CH 7

Apologies for the late update -_- my laptop charger died and I had to wait a few days before getting a new one

Sooo regarding English versions of Chinese phrases: I’m gonna keep translating Chinese sayings and stuff as their English counterparts, but I’ll stick one of those [number] things and add the OG phrase as a footnote for those interested :)

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Xie Jianwei instantly thought of the ‘little sister’ that Lu Li had imagined up in the previous dreamscape.

So, inheriting the position of the sister, he had another ex again?

Didn’t the data show that he’d only played with women before meeting Lu Li? How did a man jump out as well?

Xie Jianwei supported his forehead with a hand, utterly defeated by his own lover. 

He was drunk already, his head woozy, and now he also had to think through a messy pile of stuff - it was logical that his reflexes were a bit slow.

Yet this state of his actually gave the male stranger an opportunity - he grasped Xie Jianwei’s hand, and lovingly said: “That year I was the one at fault, I’ve always been very regretful…Jianwei, can you give me a chance again?”

Xie Jianwei said in his heart: He didn’t even know the person, give him a chance his ass!

Lu Li wasn’t here, and he couldn’t be bothered acting, so he said directly with a cold expression: “Let go.”

The unknown man was stunned, seemingly a little scared of Xie Jianwei. 

“The past has already passed,” Xie Jianwei struggled free from his hands, his face a field of cold detachment: “That year, you didn’t want your chance, and you won’t get one now.”

He threw down these words, turning and leaving without any reluctance.

Yet the unknown man grew impatient, hurriedly saying: “I was too young at the time, I didn’t know my own intentions, I…”

Xie Jianwei turned his head, looking at him: “Even the things that happened that year, I’ve forgotten about - did you think that I’d still care about you?”

At his words, the unknown man’s face paled, and he became a picture of soulless distraught: “Impossible, it’s impossible…”

But Xie Jianwei didn’t pay attention to him anymore, turning back to the banquet hall. 

The banquet was progressing like a raging fire, but Xie Jianwei wasn’t in any mood to deal with these people. He sent a text, sending someone to investigate the identity of the person outside. 

Very quickly, the information was delivered to his hands.

Xie Jianwei used his drunkenness as an excuse, leaving in advance.

On the top floor of the cruise ship, Xie Jianwei more or less came to understand the identity of the unknown man.

The unknown man was called Xu Li, and was Xie Jianwei’s underclassman, the two studied at the same alma mater. But one was about to graduate, and was the successor to the Xie family, while the other was a hotheaded commoner kid infatuated with the movie industry.

It was unknown which eye of ‘Xie Jianwei’ had gone blind, that he would take a fancy to this little underclassman, being exceedingly good to him.

For the whole four years in university, he looked after him meticulously; no need to mention his studies, he even spent a huge amount on that little hobby of his, smashing money on it like he wanted to kill it [1], yet still stubbornly refusing to let Xu Li know. 

All the way until they graduated, when Xu Li mentioned that he wanted to study abroad in distant Egypt, and Xie Jianwei wouldn’t let him.

Xu Li didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let him.

Xie Jianwei confessed to him, hoping that he would stay by his side.

But Xu Li got scared instead - all these years, perhaps it wasn’t that he didn’t discover Xie Jianwei’s affections, but that he chose escapism, pretending to be clueless - so now that he suddenly heard the confession, his reaction was intense - not only did he move far away from Xie Jianwei, he even quickly found a girlfriend, cruelly hurting the president Xie who was still pure-hearted at the time.

In summary, Xie Jianwei has raised a thankless ingrate [2]; Xu Li had played around with him for four years, in the end giving him a blow to the head as well.

This made Xie Jianwei completely detest and reject emotions, becoming the Big Scum Xie who flew amongst the flower bushes without letting a single leaf stick to himself.

And now Xu Li had come back. 

As to whether it was because he had truly thought things through and had discovered that he loved Xie Jianwei, or because he had been excessively extravagant with his spending - and now that his life had become a complete mess, he remembered this idiotic bag of money, and hence transformed into a new person with new opinions.

Xie Jianwei looked at the data, somewhat unable to figure out what Lu Li was thinking.

Was he this much of an idiot? 

That he would be good to a human scum without reason?

