After the book signing event, Xu Qichen’s Weibo was overwhelmed by CP fans. But this time there was a difference. His fans were no longer discussing the characters in his book, but rather the author himself.
Having spent too long writing, Xu Qichen’s eyes were a bit sore, so he asked 0901 to read those comments to him. The cute comments were read by 0901 in a serious tone, making them exceptionally funny.
[The wind before the storm: The CP vibes in this photo are breaking through the roof! The guy in the black shirt looks so gong when he presses down on the table.]
[Xiya is my wife: Black shirt guy is too cool!!]
[Has Lin Laoshi married me today?: In shock, I realised I could project Lin Laoshi directly onto the black shirt guy! His voice and height and aura are all a match!]
[my miao: I think he’s more like Mu Yao~ Mr. Miao is also always wearing black.]
[Convert me Dr. Su: I think he looks like Dr. Su in plain clothes.]
[Mr. Sesame Tangyuan: Only because Song Yuanyan exists in a different era hahaha]
[Mengze is my son: In that case, the gong in Xiya Dada’s books have a face from now on~]
…
How did they all think of the characters in his books? What kind of ability is this ah…?
A woman’s intuition is really a terrifying supernatural power.
“Forget it.” 0901’s lifeless voice was too funny. “I’ll read it myself. Help me cast it on the TV.” Xu Qichen nestled on the sofa, with the lollipop Xia Zhixu uses to quit smoking, in his mouth. After watching Xia Zhixu eat it every day, he finally decided to taste it himself and found it to be super delicious. He was then roasted by Xia Zhixu that even his smoking cessation tools were being appropriated.
These readers and fans have too much imagination, Xu Qichen thought while looking at the comments.
Could they have discovered anything? After all, the eyes of these young ladies online were similar to those of a microscope. After reading the comments, Xu Qichen realized that he was not worrying excessively at all.
[Momo: I didn’t believe it at first, but after seeing the videos, I also thought they looked like a couple! They’re even wearing the same mask ai! Exactly the same! I don’t believe it’s a coincidence.]
[The God-like Detective is Me: Finally, someone mentioned the masks~ I thought I was the only one who noticed. Plus, their clothes are matching~ It’s a couple’s outfit~]
[It’s Wintermelon, not Watermelon: Can I say I was standing right behind the black shirt guy? He’s really super handsome in real life, and his cologne was nice too! It’s a cold cedar fragrance.]
[Silence: OMG! Xiya Dada’s cologne is the same fragrance!]
[Angel Lu Xuan: No way! Is it the same cologne? There’s no way it’s real!??]
[Doge is the cutest: Could it just be a coincidence… A lot of men’s perfumes have similar scents.]
[It’s Wintermelon, not Watermelon: I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I was standing right there, and I thought the look Dada gave the black-shirt guy was weird like he was surprised to see him. I think I heard him say ‘Why are you here?’ But it was very noisy, so I’m not sure I heard it right. But I thought it was suspicious that Xiya Dada was so sweet and polite the whole time, except when he was talking to that guy, then he became… How to say it? Like a bit tsundere ahhhh…]
[Xiya is my wife: Aaaaa after reading what upstairs said, I’m really going to ship them! So cute!! Xiya Dada’s hidden side is so cute!]
[Mr. Sesame Tanguyan: During the Q&A session, Xiya Dada said that the gong has a prototype! Could it be…]
[Momo: No way…]
[It’s Wintermelon, not Watermelon: Aaaaah I don’t care! I’m behind this CP!]
[Marry me Lin Laoshi: I’m going to the book signing next time!! To see Xiya Dada’s boyfriend!!]
…
They really were too amazing.
Xu Qichen was amazed when he saw the comments. His fans had also uploaded over ten thousand videos of the event. The discussion was getting higher and higher, and there was even a CP topic.
From the looks of it, in the future, Xia Zhixu must appear in public places such as book signings, so as not to interfere with his private life.
It took a week for Xu Qichen to finally feel a sense of returning to reality, as the previous virtual world had brought him too many changes. Just like an ordinary person carrying memories from previous lifetimes, it was bound to feel a bit uncomfortable.
