that was
specific to hospitals, the minty smell emanating from the ointment on my head, the
medicinal smell and soap smell on Jiang Chen's body, along with the faint taste of
Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum in his mouth, these various flavours mingled
together, it was very beautiful. If time could be like a DVD player, I wanted to press
"pause", and freeze the frame at this second.
Unfortunately, even if time was a DVD player, I also didn't have a remote control in
my hand.
That head of mine that had just suffered serious trauma suddenly experienced a
burst of pain under a state of a great increase in blood flow. It was so painful that I
wrung at Jiang Chen's back with tears gleaming in my eyes, "My...... head hurts."
He let go of me and crouched down to look at me levelly, I held on to his shoulder and
took deep breaths with great effort.
He fished out the little penlight from his pocket, and then stretched his hand out to flip
my eyelids, even using the little penlight to shine at my eyes. That ray of light shone
at me till I really wanted to shed tears.
Finally Jiang Chen let out a breath and supported me to lie down. After that he used
the stern tone of voice distinctive of doctors and reproached, "There's no problem, lie
down and rest for a while, you can't be overly excited when you have a cerebral
concussion."
Speechless, I gazed at the gleaming white ceiling, who exactly was the one who had
caused me to be excited......
Chapter 18

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 18

Xri
I slept for a little in the emergency room, in which I was woken up twice. The first was
when Jiang Chen shifted a green folding screen from God knows where to separate
the beds. The screen probably was not maintained for years, it created loud cracking
sounds like a firecracker when pulled. I think I glared at him resentfully, then turned
back to sleep. The second time is now, the other side of the screen came low
groaning sounds of a man, the sound went "ah, ya, ah, ya", it was very ambiguous.
I sat up, and wanted to peep, but was startled by the valiant words of the nurse.
She said, "Can you not yell so disgustingly, we are not even giving you a
colonoscopy."
In my heart I was calculating the distance between the large intestine and the
entrance of a colonoscopy, I couldn't help but laugh.
The person the other side already transitioned from a yell to a high-pitched scream. I
heard Jiang Chen reprimanded, "Keep your mouth shut, don't disturb other patients."
I detoured past the privacy screen, then I regretted on why I even did that.
The person was probably a young chap, I said probably is because I determined from
his hair which was like a bunch of exploded straw. As for now, I am unable to
determine his age from his face as it was stained with fresh red blood. There were
even green pieces of glass stuck into him, it looked like those from a beer bottle.
Amongst the pieces were two which were stuck onto each side of his cheeks, and it
even came with the brand logo. I squinted my eyes for a better look, one probably
had the word "" and the other, ""*. (T/N: Purified. Live. It is a standalone word by itself
but when put together, it is a type of beer that is non-pasteurised, only filtered to
remove the yeast.)
I really wanted to take a camera to capture his face and upload it to a forum with the
title X College Art Student's Bloody Graduation Project, Appeal for Society's Concern
on , *, , , etc of the Never-Ending Beauty of a Human Being. The Caption has to be
Long. (T/N: 1st life is life as we are living, and the 2nd life is a human life.)
Trust me, any form of art that is anomalous will become viral.
Jiang Chen was the first to see me come out. He pointed at me with the tweezers he
was holding and said, "Go in. Why did you come out for?"
I have yet to speak, the Glass Face person scolded rudely, "F*ck, what the heck are
you looking at, ah...F*CK!"
His last "ah...F*CK!" came abruptly as a loud piercing scream. I stumbled backwards
from shock and stared blankly at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen threw the piece of glass with the word "Live" to the plate on the push cart
beside him, "This is a hospital, speak more cleanly."
When he said that, that was no other expression on his face, even his tone was dull
without any intonation. But I feel that he was very handsome/cool.
The Glass Face person used that face of his to express a dare to show but dare not
speak' expression. He also spoke very modestly, "I got it, doctor can you be gentler."
Jiang Chen agreed to him and looked at me to say, "You, go in."
I went back behind the screen and sat cross legged on the bed to day dream.
I heard Glass Face using a fawning tone to say, "Doctor, your girlfriend? She's pretty."
Jiang Chen seemed to acknowledge by making a sound. Then Glass Face continued,
"Doctor, bringing your girlfriend on the hospital bed, exciting ohhh."
As expected, Glass Face screamed for his mother again. You see, this kind of pain
only deserves two words served you right*. (T/N: served you right is in Chinese.
That's why its two words.)
Not sure how long have past, I started to doze off while sitting cross-legged. When I
regained my consciousness, I realised my legs were numb to the point I didn't dare to
touch it.
"Chen Xiaoxi, are you meditating?" Jiang Chen stood beside my bed while removing
the white rubber gloves off his hands.
I wriggled my toes, a tingling pain of numbness climbed through my cells up my entire
body, I made a crying face and replied him, "Jiang Chen, my legs are so numb they
are going to be crippled."
He threw the gloves to the dustbin at the corner, walked over to the bed and sat
down. He stretched out his index finger to poke on my leg, I screamed, "Don't, it's
really numb."
Jiang Chen suddenly extended his arm to push me, I was like a spoilt roly-poly. I
swayed futilely and stayed in my cross-legged position while I fell sideways onto the
bed.
My left thigh was then crushed under my right thigh, I was so numb I cried out loud.
Jiang Chen seemed really happy. He crossed his arms and turned his head to look at
the me who was slanted on the bed and laughed endlessly. He laughed till his dimple
looked like it was going to fly off.
Then he gently entangled my left and right legs, laid them straight and patted on my
calves.
Every hit of his palm on my legs, I felt like my blood was circulating back to my two
legs, I was numb, I was in pain, I was numb to pain.
After about five to six minutes, my legs finally went back to normal. I gave Jiang Chen
a kick, to indicate that my legs are good enough to be able to kick someone. I also
indicated that I was very unhappy when he took advantage of when I was unable to
move freely and treated me like a roly-poly.
Actually, I wasn't very brutal with that kick, but Jiang Chen fell back onto the bed from
my kick. He held onto his stomach and said, "Chen Xiaoxi, are you a female
wrestler?"
I gave him another kick, "Are you an Academy Award Best Actor?"
Jiang Chen was still clutching on his stomach and not moving. I was even starting to
feel that he was starting to perspire on his forehead. I started to feel that something
was wrong. It can't be that this numbness caused my legs to become a Shadowless
kick* leg. A gentle kick can take a person's life? (T/N: A type of martial arts kicking
technique made by a famous Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung.)
I climbed over to pat his back, "Are you okay? You okay? Don't scare me."
He suddenly turned to hug me, "Are you an idiot, I am clutching onto my stomach
why are you patting my back!"
He hugged really tightly, as though he was putting his entire weight on me, I was a bit
breathless. I said, "What's wrong? Don't suffocate me."
He said he's fine, and that he has a bit of gastric pain, and asked to let him hug for a
while.
I gently patted on his shoulder and said, "Are you hungry? How about I buy some
food for you? Or where's your medication? I will take it for you. Why are you always
having gastric pain? That's not good, you have to take good care of yourself."
He rested his head on my shoulder and said, "Chen Xiaoxi, I can't take care of myself
well."
My maternal instincts as a female overflowed as I heard that line, I stroked his head
and said, "Jiang Chen, I'll take care of you then."
"Okay." He said.
After Jiang Chen handed over his duty to the next shift, he listed a series of clauses
on how to take care of him while he was driving back me home. Most of these
clauses were no stranger to me as he gave me a list before when we were in
university. For example, he was in charge of delivering breakfast to me, and I
delivered him his lunch and dinner. Another example, if he were to eat any type of
food with shell, I would have to remove the shell for him, this was mainly meant for
tea eggs. Or another example, every week I have to wash his worn clothes (for the
week) and beddings for him.
I sat at the passenger seat and flipped back and forth noisily on the two pages of
medical prescription form that was given to me. However, he remained unmoved. I
finally could not take it anymore and waved the two pages of paper in front of him and
said, "Why do I have to deliver you dinner?"
He said, "That was based on the list from our university days."
I protested, "University was nearby ah! It was convenient. Furthermore, you delivered
me breakfast during university."
He said, "That was because I had to wake up early to read, so it was convenient.
Also, didn't I remove the clause on having to deliver lunch?"
I was lost for words, "But.. but I still don't want to deliver dinner to you."
He side-glanced me, "Who said she wanted to take care of me?"
There was nothing for me to say, I could only give in and analyze the clauses. On the
6th clause, Jiang Chen wrote: Have to clean up my house every 3 days.'
I shook the paper and said, "Look at the 6th clause. We didn't have that in university."
He tapped on the steering wheel while waiting for the red light. He leaned his head
towards me and said, "We lived in dorm during university. I can't let others take
advantage."
.......
Alright, I was wrong. It was me whom in the 3 years of memories, beautified him too
much. As such, I was only able to remember his good, and totally forgotten about his
bullying. The reason why memories are so beautiful, is because no one is able to go
back.
Actually, during this long time I have known Jiang Chen, hidden under his gentleness
was a heart of absolute unrestrained tyrannical abuse towards me. For example, the
library incident, what everyone saw the him flipping my book for me. In actual fact, it
was so cold that day, how I wished I could just snuggle in my bed in the dorm.
However, he insisted on forcing me to accompany him to the library. He said a
student should be diligent in studying, he even said that when he thought about him
studying so hard in the library and all I will be doing is sleeping so hard in my dorm,
he felt very uncomfortable, and psychologicallyunbalanced. He is a medicine student
who has to study diligently everyday so as to prevent misdiagnosing and killing
someone. However, I study arts. If you force me to go to the library every day, that's
murdering my freedom of creativity. So the reason why I could not become Vincent
van Gogh, or Picasso, was actually all caused by Jiang Chen.
"We're here." Jiang Chen patted on my head. I looked out and said distractedly, "You
went to the wrong place, this isn't my house."
He released his seatbelt, "I know this isn't your house. This is my house, come up
and cook me something to eat. At the same time, you can tidy the place a bit."
.....
Chapter 19

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 19

dolly
In the end, I wasn't able to go inside Jiang Chen's house his house was on the 9th
floor, when the elevator that we were in arrived at the 2nd floor, he got a call telling
him that something came up with his patient, he pressed open the elevator door for
the 3rd floor, then threw a bunch of keys at me, and instructed, "903, find something
to eat first, and then sleep."
I watched him turn around and hurriedly run for the stairs as the doors of the elevator
slowly closed.
I took the elevator up the 9th floor, and stood in front of the door of Jiang Chen's
house for a while, deciding if I had better not go inside. One, my good upbringing
doesn't allow me to willfully enter someone's house in the absence of the owner. Two,
I am afraid that without the owner watching me attentively, if I went in and saw
something valuable, I might not help but take it with me. Oh! My excellent upbringing!
So I took the elevator again and went at the breakfast shop downstairs to buy wonton
and tea eggs for breakfast, and then flagged down a cab to return to the hospital.
How silly a woman is, how silly am I being.
At the entryway of the hospital parked a long row of luxury sedans. I already said I
have no knowledge when it comes to cars, but those cars all looked polished, I also
wanted to know whether they're really that nice. This principle is the same as that of
clothes, if it's only a few ten bucks worth of clothes, and soy sauce was poured on it, I
won't bat an eyelash, if it got dirty then throw it away. But if it's a few hundred bucks
worth of clothes, if I spot a soy sauce even from a distance, I would quickly run away,
if it got dirty then I'd kneel on the ground, and rub every little part clean.
......
I have not walked through the hospital doors when two men in black suits wearing
sunglasses barred me from entering and asked me in unison, "What are you doing
here?"
I lifted my head and read the hospital' sign, too lazy to explain myself so I just
casually replied, "To go see a doctor."
Suit Man A, glanced at his wristwatch and countered, "The hospital is still close, what
do you want to seek consultation for!"
I replied, "I'm going to register myself in the emergency room?"
Suit Man A countered once more, "Which part does it look like you need registering in
the emergency room? Say it, which TV station are you from?
I blanked for a moment, then bashfully scratched my head, and humbly replied,
"Hehe, I'm not working in any TV station, although many people have commented
that I would look great on TV."
Suit Man A and B looked at each other, and callously asked in unison, "Cut the crap,
which publication* are you from?"
I shook my head, "I came here by myself in a cab, you also saw it just now, where
would someone be able to carry* me, besides, I'm not lacking in arms and legs, why
must someone have to carry' me?"
(T/N: I think Xiaoxi was a dumb dumb and mistook bo (newspaper/ publication) with
bo (carry) that's why her reply doesn't make any sense.)
They don't seem to feel my sincerity because there was a knot on their facial
expression as though they've been suffering from constipation for several days.
As I felt that there was no way around it, I was left with no choice but to lift my hand
that was carrying our breakfast and reasoned again, "Actually, I am a doctor in this
hospital, I came to work."
Before I was done speaking, someone patted me on the shoulder making me turn my
head towards them it was Doctor Su looking at me with a huge grin, "When did you
become a doctor in our hospital?"
I let out a sigh, this time, in the minds of these men in suit, my identity is even more
confusing. I looked at them, their eyes has a certain alertness to them as though I
was a terrorist armed with a bomb and they're ready to pull out their guns from their
pockets and fill my body with holes at any given time.
I said helplessly, "If I'd say my boyfriend works here as a doctor, and I'm here to give
him his breakfast, would you believe me?
Suit Man A retorted, "Cut the crap, are you a journalist? What are you going to do
inside the hospital. I'm telling you, this is a private matter, you can't report it!"
I pushed Doctor Su in front of the two men in suit, "I'm really not a journalist, she is
Doctor Su, a doctor in this hospital, she can testify, I'm really here to look for my
boyfriend."
Doctor Su nodded foolishly, "I'm a doctor in this hospital. I know her boyfriend."
Suit Man A said, "How can you prove to us that you're a doctor in this hospital?"
Doctor Su looked clueless, and hesitantly replied, "I........I'll perform surgery?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and made a suggestion, "I think your license is more
convincing."
Doctor Su felt the pockets of her trousers, then slipped her hands inside them, and
naively declared it outright, "I left my license inside the hospital."
Even I myself wouldn't be convinced that this damn, stupid looking girl is actually a
doctor.
Hence, ten minutes later, Doctor Su and I were crouched right outside the big doors
of the hospital peeling tea eggs.
I passed an already peeled tea egg to Doctor Su, "How could this happen? Who are
they? What should we do if we can't get in?"
Doctor Su bit a mouthful of tea egg and surmised, "It's probably some bigshot
celebrity coming to get their rotten disease examined. What are you worrying for? You
don't even work here.
I think so, too. Anyway, it's almost time for the hospital to open, I'd be free to go
inside so I very kindly helped worry for Doctor Su's stead, I said, "What to do if you're
late?"
She waved a hand dismissively and said, "No worries, my dad is the chairman."
I swallowed down my surprise inwardly and nodded my head in understanding, "No
wonder your medical skills are superb, it turns out it's in your blood."
My mind was like: Her father is the chairman of this hospital, Jiang Chen is a doctor
of this hospital, so I'd curry favor from the chairman's daughter. I really envy Jiang
Chen for having such a good wife.
Doctor Su furrowed her brows and asked in reply, "What do you mean? My dad runs
a veterinary hospital.
I tried to explain, "No, you said you're not worried because your dad is the chairman,
so just now I said......said, ai, don't misunderstand."
She let out a humph' and said, "I wasn't worried because if worst comes to worst and
I lose my job I can always go back home to help my dad run the veterinary hospital.
I replied, "Hehe, so it's like that. Going back to help run a veterinary hospital is also
very good.
Her expression darkened, "What are you saying is also very good'? You think that
being a chairman of a veterinary hospital isn't high-ranking enough?"
I hurriedly shook my head, the more I speak, the more mistakes I make, I had better
shut up.
Doctor Su with a straight face, quietly finished eating that piece of tea egg, after
which her expression changed again and said, "Actually, I'm just joking with you. My
dad is really the chairman of this hospital."
I, who has not yet swallowed the egg that was in my mouth, after hearing her say so,
choked at once in order to not spray onto the beloved chairman's daughter, I forcibly
swallowed it down which had me choked up in tears.
The chairman's daughter humbled herself to be one with us common folks to help pat
my back, she let out a sigh, "When are you going to finally get my humour, my dad
really runs a veterinary hospital."
.......
I totally don't understand this person anymore, hence I gave out a big, hearty laugh,
"Hey, you think you're funny, I was also joking with you, I knew it from the start."
Actually, I don't know anything at all. I'm still not sure whether her father is a doctor
for humans or a doctor for animals, but it's okay, she doesn't know whether I knew, or
didn't know, or knew but was feigning to not know.
Doctor Su looked at me suspiciously, but after a long time, she smiled, "I appreciate
your humour."
.......
We were crouched in front of the hospital door, eating a breakfast for three people.
I've prepared two sets to give to Jiang Chen, I originally thought I'd share a set with
Doctor Su, at least leave a set for Jiang Chen, but I didn't expect that Doctor Su
would eat so much. To sum up she ate a total of four tea eggs, two servings of dry
wonton, and one steamed dumpling.
I stood up to throw the plastic bag in the garbage bin. When the men in suit that were
standing at the doorway saw me get up, their right foot took a step back in a lunge
position. I waved my hand back and forth, gesturing to them that I was just a weak
woman, and would not charge towards them.
After I threw away the trash, I told Doctor Su, "I'll go buy breakfast again."
Doctor Su gave me a brief nod and said. "I also think that I'm not yet full, buy another
steamed dumpling for me please."
.........
When I got back from buying breakfast again, Doctor Su was already laughing and
talking with those two men in suit, when she saw me, she beckoned me over, "Let's
go in."
We were already inside the hospital while the two men in suit were looking at us with
a smile on their faces so I asked her, "How did you manage to convince them?"
She replied, "I gave each of them a hundred bucks."
"Ah?!" I could not help but exclaim in surprise.
She patted me on the shoulder and said, "Kidding! I called the security office and had
someone come out to prove it."
I huffed, "Why didn't you call earlier?"
She said, "Wasn't I eating breakfast just now."
I've long given up carrying a conversation with her using the logic of a normal human
being, hence I replied, "That's right, eating breakfast is the most important, not eating
breakfast is not good for the brain."
As I was done speaking, the nurse who was walking our way was pulled by Doctor
Su, "What's going on? How come there's two people standing at the entrance?"
The nurse replied, "That high ranking official who underwent operation in our hospital
before had gotten a heart attack again."
Doctor Su asked, "Which one? Cardiology department? Doctor Jiang's patient?
The nurse replied, "En, Doctor Jiang is now in the operation room to save him." She
then looked around before whispering, "I heard he had a heart attack on a woman's
bed."
Wow.
We were making rustling noises, gossiping for a while. The content was all about how
intense a bed exercise' was to have given someone a heart attack. As medical
professionals, they've offered a lot of professional insight, among them were an
elevated blood pressure, increased pulse rate, body secretions........when I heard
these two words, my cheeks flamed up in embarrassment which made both of them
look at me with disdain, "Hey, what's with that vulgar expression on your face, we
were only referring to sweating."
As I am thin-skinned, and found it embarrassing to continue the discussion' with
them, I excused myself saying I'll be in Jiang Chen's office to wait for him.
Jiang Chen's office wasn't locked, I swept a corner of his working desk to place the
breakfast, and swept another corner to doze off.
It's just that, my ability to sleep on the table back when I was still studying seemed to
have deteriorated I couldn't fall asleep. Hence, I had no choice but to lean over the
table in a daze, my fingers were fumbling on the hideous mess on his desk that was
his files. He left urgently leaving the things on his desk in a disarray so I arranged it
for him.
Jiang Chen sat behind me during high school, you would find it hard to imagine that
he was such an outstanding student, his desk was always a mess, reference
textbooks for examinations were left lying around. But he is amazing, whenever I ask
him for something, it would only take him a moment and he would be able to fish out
exactly what I was looking for from his pile of things. The most ridiculous was that
one instance when I borrowed his test papers from Chemistry, his gaze was fixed at
around 20 test papers, and muttered, "Chen Xiaoxi, are you here to compare
answers?" Then he pulled out a test paper from somewhere in the middle, and asked
me if it was the test paper that I was asking for. I've always felt that his supernatural
abilities and the common folks' skill of feeling the bones*' have different melodies* but
are played with equal skill. (T/N: [1] Feeling the bones is a technique by fortune
tellers to determine things (personality, luck, etc.) depending on the appearance of a
person's bones. [2] A metaphor for having various approach but the outcome is the
same.)
Sometimes, he would also allow me to help him tidy up his desk, but every time I'm
tidying up his things, he would always lean back on his chair with both of his arms
folded across his chest, looking meticulously at me. I'd ask him what he was looking
at and he would tell me he was looking at where I was putting his things, it made me
feel like I was actually causing him such inconvenience, but I just continued to
relentlessly inconvenience him further.
Jiang Chen's desk right now looked much better than before, only those medical
charts that were stacked were a bit in a clutter. I picked them all up to stack them
neatly but didn't expect that that the door would suddenly swing open which scared
me and made me let go, sending the medical charts crashing to the floor.
Jiang Chen said, "What are you doing here?" Then he looked at the heap of medical
charts on the ground and continued, "Did my medical charts offend you?"
Chapter 20

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 20

Xri
I squatted down to pick up the medical charts and said, "I was afraid you might have
gotten gastric pain again from being over hungry, so I brought you breakfast."
Jiang Chen squatted down to help pick up the medical charts, "Hospital's cafeteria
has breakfast."
I looked up at him, "So have you eaten?"
He took the medical charts from me and threw them on the table, "Too tired, no
appetite."
Indeed, his face was a face of weariness, a slight greenish color on his lower eyelids,
face and lips were slightly pale.
I said, "I bought you tea eggs."
He removed his coat and said, "I will eat if you peel it."
I took over his coat, dragged him to a chair and sat him down, beamed and him and
said, "Doctor, you need more protein for supplement. I will peel an egg for you right
now."
He looked and me, shook his head and laughed. I stretched out my hand and poked
his dimple and laughed along with him.
I held out the peeled egg to his mouth side and asked carefully, "How was the
surgery?"
"Successful." He took one bite off the egg, "Help me take a bottle of water, it is at the
lowest compartment of the document drawer."
I opened the lowest compartment of his drawer, it was filled with at least thirty to forty
Nongfu Spring water. I took one out, opened it and passed it to him, "Why does your
hospital only give out Nongfu Spring?"
"How would I know?"
Jiang Chen reluctantly ate two tea eggs, and leaned back on his chair, and said, "I
don't want to eat anymore."
I tore apart a disposable chopstick and persuaded him, "Eat a few more dumplings."
He very unwillingly swallowed down a few dumplings, I saw that he was really tired,
so I didn't persuade him anymore, I only said, "You didn't sleep the whole night, and
you had a surgery, you should go home and rest."
He shook his head, "The patient's anesthesia has yet to wear off, we still need to do
close monitoring. I can't leave the hospital."
I felt a little distressed for him and gave a pat on his head, "It's been hard on you."
He dodged my hand, "Your hands just peeled tea eggs."
I was angry, "Your hands have touched dead people!"
He said gravely, "I washed my hands."
.....
I said, "You can rest your head on the table and take a little nap, or I can ask Doctor
Su if there's any empty ward for you to sleep for a while?"
He didn't answer me, he only stood up and walked behind a shelf and dragged out a
foldable bed.
I exclaimed, "Well equipped ah."
He opened up the foldable bed against the wall, then he threw himself on the bed
with a thump' sound, just like a corpse.
I stared blankly at his tightly shut eyes, thinking if I should leave or stay and wait for
him to wake up? Shouldn't he at least warn me before sleeping...
I stared at him for a while and sighed. I squatted down to remove his shoes for him.
I placed the shoes under the bed and cleared the egg shells on the table. Just as I
was about to leave the room to throw the rubbish, Jiang Chen said, "Chen Xiaoxi,
where are you going?"
I turned back, he didn't even open his eyes. I said I was going to throw rubbish.
He asked if I will be coming back.
I said I will be.
He then said, "Okay, then you go."
I thought in my heart that I didn't even asked for your permission, why do you flatter
yourself?
After I returned from throwing rubbish, Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes while I
was closing the door. I got a shock, it was actually very scary. Just imagine, being in
a gloomy dark room, the person whom you thought were asleep suddenly opened his
eyes and looked at you. Basically, all you want to do is to rush towards him and stick
an amulet on him.
I asked him frightenedly, "Why are you not asleep?"
He said, "Nope, I fell asleep, it was just a light sleep."
I thought about it and didn't know what to reply, so I could only parrot his last line,
"That was a really light sleep."
Jiang Chen closed his eyes again, I stood in the middle of the room at a loss of what
to do. Just as I was thinking If I should leave first and come back in the afternoon,
Jiang Chen opened his eyes and said, "Why are you still standing there? Come here
and accompany me to sleep."
I was really taken aback. However, I usually express my feelings wrongly in front
Jiang Chen which ended up being awkward or creepy, I concluded that the indecent
sleeping I was thinking about is not the pure sleeping he was talking about. So, I
calmly walked to his bed side and said, "You move in a bit."
He moved in, and I lied down after removing my shoes.
Then I asked him, "Do you have pillows?"
He said he doesn't.
After a while he suggested, "Why not you rest your head on my arm?"
I think a surgeon's hand is very costly. If I slept till it became numb, and after it went
numb it would become crippled, then I would have committed a big offense.
Therefore, I rejected him.
We slept with our backs against each other for quite some time, I asked him, "Are
you asleep?"
He said, "No."
I said, "Is it too squeezy?"
He replied, "No."
I said, "Then why can't you fall asleep?"
He said, "I want to hug you to sleep. But I recalled that you stayed in the hospital for
the entire time since last night and didn't bathe."
I turned over and said angrily, "You also didn't bathe, I didn't even avoid you!"
I squinted his panda eyes and was immersed in his thoughts, after a while he said,
"You are right."
After that he extended his arms and pulled me into a hug, he then patted on my head
and said, "Alright, it's no longer squeezy. We can sleep now."
I rested on the hollowness between his shoulder and chest. It was not too hard nor
was it too soft, it was pretty comfortable. But I kept having the feeling as though I was
being fooled. In order to show my disdain, I said, "You have a disinfectant smell on
you."
He made an agreeing sound then proceeded to ignore me, so I said again, "You have
too many bones, it's killing me."
Only then did he open his eyes, "We have the same number of bones, 206 pieces."
As he brought the conversation onto a professional level, my qualities could no longer
keep up. I could only think of ways to change the topic, and I thought of Doctor Su. I
said, "Oh, do you know what Doctor Su's dad do for a living?"
He embraced me tightly and said, "Her dad is our faculty's dean, Old Man Su. Why
do you ask?"
This is Old Man Su, that is also Old Man Su*, this person loves to joke, despite how
lame the joke is, he thinks that it is very funny. It makes everyone limp and numb, this
person, is Old Man Su. (T/N: 2 different types of Su were used here namely, and
respectively. There is no meaning to it, just a different word used for the surname.)
Old Man Su and I had a chance encounter that was like a thunderstruck. It was a day
where leaves were swirling in the air. I waited for Jiang Chen (whose class was
delayed) to end class at the corridor. While I was leaning on the railing looking at the
people who were walking on the school ground, an old man came to me and asked,
"Miss, what class is inside? Why are they not dismissed yet?"
I said, "I also have no idea, I am just waiting for my boyfriend."
I smiled at me and said, "Which one is your boyfriend? Can you point to me?"
At that time I was still nave, so I pointed inside proudly. However, the elder before me
suddenly gave a very solemn look. "Student Jiang? No wonder he seemed really
inattentive in my class recently, so it was because he is dating. I say you kids these
days, being young is the best time to absorb knowledge nutrients, but you all choose
to waste it on boy girl relationships. That is too insensible. Looks like I will have to
re-discuss with his class tutor on the scholarship nominees."
I quickly kept the pride on my face, I was shocked till I was a little unstable, I quickly
used my about-to-cry tone to explain to him, "Teacher, it is not like that. Actually,
student Jiang Chen doesn't like me, it was me who shamelessly stuck myself to him,
it has nothing to do with him."
He made a hmph' sound and said, "You need two hands to clap."
I clenched my teeth and said, "Teacher, I will tell you the truth. I am a mythomania. I
am always fantasizing on having an extraordinary relationship with each and every
boy in the medicine school. The day before yesterday was student Lee. Yesterday it
was student Zhang. Today it is student Jiang. According to your professional medical
perspective, do you think there is a cure for this kind of illness?"
Old Man Su stared at me with his eyes enlarged, he then slowly asked after a while,
"Which faculty are you from?"
"Arts."
I muttered to himself, "Arts students are all crazy people. You only fantasize yourself
with the medicine school male students? How about the medicine school male
teachers?"
I suspect that his question has a smell of self-recommendation. With the mindset to
protect Jiang Chen, I went all out. I fumbled on my shirt edge and looked at him with
eyes full of tender feelings, "Actually... actually I do too."
Old Man Su held onto his arms and stumbled backwards. He said, "This student,
actually I was just joking with you just now."
I asked blankly, "Which one was a joke?"
He said, "The scholarship nominee. Also, I don't teach his class, I only know him."
My only thought at that time was, "Is it a crime to hit teachers? Or is it better to hit
him in a rucksack? Or should I hire someone to assassinate him?"
He saw that I was silent, he continued, "This student, I have a wife, we have very
deep feelings for each other."
I shook off my idea, and said to him coldly and dismally, "It's okay, I will just look at
you from a distance then."
I even looked down to wipe tears off my eyes after I finished talking. From my
peripheral view I saw Old Man Su walked backwards a few more steps. I think I
shouldn't scare the elderly too much, just as I was about to look up to tell him I was
joking, an arm came from behind my back and held on my shoulder, "Chen Xiaoxi,
why is your head down? Did Old man Su bully you?"
Old Man Su came to a sudden realization, he pointed at me with trembling hand and
stumbled half a step and said, "You.... You are too much!"
.....
Jiang Chen whispered to my ears, "Lets go quick, his acting addiction is starting
again."
Doctor Su and Old Man Su, they are really from one family.
I looked up, Jiang Chen already fell into a deep slumber, I rested on his chest while
smelling the weird disinfectant smell on him as I too, fell into a faraway dream land.
Chapter 21

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 21

youtiaoshutiao
When I woke up, Jiang Chen had already disappeared. He left a note at the bedside,
asking me to return home after I woke up.
I searched out my phone and looked, it was already past eleven o'clock, I could eat
lunch. Thinking that Jiang Chen hadn't really eaten much in the morning, I wanted to
buy some food for him to eat before leaving.
Hence, I swept and parted my hair for a little while before leaving the room. Upon
leaving the room, I so happened to run into that sanitation worker auntie, I very
happily went up and asked her, "Auntie, where is the hospital canteen?"
She looked at me, then looked at the door of Jiang Chen's office, and said, "I don't
know."
Her tone of voice was very harsh, as if I was scum.
I said again, "Haven't you been working in the hospital for a few decades, how can
you not know where the canteen is?"
She used a gaze of looking at faeces to size me up from head to toe, and said with
revulsion, "Even if I know, I won't tell you."
I was shocked by her frankness, and felt that she really was an honest person who
made a clear difference between what she loved and what she hated, and who really
poured out her whole heart and soul* to tell it as it was. (T/N: original idiom directly
translated means to fish out your heart and your lungs (), meaning to devote yourself
entirely to a matter)
After she finished speaking, she then walked onwards pushing the rubbish bin, before
she turned round the corner she even loudly lamented, "People nowadays deliver
gifts till they deliver on the bed, really disgusting."
Facing the glass window of the corridor, I took measure of myself, my clothes were a
little wrinkled, my hair was a little messy, but it didn't appear like I had been ravaged
too. I felt grieved that I was always being misunderstood, at the same time I also felt
grieved for this auntie's humanity. She would rather believe that I was a nutcase or
that I was on the casting couch*, yet she was unwilling to believe that we were only a
couple that loved each other. Of course, this could also be because I had a face that
didn't look like an innocent woman, but it was also more possible that Jiang Chen
always had extremely terrible rumours and comments about him, causing the masses
of society to lose faith in his conduct. (T/N: "casting couch" referring to the practise
where actresses must trade sexual favours to be casted in roles)
In order not to encounter such a cold countenance like that of the sanitation worker
auntie again, I decided to depend on my own strength to search for the mysterious
whereabouts of that canteen. Just as I was wandering about in the hospital, Jiang
Chen called.
He said, "Have you woken up?"
I said, "Just woke up."
He said, "Then be more careful on your way back."
I went silent for a little while, before speaking, "Have you eaten?"
He said, "Mm, I'm eating with the family members of a patient."
I spoke, "Okay, I got it, I'll go back."
Nowadays, even doctors had to accompany their clients for meals. And I didn't know
why I was a little disappointed, perhaps it was that I was hungry and yet he didn't
invite me to freeload a meal together. What is known as "going into battle, it's best to
have father and son as soldiers*", freeloading meals, it's best to have a couple doing
so, he really wasn't sensible. (T/N: a line from a proverb meaning that in times of life
and death, family members are the most dependable people to work with)
I took a shower when I got home, then changed into a set of comfortable clothes and
sat on the bed lost in thought. This weekend was endlessly long, fragmented into bits
and pieces such that it wasn't real at all. One moment my heart would swell till it was
full, the next moment it would be sucked out till it was empty. Hesitatingly, I curled my
legs up in front of my chest and hugged them, this pose was to match with the
current apprehension and worries about loss and gain* in my heart. The pose in
addition to my mentality, I felt that I really was a flower-petal-like young woman. (T/N:
a Chinese idiom meaning to worry that you can't obtain something, yet worrying that
you will lose it once you do obtain it)
I took up my telephone and made a call to Wu Bosong, the phone only rang twice
before it was picked up, proving that he was very idle.
Wu Bosong said, "Chen Xiaoxi, child, have you and your lover reconciled yet?"
I said, "We've reconciled."
He said, "Aiyaya, why does your voice sound so downcast?"
I went silent.
His tone of voice started to become serious. "It's not that after you reconciled with
him, only then did you discover that the person you love most is me, right?"
I rolled my eyes, "Screw you."
He laughed twice, before saying indifferently, "Speak, what's up?"
I first gave a long, long sigh to express that I really was very distressed, after which I
then recounted once through to him the process of us reconciling according to how it
really happened. Finally, I asked him, "Would you think that this sort of situation of
ours is very absurd?"
He asked, "Why would it be absurd?"
I said, "It was very flippant, how can we inexplicably break up and inexplicably get
back together, this makes me appear like I'm very wanton."
He said, "Give me a break, I thought that once Jiang Chen beckons you over with his
finger, you will fly over and throw yourself (at him)."
......
I spoke again, "But they all say that girls who chase guys won't be cherished, this
actually has been a hidden worry in my heart all this while."
He said, "Then you can go and look for someone else, let someone else chase you,
let someone else cherish you."
I said, "What are you being so angry for, can't you just talk me around nicely? You
say, it's been three years already, why am I such a loser?"
He said, "Alright then, I thought what you needed now was a wake-up call*, I didn't
expect that what you want now is a caring older brother. Since this is so, I'll be a little
more tactful, you're simply idiotic plus infatuated, once you mention Jiang Chen you
will smile nauseatingly, once you see Jiang Chen your two eyes will light up just like
how a fly does when it sees poop. Don't speak of three years, even if it were thirty
years, you also can't escape from Jiang Chen's palm." (T/N: original idiom is literally
meaning a blow and a shout to one's head. Alludes to the Buddhist practice where
the master would just randomly club a novice's head or shout at a novice to demand
an answer for no reason, to test the novice's progress in comprehending Buddhist
concepts. The idiom refers to methods to make one wake up to reality, or to give
someone a severe warning)
...... Your definition of tactful' is very unique.
I believed that what he said wasn't wrong, in this world, there really existed matter
which "reinforced each other and subdued each other*", for example, Sister Furong*
was the bane of Tsinghua University, Sister Feng* was the bane of the plastic surgery
industry, and Jiang Chen was the bane of my life. Uh, it seems like this analogy isn't
very elegant. Let's put it this way, there are some people who just are that calamity*
in your life, no matter if you love it or hate it, nothing can compare to one sentence of
his. (T/N: The original phrase , refers to the five phases of Chinese philosophy wood,
fire, earth, metal, water. Each phase reinforces/develops another phase, and each
phase subdues another phase too. To give an example: fire gives rise to earth,
because after fire burns things, the matter will turn to ashes, which becomes earth,
but fire subdues metal, because fire can melt metal.) (T/N: Sister Furong/Furong
Jiejie is a woman who is notorious on the internet and is an internet celebrity. She
initially gained notoriety for her posts on the Internet forums of Tsinghua University
and Peking University after she tried a few times but failed to get a place in these
schools for postgraduate studies. [Btw, Tsinghua and Peking are the top two
universities in Beijing/China]) (T/N: Sister Feng is another internet celebrity who
became famous due to a lot of outlandish comments/things she did. In 2010, she
announced that she was going to do plastic surgery, saying that she was going to do
plastic surgery till she looked like Fan Bing Bing/Shu Qi etc, and apparently her doing
plastic surgery (among many other things) caused a nationwide sensation) (T/N: an
ancient Taoist macroscopic concept relating to time, referring to bad luck, adversity,
catastrophes that are destined to happen in your life.)
I said, "Then Jiang Chen's mother doesn't like me, and my dad also doesn't like Jiang
Chen, we still don't have a future."
Wu Bosong said, "This way, I'll tell you a story."
He told me a story about a young man and woman, this story could almost reach the
top and take the number one position among all the ridiculous stories I have ever
heard.
The boy and the girl loved each other, and after that they wanted to get married. The
paternal grandmother of the boy didn't approve of it, because the girl was born in the
year of the dog*, and the grandmother had been bitten before by a dog when she
was small. This signified that if the girl married into the family, she would clash with
the grandmother's good fortune, so the grandmother refused to let the two get
married for the life of her. You see how ridiculous this was, to me, being born in the
year of the dog at most symbolised that after the girl married into the family,
whenever she found the grandmother unfavourable, she would have an excuse to
bite her only. Later on, that boy couldn't bear to be disobedient to his grandmother,
and hence left. Before he left, he promised that he would definitely return to marry the
girl. Many years later, the boy returned, the girl became his father's mistress, and
even gave birth to a big fat baby for his father in the year of the dog. And just when
his father was in the midst of seeking a divorce from his mother in order to give this
girl a status, his grandmother was made so angry by her new grandson born in the
year of the dog that she was hospitalised. You see, this girl's method of seeking
revenge wasn't only just ridiculous, it was also quite sinister if I can't become your
wife I'll become your mother, if I can't marry your grandson I'll marry your son, you
don't want a granddaughter-in-law that's born in the year of the dog, I'll give birth to a
grandson born in the year of the dog for you. (T/N: The Chinese zodiac calendar
operates in cycles of 12 lunar years, with an animal representing each year in the
cycle. Being born in a certain year represented by a certain animal is often thought to
influence your personality and your fortune.)
After I finished listening, I sounded an "ah" in astonishment, and asked him, "Is this
your story?"
He said, "It's not."
I said, "If it's not, what are you telling it to me for, don't tell me that you want me to go
and seduce Jiang Chen's dad?"
He said, "I just want to tell you that there are some people in this world who are very
ridiculous, they like to interfere in other people's lives boldly and with conviction, yet
you totally can ignore them. For example, the boy and the girl in this story, they totally
could have gone to register their marriage themselves or make an agreement with
each other to elope, if that was really out of the question, waiting till the old woman
died would have resolved it, there was no need to ruin each other's and other
people's lives."
I said, "So you mean for me and Jiang Chen to elope?"
He said, "What elope, you are so stupid, where can you elope off to."
I said, "Then what exactly do you mean?"
He said, "Actually there's also not much meaning, I just suddenly wanted to tell you a
story."
I said, "That's not it, this really is your story right, if you are afraid of me knowing why
did you need to tell me?"
He said, "This really isn't my story, this is the story of my mother and my older
brother. I'm just telling you about my confusing life history to let you feel more
balanced in your heart."
Once again, he succeeded in making me sound an "ah" in astonishment.
We then chatted randomly and blindly about some trivial rubbish, after hanging up the
phone I suddenly was filled with confidence in the future of Jiang Chen and I,
because I felt that since I was born in the year of the dragon, and this sort of creature
that the dragon was was comparatively more mythological and imaginary, it wasn't
too possible that I would be able to bite Jiang Chen's family members, so in any case
I wouldn't be reduced to the same state that Wu Bosong's mother was in.
You see, us humans are always like this, we need an even more miserable story to
decorate our own misery, we use other people's sorrows to balance out our own
sorrows. How did that powerful sentence go again when I was complaining about
how I didn't have shoes to wear, I discovered that there were people who didn't have
legs. I had legs, I also wasn't born in the year of the dog, how blessed was I.
Chapter 22

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 22

dolly
The end of the weekend seemed to signify that Jiang Chen and I have also ended
contact. I've been working for three days and only then did I got a call from Jiang
Chen. He simply called me to explain that he was very busy and didn't say anything
else. I still insisted and gave him three calls, two of which went through but nobody
answered, and one went through with us giving hurried greetings to each other, he's
still able to eat much rice*. (T/N: It means to do something deliberately to show
people the state of things.)
Situ Mo would often taunt me, saying, "Why does your boyfriend seems to be there
but not there, and seems to be hidden but also visible ah."
I cursed her saying her husband and the female scientist in the laboratory would
make a test-tube baby or something.
Early morning of Thursday, I was in the office doing a case' which was the design on
the box for a certain brand of blow dryer. It's actually very easy, put a photo of the
product, put the logo of the brand, put a brief info regarding the product's function, put
the lines needed for promotion, and it's over. I don't like this kind of job but I like my
co-workers here, because I'm someone who can't handle complex human
relationships, and my two co-workers, Fu Pei and Situ Mo, are both relatively simple
people.
But I was exceptionally irritable at work today, I hit the table and told Situ Mo. "What's
the point in living like this, doing these pointless things every day, I can't see any
future."
Situ Mo fished out a lollipop from her bag and threw it at me, "I'm giving you my son's
candy, don't say such childish words again."
Don't say such childish words again. But day after day, we are all moving forward in
uncertainty, just like walking in the dark, no one knows what our every footfall would
step on, or what kind of future it would take us.
I said solemnly, "I ate your son's candy, I'll dedicate my body and soul to him, okay."
Situ Mo said, "Get lost you pedophile."
Speaking of pedophilia, I can't help but think of Su Rui, he called me last night, saying
his life was dull. Design? Empty. Business? Miserable. The final conclusion was that
he was lacking a muse that would lead him through his chaotic life with zero
inspirations, and under his considerations,I vaguely think I was probably that' muse.
I said I reconciled with Jiang Chen. He said, "It is said that in the great affairs of the
world under the heavens, that which is long divided must unite, and that which is long
united must divide*."
(T/N: This quote originated from the Chinese historical novel, The Romance of the
Three Kingdoms which concerns contention, initiated by a sovereign power, Shu,
against another, Wei, by colluding with the third sovereign power, Wu, wherein Shu
and Wu would often breach their agreements in the then China of 220-280. Now, it is
used to describe how things are constantly changing.)
I said, "How about I introduce you to a possible girlfriend? I guarantee that she is
more mature, stylish, and beautiful than I am, and will satisfy all your fantasies of a
love between an older woman and a younger man." He said, "Falling for you only
proves that I don't want someone mature, stylish, and beautiful."
I felt unbearably angry so I just hung up the phone, holding myself back from quickly
giving Doctor Su a call to rat him out. This tell one's parent to sue the teacher'
behavior is really shameless, I didn't do it when I was a kid, it's impossible to grow up
when you break a precept.
But I didn't think that just because I didn't do it, doesn't mean Su Rui also wouldn't do
it. I got a call from Doctor Su around lunch time, more or less the content was about
how her younger brother no longer thinks about drinking tea and eating rice* because
of me, and that if I don't want her to go to Jiang Chen and directly tell him that I was a
fickle woman, I would have to carefully think of a way to fix it. In the end, she told me
seriously, that her threat about telling Jiang Chen was just a joke. Damn, her black
humor. (T/N: Denotes losing the ability to function from the loss of a very important
thing or an obsession about a certain thing to the point of neglecting basic
necessities.)
I gave Su Rui a call, he said he was still cocooned in his blanket, also, a girl's voice
and laughter went through the phone, "Little buddy, your jie jie asked me to talk to
you."
He said, "Who is your little buddy, what do I have to talk to you about?"
The completely awkward 17-18 year old tone of his voice was really cute
I said, "Okay then, forget about it, just don't let the grown-ups worry for you, bye."
I was done talking, about to hang up the phone when he let out a shout that made my
head swim, "Chen Xiaoxi, you dare hang up on me again!"
Why wouldn't I dare hang up, I fear nothing in heaven or earth, besides Jiang Chen's
phone call which I dare not hung up.
Two seconds later, Su Rui roared and yelled, "Chen Xiaoxi, you are too much, I really
like you."
I said, "Thanks, but I already like someone else."
He said, "You always like only him, only one person, don't you feel that your life is
very boring?"
I said, "A little bit, so I advise you to quickly go out and like a few more."
Su Rui furiously threw his phone, breaking it. He unexpectedly reminded me of
something, and made me decide to visit the man who made my life boring after I
knock off work. When I came up with such a thought, I felt that I was so stupid before
he's busy while I'm the one who's free, and I still had to wait for him to find time to
look for me, what is wrong with me!
When I got to the hospital, it was already past 6 o'clock, I couldn't find Jiang Chen
everywhere, so I gave him a call, "Where are you?"
"Hospital."
"Where in the hospital?"
"In a ward, are you here?"
"En. Which floor? Which room number? I'll go find you."
"No need. Just go to the lobby and wait for me. I'll go downstairs to find you."
I picked a conspicuous place among the many rows of benches in the lobby and sat
down, even at this hour, there were still a lot of people sitting, standing up, walking
back and forth all around the lobby, their faces looked more or less worried. But I was
too busy to observe them, I was busy staring at every single entrance. I don't know
what's wrong with me, I was suddenly so nervous about seeing him, like back in our
student days, every time I'd hear his name, even when I was just chatting with my
classmates, my heart would secretly skip a beat.
"What are you doing?" Someone poked the back of my head, I was, of course,
leaning forward, craning my head to look at the corridors, I was laxed, so when I was
poked, I almost face-planted on the floor but the person held me back. I turned my
head, Jiang Chen was looking helplessly at me, "Why are you sitting unsteadily?"
I looked cluelessly at him and smiled, "Why didn't I see you coming?"
He pointed at the staircase behind me, "I came down from upstairs."
I chuckled, skipped over to his side, held unto his arm, and said, "I'm asking you out
for a meal."
He said, "What are you so happy about?"
I said, "I'm just happy to see you."
He gave me a sideways glance, like a joke and also like a request, he said, "If you're
happy, then come here every day."
I nodded frenetically, "I think that you're so busy, in the future, I'll just frequently come
here to keep you company okay."
He smiled and patted my head, saying, "I'm not used to you being so considerate like
this."
I think the words he spoke wasn't said in the commanding heights of reality, faced
with him, in fact I'm very considerate most of the time.
He looked at his watch, and said, "What do you want to eat? I can't walk too far off
from the hospital."
I said, "Then which one around here is the most expensive to eat at? My invitation,
but you'll be the one paying."
Jiang Chen said with a laugh, "You're very shameless."
"Exactly." I am very proud, "My principle in life is, After eating, wipe my mouth, and
wipe my ass, then leave."
My voice fell, I myself was stunned, Jiang Chen hesitated for two seconds, then he
burst into peals of laughter, a doctor in white, paying no heed to his image and
laughing heartily in the hospital lobby. This unkind and unsympathetic behavior, even
though his laugh is very nice to look at, he ought to be dragged out to get 30 beatings
from a huge plank.
Jiang Chen led me out the back door of the hospital, he said he was going to take me
to a very good hotpot place.
I said, "You're taking me to eat hotpot in summer?"
He said, "That place is open all year round, they have a lovers' pot' and I heard that
it's very delicious, I've been wanting to take you there for a long time now, I can't wait
for winter."
I've been wanting to take you there for a long time.
I stopped walking. I could feel my nose tingling the way it does when I'm about to cry.
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at me and wondered, "What happened?"
I stretched out my hand at him and said, "You take me."
He looked left and right, let out a sigh, and held my hand, "Why are you still so
childish."
I watched him, his dimple was slowly showing on his left cheek, tch, aren't you
childish yourself.
The steam from the hotpot soon filled in between Jiang Chen and I. Besides being
covered in the steam, I had the smell sticking all over me with sweat seeping through
my pores making me feel very filthy, and also because I've told Jiang Chen about the
thing with Su Rui, my filthy heart was looking forward that he best eat a little' vinegar,
scratch that, eat a lot' of vinegar. It doesn't matter if he'd flip this hotpot table over, as
long as the boiling hot soup doesn't pour on the both of us. (T/N: Eating vinegar
means being jealous to a rival in love)
However, Jiang Chen just picked a slice of lamb meat and threw it in my bowl, "Stop
being so conceited."
Ai, my conceitedness was spoken with tact, but he's still able to see clearly the
downy feather* of autumn. (T/N: A Chinese idiom meaning to notice the minutest
details in everything.)
I said, "Su Rui asked me, if it isn't boring to like only one person for a lifetime. What
do you think?"
He said, "It might be a bit boring? I haven't tried."
I was stunned, mulled over it for a long time before I came to understand, tapping the
edge of my bowl, I asked, "Can you say that again?"
He threw another piece of lamb meat into my bowl, "My grandma said, Tap your bowl
and you'll become a beggar." (T/N: It is poor table etiquette to tap on your bowl with
your chopsticks as beggars make this kind of noise to attract attention.)
I neither overlooked nor spared* things and pressed on, "Who else did you like?"
(T/N: Treat something seriously without listening to excuses.)
He turned his eyes upwards in contemplation, and said after a long while, "Anyway,
I'm not bored."
I was watching that dead look on his face, and said in bitter anger, "Okay, I also don't
want to resign myself to being the only one who likes you for a lifetime anyway."
Jiang Chen also tapped on the edge of his bowl and said, "I actually think it's nice to
just like only one person for a lifetime, just like performing surgery, only paying
attention to speed and accuracy."
Those three phrases, not leaving out one's profession......
When our discussion regarding the serious, mountain collapsing, earth splitting' topic
about one true love' has come to an end, Jiang Chen seemed to remember
something and asked me, "Have you been going to my place recently?"
"Ah?" My brain couldn't get a grasp on it. "Go to your place?"
He glared at me, "Isn't my key there still with you?"
"I had a sudden epiphany but a little puzzled, "I forgot, your key is still here with me.
You haven't been home these past few days?"
He said, "Wasn't able to, the patient I operated last Sunday is very influential, the
higher-ups wanted me to be on call for 24 hours."
"Who?" I placed my bag on my lap, on one hand, preoccupied with rummaging my
bag to look for the key, on the other hand, asking things casually.
"That Secretary Zhang whose banquet I took you last time. I have a spare key in my
office."
I scratched my head, "Why are you leaving your key with me?"
Could it be, he wants me to sneak up on him in the middle of the night? The nerve of
this guy........
He threw another piece of lamb meat into my bowl. "To let you clean up my house,
you're acting like you have amnesia. Your bowl's already full, are you going to eat or
not?"
I have no idea when I piled up so much meat in my bowl, I could only praise on how
really fast Jiang Chen was.
This was probably the fastest hotpot I've ever had, it only took us about an hour from
ordering to being done with eating. After eating, we looked at each other, the image
was as if we were walking past each other under the rain, but what we were really
thinking was that we're very smelly.
Back in the hospital, Jiang Chen went to their quarters to take a shower, I stayed in
his office waiting for him to come back, to come back and give me a week's worth of
smelly clothes to wash and dry under the sun.
Chapter 23