In his lifetime he had only ever dug out his heart for Lu Li, but could the Lu Li of then even be mentioned in the same sentence as the Xu Li of now?

The young Lu Li, on that deserted planet, had a fiery and forthright disposition, persevering and earnest, he…

Xie Jianwei blinked, suddenly remembering something; apparently they had stayed on the deserted planet for coincidentally just up to four months?

Four years, four months - was there some sort of connection?

Xie Jianwei hesitated for a moment, feeling that his thoughts were a bit far-fetched.

Lu Li did like getting jealous, but was it necessary for him to get jealous of himself?

Even though he had split into different personalities, but his personality at that time hadn’t split, so this was their shared memory.

Xie Jianwei shook his head, feeling that he had maybe thought too much.

Even though he had to cooperate with Lu Li in the dreamscape, there were still some things that could be avoided.

Such as this Xu Li - Lu Li was probably going to use him to make a big fuss, but as long as Xie Jianwei made him encounter a small, unavoidable accident, then it would save him a lot of trouble.

A thing such as logic, would always have loopholes that could be taken.

This wasn’t him being uncooperative, since, after all, ‘accidents’ were inexorable.

Xie Jianwei had the whole thing arranged with two or three words.

His birthday was a rare occasion; even if it was in the dreamscape, Xie Jianwei’s birthday truly was on this date; after all, with regards to the matters concerning Xie Jianwei, Lu Li remembered very clearly.

For his previous birthdays, Lu Li would always give him a surprise, but now in the dreamscape, as luck would have it, he couldn’t even see the person.

Xie Jianwei tossed and turned for ages, feeling somewhat unhappy.

He missed Lu Li, he wanted to see him.  

Apparently, Lu Li also missed him.

So his phone sounded for a moment. 

Xie Jianwei swiped it open to look - it was a message from Lu Li: “Open the window.”

The corner of Xie Jianwei’s lips raised a little. He got up and off of the bed, pushing open the window before him.

The cruise was already at sea. Outside lay a mass of inky blackness; because the weather wasn’t very good, one couldn’t even see the stars, the black sky and the black sea intersecting with each other; standing at the window, he seemed to see a boundless void.

And it was just at this moment, that the sky suddenly exploded with magnificent fireworks.

Xie Jianwei’s eyes widened suddenly, somewhat surprised.

This picture was too beautiful.

The fireworks were as bright as the night was dark. The ephemeral light, like shooting stars, rolled down the horizon;  in the next moment, the seawater would reflect this captivatingly beautiful image, the two exchanging reflections, amplifying the beauty.

Supreme Commander Lu always did like doing these impractical ‘romantic gestures’.

Xie Jianwei didn’t say it, but actually, in his heart, he liked it.

Who wouldn’t like it? The regard of a lover for themselves.

Xie Jianwei took out his phone and sent a message to Lu Li in reply: “Where are you?”

Lu Li asked: “Shall we meet?”

The corner of Xie Jianwei’s mouth rose slightly: “I will wait for you here.”

A certain someone wouldn’t walk the normal way, and had to board the ship like a pirate, en…and even came in through the window like a lecher.

But Xie Jianwei liked this ‘lecher’.

He looped his arms around him, taking the initiative to press close and kiss him.

Lu Li patted his butt, lightly laughing: “What are you in such a hurry for?”

Xie Jianwei’s heart was so filled with sweet and warm bubbles, he couldn’t even tell whether this was in the dreamscape or in reality, softly calling out to him: “Little Li.” [3]

Lu Li was a little dumbfounded, his thin lips raising slightly afterwards, asking with obvious intentions: “Is it small?”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Really, his inherent nature hadn’t changed; whether it was in reality or in the dream, his behaviour was one and the same. 

Before the two entered into a relationship, Xie Jianwei always addressed Lu Li like that, because Xie Jianwei was indeed older than Lu Li - even if it was only by maybe two or three years, it was still Xie Jianwei who was older.

But after they had rolled onto the bed, Lu Li wouldn’t let him call him that, and when Xie Jianwei did, he must make him properly experience whether it was ‘Little Li’ or ‘Big Li’.

And today, the Xie Jianwei inside the dream once again properly experienced it.

After being made muddle-headed and infatuated, Lu Li asked him with evil intentions: “Big or small?”

