CH 54.2

People often start thinking about ‘forever’ when they experience a ‘first time’ or at the beginning of something. But in reality, that was really difficult to achieve. The more you experience it, the more you feel it was out of reach.

Han Shi Yu only just started his relationship, so he very firmly believed in a love that would last until death.

But Yang Mo was too cold.

At first, Han Shi Yu thought he was just placating himself, like a good-natured adult dealing with a child who was curious to try the unknown. Han Shi Yu often felt restless, trying all kinds of ways to make Yang Mo ‘fall in love with him’. even hoping he’d break down at the mention of breaking up.

Therefore, Han Shi Yu began to learn the female stall owner’s barbeque recipe. He clung to her and begged for many times until he got it from her, practiced nonstop to the point he would vomit from eating lamb skewers.

The day he planned to make them for Yang Mo in his own backyard finally came. He hand-fed it to Yang Mo and nervously said the sentence he prepared a long time for, “Senior, I’ll make these for you for the rest of my life, okay?”

Yang Mo’s expression did not show much of a change. He responded plainly, “En.”

Han Shi Yu began panicking again.

It felt more and more like no matter how hard he tried, the person who would break down at the mention of breaking up would still be him.

Han Shi Yu couldn’t sleep at night, tossing and turning in his bed thinking about that ‘en’. It still sounded like he was being placated, and that thought added fuel to his uneasiness.

He wondered why he liked Yang Mo.

Because Yang Mo was good-looking. Tough on the outside but gentle inside. Firm and unwavering to what he utters. Considerate in everything he does, especially when he takes care of others. There’s also a refreshing, natural feeling when spending time with him. Rational yet sensible and strict. Excellent to the point of incomparable. Never unreasonable…

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The more Han Shi Yu listed that out, the more he started feeling smaller and insignificant. At the end, he buried his face in the pillow with a dejected heart.

Why did someone like Yang Mo even fall for him?

His major didn’t match with Yang Mo’s, so they already lost a common topic to talk about when it came to studies. Han Shi Yu had bought a bunch of programming books, but after reading them all, he was only able to distinguish some of the concepts. The rest were still confusing to him.

Han Shi Yu, who had overwhelmed and blinded by love, probably forgot about one thing – the so-called textbooks only changed terms that one understood, into a bunch of unknown sentences that no one could recognize anymore. If someone with no basic knowledge read it and hammered on, it would only make them lose more and more hair with time.

At the very start of their relationship, Han Shi Yu and Yang Mo could never hold much of a conversation. Perhaps the atmosphere was too quiet, so Yang Mo opened his mouth and asked in an official manner, “What are your hobbies?”

That was indeed very ‘official’, fitting to use for a new couple who were warming up to each other.

“Ah,” Han Shi Yu snapped out of his daze and said, “Just…reading some books.”

Yang Mo: “Oh.”

The conversation ended, but the atmosphere did not warm up or get heated.

Han Shi Yu had no choice but to awkwardly continue the conversation, he smiled. “Ge, do you usually read too? Do you have a favourite author?”

“I do,” Yang Mo said, “I don’t have a favourite.”

Han Shi Yu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say anymore so he scratched the back of his head with his index finger.

Yang Mo asked back, “What about you?”

Han Shi Yu laughed and said, “There are so many that I can’t count them all. I grew up loving Yu Guang Zhong. For foreign authors, it’d be Kawabata Yasunari.”

Yang Mo: “En.”

The conversation ended once again in a long silence.

“Haha…” Han Shi Yu let out a few awkward laughs.

He realized that after confirming their relationship, the two of them became more restraint instead. Han Shi Yu couldn’t guess what that ‘en’ meant, only picking up that Yang Mo wasn’t very interested. He felt like he had chosen the wrong topic and got frustrated for the rest of the day.

The wooden bells on the car shook, but it didn’t ring.

Yang Han asked, “Then, did you continue to pester dad?”

Han Shi Yu: “Tsk, what do you mean by pester.”

“Not getting a response, but still being obsessed,” Yang Han said, “What is that if not pestering?”

Han Shi Yu waited for a red light, so that he could free his hand to give Yang Han a whack on her head.

He said, “It didn’t count as pestering.”

Yang Han: “Oh?”

“I went to the library once and happened to run into him there. Afraid of falling into awkwardness again, I sat behind him without saying ‘hi’.” The corners of Han Shi Yu’s lips curled up slowly.

Han Shi Yu was sitting on pins and needles behind Yang Mo.

He considered whether to greet him, but Yang Mo was so immersed that he didn’t notice him. Han Shi Yu thought it might not be good to interrupt him because of that.