A Love So Beautiful ()
Chapter 23
Xri
I carried a big bag of clothes while walking along the hospital corridor. An enchanting
woman came walking towards me. She first shot me a glance, then she nodded her
head while smiling at me, "Hello, Chen Xiaoxi."
I too, nodded while smiling, "Hu Ran Ran, hello."
To be honest, I recognized her from afar, that strong sinister aura she has, even if
she was burnt to her ashes, her aura can still choke me. It's just that I didn't dare to
greet her first, in case she looked at me without guilt and say to me, "I'm sorry, you
are?"
To act acquainted, that is the most embarrassing thing.
Hu Ran Ran wrinkled her nose and smelled, she pointed to the big, black plastic bag
that I was holding and blinked her eyes asking, "You killed your boyfriend, and
mutilated him?"
I remembered what the nurse said, that the person had a heart attack on a woman's
bed. The woman was most probably Hu Ran Ran, I think her method of murder is of
the highest class.
I said, "These are his laundry, the foul smell you smelled is probably mine because I
sweated too much."
She pouted her red lips and whistled, "Virtuous ah."
I looked down and smiled lightly, modestly expressing that I am indeed more virtuous
than most people.
As I was about to leave after exchanging a few words, Hu Ran Ran said, "Can you
accompany me for a smoke?"
I was thinking, she doesn't even mind my company even when I smell like a
decomposed corpse, that is a friendship that is very precious. It doesn't seem right if I
were to reject her, so I nodded. I followed her left and right to a secluded staircase.
She passed one cigarette to me, and I held it between my fingers and examined. It's
white and slim, the cigarette butt even has a pretty red heart engraved on it.
She first lighted up her own cigarette, then came out to help me with it. I was a little
awkward, so I could only hard-headedly move forward to her lighter. Only when I
moved forward did I realize that she has really good skin. I originally thought that it
was the flawless canvas of a thick makeup, little did I know she wasn't wearing much,
alright, she was born beautiful.
Hu Ran Ran very quickly took a puff of cigarette and blew out smoke, which slowly
dispersed around her. She looks like those demon vixens that appears while swaying
their hips in Journey to the West.
I stared at the cigarette between my fingers. I felt like those bad girls who were
brought to the staircase in those movies, it was pretty cool. I prepared my heart and
brought the cigarette to my mouth, bite it with my teeth, and took a deep breath. The
smoke went straight to my throat, choked me till I couldn't stop coughing, there were
tears in my eyes.
Hu Ran Ran laughed at me, and puffed out another ring of smoke, "Chen Xiaoxi,
aren't you quite useless."
I hit on my chest to circulate the air, and answered her, "I... *cough cough*.... Never
smoked before."
After coughing, my mouth tastes like mint, I asked, "Are cigarettes all mint
flavoured?"
She shook her head, "No, this is for woman who put on an act."
I sincerely felt ashamed, I couldn't even put on an act properly.
I leaned on the staircase railings with Hu Ran Ran, I tried to conquer the cigarette
again, but I only looked at it burning slowly, why did she ask me here?
She finished her cigarette, and threw the cigarette butt down the stairs and said,
"Zhang Qian Rong is seducing your man in the hospital every day."
I shook off a long stretch of ashes, "Secretary Zhang's daughter?"
"Granddaughter," she corrected me, "Have you forgotten that the old man is so old
that he can just die already?"
This kind of question feels like a trap to me, I was afraid that if I agreed, there will
suddenly be people dressed in black attacking me from all directions and capture me,
so I didn't make a sound.
Hu Ran Ran said, "I just wanted to warn you, don't let her get her way."
I thought, sister, your care about my marriage is more than my parents'.
I said, "Won't, I am quite reassured about him."
Hu Ran Ran suddenly became very agitated. She single-handedlybanged her hand
on the wooden staircase till it rattled. She said, "You are reassured? You actually trust
men?"
I thought, to trust men isn't a big sin, why are you so agitated...
She continued banging the staircase, "You are too nave, no one gets into a
relationship like you do!"
I thought, she sounded as though she experienced my relationship...
As my relationship belongs to the failed-but-subsequently-reconciled category, so I
very modestly sought her guidance on how a relationship should be like. She was
caught off guard, shook her head and confessed, "I have never gotten into a
relationship, my strength is on being a mistress."
......
We were speechless for a while, and she lighted up another cigarette and said,
"Whatever the case is, you better ask your man to distance himself from that family,
the further the better, I won't harm you."
I do believe that she won't harm me. After all, there is no benefit in harming me. I am
also not challenging. As the saying goes, don't use a knife meant for beef to kill a
chicken*. (T/N: aka don't use a sledgehammer on a nut.)
I thought about it, and said, "Okay, I will let him know, thank you, I will go home first."
She waved her hand and said bye.
And so, I left. After about 2 to 3 mins, I realized I couldn't find my way out. I have a
shortcoming, and that is I can only memorize route by the symbol/mark. For example,
the colour of the road signage, the colour of the dustbin, or whether on the wall was it
written "Peeing and Defecating Prohibited". When I followed her, I forgot to take note
of it, and so now I have no idea how to get out.
I could only return back to the staircase, she was still leaning there, using her sobs to
smoke lonelily. (T/N: Is lonelily even a word? LOL.)
I originally didn't want to disturb her desolated back view that can cause tears, but I
really have no choice, so I coughed two times to get her attention. I said, "Uh... I
couldn't find my way out..."
The beauty of her sobs was interrupted by me, she threw away the cigarette on hand
and said, "Follow me."
I extended my leg and stepped on the cigarette to extinguish it, and followed her back
to the original corridor.
From where we are, we saw a crying Zhang Qian Rong sitting on the long bench of
the corridor. In order to correspond with the scientific law of romance, the person
sitting beside her is Jiang Chen.
Hu Ran Ran turned to look at me, "See, she's gotten herself on him."
I got worried hearing it, I couldn't see well as I have mild nearsightedness. I hurriedly
asked her, "On where? On where?*"
Hu Ran Ran asked distracted, "What on where'?"
I said, "Didn't you say they're touching? Where did Jiang Chen put his hand on her? I
can't see properly, I'm nearsighted."
Hu Ran Ran rolled a snow-white eye. "I said she has hooked up on him."
I heaved a sigh of relieve, "You should have said it earlier, you gave me a scare..."
She frowned and mumbled to herself, "Why do I feel that to hook up is more
serious.."
We probably attracted attention because we were standing in the middle of the
corridor, we were spotted after a short while. Jiang Chen looked at me suspiciously
and waved at me to go to him.
The moment I took a step, Hu Ran Ran pulled me back and said loudly, "Let him
come here, why should you go there!"
I looked at Jiang Chen for help, he frowned, but still stood up to walk towards us.
"Why are you still in the hospital?" He pulled me away from Hu Ran Ran's grasp.
"Uh, I was about to go."
Hu Ran Ran gave a cold laugh, "Why are you in such a hurry to chase your girlfriend
away?"
I lifted my head to look at Jiang Chen and gave him a awkward bitter smile, indicating
that I also have no idea what wrong medication did this madam take.
Jiang Chen was about to say something, but Zhang Qian Rong also came over
suddenly. She stretched out her hand to hold onto mine, looked down, and droplets of
tears dripped down onto the back of my palm. She said, "Please do not
misunderstand Doctor Jiang, I was only... only too depressed, he's just consoling
me."
I forced a smile and retrieve back my hands, I said, "No no no, I understand, I didn't
misunderstand."
At the same time, I was secretly moving my hands to the back of Jiang Chen, and
wiped off the tears on the back of my palm on his coat.
Jiang Chen casted me a look.
"Hng, console, I think it seems more like comforting*." Hu Ran Ran gave a cold laugh
again. (T/N: This comfort is the comfort from comfort women'.)
I was shocked by her talent. This (console) and (comfort) is obviously much more
outrageous than the (flow downwards) and (vulgar) that I wrote years ago in my
workbook. (T/N: please refer to chapter 13! Console and Comfort are written as and ,
so they are written the other way. However, both console and comfort can still mean
.)
"You... Nonsense!" Zhang Qian Rong stomped her feet, then proceeded to cover her
mouth and started acting out a wronged till she was choked with emotions' episode.
She looks really pitiful like this.
I spoke in an almost silent volume and asked Jiang Chen, "What to you? Why not
you console her a bit? If not comfort her a little?"
Jiang Chen didn't bother about me, he said to Hu Ran Ran, "Miss Hu, Mr. Zhang was
looking for you just now when he woke up."
After that he patted my head and said, "It's so late, it will be better if I send you
home."
He then pulled me along.
He pulled me till I was taking one step and staggering the other, I kept looking back,
but I only saw them standing in the middle of the corridor staring down at each other.
Just as Jiang Chen took a turn, a slap came from behind us.
I got a shock. I wanted to look back but Jiang Chen dragged me away by my head.
I was very curious, wondering who was the one who slapped the other? In the
ordinary course of events, Hu Ran Ran is very valiant, it is possible that she will hit
someone. However, her status is a mistress, so it is possible for her to be beaten as
well. This is such a hard to solve mystery, its too difficult to understand. For my IQ,
this is a tough question. However, if I were to visit the hospital tomorrow, and just ask
any nurse, there will be immediate detailed and polished answers to my question.
Perhaps, there might even be an HQ video recording. This shows that to be
people-oriented, to rely on technology, any problem will be solved in a jiffy.
Jiang Chen dragged me to the entrance of the hospital, I said, "Don't you have to stay
in the hospital to standby?"
He took off his coat and passed it to me, "Bring this back to wash too, it's full of her
perfume smell, it's too smelly."
I squeezed the coat into the plastic bag, "Are you going to send me back?"
He contemplated for a moment and said, "Can you go back on your own?"
I nodded, "Yes."
He said, "Alright, you take care on the way back, call me once you have reached
home."
I nodded once again, "Ok."
He turned his back and walk away completely contented.
I scratched my head and sighed, at least watch me flag down a taxi before going
right...
I stood at the road side for a long time, I was ignored for the 3 times I tried to flag
down a taxi. I decided that one day I will take revenge on Jiang Chen's
unromantic-nessand insensitivity. For example, when he is fixing his gaze on me with
deep feelings, I will tell him that he has gum in his eyes; if he holds my hand, I will
say he has sweaty palms; if he kisses me, I will tell him that he has a smelly breath. If
I am ruthless enough, I will definitely say he has vegetable stuck between his teeth.
A car slowly came and stopped in front of me, this car is a little familiar. A head
popped out from within, this head is very familiar, he said, "Get on, I will send you
back home."
I said, "Then.. what about standing by?"
He said, "There are other doctors."
I said, "Is there really no problem?"
He said, "If there is a problem I wouldn't bother about you, talk lesser, are you coming
in or not, if not I will go back."
I hugged the plastic bag and entered the car, smiling the entire way back, I couldn't
stop myself from humming a few songs. I only stopped when Jiang Chen turned up
the car's audio to the max volume.
In the end Jiang Chen couldn't take it anymore, he said, "Why are you smiling so
disgustingly for?"
Dazzled, I said, "No, I am just happy that you came back to fetch me."
I am so thankful that you can come back, and we can return together.
Chapter 24

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 24

youtiaoshutiao
We drove the car till we reached downstairs of my house. The car headlights shone,
there was a person standing below the electric pole by the roadside, he was reclining
against the electric pole with the pose of a male lead from an idol drama, there even
was a cigarette stick sandwiched between his fingers. The red beam of light glittered
and gleamed.
A minor smoking, this was certainly bad, I had previously seen the warnings on some
cigarette boxes in Hongkong smoking can cause impotence! Young person don't be
impulsive, being impulsive will have its penalty.
Jiang Chen asked me, "Why would he be here?"
I shook my head and said, "Don't know."
He spoke again, "You really don't know?"
I said, "I really don't know, but if you carry out cruel punishment and question me
under torture, I will then confess that I actually invited him over to have an affair."
Jiang Chen glanced over horizontally at me, and said, "Get off the car for me and
handle it well, I'll watch you in the car."
I said, "Why not you drive the car directly over, and crush him flat against the electric
pole, I once watched a movie called The electric pole has a ghost'* when I was
young, it was very interesting." (T/N: A 1995 Hongkong comedy it's English name is
Love in the Time of Twilight')
He said, "You get off the car, I'll hit you too, it'll be called The electric pole has a pair
of ghosts'."
Embarrassed, I got off the car. I'd only taken two steps when Su Rui dashed in front
of me. He pointed at the car and interrogated, "Why are you together with him?"
I dragged out my words, saying, "Let me think oh if I remember correctly, he is my
boyfriend."
Su Rui stared blankly for a moment, I saw a flash of sorrow in his eyes. My heart
softened a little, I shouldn't have made a judgement that his feelings were just a joke
because he was young. When I liked Jiang Chen back in the day, I was even younger
than he was.
I aimed a quick look at the cigarette in his hand, my tone of voice softened
considerably, "Smoking is bad for your body."
He threw the cigarette down and used his foot to step on it and put it out. "I'll quit
smoking, can you......"
"I can't," I rushed to speak, "Don't be like this, I don't like you."
He rubbed his nose, "But I really do like you very much."
I nodded my head, "Mm, I know."
He said, "I will never like someone else like how I like you again."
No, you will.
I attempted to relieve the atmosphere, "Hey, don't be like this, wait till you take a
fancy to a 15-year-old beautiful lady, you will then doubt your current taste."
Silent, he slowly squatted down, lowered his head and hugged his knees. I stared
blankly for a moment, turned my head back to look at Jiang Chen's car, then turned
back again and lowered my head to look at him, at a loss of what to do. "What
happened to you?"
I didn't get a reply for a long time, I could only squat down too, and pat his shoulder,
"What happened? Where are you not feeling well?"
His muffled voice travelled over, "I'm fine, don't care about me."
I said, "Are you not feeling well somewhere, why not let Jiang Chen help you take a
look?"
He suddenly raised his head and bellowed, "Go away, don't bother me!"
I jumped in fright, not because of his bellowing, but rather because of his tears.
My nose tingled a little. He was only 17 years old, perhaps I was the first setback he
had experienced in his life apart from examinations, just like me back then, (I) liked
Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen didn't like me. The person you like not liking you, how
deserving of sorrow this matter was.
"You can go, your boyfriend is waiting for you in the car." He seemed to have calmed
down considerably.
I made a gesture of "you go back first" towards Jiang Chen's car. He sent a text to my
mobile phone, he said, "Then I'll go back to the hospital first, after you are done
handling (the matter) give me a phone call."
Just like that, I accompanied Su Rui in squatting by the roadside. I didn't speak,
mainly because I didn't know what to say, plus he also was busy crying. The street
light stretched us into two long shadows.
Just as I was thinking that we would have to continue squatting down for a boundless
infinite time period, a primary school student carrying a backpack, wearing her school
uniform with goat-horn braids walked past. She fished out a handful of money from
the pocket of the skirt of her school uniform, the money was brightly-coloured and
was of quite a large amount. She picked out a one-dollar note from inside and passed
it to me, she said, "Auntie, buy an ice-cream for Gege* with this one dollar, coax
Gege to not cry." (T/N: Gege = older brother)
I watched the primary school student trample on my shadow with an innocent and
guiltless face. I bared my fangs, "This! Little! Friend! For what reason is he an older
brother and I am an auntie!"
The primary school student gripped on to the one dollar note and walked away
crying.
Only then did Su Rui open his mouth to speak, he said, "Leave the money behind
before you leave......"
I laughed and shoved at him, "Hey"
He wiped his face, sighed and said, "F***, truly humiliating."
I comforted him, "I'm the one who's humiliated, that child called me auntie."
He also comforted me, "She's jealous of your maturity and allure."
After he finished speaking, he stood up, and easily pulled me up as well.
He said, "I'm all right now, you can go back home."
I said, "Are you really all right?"
He said, "Probably, it depends on whether I'll still use you as inspiration for designing
clothes in the future."
"Ah! Speaking of clothes......" I suddenly recalled, and clapped my head, "I left behind
that bag of clothes in Jiang Chen's car."
He pretended to be dissatisfied, "What clothes? You bought clothes without coming to
my shop? Not letting your friends earn money when you have money, this is too
much."
I glared at him, "That's Jiang Chen's clothes, I'm bringing them back to wash."
Su Rui curled his lip, "He let you help him wash his clothes? So inconsiderate?"
I said, "Su Rui, child, sowing discord is useless."
"I'm not sowing discord, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't let you do these things." He
was unhesitating, "My older sister said, women are to be loved dearly."
I nodded my head and said perfunctorily, "Your older sister has taught you well."
He spoke again, "Yes, my older sister also taught me, if you refused to yield, to force
myself on you."
On my guard, I took two steps back. "This is a joke, right?"
He patted my shoulder and praised, "It seems that you have done quite some
research into Su-type humour."
......
Modestly, I kept my face blank, "I've looked into it cursorily, I've looked into it
cursorily."
Su Rui made me leave first, he said he would leave once he saw me go upstairs. I
refused unyieldingly, I said, "It's better that I watch you leave, so as to avoid you
taking advantage of me turning around and going upstairs to fish out a gun to shoot
me dead."
Unexpectedly, he also wasn't angry, he said, "Don't worry, even if one were to die it
would be me dying, not you."
I thought about it for a moment, and still insisted on him leaving first, I said, "I have to
watch you walk far away, if you want to die you have to die far away, if you die here
you will affect the property prices in our vicinity."
He was disdainful, "Isn't it better if the property prices here fall, only then can you
afford to buy."
"Wrong wrong wrong." I shook my index finger, clicked my tongue and said, "Even if
they fall I also can't afford it, my one year salary is roughly enough to buy one toilet
brick, so I hope that the property prices in the vicinity don't fall by all means, if I can't
afford it everyone also shouldn't be able to afford it together, just like 2012, if one
were to die everyone should die together, it's fair."
He rolled his eyes and rushed off in anger.
I watched his shadow lengthen and shorten and shorten and lengthen under the
street lamps. I merely hoped that when he remembered this again, what he
remembered would be he himself leaving with his head high and chest sticking out,
and not him sorrowfully following with his eyes the view of my back that didn't turn
around at all.
Of course, it was also possible that I was oversensitive, perhaps what he would recall
when he thought back would only be my short carrot legs climbing the stairs with
difficulty......
I returned home and switched on the lights. The moment the lights went on my
mobile phone rang, I was startled, and subconsciously looked to the left and the right
before fishing my mobile phone out, it was Jiang Chen.
I answered the call, "Hello, are you downstairs?"
"No, why?"
I said, "The moment the lights in my house lit up your phone call came through, the
timing is too accurate, it's like the plot of a horror movie."
He laughed in a low voice on the other end, "You watch too many trashy movies."
I retorted, "In the past, who was it who kept on tricking me to go to his dorm to
accompany him to watch horror movies?"
He said, "Then who was it again who kept on making noise, saying that she wanted
to watch but didn't dare to watch alone?"
I brought up old scores, "But there was one time you made me watch your
educational video! That was even more frightening than a horror movie!"
Jiang Chen said, "I don't think that was frightening in any way."
I started shouting, "How was it not frightening, that knife was cutting a U-shape on
the scalp like it was slicing tofu, then it tore open, then a hole was drilled into the
skull, then that round piece of skull bone was taken away, and a tweezer was used to
stir here and there inside that bank of bloody things."
He said, "Not bad, you remember the surgical procedure really clearly."
"How can it not be clear?" I wailed mournfully, "When they were tearing the scalp
open I turned my head and saw you smiling strangely by the side while your hands
were imitating that movement and slowly tearing at my sketchbook! I was so scared
that my eyes didn't dare leave the screen after that, I was afraid of again seeing you
do some perverted actions once more."
I felt that the most frightening horror story was someone by your side turning into a
ghost...... or a monster...... or a pervert...... or an enemy.
Because harm suffered when you didn't set up defences hurt the most.
Jiang Chen went silent for quite some time before he said, "If I remember correctly, at
that time I was looking at the drawings in your sketchbook, if I remember correctly,
there were many character portraits that I felt all seemed very familiar, furthermore
their actions were rather terrible, for example me kneeling on the ground crying
etcetera."
......
It was now my turn to go silent. I had a stack of sketchbooks, their outer covers were
all about the same, but a few of them in that stack were specifically for me to draw to
vent and gratify myself when I argued with Jiang Chen. I had drawn many cartoons
pledging female sovereignty inside: for example, Jiang Chen kneeling on the ground,
streams of tears as thick as noodles flowing down as he begged me for forgiveness,
saying that everything was his fault, saying that he was worse than a beast; also for
example, Jiang Chen crawling on the floor as I high-and-mightily threw a whip
towards him to thrash him; also for example, him kneeling as he scrubbed the floor
while I lay on the sofa pressing the remote control, I said, "Pour a glass of water for
me", his actions were a little slow, I kicked him in the butt, he fell to the ground and
rolled around, then stood up and bowed, saying thank you......
Hence I changed the topic of conversation and said, "You must have called to ask me
about how the matter of Su Rui was handled right?"
Thankfully he was willing to cooperate, he said, "Then how are things?"
I said, "Currently both parties' emotions are stable, the female has no intention of
cheating, the male has no intention of coming out of the closet, or lying across the
railway tracks*." (T/N: meaning to commit suicide)
He said, "If you can't handle it, hand it over to me, don't forget that in your mind I am
a perverted doctor."
I chuckled and gave two forced laughs, and said, "How can that be, how can that be."
He then said, "Oh right, that bag of clothes for you to wash was left behind in my car,
I will leave it for you to wash. Oh right, tonight you can draw me kneeling on the
washboard in the balcony."
......
When it came to the matter of him mercilessly mocking me, deriding me, and
attacking me, he really enjoyed it and never tired of it, taking advantage of every
single opportunity to do so.
Chapter 25

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 25

dolly
Fu Pei was in his office, venting out his spleen*, the reason being he purchased a
new photocopying machine a while back but it has never been used. Situ Mo was
holding a cup of tea, humming a tune in her seat, watching with glee as Fu Pei blows
his top off, this kind of scenario has always been especially delightful to her. (T/N: In
China, the spleen is counted as the seat of one's temperament, hence venting one's
spleen' has become an expression to getting angry'.)
The business has been slow these days, we were idling as our everyday work only
revolved around killing time, but to show consideration for our Boss Fu Pei's
self-esteem, we would often assume an air of being very busy, this truly makes a
person physically and emotionally exhausted.
There was a banging sound as Fu Pei was done wrestling that thing, afterwards, he
told us he'll be heading out to talk business, as he was walking out, Situ Mo slid her
chair next to me wearing a filthy smile, "Who was that handsome little fella
yesterday?"
"Who?"
Situ Mo said, "When I knocked off work yesterday, I was stopped downstairs by that
handsome little fella. At first I thought he took a fancy on my beauty and wanted to
coerce me into doing it.....okay, get rid of that look in your face, my husband always
think I'm as pretty as a flower. Yesterday, that handsome fella asked me for your
address, did he go look for your afterwards?"
I put away my expression of restraining myself from throwing up, and said indignantly,
"You don't know him yet you gave him my address, what if he was perverted?"
"Stop fussing over nothing, from his mouth, he called me little beauty', not only did I
gave your address to him, he asked for my help to drug you and I agreed."
I said, "The thing you're mainly happy about was the word little' before beauty'."
Situ Mo laughed mischievously, "You're really clever, so who is he?"
"The younger brother of Jiang Chen's colleague."
I gave her a brief run-through regarding our situation, but as Situ Mo has always felt
like her charming points have reduced a lot from being a married woman, hence I, in
order to not get on the jealous, envious, and hateful*' nerves of a married woman,
have to especially belittle myself. I said, "I feel strange, I am such an average person,
I don't understand what our motherland's flower boys have really seen in me. (T/N: In
2009 Zhang Weiping posted a blog post concerning criticism of Zhang Yimou's recent
film "A Simple Noodle Story". He wrote on his blog, "You guys are just jealous,
envious, and hateful." It has became an internet meme afterwards.)
She comforted me saying, "You don't have to unduly humble yourself, the younger a
person is, the harder it is to pin down their thoughts, even my son thinks that the
prettiest female in the world is Mei Yang Yang." (T/N: The Chinese character for
beautiful/pretty is mei', Mei Yang Yang or Tibbie is a cartoon character, a whole goat
lol.)
Why do I feel like her words are indirectly implying something else.........
She added, "Actually, I think he's not bad, an old cow eating tender grass*', good for
the teeth." (TN: This proverb fiddles with the phenomenon of one partner being
significantly older than the other in English, a craddle robber.)
I glared at her, "Go to hell."
She said, "It's better than you looking at your phone 10-20 times a day, always
waiting for your man's phone call that never comes."
I fished my phone out again and made sure it was working, "I'm willing."
She looked askance at me, then suddenly uttered in all seriousness, "I was thinking
about something. Right! When you get married, can my son become your page boy,
that way I don't have to prepare a red packet?
Would you look at this woman, whenever she opens and closes her mouth, it's
always about money, I feel lonely, we don't have a common topic to talk about.
My righteous words indignantly rebuke her, "Even if your husband turns out to be my
groom, you would still not want to hand out that red packet."
Fu Pei never came back till afternoon, hence an hour before getting off work, Situ Mo
and I made our stealth escape. For fear of Fu Pei checking up on us the last minute,
we've let all office calls go through our phones, even though we don't look like we're
adept in escaping from work, actually we really.......very often escape from work.
Before, every time I'd escape from work early, I used to sit around the subway station
near my home. After arriving in my station, I'd be sitting on the waiting chairs,
listening to my MP3 as I watch the peak hours of the subway, get packed with
ever-changing office workers knocking off work, just like a conveyor belt in a factory,
transporting somewhat a can of human beings to various places.
It brings me pleasure to watch while I sit at one corner. I was thinking that I really got
a deal by escaping the office crowd.
But now that I'm somebody with a boyfriend, I have to abandon this lowlife hobby,
when I get off work early, I have to go to the hospital to rub my ear against his
shoulders*. (T/N: An idiom meaning act intimate' describing exactly how close one is
to the other in proximity. )
Since I've been wasting 3 years in this matter with my virgin boyfriend, so my heart
generally feels a little guilty, this tiny guilt is probably a part of being in a business I'm
unfamiliar with.
When I was finally at the hospital's lobby, I gave Jiang Chen a call, when the call went
through but of us spoke simultaneously,"Where are you?"
I said, "I'm in the hospital lobby."
He said, "I'm on my way to your office."
I said, "Ah! Then what should we do?"
He said, "If you turn right after you get out of the hospital, you can find a drink shop,
you can drink something there while waiting for me."
I thought about it for a moment and told him, "I'll just wait for you in the lobby."
Mainly because Fu Pei already delayed two months worth of my salary, and also, the
consumption around the hospital were certainly more expensive than in other places,
the last time I bought tea eggs around here, they were 50 cents pricier than anywhere
else......look at my state of poverty......
"Then you stay in the lobby, and don't run around. I'll be there soon." Jiang Chen
said. "Okay, drive carefully."
Half an hour later, when Jiang Chen found me near the hospital entrance, I sat
trembling under the shade of a tree by the roadside.
To be born, to grow old, to get sick, and to die. This world is very unpredictable, the
occurrence of incidence in the hospital is also unpredictable, I was in the hospital
lobby for thirty minutes, and already encountered an unpredictable moment in time.
Half an hour back, I hung up my call with Jiang Chen, with a nauseating smile on my
face distinctive to that of people who were in love, I looked for a place to sit down.
About ten minutes later, there was suddenly a woman's scream from upstairs,
accompanied by banging, messy, and hurrying footsteps, then before I could react, a
woman with disheveled hair came tumbling down from the second floor, and landed
heavily in front of me, just about five paces away.
I looked at her frightened eyes, filled with tears.
I looked at her twitch like a dying fish on the ground, and then became still.
I looked at the foam, slowly coming out from the corner of her mouth.
I looked at a group of doctors and nurses who were rushing downstairs, yelling,
"Quick! Give her a sedative."
I looked at the thick needle, going into her arm.
I wanted to say, "Are you guys f*cking crazy?! She's already not moving yet you still
want to shoot her with some sedative! Why do you f*cking love to give injections so
much?! You're f*cking doctors not wasps!"
However, forgive me for not being able to say a single word.
"Chen Xiaoxi? Chen Xiaoxi?" Jiang Chen crouched right in front of me. He was
waving his hand before my eyes, he looked deeply worried, "What's wrong with you?
What happened?"
I looked at him in horror, opening my mouth to speak, yet nothing would come out.
Jiang Chen reached out his hand to grab mine, then looked me in the eye, his voice
was unusually calm, "Xiaoxi, look into my eyes, don't be scared. I'm now going to ask
you questions, just nod or shake your head. Got it?"
I nodded.
He said, "Are you hurt?"
I shook my head.
He squeezed my hand, "You saw something which really scared you?"
I nodded.
He paused for a moment, and asked softly, "A car accident?"
I shook my head.
Then he said, "That person......."
He delayed asking me. He simply hugged me, and gently patted my back saying,
"This is a hospital, no matter what you see, don't be scared, they just get sick, or get
injuries, or....."
Or their time is up.
In the scorching summer of July, Jiang Chen hugged me so tightly, when added
together, it actually made me feel very hot.
He hugged me for a while, and probably also felt hot, he pulled me up from the
ground, and led me to sit inside his car, he said, "I'm going outside to make a phone
call, I'll be back soon."
I gave him a brief nod, I've actually calmed down a lot, it's just that I looked scared
out of my wits in front of him a while ago, if I suddenly return to normal, it's going to
be a bit embarrassing, so I had to continue putting on a delicate front of being
terrified.
When Jiang Chen came back, his complexion looked a lot more relaxed, he said, "I
know what happened, that patient is fine, just suffered a fracture and concussion, not
life-threatening."
I let out a sigh, I think that a doctor's life is really tranquil, so long as no one dies, it's
no big deal.
I nodded my head in understanding.
Jiang Chen didn't start the car, he sat sideways and looked at me, "Still scared?"
I shook my head, I'm a bit hooked in this kind of silent communication.
He reached out to ruffle my hair, "She was in a break-up, she attempted suicide in
front of her ex-boyfriend by swallowing laundry detergent, the ex-boyfriend sent her to
the hospital to have her stomach pumped, she refused to be saved, her struggling
caused her to tumble down from upstairs."
Jian Chen knows me too well, he knows that I love gossip, so he used gossip to
pique my curiosity, to distract me, and to somewhat lessen my fear.
I blinked my eyes, and said, "Then, what was her ex-boyfriend's reaction?"
Jiang Chen pinched my cheeks, "How should I know? You can talk now ah."
"I really was scared before." Then, somewhat carrying a tone of a spoiled child, I
said, "Who asked you to leave me alone in the hospital."
He didn't argue that, I told you to go out but you insisted to stay inside the hospital.'
He just said, "No more next time, also, I will take you along to visit that patient in two
days."
I said, "I don't want to be near the hospital anytime soon."
Jiang Chen said, "It's not a good habit to run away from your fear."
I wanted to demonstrate my infamous brat stomp'', but because of the inconvenience
of sitting down, I could only pout and say, "But I really dare not."
Jiang Chen said, "In the future, don't also come as you wish."
My face sank, my heart felt aggrieved and indignant, he has always been like this.
Back when we were on our third year in high school, he tutored me in Math, I got 9
and a half answers wrong in a 10-item test, the other correct half was for a quadratic
equation in one variable which has considerably the easiest solution. There was a
time when I was writing and got angry, I threw my pen away and said, "I won't write."
My Math teacher said, "It's not good to make multiple choice and fill in the blanks
questions in Math."
Jiang Chen said, "Do as you wish, but later on, don't say anything about testing for
the same university with me, our grades are different."
He spoke words that were so hurtful when my heart was so immature, of course I had
to bury my head on my desk and cry. When I thought I have cried enough, I lifted my
head, Jiang Chen was still next to me, so absorbed in correcting my test paper.
I moved closer and craned my head to get a look the little writings were densely
packed and multi-colored, black for the correct solution, blue for the rationale behind
the solution, red for the formula, words in yellow highlight was added to understand
the method of 1st solution, 2nd solution, 3rd solution..........
I wiped away my tears and said, "What do you see my test paper for by scrawling
unto it to this state. There are too many solutions, I can't remember."
Later on, a lot of students have been borrowing every single one of my Math test
papers to get it photocopied, I found it precious. I was then considering charging the
people who kept on borrowing from me, and at the same time, was also considering
how to best repay Jiang Chen. In the end, I drew a woman with a goddess-like
beauty on his Math textbook. On the first page, the beauty was wearing a
cotton-padded jacket, in every flip of the page, she would take off one clothing item,
from hair accessories, jewelries, clothes, shoes, socks, finally, taking into account the
standard problem, I covered her chest and gave her hot pants. And in order to prove
that I'm doing something meaningful, I would occasionally combine it with teaching
content, for instance, next to the Pythagorean Theorem, I would draw the beauty
exposing her butt crack.......I think this thing reflects that I'm a person who returns a
favor when helped, in this world where people would usually bite the hand that fed
them, this wasn't likely.
Jiang Chen started the car, I was sulking on the side, I wanted to quarrel with him, I
wanted to curse him son of a b*tch', but I dare not..........
I'm a coward.
Chapter 26

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 26

Xri
I am very scared of Jiang Chen getting angry. In fact, I'm afraid of anyone who is
angry at me, but Jiang Chen isn't just anyone. I'm scared of him more than anyone,
or should I say, no one makes me as flustered as he does when he gets mad. That is
because I often have no idea when he's angry, and if I have no idea whether he is
angry, how do I know whether I should be scared or not? So, I get scared of not
knowing whether I should be afraid or not.... Seeing that I am already spouting
nonsense like this, I guess you somehow will understand.
Therefore, I secretly observed Jiang Chen the entire ride. The more I see, the more I
feel that he is angry. As for the reason, I have no idea. Honestly, I didn't see any
spider's thread and horse track*, but if I say that he is angry, then he is angry, if not,
you can bite me. (T/N: lit. translation, it means like traces/hints/clues.)
I reached out to tug his shirt's cuff, my finger even stroked his arm twice, "I am
hungry."
He glanced at me sideways, "Mmm."
"Mmm what?" I flirtatiously stroked his arm with my finger once more, "Bring me to
eat something nice..."
He shook his arm to cast my hand off, "Driving, stop it."
I pouted and obediently sat back on my seat.
After 10 seconds, I said, "Would it be good if I get myself a driving's license?"
"Not good."
"Why?"
"You can't afford a car."
.....
"I think I can afford a Chery QQ."
"You will definitely hit someone if you drive, it will add burden to the medical
transportation services."
Excuse me.... Isn't this curse a bit too evil?
I could only change topic, "Then do you think it's good if I perm my hair?"
He took a glance at the rear-view mirror, "Not good."
"Why?"
He leaned to look at me, "Ugly."
Endure.
I gave an obsequious smile, "Would it be good if I cut my hair short then?"
"Not good."
I protested, "Didn't you say you like me in short hair in the past! You even said I
looked very refreshing and natural!"
He turned his head and looked as though he was seriously sizing me up, then he
said, "Did I? I probably said it without thinking it through."
.....
That's it, I completely gave up on engaging in a friendly conversation with him.
Hence, I roared at him in an exceptionally imposing manner, "JIANG! CHEN!"
"Hmm?" He remained calm and collected, and didn't even look here.
I clenched my teeth, with ample guts I told him, "I will still find you at the hospital to
eat together tomorrow!"
He was a little bit startled, "You don't have to."
I was startled too, I didn't think that even after backing down to this level, he can still
put on airs.
Jiang Chen suddenly smiled, "I am on leave tomorrow."
I made an "oh" sound and said, "Then I will go the day after tomorrow."
He repeated another time, "I am on leave tomorrow."
I looked at him strangely, something tells me that he seems to be waiting for me to
say something, however, my IQ is not enough, so I could only honestly ask him, "So
what if you are on leave?"
He didn't answer me question, he only emphasized that, "I am rarely on leave."
I have no other choice, so I could only show that I am as elated as he is, and said
while beaming, "It's good that you are on leave, that's very rare, congratulations!"
He got annoyed, and glared at me for a few times, till I was so guilty. I was thinking,
does he want me to celebrate for him by fasting* three days, to bathe and change
clothes*? (T/N: This actually implies more on when ancient Chinese are preparing to
offer sacrifice and pray to ancestor/God, they are required to fast (as in abstain from
wine/meat) and make sure that they are clean before proceeding with the prayers.)
He continued cruising slowly, and he went back to what seems to be an angry
composure. I feel that I managed to make him happy with great difficulty, he just
suddenly decided not to be happy anymore. He is really capricious.
Therefore, I became silent too. I took out my phone to play a game, and vented my
anger on the keyboard. I repeatedly striked the snake till its ashes scattered and
smoke dispersed*, I felt really happy. Look, Jiang Chen bullies me, I bully the snake,
is this how fair the world is. (T/N: Think she's playing slither.io, but I don't think that
game is available in China. So she might be playing the classic snake game instead,
but kills the snake instead of eating the apple. Also, that is lit. translation for
annihilating something so bad its ashes scattered and smoke dispersed.)
The car suddenly stopped moving, I thought we were waiting for the red light, so I
didn't pay attention. I continued to attentively kill the snake. After a long time, when I
have killed about ten snakes, the car still didn't move. I looked out, not sure when the
car pulled over at the side of the road. I turned back to look at Jiang Chen, to my
surprise, he was staring at me.
I asked him, "What happened?"
He said, "Call your boss, take a leave tomorrow."
I didn't get it, "Ah? Why? My pay would have to be deducted."
He said with strong conviction, "Just take it as I asked you to."
I looked at him in a daze, he avoided my eye and looked a little awkward. I blinked
my eyes and came to a sudden realization....
I called Fu Pei, "Hello, Boss Fu ah?"
"Darling, I'm the real boss, not the deputy boss," said Fu Pei. (T/N: a deputy boss is
called (fu lao ban). Xiaoxi asked for (fu lao ban) Which is Fu Pei's surname name +
designation. That's why he said he is the real boss and not the deputy boss.)
I rolled my eyes: "Not funny, I have to take a leave tomorrow."
"Take a leave for what?"
I said, "My boyfriend is on leave tomorrow, he wants to me take a leave to
accompany him."
I looked over at Jiang Chen with my peripheral vision and saw that his expressions
turned rigid.
After I took my leave, I bit my lips to stop myself from laughing, "I have taken my
leave."
He gave an uncomfortable cough and said, "Nng."
"HAHAHAHAHA...." I couldn't control in the end, "I.... haha..... you... haha.... why so
cute.... hahaha... if you want me to accompany you... you can... haha... just say it
straight... haha"
"Shut up!" Jiang Chen glared at me, and started the car.
Someone's flying into a rage out of humiliation oh.
Jiang Chen drove the car to the basement carpark of a supermarket, I asked oddly,
"What do you want to buy?"
He said, "Food."
I mumbled, "Can't we eat first then buy, I'm about to die from hunger."
He removed his seat belt and leaned over to release mine, "Buy to cook at home."
"Ah?" I said, "I have no idea how to cook, I only know how to make noodles."
He said, "Then we will make noodles."
Jiang Chen lied to me, the food in the trolley was piling up, there's even a chicken, a
whole complete chicken, with head, with leg, with butt.
I looked scaredly at the chicken as though I saw an extinct dinosaur, "Why did you
buy this for?"
Jiang Chen said, "To stew soup."
I said, "You know how?
"I don't." He said matter of factly.
I thought, if you weren't my boyfriend, I would have whacked you.
For the entire shopping process, my only contribution was a packet of
cream-flavouredmelon seeds, but this wasn't enough to make me feel useless, as my
skin is thick enough.
Jiang Chen carried the big and small bags, I offered to help him share the load, so he
gave me a bag of vegetables.
I said I can carry two more bags, he told me to save my strength to ponder on how to
cook, I wanted to cry but there were no tears.
I stood once again in front of Jiang Chen's house, I leaned on the wall to wait for him
to find his keys, he glared at me and said, "Open the door!"
Only then did I remember that his keys were with me, I buried my head in my bag for
a very long time just to find a bunch of foreign keys and said, "Which key opens
which lock?"
Finally, I entered Jiang Chen's house, it is neither big nor small, two rooms, two halls,
not much decorations, and looks like a specimen lab. I stood at the door to look
around, he walked past me to enter and took the bag of vegetables that I was holding
along with him as well.
I hurriedly followed behind him, "Did you rent or buy this place?"
He turned back to stare at me, eyes deep with mystery, "Why? Want to marry me?"
I replied honestly, "Not that, but I just feel that if it's rented, then its too wasteful to
have an empty room."
Only after I finished my reply did I realise something, I didn't move, only made a
crying face and said, "Did you just propose to me? If that's so, can I reply again?"
He said, "No, cannot."
I pouted, he should have removed the pause between the two words. (T/N: His
answer can also actually be vaguely translated to: Not that, you cannot. So if the
pause/breakage is removed between his 1st and 2nd phrase, it would mean not that
you cannot (reply me again).)
"Why are you still standing there, come here to help."
"Oh."
After 3 minutes, we looked at each other and looked at the kitchen counter that was
full of vegetables.
I said, "What should we make first?"
Jiang Chen frowned and said, "Soup, we might have to stew the soup for a long
time."
I said, "Then, let's do it, how do we stew it?"
He said, "Chop it up and throw it into the pot to boil."
I said, "Then you can do the chopping, you are a doctor, you are used to holding a
knife."
He said, "That's a scalpel."
I said, "Then do you have a scalpel in here?"
He thought about it, "I do, it's at the drawer under the TV."
I ran out to grab two scalpel and passed it to him "There, your knife that you are used
to."
He held onto the scalpel and cut across the chicken lightly, the skin tore and the flesh
was exposed.
I couldn't help but made a "wah"
Jiang Chen turned back to look at me and said, "Now you know, put down the
scalpel, lives might be at risk."
I swiftly put down the scalpel I was holding on onto the kitchen counter, "I'm going to
wash the vegetables."
The water was splashing down and I took a peek at Jiang Chen's progress, I couldn't
help but ask, "What are you doing?"
He said, "I'm removing the skin and retrieving the meat."
I said, "Do we need to remove the skin and retrieve the meat to stew a soup?"
He said, "Do we not? Then why did you give me a scalpel? A scalpel can't chop
bones."
....
After 10 minutes, I asked, "How do we cook the cauliflower that I just washed?"
Jiang Chen said, "Chop it up, throw it in the pot."
After another 10 minutes.
I asked again, "What about the ribs?"
Jiang Chen Said, "Chop it up, throw it in the pot."
After another ten minutes.
I want to try for a last resort, "How about we go out to eat, we can buy two recipe
books back along the way, and we will research on how to cook next time."
The hand that was chopping the ribs stopped, he held up the chopper and looked at
me gloomily, "If we can't finish making the dishes today, then we shall never eat
again."
.....
Darling, must we put on such a strong front?
Because every dish is done by chopping it up and throwing it into the pot to cook, we
finished it pretty fast. It took less than an hour for every dish to be on the dining table.
My favourite pastime was to sneak up silently, to eat on sly when my mother puts the
dishes on the table. My mother would chase me behind my butt and whack me with a
pan. However, Jiang Chen is here, so I've completely given up on this interest. I
rather be a boring person.
We sat at the dining table, I looked at him and he looked at me, none of us dared to
touch our chopsticks.
Jiang Chen picked up a cauliflower and brought it to my mouth, he said while smiling,
"I think I have never given you a flower before, come, this flower is for you."
I couldn't dodge it in time, and could only eat it. It tasted normal, just like boiled
vegetable, as long as it is not overcooked, it won't be too bad.
Jiang Chen saw that I didn't have any bad expression, so he took one to eat as well.
After swallowing he frowned and said, "Chen Xiaoxi, did you forget to add salt?"
I was expressionless,"You were the one in charge of salt."
He shrugged, "Too much salt will cause high blood pressure."
I bit my chopsticks and asked Jiang Chen, "Then where shall we go tomorrow?"
He took my bowl to ladle out some soup, "We are not going anywhere, we'll just stay
home to watch films."
I said, "What film?"
He suddenly looked at me and smiled sinisterly, "A film*." (T/N: Porn.)
In terms of being vulgar and obscene, I usually refuse to do worse than others, I held
onto my chin and threw flirtatious glances at him, "Little dimple, you are so naughty
and lecherous."
He trembled, and spilled his soup.
Chapter 27

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 27

youtiaoshutiao
After I finished eating my food, I obediently went to wash the dishes. When I was
washing the dishes, Jiang Chen came into the kitchen to pour himself water once, at
that point in time my mind was in the process of fantasising about that most trite
tableau me washing the dishes, Jiang Chen encircling and hugging my waist from
behind my back.
So when Jiang Chen entered I was very nervous, in order for this hug to achieve the
best state, I specially took in a deep breath with great force to suck in my underbelly.
But Jiang Chen only paused for two seconds behind my back, and said a sentence,
"You've put too much dishwashing liquid."
After that, he then walked out, I exhaled a large breath, and unwillingly let my
underbelly off.
As I was walking towards the living room while flinging and shaking off the water on
my hands, Jiang Chen who was lying horizontally on the sofa shouted, "Help me
check if the water has boiled or not."
I saw that there was an electric kettle plugged in on the dining table, the kettle was
emitting hot vapour. I really didn't know which tooth of the gears turning around in my
brain had gotten wedged in the wrong position, I was ruminating on whether the
water had boiled or not, then I readily stuck my hand onto the kettle, only to hear a
sizzling sound. I shrieked in shock, but what flashed through my mind was first steak
teppanyaki, after that pain then flashed through.
Jiang Chen rushed over and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards the kitchen. The
way he was dragging was a little boorish, as if he was dragging a dead dog, but I
forgave him for he was simply too anxious.
Water rushed onto my hands with a crashing sound, I felt that it was scorchingly
painful, in order to divert my attention, I said, "I've confirmed, your water probably has
boiled."
Jiang Chen's face was very sour, he let go of my hand and walked out, "Continue
flushing, I'll be right back."
He came back holding an ice cube tray. He flexed (the tray) to produce a handful of
ice cubes and stuffed it into my palm, saying, "Hold them."
After holding for a while, I felt that it was so icy that I was turning numb, only then did
I relax my hand, Jiang Chen again held a handful of ice and pressed them on my
palm.
He helped me ice (my hand) for roughly ten minutes, only then did he ask me while
furrowing his brows, "Is it still painful or not?"
I was afraid that he would continue to ice me, so I promptly shook my head and said
it wasn't painful.
He pulled my hand till it was before his eyes and carefully examined it for a while,
only then did he put it down and say, "Not bad, it's rare*." (T/N: rare as in how a steak
is rare.)
Very rarely could I encounter Jiang Chen's humour, so I seemed to be overwhelmed
by this favour shown. To express that I had thoroughly comprehended his humour, I
said, "Reporting, I'll strive to achieve medium-well next time."
His face clouded over, and he began to carry out a segment of criticism towards me
that extended for ten minutes, its contents being nothing else but: "Do you think your
hand is a thermometer?", "Why don't you simply stick your head in too to boil?" and
other similar friendly comments and suggestions.
I quietly appreciated the way he blew his top, sincerely feeling that his facial features
were truly pretty and good-looking, his temper was truly irritable, everything was truly
very good.
He flipped out for a while, then discovered that I was very self-confident and believed
that I was in the right, so he ran to the living room to sit on the sofa, panting with
rage. Have pity on me, a scalded person, I dragged my unsteady footsteps and
walked towards the living room, to evoke his sympathy, I even staged a scene of
weakness where I stumbled with every three steps I took.
Jiang Chen watched me coldly, and said, "Did you scald your hand or scald your
foot?"
Embarrassed, I walked over, just as I sat down, I heard my phone ring in my bag. I
fished it out and took a look, it was my old mother.
I connected the phone call, and miserably said, "Hello, mum......"
"Xiaoxi ya, why does your voice sound like it's dying?"
"My hand was scalded."
"Aiya, how so? Are you okay now? Is it serious or not?" My mother started to make a
huge fuss.
Indeed the song "In this world, only Mum is great"* wasn't without basis. (T/N: A
classic Chinese children's song)
I placated her, "It's all right, it's all right, it's already been handled properly."
She said, "How did it get scalded?"
"Uh... I used my own hand to touch the boiling water kettle."
There was silence for a good few seconds on the phone, after which a word faintly
travelled over: "Moron*." (T/N: The informal phrase for "moron" in Chinese is which
directly translated means disabled brain.)
I was stunned, having your own mother use such an insightful word to evaluate you,
was really a wonderful experience.
My mother suddenly softened her voice and said, "Oh right, mama has something to
tell you."
The bottom of my heart couldn't help but quiver, every time my mother benevolently
called herself "mama", there would always be some matter ominous to me that would
occur......
"That, mama's good friend has a son, he lives in the same city as you, he's a
good-looking man, and has had success in his career......"
I sighed helplessly, "Mum, get to the main point."
"The main point is, her son heard that you are also in the same city, and wants to get
to know you, and share about his desolation in a foreign land."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Do you guys nowadays all talk about blind dates in
such an indirect manner?"
Jiang Chen turned his head to glance at me, I returned him a bitter smile.
My mum became tough, "Then how is it now? Are you going or not going?"
I raised my head that would rather die than submit, "Not going!"
"Say that one more time?"
"Not going!"
I was just getting stirred up, when my palm suddenly went cold. Lowering my head, I
saw Jiang Chen in the process of applying medication on my palm.
My mother raised her volume and said, "Don't think that you are still a Lolita because
you are a moron! You are his mother's* leftover woman, leftover woman*." (T/N: "his
mother's" is Chinese profanity which normally would be translated to f***ing) (T/N:
Leftover woman' is Chinese slang for a woman who has been "left on the shelf", i.e.
of a certain age and yet still not married/single.)
I said, "This madam, I'm not going to lie to you, my mother is you, also, can I bother
you to go and mop the floor or play mahjong if you have nothing to do, don't go onto
Tianya* anymore!" (T/N: Tianya is one of the biggest public Internet forums in China)
"I don't care, even if you don't go, you still have to go!"
"I won't go since I said I won't go, if you have the guts, beat me to death and drag me
there!"
"Don't think that I wouldn't dare to, I'll break your leg, and let him go to the hospital to
visit you."
"Do you think I'm scared of you? You come then."
"I'll go and buy train tickets right away, I'll break your leg."
"You come then, I'll wait for you." "You just wait, I'll come at once."
"You come then, I'll wait for you." "You just wait, I'll come at once."
......
This repeated for more than ten times, Jiang Chen suddenly snatched the phone
over, went straight for it and said, "Hello Auntie, I am Little Jiang."
I was startled, and subconsciously wanted to jump up and snatch the phone. Jiang
Chen single-handedlygrabbed both of my wrists and held them tight, after which he
then continued to chat with my mother as if nothing had happened, "Yes, the Little
Jiang from across, Jiang Chen."
"Mum......" I said anxiously, Jiang Chen lowered his head and glared at me fiercely, I
withered at once.
"Mm, that's right, Xiaoxi and I are together now, okay, no no, it's me who's in the
wrong, I didn't take note of it, I will definitely go and pay a visit to you both, yes, okay,
I got it......"
Finally Jiang Chen said, "Auntie, then can Xiaoxi not go for the blind date?"
I heard two of my mum's signature forced laughs coming through the phone, after
which they then mutually said their goodbyes.
Jiang Chen threw the phone to me, "Settled."
I pinched my mobile phone, wanting to cry but not having any tears*, how was I going
to face that father of mine that hated the rich following this...... (T/N: A phrase that
describes one having complex emotion that they cannot describe/being anxious etc)
I held my mobile phone and lifted it in front of my chest, thinking of a countermeasure
for a very long time with the appearance of a young lady praying, for example, telling
my dad that Jiang Chen can't not have me, I can't not have Jiang Chen; our need for
each other was just like fish and water, water and fish, the people and the Chinese
yuan*...... (T/N: The Chinese name for the yuan is renminbi, which directly translated
means the people's currency)
Just as I was lost in deep thought, the clock struck ten times with a "ding dong"
sound, I became aware of the fact that there was an even more pressing matter that I
had to resolve, which was should I propose to go home already?
I personally believed, the time at which you suggest to your boyfriend to go home is
very important, and will affect the extent of harmony in the relationship between you
two. The timing can't be too early, because he would suspect that you feel like a day
drags past like a year when you spend time with him, and you want to escape early
on; the timing also cannot be too late, because he would think that you aren't
reserved enough, and are too clingy......
And based on my many years of putting it into practice and research, the most
perfect time ought to be I too didn't know, so at random, since the clock struck at ten
o'clock, this was also considered to be fate, let it be ten o'clock then.
Hence I told Jiang Chen, "It's getting late too, I want to go home."
He was just carrying two cups of water, "Let's talk about this again after you finish
drinking this?"
"What's that?" I stretched out my head to look.
"Iced lemon tea."
"Oh, oh." I took it, and cracked a joke without thinking, "You wouldn't have drugged it,
would you?"
He drank a mouthful, tilted his head, looked at me and smiled, "I can execute you on
the spot any time."
I laughed hollowly, "Hehe, I was joking."
He smiled and said, "I was joking too."
That shameless joke of mine caused me to sink into an uncomfortable circumstance
as if I was sitting on pins and needles, yet Jiang Chen had an appearance of being
calm and unruffled, drinking the tea and smiling eerily at me. That dimple especially, it
was sinister and cunning and so deep and unmeasurable that it was like a wine
cellar*. (T/N: this analogy was given because dimple in Chinese is which literally
means "wine pit")
I raised my hands and surrendered, "I was wrong, I shouldn't have cracked jokes
randomly, I shouldn't have used a joke to probe into your ethics and moral conduct,
I'm vulgar."
He nodded his head to express his agreement, and still persisted unflaggingly in
looking at me while smiling.
In the past, I liked his smile so much, yet currently I was itching to tear out his smile,
or...... tear my own clothes, lie down and say, "Come on, the earlier I die the earlier I'll
be reincarnated*......" (T/N: a commonly used phrase which means get it over and
done with')
Of course I didn't do that, that would make me appear to be not reserved, and being
reserved was one of my life rules, so I suggested again, "I've finished drinking my
tea, send me home."
Jiang Chen said indifferently, "If not, stay here tonight."
I swallowed my saliva, not knowing how to reply for a moment. I could only hold my
breath, wanting to hold my breath till my face turned red to express that I was
extremely shy.
Jiang Chen also appeared to be a little uncomfortable, he coughed and explained,
"I'm saying this so as to avoid fetching you back here tomorrow, in any case I have
two rooms over here."
I let out a radiating "ah" and said, "Two rooms ah......"
He said, "You're very disappointed?"
His judgement of my tone of voice was very accurate, but I was afraid that he would
become proud because of this. Our education has told us since we were young, pride
causes people to fall behind. In order to not let him fall behind, I could only fervently
deny it, I said, "How can that be, you're talking nonsense, I, that...... is because I
didn't bring clothes to wash up and change into."
I saw that he didn't really seem to believe me, so I rushed to explain again, "Really,
I've already slept together with you in the hospital, even if I had any devious
intentions I would have carried it out long ago, so I really don't care about sleeping
together with you."
This great country has a great common saying, called "the more you describe, the
darker it gets*", I currently was deeply afflicted by this. (T/N: this saying means that
the more you try to explain something, the more suspicious you appear)
In this moment, Jiang Chen appeared to be especially magnanimous, he said, "I
understand."
In this moment, it was already no longer good for me to investigate what exactly he
had understood, so I stubbornly pretended to be open and candid and said, "Then
look for a set of pajamas for me, I want to wash up and sleep."
My thoughts were like this being open and candid was the most effective strategy to
conceal my guilty conscience.
Jiang Chen was even more open and candid than I was, he sized me up, and said,
"You are so short, I can give you a t-shirt and it would be able to cover you up
completely."
......
Chapter 28

