CH 24

In the movie, the two main characters broke up shortly after entering university, but Ren Shuhan and Jiang Qingyue’s relationship progressed smoothly in their freshman year.

They still lived near the school, going to and from school together, eating meals together, and going out to play. All their classmates assumed they were a couple. Ren Shuhan’s friends would ask him to bring Jiang Qingyue along when going out and would say, “Bring your wife along.”

The first time a friend said this in front of Jiang Qingyue, Ren Shuhan became nervous and stiffened, immediately turning to look at Jiang Qingyue.

Jiang Qingyue pursed his lips and smiled, looking down at the floor, while brushing his hair behind his ear, but the hair fell and covered his blushing cheeks.

Ren Shuhan understood the meaning behind this gesture all too well and couldn’t help but touch his nose, turning his face away and smiling.

He must also like me.

Is there anything in this world that can make one happier than this?

Yes, there is. After completing their final exams in the second semester of their freshman year, it happened to coincide with Ren Shuhan’s birthday. A group of friends strongly insisted that he bring his partner out for drinks. One of his buddies, who usually treated Jiang Qingyue like an exquisite flower, fragile and protected by Ren Shuhan, dared not make jokes about him. However, during a game of truth or dare, he was carried away and insisted that Jiang Qingyue give Ren Shuhan a kiss.

Jiang Qingyue felt awkward and didn’t know where to put his hands. Ren Shuhan positioned himself to block him from view and pretended to kiss him, but in reality, their lips didn’t touch.

In the past, when they went out in the wilderness together, they had slept in the same tent, but they had never been this close, with their faces almost touching, feeling each other’s breaths clearly and seeing the subtle glimmer in each other’s eyes.

God knows how much Ren Shuhan wanted to just go for it, certain that his baby’s lips would be soft and sweet…

But he hadn’t confessed yet!

He felt as though some force was controlling him, preventing him from kissing, from getting too intimate… But that didn’t stop him from feeling proud.

That night might have been one of the happiest birthdays he had ever experienced because he kept replaying the shy and expectant look in Jiang Qingyue’s eyes when they pretended to kiss. In that instant of their closeness, Jiang Qingyue even closed his eyes, as if waiting for that kiss. So when blowing out the candles, Ren Shuhan made a wish for time to pass a bit faster.

In the latter half of the night, he got slightly drunk for the first time. Jiang Qingyue didn’t like alcohol, so he didn’t drink and instead escorted Ren Shuhan home. He took care of him attentively, indulging his every whim, and even let him rest his head on his own thigh, gently stroking his shoulders and head.

After entering the house, Ren Shuhan became somewhat intoxicated with his own pride.

After getting drunk, Ren Shuhan appeared fine on the surface, but he was actually more sensitive and impulsive than usual. He couldn’t control his strength either, and as soon as they arrived home, he pinned Jiang Qingyue against the door and held onto him tightly.

Jiang Qingyue helped him take off his coat and shoes and guided him stumblingly to the bathroom.

Ren Shuhan was completely sober1Uh I’m not sure if the author got things mixed up since it was said that he was drunk and a paragraph later it’s now sober…? ^^’ , without a trace of embarrassment. He also started undressing Jiang Qingyue, deliberately hindering his movements. Finally, he pushed him into the bathtub, and both of them ended up completely drenched.

Jiang Qingyue’s breath was erratic, and his feeble attempts to resist were almost nonexistent. It seemed that as soon as Ren Shuhan touched his body, he lost all strength and couldn’t bring himself to look at Ren Shuhan’s face.

“Young Master… please get up,” he whispered, but he didn’t move.

Rather than saying that Jiang Qingyue was resisting, it would be more accurate to say he was welcoming yet rejecting at the same time. How could Ren Shuhan not see it? Holding onto Jiang Qingyue’s waist and pressing against him tightly, he was on the verge of losing control. However, the result was that he became so confused that he seemed to be rejecting him while acting coquettishly. Jiang Qingyue gently placed his hands on his own chest, and Ren Shuhan was afraid that he genuinely didn’t want it, even though he didn’t offer any resistance. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to make a move.

An invisible force held Ren Shuhan back.

At that moment, as he pressed Jiang Qingyue beneath him, he stared at his face intently, thinking. I’ll watch over you right here, and no one will dare to lay a finger on you. Once I graduate and gain control of everything in my family, no one will make you suffer anymore. At that time, I’ll confess to you with confidence, and we’ll naturally be together.

Perfect.

