CH 13

Unedited

The atmosphere in the kitchen became somewhat ambiguous. Du Huai’an was silent for a moment, and suddenly moved closer to Bai Zhi’s side, speaking in a low voice, “Young Master, do you dare stay out all night?”

Bai Zhi lifted his head, “What?”

“Don’t go home, stay here.” Du Huai’an slightly paused for a moment, “Should we go see the snow?”

“Snow……” Bai Zhi thought about it and was about to agree, then he heard Du Huai’an voice out. 

“We’ll finish eating dinner then go, how about that?”

Bai Zhi’s hands trembled at what he heard and nearly chopped up his hands.

Finish eating dinner? Eat human dinner? Eat an unpalatable human dinner?

No, he’ll never ever accept it.

He decisively declined, using the kitchen knife and chopped with a bang. He waited until the water had boiled to throw in the ingredients. He grasped Du Huai’an’s hand, “I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m gonna go, see you later.”

After saying that, he opened the door and ran like he had seen a ghost.

Du Huai’an who had already succeeded in persuading the man: “……?” 

Bai Zhi’s heart was full of fear for food, and he ran back home in an instant. Du Huai’an looked at the half-done dinner and frowned.

He didn’t say anything wrong, right? Could it be that Jiang Jiu is shy? Du Huai’an carefully thought about it. En, he’s definitely shy.

It seems he has to be a bit reserved next time. Du Huai’an silently thought.

The next day, Du Huai’an intentionally got up early, dressed up, then sat on the sofa and waited for Bai Zhi to arrive.

As he waited and waited, he suddenly felt like this wasn’t a good idea. Seeming too expectant would harm his image. 

I’m going to be a bit more distant. Du Huai’an was in the midst of telling that to himself in his mind when a bunch of doorbell rings suddenly rang out. He froze in place for a moment, then immediately ran over to open the door.

Bai Zhi wore a tiger-skinned hat, both of his hands inserted in the pockets of his down-filled garment1. He spoke, filled with energy, “Good morning!”

Du Huai’an: “En.”

“Have you eaten?”

“En.”

“Let’s go downstairs!”

“Hm?”

“To look at the snow, you said it.”

Bai Zhi spoke and jumped forwards a step, lifting his hand to straighten Du Huai’an’s necktie, “Your neck——”

Before he could finish speaking, Du Huai’an had already taken a few steps back. The man who had refused him had a serious face, and he slowly opened his mouth.

“Be a little reserved.”

Bai Zhi: “……Oh2.”

The two people were awkward for a long time and finally went downstairs. The fresh snow had just come down, and outside of the room, it was a white world of ice and snow.

Bai Zhi very carefully took a step. He stepped on the snow and it issued a creaking noise, he immediately smiled. He turned around and led Du Huai’an along, pointing to the snow to show him.

“Look at our footprints, they’re linked together.”

This time, Du Huai’an had actually not said something about being sympathetic, no, reserved.3 He followed where Bai Zhi had pointed and looked over. Two footprints were imprinted together, side by side like a pair of lovers snuggling.

His mood unconsciously improved.

Bai Zhi leaned over his side. Du Huai’an looked at his soft, dishevelled hair and reached out to rub it, “Go, go step on the snow in the streets.”

The snowflakes were soft. It wasn’t shallow and it wasn’t deep. Du Huai’an turned his hand and enveloped Bai Zhi’s right hand, following after him in a rather good mood. He stepped beside the traces of Bai Zhi’s footprints.

Du Huai’an exhaled and turned his head to look at Bai Zhi. 

Maybe tomorrow, maybe in the following hour, there will be other people to walk through the snow, and their footprints would be destroyed until they would no longer have their initial appearance. 

But at least at this moment, the snow recorded footprints only belonging to Du Huai’an and Bai Zhi.

The two people tirelessly walked for a long time, passing by several street corners. More and more pedestrians came on the road, and from time to time, they would glance at Bai Zhi and the other man holding hands. 

Du Huai’an keenly sensed those gazes. Things that were forgotten during the journey had only then returned to his mind.

He couldn’t hold hands with this young master in plain sight.

His identity would harm Jiang Jiu.

Du Huai’an immediately withdrew his hand.

Bai Zhi froze and turned his head, some confusion worn on his face.

Du Huai’an lowered his head, and then spoke after a moment, “I……”

“Jiang Jiu!”