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 28

dolly
As I don't have a pair of long, slender legs, I couldn't pull off that kind of subtle,
natural sexiness when wearing men's clothes, so I just wore Jiang Chen's basketball
shorts, they were just short shorts for him, yet were capri pants when I was the one
wearing them. When I came out of the bathroom, Jiang Chen looked at me and
quickly smiled, saying, "Are you going to perform in an opera? I used to think that you
were just short, but now, I just noticed that you really are that' short."
I lifted my pants' and was going to beat him. I just don't understand how we ended up
being lumped together when I was only giving him a beating. Probably because
couples are akin to two pieces of magnets with north and south poles, when they've
been parted and then got too close with each other, they'd impatiently, hungrily and
thirstily stick together.
Jiang Chen tackled me to the ground, his gaze pinned me for around two, three
seconds, or rather two, three minutes. Anyway, I swallowed past the lump in my
throat three times, but I wasn't able to take a good swallow on the third time as he
quickly covered my mouth with his, it was a lemon-scented kiss. At the start, I felt like
I was kissing an air freshener, but afterwards he bit my lower lip making me feel
relieved air fresheners don't bite people.
His kisses contained an unprecedented passion, burning every inch of my skin where
they touch making my temperature rise rapidly, especially when he'd caress my waist
with his slightly callused fingers. I think the temperature of that part of my waist has
already surpassed the temperature limit a human being could tolerate. It's rapidly
burning fat. I expect my waist is likely to melt under his touch, slim it down, and
ultimately snap me into half......
When Jiang Chen was about to lift my top, he especially asked me, "Scared?"
I obstinately replied, "Not scared."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure." I lifted my head and kissed him on the mouth.
He took it seriously, and peeled my top off in a blink of an eye.....
Hence two seconds later, my act of screaming so suddenly made him feel very
puzzled. His hand which was working on the lock of my undergarment stopped, and
he asked, "What's wrong?"
I said, "Can I........not do it?"
He froze for a moment, and then asked me, "Aren't you not scared?"
I pathetically let out a hollow laugh, I thought that this handsome lad already knew
that fickleness is a woman's privilege.
He looked at me viciously for quite a while, a sigh washed over me, then he lay down
on his side and took a deep breath.
I covered my chest with clothes in a flurry, and had wanted to quickly look for a place
to hide so I got up, but then I had second thoughts, so I assumed a look of being
timid and asked, "Are you angry?"
Jiang Chen turned his back on me, "Nonsense, as if you wouldn't be angry if it were
you!
I poked his back, "Then which room do I sleep in?"
"Which one would you like to sleep in?"
"Oh." I took two steps and couldn't help but say, "Then what about you?"
"I'll give you a suggestion, if you don't want to help me resolve it then just shut up,
enter the room, and lock the door." His voice sounded like it was cracking, with traces
of his anger.
I mulled over it for a moment and said, "Do I really have to lock the door? I don't
seem to be convinced by you. Or say, do you actually have the key? If you do have
the key, then whether I lock it or not, there's essentially no difference, can we not do
this formality?"
"Chen! Xiao! Xi!" He sat up, fuming with rage between gritted teeth.
I said, "I'll give you a suggestion, it'll be more useful to call Chen Guanxi, he has
more expertise in this field." (T/N: Yes, the Chen Guanxi/ Edison Chen with sex
scandals. He appears so prominently in this novel, like half of the chapters we've
translated features him lol)
After I was done talking, I quickly fled into one of the rooms, closed the door shut and
locked it, then I heard the slippers swishing in the air, hitting the door, sliding, then
falling down the floor.
What a pleasant night.
I looked around and found out that the room I casually rushed into was actually the
room Jiang Chen usually sleeps in as there were few pieces of his clothes strewn on
the bed, as a matter of fact, I've described it quite modestly, his clothes and books
were actually piled up on his bed.
I tidied out a corner, sat cross-legged, and casually fished out clothes folding them
neatly in a pile. The room is filled with the flavor of Jiang Chen, I've been familiar with
this flavor since I was 16 years old, I'm just hoping that this flavor would also fill my
life.
A knocking sound came from the door twice, and then Jiang Chen's voice followed,
"Open the door."
"What are you doing?" I held a piece of clothing in front of my chest out of reflex, and
realising that I was being ridiculous, I folded it with a grin on my face.
"Getting a change of clothes for shower." He said.
"Really?"
"Fake." He snapped.
I went to open the door, I was wondering that once I open the door, would he throw
me on the bed, and then do this to me, and that, this and that. Aiyo, I'm really sorry.
To be quite frank, I look forward to this kind of embrace and yet I wanted to act all
reserved, let me think of a not so elegant saying to erect a monument*. (T/N: The
entire saying is "To lead the life of a whore but still want to erect a monument for
one's chastity which means harboring ill intentions but still want a good reputation.)
Unfortunately, Jiang Chen must have lost his focus, he thought I really wanted a good
reputation, hence he waltzed in, took his clothes, and walked out, he didn't even
spare me a glance, and I even walked him to the door......
I just simply finished in tidying up Jiang Chen's room, and was about to go to bed
when another knock came from the door, my heart went up my throat.
Jiang Chen said, "Hey, I'm going to sleep. Good night."
"Good night."
The heart which I've mentioned slowly lowered down. Doctor Jiang, don't bring such
loneliness to your girlfriend's heart.
When I entered the world of dreams with a sweet smile, my overwhelming happiness
must have made the Duke of Zhou, that old man, think I'm unpleasant to look at, he
arranged a segment of that girl jumping off from the second floor and replayed it
countless times like it was on a video casette tape until I screamed and woke up from
that dream. (T/N: Duke of Zhou is also known as the "God of Dreams" in legend, he
lets people know via dreams when something important is going to happen to them.)
Look, even if he's a god, he's also envious, jealous, and hateful'.
I felt around to switch on the lamp, then hugged a pillow in a daze.
There were two knocks at the door, I hugged the pillow tightly, and shrunk at the
bedside.
"Xiaoxi? It's me. Are you okay?" Jiang Chen's voice can be heard from the other side
of the door. I heaved a sigh of relief, living alone for a long time made me forget that
there were two people in this house tonight.
"Can I come in?" He knocked on the door twice again.
"Well, the door isn't locked." I said.
The door opened, Jiang Chen came in holding a glass filled with white liquid, if I'm not
mistaken, it's probably milk, if it's something else, I can only say that he broke free of
conventional thinking, in English it's called, Thinking out of the box.
I suddenly felt like a princess trapped in a tower and my prince came to rescue me
with his sword, I truly didn't grow out of my childish innocence.
Jiang Chen handed the glass to me, "Had a nightmare?"
I drank a mouthful, it really is milk which proves that Jiang Chen doesn't have an
innovative spirit.
"I dreamt of that girl who jumped off the second floor today." I drank another mouthful
of milk, he didn't put any sugar in it so it was really hard to drink.
He sat down at the edge of the bed, and patted me on the head, "Don't be scared."
I placed the glass on the bedside table, and moved over to lean on his shoulder, I
squinted my eyes and asked, "What time is it now?"
"Around three o'clock."
Leaning on his shoulders gave me so heavily drowsy and I let out a yawn, "I'm
sleepy."
"Then go to sleep." He held my head upright, "Lie down and sleep well, I'll go out
once you're asleep."
I lay down on one side of the bed, and patted the other side saying, "Let's sleep
together."
I must stress that my mind is clouded, whether it being scared or being sleepy, I must
insist that my mind is clouded. If not, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for this act of
taking the initiative to invite a man to sleep together with me. This is not in line with
the rich image of me being tormented by the ideologies of the remnants of feudalism.
Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out to switch off the lamp
and laid down.
I also hesitated for a moment, but eventually rolled over and hugged his waist from
behind, and buried my face between his shoulder blades, closing my eyes to sleep.
He froze, afterwards he covered my hands that were wounded around his waist with
his.
In the dark, I could hear the frantic beatings of his heart which then slowly calmed
down, I asked, "Are you asleep?"
"No."
As my ears were stuck on his back, his voice sounded muffled as though it came
from a distant place.
I said, "Jiang Chen, I forgot that I've never told you, I love you."
He turned silent for quite a while, I heard his heart which was beating like a drum.
When I was about to fall asleep, he turned his body around and hugged me, then he
kissed my forehead, "Let's sleep, if you talk once more I won't be courteous to you
anymore."
There's something wrong with me, I call it the "sudden talk back illness". The worst
manifestation of this illness occurs when my consciousness is muddled, for instance,
I remember once in the History of Western Art class. I was dozing off and was caught
by the teacher who made me stand up to answer a question, "Why did Verocchio let
Leonardo Da Vinci draw an egg?" From the lack of sleep, I turned impatient at being
thrown an idiotic question which has already appeared in my grade school textbook, I
replied, "Because he likes to eat eggs." At this, the teacher was angered to death,and
with a big sigh, lamented that I could never be as great as Leonardo Da Vinci. I
tactlessly retorted him, "Of course, that's because you're no Verrochio
either.".........I'm not going to conceal this, even though this class was just an elective,
but I had to take remedial exams no less than five times, it broke our faculty's record
of remedial exams taken, I can be regarded as a historical figure.
Now, my illness has suddenly flared up, when Jiang Chen said, if you talk once more
I won't be courteous to you anymore', I subconsciously retorted a sentence, "Who
asked you to be courteous?"
Jiang Chen replied, "What you said, don't regret it."
I retorted once again, "Who's regretting? Tch -"
Two seconds later, Jiang Chen was above me, he probably realised that if he were to
drag this one again, it would be like asking a repeat of the previous time's disaster,
hence before he regained his clear consciousness, he quickly and mercilessly
removed all the clothing barrier on the both of us.
I said, "Wait.....oh....."
My mouth was covered by his mouth.
I think that since the both of us already don't have the so-called fig leaf, then you can
figure it out. From this you can tell that my attitude towards life is that however it may
be, take the rough with the smooth.
When Jiang Chen's kisses trailed down to my collarbone, I entered a state of trance,
this kind of trance was akin to being seasick, like how the undulating waves would
make one feel dizzy, I don't know how long this trance lasted. In a word, Jiang Chen
guided me to learn some things that schools wouldn't teach. I want to insist again on
practicing this several times, and then we'll become self-taught geniuses.
Chapter 29

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 29

Xri
The second day's breakfast was prepared by Jiang Chen. While he was making the
breakfast, I went to the bathroom while wrapping myself up with the blanket. I asked
him why he set the entire house's air-conditioning to such a low temperature, he said
it was so that I can sleep in a bit later. After I'm done going to the bathroom, I walked
into the kitchen along the way and wrapped my arms around his waist from his back,
leaned my face on his back and took a nap. It felt really comforting, but he asked me
instead, "Did you wash your hands after going to the bathroom?"
.....
I rubbed and eyes and went back to the room to sleep.
Not long after, he scooped me out of bed, he said it's time to eat breakfast, and I said
that I never had the habit of eating breakfast, then I crashed back on the bed.
He scooped me back up again and said, "You are not going to eat the breakfast I
prepared?"
I remembered that his apartment has scalpels, so I could only get up and force a very
energized look, "Go go go, lets eat breakfast!"
It's just that my energy couldn't last me till I get out of bed. While I was on the edge of
the bed searching for my slippers with my feet, I couldn't help but close my eyes.
Jiang Chen laughed. I said while yawning, "Don't laugh, help me find my slippers."
He squatted down to put on my slippers for me, but just as my feet were about to
touched the ground, he princess-carried me. I laid my head on his shoulder and
instructed him, "Walk slower, let me sleep for another two seconds."
Jiang Chen didn't let me sit on the chair, but on his lap instead. And so, we started
our sweet-feeding process. I felt overwhelmed by his favor with this arrangement. I
used to beg him to do this in the university's cafeteria, but he rejected every time
with, "do I look like a crazy person?" or "just kill me" or "just how thick is your skin".
I ate half a sunny side up that he had forgotten to add salt to, and said, "Hey, I'm full,
carry me back to sleep."
Jiang Chen pinched on my cheeks and said, "You are instructing me like it's all meant
to be huh."
I agreed, "I'm shameless."
He could only shift me back to the bed in the room, so I tucked myself in and fell
asleep.
By the time I woke up, it was noon. I laid on the bed and screamed, "Jiang Chen,
Jiang Chen."
Jiang Chen came in wearing spectacles, like a refined rascal. I pointed at his
spectacles and asked surprised, "When did you get myopia?"
"When you weren't around."
I coughed, "Why don't I see you wearing spectacles usually?"
"Contacts are much more convenient. Why did you call me in?" (T/N: HOW ARE
CONTACT LENSES MORE CONVENIENT??? Takes me years to put one on.)
I said, "I just wanted to notify you that I'm awake, and that I'm hungry, and carry me
out to wash up."
Jiang Chen took off his specs, pinched his nose, and put back on his specs, "Have
you gotten addicted to ordering me around?"
I scratched my head and said shamefully, "I think a little."
He shook his head, and turned to leave. My eyes were sharp and hands were fast
enough to pull him by his shirt. I dragged on his shirt and refused to let go, after we
pulled and dragged for a while, he finally turned back helplessly and said, "The most
I'll piggyback you to the hall."
I cheered and climbed onto his back, "Lets go~"
I cooked noodles for lunch. After I finished and cleaned up, it was already 1 in the
afternoon. I asked him, "What were you doing in the morning?"
"Reading." he said.
I sighed, "You're reading even on leave?"
He said, "Someone took leave to accompany me, but slept like a dead pig, what can I
do?"
I answered back sarcastically, "That was because you made me really tired."
After saying that, my face turned red rapidly, how shameless must a person be, to be
able to say such words...
Jiang Chen was startled, his face also turned red.
In order to hide my own face, I pointed at his face and laughed out loud, "What are
you blushing for? Aren't you a doctor? Shouldn't you be very familiar with a human's
body structure? What strong wind and big waves* have you not seen, why are you
even blushing?" (T/N: difficult situations)
Jiang Chen pointed out, "You yourself have also drawn so many art models, why are
you blushing?"
I thought about it and it makes sense, but I had to persevere, "You have seen more
than me."
He probably was too vexed over my mockery, he said coolly, "The ones I've seen are
mostly specimens."
.....
I shivered from the cold, and decided to end this conversation. I said, "What are we
doing in the afternoon? Didn't you say we are going to the movies?"
He said, "What do you want to watch? How about we rent one to watch?"
"Forget it, I don't feel like watching anything." I said disinterestedly.
He pushed up his glasses, "Then what do you feel like doing?"
I muttered to myself for a moment, and suggested excitedly, "How about I lay
motionlessly on the floor, and let you kick me around?"
Jiang Chen's astonished face lingered for a long time.
Only after a while did he continue, "Chen Xiaoxi, your mental level is always
exceeding my imagination."
I replied modestly, "You're too kind, you're too kind."
In the end we still went out to rent a movie one which the store owner strongly
recommended saying that it's the best product for couples to watch together.
The best product had rolling captions for the first 5 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of
pure music, followed by a bunch of expressionless people walking around for 5
minutes. In this 15 minutes, Jiang Chen leaned on me and fell asleep.
His hair was on my neck and cheek, and I turned my head to watch his sleeping face.
His brown hair was in a mess, long eyelashes were perked against the lens of the
spectacles. With a slight smile, the dimple of his left cheeks was slightly peeking
through.
I gently removed his spectacles and tidied up his hair. I sighed from my heart, the
person I love has the cutest sleeping face in the whole wide world. Why should I stare
at at this freckled woman in the TV and listen to her endless chatter?
My head was propped against Jiang Chen's head, I slowly closed my eyes. I can
hear the traffic and noises from outside, but I can also hear the sunshine and breeze.
This moment seems tranquil and beautiful because I am with him.
The best product solitarily, lonelily, played finish. The final of the finale, was that the
best product is an original French movie, hence I could not even remember its title.
Not sure after how long, Jiang Chen pushed me awake. He used his thumb to wipe
away the drool off the corner of my lips and asked, "What was the movie about?"
I looked at the blue screen on the TV, shook my head sleepily, "I'm not sure, there
was a woman who was talking nonstop, then I fell asleep. Let's return this to prevent
him from collecting another day's worth of rental if we were to leave it till tomorrow."
Therefore, we walked hand in hand and returned the film. The owner enthusiastically
asked for our opinions on the film, as I didn't bare to hurt his feelings, I could only
face him and bullshit my way through. I said that I felt that the movie has a strong
artsy feel to it, and it was very cinematic. The actors and actresses had amazing
acting skills and the story's climax was incredible. The main point is that this movie
was able to dissect the underlying emotions of a human being in another point of
view.
The owner was so emotionally touched that he couldn't control himself. The hand that
was holding onto the film was shaking wildly.
"You are so right, what a great explanation, you are my best friend, I don't need the
rental fee for this film anymore, I can't have it, if I were to collect it then I am not a
human!"
In order to let him continue his status as a human, we had to bite the bullet and leave
without paying.
We then went to a bookstore, with thoughts of buying a few recipe books back to
make dinner. Jiang Chen took a lot of books and asked me, "Can you use your tricks
on the owner just now to trick this owner into giving us these books for free?"
I looked at the bookstore owner, indicated that as the owner is a female, it was not
under my purview.
Therefore, Jiang Chen went over to pay. He showcased his dimple, and the lady boss
automatically gave him a 20% discount.
On the way home, we were both extremely proud of each other's charisma. Alright, I
was actually just extremely proud of saving those ten over dollars. Forgive this
commoner's 3 customs* heart. (T/N: 3 customs, aka is for, being vulgar, having low
taste, and to pander to one's vulgar taste.)
Jiang Chen is really a good material for studying. After flipping through a few recipes,
the entire aura became really strong. Yesterday he was still hand busy and leg
messy* in the kitchen, today he looks just like a reputable chef, planning strategies
neatly and orderly. (T/N: struggling)
Innate knowledge changes one's outer appearance, the him yesterday, is no longer
the him today.
I sat cross-legged at the dining table, took the chopsticks and knocked onto the bowl,
as I knocked, I hurried him, "Chef Jiang, I am hungry, Chef Jiang, I am hungry...."
Chef Jiang was furious in the kitchen, "Chen Xiaoxi, you get in here and help out."
I popped my head into the kitchen, "Aren't you handling a butcher's cleaver with ease
yourself?"
He picked up a garlic and threw it at me. The garlic knocked onto my forehead and
bounced out.
I picked up the garlic and placed it on the counter, I went over to look at him doing up
the dish stir fry beef with broccoli. The pot over at the other side was stewing chicken
soup. Seems like he was determined to turn over the plate for yesterday's dinner. I
secretly took a sip of the soup, Jiang Chen was cursing at the side, "Scald die you."
I blew on the soup and drank, my eyes were watery, "Jiang Chen, lets not be doctor,
lets open a small eatery instead, you are so talented."
This soup really, that kick of freshness, as though once you finish drinking there will
be a flock of chicken appearing and dancing with you. You will be turning and
spinning in chicken feathers that fill the sky, steeped in pure happiness and smiles
alright, I will admit I'm just copying the scene from Stephen Chow's "The God of
Cookery".
I was moved to tears by every dish that Jiang Chen made. I finished every dish till the
plate was showing. If not for Jiang Chen stopping me from aside, I would have licked
every plate once more.
After eating I spontaneously went to wash the plates, Jiang Chen also came to help
out, but I'm guessing he only came to supervise me so that I won't lick his plates.
I washed the plates and he wiped the plates. Exchanged a few sentences, but he
suddenly said, "Do you want to move in and stay with me?"
I was holding a plate in my hands. I contemplated if I should drop the plate to indicate
that I was shocked by his suggestion. However, as I contemplated too long, I missed
the right moment to do so. I could only silently pass the plate over to him.
He took it over to wipe, and asked another time, "Do you want to?"
"Uh..... I think.... not?" I said.
"Oh." He paused for two seconds, then asked, "Why?"
"Uh... I snore when I sleep."
He said, "You don't."
....
I actually couldn't come up with any reasons, I rubbed my neck and said, "I just think
that it's not a good idea."
He didn't ask anymore questions, he nodded and said, "If you think it's not good then
we won't."
I asked him carefully, "Will you be unhappy?"
He gave me a gentle peck on my lips, "I won't."
Chapter 30

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 30

youtiaoshutiao
Lovers always have conversations about this and that to chat about between them,
especially if one of them is a chatterbox. When I questioned Jiang Chen closely for
the twelfth time why did he like me back in those days or when did he discover that
he liked me, he took up the car keys and said, "We have to go to work tomorrow, I'll
send you home."
I sighed in disappointment,this doubt had existed from that day we got together, no
matter how I threatened and bribed him or pulled down my clothes to reveal my
delectable shoulder to seduce him, Jiang Chen didn't speak, which was a pity for
there was actually also a youthful and sprouting heart underneath my prattling
exterior.
As I was being squeezed into the car, I was still thinking of ways to make him what I
wanted to hear, I said, "Do you know, back then I felt that if I continued to like you like
this, but you continued to not like me, my youth would be gone."
"Oh, so it's actually like this." He said.
I glared at him, "You are really very horrid."
He simply couldn't be bothered to pay attention to me, he was paying attention to the
road condition very seriously.
I often thought, even if two people are very intimate, it is entirely impossible to know
each other's thoughts. Even if there is the occasional telepathy between two hearts
linked as one, for example him knowing that you want to pour a glass of water to
drink when you stand up, him knowing that you are in a bad mood when you look
outside of the window not speaking...... These also are all only accumulated cognition
from living habits. You are eternally unable to know whether the person in front of you
loves you or not after all, you can only depend on trust.
When I had finished expressing that paragraph of opinion above, Jiang Chen said,
"What exactly are do you want to express?"
I said, "You see, I stayed for ten months in my mother's stomach, I still don't
understand what pleasure she derives as a married old madam from going onto
Tianya every day to look at young handsome boys, you say, if she had an "uncle
complex", I would still be able to comprehend it slightly better. So we need to
communicate, you have to tell me why exactly do you like me, to strengthen my
trust."
Jiang Chen said, "You are really very bothersome, how many times must I say "I don't
know" for you to believe me, I know how to cut open a person's chest, I know how to
do a heart bypass surgery, I know how to change a heart valve, but I really don't
know why I like you."
I've said it before, when the dialogue ascends into a professional plane, I am unable
to understand what I hear......
Sometimes, the more my hopes are dampened, the braver I become, so I said, "Then
you tell me, when you felt that you liked me."
He took a deep sigh, and turned the steering wheel with great force, the car went
around a corner, "I don't remember, why are you so insistent on being hung up on
this?"
The things that women want to be hung up on are plentiful, our face, our skin, our
hairstyles, our figure, money, housing, who loves whom, who doesn't love whom......
Too bad, I'm also a woman.
Unable to get the answer I wanted from the beginning till now, I felt very dejected, so
I was prepared to not say anything anymore, whoever resented the oppressive
atmosphere could open his mouth first. Unfortunately, Jiang Chen didn't resent the
oppressive atmosphere for the entire journey, I concede, it was very possible that he
had even slept in the mortuary before, this little bit of oppression was really nothing.
The car reached downstairs of my house, as I opened the car door I said, "I'm going
back."
"Let's have a goodbye kiss." Jiang Chen pressed the horn lightly, the horn let out a
short cry that sounded like a fart.
I said, "Don't want."
He said, "I won't despise your bad technique."
If this could be tolerated, what couldn't be tolerated? I stuck up my adorable middle
finger at him.
He stared blankly for two seconds, then said sinisterly, "Chen Xiaoxi, if you don't want
to go to Doctor Su for emergency treatment, put away your finger, come over here
and give me a kiss."
I dragged my footsteps and moved around to the car window on his side, he rolled
down the car window and stuck out his large head. He smiled as he hummed, "You
and I kiss goodbye, on a street with nobody around......*" (T/N: Lyrics of very classic
and famous Mandopop song "Goodbye Kiss" by Jacky Cheung in 1993, one of the
"Four Heavenly Kings" of Cantopop)
He had a good voice, that I'd always known, moreover, a handsome face like this,
unhurriedly humming while smiling like this, was indeed very deserving of a kiss.
I cupped his face, moved close to him and gave him a big kiss, then I rubbed my
nose against his, and kissed him again. His lips were soft and warm, his smell was
mild and familiar, I believed I could kiss for a very long time, as long as he didn't
resent his neck hurting.
He didn't resent his neck hurting, but on the contrary it was me who resented not
having enough air. Pushing him away, I panted heavily and said, "It's not counted as
having bad technique this time round, I didn't take a deep breath beforehand."
Jiang Chen covered with his hand his head that had struck the car window frame
when pushed by me and said, "I recommend that you go and learn first aid, including
a course on CPR."
I stuck up two fingers and wanted to pierce his eyes, he laughed and pulled away. "I
really don't remember, though I do remember that there was one time you roared and
shouted at me on the sports field."
After he finished speaking, he drove off with his car whizzing away, I stayed on the
spot covering my skirt which had almost been blown at and lifted up, only after a long
time did I realise that he was replying my previous question.
Sports field? Roaring and shouting? Honestly speaking, the times I did such things
during that valiant student era were numerous, you really have to let me think
properly, let me think properly.
It was when I was showering that I suddenly remembered, I was so stirred up that I
almost slipped and fell head first into the toilet bowl. Thankfully I pulled on the shower
tubing, though pitifully I had to change to a new tube the next day.
That was the level-wide basketball competition in the second semester of Senior Year
2. In the aspect of sports, us arts students were destined to be looked down upon, so
our entire class all didn't really set our hearts on it, on the other end, Jiang Chen was
in Sciences Class 3, which reportedly could have a show-down to determine who was
male and female* with the sports class, uh, that's not right, they were all males, a
show-down to determine life and death, a show-down to determine life and death.
(T/N: "a show-down to determine who was male and female" a Chinese idiom with its
origins from Records of the Great Historian', which means a show-down to determine
who is the victor and who is the loser. In this case, "male and female" is an analogy
for "victory or defeat" (in the context of where the idiom came from, it was Xiang Yu
challenging Liu Bang to a battle to determine victory and defeat)
The first match was our class versus Jiang Chen's class, of course I had to watch,
actually I went to watch every match of my Jiang Chen's class.
That match was really the most crappy competition I had ever seen, our class with
great difficulty had pooled together a basketball team. Forgetting about the fact that
they played ball like they were taking a stroll, our class monitor hugged the basketball
that had come into his hands and stood on the spot as if he was hugging his child
that he had been separated from for many years and refused to let go, all that was
lacking in the end was him lifting up his shirt to feed milk. I really wanted to pretend
that I didn't know them.
Jiang Chen was different, his dribbling skills surpassed others, his three-pointer, his
three-step layup, so handsome, the peak of perfection throughout the ages.
Our class only participated in two rounds before we were kept far away from the
basketball post, while Jiang Chen's class under his leadership raided all the way into
the finals, and finally was to have a showdown with the sports class.
That was a wan winter day, our form teacher insisted on extending class beyond the
bell to talk about some matters that he thought were very important, for example, the
blackboard not being wiped clean, there were too many paper bits on the floor, puppy
love...... I looked out of the window at the masses of people gathering together and
moving around on the sports field, worrying helplessly, if he loved occupying time so
much why didn't he occupy lesson time?
With great difficulty, I endured till the old man was willing to release us, when I
dashed to the sports field I heard a long whistle, the competition had ended. I
randomly pulled at a stranger and asked, he said that Sciences Class 3 had suffered
a crushing defeat. I thought, at such a time, how could Jiang Chen not have me by
his side, hence I again dashed all the way to the classroom of Sciences Class 3.
My sound of "Jiang Chen" was choked at my mouth, there were only two people left
in such a big classroom Jiang Chen and Li Wei, they were facing each other as they
sat with a table in between them. Their heads were very close to each other as they
were in the process of talking about something, at that time four words flashed
through my mind "adulterous man, wanton woman*". (T/N: meaning an adulterous
couple)
The two of them looked at me uniformly, Jiang Chen's complexion wasn't very good,
after giving me a glare, he didn't speak.
I thought for a while and (decided that) I had better explain, "Our lesson extended
past the bell."
Jiang Chen didn't reply, the atmosphere was momentarily a little awkward. Li Wei
smilingly said, "Chen Xiaoxi, thankfully I still helped Jiang Chen prepare water today."
I forced myself to smile. "Thanks to you." I paused, then couldn't help but ask Jiang
Chen, "How was that competition of yours?"
Jiang Chen turned a deaf ear to me, his face was expressionless and I also didn't
know where his line of sight was falling on.
Li Wei said, "Today our class didn't have a very good display."
"Oh, it's like this." I fished around in the trouser pocket of my school uniform, wanting
to return the rest of the money to Jiang Chen, only then did I discover that I had
placed the money in my schoolbag and had forgotten to take it, I could only say,
"Uh... that, I just wanted to come over and take a look, I'll go off first."
Jiang Chen didn't spare another glance at me, he didn't even take the trouble to snort
a word from his nose to send me off.
I teared and ran off the moment I turned around, the heart of a
seventeen/eighteen-year-old girl was not to be used for attacking like this.
Later, I returned to my classroom to take my schoolbag, when I came out, I
surprisingly met Jiang Chen at the sports field. After hesitating for a moment, I still
went over and said, "So coincidental, do you want to leave together?"
I don't know why he was suddenly very impatient, he said, "Can you not always follow
after me."
As a matter of fact, ever since we went into separate classes, I had very little
opportunities to follow after him, moreover this time it really wasn't that I wanted to
follow after him. This sort of situation was called a "chance encounter" in the
explanation in the Xinhua dictionary, but I didn't point out the unreasonable nature of
these words of his, I was busy being broken-hearted and sad.
Afterwards, he probably again said some unpleasant words, I most likely also
rebutted him with some words, these are all a little vague, but I remember him saying,
"Did I ask you to like me?"
After that, I cried loudly on the sports field, fishing out wad after wad of money from
my school bag to throw onto the ground with great force. Liking a person was such a
careful affair, even though I was so sad, I also didn't dare to smash the money onto
his body.
I remember me saying, "I won't pay attention to you anymore in the future, a lifetime
is so long, I will definitely not only like you alone!"
What a pity, until now, I still only like him alone, this proves that when conducting
yourself, one shouldn't speak too soon, there will be retribution. I let out a sigh, even
though this was all water under the bridge, thinking about it now still made me feel
very sad.
I gave Jiang Chen a phone call while drying my hair. "Have you reached home?"
"I've reached."
I said, "I've recalled it, that time on the sports field."
He laughed on that end of the mobile phone, "You were crying really wretchedly."
I said, "Then?"
"Then I felt that I had better not cause you to cry so wretchedly in the future."
I rubbed my tingly nose and said, "I want to ask you a question now, you must reply
me honestly, don't deceive me just because you want to save face."
He said okay.
I spoke, "Then after that, did you go back to the sports field to pick up the money and
leave or not?"
...... That end of the phone sunk into an abnormal silence.
I questioned closely, "Did you or not? Hello? Did you hear me?"
"I didn't." The pronunciations of the two words was very articulate.
I sighed in disappointment,"Good for the student on duty that day."
"Don't tell me that you would still go back later to pick up those few dollars after you
cried till you were in that state!" Jiang Chen's tone of voice was sinister.
"How is it a few dollars, there was at least fifty or sixty dollars left." I explained, "After
I left I felt that you being this sort of person with an eccentric temperament would
surely not pick the money up, so I returned again to pick them, but not a single cent
was left."
I originally thought that if I returned to pick them, the money I picked up would be
considered to belong to me......
Chapter 31

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 31

dolly
I paced back and forth at the hospital entrance three times, Jiang Chen made me
come over today to visit that girl who sacrificed herself in the name of love. He said I
have to see that she's still alive in the flesh so I wouldn't get anymore nightmares
later on. Every time I am confronted by Jiang Chen's request, I'd always feel like
there's only two options left for me to choose from, either do what I was told or to
scram. I expressed the matter to Jiang Chen and he told me, "No, you have a third
option, you can choose to kill me." Thus, at this point, I think that Jiang Chen is
probably like me already a nutcase.
I braced* myself and rushed inside the hospital, past the part of the lobby where her
body heavily landed. Jiang Chen was waiting for me on that very second floor, he told
me he has a 7-hour surgery coming up hence I have no other choice but to let Doctor
Su take me to see that girl. (T/N: The idiom used was "the fighting strength is at the
highest at the first roll of the drums" which means to get something done in one
valiant effort.)
I tugged his fingers and said, "7 hours? So long ah?"
"That's right, so you should go back home after you've visited that person, I'll go see
you when I'm done with the surgery." He grasped my hand, turned towards Doctor
Su, and said, "I'll have to trouble you with Xiaoxi."
Doctor Su seemed to be beaming radiantly as she replied, "No problem, just hand her
over to me."
My suspicion was that she's seriously sick in the head, I totally felt that the underlying
meaning behind her words were." I've finally got you in my hands."
As soon as Jiang Chen walked away, Doctor Su told me, "That girl has mental
illness."
"Ah?" I took a step back, "I'd better go next time together with Jiang Chen."
"What are you afraid of? You have me, I'm her chief attending doctor." She pulled my
hand, looking very intimate.
I was dragged two steps by her when I realised something was amiss, I resisted her
pull and stood right there, "Aren't you an orthopedic? How can you be the chief
attendant of someone mentally-ill?"
"I'm attending to her fractured ribs, as for having mental illness, I've diagnosed it
myself. Without mental illness, can one jump down for a man?" She said still dragging
me to move forward.
"Can a doctor talk about such things behind the patient's back?"
She looked at me like I've grown two heads and said, "Why can't I?"
"Aren't you being mean?"
Doctor Su patted me on the shoulder, her words meaningful and heartfelt, "A doctor
is also a human being, and a human being has shortcomings, my shortcomings are
my love for being mean to others and my lack of conscience."
She said it with such confidence and conviction that I was left with no choice but to
be subdued by her.
As we went inside, the woman was lying motionless on the hospital bed. As I looked
closer, she was actually crying silently, staining the white pillow beneath her head
with a puddle of tears. I carefully sized her up, she looks nothing like the woman I've
seen the last time, however, I think that if an average person falls down from the
second floor, they would definitely look different than how they usually were when
they hit the ground. So from the bottom of my heart, I forgive her inconsistent before
and after looks.
Doctor Su said, "Miss Li, how are you feeling today?"
Miss Li remained motionless, tears were still trickling down her face, she raised her
lips faintly, and managed to spit out three words, "Let me die."
Seriously, her request sounded so sincere that it makes one feel that if her request
isn't fulfilled, it would be a matter of heaven and earth being witnesses to your
conscience*. However, Doctor Su said that her shortcoming is that she lacks
conscience, hence she readily refused her, "You're boyfriend hasn't come, if you wish
to die, wait for him to arrive then attempt one more time." (T/N: Meaning heaven
knows of what you did.)
I pulled back Doctor Su and said in a whisper, "Stop talking nonsense, if she
complained about you what should we do?"
Doctor Su very comfortingly patted the back of my hand, "I'm used to it."
Miss Li no longer shed tears silently, she wailed and got up, "I'm already like this but
he still didn't come to visit me, I wuwuwu........"
"Could you please stop being noisy, it gives this jie a headache." Doctor Su said while
holding her head, "Come, I'll introduce you to someone, this is the person you nearly
landed unto when you jumped down from upstairs that day. She came to visit you."
I was somehow pushed to the front by Doctor Su, without any better option, I
awkwardly forced a smile, "Ah, hello."
Miss Li spared me a quick glance, and said while sobbing, "Why did you come to see
me?"
I guess I can't really say I'm only here to confirm that you haven't died, so I could
sleep without getting nightmares. Hence, I could only reply, "I'm just here to see how
well you've recovered."
"Is it any of your business?" She sobbed, "Are you here to watch a good show?"
To be thrown at by such question, I was a little bit embarrassed and at a complete
loss, I could only look at Doctor Su with a cry for help.
Doctor Su let out a yawn, "Why wouldn't it be any of her business? If there was a
slight deviation to the parabolic curve of when you dropped, she could've been lying
in bed with you today. Let me just say something, if you want to kill yourself, just
please, pick somewhere environmental friendly, okay? If you really want to jump,
place a sign downstairs, write This place has already been expropriated as a jumping
area, if you cherish your life please take a detour.' and so on, don't accidentally injure
a passer-by."
I tried to cut her off in a hurry, "Don't provoke her, out of a doctor's goodness." (T/N:
The literal translation for the phrase used was a doctor's parental heart')
Doctor Su waved his hands dismissively, "A parental heart also has ill tendencies,
just look at the news and you'll see, you just have to bear with mine, besides, she's
tough as nails, I won't be able to provoke her."
In the end who's really the one tougher than nails.......
Miss Li is unexpectedly this incredible, no matter how Doctor Su would push her
buttons, she can still find methods to go after me and asked, "I did not die, did that
disappoint you?"
I hurriedly waved my hand, "No, no. I just thought there were so many people
downstairs, yet you fell in front of me. It could be considered fate, so I came to see
you, that's all."
Miss Li probably felt that it was also fate, hence she no longer persistently interrogate
me. She kept on mumbling endlessly to herself, the content was I love him so much,
I'm willing to die for him'."
I hate being at the side, watching others spit out malicious curses, mainly because
I've watched too many TV dramas growing up, and it has caused a lot of residual
effects on me. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to stop my conditioned reflexes
from rushing over to cover up her mouth then say, "I will not allow you to curse
yourself like this!"
Hence, I pulled Doctor Su and told her we were leaving, Doctor Su said, "I haven't
given her a check-up yet." I turned around and watched as she put on a weird and
incomprehensible look and then said, "Forget it, let's leave. Just by looking at her, it
gives this jie a headache. I'm not in the mood to joke around anymore."
I already said that I felt that there was really something fishy about her today, it turns
out that she hasn't bombarded me with her humor' yet.
When we were out of the patient's room, Doctor Su told me, "Right, my younger
brother is leaving the country."
"Ah?"
"No matter how hard we try to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. Our mom has cried
herself to death, scared that he'd suffer hardship for being alone in a foreign country."
I don't get it, "Going abroad is quite good, he'd learn things, and be able to broaden
his horizons."
"The point is, he's going abroad with emotional wounds, what if he'd recklessly*
commit suicide when no one's there to watch him attentively?" (T/N: The idiom used
was "the mountains are high, the emperor is far away" meaning it's difficult to enforce
the emperor's law on remote areas as they're far. In this case, Su Rui is free to do
whatever pleases him without fear of interference as he is abroad.)
I shrunk down on my neck, "I'm sorry."
Doctor Su said, "It's alright, I'm just telling you ahead that my mom might look for a
chance to have a chat with you these coming days."
"What?" I was so shocked that I kept on repeating every monosyllable that comes out
of my mouth, "This.....this....no....no....okay.....okay.....I guess."
Asking the family head to do something ah, telling the mom ah, this sort of thing is
really very shameless, but it truly is.......my Achilles' heel.
Droplets of cold sweat rolled down my back towards the waistline of my pants. The
moist traces both created curve lines. I deluded myself into thinking that I really have
nice curves.
Doctor Su smiled a cunning smile, "I'm just joking with you, my mom is very busy."
......
I didn't know how to react.
She added, "Moreover, my brother is also not going abroad, he said he's just going to
find a young, pretty woman to make you angry."
I often think the so-called law is nothing else but human sentiment. For people such
as Doctor Su, if I couldn't help myself but exterminate her, the law ought to confer me
a medal or something.
But my major is art and not law, so I couldn't guarantee for certain whether I'd be
sentenced to prison once I kill her, I could only wave my hands goodbye as I go out
of the hospital to take the bus.
I went home, forgetting about time for a moment. Jiang Chen would probably be able
to come home at 1 in the morning.
Hence, I cooked instant noodles, carried it over and stayed five steps away from the
computer as I watched an American series. Ever since I've knocked over a bowl of
mung bean soup on the keyboard, I've completely understood when people say that
liquids is the weight that a computer's life couldn't bear.
I've only eaten three mouthful of noodles, and the American series had only played its
preview when my phone rang. I looked at it it's Wu Bosong who vanished without a
trace for a short while. Alright, as compared to him, I'm the one who vanished without
a trace. When I'm in a relationship I only have eyes for the opposite gender and no
heart for human nature. You can take reference as to how pathetic I am to have made
zero good friends during my four years in university.
On the phone, Wu Bosong excitedly told me that he has fell in love with a woman, a
real woman in that sense, different from me, a yellow-haired girl* type of woman.
(T/N: A chit of a girl, one who likes to banter.)
To be honest, the probability of me being called a yellow-haired girl has already
declined compared to a few years ago. So, I decided to ignore this misconception of
him thinking that I'm not a woman in that sense.
I said, "You're going to be dating somebody eh? Then, who's going to take me out to
eat when I get hungry in the future?
He said, "Your family's man." (T/N: "possessive pronoun + family's" is kind of an
intimate way to refer to someone.)
"But he's very busy."
Wu Bosong laughed and said, "Then, you should curry favor with my family's woman,
so that she won't eat your vinegar."
I said, "I really hate this my family's man or woman' expression the most, so
disgusting."
He said, "Then how should we address them?"
"My family's husband, your family's wife; my family's honey, your family's sweetheart."
He was laughing his head off from the other side of the phone, I think the thing I like
most about him is that he would laugh at every single one of my jokes even though
they aren't funny.
I could hear the doorbell ringing over his laughter, I said, "Your doorbell is ringing."
He paused for a moment then said, "It's your doorbell."
I listened carefully, sure enough, it really is my doorbell. Forgive my outdated home,
my doorbell would often fluctuate it's ringing, sounding near and also sounding far, it's
like being with a now hot, then now cold lover.
I took my phone and went to open the door. While I was about to open the door, we
joked around, "It's unlikely that you'd be standing outside, preparing to kneel down
and propose to me as soon as I open the door." "When you open the door, it's not a
person standing there." I opened the door it was Jiang Chen. I was thinking that at
least, it's a person. Then I waited for two seconds to see if he would propose to me.
He didn't. He looked very dejected. So I decided to hang up Wu Bosong's call to tend
to Jiang Chen. I firmly believe that Classmate Wu would be able to understand, he
would put two and two together.
The 7-hour surgery was finished in just 2 hours. Even though I'm just a layman, I
could roughly guess what has happened.
I thought that this time, a cup of tea of and a hug would be able to make me look like
a good wife and a loving mother, hence I really did so, but I forgot to consider the
environmental factors. For example, let's say, it's hot like a crazy summer night. For
another example, let's say, my landlord who is a turtle's egg (bastard) didn't provide
air-conditioning. And for another example, let's say, that I'm dripping in sweat right
now..........in short, the route to being a good wife and loving mother' doesn't suit me.
Jiang Chen took my neck like he was holding an octopus to pull me away from his
body. He also prevented me from almost using hot tea to help him bathe. In the end,
he held me down on both shoulders and said, "Can you stay still!"
"But I want to help you."
He let go of me, and laid me down on the couch, "Just stand there and don't move,
you don't have to do anything."
He crossed his hands at the back of his head, his eyes were just staring at me
without blinking.
I was thinking, Classmate Jiang, stop looking at people like that. In any case, our
relationship has already became adult'. Staring at me with such a simple, meaningful
glance yet I feel like my mouth is dry and my tongue is parched from desire, and the
heat is burning my body, I truly feel so impure.'
Chapter 32