But he felt grateful. If he hadn’t entered that system space, he would never have bravely faced his own heart. He would only have hidden in the dark snail shell for a lifetime, timidly and sensitively reminiscing about the shattered dreams of his youth.
The wedding of Shu Ying and Zhang Zhengxin was held at the end of April, with the perfect weather and spring scenery.
Neither of them wanted a grand ceremony, so they just rented a small church and invited their closest friends and family to witness this precious moment together. Xu Qichen was the only close relative of the bride, so he assumed the responsibility of the bride’s father at the wedding.
“Are you nervous?” Xia Zhixu stood outside and straightened his tie.
Xu Qichen, who rarely dressed up formally, looked very handsome, “A bit. I hope I don’t end up tripping over my feet.”
Xia Zhixu smiled and patted his head. When he saw his aunt being brought over by the bridesmaid, he patted his shoulder and said, “Go on.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Shu Ying laughed, a moist light shining through her light-colored pupils.
“In the blink of an eye, you have become an adult. I feel a bit uneasy about handing you over to someone else to take care of.” Her gaze glanced towards the end of the banquet, paused for half a second on the tall man, and then returned to Xu Qichen. “But… you must have your reasons for liking him so much. Bring him home for dinner over the holidays, got it?”
Xu Qichen lowered his eyes, smiling. “En.”
As Shu Ying began walking slowly down the long aisle covered in rose petals holding Xu Qichen’s arm, melodious wedding march sounded throughout the chapel. She looked up at Zhang Zhengxin, who was standing not too far away.
His face was filled with uncontrollable joy, mixed with a hint of nervousness and awkwardness.
The two most important men in her life completed a gentle handover.
“Teacher Zhang,” Xu Qichen stopped in front of Zhang Zhengxin and smiled, “I’ll leave my aunt in your hands from now on.”
The cold and timid child from the past has now grown into a gentle and humble man. This was a sight that made one feel keenly the passage of time.
Zhang Zhengxin smiled and took Shu Ying’s hand, saying to Xu Qichen, “Don’t worry, I will never let go of these hands.”
Xu Qichen, who had achieved success, retreated and walked towards the family and friends aisle and sat by Xia Zhixu’s side.
“You did very well, like an independent adult.” Xia Zhixu smiled and leaned back on the bench, watching the happy couple.
Xu Qichen remained silent. His emotions were complicated. After relying on his aunt for so many years, he could finally rest assured to see her have her own happiness.
His eyes were a bit moist, thinking of many memories from his youth.
Looking at Zhang Zhengxin standing in front of Shu Ying as the two exchanged rings, the sunlight illuminated his no longer young but still elegant face.
He smiled as he recited his oath.
“For the rest of my life, I will love you, be faithful to you, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
Shu Ying replied, “I, too, will, for the rest of my life, love you and be faithful to you, no matter what happens, I will be by your side, until death do us part.”
Zhang Zhengxin lifted Shu Ying’s veil and lowered his head to kiss her.
Seeing this, Xu Qichen also felt that his mission had been achieved and he didn’t want to continue bothering the newlyweds who had paused their relationship for him for many years. He stood up and left the church.
Xia Zhixu followed behind him, their shadows overlapping on the ground outside the church, one long one short, intimately intertwined.
“Do you feel sad?” Xia Zhixu asked.
“En,” replied Xu Qichen. “It’s so strange. She’s my aunt, but I feel like I’m marrying my daughter off.” He laughed. “Probably because of the ceremony. When I had to hand her off, I actually felt a little regretful. It’s like cutting out a very important part of my life and giving it away.”
Xia Zhixu took a big step to stand beside him. “She is already a very important part of your life. So, for your aunt, handing you over to me is also a very sad parting.”
Xu Qichen breathed a sigh of relief and said, “But from another perspective, we all have more family members than before.”
“You’ve really changed.” Xia Zhixu put his arm around his shoulder, “Look at you, looking at the world from an optimistic perspective.”
Two people walked around from the church to the parking lot. Xu Qichen had a rare desire to drive. Although he was a bit uneasy, Xia Zhixu still agreed.