Xie Jianwei softly spoke a reply.

Lu Li happily worked hard for a whole night.

Xie Jianwei was so tired he fell asleep.

Lu Li tightly hugged him, his eyes filled with unconcealable love, as deep as the ocean.

The two’s relationship in this half a year, although malformed, has been unexpectedly harmonious.

To the extent that there had been a few moments of absent-mindedness when Lu Li would feel as if Xie Jianwei actually liked him.

Perhaps it wasn’t just lust, perhaps with the passage of time, Xie Jianwei, to him, might feel love.

Lu Li reminded himself that he should keep calm, but all he had to do was lower his head and - looking at Xie Jianwei, curled in his embrace, sleeping so unguardedly - his heart would soften into cotton candy, light and airy, carrying with it a sweetness that would seep into one’s heart.

How could he like someone so much? He liked him to the point where he couldn’t let go of him, no matter what.

“Little rascal, all lust and no love.” [4] Lu Li felt unresigned, swiping the tip of Xie Jianwei’s nose.

Xie Jianwei moved a little within his arms. Lu Li kissed him on his forehead, and unexpectedly, absurdly thought, that being like this for a lifetime would be nice too.

He was heartless, but he needed him.

Even if he needed him in this way for a lifetime, he would be satisfied.

Lu Li and Xie Jianwei fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

When the sunlight on the sea shone through the window and into the room, Lu Li opened his eyes, a step ahead.

He fell asleep…

Half a year later, he had once again slept by his side.

Xie Jianwei hadn’t woken up yet, but the Lu Li who had calmed down, knew that he should leave.

He didn’t want to wake Xie Jianwei, so he got off the bed with light steps.

Last night the two had messily started kissing chaotically from the window, and their clothes were thrown all over the room.

No matter how big the room on the cruise ship was it still couldn’t compare to the one on land. Lu Li put on his clothes as he picked them up, his lips still slightly raised, unconsciously.

Until he saw the pile of documents scattered on the table surface.

Lu Li’s forehead gently wrinkled, picking them up curiously and coincidentally.

He only glanced at it once, and his pupils shrunk violently. 

Xu Li?

A person that Xie Jianwei had spilt his heart for, taking care of him for four years.

Lu Li speedily flipped through reading it, and upon finishing the material, there was only an expanse of icy coldness left in his heart.

It wasn’t that Xie Jianwei didn’t have a heart.

It was just that his heart had been placed with someone else.

Xu Li, Lu Li.

许立、陆离。

Xiao Li, Xiao Li.   

小立、小离。 [5]

When he looked at him, whose name was he truly calling?

• • •

The author has something to say: Isn’t it sweet~~~ (Don’t look at the last 143 words)

But truthfully speaking, when reading this novel, you guys must straighten your mentality, absolutely mustn’t be led askew 【。】by Lu Big Li. 

Of course, you guys must also believe in Big Li, he is earning happiness for himself [dogeface]   

• • •

The translator also has something to say: I wanna punch the author for those last 143 words.

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[1] Raws say ‘smashing money to the death’

[2] Thankless ingrate: 白眼狼: literally ‘white eyed wolf’ - as in the wolf is blind, physically and metaphorically unable to see who it owes its gratitude to. Also - at the ‘blow to the head’ bit, there’s an implication that the hit was done with a bat lol

[3] As many of you are probs aware, sticking ‘little’ (sometimes translated as Xiao or Lil’) in front of someone’s name is like giving them a nickname. Very affectionate. Same applies for ‘big’ (‘Dah-’) Also you’d have to be older than them or at least the same age.(similar to putting ‘Ah-‘ in front as well except I don’t think Ah- has any age restrictions?). It can also act as a…um…euphemism (??) for Lu Li’s ‘Lu Li Jnr’ lol.

[4] 走肾不走心 - last chapter I translated this as ‘sexually active but not emotionally active’…aha I think, literally speaking, it’s something along the lines of ‘going sexually but not going heart (emotionally)’

[5] The emboldened characters are both ‘Li’ - the intonations are different, but intonations can be really subtle sometimes. Also, Xu Li’s name is pronounced something like ‘Shoe Lee’, Xie Jianwei is ‘Shieh Jien Way’ and Lu Li is ‘Looh Li’ in mandarin :p