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 32

Xri
I stood still letting Jiang Chen stare at me for as long as 10 minutes. During this
period, I brought up, "Should I change to a better pose?", "Should I change to a
sexier piece of clothing?", "Can I charge you money for looking at me for so long?",
etc. But he ignored all.
In the end I could not take it anymore, I stomped on my feet saying, "Just what are
you looking at?"
He said, "Looking at you."
"What is there to look?"
To be honest, the moment I said that line I regretted. There are plenty of things to
look at...
Jiang Chen said, "That's exactly what I am doing, trying to figure out what's there
good of you to look at."
I pondered on his words. I feel that there's a hidden meaning behind his words.
Hence, I decided I should never ponder on his words ever again. So that his words
won't have a chance to affect me.
He continued, "In the past when I was really tired or dispirited, I would always think, if
only Chen Xiaoxi is here. She is so dumb, if I were to look at her I would probably
think that life is just like this, there's nothing extraordinary."
I thought to myself, I just decided not to ponder on his words, but if I don't think about
what he said, I won't really know if he is complimenting me or insulting me...
So, I asked him honestly, "Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"
He said, "What do you think?"
I flew over to push him and pressed him down, "You also know how to say lovey
dovey stuff!"
I heard him groan from being pushed over, so I took it as he has just received a
burden of happiness. He put his hand on my neck with efforts to push me off him, I
hooped my arms around his neck saying that I won't let go I won't let go. I won in this
match of strength, I felt at ease.
I leaned on his chest and said, "Wow that I'm in front of you, does seeing me makes
you full of energy? Having me around you isn't that bad right?"
His voice came from the top of my head, "Nope, I think it's so-so."
"Ah!" I jumped up and strangled him, "I will strangle you to death today."
He pried away my fingers and said, "Take a pillow from the bedroom, suffocating
someone using a pillow uses lesser strength."
I took a big bite on his neck, he turned and said while laughing, "Bite a little more to
the side, the main artery is here."
.....
Jiang Chen only told me that the surgery was not successful. He didn't share with me
how to face seeing a life pass away, how to face the tears of the family of the patient.
Life and tears, to me who is someone outside the medical field, is the hardest thing to
confront in this world. However, he is doing it every day, perhaps he has already
gotten used to it, it's just that I will still feel heart pain for him. I just think that it will be
more relaxing for us to go back home and sell sweet potato.
Jiang Chen said that he will stay overnight at my place tonight. But I said I don't have
clothes for him.
He said he has them in his car, and told me to get it.
So, I obediently went to take his clothes for him. When I got back, Jiang Chen had
already finished bathing. He wrapped himself up with my towel, sat in front of my
computer eating my instant noodles, and was watching my American series.
I stared at the towel that was draped loosely around this particular body part, I
contemplated if I should be nose bleeding or to grieve for my new towel that cost me
43RMB.
I stood with arms akimbo, rampantly asking, "How could you touch my things without
asking for permission first!"
He looked at me side-eyed, "If your eyes can refrain itself from staring at my towel,
then your lecture can be more persuasive."
You see, hormones can mess with a person's pupil movement. Therefore, affecting
the area where it's looking at, hence, I am innocent.
Since I couldn't win him with words, I went to bathe instead. While I was bathing, I
turned up the water temperature a little higher. I looked at the mirror while walking out
of the bathroom, felt that my entire body pink from freshness, and looked delicious. I
have to explain myself here, I am not a narcissist. Everyone says that if the female
lead looks at herself in the mirror and talks about her own beauty, then that's being
narcissistic. However, I am not like that. I solely think that the red me, as compared to
the white me, looks more delicious, plump, and tender. Actually, this is easy to
explain, for more details, please refer to fresh prawns and cooked prawns.
I walked into the room in my I'm very delicious' mindset, Jiang Chen was still wearing
that towel. Just that this time round, he was lying on my bed, flipping through my
comics.
I coughed and said, "Didn't I bring your clothes in for you? Why aren't you wearing
them?"
He flipped a page, and said nonchalantly, "It's gonna be taken off anyway, why should
I wear it?" (T/N: HALP.)
Why? How would I know why? So that when you are taking off my clothes I can also
take off your clothes, and I won't look like I have nothing to do.
So, so, so, so, I am actually really shy. Just that it's not that obvious that I'm shy.
Furthermore, I have a bad habit of faking up a strong front. So I acted as though
nothing happened and took a pair of shorts out from his clothes and threw it to him
saying, "If you don't wear clothes, don't lie on my bed."
After that, I walked back to my computer, and started watching my American series
on the original timing from which I stopped. I then acted as though I was watching it
with great interest. Actually, what are they acting, God knows.
Jiang Chen flipped the pages loudly on my bed, my palms started sweating.
China's history has a way of dying, called death by a thousand cuts. How it works is
that you kill someone by slicing them one cut at a time. Later it advanced into a
higher level, and that is to wrap someone up with fish net, and use knife to slice the
parts that comes out through the holes. The highest record holds at around more
than 3000 cuts. The reason why I mentioned this, is to illustrate just how cruel and
human beings be. It's not to prove how creative our ancestors are in their ways of
murder. Instead, it's used to show how Jiang Chen flipping the page one by page, is
exerting the same pressure as slicing the person up one cut by one cut. I'd rather he
just fly over to press me down, do this do that. (T/N: I almost died translating this my
hands have no strength.)
Bao Feng Player* is at around one-third timestamp when Jiang Chen said, "Chen
Xiaoxi." (T/N: Think it's a kind of player like Tencent QQ.)
I trembled for a bit, to describe it in a more romantic language it would be "my
delicate body shook."
I clicked paused, turned to look at him. He had his head propped on one hand and
leaned sideways from me.
I said, "What?"
"Come and sleep," he waved his hands while saying.
I glared at him. He returned the stare, smiling slightly which showed his dimple ever
so slightly.
Demon!
I swallowed my saliva, said, "Urm... I'll sleep after this episode. If you're tired you can
sleep first."
Jiang Chen didn't say anything, he only remained in that position to look at me while
smiling. His eyes sparkling with resentment.
I have no idea where he went to learn that expression from. It's making my heart beat
like crazy nonstop.
I shut down my computer, took out a new pillow from my wardrobe and threw it at
him. "It's new."
This pillow is a free gift. In order to get this free gift, I had to buy a large amount of
detergent that was enough to bury me.
Jiang Chen stuffed the pillow behind his head, I scratched my neck and said, "Then
I'll turn off the lights?"
"Mmm."
Darkness.
I fumbled onto my bed, while I was lying down I heard Jiang Chen muttering
something under his breath. I didn't hear properly, so I asked, "what?"
"It's very hot, don't you have air-conditioning or fan?"
I climbed out of bed to turn on the lights, I dug out one palm leaf fan that I got from a
trip to Yunnan from my wardrobe. "I only have this, there's no air-conditioning, and my
fan is broken."
Save electricity, save the earth.
The me in the darkness is hearing sounds of the fanning fan, the rhythm is hypnotic.
Just as my eyelids were about to close, a sudden cold wind came from behind my
neck, I shivered awake.
I have no idea when Jiang Chen came so close to me, to the point where his head
was already on my pillow.
I moved around, "Why are you sleeping on my pillow?"
"Too hot, I can't sleep."
"If you sleep so close isn't it hotter?"
His arms wrapped over my waist, the heat from his arm transitioned to my waist. He
gently kissed down my neck and back, like feather, like a gently breeze of wind, it
tickles. I can't help but close my eyes, he then stopped around my neck and licked
gently. I writhed. Suddenly my neck felt a jolt of pain from being bitten, I cried out in
alarm, "HECK, ZOMBIE!!"
His hands seized the opportunity to travel in and under my pajamas top. Like it was
conducting current, it burnt me till I was shuddering. I squirmed around but was still
trapped in his embrace. I can't hide, I can't defend.
He forcefully removed my shirt over my head. When it was removed I cried no tears, I
tried explaining, "My top is an open front shirt, there are buttons, there are buttons..."
No use, I can hear at least two buttons hitting the floor.
I was woken up by my hunger past midnight. Only then did I recall that my dinner,
that instant noodle, ended up in Jiang Chen's stomach. I wanted to take out my anger
by kicking the Jiang Chen that was sleeping. Little did I know the shock that I had
when I opened my eyes slightly. His face was so close, a small pout and I will be able
to kiss him kind of distance.
Actually, the part that shocked me wasn't his zoomed in face, but rather, even though
he seemed to be in a condition of being asleep, his hands were still in midair, holding
on to the fan, fanning me. I looked at him without moving, I want to know if he is
sleeping walking or awake.
After about 5 minutes, he passed the fan from his left hand to his right hand. He
continued to fan it above my head. Therefore, the wind moved from my back to my
head. No wonder in my dreams my back was cold for a moment, and my head was
cold the next moment, like a horror film.
He finished that process with his eyes closed. Perhaps it was something like closing
one's eyes to rest one's mind.
I made a sound, and acted like I just woke up, I called, "Jiang Chen."
His hand stopped, opened his eyes and asked, "Why?"
"I didn't eat dinner, I'm hungry." I said coquettishly, "You ate my dinner, you're a
bastard with heart of wolf and lungs of dog*." (T/N: lit translation, a bad person with
no heart.)
I said the word bastard' with the legendary baby voice, but as my skills were not up to
standards, I could only say it with a nasal sound.
The Jiang Chen in the darkness clearly twitched his lips, "Speak properly! If you're
hungry, go cook something."
"You cook for me.... You ate my food and you don't even want to cook for me...." I
pouted my lips hard, dragging every syllable, I wanted to propose my suggestion but
at the same time, test Jiang Chen's level of resisting disgust.
His level of resisting disgust was weaker than I thought, because he kicked me off
the bed. Not like how the male and female lead flirts while pursuing the you're bad,
I'm bad, you're bad, I'm bad' kind of kick. Instead, he did it with such repulsion,
emotion and colors, like he wants to kick me to the Pacific Ocean.
He said, "Go and cook noodles! Cook a bowl for me too."
I rubbed on my buttocks, flattened my lips and limped out to cook noodles. I
comforted myself continuously. Unknowing gentle care is the most touching,
unknowing gentle care is the most touching*. (T/N: I'm not sure what's the best way
to put this across, but she meant care that is displayed like naturally is the best kind
of care.)
Even so, can't he give a bit of deliberate.
Chapter 33

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 33

youtiaoshutiao
The next day, in order to satisfy the good intentions of Jiang Chen who had, in high
spirits, said that he wanted to send me to work, I had no alternative but to wake up an
hour earlier than I normally did, this was the price of love.
Last night, towards the latter half of the night we kept on discussing the issue of
pillows, Jiang Chen insisted on sleeping on my pillow, saying that the new pillow had
a smell of washing powder. I proposed switching pillows with him, yet he said that this
wasn't good, it would make it seem like he wasn't considerate of his girlfriend.
I said, you have never been considerate before, besides there aren't outsiders here, if
I don't say and you don't say, just be inconsiderate then.
He said, with this mouth of yours, who knows, you might go onto some forum and
publish a post, or write a novel or draw a cartoon to praise me, then once the sofas
and benches* come and twist the forum thread, you would then begin to write boldly
and with conviction My Awful Boyfriend doesn't even give me a pillow to sleep'. (T/N:
sofas/benches Chinese internetspeak, often used when replying to the original forum
post. The first replier often says sofa' (meaning they got to sit on the sofa), while the
people who reply after that say bench' (since the sofa already has someone sitting on
it, they can only sit on benches after that))
I said, it's really unfair for you to put it this way, if I do post on a forum, write a novel
or draw a cartoon, what I depend on are my two hands, it's got nothing to do with my
mouth, you can't malign a good body organ.
Afterwards, we slept till daybreak with our two large heads crammed on one pillow. I
supposed snatching pillows was a type of illness, it ought to be treated.
"Hey, I'll buy an air conditioner and put it at your place, alright?" Jiang Chen suddenly
said while stopping at the traffic light.
I was distracted for a moment, what a familiar phrase.
"Hey, I'll give you a set of drawing tools, alright? Hey, I'll give you that set of manga
that you've wanted for a long time for your birthday, alright? Hey, I'll treat you to a
meal today, alright? Hey, I'll place my allowance for living expenses at your end,
okay......" These were all things that Jiang Chen had said to me during university
every time he wanted to provide material assistance.
I asked him, "Is alright?' a fixed sentence pattern of yours?"
He obviously didn't get it, he thought for a long time before saying, "Back then, we
had a saying, those in the arts faculty are all being kept*, back then I was afraid that
you would think that I was keeping you, and would think that I wasn't respecting you
enough, after that it became a habit." (T/N: kept' as in how a man keeps a mistress
and provides her with financial and material support)
I was silent for a very long time, finally I really couldn't help but say, "How are you
respecting me......"
"Why?"
"Keeping me is only worth a set of drawing tools, a set of manga and what not, it
should at least be a diamond as big as my fist."
Jiang Chen's complexion suddenly darkened, it felt like our friendly conversation had
inexplicably broken down.
When the car had arrived downstairs of our company, I asked him cautiously, "Are
you being angry?"
He said, "That's right."
I said, "Why?"
He said, "It's rare that I want to respect you for once, yet you've made it out into a
joke."
I scratched my head and asked, "Then how long are you preparing to be angry for?"
Jiang Chen parked the car by the side, turned around in his seat and glared at me,
"Must you infuriate me to the point of death?"
"No." I explained, "I'm afraid that if you are angry for too long, you'll forget about
buying the air conditioner for me, the weather is so hot...... Plus you love to sleep on
the same pillow as me...... Or is it that even though you are being angry, there will still
be an air conditioner set to my house in the afternoon? I'll give my house keys to
you?"
......
Jiang Chen glared at me for the duration of a century, finally he gave a long sigh and
said, "Indeed I worried too much back in the day, what do you have that is worth
respecting."
Nah, this big brother, it's really rude of you to speak this way.
At noon, Jiang Chen gave me a call during my lunch break, saying that the air
conditioner had already been installed properly. I vigorously praised his efficiency at
getting things done, then proposed that I would reward him well tonight, on that end
of the phone, he "ee"-ed and "oh"-ed, and laughed really erotically, I felt really
wronged, what I meant was that I would buy delicious food for him......
I got off work first, I bought a large pile of delicious things and ran to the hospital to
meet Jiang Chen when he got off work.
This pile of delicious things included two cups of ice-cream, but till the point when the
ice-cream melted into two cups of muddy liquid, I still did not manage to have Jiang
Chen and I feeding each other bite after bite like I had envisioned. This was because,
at the hospital entrance, I ran into Wu Bosong and that girlfriend of his who was the
purest woman in the world Hu Ranran.
My mouth was open so wide it could at least cram in a fist.
Wu Bosong came over and clapped my shoulder, "Why, are you astonished by your
sister-in-law'sgood looks?"
I closed my mouth slowly, and was dragged by him to face Hu Ranran, he said,
"Ranran, this is my best friend Chen Xiaoxi. Xiaoxi, Ranran, my girlfriend."
Hu Ranran's complexion was as white as paper, she moved the corners of her mouth
a few times to try and break out into a smile, but she didn't succeed.
I stared at her, I guessed my expression currently was one of alarm.
"Hey, what's going on?" Wu Bosong clapped me again, "Do you know each other?"
"We don't know each other." Hu Ranran rushed to speak, the expression in her eyes
was that of total pleading as she looked at me.
Wu Bosong looked at me puzzledly, I forced a smile, "I thought she looked a little
familiar, it's possibly because she's too pretty."
Wu Bosong asked, "You came to find Jiang Chen?"
I nodded my head, my eyes fixed on Hu Ranran, "How about you guys? Why would
you arrange to meet at the hospital entrance? Does Miss Hu have a friend who is ill?"
Hu Ranran avoided my gaze, "I don't, we just arranged to meet here."
"Oh, then that's great," I said, but even I could tell that my tone of voice was rather
peculiar.
Wu Bosong appeared to be thinking about something, but he too didn't pursue the
matter, he only crooked his finger and tapped my head, "Did you sprain your tongue,
be more courteous to my wife."
I curled my lip, "Fine, you want your wife and don't want your friends."
Wu Bosong ignored me, and held Hu Ranran's hand. He used a tone of voice that
was so intimate til I wanted to vomit and said, "Let's ask Xiaoxi and her boyfriend to
eat with us, okay?"
Hu Ranran's face continued to be pale, but she gently and agreeably nodded her
head, "Okay."
Tut...... This old woman and this old woman's husband might not necessarily be
willing to eat with you guys.
Jiang Chen started when he saw Hu Ranran, and looked at me in puzzlement, I
shook my head, he smiled and sat down.
Wu Bosong introduced the two of them again, Jiang Chen smiled and nodded his
head and said, "Hello."
Hu Ranran lowered her head and also said, "Hello."
This meal progressed in a strange atmosphere, the only one who was comparatively
more at ease was Jiang Chen, the evidence was that old man ate his own portion
and still ate half of mine, he even insisted on taking that two ice creams in my plastic
bag that had melted into liquid to throw away, even though I kept on emphasising that
once I put it back into the fridge, it would become a good lad again after one hour.
Just before we separated, I specially exchanged phone numbers with Hu Ranran,
saying that if we were free, we should exchange our insights into being someone
else's girlfriend.
The moment I got onto Jiang Chen's car, I began to pitter-patter and say malicious
words about Hu Ranran, Jiang Chen also didn't respond, only till I was tired of talking
did he say, "What are you being so stirred up for?"
"She and that Secretary Zhang! They...... Aye, I'm so angry I could die!"
"What's it got to do with you?" He said.
He had a point, but we often believed that we had the right to criticise others, and I
had this shortcoming.
I said, "Before this, I didn't have any opinion of Hu Ranran, but she's together with
Wu Bosong! Wu Bosong! How can I turn a blind eye to this?"
Jiang Chen glanced at me coldly, "Why can't you?"
I didn't know how to explain it to him, I could only repeatedly emphasis, "He is Wu
Bosong! He is Wu Bosong! Plus, he doesn't know anything, he is Wu Bosong! Wu
Bosong!"
I believed that if anyone heard me, they would definitely think that Wu Bosong was
the new leader of the country who had just taken office.
Jiang Chen suddenly pressed the brakes violently.
With all my might, I steadied my body that had almost flown out, then slowly turned
around to look at him, "You had better tell me that there was a dog or a ghost that had
appeared in front of us or something, if not I'm going to strangle you to death."
Jiang Chen ignored me, his face darkened as he said, "Must you have such a big
reaction to Wu Bosong dating?"
I explained and said, "The main point is not that he is dating, it's who he is dating, you
don't know, Wu Bosong's family has quite a complicated story, I feel that he is more
suited to have a simpler relationship."
Jiang Chen sneered, "What relationship is simple? One with you?"
Ah? Ah!
I first stared blankly, after that I was suddenly enlightened. I pointed at him and said
disbelievingly,"You, you can't possibly be jealous...... You weren't jealous of Su
Rui...... You're jealous of Wu Bosong...... Are you out of your mind?"
Jiang Chen pulled a long face and didn't answer me, I too didn't bother about it,
mainly because the shock I had received was too great. You think about it, normally
Jiang Chen exhibited a face of I am an adult, I never get randomly jealous', so I as
his girlfriend, though I undoubtedly wanted to be unreasonably jealous when I saw
the granddaughter of that Secretary Zhang, when I saw that expression on his face
that was so open and candid that he could act as a People's Liberation Army uncle,
together with that image of his that was forever magnanimous and forever
reasonable, I was too embarrassed to do so.
The car stopped at the side of the road for a good ten minutes, I reminded him, "That,
let's go home before being jealous, okay?"
Jiang Chen lifted his hand up, I suspected that he wanted to point his middle finger at
me, but he didn't, he only started the car.
I attempted to explain him as the car advanced en route, "Wu Bosong wouldn't like
me, if he did like me we would have gotten together in high school, so don't let your
imagination run wild."
His face became even more sour, that's right...... That's exactly the effect I wanted.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER
Amy | Dolly | Xri
Translator's Corner:
Ah hah! Wu Bosong's love line that never saw the day of light in the drama is finally
here~
Chapter 34

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 34

dolly
I got home. I let out at a giggle as I lifted my head to look at the shiny, brand-new air
conditioner. Air conditioner is literally one of the greatest invention by mankind, as
well as the computer, the television, the washing machine, the water heater, the car,
the airplane........andso on. In other words, humans are simply amazing.
Jiang Chen was still seething on the couch, watching the television that was cranked
up in an unusually very loud volume. It made me wonder whether there was
something wrong with the TV's audio, or that there was something wrong with Jiang
Chen's ears. I guess it's the latter. When someone is seeing red, they have the
tendency to hurt their bodies the most.
After I was done giggling at the air conditioner in the living room, I ran inside the
bedroom and giggled at yet another air conditioner. Afterwards, I went out and patted
Jiang Chen on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry for making you spend money,
actually, buying one for the bedroom was already enough, you could have left out this
one in the living room."
He continued staring at the television and didn't even spare me a look. He casually
picked up the remote control on the coffee table, and turned on the air conditioner.
With a quick eye and a deft hand, I snatched the remote control from him, "Go take a
shower, I'll turn on the air conditioner in my room. Just go inside after you've
showered."
You see, the space of the bedroom is a lot smaller than the living room, hence cooling
it utilizes a lot less electricity. Even though I didn't like studying as a kid, however I
firmly remember a certain sentence in a certain piece of writing in my grade school
literature and language textbook A refrigerator is affordable, but we can't afford the
electricity.' Alright, I admit that the things which my mind usually chooses to
remember are quite weird. Naturally after years of keeping the good and getting rid of
the bad, this piece of writing must have already been removed from the grade school
textbooks as it doesn't conform with the harmonious development of society. (T/N: It
really does exist in 3rd grade literature and language textbooks, the title is "What's
Still Missing In Our House?")
Jiang Chen looked at me with a wooden expression on his face, "I'm not in the mood
to take a shower."
I didn't understand what he was saying, "What mood do you want to have for you to
shower?"
He reached out for the remote control, so I hid it behind my back, "Take a shower,
take a shower."
He casted me a look, "Is this supposed to be a hint?"
I froze, my subconscious mind was throwing the remote control that I was holding at
him, "Who's hinting at you, you.......you're shameless!"
Jiang Chen probably has never been called shameless all his life, so he simply
grabbed the remote control and threw an unfathomable look my way. I showed him
my most beautiful smile and then broke into a run.
I quickly slammed the door shut with a bang, and locked it.
Outside, Jiang Chen was rapping on the door, "If you have the guts, show yourself to
me!"
"I don't have the guts." I flatly declared.
I picked up the remote control on the computer desk and turned on the air
conditioner, then in high spirits, threw myself on the bed and pulled out a manga from
under the pillow.
Lying down on my stomach, I was reading it while singing a song, and moving my
legs about.
Until there was a sound of the door being unlocked, I was alerted and turned my
head around, Jiang Chen was leaning against the door frame, a bunch of keys were
twirling on his index finger, with a smile plastered on his face which was directed at
me, "I'm shameless right?"
I think that when his dimple looks the sweetest, he's about to bare his fangs.....
I shrieked, "Didn't you already return the keys to me?"
"I had them duplicated."
"How could you duplicate my keys without my consent!" I was so angry that I
suddenly jumped, standing right up on the bed.
He slowly walked towards me, "Because I'm shameless."
......
I also took a few steps backwards. As I was standing on the bed, and the opportunity
to tower over him was hard to come by, I tried assuming an imposing air, only that
when I opened my mouth, my voice somehow came out weak, "Don't come over
here......."
Jiang Chen grabbed hold of my ankle, dragging me with a firm grip. I fell head first on
the bed, luckily, the mattress was really soft.
His entirety immediately hung all over me. I narrowed my eyes at him, but wore a
smile of someone attempting to curry favor, "That, it was just a slip of the tongue, slip
of the tongue."
He leaned in closer and closer, until the tip of his nose was already touching mine,
"Really?"
Only one word and his breath fanned all over my face, "Really, really! You have face,
no one has more face than you." (T/N: you are shameless = you have no face)
He rubbed his nose randomly on my face, this made me think of that pig I saw when I
was a kid, digging on a pile of bok choy with its snout.
As we were smilingly, and noisily about to take off our clothes to delve into a business
justifying social harmony, my phone suddenly rang.
I peeled off Jiang Chen from me, and crawled towards the bedside table enough to
reach out for my phone. Jiang Chen dragged me back by my ankle. I was begging at
the same time stretching my hand further to grab my phone. When I managed to take
hold of it, I put it right before my eyes to read, and said in a hurry, "Quit messing
around, it's Hu Ranran."
Jiang Chen's hands stopped, and I quickly picked up the call, my voice also sounded
very perky, "Hello."
It was silent on the other end of the line, and then someone spoke, "It's me, Hu
Ranran."
"En, I know." I replied in a calm voice.
Silence. If the enemy doesn't move, I would also not move.
After a long while, she said, begging me, "Would you please not tell him about that
thing?"
Actually, I really wanted to tell her with a freezing irony and a scorching satire, "About
what? Tell what to whom?" But in the end, I still wasn't able to say it. Jiang Chen had
taught me very well, I shouldn't be a mean person, and at the very least, I should not
be mean in front of others, hence I just said, "He and I are good friends."
She said, "I know, I........"
She fell into silence, she probably didn't know where to start.
I was holding the phone and glanced at Jiang Chen. He was using my thighs as a
pillow, flipping through the manga I was reading just now.
A deep sigh came from the other end, "I was only 15 when I became their
housekeeper, just a child from the countryside going to the city to work. The people in
that residence were very nice to me, I was also contented with what I have. But as I
slowly grew up, I did not expect that the more I grew, the more beautiful I became, I
didn't expect to get the attention of that damn old man........."
There was a pregnant pause, and then she laughed hysterically to herself, "Hahaha,
the more I grew, the more beautiful I became.....haha........."
Her laughter, it sounded very miserable to me.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and said, "Uhm, you finish the story first."
"What I told you wasn't really what happened. That time, there was no one at home. I
was mopping the floor when the old man came back. He sat on the couch, reading a
newspaper. He made me pour a glass of water for him, afterwards he pressed me on
the couch. After that event, he told me that he would be nice to me if I would be
well-behaved and do what I was told. If I won't obey him, he would just have
someone deal with my parents, he'd also make sure that I wouldn't find a job. What
could I possibly do? I was only a 16-year old then."
I was holding my phone, and had no idea what to give to her as a reply. My hand that
was on my hip was suddenly gripped by Jiang Chen. I looked down at him, he
covered his face with the book, and looked like he was already sleeping.
I tried to pull my hand free from his grip and said, "I can promise you I won't tell him,
but I hope that you would handle it well. Don't let him get hurt, he is a very important
friend."
"Thank you."
I gave it another thought, and threatened her again, "If you hurt him, I will not let you
get away with it."
After I was done saying it, I immediately regretted it, what line from which TV drama
was I talking about ah.....
Luckily, Hu Ranran didn't jump on the opportunity to laugh at me, she just said, "I
know, don't worry."
She's relatively kind on one hand.
After I hung up the phone, I was just about to look at Jiang Chen to have a chat with
him, only to find out that he already let go of my hand without me knowing. He was
curled up in a ball and have rolled to one corner of the bed, looking sullen.
I crawled over to him and tapped him, "What are you doing?"
"Don't mind me." He jerked his shoulders, shaking my hand off.
I was confused, "What's wrong with you?"
He didn't say anything, I froze there for a long time. As I felt that I couldn't make head
or tail with his actions, I just turned around to prepare my change of clothes.
When I was rummaging through my drawers to look for a nicer-looking and newer
underwear, my mind has also been continuously calculating how costly it is to have a
boyfriend. For instance, if I were to be thick-skinned, I think I honestly need to get a
new set of underwear. And for another instance, I have a premonition that my
electricity bill this month will go up and up......
"If he is your most important friend, then what am I?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Underwear." I replied.
.......
Ah! I have to explain this. Just now, I was calculating in my head the maximum
amount of electricity an air conditioner can consume in an entire night how much
electricity would it cost if it's used once, how much would it cost if it's the entire night,
how much is the equivalent of one month, because I suck in Math, hence I got into a
trance when I was calculating. It reached to an extent that when Jiang Chen spoke, I
only caught the word what' and subconsciously transformed this what' into the most
plausible, what are you looking for?', that's why the dialogue above happened.
A quiet and strange atmosphere permeated the room, I had no choice but to
arduously rewind back to the sentence he was asking, after which, I wanted to
strangle myself using the straps of my bra.
Chapter 35

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 35

youtiaoshutiao
Jiang Chen silently stood up, and walked out of the room. I followed behind him,
explaining, "You are my boyfriend, I misheard just now, I thought you were asking me
what I was searching for."
He waved his hand and said, "I got it, you don't need to say it."
Basically, as someone who had just been likened to underwear, his reaction was
overly unperturbed, this made me very uneasy, because if someone compared me to
underwear, my reaction would at least be...... be more...... vulgar.
I watched Jiang Chen drag a suitcase from beside the sofa, dragging it into the room.
I was very amazed, when I entered the door I was only focused on exclaiming about
the air conditioner, I unexpectedly didn't discover that there was such a large suitcase
next to the sofa.
I followed behind his back foolishly, "Why is there a suitcase? Are you going on a
business trip tomorrow?"
"Go help me pour a glass of water." He said.
"Oh." I happily and diligently ran out to help him pour water.
Jiang Chen searched out a bottle of medicine from the suitcase, he poured out two
pieces, then swallowed them down together with the water, I couldn't help but grab
the bottle to have a look Vitamin U Aluminium Hydroxide and Magnesium Trisilicate
Tablets, suitable for the following diseases: Used for stomach, duodenal ulcerations,
chronic gastritis, gastric hyperacidity, gastric cramps etcetera.
I asked him, "Your stomach hurts?"
"Mm." He sat by the bedside with his hand covering his stomach.
"You ate too much at dinner, you even ate my portion." I took a pillow and passed it
over to him. "Use this to cover your stomach, it'll be a little more comfortable."
Jiang Chen pressed the pillow to his stomach, and said while furrowing his brows,
"Clear out a layer of your wardrobe, and help me put the clothes in the suitcase in."
"Okay, I'll put them now, why not you lie down and sleep for a while." Looking at him
with his creased eyebrows and wan complexion, I felt that my heart hurt exceedingly.
There will always be that one person whom you would be willing to suffer in their
place when you saw them in pain. Don't talk about keeping away clothes, even if it
was collecting a dead body, I'd do it without hesitation.
I took down the clothes in the topmost layer of my wardrobe, that layer was used for
me to put some clothes that I didn't normally wear, anyway Jiang Chen was tall, in
that case it was good for me to put his clothes on top.
Till my clothes were all shifted into a bag, and his clothes were mostly in the
wardrobe, I suddenly felt that something was wrong somewhere, I turned around to
look at Jiang Chen, he was lying on my bed and flipping through a manga book idly.
I blinked my eyes slowly, and said, "Why do you want to place so many clothes at my
place?"
He lowered the manga book, revealing two eyes, "This way, I wouldn't have to bring
clothes to wash up and change into every time I come."
He did have a point, he wasn't wrong......
"Could you have brought too many clothes?" I tiptoed as I piled the clothes up.
"You're really short." He said, "Throw some clothes to me, I'm going to take a
shower."
"You're still going to stay at my place tonight?" I turned around to ask him.
He threw the manga book aside easily, walked over, picked two pieces of clothing
from the clothes I was carrying and said, "Pack the clothes nicely, I'm going to take a
shower."
After he finished speaking, he patted my head, slung the clothes over his shoulder,
and took large steps akin to that of an uncle as he walked out of my room.
I felt a sort of bewilderment that he wasn't answering all my questions, was this a
misconception of mine......
When Jiang Chen finished showering and came out, he had only put on a blue
checkered pair of trousers, his hair was dripping with water, the water droplets
splashed onto his shoulder with pattering sounds, then slid down his shoulder
towards his sturdy chest, then rolled towards his well-defined abdomen.
I swallowed my saliva, "That, the air conditioner is switched on, you had better wear
your top."
"I'll wear it after I wipe myself dry." He lifted his hand and wiped at the water on his
face, "Help me buy two towels tomorrow."
"I have a new one in my cupboard, I'll take it for you." I searched out the towel from
my cupboard and passed it to him very excitedly, "I've already rinsed it with water, it's
very clean, you can use it now."
"Darlie Toothpaste? Can you give me articles for daily use that are not freebies?" He
pointed at the little black person's head that was embroidered on (the towel) and
asked.
I said, "Can't you just regard it as embroidery? It's just that the design is a little more
special. What's more, freebies from an economical point of view are the most
cost-effective."
He scoffed disdainfully, "You had better know economics."
I nodded my head solemnly, "At least I know how to talk nonsense."
Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly, sat down at the bedside, and said, "Help me
dry my hair."
I climbed onto the bed, moved around to go behind his body and helped him dry his
hair, his hair was very soft, and was somewhat brown, I used the towel to rub lightly,
other than him giving me a glare when I couldn't help but pluck out a strand of hair
that was partially golden in colour, the atmosphere was overall still considered to be
not a bad one.
After I finished drying his hair, I leaned forward to rest on his shoulders, the act of
drying one's hair sure was tiring.
During the night, I was sleeping in a half-conscious state, I vaguely sensed
something brushing lightly at my neck area, when I sent a slap across I heard a soft
bellow, "Chen Xiaoxi, are you a female boxer!"
I turned around dazedly to hug him, "What are you doing, not sleeping in the depth of
the night?"
"I can't sleep."
"Why can't you?" As I spoke, my eyelids were about to close again.
Then, I felt a pain of my face being pulled, Jiang Chen was pinching my face as he
said, "My stomach hurts."
A lack of sleep easily causes one to birth evil thoughts in their heart, for example,
currently I wanted to say, if your stomach hurts, go to the side and continue hurting, if
you harass me again I'll let you never have a chance to have a stomach ache again
in your lifetime......
Thankfully, that humane part of me deep down in my heart kept on calling out, only
then could I reluctantly prop my eyes open and say to him, "I'll go pour water and
search for your medications for you."
As I spoke, I was about to climb up, he held me by the waist to stall me, "No need,
accompany me to chat to distract me."
Having a heart-to-heart talk in the middle of the night was really, really bothersome.
But since I was mainly promoting my being kind and understanding in my identity as
a girlfriend, so I could only raise my spirits to deal with him, "What do you want to
chat about?"
He said, "Chat about anything at random."
Nah, you must be reasonable when you conduct yourself, you can't say that you
yourself want to chat yet make me search for a topic of conversation, this sort of
behaviour was extremely irresponsible, extremely outrageous, he deserved to be
dragged out and shot dead a hundred times.
I, being such a modern and resounding female, naturally would not look for a topic of
conversation of my own accord, so I said, "Did you do any surgeries today?"
"I didn't, I was doing outpatient consultations all day today."
"Oh." I thought for a while, then said again, "Do you think Hu Ran Ran is pretty?"
"Pretty."
"How pretty?"
"Prettier than you."
I pinched the flesh on his waist and wrung it around, "I'm the female lead in your
story, be more courteous when you speak!"
He hugged me tightly with great force, it was the kind of tightness as if he was going
to crush me to pieces, forcing me to have no choice but to let go of my hand that was
pinching at his flesh.
I said, "Do you think that her beauty is enough to have a man forgive her past?"
I felt that if a woman was pretty enough to a certain degree, it would form an
inevitable magic power, this sort of magic power would cause people to can't help but
forgive her for all the wrongs she did. For example, Hu Ran Ran was so beautiful that
she had the appearance of a vixen, so the fact that she was really a vixen was
actually classified as an innate skill and a human right, if you didn't forgive her, then
you would really be too petty.
Jiang Chen was silent for a while, then said, "To me, it's not enough."
I said, "Then do you think Wu Bosong will break up with her?"
He said, "What's it got to do with you if they break up."
Look at how he said that, in this day and age, the cost of housing, the cost of oil, the
cost of meat, the cost of garlic, the cost of green beans, toxic milk powder*, toxic
vaccines*, toxic shampoos*...... they were all claimed to have nothing to do with me,
but my good friend going through a break-up was bound to have something to do with
me, right, if not I'll really have no contributions to society. (T/N: If I'm not wrong, these
are all infamous scandals in China. E.g. toxic milk powder a scandal in 2008 where
formula milk powder was found to be contaminated with melamine)
I said, "Of course it's got something to do with me, if they break up, I have to go and
comfort a hurt Wu Bosong."
That's right, you didn't misjudge, I too didn't say anything wrong, I did have a cheap
mouth, I did like to provoke Jiang Chen till he was really angry...... But most likely my
behaviour was too obvious, Jiang Chen totally didn't have the reaction that a normal
crafty black-bellied'* male lead ought to have, not only did he not push me down and
use his mouth to block my mouth, he too didn't rip my clothes apart and carry out a
forced round of circles and crosses*. (T/N: black-bellied'/ referring to a personality
trope of male lead in Chinese romance novels/dramas where the guy is secretly
sly/manipulative/a bully [not really a negative connotation], you guys can google it for
a better explanation...) (T/N: circles and crosses' *coughs* it refers to exactly what
you are thinking, I probably don't have to spell it out......)
He said, "Chen Xiaoxi, next time, be a little less obvious, it'll be easier to infuriate
me."
It wasn't good for one to be too clever, life would lose a lot of fun.
Since I couldn't tease him, I might as well seriously investigate this with him, "You
really think they will break up?"
"Not necessarily."
"Why?"
"Because I am not Wu Bosong."
......
If someone told you that they wanted to chat with you, but his answers to every single
one of your questions all pushed you to a situation where your cold sweat flowed
directly (as you thought) "what can I reply after this?", would you want to kill him,
slaughter him, or shoot him dead?
I sighed and started out afresh, "Then if it was me, would you forgive me?"
Don't blame me for being tacky, the majority of women all liked to compare, if they
asked you whether you thought this person was pretty, their next line would be, then
am I prettier or is she prettier.
Jiang Chen was silent for as long as a century, then he said, "I would."
I was caught off guard, because I had originally already prepared myself to receive
his harsh words, such as, "Of course I wouldn't! I will slaughter you! I hope that you
will die of AIDS!" and so on. With such a word bursting forth from him suddenly, I was
truly at a loss of what to do, I could only mumble and question closely like a fool,
"Why? Didn't you say I'm not as pretty as she is? Why?"
He kissed my forehead, "Because (I) love (you) enough."
I don't know how much romantic words other people can hear when they date, in any
case, I've never heard a single line, so when I heard that, I first doubted my ears,
then I chewed on and considered these four words repeatedly and carefully, finally I
was certain that this was a romantic line, only then did I begin to be touched after a
delay, there was a large expanse of rumbling blank space left in my brain, I only felt
that the stomach ache, the middle of the night, romantic words fished out from the
hearts and the lungs*, these were truly too awesome! (T/N: fished out from the heart
and the lungs' meaning wholeheartedly, devotedly)
Just as I was immersing myself in the pink bubbly world constructed by those
romantic words, I suddenly felt my pyjamas being lifted up.
My pink bubble was punctured with a pop, I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Fellow
student Jiang Chen, can your hand not touch me randomly?"
"I'm not."
I slapped his hand that was plastered on my stomach, "Then what is this?"
His tone of voice was very solemn and serious, "I'm not touching randomly, I'm
touching very purposefully."
I rolled my eyes again, "Your stomach doesn't hurt anymore?"
"It still hurts, chatting was ineffective, let's do some other things for distraction."
Chapter 36

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 36

dolly
In this past one week, I've miraculously noticed that there has been some bizarre
phenomena happening little by little inside my home. For example, there was a razor
in the bathroom, a medical book in the bedroom, the instant noodles that disappears
at night in the kitchen, and this weirdly-shaped bone on the dining table.....
When I saw that piece of bone so outwardly displayed on the table, I decided that I
could no longer tolerate* this matter, if this keeps up, he's going to be able to
successfully move his entire house over. With this thought in mind, I carried the bone
and stormed in front of Jiang Chen who was typing some academic papers on his
laptop. "What is this?" I threw the bone on the computer's desk.
(T/N: The idiom used was spare the rod and spoil the child' meaning if a parent
refuses to discipline an unruly child (in this case Jiang Chen), that child will grow
accustomed to getting his own ways)
He glanced sideways, then answered my question calmly and seriously, "Bone."
His state of being unfazed has tapered most of my anger but I still forced myself to
assume an air of loftiness, "I know that it's fa bone, I mean, what is it doing on the
dining table? You don't think I didn't notice you secretly moving some things over
here!"
Jiang Chen's fingers left the keyboard, he turned his head on my direction, giving me
a very innocent look, and said, "I didn't think so."
.......Eh, he........didn't?
I felt that I was like a bulging balloon while Jiang Chen has a needle in his hands,
reaching out to poke me, and my belly that was full of gas was letting out a
screeching cry as it deflates to miles away.
As he noticed that I wasn't talking for a very long time, he just turned around to
continue with what he's doing on the laptop, so I hurriedly said, "Then......then, how
can you just leave this bone model lying around the dining table!"
Jiang Chen looked at the bone, furrowing his brows, then he looked at me, and said,
"If I'm not mistaken, this was the bone in the bone soup I made last night."
...........
What happened yesterday was, I was suddenly craving for some pork bone soup with
lotus roots. So I looked up the recipe online, and then went outside to buy the
ingredients. I waited for Jiang Chen to come home from work, sweet talked him into
reading the recipe, and sweet talked him again into cooking the soup. So to say, if the
dogs could be trained, then men could also be trained, and besides........okay, let's
not mention it.
Jiang Chen cooked a big pot of soup. After eating our fills, there was still a lot of it left
on the pot so I reheated it for breakfast this morning. Jiang Chen ate two bowls, then
told me he'd go downstairs first and would just wait for me inside the car, so I
hurriedly tried to finish eating the rest. When I was done, I looked at the big pieces of
bones lying at the bottom of the pot. I was thinking if I don't chew them clean it would
surely benefit our landlord's pet dog which keeps on barking loudly every time it
catches sight of me coming home. However, I only managed to chew one bone clean
when Jiang Chen's death chain call' came. He asked, "What are you dilly-dallying
for? If you won't come down this instant, I will not send you to work ever again." I'm
actually the type of person who shouldn't be rushed into doing something, lest I'd
commit errors in a hundred and one ways once I get flustered. In a hurry, I cleared
the table from the pot and bowls, afterwhich, Jiang Chen has already rushed upstairs
to drag me out. Hence, the only bone which I chewed clean was left to dry on the
dining table for the entire day. After attending to a myriad of daily affairs, I've long
forgotten this brief episode that has occurred this morning, and as a result.........
"Haha." I continuously let out a hollow laugh, "It seems like it."
I looked at him, his complexion doesn't look good at all, so I complimented him with a
smiling face, "You can even recognise that it was the bone from last night,
you......you're very familiar with these things."
Actually, I originally wanted to praise him with, "You're really deserving of being called
a doctor." But he just gave me a look as though I was an idiot babbling
nonsense........
Jiang Chen foolishly pursed his lips up, popping out a dimple in the process, and
said, "Fortunately, I'm also very familiar with you."
When he was done saying it, he turned around and dealt with his papers. I sat on the
bedside, trying so hard to remember what was it did I originally wanted to compel him
to confess his guilt for?
Because I couldn't remember it, I went behind Jiang Chen and placed my chin on his
shoulder seemingly lost in my thoughts.
Jiang Chen tilted his head to the side, then suddenly kissed me on the cheek. After
that, he ignored my existence.
I pulled on his ear, and asked without thinking it through, "They tire you out every day,
how much salary do you get in a month?"
He pulled open the drawer of the computer's desk, took out his wallet, took out a
bank card, and said, "The card for my salary."
"Eh?" I accepted it, and scratched my head in puzzlement, "I'm not an ATM, even
though you've given me this card, I still won't be able to see how much money you
get in a month."
Jiang Chen put on a very helpless look, "I'm handing over my salary okay? The PIN
is the last six digits of your phone number."
"Why is my phone number your PIN?"
"I changed it just recently. You're so stupid, I was afraid you won't be able to
remember."
"But why are you giving me the card for your salary?" My heart was caught in a
struggle between wanting to take it and not taking it.
He said, "Because every day, you keep on harping about how expensive water and
electricity are near my ear."
I unintentionallyblurted out, "Then go back to your house."
Jiang Chen did not say anything, he only looked at me quietly.
I distressedly wanted to bite off my tongue, "I.......I mean as you've been living here
with me these past few days, your place will.......will be covered in dust."
Cohabitation is no longer a big deal in this time and age, it's just that.......I just can't
explain why. I totally feel that this is not good, probably because we haven't been
given the stamp of approval by both of our parents. I always feel that anything we do,
if we can't properly define the issue then we would never be able to talk it out
intelligently. Well, I think this guy also has his shortcomings his aloofness.
(T/N: She used a Confucian ideology/ proverb which is literally translated to, if the
name isn't correct, then the language is not in accordance with the truth of things'
meaning address things properly in order for arguments to be tenable.)
The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth lifted, "Sorry to bother you in minding the dust of
my house."
I don't know what to say to that. For the lack of a better option, I quickly smiled
pandering him, "You just continue with what you're doing." Then I submissively
withdrew myself from the room. I scampered to the living room to watch the TV and
put it on a very low volume. I didn't see much of what was going on inside, I simply
perked up my ears, trying to listen to any sign of movement.
Around half an hour has already passed by, and then from the inside came the sound
of a computer shutting down. In five minutes, Jiang Chen came out carrying his
laptop bag, and declared, "I'm going home."
I stood up, chewing down on my lower lip, and said, "Drive carefully."
Jiang Chen's complexion darkened then blanched. There seems to be a raging
inferno, burning in the depths of his eyes.
The door flew open with a loud crash, making me shrink down on my shoulders from
the fright. Such big temper.......
I went over to close the door, leaning against it while counting the days since we got
together again it has actually been more than three months. From summer to fall,
from turning on the air conditioner to turning it off for fall. Why didn't he mention about
visiting my parents with me, make me explain things to my dad, or take me to their
house, and make his mom humiliate me or something.
I was already imagining scenarios on what his mom would say if she saw me again.
Right, it's going to be around the lines of why am I still haunting* them like this. Then,
how should I answer her? Is it because your son is a great master at beckoning
souls? Haha, it's just fantasy*.
(T/N: [1] The idiom used was "the soul of the deceased has not yet dispersed" and is
commonly used with a negative connotation meaning, even if the bad' guys were
already eliminated their influence still lingers. [2] The three-character idiom used was
"managing the addiction" meaning doing some things to satisfy one's desires
because one isn't able to achieve it.)
My butt has barely touched the couch when the doorbell rang. I scouted the outside
from the peephole, Jiang Chen's face looked distorted, so cute.
As I opened the door, I announced in a loud voice, "Aren't you on your way home?
What are you doing here? I already said I'm not going to take you in tonight."
I admit that I'm a little pleased with myself as it was seldom that Jiang Chen would
humble himself and come back. Oh the proud Jiang Chen, the proud Jiang Chen.
But when I saw those two people behind him, the laughter that threatened to come
out of me died, I opened my mouth to call them, chattering, "Mom, dad."
My dad has a black face, my mom was all smiles and pulled me along, "We so
happened to bump into Little Jiang just now while we were downstairs, and asked
him to come up too."
"Mom, why have you come here this late? Why didn't you give me a call first? I would
have picked you guys up." I stole a glance at Jiang Chen, his expression can still be
regarded as calm.
"It's your dad's fault, he insisted on coming over to see you. He also said not to let
you pick us up as you're too busy with work. Who knew we were going to be stuck in
the traffic for this long, making us arrive here this late."
Liar. I've watched our city's evening news, they even said that today's traffic condition
was exceptionally good. Already so old yet they're still playing these surprise checks,
truly shameless.
My mom dragged me along with her to the kitchen, "What are you in a daze for? Go
pour a glass of water for your dad."
As soon as we entered the kitchen, my mom whispered to me, "Are there any men's
stuff left inside your house? Quickly hide them away, don't let your dad catch sight of
them."
I was scared out of my wits, there wasn't enough time as I zoomed towards the
bedroom, and towards the closet, sweeping all of Jiang Chen's clothes into a bag,
and tucking it under the bed. Afterwards, I zoomed towards the restroom, picked
Jiang Chen's toothbrush, towel, razor, etcetera, and swept them all into a plastic
bucket, used a basin to cover it up, and shoved it under the sink. Then I remembered
Jiang Chen's clothes that were still hanging in the balcony. If I were to go to the
balcony, I must walk through the living room. How can I bring them inside when my
dad was just sitting right there beside Jiang Chen? I was so anxious that I ended up
scratching my head and stomping my feet not knowing what to do.
Hence, I could only go back to the kitchen to ask my mom who was looking for the
tea leaves to brew some tea. She said despicably, "Bring your clothes inside, throw
Little Jiang's clothes downstairs."
Sure enough........the older the ginger, the spicier it gets*. (T/N: The older, the wiser)
I let out a hollow laugh as I walked towards the balcony under my dad's skeptical
gaze, "Mom told me I should bring the clothes in at night, otherwise they would be
dampened by the dew......"
After getting the clothes, I dreaded how to carefully consider the direction from which
I must throw them down. It was just too dark, and my place was situated too high. I'm
not too sure if these clothes would hit anyone on the head, more than anything else, if
it's the briefs, that would really be so embarrassing........
Maybe because I've been dawdling in the balcony for a really long time, the people
inside has already started chatting. I heard deep voices talking in lowered volumes, it
seems like my dad and Jiang Chen were the ones talking. I hid myself and ducked
down beside the balcony door to eavesdrop.
"You broke up with Xiaoxi for such a long time, if you love her, why didn't you try to
look for her?" My dad's voice carried a hint of suppressed anger and a hint of
pretending to be imposing.
Dad! That's very nice of you to ask.
Jiang Chen's voice was really low. Unfortunately, I lived in a slum housing wherein
the units has no soundproofing, so I heard every single word very clearly. He said,
"Uncle, you were once young too, young people tend to act rashly in a fit of pique."
My dad let out a snort, "Your fit of pique sure lasted a long time."
"It's no more than being piqued by Xiaoxi."
"Since you felt piqued, how did the two of you reconcile?" It was my mother's voice,
indeed compared to the other two, she seemed to have her qi moved to her dantian*
so much more. (T/N: dantian' which is a location at your pubic region is considered to
be where one's qi/vital energy originates; often singers/practitioners of martial arts or
qigong/people who play wind instruments are required to have their qi moved to that
region to be more steady/composed)
"When uncle was hospitalized, Xiaoxi gave me a call. Then, we got in touch."
"In other words, our family's Xiaoxi reached out to you first?" My dad asked.
"No. Actually, I pretended to call her number by mistake. I originally thought that if I
pretended to call her several times by mistake, she would return the call. I just didn't
expect to run into the matter with you by chance."
"Does Xiaoxi know?"
"Does not know."
"Why didn't you tell her?"
"I felt piqued."
I was having mixed emotions as of the moment. Piqued, piqued. You were really
piqued by this little sister.......
My mom was in bouts of laughter, but my dad still persevered, "You're so fond of
trying to get even with Xiaoxi, later on she won't be allowed to live. I can't hand her
over to you, besides, your family isn't any good."
"Uncle, please be reassured, I have a sense of propriety and will not make Xiaoxi go
through difficulties, I will take good care of her. I will also deal with my parents."
"Hmph! No one relies on the mouth alone." To be honest, the tone of my dad's words
sounded like he was being deliberately provocative.
"So how does uncle hope that I can prove it to all of you?" The way Jiang Chen
spoke was cordial and unperturbed. I highly suspect that it comes from dealing with a
lot of the patients' family members.
"You should confess to Xiaoxi the matter regarding making the phone call first." My
dad said.
"That's it?" Jiang Chen sounded very confused. In fact, I also felt very confused......
"Yes!" My dad replied with resolute and decisiveness, having no sense of shame.
"But Xiaoxi has been standing on the balcony, listening for a long time." Jiang Chen
replied, seemingly a little perplexed.
.................
I quickly threw Jiang Chen's clothes downstairs and sauntered to the living room
carrying my clothes, "Hehe, the air on the balcony is good, standing up is also good
for the legs and feet......."
PREVIOUS CHAPTER | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER
Dolly | Amy | Xri
BTW, there's a whole side story about that day when Jiang Chen pretended to call
her.
Chapter 37