“You worked overtime yesterday and barely got any sleep. Get some rest in the car.”
Xia Zhixu nodded and got into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?”
“We’re not going anywhere.” Xu Qichen started the engine. “We’re going home.”
Although Xu Qichen rarely drove, his driving skills were just like him; very stable and calm. Xia Zhixu quickly fell asleep. Occasionally, at red lights, Xu Qichen would look at his sleeping face, which seemed no different from many years ago.
Childish, calm, bright, and warm.
For someone who relied on writing for a living, the most basic skill was to use a few adjectives to summarize the character’s personality and use the simplest of words to describe their charm.
But if the other party were Xia Zhixu, Xu Qichen really couldn’t describe him in simple words.
An entire lifetime spent writing about him would not be enough.
Sunlight slanting in from the edge of the car window, shone on Xia Zhixu’s eyelids, causing him to move his eyes involuntarily. He opened his eyes in confusion. “Are we there yet…?”
It felt like he had been in the car for a long time.
“We’re here”
By the time Xu Qichen parked the car, Xia Zhixu had woken up. As he opened the car door, the humid river wind hit his face.
This place had been visited countless times by Xia Zhixu, while Xu Qichen had only been here once.
“I lived near here in college but I never crossed this bridge on my own.” Xu Qichen walked ahead, strolling calmly across the sidewalk at the bridgehead. The river wind here was strong as usual, scattering his soft hair a bit. His back was blurred by the setting sun which bathed him in a red halo, and from behind, he looked like a person in a watercolor painting.
Xia Zhixu reached into his pocket and found a gold-wrapped candy. He tore open the package and put it in his mouth. He then quickened his pace and caught up to him, “Why are we here? Weren’t we going home?”
Xu Qichen turned his head and smiled at him, “I lied.” He looked over to the other side, and the rippling sunset on the river surface was like a small golden orange soaked in a sugar water jar for a long time, soft and peeling open at a single touch.
“Time flies so fast. Ten years have passed in a blink of an eye.” Xu Qichen stopped and leaned against the railing of the bridge. “Sometimes I wonder, maybe it’s because of you that I became who I am now, without becoming hysterical, cynical, or even more terrifying.”
He could have.
His life had given him many reasons to become a person with bad habits. Even if he had become a person full of negative energy and who used all his words to vent his dark thoughts, no one would criticise him. Because his tragic life experience would be enough to gain everyone’s sympathy, and also enough to make him choose to give up on going through life properly.
“After the car accident, I had thought more than once that I might as well just die. But seeing my aunt running around for me every day was a bit unbearable, so I convinced myself not to leave so quickly. At least wait for another year. At that time, she may feel better than she does now. So at that time, I was not living for myself at all. But I happened to meet you, and then…”
He buried his head low and breathed a sigh before continuing, “You’re too scary. You pulled me out of the darkness, inexplicably giving me a lot of care, whether I asked for it or not.” Xu Qichen couldn’t help but laugh.
Xia Zhixu argued, “That’s because some people are more in need of care and less willing to speak up.”
Xu Qichen let out a silent sigh and said, “Anyway, at that time, I thought you were strange. Where did you get so much enthusiasm towards me, a half-dead person? I couldn’t even avoid you. Maybe it was because your presence was too strong, that I forgot about my death plan later on.”
Later, he even thought it was lucky that he hadn’t died, only so he could meet Xia Zhixu.
The wind was so strong that it blew Xu Qichen’s voice away and melted it into the waves as soon as it fell on the river.
“Later on, when I was separated from you, I thought of many possibilities, most of which were quite hopeless, but there was also the tiny chance that we might meet again someday. When I thought of that scene, I wished I could still be like before, maybe a little gentler, at least it would make you feel, ah, this is someone who used to be my friend, and the current him doesn’t seem too bad either.” His fingers lightly touched the rusty railing, “I just held onto this idea, studying hard, living hard, and protecting the person you saved in the past.”
His words were even lighter than the clouds gradually cooling off from the sunset in the sky.
