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,
(T/N: I'll put the TN on another paragraph because ^ is too long. An idiom play on 万花丛中过片叶不沾身. 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 know 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 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
I wish when the flock of geese flying in a formation return, high above the west chamber hangs a full moon. (T/N: from another poem
I hope that in everything and everything, to be everlasting, be in protection, be at peace, and be healthy.