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 37

youtiaoshutiao
My dad and my mum stayed for three days, then returned to their old home upon
despising that the apartment was truly very crammed. These few days, Jiang Chen
upon getting off work obediently came to my house to help my mum do some chores
of washing the vegetables and picking out the edible part of vegetables, and
accompany my dad to watch sports matches and play chess, he looked hundred
percent the part of a filial obedient child. Only when he saw me in private would he
always give me attitude, most likely he was still angry about that matter of me
chasing him home that day.
Early in the morning today, Fu Pei upon entering the office told us in high spirits that
he had issued our salaries delayed from two months ago. Lately, the company always
couldn't receive large orders, Situ Mo and I saw this clearly, yet we all didn't comment
much, Situ Mo wasn't waiting for money to spend, I could endure and scrape by, so
there was no need to make things difficult for the company. Words such as "the
company is my home" were too pretentious, but the three of us really were the chief
founding figures of this company, in other words, the scale of this company, had
never expanded before too...... Forget it, in Situ Mo's words, our feelings towards this
company were just as if it was our own child that we brought up, no matter how ugly
they grew to be, we could only bear with it.
After getting off work, as I passed by the ATM, I wanted to check my pay in passing,
but despite inserting in the card, the password was always wrong, seeing that the
card was about to be swallowed again in a moment, I withdrew the card, only then did
I realise that it was Jiang Chen's card. Hence, I inserted it back in again, inputted the
last 6 digits of my mobile phone number, after that, I while still alive was so
intimidated by the figure inside till I laid on my stomach on top of the ATM. I only
hoped that the people passing by wouldn't think that I was molesting the ATM......
I searched out my mobile phone and called Jiang Chen, the tooting sounds rang for a
very long time before it was answered, "What's this about?"
"Can't I not make a telephone call to you (even if) there's nothing?"
"What's the matter exactly? I'm very busy."
"It's nothing." I said unhappily.
"If there's nothing, I'm hanging up."
Hence, the call was cut off with a chirping sound, what a miser.
What had I wanted to ask him originally? Oh, ask him from when till when was the
amount of wages in his credit card for, if it was for two to three months, I would
immediately go back and puncture the condoms in our house, get pregnant with his
son and marry him.
Unfortunately the phone had been hung up, I whose facial skin was as thin as prata,
had better wait for ten minutes more before calling him again.
However, I had only walked for a few steps, when my mobile phone in my bag rang
again. It was the individualised ringtone I had set for Jiang Chen, Mayday's* "Like
Smoke", repeating those few lines "That year when I was 7 years old, I grabbed hold
of that cicada, and thought I could grab hold of summer, that year when I was 17
years old, I'd kissed his face, then thought I could be together with him forever, is
there that sort of forever, where there will forever be no change, where the beauty
that has been embraced before would never shatter......" (T/N: A famous Taiwanese
band)
That year when I was 17 years old, I had kissed his face. When I had kissed his face,
it was Senior Year 3, (I was) 18 years old.
That was a summer day that was the most sultry and jittery in my memory, as to why
I said it was most sultry and jittery, perhaps it was because it was Senior Year 3, my
emotions would amplify the weather.
That day, the sun was so fierce it seemed like it was going to broil the earth till it
melted, a group of cicadas on the ends of the branches were howling as if it were a
funeral, I lay on my stomach on the desk, bored to death, fixating my gaze on two
large ceiling fans at the top of the classroom creaking and groaning as they turned.
Someone walked past the entrance of the classroom, I aimed a look, it wasn't Jiang
Chen. Back and forth, more than ten people walked by, only then did I see Jiang
Chen walk past, he had a habit of looking straight ahead when he walked, and never
looked around to his left and right. I randomly grabbed an exercise booklet , then
dashed out from the back of the classroom, jumped in front of him and called loudly,
"Hey!"
He took two steps back, and rolled his eyes, "Lame."
I followed behind him, beaming as I asked, "Jiang Chen Jiang Chen, I'll go to your
classroom to study, okay?"
"Not okay."
I followed behind him, guaranteeing, "I'll definitely not disturb you, I also won't ask
you about questions I don't know, really."
He snorted twice and continued to walk ahead, when we reached his class, I
unexpectedly discovered that there was not a single person from his class, I asked in
bafflement, "ee? Why is there no one in your class?"
"Our form teacher is moving dorm rooms, they've all gone to help," he said.
"Then why didn't you go?"
"What's it got to do with you?" He rummaged out a book of '38 Sets of English
Gaokao Papers" and began doing questions.
I faced him as I sat in the seat in front of him, and said as I bit on the end of my pen,
"It's also good if you don't go, I'm advantaged."
He lifted his eyes and glared at me, "Can you be anymore thick-skinned."
I curled my lip, lowered my head and flipped through my book, discovering that the
exercise booklet I had grabbed randomly was a Mathematics one, this dammed thing
that was like illegible writing......
The weather was outrageously hot, after I finished doing a question while chewing on
the end of my pen, I raised my head to look at Jiang Chen, I didn't know when he had
unexpectedly already leaned on the school desk and fallen asleep, there was a thin
layer of sweat floating on the tip of his nose and his forehead, yet miraculously, it
appeared to be especially cooling, just like a cup of ice water emitting cold vapour all
around, causing one to cannot help but want to get close to draw in a trace of
coolness. As if I was incited by demons and gods, I moved closer to him and gave
him a peck on his cheek, my action so soft and my speed so quick that it was as if a
gentle breeze had brushed past, but yet he opened his eyes, a pair of black and
bright eyes were staring at me, motionless. I felt that the nerve endings on his face
were really exceptionally sensitive.
He said, what are you doing.
I stared blankly and said, if I say I'm helping you wipe your sweat, would you believe
it or not.
He furrowed his brows, his dark and thick eyelashes fluttered twice very quickly, his
dimple shallowly floated into appearance on the side of his cheek. I guessed he most
likely didn't believe it.
Underneath the table, my hand was wringing the lower hem of my school uniform, as
I thought to myself, I'm doomed I'm doomed, will I become the first female student in
the history of my school to be twisted and sent to the police station for molesting a
male student......
He stared at me for a long time, then he rested his head on his arm and closed his
eyes again.
I let out a breath, Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Quit your bad
habit of biting the end of your pen for me!"
My hand that was just subconsciously in the process of sending the pen to my mouth
paused in mid-air, you say, this person's eyes suddenly opening and then suddenly
closing again, what a pair of eyes that appeared and disappeared unpredictably......
"Chen Xiaoxi!" Following a bellow of utter exasperation, someone pulled on my
ponytail from behind my back.
I turned my head, Jiang Chen was pulling on my braid with one hand while waving his
mobile phone with the other, "What are you doing not answering my phone calls?
Also, why are you standing in the middle of the road in a daze?"
"Why would you be here?" I covered the back of my head with my hand and said,
"Don't pull my hair."
He said, "When you called me just a moment ago I was already in the vicinity of this
area, tonight my university classmates are having a gathering, they all want me to
bring you along."
"Then just a moment ago, why were you asking me so fiercely on the phone? And
you even hung up on me?" I lifted the collar of his shirt and said, "This old woman*
isn't willing to accompany you to the gathering." (T/N: referring to herself)
He sounded an "oh" to express that he had received (my message), moved away
from my hand that was grabbing onto his collar, then turned around and was about to
leave, I hurriedly grabbed hold of the sleeve of his shirt, "I'm joking, I'll go I'll go."
After I finished speaking, I even took the initiative to stuff my hand into his palm,
"Let's go go go, who are the people who will go? Will Big Senior Apprentice Brother*
go or not?" (T/N: (da shixiong) Big/First Senior Male Fellow Student. (shixiong) refers
to a male who is older than you who is in the same school/apprenticing under the
same master as you. From now on I'll just refer to him as Big Senior for short.)
Jiang Chen gave me a glare, "(Why do) you bother if he is going or not."
Big Senior was two cohorts above us, in those days he was in the same dorm room
as Jiang Chen, his appearance if looked at in the present would definitely be a pretty
flower boy with an awl-shaped face, but due to the fact that back in those days, our
general populace's aesthetic tastes had yet to be aligned with that of Korea and
Japan, this resulted in us all being unable to appreciate his beauty, thus we
unanimously believed that he looked like a monkey with his pointed mouth and thin
cheeks. We even chose a nice-sounding name called Beautiful Monkey King', but
calling him Beautiful Monkey King', Beautiful Monkey King' all day long was insulting
monkeys a little, so later on we all changed to calling him Big Senior Apprentice
Brother*. (T/N: Monkey King also refers to Sun Wukong, the monkey with
supernatural powers who is the main character in Journey to the West, one of the
Four Classic Novels in Chinese literature. Sun Wukong is also called Big Senior
Apprentice Brother, hence the name change.)
During university, my relationship with Big Senior was not bad, because his girlfriend
during university was Wang Xiaojuan from our dorm, moreover it was also me who
had matchmade them, I was very apologetic. Wang Xiaojuan was well-known for her
temper that was like that of a daughter from a rich family, Big Senior was given a
such a hard time till he whined incessantly for days, yet he still endured the hardship
gladly. Every time he was tormented to a wretched state, he would come and find me
to air his grievances, saying, Chen Xiaoxi, if I had known earlier, I would have chased
after you, I'll snatch you over from Jiang Chen's hands. I said isn't it so, you're
regretting aren't you, I too feel that it's a little wasteful to match myself to Jiang Chen.
After that, we would laugh heartily at each other. This was called two poor persons
reluctant to admit their mistakes flaunting their wealth.
Big Senior after graduating went to a middle school to be a school doctor, initially he
would still return to school frequently to visit us, of course mainly to see Wang
Xiaojuan, we heard him speak about how little children nowadays were so perverted,
they could give birth to children in the toilet, they weren't even afraid of the child
dropping into the hole or anything. Later on Wang Xiaojuan ran off with a Fuerdai*,
hence he never appeared again after that. (T/N: Fuerdai literally means rich second
generation', a term referring to the children of the nouveau rich in China Wikipedia)
I often recalled about Big Senior fondly in front of Jiang Chen, saying, why did Big
Senior disappear, why doesn't Wang Xiaojuan know to cherish him properly, in the
future should any female marry him, it's really that her ancestors have accumulated
merit through virtuous actions. Once, I spoke till Jiang Chen said impatiently, Chen
Xiaoxi, if you speak long-windedly of him again in the future, I'll throttle you to death.
The gathering was arranged at a KTV place, the moment the door was pushed open,
music that could shake the heavens rolled out, quite a few sharp tearing voices were
roaring wildly, "We must still love even if we die, it's not satisfactory until we've done it
vividly and thoroughly*". Jiang Chen laughed bitterly as he shook his head, using his
hands to cover my ears. His mouth was moving, I didn't know what he was saying.
(T/N: Lyrics of a famous belting song Must still love even if we die" by Shin band,
which is often belted out in KTV... often at the expense of others' ears. Listen to it (the
chorus) and you'd probably know why. Apparently someone got a pneumothorax
(getting air into the lung cavity) and almost died from singing this song and other
belting songs before.)
My eyes were sharp, with one glimpse, I saw that one of the persons in "Must still
love even if we die" was Big Senior, I pulled off Jiang Chen's hands and swayed them
about, "Big Senior."
He gave me a look of disdain.
"Audience, take note, the husband and wife pair of our class monitor has arrived,"
The person holding the microphone suddenly said, everyone uniformly looked
towards the entrance, at the same time, whistling sounds and cheering sounds
sprung up from all around. I waved my hands and bellowed loudly, "Classmates, it's
been hard on you, I've captured your class monitor again."
The entire room roared with laughter.
Jiang Chen seized my waist and pushed me to walk towards the interior (of the
room), the sofas were already almost seated full of people, only after shifting left and
right did they manage to pull out two spaces for us to sit down. I'd only just sat down
when I was pulled into the embrace of someone beside me, who then kissed me on
the forehead with a "pop" sound, "Xiaoxi, my beloved Xiaoxi."
I pushed the person away, then dredged up her face again, after that I hugged her
again while calling loudly, "Snowman, snowman."
Jiang Chen pulled at my shirt collar to pull me away, "You're almost about to strangle
Xue Jing* to death." (T/N: Xue, Xue Jing's surname, means snow', hence the
nickname snowman'.)
My relations with Jiang Chen's fellow students in his class were especially good, so
much so that they were even better than my relations with the students in my own
class, and Xue Jing was with no doubt the person whom I had the best relations with,
because she said I had worth that could be exploited...... Xue Jing was the nominal
publicity committee member of their class, nominal' because should their class have
any activities, the publicity prints and pamphlets were always done by me.
Xue Jing pinched my face as she scolded, "You still have the nerve to come? You
won't even answer my calls after breaking up with Jiang Chen, is that right?"
My hand tugged at Jiang Chen behind me, "Save me, save me."
He swatted (my hand) away, "Serves you right."
Suddenly, a sharp ear-piercing electric current came through the sound system, most
likely someone's microphone had paired with the speakers. With a bang, Big Senior
who had originally been singing his songs elatedly and excitedly suddenly for who
knows what reason tossed his microphone to the floor, and rushed towards the toilet
urgently while swearing.
I looked at Xue Jing puzzledly, she sneered as she pointed at the direction Big Senior
was running to and said, "Must still love even when we die, for this sort, they all will
have to die even if they love."
I wanted to ask more closely, however Jiang Chen suddenly stooped to beside my
ear and asked, "You haven't eaten dinner, I'll order a bowl of beef noodles for you?"
I covered my ears with my hands and turned my head to glare at him, "It's really
ticklish, I want to add a lot of coriander."
He rapped my head once, "Are you treating this as ordering dishes in a restaurant?"
I turned my head back and continued asking, "What happened to Big Senior?"
Xue Jing was holding a cup full of beer and blowing at the alcoholic foam on top, she
replied me absent-mindedly, "What else can it be for, dashing towards the toilet, he's
releasing memory*." (T/N: referring to computer memory)
"Releasing memory?" I couldn't understand momentarily.
She gave me a look that said why are you so stupid', and said, "Aren't the excrement
of humans equal to the memory of computers."
Having heard what had been said, the computer was choked with sobs.
Chapter 38

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 38

dolly
The music was then replaced by a slow, lyrical song, someone was singing "The
Most Romantic Thing", but because I've just been lectured by Xue Jing regarding
computers' so when the line, The most romantic thing that I can think of, is to grow
old with you.' was sung, I heard it as, The most romantic thing that I can think of, is to
sell computers with you.' Woe is me.........The beef noodles soon arrived. The table
was so low that I might as well squat on the floor. So I was eating while chatting
about some trivial matters with Xue Jing. Xue Jing said that she didn't work as a
doctor after they've graduated, but instead became a medical representative,and had
just resigned recently. When the topic regarding doing some small business came up,
she asked me, "What can I sell that doesn't need much funding and can reap huge
profits in just a short term? You think such a business exists?"
I sucked a mouthful of noodles, "There is."
"What is it?" Her eyes sparkled.
"Selling the flesh."
Right as I was done speaking, Jiang Chen pushed my head, almost planting it inside
the bowl of noodles. I rubbed my head feeling aggrieved and said, "Yi Shu said, if I
don't sell my youthfulness, it will just pass by anyway." (T/N: Yi Shu is a popular Hong
Kong writer.)
Xue Jing was panting with rage, "Then you sell!"
I looked down to gauge myself, "My youthfulness is left with just its tail, if I were to
sell it, I can only sell it at a large discount in a clearance sale, really low in price, it's
no good."
Xue Jing followed suit, gauging herself up as well. In the end, she lamented, "In any
case, you've used your tail to roll up a strip of long-term meal stub, my tail can only
go to clearance sales." (T/N: In Chinese, long-term meal stub' means being
guaranteed of financial support for the rest of one's life, literally not worrying about
not having food. Jiang Chen is her long-term meal stub lol.)
Just when we were endlessly being sentimental about the loss of our youth, Jiang
Chen kicked me on the back with his toes, "Eat quickly, your noodles have turned into
mush."
I swallowed a few more mouthful of noodles then pleaded, "I'm full."
Sitting next to Xue Jing, Big Fatty Li moved over closely then said, "It's a pity there's
so much left so I came over to eat."
Jiang Chen grabbed the bowl of noodles, "I didn't have dinner."
Big Fatty Li heaved a big sigh of disappointment,"If you haven't eaten dinner, why
didn't you order for yourself?"
Xue Jing backed him up, "If you wanted to eat, why didn't you order for yourself?"
"I'm on a diet."
.......
Jiang Chen downed the noodles in two, three mouthfuls, right when he placed the
bowl on the table, I suddenly remembered, "Don't you hate coriander?"
He pulled me back to sit on the couch, "Have you gotten into a habit of squatting?"
I laughed mischievously, "When you asked that, my legs felt really numb."
In the middle of our conversation, Big Senior came out from the washroom. He was
practically beaming, like he was treading on a flowery path towards us. Probably from
mingling with middle school students these past few years, his face has truly become
both beautiful and youthful.
His long legs passed by, then stopped between Xue Jing and I. He demanded,
pointing his chin at us, "You two, move some space out for this big uncle."
Xue Jing and I both inwardly agreed to just ignore him.
"You two damn yatou, watch me use my butt to flatten you both into specimen
samples!" He yelled, turning his back on us then jumping to sit down. (T/N: In ancient
times, yatou means a slave girl, but in modern times it's used to refer to girls but can
either be used affectionately or derogatively depending on context.)
Jiang Chen, with sharp eyes and deft hands, pulled me away with half of my body
already sitting on him. From the side came Xue Jing's roar, "Why are you
squeezing?! Are you courting death?!"
While I helped her push away Big Senior, Jiang Chen gripped my waist with both of
his hands to lift me, making me sit completely on his lap. As soon as my butt left the
couch, naturally, there was a seat empty for Big Senior to take. In other words, Big
Senior snatched my seat away from me with the assistance of Jiang Chen. Just like
that, my seat was taken away so effortlessly. This makes me feel indignant.
I struggled, wanting to jump down on him like what Big Senior did. But Jiang Chen
held unto my waist, not giving me any leeway, "Sit properly."
I was thinking of protesting, hence I turned my head to look at him but was met with
furrowed brows and a grave expression on his face. Even though I had no idea why,
but I just behaved well and sat properly, putting on an appearance of rigidly sitting
upright.
Big Senior poured himself a glass of beer on the table, raised it in a toast at us,
downed it one go, then swayed the now empty glass holding its bottom with a
provocative smile on his face.
I wagged my finger at him saying, "Big Senior, you shouldn't be doing that. When
you're done drinking, you must put your glass down, if you keep on swaying it like
that, you'll most likely break it."
He made a move of wanting to throw the glass at me, then opened up his arms,
saying "Xiaoxi, how many years has it been since we've seen each other. Come, give
Big Senior a hug."
Even though such an action of his was extremely unlike Big Senior Apprentice
Brother, and was very Second Senior Apprentice Brother-like*, I still twisted my butt
and put on a nasally-sounding high pitched voice to cooperate, "No no, I just won't."
(T/N: In Journey to the West, Big Senior Apprentice Brother refers to Sun Wukong,
while Second Senior Apprentice Brother refers to Zhu Bajie, a half-pig half-human
character. Nowadays, people often use the term Second Senior Apprentice Brother to
teasingly describe others with Zhu Bajie-like characteristics namely people who are
gluttons/like to eat a lot, who are simple and amusing to the point where it's amusing
to the people around them (kind of like a simpleton))
A bunch of them has showed a disgusted expression on their face at the same time
which made me feel a sense of accomplishment.Occasionally, I get quite lively when
I'm surrounded with people I'm familiar with. I would actively hype up the atmosphere.
The scientific name for this would be selective hype up'.
Jiang Chen's hold on my waist suddenly tightened, so tight that it made me wonder if
he was trying to make my stomach come out from my mouth.
The expression on my face was one of shock after turning my head again to look at
him. This serves as an important reminder to all the girls who loves to tie their hair
into a ponytail and would often sit on the lap of their boyfriend don't randomly turn
your head around. But if you really have to turn your head, don't turn too fast,
because in my experience, the person behind you would be slapped hard by your
ponytail, then he'd get angry.
Classmate Jiang Chen was very angry, but no one in the room knew except for me,
because his face still looked calm, however the hands that were firmly holding me
down had successfully cinched my old woman's waist into a young woman's waist.
I tapped his hands, whispering, "I already said that my hair should be cut short."
"Haircut?" Big Senior butted in when he heard it, "You looked so fresh and pure when
you had short hair before, really a tsk tsk tsk......"
The three tsk' at the end sounded ambiguous, but judging from his facial expression, I
could tell that it was a compliment, so I rubbed my hair, smiling bashfully.
Big Senior suddenly reached out his hands, wanting to pinch my face. I think his act
of pinching his juniors' faces over those past few years has developed into a habit.
It was too late for me to dodge him, when suddenly, Jiang Chen's hold on my waist
loosened, and Big Senior's hand was flung away, "Keep your grubby paws to
yourself."
The atmosphere got a bit awkward for a moment, I forced out a hahaha and said,
"Exactly, this famous flower has already been spoken for."
Big Senior rubbed both of his hands, displaying a wretched expression on his face,
"Even though the famous flower has already been spoken for, I came to loosen the
soil."
(T/N: The famed flower is already spoken for/ already has a master' means she's
already in a relationship, while Big Senior's reply of loosening the soil means he's
going to snatch her from her boyfriend.)
"Hey! That's not funny." Xue Jing grabbed a melon seed from the table and have
thrown it at him.
The two of them were squabbling, I took the chance to lean on Jiang Chen's side to
whisper an admonishment on his ear, "What's wrong with you today? Big Senior was
just joking around."
Jiang Chen put on a cold face and did not say anything, I didn't quite understand
what he was angry for, but I could roughly guess that it has something to do with Big
Senior. Perhaps, he's jealous? Although based on past experience, Jiang Chen is a
man who hardly gets jealous, but also somehow, he has strangely gorge himself on
Wu Bosong's vinegar lately. Hence I can't rule out the possibility that he suddenly
wanted to set off on the road of becoming a jealous person, and is hot on his heels,
trying hard to catch up in order to surpass* his master. (T/N: Idiom used is The blue
extracted from the indigo plant is deeper in colour than the plant itself', which is used
to describe disciples who has overtaken and surpassed their masters.)
This bunch seems to get together often so everyone was singing, drinking, and
screaming for a good few hours without anyone feeling isolated. Finally, someone
reached out to Jiang Chen, then Jiang Chen picked out a credit card from his wallet
and flung it at that guy. This seems to be a habit he developed back in university.
Those days, he was used to settling the bills during class dinners for being the
person-in-charge of the class fees. In a year, he'd often lose a lot of his own money
to cover for the class fees.
When signing up the bill, Jiang Chen didn't even aim a look on the amount. I took a
few fleeting glances and saw that it summed up to more than 4,000 RMB.
After going out of the KTV everyone said they wanted to grab some late-night supper.
Big Senior puffed out his chest and said, "The late-night supper is on me."
There was a burst of cheers.
Jiang Chen and I were at the back, following the crowd. I whispered to him, asking,
"Hey, I checked your payroll card today, how much worth of salary was there inside?"
He wasn't in a good mood, "Don't remember, about half a year?"
I estimated, his salary is indeed very high, but not maddening high. So, it was a little
hard for me to understand the matter with him not even blinking his eyes when he
signed away almost half a month's worth of his salary. In our home, my dad must
discuss it over with my mom when he's about to buy something exceeding 500 RMB.
I think this should be the attitude my partner must have towards money.
I tugged the corner of his clothes, "Just now, you signed away more than 4,000
RMB."
He said, "Not okay?"
"No." I let go of his clothes, I couldn't point my finger on it but the mood suddenly
dropped a little.Someone ahead suddenly turned around to call us, "Class monitor,
stop walking so slowly."
Jiang Chen seized my waist then followed them.
We had barbecue and claypot congee for late-night supper. I just ate two sticks of
grilled squid when Big Senior shook a bottle of beer in his hand, saying that we're
going to play truth or dare. No matter how many years has already passed by, truth or
dare still plays a vital role in our society's social gatherings. The extent of the
longevity of this game is truly frightening.
The beer bottle spun three times till it stopped, with its mouth pointed at Xue Jing, Big
Senior said, "Truth or dare."
"Dare." Xue Jing replied.
Big Senior was mumbling to himself, hesitating, then said, "See that guy crying by
himself, go over to him and tell him, Sir, did you get into a break up? May I offer my
chest for you to lean on?"
......
I already said that everyone studying medicine are scoundrels.
Xue Jing tousled her hair teasingly then said, "Watch me."
Our group watched silently as she sashayed amorously towards that broken-hearted
man who was crying while drinking beer. Two minutes later, that man with tears and
snot all over his face, skeptically leaned on Xue Jing. Afterwards, Xue Jing pushed
him away, airing all grievances, "Dirty, rotten scoundrel!" Then sashayed amorously
back to us.
Startled? Embarrassed? Life is such a trip for that intoxicated man.
The bottle spun one and a half time on the table, then stopped at Big Senior. Xue
Jing let out a sinister smile saying, "Truth or dare?"
Big Senior rubbed his chin thoughtfully then replied, "Truth."
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow and began to look like she was deep in thought.
The interaction between the two of them has caused a concern among the crowd,
acting as an honorary representative of the masses, I bit on a grilled chicken, then
said, "Fellows from the medical school, I am from the pure and honest arts faculty,
please take note of the limits."
Hey, what's with everyone's facial expression of one like I've crowed like a rooster
and fetch things like a dog?
Xue Jing drank a mouthful of beer, and said calmly, "Then, let's do a warm-up first."
The crowd eagerly awaited.
She said, "Which do you think is important, love or money?"
......
The fury of the crowd was hard to appease, being at the receiving end of the crowd's
attack consisting of bamboo sticks and bones, Xue Jing was forced to change the
question, "Talk about one of your spring dreams." (T/N: spring dreams is the chinese
equivalent of wet dreams.)
Now this one's right. Why keep on pretending to be pure in the midst of such a
convoluted world?
Hence, everyone was tapping on their plates, heckling, "Say it quickly, say it quickly,
say it quickly..........."
As one who expresses the human soul a representative of the arts faculty, I did not
find it appropriate to follow this group of ordinary folks in their heckling, hence I just
bowed my head gracefully and used my tongue to scrape the remaining meat on the
wings of this grilled chicken.
"I actually had a dream last night." Big Senior said.
"Who did you dream of?"
"Xiaoxi."
"Eh?" There was a huge bang on the table, I looked at the chicken bones that have
jumped up on the plate.
Jiang Chen actually slammed his chopsticks on the table, I thought if this was a
wuxia novel, those chopsticks would have already crumbled into dust with the wind
blowing it away to a far distance. Unfortunately, his action only rattled the chicken
bones in front of me, hence this novel is truly just about romance. (T/N: wuxia =
martial arts)
It's only natural that Jiang Chen and I were more than livid about it, Xue Jing
slammed her hands on the table and began her tirade of curses, "Haven't you f*cking
heard that you're welcome to (do) your friend's wife?"
......
"Uhm, I mean......stop fooling around, stop fooling around." Xue Jing scratched her
head, saying, "It's just a slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue." (T/N: bu ke qi = you're
welcome, bu ke xi = stop fooling around/teasing.)
Big Senior's face has a look of innocence, "I only called up Xiaoxi's name to get her
attention so she won't miss my wonderful speech."
After a bunch of used tissues were thrown at his head with him laughing merrily, he
began to talk about a music teacher in his school whom he dreamed of. He said that
in his dreams, she was wearing garter stockings, playing a violin, bathing under the
moonlight.
I could vividly follow his fantasy with the words he used to depict it, a perfect
combination of vulgar and virtuous, truly spectacular. I nudged Jiang Chen using my
elbow, then whispered, "Who did you dream of?"
The scenario in my mind was: Jiang Chen uttering the word you' in his breathy voice,
then when this word reaches my ear, I'll be twisting and fidgeting on my seat, my
cheeks turning a million shades of red, then we'll secretly have fun in our own little
world.
But the reality was, Jiang Chen suddenly stood up, downed the bottle of beer in front
of him in one go, then said, "I have an operation scheduled tomorrow morning, I'll go
back first. Enjoy yourselves." As soon as he was done speaking, he pulled me up to
leave, not giving everyone who were seated around the table an opportunity to urge
him to stay.
Chapter 39

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 39

Xri
Once we were out of the main gate, Jiang Chen called for a taxi and forced me into
the car. He came squeezing in even before I had the chance to sit properly, he almost
made me bang into the window.
The taxi drove for about 5 minutes, I finally asked the question that I was dying not to
ask for the entire night, "Just what happened to you today?"
"Nothing, I'm just tired." His eyes were closed.
I wanted to add on, but my phone rang, "Hello, Big Senior?"
"Are you guys alright? I'm sorry I went a bit far just now, don't tell me Jiang Chen is
angry?"
I really dislike the way he phrased his sentence, what do you mean by don't tell me?'
It sounds like the underlying message of this question is that, if Jiang Chen is angry,
then he is too petty. And as a loyal guardian of someone who protects family and not
reasoning, I feel that no matter how unreasonable can become, it's not up to
outsiders to talk about it to me. But, I still answered him very politely, "No, he is really
busy recently, so he's a little tired."
Look, this is called maturing. Sometimes you just have to pretend.
He said, "That's good, I'll treat you two a meal someday."
"Okay." I hung up the phone but couldn't remember what I wanted to tell Jiang Chen,
hence, I could only mimic him and fake being in deep thoughts while crossing my
arms.
"Don't get too close to Big Senior," he suddenly opened his eyes and said.
I didn't make a noise, but retorted in my heart that isn't it a bit too much to be jealous
till like this?
Seeing that I didn't answer him, he reached over to poke my arm, "Do you hear me?"
I turned to look out of the window, I decided to use my silence as a reply to his
unreasonable request.
However, I didn't expect my silence to sustain the entire journey. Till the taxi was
under my apartment, Jiang Chen also didn't say a thing. He didn't even look like he
was planning to leave the car. Hence, I left the car and slammed the door. The taxi
driver cursed and I dashed up to my unit.
The more I think of it the angrier I get. I outrageously gave Jiang Chen a call to pick a
fight, the moment the call was engaged, I bellowed my heartfelt words, "Jiang Chen,
you can't use this kind of attitude towards me, I am your girlfriend, you have to
surround me with care and love."
The other side of the phone was silent. After a long time, "What attitude did I use?"
I realized I was unable to correctly pinpoint his attitude, I could only be firm, "Your
attitude is not good."
"Because I told you not to be in touch with Big Senior?"
"Not really..."
"Then what?"
My fingers coiled up the telephone coil. I wanted to throw some rude words but I
didn't dare to. I was contemplating and contemplating till I was out of mind and ended
the call. Only after hanging the call did I realise that my guts are really getting fat.
Alcohol strengthens the guts ah, alcohol strengthens the guts. Although under Jiang
Chen's obstruction I only sipped two three times.
The phone rang quickly, I stared at the screen that was showing Jiang Chen'. I
swallowed my saliva and decided not to pick it up.
After about 10 minutes, the screen lighted up Jiang Chen's name again. I feel that
this is the right time to revive a woman's self-esteem. Hence, the moment I picked up
the phone I spoke from my diaphragm, "The line was cut off because I accidentally
pressed it! I didn't pick up your call because I was in the toilet!"
To escape before the battle is my spare-time hobby.
Jiang Chen gave a cold snort twice and said, "Open the door."
"Ah?" My reflexes made me turn towards the door, "Don't you have keys?"
He was standing outside the door, he glared at me and said, "I forgotten to bring."
He walked pass me and lied on the sofa, "Bring me clothes to change."
I "oh" and walked into the room, I walked two steps and felt that something was not
right, so I turned on my heels and walked back in front of him, "Didn't you go home?"
He pushed me aside and took the remote control, "None of your business."* (T/N: in
this scenario it is actually leaning towards more of a "why do you care?/who are you
to care?" kind of feel.)
I stood akimbo, "Alright! I won't care about you! You can't care about me too!"
"Oh?" He threw me a look, he suddenly extended his legs and struck behind my
knees, I couldn't find my balance and fell onto the sofa, his legs holding me in place,
and entire body weight pressing on mine, till I couldn't breathe.
"What did you say about who not caring about who?" He buried his head into my
neck and blinked his eyes slowly against my neck. His long eyelashes brushing
against my skin, it's numb and itchy.
I couldn't hide from this numb and itchy feeling, I could only squirm and beg for
forgiveness, "The next door Old Wang said he is not caring about the next door Old
Lee's wife anymore..."
He laughed deeply while still buried in my neck, hot breath against my entire neck,
"Chen Xiaoxi, it's unlucky to stay next to you.."
My neck is shrinking till its like a tortoise. I said moodily, "It's really itchy, get up
quick."
He used the stubble on his chin to rub on my neck and face. Then he lifted up to
head to look at me in provocation. His eyes were filled with smiling expression and
glistening.
For a moment I was shocked by his boyish gestures that my spirits were gone. I
blankly used a tone of discussion to say, "Uh, we are in a fight, can you get up first?"
He speedily got up from me, with a look as though nothing had happened, "I'm going
to shower, you look for my clothes and pass it to me later.
I lied on the sofa in that position of being squashed on. It was only until I heard the
water sound did I slowly get up to look for his clothes.
I knocked twice on the glass door and Jiang Chen opened a gap to reach his hand
out. The steam escaped through the gap onto my face. I was still wiping the moisture
off my face when my phone rang. At the same time, Jiang Chen's voice came from
the shower, saying that the shampoo is about to be empty, remember to buy it.
I negligently answered him and went to the sofa to find my phone. I found out that the
phone that was ringing was Jiang Chen's phone. I looked at the screen and it was Big
Senior. I hesitated but still answered it.
"Jiang Chen, the thing we talked about that time, how is it?" he asked immediately.
I said, "I am Xiaoxi, Jiang Chen is taking a shower, I'll get him to call you back later?"
"En, okay." He hung up without saying anything, a bit unusual.
Just as I was about to put the phone back onto the sofa, the phone rang again. It was
still Big Senior. "Why?"
I mumbled a while before saying, "Xiaoxi, are you staying with Jiang Chen?"
"Mmm, considered so." I replied.
He was silent for a while, and said, "I have a favor to ask from Jiang Chen, it's as
easy as lifting one's hand, and there's remuneration. You know Jiang Chen, this
person isn't that keen on earning such money, but I think if you guys are getting
married, money is still very important. So, can you help to see if you can help to
persuade Jiang Chen into helping me?"
"What is it?" I couldn't hide my curiosity.
"I just want him to give a few hospital's certified medical certificates for me."
"A few medical certificates can allow us to buy a big house?" I rolled my eyes, "Forget
it, no matter what you want him to help you with, as long as he is not agreeable, I
won't help you to persuade him. We are not lacking in money, using Shenyang's
words would be that we are not lacking in money*, and the main point is, I don't want
to stay in a big house, are you going to do the chores for me?" (T/N: Shenyang is the
province they come from. She just used 2 different ways to express that they are not
lacking in money."
From the silence of the other line, I started to feel guilty that my words were a little
too strong, Big Senior suddenly said, "Chen Xiaoxi, are you looking down on me right
now? Are you thinking that I am not as pure and high class as you guys? Have you
ever experienced your girlfriend leaving you because you were unable to buy her
branded goods? You have never experienced having not enough money, don't you?"
I sighed, but I stopped myself from saying "I really didn't have the experience of my
girlfriend leaving me, because I'm a girl, wahaha...". I said, "Only eating 2 cup
noodles in 3 days, in order to hide from the landlord rushing for rent I had to return
back home late every night. I'll walk as long as the journey is less than 3 bus stops.
The nights are so cold till I had to pile up all my shirts on myself, is it considered
lacking in money? It's not only your difficulty that is considered a difficulty."
After finishing I hung up the call. Not daring enough to hang up on Jiang Chen but
hanging up on others is considered a cheap thrill.
"When were you in need of money? Why didn't you find me?"
I turned around, Jiang Chen was wearing a white long sleeve t-shirt, and blue
checkered lounge pants, his towel was draped over his neck, he was frowning at me.
I said, "No, I was just talking nonsense. I don't like to see this kind of people who act
like they are the most miserable in the world, as though the entire world owes him."
Jiang Chen looked up at the ceiling, "Chen Xiaoxi..... Can you go to the hospital with
me tomorrow, let me take a scan to research on the structure of your brain?"
I kneeled and leaned over the arm rest of the sofa and replied him, "Can can, as long
as you pay me."
He removed the towel and threw it at me, "Who was the one who told Big Senior that
she is not lacking money?"
The towel smashed on my face, I took it off and waved Jiang Chen over to wipe his
hair, "The one who is not lacking money is you, you swiped 4,000 RMB just now."
"You are brooding over that 4,000 aren't you," he said while walking towards me.
I shrugged, "Not really, after all, it's your money, you can do whatever you want with
it. I just hate the rich."
Jiang Chen sat lateral on the sofa, and I kneeled behind him to towel dry his hair, "Oh
right, Big Senior really only asked you to issue a few medical certificates for him?"
"He asked me to give him a booklet of it, not a few. Moreover, even if it's just a few, I
wouldn't do it."
I spread my fingers, running them through his hair to determine how wet they are,
"Why?"
He rocked his head to my side and said, "It's not dry, continue."
"Oh," I put the towel over his head and rubbed a few times.
"This time he asked to issue medical certificates, who knows what he will ask for the
next time? Maybe he might ask me to use the name of the hospital to purchase
expensive medicines, and during that time, because I already had such dealings with
him previously, I would have no choice but to deal with him again. As long as you
step into muddy water, you will never be clean again." He paused then continued, "I
actually didn't want to let you know all these, you just have to live your life
feeble-mindedly, read your comics."
3 black lines came down from the back of my head, I used my fingers to jab on his
scalp, "You then live your life feeble-mindedly."
"Wei, I'll leave my credit card with you?" He suddenly turned his head to say.
"Ah?" that was unexpected, "Why?"
"You decide how much to swipe next time." He pulled down the towel, "It's dry."
He walked to the room right after.
I stared blankly at his fleeing back view, why is this child so awkward.... Didn't your
mother teach you that you have to proclaim your love loudly...
Alright, the fleeing back view was from my own imagination, I feel that it fits his
current image more.
Chapter 40

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 40

youtiaoshutiao
In the night, my phone messages beeped loudly and endlessly, I truly was very
sleepy, just as I was en route of climbing to get my mobile phone, I lay on my
stomach on top of Jiang Chen's body and fell asleep. The next morning upon waking
up, Jiang Chen kept harping on how half of his body had been pushed down on till it
was numb, and how women were truly difficult to support and so on.
Only on the road of him sending me to work when I fished out my mobile phone to
look at the time did I recall the text messages from last night, opening them up to
have a look, they unexpectly were sent by Big Senior, I shook my phone to indicate to
Jiang Chen, "Big Senior's text messages."
He shot over a glance, "If there's nothing much, don't reply him."
I shrugged my shoulders, "He sent quite a few texts......"
I opened up the texts one by one, in order to formulate (what he said) smoothly and
naturally, I won't especially emphasise on exactly which numbered text it was, in any
case there were many.
With regard to its length, it was roughly the length of a composition of a Grade 6
Primary School student; with regard to its emotion, it was probably closer to daily life
than The Comprehensive Collection of Love Letters'; with regard to its content
ideology, it had a review of the past, anxiety about the present as well as despair
about the future; with regard to its punctuation, what ought to be used were all used,
what ought not to be used were all not used...... Should I talk about its content, I must
I must......
He said, "Xiaoxi, I still remember the first day of the start of school, at that time, I was
in the toilet, and heard a melodious female voice in the dorm saying, I'll come and
help you wipe your bed board, all right.' When I came out, Jiang Chen was hanging
up a mosquito net while you were inside the mosquito net wiping the bed board,
across the mosquito net, you waved the cleaning rag facing me and said, Hello fellow
student'. At that time, it was as if something struck at my heart, the moment you left I
asked Jiang Chen who you were, he said (you were) his girlfriend. Only after a very
long time when I heard you talk about the history of you chasing after Jiang Chen that
was full of glories, blood and tears, did I know that I had been tricked by him. I went
to interrogate him, he contrary to what one would expect was very unperturbed,
saying that it went without saying that you ought to be his girlfriend, there was nothing
extraordinary about whether the timing was earlier or later.'
Reading till here, I couldn't help but turn my head to the side to glance at Jiang Chen,
he sensed my line of sight and reciprocated by sweeping a quick look at me, he was
unable to make sense of it, "What's up?"
"Nothing." I lowered my head and continued to read the text messages:
However, I didn't like you that much, at least after getting acquainted with Liu Xin Na
in your dorm with an hourglass figure, I liked her more. I always joked with you that if
I had known earlier, I would have chased after you, actually I was taking pleasure in
that moment that Jiang Chen's face would darken every time I said those words, it
gave me a sort of pleasure of revenge. When I knew that you guys had broken up, I
even bought a bottle of red wine, went home and celebrated together with a movie, I
wanted to wait for a while till you forgot about Jiang Chen and I forgot about Liu Xin
Na, we would then make do with each other and live our days, however while I could
forget Liu Xin Na, you couldn't forget Jiang Chen. Also, I'm very sorry about that
matter that I brought up, these few years have passed by, you all haven't changed, it
is only me who has changed, sometimes, I too will be frightened, how did I compel
myself step by step to turn into this shameless manner, most likely you are also
unable to understand how much internal battle between celestial beings there was in
my heart when I wanted you to persuade Jiang Chen. Typing out such serious
content, it really is very unlike me. Lastly, I hope that you guys can quarrel or maybe
break up over these texts of mine. PS, if you guys get married, don't inform me.'
Kneading at my phone, for a moment, my mood was also a little gloomy, actually,
what he said was wrong, everyone was changing, nobody was as pure as that
version of themselves in the past, this is something that no one can do anything
about, it's just like how if you eat something, you definitely have to poop it out......
Don't beat me up, please use a medical point of view to digest my analogy...... Uh......
The digestion I am talking about is to understand...... To understand.
I asked Jiang Chen, "Do you think I have changed? I'm not talking about outward
appearance, (I'm talking about) my conduct."
"You have." He said indifferently, "In the past, you couldn't finish a bowl of rice, now
you can eat two bowls."
This mister, you're here to be funny, aren't you......
I looked at Jiang Chen as if I was thinking about something, "For a time last night I
suspected that you were being jealous, later on because of other reasons I forgot to
ask you, so I'll ask you now, were you being jealous last night?"
He kept a straight face, "I wasn't."
"You weren't......" I scratched my neck and muttered to myself, "But Big Senior
confessed to me over text......"
An emergency brake, I flew forwards, then was reined back in by the safety belt, the
back of my head struck against the car seat and pounded loudly, "What was that for!"
"Red light." He lifted his chin to indicate for me to look out of the window.
I raised my head and fixed my gaze on the red light for a while, feeling like it really
looked like a pair of eyes of the devil, flashing in the air, only when I lowered my head
did I discover that the mobile phone in my hand had disappeared. I turned my head to
look at Jiang Chen, discovering that he was in the midst of looking at my mobile
phone, his entire face full of disdain.
I was stunned, this action of his was too shameless, peeping at the phone text
messages of an innocent woman in broad daylight, in broad daylight, ya, in broad
daylight! I dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak out, ya, dared to be angry but
didn't dare to speak out!
After a few tens of seconds, the light turned green, he threw the mobile phone back
into my embrace, then used an ordinary tone of voice that also embodied slight
disdain to make two evaluative comments that were brief yet powerful, "Senseless,
what a hideous mess."
Seeing him make such an evaluation so sternly from a place of righteous justice, I too
began to examine myself deeply, it had been more than ten minutes since I finished
reading the text messages, yet I was unable all along to discover their intrinsic
essence of being senseless and being a hideous mess, I have sinned.
After two minutes, Jiang Chen asked me, "Are you thinking of how to reply his texts?"
I shook my head.
Roughly after another two minutes, Jiang Chen called me again, "Chen Xiaoxi?"
"What?" I glared at him very impatiently.
He stuck up the index finger of his right hand that was placed on the steering wheel
to point towards the outside of the window to my right side, "Someone selling tea leaf
eggs."
I, in a well-practiced manner, fished out three coins from the place in front of me that
placed miscellaneous items, then pressed the button to roll down the car window,
stuck out my head and my hand, "Auntie, six tea leaf eggs."
"Hey, alright. Little young lady has gotten prettier again." The auntie neatly packed
the tea leaf eggs into a plastic bag while she praised me.
I engaged in sweet-talk and spoke, following her words, "Looking at how you are so
young and pretty, one knows that I became pretty due to eating your tea leaf eggs."
"Aiyo, little young lady's words are so sweet, I'll give you an additional tea leaf egg."
"Thank you auntie." I twisted my head around and smiled proudly at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen shook his head smilingly, with a manner of I really can't stand you'. Later
on, when I peeled the tea leaf eggs for him to eat, out of seven he ate five. Normally,
when we bought six he would only eat four, this shameless person who exploits
others' prizes of flattery!
The car stopped downstairs of my office, I said my goodbyes and wanted to open the
door and dash out, Jiang Chen suddenly pulled and stopped me, "Sit properly."
Not understanding, I sat properly, he drew out a few pieces of wet tissue from the wet
tissue box at the front of the car, pulled my hand over and slowly helped me wipe it,
finger by finger, "You peeled the tea leaf eggs, you definitely won't remember to wash
your hands when you reach the office."
I sucked in a breath into my thoracic cavity and didn't dare to spit it out, and stared
straight at his slender fingers pinching at my short and fat fingers as he wiped them
delicately, there was an odd moistened feeling as the wet tissue brushed across my
skin. I actually had a feeling of being overwhelmed by favour from a superior, this sort
of being overwhelmed by favour from a superior' was most likely something like a
child who originally was the most unremarkable one in class suddenly being called by
the teacher one day, and being patted on the shoulder and given tender
encouragement. And I was that type of child that wanted to tap open the teacher's
head to see if she had been invaded by aliens, I was unable to enjoy with a clear
conscience this fortune that had arrived suddenly.
So I said, "Jiang Chen."
"Mm?" He didn't even raise his head.
I hemmed and hawed and tried to use the most gentle language to inquire, "Is it......
Is it that that box of wet tissues are about to expire...... And you want to finish using
it? No worries, you can give it to me, I'll put it in the office to use, wipe tables and so
on, don't worry even if it's expired."
He slowly raised his head to glance at me, that little expression in his eyes was so
complex, so gentle, so full of thousands of words, then he again slowly lowered his
head, took out another two pieces of wet tissue, and picked up my other hand to wipe
it.
Jiang Chen's lack of cooperation throttled my glib tongue, I quietly watched his
serious appearance as he lowered his head, for a moment, I was a little distracted as
I was shuttled back in time, that moment, him and I, wearing our white school
uniforms with blue borders.
In Senior Year 2, after that time when I threw Jiang Chen's money all over the ground
in the sports field, I launched a one-sided cold war at him, at that time, I was
extremely discouraged, thinking that I would never again shamelessly bother Jiang
Chen again, I even threatened myself that if I went to look for him again, I would call
the police and turn myself in, and let the police catch me and lock me up......
I generally endured my internal torment like this and hid from him for about a week,
when I came across him facing my direction and walking over, I'll immediately make a
detour, if I really couldn't make a detour, I'll squat down and pretend to be tying my
shoelaces, till one evening, my mum wanted me to buy soy sauce, I bouncingly ran
out while carrying the soy sauce bottles, and, while still alive, ran into Jiang Chen
who was carrying his schoolbag on his back and going home in the alley. Lowering
my head, I discovered that I was wearing my dad's slippers on my feet, in that
moment, I hated my dad, I felt very pained, exactly what kind of a dad was he, that he
would wear a pair of slippers that didn't have shoelaces?
Hence, in a panic, I turned around and ran wildly, then because the slippers didn't fit
my feet, my left foot stepped on my right foot, and I fell down on the street while
brandishing the soy sauce bottles.
It was Jiang Chen who helped me up, he made me sit on the doorstep of the
entrance of his family's courtyard, then he asked me, "Where does it hurt?"
I hung my head and stretched out the palm of my left hand, "It's bleeding."
He pulled out his sports water bottle from the side pouch of his schoolbag, twisted it
open and poured water onto my hand, my conditioned reflex was to retract my hand
back, he used his other hand to grip on to mine, and chided, "Don't move."
Then he pulled out the sleeve of the jacket of his school uniform to make it longer,
and covered his thumb to help me wipe away the bloody water on my palm,
"Fortunately, no broken glass pieces went in, your skin broke due to sand particles
rubbing against it, I've washed away the sand particles, remember to apply
merbromin* when you return home." (T/N: Topical antiseptic for cuts and scrapes)
He lowered his head and lightly blew on my wound, the hot air brushed at my skin, I
could feel the hot air instantly spreading from my palm to my face.
"Is there anywhere else that's injured?" He lifted his head to ask me.
"There isn't." I shook my head.
He didn't believe me, and took my other hand to look, then he squatted in front of me
and pulled up my trouser leg to above my knee without any explanation.
My heart was beating like a group of devils dancing disorderly, I was so bashful till I
wanted to cry, because when I was younger, I'd watched a television drama serial
that Donnie Yen had acted in called "Fist of Fury"*, inside it there was a Japanese
female character called Yumi, she had said before, if a man saw your legs, you have
to marry him...... (T/N: A 1995 Hong Kong television serial)
At that time, as I watched Jiang Chen furrowing his brows, seriously observing my
knee, I told myself, "You see, God arranged for the broadcast of this television serial
as well as the occurrence of his incident, he definitely didn't do so by chance, he is
hinting at your future development, you ought not to make a big deal over such a
small thing, you must know, you can't disobey the mandate of heaven......"
Afterwards, I one-sidedly decided that we had reconciled.
That Jiang Chen wearing his white school uniform coincided with the Jiang Chen in
front of me wearing a white shirt, the Jiang Chen in front of me suddenly lifted his
head and said, "Chen Xiaoxi, can I trust that you will handle the matter of the text
messages well?"
I roughly used five seconds before realising what matter he was talking about,
immediately I clapped my chest and pledged, "I'll definitely handle it appropriately, I
won't leave any loose ends behind!"
My train of thought in my heart was this: Our relationship is so secure, it hadn't
slacked anyhow because of Su Rui, Wu Bosong as well as Zhang Qianrong, hence,
all the more I couldn't let an unfathomable Big Senior cause any setbacks, this
principle was akin to how when Shennong* tried a thousand herbs, if he wasn't
poisoned to death by the intestine-rupturing weed, he naturally shouldn't die from
choking while drinking water; Madam White Snake* after managing to successfully
pay her debt of gratitude with much difficulty naturally shouldn't be caught by the
Cantonese to cook snake soup; Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai* after turning into
butterflies and resting and flying together inseparably naturally shouldn't be caught
and made into specimens...... (T/N: Shennong: a mythical sage ruler of prehistoric
China, worshipped by the Chinese for being the father of agriculture, teaching the
early Chinese how to farm, as well as the Medicine King. Shennong tries a hundred
herbs' refers to popular mythology where he researched on medicines and herbs by
eating hundreds of plants to test for their medicinal value and toxicity. It is said that he
eventually died from eating a weed that caused his intestines to rupture.) (T/N:
Madam White Snake: the titular character of the mythical legend Legend of the White
Snake', one of China's Four Great Folktales, a white snake spirit who hopes to
cultivate herself into an immortal, and who is helped by a human boy named Xu Xian
and hence is grateful and eventually falls in love with him.) (T/N: Liang Shan Bo and
Zhu Ying Tai: titular characters of Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai'/'The Butterfly
Lovers', another one of the Four Great Folktales. This folktale is about the two
characters who fall in love but can't be together, and is often regarded as the Chinese
equivalent of Romeo and Juliet [*cough* though its earliest written record dates about
a few hundred years earlier than Romeo and Juliet *cough*]. In the legend, eventually
their spirits both turn into butterflies, allowing them to fly away together and never
separate again.)
Jiang Chen closed in and used his lips to lightly touch the corner of my mouth, and
said, "Very good, quickly go to work then."
I happily went off to work while touching the corner of my mouth, but I kept on faintly
thinking that it was weird, why is it that I've peeled tea leaf eggs so many times, yet
I've never seen Jiang Chen helping me to wipe my hands? Also, every time his
tenderness came abruptly, apart from making me feel comforted it also made my
hairs stand on end...... Indeed, I am unable to enjoy with a clear conscience such
fortune that arrives suddenly.
Chapter 41