Just as Han Shi Yu was about to get up, there was a girl who came up to him. It was Hao Yan, who had hired him as a tutor for her cousin that day.

She whispered with a smile, “Yang Mo, you’re here too.”

Yang Mo replied, “…Hello.”

She sat down openly in front of Yang Mo. Han Shi Yu held it down and returned to his original state.

Not even he dared to be so open and carefree.

Hao Yan curiously tilted her head and looked at the pages of the book Yang Mo was reading. She read it a little and hesitantly commented,” The Snow Country?”

Han Shi Yu, who was rubbing his fingers nonstop, froze.

Yang Mo raised his head and looked at her, nodding, “En…”

“I thought someone who love programming and only have numbers as your companion wouldn’t have anything to do with books like this.” Hao Yan laughed and joked, “You like reading Kawabata’s books?”

Han Shi Yu heard an ‘en’ without a single hesitation from Yang Mo. He then added on, “My boyfriend likes them.”

Hao Yan’s smile froze on her face. She knew Yang Mo wouldn’t make a joke like that, so she was stunned for a while and looked a little surprised. After a long time, she laughed incredulously and said, “You are….”

Han Shi Yu turned back in a daze, realizing the two of them were sitting so close together – nearly back to back – with only the distance of turning one’s head around separating them.

Yet, Yang Mo still didn’t notice him. He only continued to respond to her with an ‘en’.

But Han Shi Yu could clearly see his reddened ears.

Yang Han: “Ah—”

Han Shi Yu: “Keep your voice down.”

Yang Han buried her head in the pillow and said incoherently, “Ahhh, how can dad be so cute? I’m dying.”

Han Shi Yu smirked and said arrogantly, “He’s mine anyways.”

Yang Han poured a bucket of cold water at him, “Reflect on why dad got so angry at you that he went abroad then.”

“……” Han Shi Yu: “You don’t understand.”

Yang Han: “Heh.”

She turned her attention back to what was in front of her, patted her face a little and reflected on the story she just listened to.

But in that moment, she saw a man on the roadside, waving his hand at them like he was waving for a taxi.

Yang Han was puzzled and asked, “Is that a paparazzi?”

Han Shi Yu raised an eyebrow. That person was wearing black sunglasses with a black mask, looking a lot like a paparazzi for real. He tilted his head and felt like that his figure seem very familiar. But as he gave it a thought, it felt too unlikely so he waved it off.

But ultimately, his intuition made him stop his car by the side.

Yang Han asked, “Ah, why did you stop the car for?”

Han Shi Yu: “…I don’t know either.”

That man knocked on the window and Han Shi Yu’s intuition grew stronger, so he slowly lowered the window.

“Sir, are you still picking up passengers.” Yang Mo took off his mask and said in a plain tone, like he was just another passerby on the street.

Han Shi Yu looked at him. That soulful voice made his thumping heart stop for a moment.

Yang Han was dumbfounded when she heard that voice. It took a long time before she reacted and confirmed with surprise that it really was Yang Mo.

“Dad!” Yang Han opened the door and jumped down, got so excited that her eyes were wet with tears. She rushed over and hugged Yang Mo before saying, “Why did you suddenly come back!!”

Yang Mo stroked her head and smiled a little.

Han Shi Yu suppressed his heart that was crashing crazily in all directions, calmly regained his calm state. He placed one hand on the steering wheel and pretended to be a taxi driver as he said, “Of course I am. Get in.”

Yang Mo got into the passenger seat.

He had already made a trip back home but didn’t find the two of them. When he went out looking for them, he suddenly rain into a familiar car license plate number.

There was an overjoyed smugness that couldn’t be hidden in Han Shi Yu’s tone as he said, “Still throwing surprises even though we’re an old married couple.”

Yang Mo replied as he fastened his seatbelt, “Same goes for you.”

Yang Han almost rolled around at the back from sheer excitement. She leaned towards the front and said, “Dad, let me tell you how it has been for me in the last two months…”

“Tsk, we’re driving. Sit back down properly.” Han Shi Yu said, “We still have plenty of time. You can talk when we’re back home.”

Yang Han: “I don’t want to! You can’t stop me!”

About life, about youth and about love.

That day, Yang Han wore her light blue school uniform as she looked out the window. It was the hustle and bustle of summer outside, brimming with so much life force.

She tapped her fingers on the pages of the book slowly, to the point where she forgot about Xu Jia’s hushed reminder and the slowly approaching language teacher.

She stared out the window with a bright smile on her face.

She thought to herself.

There are still plenty of time.

T/N: And that’s the end of the main story! It took a really long time because life got busy for me, but I’m glad we’ve finally reached the end. Thank you for reading along <3

There are still 2 more extra chapters so look out for that!