A yell rang out from the distance, and Bai Zhi impatiently turned his head and saw a creature wearing a shirt in winter running over.

“Who’s this?”

“Peng Yuanyang, the Peng family’s second child. In his childhood, he often bullied Jiang Jiu.” The system’s words came through, “Nephew, be careful.”

Bai Zhi wasn’t interested in paying attention to the guy. He turned his head and continued looking at Du Huai’an, his voice carrying a bit of helplessness.

“What’s up with you?”

Before Du Huai’an could reply, Peng Yuanyang had already run in front of the two people and reached out to hook Bai Zhi’s neck.

“Yo, brat Jiang Jiu. Who are you on a romantic date with on a Daxue4 day, I see——”

He casually glanced at Du Huai’an, and his words paused, “Fuck, Du Huai’an?”

Peng Yuanyang’s tone was very frivolous. Du Huai’an narrowed his eyes, turning his head to glance at him, but he was blocked by Bai Zhi who put forward a leg and distanced himself. 

Peng Yuanyang was a bit afraid looking at the expression in Du Huai’an’s eyes that was there for just a moment. He reacted after and was somewhat angry. The man before his eyes was just a prostitute. What the fuck was he afraid of him for?

Thinking he had actually lost face5 to a male prostitute, Peng Yuanyang spoke out with hostility. 

“Jiang Jiu, after not seeing you for several years, your taste has truly gotten worse and worse. What, can’t find a girlfriend, so you now want these kinds of goods?”

Bai Zhi’s attention, however, had oddly gotten sidetracked, “You haven’t seen me for several years? But doesn’t Uncle Lan frequently begin banquets for the younger generation? I’m always there, could it be that you weren’t there?”

“Was the invitation letter for your younger brother, or did your family go bankrupt?”

Bai Zhi innocently spoke without any guilt.

Peng Yuanyang’s face became white then red for a moment, “Your family was the one that went bankrupt!”

“My family hasn’t.” Bai Zhi very seriously retorted.

“You, don’t pretend to be insane and act stupid with me!”

“I’m not……” Bai Zhi weakly replied.

Peng Yuanyang saw his timid appearance and was disgusted, “Enough, you and this prostitute are in an entanglement with each other and you’re still pretending to be pure with me?”

Bai Zhi miserably spoke, “Even though single dogs6 are very pitiful, they get beaten up for casually biting people.”

“Who are you calling a dog?” Peng Yuanyang was verbally attacked back by Jiang Jiu for the first time. He was bitter about his unbearable grievances and took out his clenched fist, intending to intimidate the coward.

Bai Zhi glanced at him, and after a moment, he pulled down Peng Yuanyang’s arm.

Snap. 

Peng Yuanyang fell to the ground.

“Fuck, Jiang Jiu, you’ve grown up, you dare hit Laozi7!”

Bai Zhi silently squatted down, using his hand to jab the injured place of his, “You seem to have dislocated it, hey.”

“I’ll kill you if you touch me again!” Peng Yuanyang’s voice was hoarse with pain, “Your hands did this to me and you’re still pretending to be innocent?”

“You actually want to kill me.” Bai Zhi scratched his head.

“It’s obviously you who came over and was fierce to me, you even scolded me and also wanted to fight me. You weren’t careful and dislocated your joint, and you still want to frame me.”

“You’re a terrible person.”

Peng Yuanyang was in pain and anger, he was unable to say a word. He simply opened his wide eyes and looked at Bai Zhi, seemingly shocked by the words he said.

Bai Zhi had a pitiful appearance, “You’re the bad person, I’m going to go home to tell my dad and mom.”

After he said that, he left Peng Yuanyang on the streets of the wintry December. He ran to Du Huai’an’s side to seek comfort. 

Peng Yuanyang sneezed from the cold. He wasn’t careful and pulled his wound, and in place, he howled out again.

Du Huai’an listened to the screams behind him and recalled Bai Zhi’s hand that seemed to be given by the Gods, his eyes twitched.

He was silent for a very long time and suddenly spoke.

“That person just now, is he your friend?” 

Bai Zhi shook his head without fooling around, “No.” Just as his words fell, he suddenly remembered that the original owner and Peng Yuanyang played together during their childhood and added a sentence.

“He used to be.”

Du Huai’an was silent for a long time, then spoke, his voice somewhat unnatural, “This change, is it because of me?”