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 41

Dolly
Every now and then, work gets very dull...alright, I was just being modest, it often'
gets very dull, however that wasn't the case today. Today, a client made me want to
swear, made me want to scream, jump up and smash my computer to pieces with my
foot, made me want to follow his line connection, climb to get inside his computer,
then crawl out from his monitor looking like Sadako, throttle his neck, lift him, and
throw him against the wall.
This client asked me to alter 23 design drafts. Not only that, he made me change the
background colour of the photos of their products for about 10 times, for instance,
changing the#0bdb41green with a#09dc3fgreen. I swear, whoever dares to say that
they can tell the difference between these two colours with their naked eye, I will use
a compass to poke them blind.
When Fu Pei who was in his office yelled, "Chen Xiaoxi, go make me a cup of
coffee." I glared at him coldly through the open door which quickly made him clamor
frantically out of his office to instead make me a cup of a coffee. When he placed the
coffee on my desk, he said, "Don't be angry, the market of their products is quite
large. If it wasn't because he was difficult to work with to a degree where he's already
hated by both men and gods, he wouldn't have turned to our company. You've worked
hard, I'll go out to buy you egg tarts for your afternoon tea!"
When Situ Mo heard it, she immediately craned her neck at us, and yelled, "I want
egg tarts too!"
Fu Pei shot her a dark and chilly gaze, and said, "Oh, is that so? Then Miss
Accountant, would you like to hand in the accounts I asked you to do yesterday?"
Situ Mo shifted back to her computer.
When Fu Pei left, Situ Mo said, "A pile of rotten accounts, tell me how I can finish it in
one day! I want to give my husband a call to cry and complain."
I was beside her laughing so hard as I was listening in on her acting coquettishly on
the phone call with her husband, saying, "Hubby, hubby, quickly invent a machine that
can turn nasty people into fine powder. I want to turn that Fu Pei into fine powder and
dissolve him in water for you to drink. I am sick of him. I'm going to have him nourish
your body........."
I gave it some thought, I too fished out my phone to call Jiang Chen. My call rarely
gets answered by him. Oftentimes, when I give him a call, they are received by other
people. So I gently and cautiously probed, "Hello, Jiang Chen?"
"What?" There has always been a very distinctive quality to Jiang Chen's manner of
speaking clear and brief with a hint of indifference.
I twisted a finger around my phone strap, "Nothing la, it's just that I have a client who
is very loathsome......"
"I'm busy right now, just wait for my call." He said, then I heard the beeping of a busy
tone.
I had no choice but to put my phone away, Situ Mo was still bickering with her
husband, speaking one minute then being quiet the next. I looked at her side profile
for a long while, she was baring her fangs and brandishing her claws but with a
happy smile plastered on her face, upon seeing her smile I also couldn't help but
smile.
It has always been said that everyone's happiness is similar yet everyone's misery is
different. In fact, I don't think so. It's true that there's different kinds of misery, but
there's also different kinds of happiness. It's just that, those people who can make us
happy has always been the same ones.
You see, Situ Mo's husband answering her calls for a chitchat is happiness. Jiang
Chen hanging up on me is also happiness. Forget it.....it's almost as if I'm a sick
masochist......
About ten minutes later, my phone was ringing inside my bag, I thought it was Jiang
Chen so I searched for it in a flurry only to find out that it was actually Fu Pei. He said
he has to stay outside for a little longer as he has something to do, and that the egg
tarts were already bought and was handed over to somebody inside the building for
safekeeping, I had to go down to take it.
Holding my phone on one hand, I disclosed the matter to Situ Mo, then quickly went
downstairs to get the tarts.
The one safekeeping it was a 50-60 year old veteran who's very humorous and
affectionate. I exchanged a few words with him, and even persuaded him to try the
tarts, but he said, "You young girls eat a lot of sweet stuff, really too girly, take it away,
take it away."
I waited a whole two minutes for the elevator but eventually got impatient. The office
was just on the 5th floor anyway so I decided to take the stairs. I was almost halfway
there, panting, when my phone rang. This time however, it really is Jiang Chen.
"Hello, are you done being busy?" I was speaking at the same time, climbing the
stairs. "What were you busy about just now?"
It was silent on the other end of the line for quite a long while, I've already taken four,
five steps but still didn't get a response, so I asked suspiciously, "Jiang Chen? Jiang
Chen?"
"Kuh." He coughed, then asked with the tone of his words sounding a little uneasy
and grave, "What are you doing?"
"Climbing the stairs." I answered him honestly, "What's the matter?"
Again, there was silence. I stood still, unable to make head or tail of it. I couldn't help
but add seriously, "What's going on? Did something happen?"
"Hic.....your panting" He said, then there was a momentary pause, "It sounds very
much like......"
"Like what?" I was confused.
"When you're on the bed."
.............
I already lifted my foot up to place on the first step of the next flight of stairs but
silently took it back. Looking at the window on the landing, and seeing my
appearance being reflected on it, I.......the mighty.....the mighty Chen Xiaoxi just
lingered on the stairs, flushed red in the face.
"Are you blushing?"
"No!" I firmly countered.
Silence dwelled over him for just two seconds before he began laughing softly
nonstop, "Haha......you blushed.....hahaha........"
I was fuming with rage between gritted teeth, "Jiang Chen! I'm going to kill you!"
Hence I, while he was laughing nonstop, didn't say a word, and dare not pant as I
head back up to the office.
I sandwiched the phone between my shoulder and my ear, listening to Jiang Chen's
intermittent laughter, as I beckoned Situ Mo to come over to get some egg tarts. Situ
Mo mouthed a silent question, "Boyfriend?"
I nodded with a smile.
Situ Mo suddenly smiled, then wailed loudly "Chen Xiaoxi, Fu Pei doesn't love me
anymore, he only loves you now.....wuu wuu.....and these egg tarts were bought just
for you......wuu wuu......"
Jiang Chen's laughter in my ear came to an abrupt stop, I glared fiercely at Situ Mo,
"Situ Mo! Do you believe I'll choke you to death?!"
She shook her head, pulling a face at me. I gave her one last hard look then carried
the box of egg tarts with both hands, and walked back to my desk to sit down, "Don't
listen to my colleague's nonsense."
I picked up an egg tart and bit a mouthful, "She's very bored."
Jiang Chen said, "En. What were you saying about a certain client just a moment
ago?"
"That damn client was so nitpicky to death, always asking me to alter the design
drafts, and the changes he wanted were all insignificant. I got so angry that I felt full
from anger." I shoved the rest of the tart I was holding in my mouth.
Jiang Chen said, "You're full from anger yet you can still eat egg tarts."
"It's just a figure of speech, I...kuh kuh kuh.....I.....kuh kuh......." I couldn't stop
coughing from choking on the flakes of the crust.
He berated me, "Stop talking."
When my coughing gradually subsided, a long sigh came through the phone, "I'm
hanging this call, lest you choke on everything you eat. Stop eating those egg tarts.
When you're finally done coughing, drink a glass of water to moisten your throat."
The phone beeped, signalling that the call has been cut off again. I could imagine
Jiang Chen looking up at the heavens, with a look of one asking something
wordlessly. Even if he has an impatient look on his face, he still looks very cute.
When it was time to go home, Fu Pei said he's treating us out to eat our first hotpot to
officially welcome the winter. When we were downstairs, I actually caught sight of a
car that looks very much like Jiang Chen's car. But because his car is just a regular
silver sedan, and seems to be a very common look, I hesitated but still told Situ Mo
and Fu Pei, "It seems to be my boyfriend's car, I'll go take a look."
Fu Pei wolf-whistled, then said, "Audi A5. Chen Xiaoxi, did you boyfriend receive a lot
of red packets?"
"So the car with the four circles is called an Audi? I've always been calling this as the
Olympics car." Situ Mo said.
I stood still in my place, hurriedly nodding my head in agreement, there was a feeling
of finally being able to find one's bosom friend, "Yes! Yes! The Olympic rings but
missing a circle.
Fu Pei rolled his eyes, "I really can't stand the both of you, you've probably never
heard of the greatest saying, We must work hard, for my Dior and your Audi."
(T/N: "....and our children's Oreo" lol so according to them, having these things is a
sign that a family is doing well. But basically all guys wanna own an Audi as it's a
telltale sign of a very successful man.)
Situ Mo and Fu Pei were then arguing about how Audi and Olympics only had a
one-word difference. I was on her side, blindly echoing what she was saying, till the
car slowly drove over to our side, and the car's window rolled down, Jiang Chen who
was sitting inside called, "Chen Xiaoxi, come here." (T/N: Audi in Chinese is Aodi ,
while Olympics is Aoyun , Dior is also Diao , a reverse of Audi.)
"It really is you." I hopped and skipped over to him, "Fu Pei said this car is very
expensive, so I almost wanted to say that I must have been mistaken."
Jiang Chen got out of his car, then reached out his hand, "Hello, I'm Jiang Chen."
I was clueless, wondering what was it that he was trying to do, so I stuck my hand out
to correspond to his actions. Not even managing to hold his hand, I was unknowingly
shoved to the back by someone who pushed me by the head. When I looked up, Fu
Pei was already shaking hands with Jiang Chen, "Hello, I'm Fu Pei."
I rubbed my head, glaring at Fu Pei, "Is this Picasso head something you can afford
to just push around?"
Fu Pei said, "Your head actually looks very abstract."
I brandished my fist at him, Jiang Chen then pulled me to stand on his side, he also
shook hands with Situ Mo who was all smiles as she said, "I've been looking forward
to meeting you for a long time."
After introductions were done, I told Jiang Chen, "How did you find the time to come
over today? We're just about to go eat hotpot, boss is treating us."
The I asked Fu Pei and Situ Mo, "Can I bring my family member?"
"Of course."
As a result of the instigation done by Situ Mo and I, our party went to what was
dubbed as the most expensive hotpot place in the city. We ordered the Mandarin
Ducks pot, the clear broth was especially for Jiang Chen as he has a weak stomach
and can't eat spicy food. (T/N: There are many kinds of hotpot, Mandarin Ducks
hotpot is the most popular one which has a divider with one containing clear, mild
broth and the other is a spicy broth.)
Jiang Chen actually likes to eat spicy food, but once he eats them, he'd get
stomachache. It has already been tried and tested, very much like how quickly my
dad gets diarrhea when he eats seafood.
When he sneakily dipped his chopsticks on the spicy side, my throat aptly felt a little
itchy, so I just casually coughed twice, I just don't understand why my sensitive
Classmate Jiang Chen had a guilty look on his face and took back his chopsticks.
"Baby Momo, help me pass over that sauce." Fu Pei said.
Situ Mo shot him a chilly gaze, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me
baby for you to understand? Get it yourself."
Fu Pei turned to me instead, "Xiaoxi, darling, can you pass over the sauce for me, I
have a slice of beef and mutton I just dipped, I'm going to give you these two slices."
Jiang Chen took the sauce instead and squeezed some on Fu Pei's bowl.
Fu Pei was all smiles, thanking him profusely, "Jiang Chen, I've heard that you and
Xiaoxi came from the same place, what is it called again?"
"X county in X city, it's a small country in the south of Guangdong" Jiang Chen said.
Fu Pei let out an oh', then casually asked, "How is it there?"
When I heard his question, I thought I'd take the chance to promote my hometown
my hometown's air, my hometown's soil, my hometown's people. In general,
everyone who is in the literature and arts possesses profound sentiments towards
their hometowns. For details, please refer to Shen Congwen's "Border Town" which
spur the boom of the tourism industry of Fenghuang County in Xiangxi.
However, I did not even have the time to organize my words when Jiang Chen
opened his mouth, and said, "Oh, it's just a small town, and the people there don't
just casually call other people, darling."
.........
After those words were said, there was awkwardness, there were looks of shock, and
there were looks of glee.
While everyone was still reeling from his words, Jiang Chen seized the opportunity to
take two slices of white radish from the spicy broth......
Chapter 42

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 42

Xri
After we finished our hotpot, Jiang Chen sent me back home but said that he had to
go back to the hospital for his shift. I was extremely surprised by that. I said, "Could it
be that you specially came all the way to get a free meal?"
He was very cool. He snorted twice and questioned, "Can't I?"
I praised him powerfully on knowing how to live by using such tactics.
He came back at around 5 or 6 in the morning, the sky was dark with a little gleam, I
was still sleeping. He pressed me down with his body and while using his cheeks and
nose, he brushed them against my cheeks, neck and shoulder. I could barely open
my eyes while patting on his head and asked, "Are you tired? Are you hungry?"
I didn't wait for any answer and fell back to sleep. I didn't have any other memories.
7:30AM My alarm rang and gave me a shock. I realized Jiang Chen ended up
sleeping on me. He must have done it purposely, to take revenge on how I
accidentally slept lying on him last night.
With great difficulty, I moved him onto the bed. I unbuttoned two of his shirt's button,
took off his socks, and yawned while going to wash up and brush my teeth.
I met Fu Pei in the lift, he looks dispirited and listless, I explained a little too
embarrassedly, "I'm sorry for yesterday, I hope you don't mind, Jiang Chen speaks
like that, he has no ill intentions."
He rubbed on his temples and said, "It doesn't matter to me what that person from
your family says, it's just that last night while sending Situ Mo home, I got laughed at
the entire trip. At her door we met Gu Wei Yi, and she was in such a hurry to retell the
entire story to Gu Wei Yi, so I got mocked one more time by Gu Wei Yi."
Gu Wei Yi is Situ Mo's husband, and Fu Pei was Situ Mo's first love. Fu Pei and Gu
Wei Yi were roommates in university. It was said that Fu Pei was even more bastard
about relationships in the past than he is now. He was classified as a type of person
that, <While travelling across ten thousand flowers, come into contact with flower,
contact with leaf, contact with the feces used in fertilizer>*. Therefore Situ Mo gave
up on him, and turned into Gu Wei Yi's embrace instead. Fu Pei suddenly came back
to his senses and returned to being a good man, but Situ Mo was firm in her
decision.... Anyway, they have a story between them, what's right, what's wrong, I am
not that sure. However, Situ Mo and Gu Wei Yi became a pair, so we know that in
their story, Fu Pei is definitely a supporting role, a thousand wrongs, or ten thousand
wrongs, it's all the supporting role's wrong.
(T/N: I'll put the TN on another paragraph because ^ is too long. An idiom play on .
Which talks about how loyal a man is to his lover, that regardless of him walking into
countless of flowers (aka seductions), he will not get swayed by or flirt with even a
leaf. But Fu Pei flirted with everyone and took flirting to the next level even with
fertilizer hahahahahaha.)
Fu Pei plucked out two hairs while facing the mirror in the lift, "Chen Xiaoxi, let's say
life is a novel, did I offend the author?"
I touched my neck with a laugh but didn't comment.
During lunch break I called Jiang Chen, he said he was already back to work, he
even used a low and coarse voice to announce to me that he's having gastric pain.
I said, if you have gastric pain then you better puke out the two spicy white radish
slices you ate secretly last night.
He said he won't. It took him great ordeal to sneak something spicy to eat, he had to
cherish the taste for three days.
I helplessly said with a laugh, "Remember to take your medicine."
He said, "You are so naggy, I'm going." Then he hung up.
Sometimes I get taken aback by the occasional childish behavior that Jiang Chen
shows. Just like that time in university I had a quarrel with him. I bought an orange
colour couple wear online which he refused to wear. I was so angry, mainly because
that was bought with money. Not wearing it is an insult to money. So I nagged and
nagged by his ears every day. I said, I won't study with you at night unless you wear
it; I won't pack food for you, unless you wear it; You can't hold my hand or waist,
unless you wear it.
One day, he got tired of my nags. While helping me with my stocks technical analysis
report (elective course), he suddenly threw the pen away and copied my manner of
speaking and said, "I won't do your work for you, unless you stop forcing me to wear
that shirt."
I looked at his angry little face, I was like, aiyooo why are you so cute, aiyo if you
were to wear that orange couple tee it will be even cuter...
But I gave in, my motherly nature was showing, I felt that I had to make Jiang Chen's
little wish come true. Hence, I kept that couple shirt at the bottom of my storage box.
Of course, Jiang Chen won't admit that he had his childish behavior at times. He said
he was only mimicking my ways, also known as, learn from the foreign to conquer the
foreign.
I said he is just reluctant to admit*. (T/N: a lit translation would be "I say you just have
a hard mouth")
He said I am a woodpecker. (T/N: with reference to having a hard mouth)
....
I have a soft spot for Jiang Chen, he is handsome even if he is acting cool, is
handsome even if he is childish, is handsome even if he has a hard mouth, even
while cracking cold jokes he is handsome.
I wonder if he has any soft spots for me.
In the afternoon, Fu Pei brought the unreasonable customer. It was my first meeting
with that customer. I thought that with his level of sharp and unkind attitude, at least
his looks should be out of the ordinary. Regardless of whether it is out of the ordinary
ugly, or out of the ordinary handsome, it should at least have the effect at first look of,
ah, this is not a good person or some sort. But, he is just an ordinary looking man in
his 30s. He even looks really honest. I was very upset. I mean, you look like you are
no harm to anything, so why are you acting like you are devoid of conscience?
Unexpectedly, the client praised me. He even said he really liked my illustration. Oh
right, their product is a pointer reading machine. Our company is in charge of the
instructions manual, cover and back cover designs. My itchy hands drew a 4 panel
comic at the back cover. 1 A very fierce looking teaching wearing black spectacles
was standing on the reading machine gesticulating. 2 A kid sitting that his desk with
his hands supporting his chin while rolling his eyes. 3 The kid extended his hand and
pressed the reading machine. 4 The teacher flew far away like a balloon that was
popped.
He said that his company planned to produce some merchandise for the reading
machine, like some comics, and asked if I have interest in drawing them. He also
mentioned that everything will be drawn based on my liking and will be published like
a comic.
I got a shock, I blinked and stared at Fu Pei. Fu Pei smiled and nodded his head, and
answered for me, "Mr. Ruan, lets talk about our contract value then."
I was quickly dismissed out of the office by Fu Pei's excuses. He said I had a look as
though meat pies were falling from the sky, and it was very un-artist-like.And the aura
of an artist will affect the value. In another words, my dim-witted looks will affect how
he can sell me at a high price.
The moment I got out of office I called Jiang Chen, my speech was incoherent as I
was too happy, luckily Jiang Chen could understand, no matter what nonsense I
babble, he always understands.
I said, "Chen Xiaoxi the thing you wish to do most is coming true, the time you idled
away while reading comics were not to waste."
I keep laughing foolishly, he said, "Alright alright stop laughing, after work I'll bring you
out for a celebration."
After work he really appeared on time under my office, the first thing I did when I got
into his car was to hug him, following that I grabbed his neck and screamed beside
his ear, "Jiang Chen Jiang Chen, I am going to publish a comic book! I am going to
publish a comic book!"
He pried my hands off, "Yes, but can you not strangle me to death."
I didn't care, I tightened the grip on his neck, I kissed and bit on his face, I was on
cloud nine.
After smearing an entire face of saliva on him, I was perfectly contented and sat on
my seat with my seatbelt on. He asked me, "Where do you want to eat?"
"They actually wanted to have a meal together to celebrate, but Fu Pei felt terrified
when he heard that you were coming, haha." I said.
He shrugged, with self confidence he mentioned, "I saw that Situ Mo and you were
not liking how he addressed both of you, so I only helped to amend his way of
addressing colleagues."
I gave him a punch, "Shall we eat northeastern Chinese cuisine? I feel like eating
dumplings."
"Okay."
While waiting for the dishes, I saw Wu Bosong bringing Hu Ran Ran in. Our seats
were a little to the side, and we were blocked by a pillar. So I could see them, but
they couldn't see us.
Jiang Chen also saw them, he shook he head and told me, "Eat, don't go over."
They sat down somewhere not far from us, I heard Hu Ran Ran say, "Don't eat too
much, it will be a waste of money we if can't finish."
I remember that day at the banquet she was wearing the cheongsam with a green
base and red flowers, taunting about how she at which country eating what food, and
how she was eating caviar that was scrumptious with every bite. During that time, the
tip of her brow and the corner of her eyes had a style of misery. But it didn't have the
beauty it had now while she was saying not to waste money.
I think if a woman is willing to save money for a man, then at least she loves him
more than loving him for just wanting to spend his money.
Just then, plates and plates of dumplings of different flavours were served. I guiltily
repented to Jiang Chen, "If I had known I wouldn't have ordered one of each flavor,
looks as if I don't know how to upkeep a family."
Jiang Chen picked one dumpling and squeezed it in my house, "Eat, stop talking."
The dumpling he forced at me was a vegetable dumpling, the juice spurted all over
when I took a bite. I was in such an ugly situation and he looked at me while laughing
and gave me tissue to wipe my mouth.
When we left, Wu Bosong and Hu Ran Ran were still eating, I packed home the
left-over dumplings, looks like I will have to eat dumplings for a few days...
At one random red light we were waiting at while going home, Jiang Chen suddenly
mentioned without much emphasis, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, my parents are coming
tomorrow."
.....
You have to understand that I was originally intoxicated in feeling touched by how
beautiful the world is and of publishing a comic book. This feeling was not affected
even when I was Wu Bosong and Hu Ran Ran. Love will always be love. But this
feeling is just like the colourful bubbles under the sun, they can't be poked.
I was in silence for very long, Jiang Chen stopped his car downstairs. The headlights
shone brightly on the road before us, but the dark was surrounding the bright areas.
The moths, flies, mosquitoes, every insect that knows how to fly is dancing crazily in
the light, like they were attending a farewell party.
Jiang Chen held onto my hand, "What are you thinking about?"
I am not sure how to reply him, I looked down at our hands that were intertwined. I
used my index finger to gently rubbed on the knuckle of his index finger, "I'm thinking,
when your mother sees me, will she still thinking that I am not fit to be with you?"
He held my hands tighter in silence, his forte is not in comforting people, or releasing
the tension, so the me who is also not good at such thing has to be the one to
undertake.
I caressed his face and said, "This sir, next time can you not use the weather today is
great' kind of tone to announce a news like a lion in the zoo escaped and bit
someone to death'."
He pulled my hand, there's a look of perseverance in his eyes. He said, "We won't
follow the same old disastrous road*." (T/N: Repeat the same mistake.)
I smiled, "I hope."
I hope.
I hope there will be a rainbow after the rain.
I hope sunshine will always be after the rain.
I wish us long life so as to share the beauty of this graceful moonlight, even though
we might be miles apart.
(T/N: from a traditional poem Shuidiao Getou', talking about how you wish the person
you are thinking of can have a peaceful and long life, and regardless so how far apart
you two may be, you two will be able to see the same beautiful moon.)
I wish when the flock of geese flying in V formation returns, high above the west
chamber hangs a full moon.
(T/N: from another poem <A sprig of plum blossoms> A poem written by Li QingZhao,
a female poet who misses her husband while they were separated. The stanza in the
novel is . However, before this line, was another phrase that talks about "who will be
able to get help from the geese to send me a letter" followed by that in the novel,
when the geese return in their formation, I will be waiting in the chamber, with a full
moon, which symbolizes missing someone.)

I hope that in everything and everything, to be everlasting, be in protection, be at

peace, and be healthy.
Chapter 43

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 43

youtiaoshutiao
At night, I had a nightmare, I dreamt that there was only Jiang Chen's mother and I
sitting facing each other in an empty room, his mother was fixing her gaze on me, her
face full of profound mystery, as if she was watching an insect that was pinched
between her index finger and her thumb.
I woke up with a start, Jiang Chen was sleeping beside me in a state of intoxication,
the moonlight shone in from outside the window, draping a translucent milky white
gauze over the entire room.
I stretched out my hand and lightly brushed aside the hair that was stuck to Jiang
Chen's cheek, and said in a low voice, "Actually I'm really scared of your mother,
what's to be done?"
He remained fast asleep, I sighed and sat to the bedside, I used my feet to fish up my
slippers for a long time yet could not fish them up, only then did I remember that I had
been directly carried on the shoulder by Jiang Chen from the bathroom to the
bedroom......
Aiyo, embarrassment in the middle on the night was really......
I pinched my face, thinking that it was really moronic of me to be thinking about some
p*rnographic garbage at this sort of time.
I went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, went to the doorway of the bathroom
and found my slippers, then drew my slippers and went to the balcony to watch the
streetlights while drinking my water. The sky was about to brighten, and Jiang Chen's
clothes that had been thrown downstairs by me were still dispersed in a scattered
manner on the tarpaulin that had been put out by that family on the third floor. When
Jiang Chen knew about it, he scared me by saying that he wanted to throw all my
clothes away, I had his credit card in my hand, so I wasn't scared in the slightest.
"Xiaoxi."
I turned round, Jiang Chen was crossing his arms and leaning against the balcony
door. I couldn't see his expression clearly in the dark, he said, "What are you thinking
about?"
This was the second time tonight that he had asked me what I was thinking about,
yet I was still thinking about whether his mum would think that I wasn't fit to be with
him.
I shook my head, "I had a nightmare."
He walked over and encircled my waist from behind my back, "What did you dream
of?"
"Demons and ghosts."
He hugged me tightly, the warm body temperature slowly passing from his body to my
back, he said, "Chen Xiaoxi, you can't just run away when you get scared."
I jokingly said, "Then that would depend on your mum's degree of firepower this time
round."
He suddenly used the web between his thumb and his index finger to seize my chin,
turned my face around with great force, and kissed me sideways from behind. I could
sense his uneasiness, when the tip of his tongue entered searchingly, it even
trembled slightly, it was as if this sort of trembling carried a tiny electric current, that
electric current attracted me to move a little nearer, and move a little nearer again. I
turned my body around and wrapped my hands around his neck, lightly using the tip
of my tongue to touch his lips briefly. He seized the opportunity to sweep and catch
my tongue, and dragged it into his mouth, sucking with great exertion till the back of
my tongue turned numb, I had a sort of misperception, I felt like it was as if he wanted
to swallow me down.
As our lips and tongues were tossing and turning about, I heard him saying fiercely,
"Chen Xiaoxi, if you run away again this time, we won't have a next time, I'll do as I
say."
I wanted to say, this mister, how are you able to say such a large chunk of words
while pasting yourself to my mouth? I also wanted to say, this mister, your usage of
such an intense and bossy style of expression is inconsistent with the cold, detached
and unperturbed image you have all along, by behaving like this, you're not staying in
character, it's very unprofessional of you.
When Jiang Chen let go of me, I had to clamber onto him in order to steady my legs
that had gone weak, he pinched my face and said, "Your eyes are full of mist."
I didn't understand, mainly because the difference between this sentence and the
content expressed in the previous sentence was too great, his line of thought was too
flighty, I kind of couldn't keep up.
The next day, I spent my entire time at work in a muddleheaded state, so much so
that even when Fu Pei told me that he had concluded negotiations regarding the
matter of publishing the manhwa, and had even negotiated for a price that was not
bad, I merely pulled at the corner of my mouth to express that I was actually very
happy, it was just my facial expression being a letdown.
When I was about to get off work, I received a phone call from Jiang Chen, he said
that he couldn't get away, and had me go to the airport to receive his parents. This
made me feel like it was very unreasonable, what was unreasonable was the location
at which I was to receive them the airport, what kind of people would choose to use
such a means of transportation as an aeroplane for this sort of distance between two
places that was like this "Take-off sing a pop song land"? The answer was this:
people who are afraid that others won't know that they were rich.
Fu Pei very kindly sent me to the airport, of course I felt like it was possibly because
he had a premonition that I was about to become a slowly rising nova in the manhwa
world, so he had to curry favour with me now.
I kept on being very nervous before meeting Jiang Chen's parents, I was so nervous
that there were a few times where I had the impulse to be nauseous whenever I took
a deep breath. I even comforted myself by saying that if nothing else worked, I could
just pretend to be pregnant, she could not want a daughter-in-law, but she couldn't
not want a grandson, right? Or perhaps the moment we met, I could just carry out a
segment of repentance that was excellent in voice and expression for my youthful
ignorance back in those days...... In short, I built myself up a lot in my heart, telling
myself that I must not feel hurt because of her, I must persevere in the principle of
currying favour with her, the moment she finished hitting the left side of my face, I
would move the right side of my face close in......
But the moment I saw them, all my tension was thoroughly dispelled. To draw an
analogy, I originally hoped that her hatred towards me would be able to be resolved
with one slap, but I didn't expect that she would feel a need to give me a flying kick to
dissolve her hatred, and yet I wasn't willing to be given a flying kick, so let's just let it
be.
I've used such an exquisite analogy, yet I still hadn't said clearly what exactly had
happened, specifically, Jiang Chen's mother brought along a woman, unfortunately, I
knew that woman, and for a very long period of time, I detested her. This women was
called Li Wei. During the high school phase, she kept on hovering around Jiang
Chen's side with the posture of a deceased soul that lingers on and refuses to
disperse, everytime I saw her, I would think, aiya, how is this woman even less
reserved than I am......
I believed that Jiang Chen's mother didn't possess such remarkable abilities to the
point where she knew that I silently hated Li Wei in my heart, but I also believed that
Jiang Chen's mother wasn't so pointless as to bring Li Wei here to tour the town's
constructions, most importantly, I believed that the expression in Jiang Chen's
mother's eyes when looking at me did not have something we call benevolence.
But sham gestures of politeness was necessary, I reverently and respectfully said,
Hello Uncle and Auntie, I am Chen Xiaoxi, Jiang Chen has something on and can't
come, he asked me to come and receive you all to bring you all to the hospital and
meet up with him.
Jiang Chen's dad nodded his head, "Hello."
Jiang Chen's mother emitted a subtle syllable from her nostrils that lay between a
"mm" and a "hmph".
Contrariwise, Li Wei came and pulled at my hand very enthusiastically, saying,
"Xiaoxi, long time no see, you've become prettier."
I chuckled hollowly, "You're still so pretty."
I thought darkly that her saying you've become prettier' was hinting that I was very
ugly in the past, so rightly and inevitably, I hated her even more.
Though I hated Li Wei, I still had to admit that Li Wei was very pretty, even more,
there was a whiff of cleverness that appeared through her beauty, to use the words
that Situ Mo used to assess her husband's beautiful female colleague who was a
scientist this matter of having equally good looks and wisdom, was certainly very
loathsome.
On the taxi, I strived hard and searched for two topics of conversation, wanting to
close the distance (between me and) the elders, these two topics were, separately,
whether they got motion sickness on the plane and whether the airplane meals were
tasty or not. Actually, I still had a lot of topics of conversation, such as were the air
stewardesses pretty? Did they have good figures? Were their skirts short? But
looking at how their enthusiasm at participating in my two previous topics of
conversation wasn't great, I too didn't say much anymore.
When we were about to reach the hospital, I made a phone call asking Jiang Chen to
come out and wait at the lobby, but when we reached, we still didn't see him, hence I
called him again, he said he was on his way.
After roughly a minute, Jiang Chen appeared at the lobby wearing his white coat,
when his line of vision swept to Li Wei, he halted for a moment, and looked at me
questioningly, I shrugged my shoulders.
Jiang Chen and his parents seemed to be a little distant, but this was
understandable,Jiang Chen's temper was strange, and the two elders in his family
were even stranger.
A few simple sentences were said, Jiang Chen's mother said, "Let's find a place to
eat."
Jiang Chen took off his white coat and passed it to me, I folded it properly and stuffed
it into my purse, he took the travel bag in Li Wei's hand. The whole journey, Li Wei
had been hugging the travel bag tightly, it was as if she was afraid that I would dash
up to her and grab it and run away. Plus, the travel bag was so big, I suspected that
there was a dead corpse hidden inside, or perhaps an adulterous husband.
Along the way, Jiang Chen explained to me in a soft voice, Li Wei's father was the
Education Bureau Chief in our town, and was good friends with his father. This I
understood, the town mayor and the bureau chief would definitely be good friends,
just like how the class monitor and the academic rep normally would collude
together*. (T/N: there is nefarious intent in the original Chinese idiom for this)
When we were eating, it seemed as if Jiang Chen's mother suddenly called to mind
my existence, "Where is Miss Chen working at currently?"
"You can just call her Xiaoxi." Jiang Chen lifted his head and said a sentence.
I replied hurriedly, "At a design company."
"Is it a foreign enterprise or a state enterprise?"
I swallowed my saliva, "Private enterprise."
"Oh, and how is its scale?"
I said, "Three people."
Everyone present except for Jiang Chen all stopped moving their chopsticks and
looked at me in astonishment, this caused me to suspect if I had just a moment ago
articulated unclearly and said "kill a person" instead of "three persons". (T/N: In
Chinese, three persons is "san ge ren" while kill a person is "sha le ren", which I
guess sounds similar.)
After quite a while, Jiang Chen's mother said again, "Has Miss Chen considered
changing jobs?"
I felt like what she wanted to ask more was, has Miss Chen considered changing
boyfriends, but I'm sorry, this madam, I've pestered your son for too many years, if I
gave up halfway, it would appear as if my personal character had no perseverance.
Hence I shook my head and said, "No." I thought for a bit and supplemented, "I like
this job a lot."
She already no longer took the trouble to conceal her expression of disdain in her
eyes, she directly omitted me and told Jiang Chen, "Jiang Chen, Li Wei has quit her
job and is preparing to take the entrance exam to become a postgraduate student in
your school, so she intends to stay in X City for a while, in any case, there's an empty
room at your place, let her stay at yours, your Uncle Li and co will also be more at
ease."
Jiang Chen didn't even lift his head, "It's not convenient."
"How is it not convenient?" She slapped her chopsticks on the table with a bang, the
sound was so loud that I suspected that she had profound internal force*, I even
suspected that later on, when the waiter tidied up the table, he would have to dig out
the chopsticks from the table. (T/N: a concept in Chinese martial arts, where one
trains up their internal force', allowing them to increase in strength and power)
Because I was letting my imagination run wild, so I wasn't in time for the favourable
opportunity of being a peacemaker, instead, it fell into Li Wei's hands in vain,
regarding this, I was very grieved.
Li Wei smiled and pulled Jiang Chen's mother's hand, saying, "Auntie, don't be angry,
indeed it's not particularly convenient, I'll just stay at a hotel, anyway it's not that long
a period of time."
I kicked Jiang Chen underneath the table, he raised his head and looked at me in
puzzlement.
Uh...... Actually, I also didn't know why I wanted to kick him, it's just that I suddenly
felt like the atmosphere had arrived......
Jiang Chen's mother was unyielding, "How is it not convenient? You and Li Wei have
grown up together since young, the elders all trust you both, plus, letting a girl stay at
a hotel alone is too unsafe."
I, holding on to the spirit of there being no time to lose, immediately followed after the
end of her words and boot-licked, "Yes, it's very unsafe."
However, it seemed like my identity was not suited to say such words, because the
moment I finished speaking, the entire dinner table sunk into silence again. Hence, I
withdrew my head and decided that following this, I wouldn't speak anymore even if I
was beaten to death.
"Why not you think about who was the one who bought the house?" Jiang Chen's
mother slapped the table and said, "Don't tell me I don't even have the right to invite a
friend over to stay?"
Jiang Chen didn't say anything more, he only took down the purse that I had hung up
on the chair, and searched out his house keys from inside, after which he passed
them to Li Wei and said, "What my mum said is also not wrong, indeed it isn't safe for
you as a girl to stay outside, these are my house keys."
The plot had turned around so rapidly, Jiang Chen's sudden sensibility caused Jiang
Chen's mother who was still giving a performance of being angry to stare blankly on
the spot.
Jiang Chen then fished out his car keys from his pocket and passed them to Li Wei, "I
remember that you have a driver's license, having a car here is more convenient
when going out."
This time, Li Wei didn't dare to stretch out her hand to receive (the keys), she looked
towards Jiang Chen's mother with an expression of one crying for help, Jiang Chen's
mother also looked towards Jiang Chen's father, Jiang Chen's father said in a deep
voice, "Jiang Chen, what are you doing?"
Jiang Chen placed the keys by Li Wei's hand, his tone of voice was actually very
placid, "This was also not my car to begin with."
My heart had risen up to my throat, underneath the table, my hand desperately pulled
at the lower hem of his clothes, I thought to myself, if you want to rebel and so on,
don't choose a time when I am present at the scene, those who don't know will think
that it's me who instigated you.
He gripped my hand and glanced at me, this glance was a meaningful one, but I
didn't understand it, when I did understand it was already too late to stop (him).
He said, "Dad, Mum, I've already told you before, Xiaoxi is my girlfriend, I'm living
with her now, we want to get married, I hope to get your consent."
"I don't consent." Jiang Chen's mother said.
I thought to myself, I too don't consent, I haven't been proposed to yet......
Jiang Chen clenched my hand tightly, and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't consent,
back then, you too didn't consent when I took the entrance exams for university and
was choosing my major, plus you also didn't consent to me becoming a doctor."
My emotions were lying in between "please shut your mouth and don't cause trouble
for me" and "stand up, applaud and say, So handsome!'", I was very conflicted.
Jiang Chen's parents were soon about to flip out, however two knocking sounds
came through the door of the private room, the waiter entered and asked, "Is there
anything I can do to help you?"
Only then did I discover that the service light of the private room was lit up.
"(I'll) pay the restaurant bill." Jiang Chen passed his credit card over to the waiter, I
too didn't know when the credit card that had all along been in my purse had gotten
into his hand.
After the waiter retreated and left, Jiang Chen said, "Li Wei, I've given you all the
keys, you also know the route to my house, after you're done eating, I'll have to
trouble you to send my parents back to rest, I have an operation tonight, tomorrow I'll
take leave and bring you guys out to roam around again."
After he finished speaking, he too didn't care about his mother swatting the table
saying, you sit down for me, he pulled me up with one hand, "Send me to take the
metro, I don't have a metro card."
As I was being dragged away by him, I turned around and said, "Uncle, Auntie,
goodbye."
Jiang Chen walked on ahead, I followed blindly behind him, holding on to the credit
card. After walking for about 20 minutes, he halted his footsteps, I accelerated my
footsteps and walked to his side to be side by side with him.
He held my hand and walked slowly ahead, "Chen Xiaoxi, when I was small, they
often quarrelled."
I comforted him, "My parents often quarrelled too, my mum even said that she
wanted to use the vegetable knife to cut my dad up into minced meat and wrap
dumplings."
He lowered his head and glanced at me, "You're talking nonsense, right?"
I rubbed my neck, "You can even see that. Though I want to say, that sort of display
of yours just now, has caused me to be under great stress."
He ignored me, and continued speaking, "Often, I would be practising on the piano in
the piano room, and they would be just outside, cursing each other, desperately
insulting each other's eighteen generations of ancestors, or desperately using their
spoken words to insult and question each other's ability to propagate the next
generation. As someone who shares the same ancestors as them, and is also their
next generation, I was under great stress."
I lifted my head and patted his shoulder, saying, "Being flippant is not your style, it
can't help you modify your image into an uninhibited vagabond."
He pinched a handful of my face, "It's really frustrating, you say, why don't they get a
divorce?"
I analysed it matter-of-factly, "If they get a divorce, it'll be difficult for them to account
to their work organisations."
He laughed, "How do you know that it'll be difficult to account to their work
organisations?"
I said, "When I was small, I felt that my mum was very fierce, and advised my dad to
marry someone else, it was him who told me that it'll be hard to account to his work
organisation."
Jiang Chen again stretched his hand out to pinch my face, "How is it that matters as
big as the sky all become so hilarious once it reaches you?"
This probably is what they call innate talent.
"Let's go, we'll take the metro home." Jiang Chen let go of his hand that was holding
on to mine, and wrapped his hand around my shoulder, "I have no money and no
metro card......"
Coincidentally,it was the time people got off work, the metro was squashed till it was
like cans of salted fish, my back was pressed against the carriage wall as I stood,
Jiang Chen was standing in front of me, his two arms propped up at the two sides of
my body, helping me block out the crowds of people.
I raised my head and looked at him, squinting my eyes as I kept on smiling, he was
unable to make head or tail of my smiling, "What's up?"
I said, "Hey, on television, if the male and female leads were on a congested vehicle,
there would definitely be such a posture, using your body to keep off the crowds,
you're so romantic."
He had an expression of "I really can't stand you" all over his face.
I stood up straight, and leaned over, and hugged him beamingly, my face was
plastered against his chest, and my two hands were hugging his waist, as they
interlinked behind his back.
I said, "Jiang Chen, can I not take leave to accompany your parents tomorrow, I have
to discuss the contents of the manhwa with the client tomorrow, plus I haven't been
looked down on by other people for a very long time, I have to recuperate."
Actually, I was thinking that if I was present tomorrow, I didn't know how much more
awkward the scene would get, I might as well not appear and dampen their spirits.
He nodded his head, and said, "Okay." He paused, then said again, "It's been unfair
for you."
I shook my head, and looked at his eyes as I said, "Jiang Chen, I love you so much."
He was a little uneasy as he moved his eyes away, and let out a "mm" in a low voice.
After about five minutes, he suddenly lowered his head and asked me, "What's to be
done? I have no house and no car now."
I pretended to be in deep serious contemplation, only after a while did I smile and
say, "How about this, if you tolerate me eating a lot and not doing any work*, I'll
tolerate you having no house and no car." (T/N: A Chinese idiom meaning being a
parasite)
He laughed and lowered his head, using that side of his cheeks that had a dimple to
lightly rub against my cheek.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER
Amy | Dolly | Xri
Translator's Corner:
The showdown of Jiang Chen & Xiaoxi vs Jiang Chen's parents has finally arrived!! I
love the image of them taking the metro together, and Xiaoxi chasing away Jiang
Chen's blues with her nonsense ahaha.
Speaking of Li Wei, I was reminded of a detail that I read about on Weibo a few
months ago (with regards to the drama). Remember how Jiang Chen couldn't
remember his schoolmates' names and didn't know who Li Wei was initially? Well
halfway through the drama, while he did eventually know who Li Wei was,
unfortunately he still spelled her name wrongly in his contact list on his phone. (It
should be not ). Don't know if it was intentional on the production team's part but
haha it sure adds an interesting touch. And is pretty in character too.
Chapter 44

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 44

dolly
When the two of us arrived at the station near home, his phone suddenly rang. He
fished it out from the pocket of his coat, took a glimpse at who it was, then tucked it
back in. I reached into his pocket and took the phone out, pressed the button to
answer the call, then held it up against his ear.
He looked down to glare at me, then reluctantly answered, "Mum."
Silence dwelt on us for more than five minutes. In the noisy subway, I could barely
hear the words which sounded like die', leave' and other short words that were rich in
colour. It may have been because I did a lot of homework regarding sentence
construction when I was in grade school, and basing it on the way his mum usually
behaves, I've constructed some sentences from the phrases I've just heard: "You
have to make that damn woman leave! Either I die or she leaves! I'll just die if she
won't leave.........alrightthen." When I was a kid, the teacher would often mark me
with an X as my sentence construction was different from that of other kids.
In the end, I heard Jiang Chen say, "I won't listen to you, so be it, I'm busy right now."
I just want to make a side comment, if I would talk to my mom like that, she would
probably shove me back inside her womb, drown me in amniotic fluid, then strangle
me using an umbilical cord.
Jiang Chen seems furious, after he hung up the call, and shoved the phone inside my
coat pocket, he never uttered a single word again.
I touched the phone that was inside my pocket and apprehension blossomed in my
heart: Should I remind him that this is his phone? Will he fly into a rage out of
humiliation and say he doesn't need a phone? Then it would be convenient to me
who has the intention of wanting to change my phone.
As we were idling in the station, I kept on pushing Jiang Chen to finally say
something. He took my hand and followed the surge of the crowd who were alighting.
We were almost overwhelmed by the crowd at one time so Jiang Chen simply pulled
me, and locked me inside his arms as we walked forward. When we finally escaped
with great difficulty from the subway, Jiang Chen released me, heaving a sigh, "It's
difficult without a car."
I teased him, "Young Master, how long has it been since you've taken the subway?
I've never seen you complain back when we were in university."
He replied indifferently, "If I wasn't around during university, who knows how many
times you'll find yourself crying in the bus and subway."
I couldn't help but pull on his sleeves, my fingers tightly clutching unto it.
We were from a small town and came to the city to study in a university. In our town,
when you amble down the street, there would be simple-minded and honest uncles
who are all smiles, riding their motorcycles that are attached with some sort of cart,
asking you, "Child, where are you going?" Hence, when I went to university and saw
the cobweb-like bus and subway system, I just felt stupid. So no matter where I go,
I'd just follow Jiang Chen around. He was responsible for taking me back and forth in
those complex bus and subway routes. I never had to think about which line I should
take to get there, or worry about taking one that was going to a wrong direction.
When I was just starting my work after graduating, one day he especially took me on
a lot of bus and subway rides from the hospital he was interning to the place where I
live, from my place to my company, and again from my company to where he was
interning. He even made a mnemonic chant for me to learn by heart, hospital
company, cross the street 304, home company, cross the street 507, home hospital,
cross the street 216', he told me I also have to remember, if the places in the
mnemonics are the same but are written reversed in the bus, then I don't have to
cross the road. I said, I got it, I'm not that stupid. Even though I claimed to have
already known, but I occasionally still take the wrong one. When that happens, I'd just
casually look for a bus stop to get off, then make a telephone call to Jiang Chen, a
call that was like me spitting on his face if he were around, asking him to bring me
back.
Later on, we broke up. I changed companies and residence. I very carefully and
prudently documented every single line and route on my notebook, but I still kept on
taking the wrong one again and again. There was once when I went home from
working overtime, as soon as I got on the bus, I held unto the pole then started to
doze off, when I woke up and found out that the bus has already passed by my stop
without me knowing, I fished out my phone in a moment of desperation, wanting to
call Jiang Chen to come and save me. Only when I was pressing down on the keys
did I suddenly come to my senses, I just started bawling madly while holding unto the
pole. Anyone who was there but wasn't privy to what really happened to me, would
think that I was the biological mother of that pole, and has been separated from it for
many years.
At that time, I was standing next to a girl who dyed her hair like the rainbow after the
rain during the summer. She was chewing her gum and looked at me
compassionately, saying, "Are you all right? Does it hurt anywhere?" I said, "I took the
wrong bus." After she heard it, there was a blank look on her face, then she cried out,
"You caused me to swallow down my gum."
After that, I also had a blank look on my face, then I continued crying, the kind of
crying wherein both tears and snot were running down my face. I said, I'm sorry, I
didn't mean to cause you to swallow down your gum, how about I compensate you
with another piece of gum? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take the wrong bus. I'm sorry, I
remembered just now that I really don't have anyone I can rely on. I'm sorry, I didn't
mean to cry. I'm sorry, don't be scared of me, I'm really not crazy.
When that Rainbow Girl heard the word "crazy", she silently moved a few steps to the
side. Upon reaching the next bus stop, she just pried the doors that still weren't fully
opened, and dashed out.
I heaved a sigh, if only time could go back to that moment. I really want to calmly and
even-temperedlygive an explanation to that Rainbow Girl, explain my sudden
helplessness, explain my sudden wistful longing, explain that I'm really not crazy.......
In life, sometimes it gets difficult to gauge things which is more painful, to have never
obtained it or to obtain it and then lose it? I loosened Jiang Chen's cuffs then grabbed
his pinky finger, swaying it twice.
Jiang Chen put his other hand over mine, slightly gripping it, "Stop swaying."
My mouth twitched.
I turned my head and saw that there were roasted sweet potatoes being sold by the
roadside, "Look, roasted sweet potatoes."
"Oh." He said.
I dug in my heels, refusing to pass by it, "I want to eat."
"Not clean, causes cancer." He said.
I clearly saw that the facial expression of the uncle roasting the sweet potatoes turn
stiff, judging by the way he was tending to the the hot coals, I had no choice but to
quickly pinch the flesh on Jiang Chen's arm, wringing it around, saying, "What kind of
nonsense, it smells delicious, you're going to buy sweet potatoes for me this instant."
When I was a kid, and gets complained for having beaten up another kid, my mum
would quickly rush over, to scold me, and beat me up before the other kid's mum
could open her mouth. She call it, strike first to gain the upper hand', this way the
kid's mum would be embarrassed to say more. On the contrary, I think they're not
opening their mouths in fear of fueling my mum's temper which would consequently
make my mum lose her senses, and accidentally kill me........
Jiang Chen turned to me with a look of incredulity, I think he didn't expect the me who
was so tender, that when pinched, water would come out, was also domestically
violent.
I glared at him viciously, "Buy me sweet potatoes!"
"Buying then buying, no need to be so unhinged." He mumbled to himself while
fishing out his wallet. "Boss, give me two roasted sweet potatoes please."
The boss wrapped two sweet potatoes in a paper bag, and handed them over. Lastly,
he didn't forget to stress a few words, "Eating my sweet potatoes strengthens one's
body, causing cancer is just nonsense."
Jiang Chen looked surprised, then recovered with a smile, saying, "Sorry, just now I
was only trying to scare my girlfriend."
After receiving the piping hot sweet potatoes, I insisted on eating them while walking.
Jiang Chen said, "You want to eat them right now? Then stay away from me, I don't
want anyone to know that I know you."
As soon as I peeled the sweet potato off its skin, a whiff of delicious steam rushed
into my nose, while a mouthful of bite had my mouth exclusively filled with the
lingering, dense aroma of the sweet potato.
I lifted the sweet potato towards Jiang Chen's mouth, "It's so good, give it a try."
He evaded, and gave me a look, "I thought I already made it clear that I won't?"
"Just one bite." I persuaded him. "It's really good, if you won't try it now, you'll spend
the rest of your life regretting this decision, trust me."
He was unable to resist me, and was ultimately forced to take a bite, only that this
bite took a big chunk of my sweet potato.........I, this old mother, is truly regretting to
death.
The journey going home would roughly take only around 10 minutes at most, but
because I've also been eating sweet potatoes, we still haven't reached the
community gates though we've already been walking for over 20 minutes. Jiang Chen
was furious, saying, "You can go eat by yourself, when you're done, remember to go
home." Afterwards, he stormed home.
I finished eating the sweet potatoes downstairs wearing a contented, happy smile.
The entire time, on the third floor, Mrs. Huang's daughter was rolling on the ground,
saying "Mum, I want to eat her sweet potato."
My bad, my bad.
When I got home, Jiang Chen was watching a game. I pounced on him, then beat
him up "I allowed you to throw me aside then you ran off!"
He didn't avoid, nor dodge, laughing as he let me pinch him, and bite him, "In any
case you would definitely follow and catch up no matter what."
......
This feeling of being eaten up is what people call helplessness'.But what can I do?
Perhaps the so-called romance only has that kind of mood, the kind where there's no
other option but for the spirit to be strong but the flesh to be weak. The sweetness of
good fortune, and the sadness of bad fortune.
I was resting my head on Jiang Chen's lap, my fingers were caressing his chin. I
didn't think that his face which seems clean-shaven actually has stubble. It felt prickly
but it couldn't prick, making me feel like a kid once again when I secretly opened my
dad's toolbox, and felt the sandpaper my dad has used till it was worn.
Jiang Chen lowered his gaze from the TV down to my face, after looking at me
thoughtfully for a while, he said, "Lying down like this, your face looks very big."
......
I remember that there was a saying which goes, if a man likes a woman very much,
he can't help but want to bully her, looking at her crying face, he'd be able to get
some sort of inexplicable, sick satisfaction. From now on, I've decided to stick with
this saying throughout my life, without wavering, otherwise the coming days would
really be impossible to go by.
Chapter 45