“Wait for me,” he said.

Jiang Qingyue finally mustered the courage to look at him with confusion: “Young Master?”

Then Ren Shuhan hugged him tightly, burying his face in the water of the bathtub. After calming down for a moment, he stood up and left.

It felt as though the memories were rewinding, starting from the very beginning of their childhood and abruptly stopping at this point.

On the set, Ren Shuhan seemed to awaken from a deep dream. The “cut” command was given, and he dropped the script, quickly walking towards the rest area to find Jiang Qingyue.

“Look at how impatient Brother Han is,” Shen Xinghe joked. “Even though he has known Assistant Jiang for so long, he still acts this restless. If people didn’t know any better, they would think they are in the honeymoon phase.”

Gu Qingmeng pondered for a moment and said, “It’s possible that they’ve only just entered the honeymoon phase.”

“No way?” Shen Xinghe was shocked. “Doesn’t that mean they wasted all those years of being childhood sweethearts?”

“You guys don’t understand,” Director Chen was being pretentious as he tried to say in a profound way. “The most precious thing is the hazy beauty of knowing without saying.”

Shen Xinghe scratched his head. “But wouldn’t that be wasting all those years without… you know, becoming intimate and ending up as a late bloomer?”

Gu Qingmeng: “…Is that the only thing on your mind?”

At that moment, Ren Shuhan suddenly entered the rest area, and Jiang Qingyue looked confused.

Ren Shuhan felt extremely regretful. Why was this memory rewinding so slowly? He just remembered that the original owner had already been affected by Gu Weici’s protagonist halo at that time!

Ah, damn! He wasted all those years without getting intimate. Otherwise, he would have had at least 800 passionate rounds with his beloved!

To ensure that the protagonist Gong was still a virgin, the protagonist’s halo was activated and forcibly prevented their relationship from progressing. So, from that day onwards, the original owner entered a state of paranoia, maintaining a pure relationship with Jiang Qingyue every day. He firmly believed that Jiang Qingyue was sacred and untouchable, and their intimacy started to regress.

From Jiang Qingyue’s perspective, the crack between them occurred because of that one night.

He felt shy and gently pushed away his young master. Although he didn’t use much force, it pushed him far away, and a few years later, there were other people around his young master.

So now, when Ren Shuhan gave even the slightest hint, Jiang Qingyue would willingly respond, no matter how he was bullied or how embarrassed he felt. He would always stay close, never refusing. So when Ren Shuhan apologized, Jiang Qingyue would say, “It’s my fault.”

But baby…

Ren Shuhan walked up to him, pounced on him, and vigorously nuzzled his neck.

It was never your fault.

“What’s wrong, Young Master?”

Jiang Qingyue’s fingers followed the contours of his back, speaking in a warm and gentle tone, as soft as cotton candy. But Ren Shuhan knew that beneath that soft and sweet exterior, Jiang Qingyue’s heart must be very strong and stubborn to have never given up on him all these years, always waiting for him.

Ren Shuhan hoped that the wish he made on his birthday would come true. He wished for time to pass quickly so that his beloved wouldn’t have to suffer for so long.

“Is your back sore?” Ren Shuhan pinched his waist and lightly bit his neck. Without waiting for him to deny it, he added, “Don’t pretend to be strong. If you’re tired, in pain, or don’t want it, just say it. Regardless of how you reject me, I’ll hold onto you and never let go.”

Jiang Qingyue wanted to say, “I won’t reject you, Young Master. I like whatever you do to me,” because that was the truth. But since the Young Master wanted him to be a bit more willful, he decided to go along with it. So after thinking for a moment, he softly said, “…You got me.”

Ren Shuhan released him and propped himself up above Jiang Qingyue’s body, looking at his slightly mischievous and adorable smile. Unable to resist, he leaned in to kiss him again.

“I like you,” Ren Shuhan nibbled on his ear and said, “I just love you.”

Jiang Qingyue: “?!?”

I don’t want to make any more excuses.

I don’t want to make him wait any longer.

If I like him, I’ll propose right after we finish filming. I can’t delay it even for a day.

I’m always discovering the novel as I translate, and quite frankly I was shocked when I saw him mention a proposal at the end of this chapter (ง ื▿ ื)ว

Also, I was wondering at the start of the novel why Ren Shuhan had never went forwards with his feelings if he was in love with Jiang Qingyue and it was reciprocated, and now 20 chapters later we have the answer! It was because of Gu Weici’s halo (눈_눈)