Bai Zhi thought about it. He realised he was indeed taking place of the original owner for the position of the villain’s little brother. Thus, he nodded, “En!”

The young man’s expression of firmness was abnormal. Du Huai’an froze for a moment, feeling that his heart was in turmoil.

Not hesitating to commit an offence on big shots for him……

He’s so petite yet he wanted to fight Peng Yuanyang……

Du Huai’an thus became completely silent.

The petite Bai Zhi who was still being well-behaved:

“The villain just thanked me, hey.” 

“It’s because you fended off the bad person and protected the villain.”

Bai Zhi felt that the system’s words were strange, “Actually, I didn’t use much force.”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

Bai Zhi didn’t speak and curled up his body. It seemed very soft, lovely and harmless.

Du Huai’an approached him, “Were you wounded just now?”

Bai Zhi thought about it then nodded.

Du Huai’an was frightened and promptly spoke, “Where’s the wound!”

Bai Zhi: “I was scared.”

Du Huai’an who had a negative amount of IQ in love: “It’s heartache, rub it.”

Bai Zhi who had a high IQ no matter what: “All right, wuwu.”

Peng Yuanyang behind: “……”

After being coaxed by Du Huai’an’s warm voice for a long time, Bai Zhi stopped his involuntary coquettish behaviour and tugged on Du Huai’an’s necktie.

“You should eat.”

A certain someone who let the man casually pull his necktie: “What do you say we eat?”

Bai Zhi thought about it. He turned around, pulling down Peng Yuanyang’s wallet amidst his frightened glance.

“Eat the most expensive, we’re wealthy.”

After saying that, he raised the stolen goods in his hands.

During the process of the meal, the system who was distressed for its nephew was in so much pain it didn’t want to live. It took the matter into its own hands and secretly replaced the food with spiritual fruits. Bai Zhi the thief had a great time and ate until he was satisfied, joyfully spending all of Peng Yuanyang’s money.

On the journey back, Bai Zhi looked at the sky. The plump moon lay in the starry sky, it was as if it had eaten two mountains for dinner and it was now stuffed.

Du Huai’an looked at the side of his face, his heart was suddenly very soft. 

The clock in the public square sounded. Du Huai’an lifted his wrist, the hour hand and minute hand were already a right angle.

It was nine o’clock.

Du Huai’an sighed, his and Jiang Jiu’s time together only had three hours remaining.

“Jiang Jiu.”

“En?”

Bai Zhi looked at him, there was only him in his eyes.

Du Huai’an pursed his lips, after a moment, he voiced, “The order is going to finish.”

“Oh.” Bai Zhi paused in place at what he said, no smile on his face. Du Huai’an’s heart tightened, he was just about to figure out how to comfort him when he saw Bai Zhi squatting down, fiddling with something on the floor for a long time.

When Bai Zhi stood up again, there was a small snowman in his hand. It had a chubby body and small, round eyes.

“This is you, isn’t it good-looking?”

Du Huai’an didn’t speak for a long time.

Bai Zhi was discouraged. He held the snowman high up, and in a fit of pique, he said, “I think it’s good-looking.”

“Even if it wasn’t good-looking, I would like it.”

Words similar to a confession jumped out from the young man’s mouth. Du Huai’an felt that his heart suddenly became sweet and soft.

He uncomfortably stood there foolishly for a long time. He turned his head and saw the side of Bai Zhi’s face rise again.

The street lights were very bright and this young master appeared particularly white. He was dressed in a snow-white, down-filled garment, his very small face was covered in the hat, and the small stars in his eyes flashed. 

He’s just like a little prince. Du Huai’an thought to himself.

He took a deep breath and patted the little prince’s shoulder. He saw the man turn his head, and stooped to lightly drop a kiss.

The snowman fell on the ground with a ‘pa’ and Du Huai’an closed his eyes, pressing Bai Zhi’s nape.

“Close your eyes, it’s a parting gift.”

Zenne: Oh god, what a chapter. 

By the way, I’ll now be posting chapters every Monday. And because some chapters are 1-2k characters, I’ll do double releases when I get those. If you want to ask more about this, you can comment and I’ll reply. ^_^

(Another thing, if you previously saw the page empty or whatever, my bad. I have bad wifi lately + I’m using some old laptop + it glitches. So, that was why. ^_^)