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 45

youtiaoshutiao
The next day, I went to work as per normal, Jiang Chen went to accompany his
parents and Li Wei, in that time period he made a phone call to me, and said he was
in some garden looking at sculptures. The moment I heard the word sculptures', the
artist cells in my bones began to hoot and howl wildly, supposing that my artist cells
had mouths.
I asked Jiang Chen, what kind of sculptures were they? He said, humans, animals.
I then asked him, what materials were used then? He said, metals, plaster.
I asked him again, are the lines elegant then? He said they weren't straight lines.
I ultimately was left without choice, I could only tell him, then you tell me about a
sculpture which left the deepest impression on you. He said, there was a bronze
statue of Qu Yuan* with his head raised and chin facing the sky that left a very deep
impression on him, because the colours were very trippy. (T/N: Qu Yuan: a famous
statesman and poet from the Warring States (he lived around 300 years B.C), famous
for his patriotism and classical poetry, and for being really depressed and anxious
due to his concerns about his State (Chu). He famously is said to have committed
suicide in a river after hearing about the capture of the capital of Chu. We celebrate
his death anniversary every year (Dragon Boat Festival), where we race dragon
boats (a tradition originating from the act of searching for his body in boats) and eat
rice dumplings wrapped in leaves (which originated from the rice people threw into
the river back then as an offering to his body and to distract the fish from his body.)
The moment I heard that I was very excited, I questioned closely, asking in what way
were the colours trippy? He said the entire bronze statue was a golden copper colour,
but there was a circle of ash gray at Qu Yuan's raised chin.
I pondered for a moment, and explained to him that that was most likely to highlight
Qu Yuan's beard, in artistic expression, using something as a foil to another was a
very important type of technique. What you saw was an entire bronze statue of Qu
Yuan, perhaps that artist was actually using an entire bronze stature to highlight that
circle of white beard hairs, perhaps it was a symbol, to symbolise that the truth was
unafraid of time and hardships and so on.
Jiang Chen said, Chen Xiaoxi, you have allowed me to understand that art is really
connecting.
I said humbly, you're too kind, you're too kind.
He then said, artists really don't have it easy, in order to symbolise that theme you
said, he most likely thought of many methods, only then could he get the birds and
pigeons to perch on Qu Yuan's chin every day and poop.
......
You see, how difficult us artists have it, we even have to take care of the toileting
locations of birds and pigeons.
In the afternoon, we had a meeting that lasted the entire afternoon because of the
manhwa, the thing I hated most in this life was having meetings, not one of (the
things I hated) most'. I always felt that with a group of people sitting foolishly in a
circle, there at least ought to be a bonfire lit in the middle or something......
Our company never held meetings, really with only three people, Fu Pei also was
ashamed to say the two words "hold meeting", but the other company was different,
when we reached their conference room, we jumped in shock, there were a circle (of
people) densely packed and sitting round an oval table, seated sparsely surrounding
them were even some girls holding big black books, looking like secretaries.
The meeting was smelly and long, there was a whole mass of conversation about the
tentative plan for the manhwa, then after a long time (it turned out that) there was not
even a single member in this meeting who knew how to apply screentones, they were
merely doing it as a mere formality, in any case, it was all good as long as the
manhwa I drew in the end had a prop that was their company's reading machine.
After the meeting was over, Fu Pei took the initiative to suggest that he wanted to
upgrade the office equipment for me, he said that he was going to change my
computer, my scanner and my drawing boards and et cetera completely to the
newest ones. Even though when I drew comics, I was accustomed to first use pens
to draw, then scan it to the computer for colouring, with regards to the matter of
wasting company funds, I was still extremely passionate.
As it was almost time to get off work after the meeting was over, Fu Pei simply sent
me home.
I did not anticipate that I would meet an Wu Bosong leaning against the door,
smoking as he lowered his head at the entrance of my house, but there were too
many matters in the world that I hadn't anticipated, I too hadn't anticipated that
Obama would still be able to become the American President without my support.
Hearing footsteps, Wu Bosong raised his head, the moment he raised his head, I was
so shocked that I took two steps back. Just two or three days ago, (the Wu Bosong) I
saw was still radiant with happiness, how was it that all of a sudden, his facial hair
was stubbly and unkempt, and he was so dispirited and aged that he seemed like
dried radish that had been pickled.
I could roughly guess what had happened, I could only make an effort to pretend to
be calm as I said, "You've waited for very long, have you? Why didn't you call first?"
He said, "I did call, you didn't answer."
I fished out my phone, only then did I discover that I had turned it on silent mode
while having the meeting in the afternoon, I hurriedly explained, "I turned it on silent
mode and forgot to change it back."
Then I fished out my keys to open the door while greeting him, "Before you come in,
put out that cigarette, why do you appear to be so haggard?"
The moment Wu Bosong entered the door, he sat on the sofa motionless, I searched
out a teabag, made a cup of hot tea and stuffed it into his hands, then I used the
most intellectual, most understanding, least gossipy tone of voice to say, "What
happened to you? What happened?"
He fixated his gaze on the tea in his hands and said, "Ranran wants to break up with
me."
I bit my lip, took a deep breath and asked, "And?"
"And don't you know it all already?" He raised his head and looked at me, "What kind
of frame of mind did you use to look upon this relationship of mine? Enjoying the
show?"
I suppressed my anger and said, "If you must speak like this, I feel that I have no
need to listen."
"I'm sorry." He sighed, "It's not directed at you."
I waved my hands, "Then what do you intend to do following this?"
"I don't want to break up." He said, "Ranran said that person is already beginning to
have suspicions, she's very afraid that if he knows, he will do some things to me, you
know that person......"
I knew, plus with me being born as a normal citizen, my hands were tied.
We sunk into a period of silence, at last Wu Bosong's eyes lit up and he said, "I'll take
her with me and leave, we'll return to New Zealand."
I pointed out the most important point he had overlooked if Hu Ranran would leave
with him.
He said, "Why won't she leave with me?"
I said, "Because her home is here, her parents are here, she doesn't dare to be
certain that after she leaves with you, the people in her family won't as a result meet
with some terrible things."
The light in Wu Bosong's eyes slowly dimmed, "I can't even protect my own girlfriend,
am I very useless......"
I really didn't know how to comfort him, that set of silly talk that I normally used to
deal with Jiang Chen also seemed to be not very suitable, you think about it, if at this
time I said that actually you too aren't very useless, at least you can speak English
and so on, I felt like he could possibly splash the hot tea in his hands at me.
The scene sank into him incessantly repenting and lamenting remorsefully, with me
incessantly repeating that no, no, you're thinking too much. And the most sorrowful
thing was that, we both knew that this sort of conversation wouldn't help the situation
at all, but the only thing we could do was to repeat ourselves like this.
When Jiang Chen came in, he saw two people sitting in the living room lost in thought
with lifeless eyes. After he finished greeting Wu Bosong, he walked over, patted my
head and said, "Why didn't you answer the phone? Have you eaten?"
Only then did I realise that the two of us had sat opposite each other wordlessly for
an hour or two, yet we still hadn't thought of a way to resolve the matter at all.
Wu Bosong stood up and said that he was going to go back, Jiang Chen clapped his
shoulder and said, let's go, let's go eat first, leave after we're done eating.
We ate at the Sichuan cuisine restaurant downstairs, Jiang Chen had already
accompanied his parents and had eaten, I ordered a basin of pickled vegetables with
fish, Wu Bosong ordered a dozen beers, Jiang Chen and I both accompanied him to
drink, because at this moment, the only thing left that we could help him with was
most likely accompaniment.
After two glasses went down into his stomach, Wu Bosong began to say dishearted
words of wanting to give up, he even began saying words about how actually, he also
didn't really love Hu Ranran that much, and Hu Ranran was also not considered to be
a good woman and so on.
Our hearts were filled with indignation, yet we had no words to reply him with, so
again we could only accompany him and continue to force ourselves to drink alcohol,
Jiang Chen's stomach wasn't good, I didn't let him drink a lot, Wu Bosong was busy
talking long-windedly and also didn't drink much alcohol, hence the result was that I
somehow unfathomably drank till there were two Jiang Chens and two Wu Bosongs
appearing in front of my eyes.
But my consciousness was actually very clear, it was just my movements that were a
little sluggish, I supported myself by holding on to Jiang Chen's shoulder, and passed
the greater part of my weight onto his body, then closed my eyes and listened to their
conversation.
Jiang Chen told Wu Bosong, I know you will still find people to love, but they all won't
be this one. I don't know if you can live your days like that. I've tried it before, and I
can't, that sort of feeling is very strange, I don't know how to describe it to you. There
won't be any sort of heart-tearing and lung-cracking pain, but there will be discomfort.
In medicine, we have a formulation called Numerical Rating Scale for pain, namely
NRS, if you divide pain onto a scale from 0 to 10, a total of 11 numbers, with 10 being
the most acute and severe pain, and 0 being no pain, that sort of discomfort is
probably only a zero point something (rating) of discomfort, but it is classified as
chronic pain, it will remind you of its existence at all times.
Wu Bosong scowled and said, can you draw an analogy that I can understand?
I wanted to nod my head with all my might and say, Wu Bosong, we truly are close
confidants, this matter of conversations ascending into a professional perspective
was truly very perplexing.
Jiang Chen supported my head that was lying askew on his arm, only then did he
say, "It's roughly as if you are always wearing a pullover sweater backwards, you'll
always feel faintly uncomfortable, and feel that your neck is strapped unbearably
tight, while this sort of discomfort is negligible, but you just are unable to ignore it."
This was the first time I heard Jiang Chen talk about his feelings so concretely, even
though his analogies be it his analogy of the pain rating scale or his analogy of the
pullover sweater were all considerably unknown*, but I still felt very moved. My clear
consciousness wanted to express how moved I was to him, but my body that had
been numbed by alcohol clearly was not prepared to support it, because every word
that was spat out from my mouth was only indistinct murmuring of a drunkard, and
my action of wanting to hug him lastly also merely evolved into me lying paralysed on
his body in a drunken state, blowing alcoholic breaths. (T/N: the original term is ' (cold
door), which kind of refers to sleepers/neglected things. E.g., if you call a university
course cold door', it means not many people choose to study it/know about it; or if
you call a film , it's a very niche film with not many people choosing to watch it.)
Afterwards, Wu Bosong said a nonsense statement, and Jiang Chen too parroted
that nonsense statement. That nonsense statement was, "Xiaoxi is drunk."
Xiaoxi, aka me, had her body drunk but her mind was not drunk, as a matter of fact, I
was still looking at this world with abnormal clarity, it was just that they all didn't know.
After exiting the restaurant entrance, Wu Bosong said he was going to leave, then he
left, his shadow rustling as it was lengthened and shortened by the streetlights. I'm
really sorry friend, I can't help you much.
Jiang Chen crouched in front of me, and pulled at my hand, making me lie on his
back. He said, little drunkard, I'll piggyback you back. He used such soft intonation,
I've really never heard it before.
The journey back home wasn't long, Jiang Chen walked very slowly and steadily. I
pulled at his hair, bit at his neck, he only laughed as he propped me and jolted me up
for fear that I would slide downwards. I used my index finger to poke at his dimple
that came out when he laughed, then I changed fingers and used my middle finger to
poke it, then I changed to my ring finger, then my pinky, then my thumb, he didn't
dodge or duck out of the way, he only laughed till his dimple deepened further.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER
Amy | Dolly | Xri
Translator's Corner:
My favourite chapterrr!!! I love Jiang Chen's analogies here, which the drama totally
glossed over in one sentence sobbles ;-; Thanks Xri for letting me translate this
chapter hehe!!
Chapter 46

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 46

Xri
The wind along the way somewhat blew away a little of my drunkenness. When I was
back home, I could clearly speak out these words which carries joy, "Oh, we're
home."
But I'm guessing Jiang Chen was very delighted about my drunkenness because it
was as if he got a new toy, the excitement was clearly shown on his face. He carefully
rested me on the sofa, then squatted down before me, and asked, "Chen Xiaoxi are
you drunk?"
"Yeah~" I was being cooperative.
"Do you know who I am?"
"I know~"
"Who am I?"
"Boyfriend~"
He laughed and pinched my cheeks, "What is your boyfriend's name?"
"Jiang Chen~"
He said, "Can you not add "ya" to your words?"
(T/N: Starting from xx's "yeah" she had been ending her answers with "ya" which, I
am really not sure how to change it to English, but basically, it's just like a slang that
you add while trying to act coquettishly. Refer to Episode 23 please HAHAHA.)
"I can~"
He laughed and came forward for a kiss, stayed in contact with my lips and said, "Do
you know what you are saying?"
"I know~"
He laughed loudly this time. I believe he is somewhat drunk too, or else why didn't he
realise how stupid this conversation is?
Jiang Chen asked me afterwards, "Do you want to sleep?"
"I don't want to~"
"If you're not tired then sit here with me for a while."
"Okay~"
Jiang Chen was sitting on the floor with his head resting on my lap, he said, "You are
so obedient when you are drunk."
I said, "Yes~"
He laughed again.
He said, "Chen Xiaoxi, if I were to take advantage and propose to you while you are
drunk, would it seem like I'm very despicable, and taking advantage while you are
vulnerable?"
I already said before, I am a very sober drunkard. So I know I've been waiting for his
proposal for a long time secretly in my heart. My mum said before, the highest praise
a man can give a woman is a proposal. Alright, this was not said by my mum, I forgot
who said it, I'm drunk, don't have too much unnecessary expectation from me.
I suppressed my nausea from being panicky, or maybe it's just nausea from drinking
too much. I said, "I won't~"
He nodded, "Oh."
I rubbed my ears, looking forward to his next sentence.
Nothing, he didn't say a thing. Jiang Chen yawned and leaned on my knees, eyes
closed.
I blinked my eyes that were blurry due to the alcohol, not understanding anything. In
my settings, at this moment, Jiang Chen should be making use of this perfect
opportunity and propose to me. Then I will raise up my noble forehead and tell him I'll
consider. Then he will say, "What is there to consider, you are drunk, just accept
fast." Then I'll say alright. Then all this looks a bit reserved but it's all caused by the
alcohol.
I find that Jiang Chen's actions did not match the context of the first half of the
conversation. I hiccupped, smacked on his face and said, "Propose~"
He opened his eyes and looked at me, "You?"
"Ya~"
"Alright, I agree." He said.
......
I felt an exceptional anger. In this conversation, the subject and object were mixed up
and although my mind was clear, but there was still an alcohol influx and I couldn't
understand anything. So I grabbed onto a bit of his hair and said, "I don't understand,
I don't understand~"
He smacked my hand away and stood up, sat on the coffee table that was infront of
the sofa. His face came really close to me, so close until I could only see mini me in
the reflection of his pupil.
He said, "Chen Xiaoxi, you just proposed to me, I only agreed because it was you, do
you understand?"
I suddenly see the light, "I understand~"
He flashed a brilliant smile, "Are you happy?"
"Happy~" I followed his smile.
He praised me by patting on my cheeks, "So clever."
I had a feeling that something was not right, but ever since the kindergarten teacher
who taught me to draw a flower retired, I had never received such an earnest and
sincere praise, so I was even happier.
The next day when I woke up, I thought about what happened last night when
suppressing the headache from my hangover. I turned my head to see the Jiang
Chen who was sleeping so soundly. I stretched out my finger to outline his silhouette.
While someone is sleeping, you are more likely to see the boyish side of him. The
boyish image seemed so appropriate on Jiang Chen's sleeping face. I couldn't help
but sigh, he is so handsome and lovely, but why does he have to be crazy and cruel
and merciless while deceiving the foolish me?
I bought back breakfast and saw Jiang Chen watching the morning news on the sofa,
he indifferently took a glance at me and said, "I thought you escaped marriage."
I acted as thought I didn't understand, I waved the breakfast in my hand and said,
"Breakfast."
He threw the remote control aside, lied on the sofa and said joyfully, "Chen Xiaoxi you
proposed to me last night, don't act dumb."
I glared at him, didn't make a sound with my sunken face.
He laughed and said, "I saw your household registration booklet in your drawer, mine
is with me too, why not we both take an hour off, we'll be the first couple at the civil
affairs bureau, and open up the day for them?"
I said with a poker face, "What are you talking about? Time to eat breakfast."
He didn't give up, "Don't act as thought nothing happened, I know you remember."
Know your head.
You don't know that a proposal is one of the most important event of my life. You don't
know that in my mind I imagined music and fresh flowers and marriage proposal on
bended knee and tears. You don't know I have been portraying every expression,
action, tone, and words in my heart. I don't know no matter how much I fantasize, no
matter how the proposal will happen, a proposal should be done by you, from you.
Thinking back on this journey with him, I've always been the one who is trying hard to
chase him. Barely a few people around us approved of me and him, they have
always been saying things like, "It's easy for girls to chase boys"*. As though he just
accepted me conveniently. Actually, it was not, they do not know how much effort I
put on him. In order not to miss going to school with him, I waited for him at 6 in the
morning. In order to attend the same university as him, I strived hard to improve on
my drawings. My bed was filled with sketches. In order to be with him, I acted as
though I didn't understand the look in his mother's eyes when she was looking down
on me. (T/N: In Chinese, there's a saying () which means for girls to chase boys is
like a distance of a yarn, but for boys to chase girls is like a distance of a mountain.
It's easier for girls to chase boys, but difficult for boys to chase girls.)
However, he didn't even want to give me the proposal that makes me feel cherished
and wanted.
The more I thought of it the more grievances I felt. Warm teardrops cascaded down
my cheeks.
Jiang Chen seemed to have gotten a shock, he pushed himself up off the sofa with
one hand and jumped over the sofa backrest, ran to my side and hugged me. "Why?
What happened?"
I avoided his hands that were trying to wipe my tears, I pushed him away, "I won't
marry you, I'm not marrying."
He frowned, "What happened?"
I opened my mouth but didn't know what to say. I could only cry. I still remember
Jiang Chen's sweater analogy, I believe he loves me, but I couldn't explain to him the
sudden frantic feeling I was experiencing, I was scared, scared because I was the
one who said I like him first, so I have to be the first to initiate in everything. I was
scared, scared because I was the first one to take that step, so he would think by
right every first step should be taken by me. I was scared, scared that I love him
much more than he loves me.
He tried to pull me into his arms again, I shook my head and took a few steps
backward, till my back hit the door.
Jiang Chen seemed as though he was trying to restraint something and took a deep
breath, "Are you like this because of my mother? You don't have to worry about her, I
already told her clearly. She's like that, like a thunder that roars but little rain falls. She
won't be able to change my mind. Furthermore, we won't be staying with her after
marriage, it will get better after a while."
The thing that I was worried about the most suddenly became the thing I was least
worried about. I am angry and sad, I couldn't care less who your mother wants you to
marry.... Alright, I won't care for now who your mum wants you to marry....
When someone is sad, it is easy to end up in a dead end. I looked at Jiang Chen's
frowny face and know he must have started to hate me. He must be thinking I'm
ridiculous, he must be wanting to break up. Not sure who said this, but a woman
bringing up break up a hundred times can never rival to a man bringing it up once.
Although there is a suspicion that this was said to belittle woman's EQ, but Jiang
Chen doesn't want me anymore.....
After being aware of this point, I realized that whoever proposed was no longer
important. Life really changes in a flash. Sometimes the thing you thought was
important, suddenly wasn't as important anymore.
I felt giddy like the sky was spinning, I leaned on the door and slowly slid down, I
said, "I don't want to break up.... don't be angry....."
Jiang Chen squatted down along with me, he seemed puzzled and asked me
nonstop, "What happened, what happened?"
"My head hurts," was the last sentence I said before I lost consciousness. If I knew I
would faint after saying that, I would have changed it to something else. Like, "Let's
get married", "I will marry you", "I am really proposing to you right now."
Too bad there isn't any if', there isn't if only I knew', there isn't starting over', there isn't
going back in time'. The logic behind human's choice of words is so strange, we
always use these words that are of no help, as though it would bring anyone comfort.
Chapter 47

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 47

dolly
When I woke up in the hospital, I subconsciously looked around the sides of the bed I
was lying on, and was terribly disappointed to find out that there was no such scene
wherein the male lead would rest his head on the woman's bed, as he ended up
sleeping from being so tired which is often shown on TV dramas. Hence, I just kept
on turning my head in all directions, trying to look for my phone I didn't find it, and
instead felt a little dizzy from swaying my head a couple of times.
I wanted to lift my hand to massage my temples, but as soon as I lifted it, I felt a dull
ache on the back of my hand. Putting it right before my eyes to assess it, I've noticed
that there were bluish green pin pricks on it. It seems that I have been treated with
needles, but I don't understand what for. I didn't want to rule out Jiang Chen's disdain
for me, and the probability of him bringing me here to undergo acupuncture treatment
as an opportunity for him to execute his revenge.
Around five minutes later, as I was still trying to overcome the kind of dizziness akin
to barely waking up, the door was pushed open, a familiar-looking nurse came in, and
said, "Doctor Jiang's girlfriend, are you already awake?"
I wanted to open my eyes, if it wasn't for that mishap, it would not seem as though I
have just woken up, so I nodded my head a little, and very cooperatively said, "Just
woke up."
"Doctor Jiang went to a meeting. He asked me to come here and watch over you."
She explained.
"What's wrong with me?"
"Low blood sugar, pregnant."
"..........." My three hun left my seven po right on the spot, trembling, I asked her,
"Wh.......What?"
(T/N: In Daoism, they believe that the human soul is made up of many different
souls/spirits the three hun and seven po, hun being the heavenly (and more spiritual)
souls of the human being that leave the body upon death, as distinguished from po,
the earthly (and more material) souls. Separation of the two different kinds of soul
brings death.)
"Low blood sugar! Pregnant!" She replied with her voice slightly raised.
I was having mixed feelings, I just had a fight with Jiang Chen, but as soon as he
turned around, I've already conceived his child, my tummy seems to be too
disappointing......."
"Hey, you're going to be a mother, cheer up." The nurse said, then added, "Give me a
smile."
I was still having mixed emotions, there was no time to show her a smile, "Help me
call Jiang Chen to come over right now, I have something to talk with him."
She looked very reluctant, "You have to smile first to show that you are happy, after
that I'll go out to call Doctor Jiang for you."
I searched her face suspiciously, say jie jie, I think you're acting weird.
She looked a little bit guilty, after forcing out two hollow laughs, she suddenly bolted
for the door, shouting, "Doctor Su, come inside!"
The door was pushed open, the humour expert', Doctor Su walked inside in a
leisurely manner, using the kind of voice of hating the iron for not becoming steel, she
lectured the little nurse, "You're truly very useless, this matter you can't even handle
properly."
She greeted me with a smile, "Hi Xiaoxi, actually, you only have low blood sugar and
a hangover, also a slight cold. But we made a bet just a minute ago, say if we trick
you and tell you that you were pregnant, will you cry or smile? She bet on you
smiling, I bet on you crying, in the end, you neither cried nor smiled, so boring."
Aha, why am I neither sad, nor happy, and not even surprised at Doctor Su's actions?
"I was just joking, you're not mad are you?" Doctor Su said, "Or are you very
disappointed now? Do you want to cry?"
I was rubbing the bruises on the back of my hand, and said, "What did you guys bet?"
"10 shifts." Doctor Su said.
"You're a doctor, she's a nurse, how are you going to relieve the other from duty?" I
asked.
Doctor Su's reply was clear and simple, "Her boyfriend is a doctor here."
I thought about it for a while, mumbling under my breath, afterwards grinning from ear
to ear I said, "Half and half?"
"Deal." Doctor Su replied hurriedly in a manner of someone competing in a game
show.
The little nurse looked at us cluelessly, there was a pile of question marks on her
forehead.
I cleared my throat, then snuck my hand under the quilt to pinch my thigh, after two
seconds, I said, with tears streaming down my cheeks, "I.........I cried.........."
When the little nurse came to realise what transpired, she stomped her feet,
complaining, "You guys are.......working hand in glove! I curse you both.........to be in
low blood sugar!"
I wiped my tears dry, feeling very proud of myself, my few drops of tears were
exchanged for Jiang Chen being relieved from 5 shifts of duty. I'm truly a virtuous wife
and a good mother.
The little nurse kept on harping that her boyfriend would kill her, she then left the
room wailing endlessly.
"Since it's just low blood sugar, then when will I be discharged?" I asked, interrupting
Doctor Su who was in high spirits as she eagerly count the days where she would not
be on duty.
She said, "This, I don't know, just wait for Doctor Jiang to tell you when he comes
back."
"En." I nodded, I was thinking that staying inside the hospital just because of low
blood sugar is a bit ridiculous.
I didn't see Jiang Chen even until noon, I wondered why his meeting was taking so
long. Doctor Su bought lunch and ate together with me inside the room but the taste
was lacking. Moreover, just as in the past, she kept on bombarding me with her
logically strange jokes. I had a really tough meal.
Just after we've finished eating our lunch, Wu Bosong surprisingly came to visit me.
He said he phoned me early in the morning, but Jiang Chen was the one who
answered it, he told him I fainted due to low blood sugar and got admitted to the
hospital. Wu Bosong told him he's going to come visit me. He also didn't fail to mock
me for being hospitalized just because of low blood sugar.
His smile was a little wan, and when he spoke, he kept on dodging my gaze. My
heart felt like it was slowly sinking, in the end, I wasn't able to bear it, and asked him,
"What really happened?"
"Hu Ran Ran left, and that man went on a vacation abroad." He said.
"Wait for her to come back." I said. "Or perhaps, try to look for her."
He shook his head, then said, "I can't, I applied for a transfer back to New Zealand.
The truth is, the general headquarters has always wanted me to move back, I just
didn't agree to them before."
"But now you do?"
"Yes, I'm already leaving the day after tomorrow."
"So you're here to say goodbye?"
"Yes, this time I'm leaving together with the head, so I don't know when we can see
each other again?" He offered a reluctant smile.
I casted him a look of disdain, "Foreign devil, don't learn from others to speak in such
a genteel way."
Then we both feigned to be amused by the other.
We faced each other silently for a while, I finally couldn't hold back myself from
saying, "Do you not remember what you've once told me? If love couldn't conquer all,
then how could you call it love?"
He heaved a sigh, "Then the thing with Ran Ran isn't called love, I mulled over Jiang
Chen's words the entire night. Towards Ran Ran, I think I don't have that sort of
feeling that I couldn't just live without. In fact, I've never had such feelings towards
anyone. I am like this. If loving someone is difficult, then I just wouldn't love. I don't
feel regretful about it."
I was suddenly reminded of the phrase incapable of love'
Something flitted across his eyes, but he quickly dropped his gaze to cover up its
tracks, and in a self-deprecating manner, he said, "You must have not known about
this, I liked you back in high school, but I've never thought of staying here for you."
I was so surprised that my mouth was opened wide enough for me to stick my whole
fist inside.
Wu Bosong patted my head, saying, "Look at you getting so scared, I was just joking
with you. You're not going to send me off tomorrow, and you're not going to
encourage Hu Ran Ran to chase after me in New Zealand, or reenact whatever
stupid drama scenes there are. I prefer feelings that aren't complicated."
........
It wasn't funny.
I originally wanted to swear at him through gritted teeth, "Wu Bosong, you are not a
f*cking man!"
But I pondered over it again, from the perspective of the field of biology, it says that
the matter about him being a man or not would depend on the existence of both X
and Y chromosomes, and what I've said would not be regarded as true, hence I just
didn't comment on it. Besides, Wu Bosong is my friend, Hu Ran Ran is not, so I'm
siding with him.
In the end, I told him, "Once you go back, and regret it, then by all means don't ever
come back just because you can't lose face."
He bent his body and lightly hugged me, saying, "When you're going to get married,
remember to send me a wedding invitation."
I leaned over the window to watch Wu Bosong downstairs as he gradually walked out
of my sight. The last time I sent him off, we didn't see each other for 8 years. I don't
know how long it will take this time. Maybe some friendships are like this, keeping the
other company as we go on our own journey, then separating from the other, and
then remembering them with longing.
I laid back in bed and gazed at the ceiling. I then felt a sudden desperation of wanting
to see Jiang Chen so I crawled out of bed to look for him.
I was running in circles inside the hospital. I went to his office but I still wasn't able to
find him. I suddenly felt scared. Such a small hospital yet I couldn't find him. I was
then reminded of what Jiang Chen had once randomly told me, he said, "Chen
Xiaoxi, the world is not as small as the toilet in your house, to have found you was
already very difficult for me."
At that time, I was only thinking that he was just boasting shamelessly, even though
my toilet is not big, but I clearly found him first.
Speaking of toilets, I need to drop by on one.
Often in many stories, an impending doom would always have some sort of omen
perhaps the blue sky would turn into something strange, perhaps the birds would let
out shrill cries, perhaps there would be thunder and lightning, or......in other words,
just anything out of the ordinary. As a matter of fact, if you really want to insist on
interrelating things, take notice of anything unusual from the day to day happenings.
For instance, as I am speaking right now, I'm already looking at two ants that were
crawling at an abnormally fast rate on the tiles of the toilet
When I was about to open the cubicle's door to go out, I heard a voice from outside,
so I quickly took back my hand. There's something wrong with me, I don't like
bumping into people inside the toilet, I feel awkward. After all, the toilet isn't exactly
the most convenient place for friendly meetings. The Chinese people's most loved
form of greeting of have you eaten?' could also make one's imagination roam easily
when said in here.........
Hence, I just waited inside the tiny cubicle, foolishly watching those two ants crawling
at such a fast rate. I'm suspecting that one is male, the other, female, and they're in
the middle of eloping.
The person outside seems to be in a phone call, I couldn't hear their voice clearly as
it was drowned by the sound of the running tap, but the voice sounded familiar, it
sounded kind of like Doctor Su who has been bombarding me nonstop today.
After around ten seconds, the sound of the running tap suddenly stopped, then I
heard her say, "Old Man Su, the procedures for Su Rui to go abroad must be finished
quickly yet you're not doing it. Now what? Basing on Su Rui's eccentric temperament,
he'd jump down from a building for sure."
I automatically felt like bile was coming up my chest. After all, when it comes to
eccentric temperament, Old Man Su and Doctor Su' state of oddness leads far ahead
of China's diving team and China's table tennis team in the international arena.
Then I started wondering why Su Rui would want to jump off from a building, could it
be that his feelings towards me were as deep as the sea, and is unable to forget
about me for a very long time? Being charming and such is really troublesome........
Her next words satisfied my shameless conjectures, she said, "You know how Su Rui
likes Xiaoxi so much, he has been making a ruckus in wanting to look for her to play."
My face was flushed red as I looked at the pair of ants which has already been
crawling on the door.
"We can't let him know." She said in her next sentence, then softly sighed, "Xiaoxi's
condition has been stabilized for the time being, but I'm afraid it's going to turn for the
worst."
It seems as though the power wire has been cut off, the incandescent light which has
brightened the entire room was extinguished in the blink of an eye, there was infinite
darkness. The darkness was right before my eyes, my feet felt like it was treading on
cotton, so soft that it made me want to slide down the floor and lie down. Fortunately,
I was able to hold unto the door to steady myself. The noise from my movements
must have interrupted Doctor Su's conversation. She paused for a moment and
asked, "Is anyone there all right?"
I took a deep breath, then cupping my mouth with my hand, I replied in a low voice,
"All right."
She let out an "oh", then continued on with her phone call, "You must not let him know
by all means. To sum it up, you have to hurry up, and send him abroad to study for a
couple of years. When he comes back, he would have already forgotten about it.
Also, don't send him to France, see which country's visa is the easiest to
process........eh, Old Man Su, in the end, is your head* old or flaky? Are you not
capable of using a part of your brain? The UK visa is not easy to process........"
(T/N: It's a play on words, Old Man Su is Su laotou in Chinese, the character Su
means flaky, lao means old, and tou means head)
Her voice and the sound of her footsteps gradually drifted away, my hand that has
been holding unto the door was shaking violently, when I took it back, I noticed that
two tiny black dots were pressed unto my palm those little ants just a moment ago
had died tragically in my hand.
This is life, and one of its many definitions is impermanence.
The topic of life and death, even though I've seen it a thousand times, ten thousand
times in television and novels, I've never really thought about how it would also come
to me one day. I've only been thinking about how I would slowly observe mine and
Jiang Chen's face, witnessing our first wrinkle when it appears, then the second one,
then the third one, until we could no longer count them, and then we would taunt
each other as the years have woven its net on both of our faces.
But fate is like this, it would stand in front of you, blocking your way, then it would
deliver a kick right to your nose, and you could only wipe the blood coming down from
it with the back of your hand, as you walk forward with clenched teeth.
Chapter 48

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 48

April 20, 2018Xri
I sat on the edge of the bed with my eyes closed. Fear, being at a loss, helpless,
death, these words which are classified as negative terms in the dictionary are like
malevolent monsters, wanting to devour me with their claws and sharp teeth.
I have no idea how long I was sitting there blankly for. After an earth-shattering fear, I
unexpectedly began to calm down. It's no big deal, the most would be for me to get
injections and take medication, if not I would just go to that better place and use
decades to wait for Jiang Chen's arrival.
In the midst of silence came a cracking sound from opening the door, "Doctor Jiang's
girlfriend, where did you go? I couldn't find you anywhere."
I opened my eyes, she was the nurse that got fooled by me and Doctor Su earlier on.
She was already in front of me, waving her hand before me, "Are you alright? Why do
you look so pale?"
I shook my head, "Why were you looking for me?"
She stuttered, "To... to change room for you."
"Why do I have to change rooms?" I asked puzzled.
She stuttered even more now, "Uh... I also don't know... Doctor Jiang... said to
change."
I didn't want to make things difficult for her, so I nodded and agreed, "Let's go."
She led me through a long corridor while peeking at me with a weird expression
throughout. I wanted to ask her for a few times but I didn't. I guess I needed Jiang
Cheng to tell me, needed him to tell me, I need him.
I'm very selfish. I'm not like those brave female leads whom upon hearing that they
have gotten ill, they would find some excuses to break up and escape somewhere to
get treatment. I want to live my life with Jiang Chen. I need him to face everything
with me, and I believe he can face everything with me. If he can't, then I won't.
The nurse led me to the last door of the corridor, the door was closed, and she didn't
open the door. She only gave the door a few knocks and pushed me to the front, "Go
in."
I opened the door confused. Jiang Chen was standing in between two beds, holding
onto a big cardboard box. His posture was a little like an assassin in a period drama
who was presenting a head to the emperor.
I didn't move, Jiang Chen was looking at me with his gentle looking eyes, "Chen
Xiaoxi."
"Mm?" I choked out, I only wanted to run to him now and cry.
He smiled a deep dimple, "Will you marry me?"
I blinked, and tears fell. I didn't expect him to propose, because according to my
limited general knowledge, no one will hug a cardboard box to propose. Even if there
is, the cardboard box won't have the words single-use syringe'.
I don't even know what reaction to give to such a casual proposal, but my tears were
smarter than me and they kept flowing.
"They said you were crying because I didn't propose." He said while holding onto the
box.
I wiped my tears away, "Who said?"
"By the woman's rights supporters whose leader is Doctor Su."
"But I'm sick," I said.
He frowned, "So? Don't digress, lets settle this proposal first."
"What if I die?" I asked softly, "It's easy to die from sickness."
"Stop spouting nonsense!" He suddenly said with increased volume, I backed away a
few steps from shock.
Jiang Chen heaved a long sigh and placed the box on the bed. He stood straight in
front of me then bent his back to look straight into my eyes, "Even if that's the case, it
doesn't matter. We found something that many people could not find love."
I pushed away his face that was so near, "Since when are you so good in saying
these things?"
He laughed and hold onto my hands, "They taught me that you have to say such
things while proposing."
I continued wiping away my tears, "But I'm scared."
"There's me, what's there to be scared of?" Jiang Chen pulled away the arm I was
using to rub my eyes, "Alright, if you continue rubbing, your eyeballs will be rubbed
off."
Between me and Jiang Chen, it's as though there is a belief in us. He said that there
isn't anything to be afraid of, and I will feel like there really isn't anything to be afraid
of. It was just that I imagined a little on what he said and thought that if my eye balls
were rubbed out then it would be really scary.
He held onto both my hands with one hand and checked the watch on the other, "Can
you say yes quickly because I have a surgery later."
My problem of not being able to be hastened I believe is not of new news to you. So,
the moment he rushed me, I nodded my head and said, "Oh okay, you should quickly
take out the ring."
He turned back to carry the single-use syringe' box before me. He said, "Open it."
I hesitated and said, "If you didn't buy the ring then forget it, don't use needle to
shape it into a ring for me, I don't appreciate this kind of gory romance."
He glared at me, I obediently tore off the tape on the cardboard box.
The moment the box opened, three milky white palm (hand) shaped balloons floated
up slowly. Every balloon is about the size of a brain, all of which had 5 fingers sticking
out. It looked as weird as it seems. The long string that was attached to it came with
a piece of paper that was rolled up and a ring.
I was a little taken aback. The balloons hit the ceiling and stopped. All that was left is
the string that was tied to the paper and ring, swaying between me and Jiang Chen.
Although my heart really wanted to remove that ring first, I didn't want to make it
seem like I was too materialistic, so I removed the paper first.
I opened to see but it was just pages of medical prescription list. I flipped over, but it
was blank. I looked at Jiang Chen not understanding, "It's blank?"
He said, "If not?"
I'm angry, "If you didn't write anything why did you tie it up?"
"To maintain the balance, if not, the balloons will float up too quickly," he laughed,
with a look of a successful prank.
......
Afterwards, Jiang Chen removed the ring and put it on my finger. It was a simple,
wavy platinum ring, with three small diamonds in the middle.
After wearing the ring, I looked at him, he looked at me, and I suddenly felt shy,
therefore, I gave him a push and said, "Don't you have surgery?"
He shook his head, "I lied to you, you couldn't be rushed."
"Oh." I looked down and played with the ring on my left hand's ring finger, apparently
there's a nerve there that connects straight to the heart, "When did you prepare all
these?"
"This morning," he pulled me to the bed for a rest, and kept me in his embrace, "I'm
so tired from it, having to buy a ring and to make things romantic."
I swallowed my urged to say "You call this romantic?", and pointed to the three
odd-shaped balloons on the ceiling, "Where did you get these balloons?"
Actually, I wanted to ask, "Where did you get such ugly balloons?" But because I'm
currently ill, I have to gather more good karma, so I omitted a few decorative
vocabularies. I guess he if could find such an ugly balloon in this world that is filled
with beautiful things, then it is also very remarkable.
Jiang Chen said, "Where do I have the time to buy balloons? I had a meeting in the
morning followed by outpatient consultation, I could only squeeze in some time in the
afternoon to go out to get the ring. Just nice I saw Nurse Lee on the way back, she's
the one who brought you here. She kept insisting that every girl looks forward to a
romantic proposal. I thought for half a day, I could only think of taking a few gloves
and injected helium in them."
I listened to him and thought, oh, what convenience. Only after a few seconds did I
realized oh my god, what is injected harmful air in them?" (T/N: helium, aka (hai qi) in
Chinese, sounds exactly like harmful air, aka (hai qi))
So I asked him, "What kind of air is harmful air? Why didn't you use non-harmful air?
Also, how did the balloons float?"
He seemed really speechless (T/N: same me too). "Chen Xiaoxi were you sleeping
through the entire chemistry lesson in high school? Helium is a type of noble gas that
is less dense than the air in the atmosphere." He said and held onto my palm and
drew and said, "the top is the word from (air). At the bottom is from . Not the from
(scared)."
After his explanation the more I felt oh my god, what is "injected helium in them?"
Helium sounds so powerful...
I looked at the three fat palms on the ceiling, "Student Jiang Chen, can you not use
such a cold tone to introduce such an extraordinary gas? Furthermore, where did you
find helium gas?"
"The hospital's MRI facilities require helium." He said.
I "oh" and am not going to continue asking. Because I once said before, when our
conversation becomes professional, I don't understand.
Jiang Cheng yawned and said, "I'll sleep for a while, wake me up at 2PM to work."
The afternoon sunlight shone through the blinds, onto his face. The dried tears on my
face was making it a little itchy, so I buried my face into his arms and rubbed twice.
He shifted his body and circled me tightly in his arms, "Stop it, I already fell asleep."
Of course, he didn't "fell asleep". Of course, I had many questions to ask him, but I
chose to respect his decision and coop up in his arms silently, because I wasn't sure
how many more chances I have to listen to him obediently.
I soon fell asleep, and soon after I was woken up by Jiang Chen. His face was
enlarged a lot because he was so close, I could even see the ' shape between his
brows and the little hairs there. (T/N: the lines between his eyebrows.)
"What did you dream of? Are you in pain? Why are you crying?" He asked.
"Nothing," I said and realized my voice was very hoarse. I reached for my face and
found out that there were tears, so I found some excuse and said, "I dreamt of the
proposal."
I really don't remember what I dreamt of, all I know was I was choked with sorrow to
the point that I couldn't speak.
Jiang Chen sighed and wiped my tears, "Why didn't I find out in the past that you are
such a crybaby? You cried when I didn't propose, you cried when I proposed. What
do you want?"
I don't want anything, I just want to be healthy, to accompany him til he no longer has
a handsome look.
Chapter 49

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 49

youtiaoshutiao
CHAPTER 49
After Jiang Chen was done wiping away my tears, he helplessly looked at the large
shoal of tear traces on the front lapel of his own clothes, "Chen Xiaoxi, are you born
in the year of the water tap?"
I sniffled as I replied, "There's no water tap in the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals."
It appeared that he had already been worn down by me till he had no temper, he
forced a laugh and said, "You just stay in this ward and rest, I've already helped you
apply for leave, I have to go to work, I'll come over and find you when I get off work."
As he was exiting, he even pulled that three latex glove balloons on the ceiling out
with a sour face, his explanation was, "I have to get rid of it, it won't be good if other
people see them." I even heard him mumble to himself in a low voice, "Romantic,
what's so great about being romantic."
I still slept intermittently throughout the afternoon, I had many dreams, including
those type of dreams where I would wake up in tears. But there was one that was
especially terrifying, because I couldn't remember it already, (a dream) which you
couldn't remember surely was the most terrifying, because your memory
automatically covered it up.
Here, I have to mention something, Doctor Su came to see me as I was midway
through my sleep, she came in very hurriedly, as if she had a ghost chasing after her
from behind.
"Hurry up and listen to my voice," she said.
I sprung up from the bed, her voice was sharp and thin, like the dubbing of an evil
woman in an animated film.
"Hahaha, how fascinating is my voice," she said, "Just a moment ago, I used a
needle to puncture Jiang Chen's glove balloons, I especially like to experience the
feeling of the stream of air blowing into my nostrils from the needle-sized hole, I didn't
expect that Jiang Chen had pumped helium gas into them, hahahaha."
Even though I too felt like her voice was very hilarious, but I still didn't understand,
"Why would your voice become like this?"
"When humans suck in helium gas, their voices will become high pitched, because
the medium by which the sound is propagated changes, and the frequency at which
the sound vibrates at has also changed, hahaha, my voice is really funny." She
herself split her sides laughing as she explained, "Aiyo, I'm about to die from
laughter, I ran over here specially to share this with you for you to listen, I treat you
so well, hahahaha......"
The corner of my mouth twitched, "Yeah, thank you."
Even long after she left, her sharp and thin laughter still lingered on by my ears, it
was as if Snow White's stepmother had run into my ears and was laughing sinisterly
as if her life depended on it.
Jiang Chen roughly came before 5pm, his jacket was thrown over his arm, his
surreptitious appearance was very cute, he said let's sneak back home stealthily, the
director said he wants to hold a very boring meeting.
I asked him blankly, "Can we go home?"
He spoke as he took off his white coat, "We can, it's just a meeting about the New
Year's Day celebrations or something like that, it's not important."
"But, I don't have to be hospitalised?" I asked.
He paused his actions of taking off his clothes, and glanced at me in puzzlement,
"Why do you have to be hospitalised?"
I too looked back (at him) in puzzlement, "Am I not sick?"
"It's just a small cold that you can recover from by drinking more water, you too want
to be hospitalised?" He said, "You like the hospital that much?"
I blinked my eyes with great physical exertion, and strived to turn to cogs of my brain
that had become especially stupid due to me sleeping too much, then I suddenly
grabbed hold of his clothes and said, "Doctor Su! Has Doctor Su gotten off work yet?"
"I don't know, it's not like she's in the same department as I am." He swatted away
my hand, and took off his white coat.
Without saying anything further, I broke into a run and ran out (of the ward), and
barged and shoved my way around till I found the orthopaedics department, Doctor
Su just so happened to be leaning forward on the table as she fiddled with a few
bones, upon seeing me come, she waved a bone and called out to me, "Xiaoxi, you
see, this is the tibia, the bone in your calf, I don't know how long this person has been
dead for, come over here, I'll let you touch it."
I silently took two steps back, "I have something to ask you."
"What's the matter?" She crooked her index finger and rapped against that piece of
bone, "I'm not sure if there will still be flavour if I stew this in a soup."
I again silently took two steps back, though I know that this action would definitely
bring about her bursting into loud laughter and saying, "I'm joking", but I really
couldn't help but do so......
Indeed, she burst out into laughter and said, "Aiya, this is made of synthetic plastic,
how could I possibly take it to stew soup."
I accommodatinglypulled at the corner of my mouth and decided to get straight to the
point to ask her, "At noontime, I heard you calling your father on the phone in the
toilet, talking about the matter of sending Su Rui overseas."
"Yeah." She scratched her head, "What's going on?"
"Why do you want to send him overseas?"
"Because Xiaoxi is almost going to die, we're afraid that he will be sad."
Aha! The key point was right here.
"Who is Xiaoxi?" I questioned closely. As the speed at which I was talking was too
fast, I nearly almost sprained my tongue.
Doctor Su appeared to be very perplexed, "The pet lizard that Su Rui was rearing, Su
Xiaoxi, didn't you meet it before? Su Rui even said you and Xiaoxi got along very
well."
Ah! Yah! Wah! Oh! Ha! Heh!
I hugged her with great force, then turned around and rushed back to the ward (I was
in) just recently, Jiang Chen had already put on his jacket, he was just sitting
cross-legged on the bed and eating something.
I shrieked and pounced on him, "Jiang Chen Jiang Chen "
He let out a smothered groan as he was pushed down by me, in order to prop himself
up so that he wouldn't fall over backwards, the things in his hand spilled all over the
floor.
"What are you doing?" He said, "The red dates have all dropped."
I hooked my arms around his neck, wanting to laugh and wanting to shout, in the end
I really didn't know how to express that sort of excitement I had at rising back to life
after death, I could only viciously bite his neck......
On the taxi.
I hummed a song as I ate the red dates, the red dates were given by Jiang Chen's
patient, she said that her family had grown and fermented them by themselves.
Jiang Chen covered his neck with his hand and stayed a far distance away from me,
he even shot me resentful looks from time to time. I apologised to him in
embarrassment, "Aiya, I didn't do it on purpose, you sit a little closer, I won't bite you
again."
He ignored me, covered his neck and turned his head away. I shifted over and
hugged his arm, "I'm sorry, how about I let you bite me back?"
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at me, "You're born in the year of the dog."
After we returned home, I self-deprecatingly told Jiang Chen about my blunder, after
he finished listening, he didn't scold me for being an idiot or mock me like I had
predicted him to, he only went silent for a while before pushing away the arm I had
hooked around his neck while saying, "I'm going to shower."
After he finished showering and came out, he also didn't pay attention to me, he sat
in front of the computer and tapped away at the keyboard as it made pitter-patter
noises, I said, "Don't tap at my keyboard till it disintegrates,"and was returned by him
giving me a look that was like a sharp knife.
After I finished showering and returned back, Jiang Chen was sitting at the bedside,
with an expression like he was thinking about something very deeply, that expression
in his eyes as he was looking at God-knows what, with him appearing to be thinking
about something was so beautiful that it was like a scene designed with utmost care
from some movie. But if this sort of expression were to occur to me, there would be a
more easily understood phrase to describe it being in a daze.
I climbed onto the bed, and wrapped my arms around his neck from behind his back,
"What are you thinking about?"
He turned his head sideways and glanced at me, "I'm thinking, what if I didn't have
you."
I stared blankly, then forced myself to pretend and put on a cheeky, grinning
appearance, "Then you can look for a girl that is a little taller than me, a little slimmer
than me, a little prettier than me, a little smarter than me, a little more gentle than me,
and a little more sensible than me."
After I finished speaking, I felt very regretful, this seriously made it seem that I had
too much room for improvement.
Jiang Chen raised his hand and patted my head that I had pressed against his
shoulder, "That's right."
These two words of his again completely destroyed my tear glands, I felt like I had
been in a state of anxiety and fear the entire day, afraid that I wouldn't be able to
accompany him till old age, afraid that I wouldn't be able to love him anymore, afraid
that he would be lonely on this earth...... But to him, it was instead only a case of
"without you, I can find someone better".
"Why are you crying again?" His tone of voice was very helpless.
I leaned my upper body on his back, wiping my tears and snot on his clothes, as I
wiped them I scolded, "You're a bastard with no conscience, even if I become a
ghost, I will also pester you for an entire lifetime, bastard."
He wanted to stand up, I strapped his neck tightly and refused to let go, he didn't
care, and caused me to stick to his back with the posture of an octopus, half hanging,
half clamped.
"Where do you want to go?" I whimpered as I asked him, striving hard to not fall off
from his back.
He ignored me, and half-piggybacked-half-dragged-me as he made a beeline towards
the washroom, he squeezed toothpaste onto the toothbrush, and invited me, "Do you
want to brush your teeth?"
I hung from his back, and rejected him in all righteousness and justness, "I don't want
to, you bastard."
He lifted his eyes from the mirror and glanced at me, "Have you scolded enough
yet?"
"I haven't." As I spoke, I wanted to cry again. I cried as I scolded and used my head
to hit against his back, "You have no conscience, you aren't human, if you want to
look for someone better, you go and look for her now, you go and look, go and look,
go and look, there's no need to wait till I die."
Jiang Chen dangled the toothbrush from his mouth, and spoke with unclear
enunciation, his mouth full of foam, "I'm about to have an internal injury, this madam."
"You bastard, I'm already crying." As I spoke, I subconsciously relaxed one of my
hands, wanting to rub my eyes, the moment that hand relaxed, the strength of one
arm was insufficient to hold up my entire body weight, hence I again scrambled and
rushed to rein in Jiang Chen's neck.
In order to avoid being strangled to death by me or me causing myself to fall to my
death, Jiang Chen could only throw the toothbrush aside to hold me up, after a time
period of hurrying and scrambling frantically, other than him being strangled by me till
he had a red mark, our lives were both no longer in danger.
After causing such a ruckus, I was a little afraid that I had provoked and annoyed
him, hence I obediently got off onto the floor, and discovered that because I had
come over just now by hanging off Jiang Chen's body, I was barefoot, stepping on the
ceramic floor tiles in winter was extremely cold, I got onto tiptoe, gave a shout, fled
back to the room and jumped onto the bed. I wrapped myself in the blanket and rolled
around once on the bed, wrapping myself up till I was like a dumpling caused me to
have great peace of mind.
When Jiang Chen entered the room, he held a wet towel in his hand, he insisted on
drawing out my head from the blanket wrap, and covered my face with the towel and
rubbed it with great force for a while, "You're happy now that you've cried till your
eyes are like walnuts, are you."
I was wrapped in the middle of the blanket and couldn't move at all, I could only let
him help me wipe my face with a vigour that could rub my face till my features were
flattened.
After he finished using the towel, he threw the towel easily away, and the towel ended
up hanging from the back of the chair. I held my face that had been rubbed by him till
it was painful and complained, "My skin is about to break, you don't have to disfigure
me even if you want to look for someone new."
Jiang Chen drew the blanket out, following the blanket, I rolled a few rounds, having
lost the blanket, the cold air immediately surrounded me from head to toe, I couldn't
help but curl up into a ball, just in time for Jiang Chen to shove me as a ball into the
blanket that he had shaken out properly.
I wasn't done lying down properly when he turned the lights off, I said I hadn't
brushed my teeth yet, he said you often forget to brush your teeth. I protested and
said, but I didn't forget now."
He said, then why do you always forget that I love you very much? I love you very
much, so even though it's indeed true that there are girls who are taller than you,
slimmer than you, prettier than you, more clever, gentle and sensible than you in this
world, but they are all none of my business.
In the darkness, I exerted great force as I blinked my eyes, to force back the tears
that were already brimming in my eyes, I said, fellow student Jiang Chen, next time,
can you place the most important point at the beginning when you speak? Having
cried for such a long time, I too am tired. Also, there aren't any girls who are taller
than me, slimmer than me, prettier than me, more clever, gentle and sensible than
me in this world, there aren't.
Chapter 50

A Love So Beautiful () Chapter 50

youtiaoshutiao
CHAPTER 50
Jiang Chen's dad still didn't like me, his mum didn't like me even more than his dad,
also Li Wei was still staying in his house and was preparing to take the entrance
exams for graduate studies, Jiang Chen was also vexed about the matter of applying
for his PHD studies, I too had to go to work and rush my manhwa drawings every
day, life sometimes was so frustrating that it made me want to jump up and down and
scold vulgarities, but I was Mrs. Jiang!
...... It actually said that I can't post this chapter if I didn't meet a certain word limit, but
I just want to post this chapter alone as it is! ......
Chen Xiaoxi: You say, should we have a boy or a girl for our child in the future.
Jiang Chen: It's not me who has the final say, from a medical point of view......
Chen Xiaoxi: Stop right there, if you nag anymore about medicine I'll give birth to an
androgynous (child) for you.
Jiang Chen: Then this child would take after its mother.
Chen Xiaoxi: ......
Chen Xiaoxi: What to do if I am infertile.
Jiang Chen: From a medical point of view, the chances of curing it are very high.
Chen Xiaoxi: What if it can't be cured?
Jiang Chen: Then so be it.
Chen Xiaoxi: Would you divorce me?
Jiang Chen: Idiot, why would I divorce you?
Chen Xiaoxi: Wuwuwu, you really love me, don't you?
Jiang Chen: No, I hate children.
Chen Xiaoxi: ......
Amy | Dolly | Xri
Translator's Corner:
Sorry this was so late!!!! D: A two chapter update, because chapter 50 honestly can't
be considered a chapter lol.
AND WE ARE DONE WITH THE MAIN NOVEL!!!
On with the side stories! Thanks so much guys for sticking around
Side Story 1
A Love So Beautiful () Side Story 1
April 26, 2018dolly
Their Youth Part 1
Jiang Chen really had no idea how he ended up being entangled with the daughter of
the family across their house, that girl's name was Chen Xiaoxi. When they were
kids, his only impression of her was that she has a particularly loud voice. In his
house, no matter how loud he'd play the piano, it would still be overpowered by her
screaming when her mother would chase her around trying to give her a beating.
Later on, when they've grown up quite a bit, he would very seldom hear her voice
again, it was as though the world has significantly quieted down. But every now and
then, he'd caught sight of her idling in their living room from his window, always
watching the TV. At times, he'd even caught sight of her on the couch, and then
rolling down it from too much laughter.
In his house, there would often be an endless stream of people who were there to
pay his dad a visit. He never really liked how those people would refer to him as your
son'. Such honorific made him feel that they were acting like hypocrites.(T/N: The
term used is gongzi, which is what people would call an official's son, or a son of
someone with nobility/ importance.)
Every time someone would visit home, he'd quickly hide in his room where he would
read, write calligraphy, or sleep. In other words, he would put in his utmost effort not
to produce any sort of sound that would make people notice his existence. Later on,
Chen Xiaoxi confessed to him. He then discovered another activity when he would
hide away from their guests hide behind the curtains of his window and watch Chen
Xiaoxi from across.
He'd watch her walk around, watch her knock over things, watch her bite her pen
then lean on her desk to draw something........If the weather was hot, he'd also catch
sight of her roll over on the ground like a sausage on a barbecue grill.
It was like watching a boring mime, but he thinks life was boring anyway, it would be
better for one to just be bored then.
The day following Chen Xiaoxi's confession, she appeared in the alley, with a slight
tremor, and a desperation to sound nonchalant in her voice, she said, "Jiang Chen,
what a coincidence, you're also on your way to school?"
Jiang Chen's response was a blank stare, then he asked her, "What time is it?"
Chen Xiaoxi looked at her digital watch, as she was a person who was incompetent
in reading scales, she would generally wear a digital watch which would outrightly
display the digits of the time, "7 o'clock."
He nodded his head, then muttered to himself, "I thought I was going to be late."
Chen Xiaoxi flushed red with shame, she would usually arrive in class right when the
bell rings.
The two of them headed to school in such a manner where one was leading, the
other was following.
Chen Xiaoxi kept on chattering, talking incessantly about TV dramas, manhwas, their
teachers, their classmates.......basically, just doing the very essence of gossiping
where the chicken feathers and garlic skins* are not even spared. (T/N: Both chicken
feathers and garlic skins are the rubbish left when cooking chicken, hence it is used
to express something trivial, unimportant or worthless.)
Jiang Chen hardly processed her words, and walked forward with a wooden
expression on his face.
He didn't say anything in reply because he naturally doesn't talk much, or perhaps he
finally got to realise how Chen Xiaoxi's inclination suddenly became cool, Chen
Xiaoxi doesn't know, Jiang Chen doesn't know.
The most amazing thing about young minds is that most of the time, they also don't
know what they are thinking.
They were the first ones to arrive in their classroom, Jiang Chen was in-charge of the
classroom keys, Xiaoxi stood behind him as he unlocked the door. When the door
was opened, Xiaoxi was suddenly assaulted by the smell of dirt. Xiaoxi thought that
early in the morning, it turned out that the classroom smelled like the the paddy field
that had just been plowed in preparation for the transplanting of the rice seedlings.
Jiang Chen sat down on his seat, took out a few of the thicker textbooks, stacked
them up on his desk, then leaned forward to sleep on them.
Chen Xiaoxi was a little dumbfounded. How was it so different from what she had
imagined? Tri-merit* student Jiang comes early in class to sleep?
(T/N: A three-good' student honour system in China was introduced in the 1950s to
reward model tri-merit students who excel morally, academically, and physically, so
basically a student who behaves well, tops in class, and is good in sports.)
Her seat was on the upper corner, diagonal to his. She was on the third column. He
was on the fourth column. She was the third column's group leader. He was the class
monitor.
She pulled out the English textbook from her books, opened it up and placed it
upright, then buried her head in that book. She was angling her head to the side to
peep at Jiang Chen, staring at his very dark hair, and the white hair whorl in the
middle of his head.
She had no clue with regards to what it was that looked appealing for her that she
just couldn't help herself from staring, and couldn't help but make her heart skip a
beat. For a white scalp to make her heart skip a beat, the matter was truly
unprecedented for her.
In every serene, beautiful moments, there would always be one or two mindless
troublemaker who would break it. The troublemaker was Wang Da Zhuang, the
assistant class monitor, a damn fatty. The first thing he did when he entered the door
was to yell loudly, "Chen Xiaoxi, am I seeing things wrongly?"
Chen Xiaoxi asked dim-wittedly, "What seeing things wrongly?"
Wang Da Zhuang said, "You ah, unexpectedly so early."
Chen Xiaoxi forced out two hollow laughs, "I just remembered there were two
paragraphs in English that I still haven't practised reciting aloud."
Wang Da Zhuang suddenly dissolved into heaps of laughter, "Haha......but
you......you're holding your English book upside down."
She turned her head to glare at Wang Da Zhuang, right at that moment, Jiang Chen
slightly lifted his head from his arms as such that Chen Xiaoxi stared right into Jiang
Chen's somewhat curious and inquisitive gaze. Heat crawled up her face and broke
into a million shades of red on her cheeks.
Jiang Chen looked at her outrageously red face a bit puzzled, she was someone who
doesn't blush when confessing, what was she blushing for now?
The people arrived in the classroom one by one, almost everyone who came in
expressed varying levels of surprise at the strange sight that was Chen Xiaoxi
arriving in class even before the bell rang. Chen Xiaoxi has now found out that she
was actually very eye-catching.
The next day, Chen Xiaoxi got up ten minutes later than yesterday, she hurriedly
rushed to the alley and just caught sight of the fleeing view of Jiang Chen with his
backpack. She paused for a few seconds, inhaled deeply to steady her breathing,
then strode over in big steps to catch up, "Morning!"
Jiang Chen's heart jumped out of his chest from her roar, he couldn't help but admit
that Chen Xiaoxi was indeed a very energetic person, her deafening "morning" has
sufficiently shown him the veracity of this claim.
This time, they were not the first ones to arrive in class, Wang Da Zhuang was
already leaning on the railings, smiling at them as he said, "Chen Xiaoxi, do you still
have to recite something in English today?"
Chen Xiaoxi was thinking this guy was being so annoying, and answered him irritably,
"What's it got to do with you?"
Wang Da Zhuang didn't take offense, and said with all smiles, "I show friendly
affection to my fellow students every now and then."
The classroom still exuded the smell of dirt, Jiang Chen was sleeping on his desk,
Wang Da Zhuang was drumming something on his desk drawer, Chen Xiaoxi took
out her English textbook. She read aloud a line,what are you doing, and felt that her
throat was hoarse. She immediately swapped it with her language & literature
textbook, and started reciting, "Mountains need not always be high, they're famed if
therein immortals abide*."
When Chen Xiaoxi reached the part of the poem, "The moss creeping onto the
doorsteps, turns them a greenish hue; the color of the grasses reflected through the
window blinds, with verdant glow." she furtively sighed. Her English wasn't any
good.....she was ashamed to recite aloud in front of Jiang Chen, always thinking that
her pronunciation was not only subpar but also unsophisticated.
(T/N: The poem is the famous "Inscription On A Humble Dwelling" by Liu Yuxi of the
Tang Dynasty which proclaims the nobility of rustic living, I hope I didn't butcher it)
Jiang Chen felt a little irritated, she kept on stuttering when reciting aloud the text
which gravely affected his early morning sleep.
On the third day, Chen Xiaoxi especially got up very early in the morning, she waited
for Jiang Chen in the alley for quite a long time. When she was about to be late, only
then did she quickly darted to school, worrying the entire way whether Jiang Chen
has gotten ill.
When she arrived at the door of their classroom, the morning reading already started.
Chen Xiaoxi bowed her head and made a sound to report attendance to the teacher
who was on the podium.
The teacher crossly told her to come in.
Right when Chen Xiaoxi lifted her head, she saw Jiang Chen sitting by the window,
his head was hung low as he was reading his book. A ballpoint pen was casually
twirling on his hand, its metal cap glared faintly under the morning light as it spun and
jumped between his long, slender fingers.
Being separated by a good distance, Chen Xiaoxi however, felt that the sting from
that bit of reflected light was slightly making her eyes hurt.
On the fourth day, Chen Xiaoxi got up even earlier, it was still dark when she got up.
She groggily leaned against a still lighted lamppost in the alley, and dozed off.
Jiang Chen caught sight of the figure under the lamppost from a distance, he was
torn between being entangled with her, or to turn on his heels and return to his
house. In the end, he walked forward.
She didn't notice him when he passed by her as she has fallen deep in sleep, he
already walked a long way, and didn't wait for her to follow him.
Arriving in the classroom, he leaned on his desk to sleep, but right when he closed
his eyes, the image of Chen Xiaoxi's drooping head as she dozed off actually grazed
his mind the hair that was supposedly tucked behind her ears hung limply along her
cheeks, a few strands of her rogue hair was all over the place on the crown of her
head, with some sticking up defiantly, her entire figure under the lamppost was
bathed in a dim yellow light, making her glow in a warm yellow colour.
Jiang Chen thought in a daze before sleep overtook him her hair could get really
messy.
Chen Xiaoxi's plan of getting up early was completely abandoned on the fifth day, it
was a very cold day, so cold that her throbbing little sweet heart was rendered
motionless. From inside the blanket that was wrapped around her like a burrito, she
stretched her hand out to press off the alarm clock, and told herself again and again,
"Forget it, love depends on fate, if you force it, it will not come, if you force it, it will
not come."
Hence Chen Xiaoxi went back to sleep with a great peace of mind till her mum yelled
at her to get up, she hastily bolted for the door to go outside, and to her greatest
surprise, towards Jiang Chen. That kind of happiness was akin to doing badly in an
examination, then wholeheartedly comforting oneself that examinations were an
insignificant part in one's life, and that scores were fleeting things, but when the test
papers were then handed out, one ranked first in the entire class.
So, Chen Xiaoxi tailed behind Jiang Chen all the way to school wearing a "finally
earned something" smile.
Her smile caused chills to run down his spine, so he furtively touched his face several
times to check if a grain of rice was sticking on it, and also furtively looked down
several times to check if the zipper of his pants wasn't pulled up.
Before entering the classroom, Chen Xiaoxi finally couldn't help it and tugged on his
school uniform, fixing it about, "Wrinkled."

Jiang Chen furrowed his brows, but didn't say anything, could it be that just for this,
she was happy all the way?
Side Story 1.2
A Love So Beautiful () - Side Story 1.2
April 28, 2018Xri
Their Youth Part 2
It was the summer break after their high school entrance examinations. The results
were out around end July. Out of the two high schools in their town, both Chen Xiaoxi
and Jiang Chen got into the better one - Yi High. It sounds that it was nothing
amazing when said in this manner. How about, both Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen got
into the town's best high school - Yi High! Yes, that's better. It's necessary to leave
out some words some times.
Jiang Chen left for his grandmother's house for summer vacation the moment exams
ended. His results weren't bad, and there's no need to check it up because news like
'town's mayor's son got first in the entire town' will travel as fast as 'Zhang San's son
stole Li Si's bicycle' or 'Wang Wu's daughter got into a relationship and had to abort
her baby'. This three news took the podium for the highest search ranking in the
market. On the other hand, Chen Xiaoxi was worrying for half a month about not
being able to go to the same school as Jiang Chen, she even slimmed down from
worrying.
After knowing her results she led a carefree and worriless life. There was no holiday
homework and she could go to the same school as Jiang Chen, how could life get
any better?
Time flew past during holidays, although Chen Xiaoxi didn't see Jiang Chen for a
month plus, she didn't exactly miss him either. Probably because the TV shows
during holidays were too enticing, from Doraemon and Full House, Chen Xiaoxi was
so busy.
One day while Chen Xiaoxi was watching Big G kick Nobi into a sewerage, her mum
came to tell her that someone called and was looking for her, she even said that the
person sounded like a teacher. She was grumbling about which teacher would call
her, and she walked to pick up the call. (T/N: I've never watched doraemon in English
dub in my life before, so I googled the characters' English names and I hope I got
them right, basically she's referring to the fat bully and the main lead.)
"Hello."
Chen Xiaoxi said, "Who... uh who are you?"
"It's me." A hoarse voice came through.
Xiaoxi frowned, "Is it Teacher Li?"
Teacher Li is an arts teacher in school, his biggest achievement was that his art was
once showcased in the town's hall, and he was a widely known smoker. His
catchphrase is "You think I'm smoking? I'm actually not, I'm just admiring the smoke
and fog dispersing into nothing in an artiste's life." Hence this teacher's nickname is
'artiste's life'. It seems like he took the chance to open an art tutorial class during the
summer break, and called student's house to talk highly about art. As a third-year
junior high graduate who had nothing to do, they were the prime targets to instill the
culture of art.
There was silence on the phone, Chen Xiaoxi took opportunity from the silence to
think of ways to reject artiste's life but at the same time not to harm artiste's life's
artiste spirit.
Before Chen Xiaoxi could think of a tactful way to reject, the voice spoke again, "I am
Jiang Chen."
"Ah?" Chen Xiaoxi was shocked, she subconsciously blabbered, "How can Jiang
Chen's voice be so awful?"
Another silence, Chen Xiaoxi couldn't control but asked, "Just who are you? You can't
possibly really be Jiang Chen?"
"I am."
....
Chen Xiaoxi frantically tried to mend the pen after losing the sheep*, "no, I didn't
mean to say your voice is awful, I'm just saying it sound very mature, very unique."
(T/N: it's a way to mean it's better late than never.)
"I know, you don't have to say anymore." Jiang Chen said.
Chen Xiaoxi was anxious, "No, my mum said that boys around this age will break
their voice, your voice really isn't extremely awful, our fat class monitor's voice
sounds like a ghost was strangling him, yours sounds most like a duck....."
Silence, followed by a sigh.
Chen Xiaoxi was dispirited to the maximum, "I don't know what I am saying, you
should say what you called me for."
"I'm still at my grandma's house, tomorrow when you are going to school to collect
transcript and graduation certificate please collect mine at the same time," said Jiang
Chen.
Chen Xiaoxi scratched her head, "So we are supposed to collect our results
tomorrow..."
"You don't remember?"
Chen Xiaoxi forced a laugh, "Now I remember."
"Okay, so remember to help me collect, I'm hanging up, bye."
"Wait!" Chen Xiaoxi exclaimed, "That..."
"What?"
Chen Xiaoxi took a deep breath and said, "I just want to say, even though your voice
changed, but don't you worry, I will never forsake you!"
......
"I will!" Jiang Chen's strange duck hoarse voice had a tinge of happiness to it.
The line cut off, Chen Xiaoxi was staring at the telephone still immersed in her never
leaving, never forsaking mighty love.
Jiang Chen couldn't help but kick the wall after he hung up. Whose voice sounds like
a duck!? Who is forsaking who!?
Jiang Chen's grandma happened to deliver a plate of freshly cut fruits, the elderly
stood at the door confused, why is her cultured and refined, first in the town grandson
suddenly kicking the wall?
After half a month, Jiang Chen stood in the alley, his legs kicking the small pebbles
on the ground. He was waiting for Chen Xiaoxi to pass his results slip to him. There
was a slam from her apartment's building's anti-thief door, and he suddenly
swallowed the entire throat lozenge that was in his mouth down his throat.
Chen Xiaoxi was all smiled when she passed his results slip to him, "Was grandma's
house fun?"
"So-so," Jiang Chen looked down to open his certificate.
Chen Xiaoxi secretly tipped toe beside him to compare their height, during the short
while they didn't see each other, he seemed to have grew taller again.
Jiang Chen's saw Chen Xiaoxi tipping her toes like a ballerina beside him through his
peripheral vision, he gave her a look, "What are you doing?"
Chen Xiaoxi laughed foolishly, "You seemed to have grown taller again."
Jiang Chen closed his certificate book, "I'm going back."
Chen Xiaoxi nodded, "Bye bye, oh right, your voice seems to have recovered,
although it still sounds a bit deeper than before, congratulations."
"A normal person would congratulate me for getting first and not congratulate me for
getting my voice back," Jiang Chen couldn't help but say.
Chen Xiaoxi was indifferent to it, "You were going to top the cohort in the first place,
for something's that bound to happen, what's there to congratulate for?" She paused
for a while, then smiled joyfully, "You should congratulate me instead, I also got into Yi
High, I might even be in the same class as you."
Jiang Chen actually knew from the start, he gave his form teacher a call when the
results came out, and he used a very convenient tone to ask who else got into Yi
High. When he heard Xiaoxi's name, he wasn't sure why he felt a sense of relieved.
Jiang Chen didn't say congratulations, he said, "Seems that Yi High lowered their
cut-off point this year."
Chen Xiaoxi was not affected at all, but there was fear on her face as she nodded,
"Yes, yes, it was lower than last year by 5 marks, luckily it was lowered by 5 marks, if
not I would be lacking a point to enter, I was so lucky."
.......
To insult till the person couldn't understand, how lonely.
Chen Xiaoxi was still rambling on about how she changed to the wrong answers to
the math multiple choice questions at the last minute before handling up the paper, 1
question is 5 marks, 2 questions is 10 marks.....
Jiang Chen felt that the lozenge he swallowed accidentally was cooling his chest, and
he wanted to interrupt her and return home to drink water and push down the
lozenge. But he had no idea why every time he was about to bring it up, he would see
her talking so radiantly in delight, and he would stop himself. Forget it, just let her
talk, he had seen an article before, which touches on how a pet would be extremely
affectionate after not seeing its owner for a long time. Although she isn't a pet, but
feelings, are all universal.
Chen Xiaoxi was getting tired from talking and swallowing her saliva, but when she
found that Jiang Chen had no intention of stopping her, she could only take a deep
breath and continue elated and excitedly, "This summer break I went to the beach, I
picked up a lot of seashells, and I want to paste a canvas of seashells, when I'm
done I will show you....."
Ah so tired, Jiang Chen why aren't you going home.....
Side Story 1.3
A Love So Beautiful () Side Story 1.3
May 3, 2018youtiaoshutiao
Their Youth Part 3
Jiang Chen's and Chen Xiaoxi's hometown was by the seaside, and was a location
where typhoons frequently occurred. In the summer, there would often be the
occurrence of happy occasions where lessons would come to an emergency halt
halfway through for students to disperse home.
Roughly in the summer of Senior Year 2, or possibly Senior Year 1, the memories
were vague, in any case, that point in time was not long after Wu Bosong had
transferred schools and come here. The super strong Typhoon Jade', Pearl', or
something, Jiang Chen too couldn't remember, in any case, every time he heard the
names of typhoons, he always couldn't help but lament about how the authorities'
name-designation philosophy for natural and man-made disasters could also be
regarded to be totally out of the left field, that logic was just as senseless and wilful
as Chen Xiaoxi was.
That time, they had just finished their second lesson, the wind outside was making
clanging noises as it blew, the sound of the exercise broadcast* seemed to be
extremely melancholy interspersed between sounds of the wind. The teacher, seeing
how the wind was so great, also didn't dare to let the students go out to do exercise,
she only emphasised that they all were not to go out, and were to wait for the
notification, hence an entire class of people (remained) in the classroom, looking at
each other helplessly.(T/N: a common feature in Chinese schools, where all the
students will gather in the parade square and do exercises as music plays over the
speakers)
Chen Xiaoxi turned around mournfully to say to Jiang Chen, "What's to be done? So
scary."
Jiang Chen was indifferent, "It's not like you've never seen a typhoon before, what's
there to be afraid of? Plus, it hasn't rained yet."
He had just finished his words, when raindrops the size of beans smashed on the
glass windows with banging sounds.
Chen Xiaoxi's face was even more pained, she then turned her head to look at Wu
Bosong in the neighbouring group, he was just facing her and raising his eyebrow
triumphantly.
Xiaoxi asked Jiang Chen in a low voice, "That, do you believe in the theory of psychic
communication with spirits?"
Without waiting for him to answer her, she then continued to elaborate, "I actually
didn't believe in it, two days ago I watched a Korean horror film called Bunshinsaba',
when I was talking about it with Wu Bosong, he said he had invited the Bunshinsaba
before, I didn't believe (him), hence we arranged to go to the art room during physical
education class to invite the Bunshinsaba. We asked a few senseless questions, for
example, Bunshinsaba, are you a guy or a girl, at the end Wu Bosong even asked,
Bunshinsaba, will it rain tomorrow? It said it will, he then asked again, will it be windy
tomorrow? It said it will...... Yesterday was clearly a sunny day, and it really did get
windy and rain today, plus the hand I used to hold the pen really didn't move."(T/N: A
South Korean horror film from 2004, this is the oujia-like thing that they were doing in
episode 7)
Jiang Chen swept a glance at her hand, playing Bunshinsaba'? Why not just go out
and walk hand in hand?
Chen Xiaoxi, seeing him not uttering a word, thought that he didn't believe it, hence
she continued to question, "You too think that the Bunshinsaba is a scam, right?"
In Chen Xiaoxi's heart, as long as Jiang Chen said something was fake, it definitely
was fake, in this way, she too didn't have to be afraid that that Bunshinsaba (Pen
Immortal) or that Pen Ghost or whatever would come and catch her.
Who knew that Jiang Chen would say with an expressionless face, "I don't know,
there's a lot of things that can't be explained in science, not encountering something
doesn't mean that it doesn't exist."
Idiot, don't you know that there's something called the weather forecast.
Chen Xiaoxi was very terrified in her heart, if she had to say that she had any
conviction, her conviction was Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen was the god in her heart,
something that her god couldn't determine if it existed or not, then it must exist......
She was going to be snatched away by a ghost......
Jiang Chen watched as Chen Xiaoxi's expression changed countless times, but no
matter how it changed, fear never left, he sincerely felt very happy.
Chen Xiaoxi asked cautiously, "Don't you think that supernatural beings and whatever
are very nonsensical?"
Jiang Chen said gloomily, "I don't think so, everything has the possibility of existing,
same goes for ghosts."
As if to coordinate with his words, there was suddenly a loud clanging noise that
came through from the outside, most probably some heavy object had been blown
over by the wind.
Chen Xiaoxi was so afraid that her head shrunk back, she said pitifully, "Later on, if
lessons are suspended for us to go home, by all means don't leave me behind and go
off first."
She said this because there had been numerous previous instances where often
once she lifted her head up after she was done with packing her school bag, Jiang
Chen's figure would already have disappeared, she really suspected that he had
learnt Tiny Steps over Ice and Waves'* before.(T/N: a fictional type of qinggong (a
martial arts skill where one can people can leap over walls, travel very fast from place
to place etc) in Louis Cha's wuxia novel Demigods and Semi-devils'. Wuxia is a
fiction genre that is very unique to Chinese culture, and Louis Cha is one of the most,
if not the most, iconic authors of the genre.)
Jiang Chen was in a bad mood, "You let the Bunshinsaba send you."
Chen Xiaoxi ignored him, and began loading the things on the table top into her
schoolbag, for fear that Jiang Chen would take advantage of her packing her school
bag later on to run off first.
As expected, after roughly three or four minutes, the school principal's voice which
sounded very much like a refined degenerate travelled over the school's broadcast
system, "Teachers and students take note, because of the typhoon striking, the
school has decided to stop lessons urgently. Students, please return home
immediately, do not stay in school or along the road; students, please take note of
your safety on your way home."
When they left school, the rain had stopped, but the wind seemed to be on a trend of
blowing more ferociously. Chen Xiaoxi carried her schoolbag that was especially
heavy on her back, in order to catch up to Jiang Chen's footsteps, she was gasping
for breath.
Jiang Chen stopped his footsteps and turned his head back to glance at her, and
couldn't help but say, "Are you an idiot?"
Chen Xiaoxi wanted to say that she wasn't, but yet she couldn't put forward any
powerful evidence, so she could only stare blankly as she remained where she was,
passively furrowing her brows with the attitude of confronting a sudden and
unexpected disaster.
Jiang Chen stretched out his hand to lift up her backpack, with the weight of the
backpack reduced, she bent her two shoulder blades behind her back.
After two seconds, Jiang Chen let go of his grip with an expressionless face, the
sudden weight added to her shoulders once more along with the gale of wind that
blew in her face nearly caused Chen Xiaoxi to fall headlong, fortunately, she grabbed
hold of Jiang Chen's school uniform in a flurry.
"You know that it's heavy?" He said, "Still dim-wittedly carrying an extra pile of
textbooks."
After she steadied her body, she let go of her grip on his clothes, "He's afraid that I'm
too light, and will be blown away by the wind."
Just earlier, when she and Jiang Chen were about to walk out of the classroom door,
Wu Bosong had suddenly rushed up to them and stuffed a few textbooks into her
schoolbag, saying that only by adding some weight, would she not be blown away by
the wind.
"How many times have you encountered a typhoon since you were small till now?
Was there any time when you had been blown away by the wind before?" Jiang Chen
only felt very helpless, how could there be such an idiotic person.
"Of course I know that I won't be blown away by the wind," Chen Xiaoxi argued with
conviction, "But Wu Bosong doesn't know, he's not a local, there aren't typhoons
where he (came from), he had good intentions, I can't be a wet blanket."
Jiang Chen had to admit, he was very surprised by such an explanation by Chen
Xiaoxi, and momentarily didn't know how to reply, he could only snort out, "Up to
you."
Chen Xiaoxi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said, "Why not you help me carry my
school bag, I'll help you carry your schoolbag, we'll walk hand in hand."
She asked this sentence while carrying a frame of mind of there's no harm asking',
after all, this world was grotesque and variegated, anything could possibly happen,
humankind had ascended into the sky, the stars that humankind had created had also
ascended into the sky, Sister Feng whom humankind was standing around in a circle
and watching had also become famous...... So there was nothing that couldn't
happen.
Jiang Chen looked at her unfathomably, "Can you be any more shameless."
"Can I?*" Chen Xiaoxi opened wide her eyes which had been blown at till they were a
little dry.(T/N: Chen Xiaoxi asks this as the way Jiang Chen phrases his sentence in
Chinese can also be taken to mean You can be a little more shameless.')
Jiang Chen stretched out two fingers, and made a gesture of wanting to poke her
eyes, Chen Xiaoxi beamingly slanted her head to dodge (him).
"Let's go, idiot." Jiang Chen pulled at the shoulder strap of her schoolbag and
dragged her forward
Chen Xiaoxi was dragged along till her footsteps were staggering, "Hey, you be a little
slower."
There was no sign of any humans on the long, long road, in the wind, two young kids
walked along, pulling each other's bag straps, the sounds of their voices talking
became rather fragmented as the wind screamed and blew.
Jiang Chen: "What other questions did you ask the Bunshinsaba?"
Chen Xiaoxi: "A lot. Do you really believe in it? I thought about it later on, it must be
that Wu Bosong's hand had moved, most likely he had seen the weather forecast
beforehand, and was tricking me."
Jiang Chen: "With your IQ, it really must have been tough for you to figure it out."
His voice was too soft and the wind too loud, Chen Xiaoxi didn't hear him clearly,
"What did you say?"
Jiang Chen: "Nothing, did you ask the Bunshinsaba that most important question?"
Chen Xiaoxi blushed, "I was too embarrassed to ask, I also didn't dare to ask."
Jiang Chen was baffled, "What is too embarrassing to ask, what do you not dare to
ask?"
Chen Xiaoxi, "I'm afraid to ask the Bunshinsaba if you will like me or not, if it told me
that you will never like me, then I wouldn't be able to like you anymore."
......
Jiang Chen turned his head around to look at her, "Why wouldn't you be able to?"
Chen Xiaoxi looked at him very earnestly and said, "That kind of liking would be too
saddening, I probably would have to give up on you. So I don't want to know, you too,
don't ever tell me such words like you will never like me. I'm afraid that one day, I will
tell you, Jiang Chen, just tell me that you will never like me and let me have no more
illusions and give up, that would be words said in a moment of anger, don't take them
seriously, at that time, don't really say that to me."
Jiang Chen saw into the depths of her eyes, and vaguely felt like there was
something lightly tugging at that string in his heart, he shifted his gaze away a little
uneasily, "Mm."
Together, they faced the wind and walked on in silence for a while, then Jiang Chen
suddenly said, "Actually, just now, the question I was talking about (when I asked if)
you had asked the Bunshinsaba that most important question wasn't the one you
were thinking of."
"Ah! Then what is it?"
"Is there any cure for idiocy."
......
"Chen Xiaoxi, don't open your mouth so widely, the wind has gone in."
PREVIOUS CHAPTER|TABLE OF CONTENTS
Amy|Dolly|Xri
Translator's Corner:
Hi! It's kinda disheartening to see people copy-pasting our work and choosing to
ignore what we pinned in this blog. We DO NOT ALLOW anyone to duplicate our
work and post it in other platforms such as Wattpad, and that we only allow linking
and excerpts with due credit. We hope that when you see one violating this, please
kindly tell them to take it down. Thanks.
Side Story 1.4
A Love So Beautiful () Side Story 1.4
May 6, 2018dolly
Their Youth Part 4
Chen Xiaoxi does not like Li Wei, not only because she also likes Jiang Chen, but
also because she's pretty, smart, and can play the piano. At the New Year's gala
when they were in Senior Year 2, she played a piano duet together with Jiang Chen
as their class representative on the school competition.
She could still remember how she was standing amongst the crowd of audience that
day, watching the two of them sit side by side right in front of the piano. After their
gazes met in tacit understanding, all 20 fingers of their four hands then began to
flutter across the black and white keys of the piano. Even though they were wearing
school uniforms, Chen Xiaoxi however, felt like they were wearing their wedding
clothes, and under the blinding lights, this pair of newlyweds was playing their
wedding song for their guests the National Anthem of the People's Republic of China.
That presentation won the first prize, the reason being they played the piece well,
their value for being ideal is high, and moreover, when the school's principal
conferred the award to them, he even made use of the sentence, "A good pair of
golden boy and jade girl." Tch.
The feeling of standing downstage and looking up at other people onstage was really
awful. It was as though they were standing in a world filled with brightness, while she
was standing in a world filled with darkness, where she could only look at them from
afar, so far that she wouldn't be able to reach them, really sad.
She didn't go home together with Jiang Chen that day. In fact, she hasn't been going
home with Jiang Chen for a week or two now, the reason being Jiang Chen and Li
Wei had to practice the piano after classes. Chen Xiaoxi had waited for him once,
they practised until the sky turned dark, she and Jiang Chen also had to send Li Wei
home. Along the way, both of them were discussing about where they made a
mistake, which quarter of a beat they could let slip. Chen Xiaoxi was unable to make
sense of what she was hearing, all she got was flyswatter, and it is used to swat flies
as the name implies. Everyone who has been in a situation where they are stuck in
the middle of other people's conversation would know this feeling, and that kind of
feeling was rather discomforting. Moreover, when Chen Xiaoxi got home after
experiencing such uncomfortable situation, she was chased around the house by her
mum for a beating as it was already late, this matter was even more double-edged
than a double-edge sword. Hence, she just told Jiang Chen she had to go back home
early for dinner, later on she really just went home early to have dinner.
(T/N: The chinese characters for beat (pai zi) could also refer to paddle-shaped
objects like a flyswatter ( cang ying pai) as pai means to swat or pat)
As soon as Jiang Chen has received the award, he went straight back to their
classroom. When he got there, the classroom was empty without a single soul in
sight. Perhaps some of them already went home, and perhaps some of them were
still watching the awarding ceremony in the auditorium. He casually shoved his award
inside his drawer from under his desk, and then casually searched for his tutoring
book and fished it out. As he turned a leaf over, it was as though a thought suddenly
came to his mind, he lifted his head to look over at Chen Xiaoxi's desk, her bag
wasn't there, so he carefully tried to search in his memories. When he was onstage
just now, he seemed to have caught sight of her standing downstage with her
backpack. Standing onstage, how was it possible that he was able to recognise that it
was her when there were so many people? He also doesn't know the answer to it. It
has been going on for quite some time, he could quickly spot her in a crowd by just a
mere glance, well, maybe not just a glance, but after a few glances he'd always be
able to totally, accurately, and unmistakably pinpoint her position. Sporting a short
hair that was a little bit messier than that of others, standing foolishly like a radish
taking root within the crowd, she was very eye-catching.
So the reason she went to the auditorium carrying her backpack was for her to return
straight home as soon as she was done watching the awarding ceremony? He
carefully tried to recall again, when the award was handed over to him by the
principal, he swept his gaze across the crowd. At that point, he wasn't able to find
Chen Xiaoxi.
Jiang Chen shoved the book back inside his drawer, took his bag and went out of the
classroom. Perhaps, as the majority of the students were still in the auditorium, so he
saw only few students walking home. Jiang Chen walked exceptionally fast. In the
end, he already reached home and still wasn't able to see Chen Xiaoxi.
As soon as Jiang Chen entered his room, he threw his bag on the desk, then quickly
pulled the curtains of his window apart Chen Xiaoxi was at home, sitting on the
couch, holding a bowl of rice, eating while watching TV at the same time. He closed
the curtains heavily, then laid down on his bed in a daze. Afterwards, two knocks
came from the door, and Auntie Li's voice could be heard, "Little Chen, your mum
and dad won't be coming home for dinner tonight. I already placed your dinner on the
table. When you're done eating, just put the bowl in the sink, alright. I'm going home,
I'll come back later."
"Okay. You take care." Jiang Chen said, then thought it over again and hopped off his
bed to open the door. "Auntie, you don't have to come over here later, I'll wash my
own bowl."(T/N: A little note because I don't think we mentioned about this previously
but when Jiang Chen is talking to his elders, he uses the polite version of "you" ni
which is nin.)
"Well, alright then."
Jiang Chen ate dinner alone and washed his dishes alone, he pulled the curtains
apart, leaving a narrow gap in between where he could watch Chen Xiaoxi refusing to
acknowledge her defeat to her mum when it comes to washing the dishes. Every time
she was done eating, she would play this game together with her mum which would
determine who would be washing the dishes. Her mum would always win, but she
enjoys doing such shameless act and never gets tired of it.
In the future, she would also do the same act, and he would always win. Every now
and then, he would yield and let her win once or twice, and he'd watch her smile
proudly at herself, making her eyes turn a crescent shape.
The following day, Jiang Chen noticed that Chen Xiaoxi didn't follow him right after he
exited the classroom. He slightly inclined his head to the side, and used his
peripheral vision to observe her, she was happily discussing something with the
person sitting behind her. His footsteps came to a halt, but in the end, he continued
walking and didn't turn around.
Chen Xiaoxi aimed a look from the corner of her eye, Jiang Chen was already gone,
only then did the blinding, smiling expression on her face disappeared, and then she
covertly slipped the manhwa that she was holding under the desk behind her, "In any
case, it's very nice to look at, if you want to read it then I can lend it to you."
She put away her things on her bag very slowly, she also left the classroom and left
the school very slowly, Chen Xiaoxi also bought a popsicle in the corner store near
the school gates. She used to buy them before going home, and so as not to let her
mother find out, she'd carefully and meticulously wipe her mouth and her fingers
clean. Then later on, she had been walking home with Jiang Chen and felt
embarrassed to buy, after all, one's image must also be taken into account once in a
while.
It's just that, she didn't expect that in the vicinity near her home, she'd run across
Jiang Chen riding his bicycle. When he saw her, he pulled on his brake levers making
it stop and turn to the side sharply just right in front of her, the wheels that were
scraping against the ground let out a hasty squeak.
Chen Xiaoxi, with a popsicle hanging from her mouth, didn't know how to respond.
Jiang Chen said, "Chen Xiaoxi, I'm doing a test run on my new bike."
Actually, he has already gotten this bike for almost half a month.
Chen Xiaoxi forced out two hollow laughs, "Hehe, your bike looks good."
After saying that, she had wanted to bypass him and his bike, but Jiang Chen
shouted to stop her, "Hey, do you feel like going anywhere? I'm going to take you."
There was a momentary pause and then he continued, "I just want to test how this
bike fares when carrying another person."
She threw the popsicle stick into the sewerage by the roadside, and excitedly replied,
"I want to go to the beach."
"You're going to the beach for what?", Jiang Chen took a swift glance at his watch, it
was relatively fine, it wasn't too late to go there and back.
"I just want to go." Chen Xiaoxi said, beaming. "I haven't been to the beach in a long
while."
Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders, "Hop on."
The wind of this small town next to the sea has a slight fishy smell to it. If you have a
keen sense of taste, and inhale the wind rushing towards you with your mouth open,
you can even taste a little bit of salty flavour to it. Chen Xiaoxi was hiding behind
Jiang Chen, the wind was blowing against his school uniform making it bulge. Her
one hand was holding unto her seat, while the other was poking the wind that has
accumulated on the back of Jiang Chen's uniform, pressing it gently to deflate it, but
the moment she lets go, it would bulge once again.
"Now that you've gotten yourself a bike, will you ride it to school from now on?"
"Not riding it."
"Why?"
"No reason."
"Oh."
"Chen Xiaoxi." Jiang Chen suddenly called her.
"Hmm?" Chen Xiaoxi who has become exhilarated from poking his clothes, craned
her head besides Jiang Chen's waist to try to see his facial expression.
Jiang Chen glanced down at her, "Sit properly."
"Oh." She pulled back her head and sat properly, "Why did you call me just now?"
"It's nothing, I was just asking if you can ride a bike." He said.
"Can."
A sudden brake made Chen Xiaoxi knock her cheek against Jiang Chen's spine. Her
cheek knocking against an adolescent boy's bony back would certainly make it ache
dully.
Jiang Chen turned his head at her direction, and was smiling while watching her rub
her cheek, "Let's have you carry me on a bike."
"I will not be carrying people." Chen Xiaoxi said with grievance.
"So slow-witted."
The ride continued to move forward, Chen Xiaoxi was still rubbing her cheek that was
still hurting from the bump, "My face was knocked askew by you."
"It was already askew to begin with." Jiang Chen said.
"You are the askew one just now." Chen Xiaoxi punched him on the back.
The beach has a slightly orange-coloured ocean and sky, the peaks of its waves were
flashing like golden glitters, and there was that golden sandy shore. Chen Xiaoxi
screamed and jumped off the bike, "AaaaahoceanI'm coming!"
Jiang Chen parked his bike by the roadside, bending down at the waist to lock it, the
dimple on his left cheek that was showing because of his smile looked deeper than
usual because of his act of stooping down.
When Jiang Chen walked over to the beach, Chen Xiaoxi was already sitting on the
sand, untying her shoelaces, he asked her, "What are you doing?"
"Taking off my shoes." Chen Xiaoxi replied, "Otherwise, when I get home later with
sand having gotten inside my shoes, my mum would definitely give me a scolding."
But after dislodging one shoe, she suddenly came to a stop, then tried to wear that
already dislodged shoe once again. Watching her actions, Jiang Chen was puzzled,
"Why aren't you taking them off?"
Chen Xiaoxi desperately shook her head, "This doesn't seem good, forget it, I ah"
She screamed because Jiang Chen took advantage of her being caught off guard,
and suddenly pulled her shoe from her foot, then threw it far from them.
After screaming, both of them remained silent which caused a strange, awkward
atmosphere to dwell upon them, Jiang Chen let out a fake cough, then said, "Chen
Xiaoxi, why is there such a big hole in your sock?
Chen Xiaoxi hung her head low, her big toe was poking through the hole, "I couldn't
find any socks to put on this morning.......That's why I said just now not to take off my
shoes......."
Jiang Chen, "......................."
PREVIOUS CHAPTER|TABLE OF CONTENTS|NEXT CHAPTER
Dolly|Amy |Xri
Side Story 1.5
A Love So Beautiful () Side Story 1.5
May 9, 2018Xri
Their Youth Part 5
As usual the "It was during year x" kind of sentence opening had to be used.
Everyone who are used to being a student will have this problem, you cannot
remember what you did in year 2005, but if you were to break it down to school years
like Junior 1 Junior 2 Junior 3 Senior 1 Senior 2 Senior 3, you will start to have an
unceasing torrents of memories.
It was during 1stsemester of Senior Year 3, Arts student Chen Xiaoxi had to take 4
hours' worth of bus ride with her friends and a teacher to a place she had never been
to before. She will be there to take part in an art class for half a month.
One day before departure, Chen Xiaoxi asked Jiang Chen on the way home from
school, "I'll be leaving tomorrow, will you send me off?"
"I won't," he said.
"Oh." Chen Xiaoxi couldn't hide her disappointment, "Tomorrow is Sunday, you don't
have anything on tomorrow, you should just send me off."
Jiang Chen wasn't in the mood, "Who said I have nothing on, there's the Physics
Olympiad that I'm participating in this Sunday."
"Hurhur*,I forgot," she scratched her head, "All the best, there shouldn't be a problem
for you to claim the 1stprize home ya?"(T/N: that's just a laughing sound LOL.)
"Easier said than done," he glared at her.
"Of course it's easy, I'm not the one participating in the competition..."
Chen Xiaoxi heaved a long sigh, "What to do? I think I'm starting to miss you even
before I'm gone."
Jiang Chen acted as though he couldn't hear, "Have you sorted out your luggage and
stuff?"
"Nope, my mum doesn't want to help me with it," Chen Xiaoxi complained, "She said
she wanted to watch <>* and doesn't have time. I think she just has a stepmother's
heart."(T/N: A Chinese drama loosely translated to The Heart of A Stepmother's
Spring'. Which was an actual drama in 1998.)
Jiang Chen laughed, "You can't pack it yourself?"
Chen Xiaoxi said, "I don't believe my mum won't do it for me! I will fight her!"
......
After dinner, Chen Xiaoxi was in her room packing her luggage, her mother was
outside watching The Heart Of A Stepmother's Spring and wiping her tears. Suddenly
there were knocking sounds coming from the windows as though something was
thrown at it. Chen Xiaoxi propped her head out and saw a man standing downstairs,
throwing small pebbles at her window. She got a shock, the alley was dark without
streetlights, and she couldn't see exactly who the person was, she turned back to her
room but quickly snuck her head out again and asked softly, "Who's there?"
"Jiang Chen," said the voice.
"I'll come down now!"
Chen Xiaoxi literally rolled and crawled down the stairs wearing her pajamas and
house slippers.
"Why did you run so fast for?" Jiang Chen was shocked by her way of running, how
her feet did not come in contact with the floor.
"I was scared that you might run away," Chen Xiaoxi said sheepishly.
"I'm here, where can I run to?"
"How would I know where you can run to? I usually can't find you," said Chen Xiaoxi.
Jiang Chen was speechless, she follows him everywhere, except with the exception
of not following him into the washroom. She still said she usually couldn't find him?
"Why did you look for me for?" Chen Xiaoxi had an idiotic smile, "Miss me? Coming
to kiss goodbye?"
"Your skin is really thick," Jiang Chen commented, then he reached into his pocket
and pulled out something like a few pieces of poker card, "This is for you."
"What is this?" Chen Xiaoxi took it and looked at it under the streetlight, "200
telephone card*? Why are you giving me a telephone card?"(T/N: 200 is a telephone
card brand in China.)
Jiang Chen said, "My house has a lot of such things, people gave them to us, I don't
need it so I'm giving it to you, don't you have to call when you are out?"
Actually, he requested Auntie Li to buy that stack of cards for him before he left home
this morning, but Chen Xiaoxi doesn't have to know about this.
"My mum bought one for me," Chen Xiaoxi said, "If you give me this much I wouldn't
be able to use them up, and they are all 50RMB."
Jiang Chen shrugged, "If you can't use them up then throw them away."
He turned around to head home, Chen Xiaoxi frantically called to stop him, "Wait
awhile, thank you for this."
"Ye," he said, and left.
"Aiya why are you always in such a rush to leave, you need to pee?" Chen Xiaoxi
blurted out and immediately regretted, she looked down to explain, "My mum always
said that to my dad..."
Jiang Chen solemnly returned his footstep, "What else do you want to say?"
"Nothing much," Chen Xiaoxi used her left foot to step on her right foot, "It's just that I
won't be able to talk to you for a period of time, I can't bear it."
Jiang Chen sighed in his heart, he calmly said, "Didn't I give you telephone cards?"
"Ah?" Chen Xiaoxi looked up in surprise, "So I can call you?"
Jiang Chen said, "The telephone card is with you, it's your choice who you want to
call."
Chen Xiaoxi smiled till her eyes almost couldn't be seen, "I'll call you every day, don't
you not pick up my phone oh~"
Jiang Chen said, "What's there to call every day? I'll pluck my house phone's cord
out."
Chen Xiaoxi said, "Don't be like this, I promise I'll only call an hour a day."
"An hour?" Jiang Chen glared at her, "You think I'm so free?"
"How about half an hour?"
"Half an hour every day, what are you? The news broadcast?"
"20 minutes?"
"No."
"10 minutes?"
"No."
"5 minutes?"
"No."
"Are you doing this purposely? If you don't want to, then why are you giving me
telephone cards?" Chen Xiaoxi stomped her feet.
Jiang Chen reciprocated her question, "Didn't I say my house has too many of these
and no one is using it?"
"I'm going home..." said Chen Xiaoxi.
"You need to pee?" asked Jiang Chen.
Chen Xiaoxi, "....."
Every 7PM since then, Jiang Chen's house telephone will ring along with the news
broadcast. Jiang Chen will rush to pick it up before Auntie Li does. Auntie Li
frequently gets scared by the Jiang Chen who would gush like a wind to get the
telephone. For a period of time, she had to look around before picking up the phone
to ensure that Jiang Chen didn't have the intention of answering the phone.
Every time Jiang Chen picks up the phone, he will stay silent for a few seconds
before saying, "Hello."
Not sure how Chen Xiaoxi was able to determine that the "hello" was his voice.
Regardless, she will happily drag her voice and say, "Jiang Chen,
hellooooooooooooooo~"
She was telling him about how her tutor looks like a caveman, about how her class
has a student who self-proclaimed to be Picasso, but no one is able to understand
what was drawn. In order to save money, she had to replace a meal everyday with
instant noodles, and she wants to puke when she smells it... Either way, she will
continue talking non-stop by herself. Sometimes the call ended in less than an hour, if
he had known, he would have agreed with an hour per day.
Afterwards Jiang Chen asked Chen Xiaoxi, how she was able to determine it was him
just by a "hello".
Chen Xiaoxi thought that it was only natural, "I said that if I were to call, you will pick
up."
He said, "What if I didn't pick up?"
PREVIOUS CHAPTER|TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dolly|Amy |Xri
Translator's Corner:
Yes it ended like that don't ask me why..
Edited: And I'm sorry if I confused you guys but the extras don't end here!!