Xia Zhixu remembered what Xu Qichen had said to him many years ago, saying that he hoped his heart would be a house that could be cleaned, rather than a tree root that could only rot continuously.
He felt a bit heartbroken but also relieved that after so many years, he was no longer the same person as before.
“Did you know that you are also the one who changed me?” Xia Zhixu leaned on the railing, “I had been living under the eyes of others since I was young, but I didn’t know what I was capable of. Xia Xiqing was right. I was a fake sun, living a cheerful life according to others’ expectations, but in fact, I didn’t want to shine at all.”
After speaking, he laughed and said, “It wasn’t until I met you that I realised I had so much excess energy. I wished I could be around you 24 hours a day, shining on you and making you smile. I really wanted to get close to you, and did a lot of stupid things to that end. I never thought that one person’s attraction could be so addictive. So even when we parted ways, I still imagined the day when we would get close again. With that dream, I forced myself to grow quickly. Perhaps one day, I could meet you again with my own strength.”
Two stars separated by tens of thousands of light years, striving to maintain their faint radiance for a meeting that may never be possible in their lifetime, and for a promise that was never made.
Xia Zhixu looked towards the river, which was filled with a sky dyed with light red light. In a daze, he seemed to see two young boys standing in front of the railing wearing white shirts, with the same school emblem on their chests.
Time sunk them little by little, and together with memories, they were stored at the bottom of the river.
He said to Xu Qichen, “Do you know about this very interesting study in quantum mechanics called quantum entanglement, which, to put it simply, is a very mysterious interaction between two particles.”
Xu Qichen glanced at him, “What does that mean?”
“Under this mysterious correlation, even at a very great distance, these two particles can still exhibit a correlation beyond the realm of mechanics.”
On the surface of the flowing river, the thin clouds previously reflected had been blown away and become scattered pieces, floating and being swept away by the waves, disappearing.
“At first, I thought this theory was just too absurd. Not to mention me, even Einstein was skeptical and used the term ‘spooky action at a distance’ to describe it. But when we parted ways, I didn’t know from which day I suddenly understood.” Xia Zhixu looked at Xu Qichen and said, “At that time, I thought quantum entanglement really existed. I was the particle that entered the entangled state. Even if you weren’t by my side, I was still manipulated and influenced by you. I just didn’t know if you could sense my existence as well. Even if it was just a little, it would have been enough for me.”
Amber eyes flickered for a moment. “Me as well.”
Invisibly influenced by each other.
They originally thought that in this lonely and silent universe where even sound could not be transmitted, they alone were emitting one-way signals at a loss.
Later on, they discovered that they were two deaf and mute planets, unable to adjust their signals to the same frequency, and were using each other’s light for warmth without the other’s knowledge.
I like you.
Me too.
Xu Qichen kept his hands in his pocket, a thin layer of sweat coating his palms.
Xia Zhixu straightened up and left the railing, “Let’s keep moving forward.”
“Okay.”
The two of them slowly walked towards the other end of the bridge. In familiar scenes, there were always some wonderful coincidences. Two girls walked towards them, wearing middle school uniforms, talking and laughing, holding ice cream in their hands.
“I heard that if two people cross the Yangtze River Bridge together, they can be together for a lifetime.”
“Is that so? Then we will be best friends forever.”
“En!”
The urban legend told to deceive little girls was still enduring year by year.
After hearing the words of the two girls, Xia Zhixu couldn’t help but tease, “These two children must have never imagined that another couple who walked this bridge as friends would break up soon after.”
Xu Qichen suddenly stopped and turned around. Xia Zhixu thought he was angry and was about to explain, but Xu Qichen spoke first.
“It’s because we lied back then, that’s why it didn’t work.”
Although neither of them wanted to spend their entire life as friends, they still made promises that went against their hearts.
Of course, heaven punished them.
Against the sunset, he finally removed his hand from the pocket of his suit pants.
“So now, we have crossed this bridge with the correct identity as lovers. This time it won’t go wrong.”
A bridge connects the north and the south, turning the natural chasm into a thoroughfare.He reached out to Xia Zhixu and spread out his palm. On the slightly red palm of his hand lay a ring, which was very similar in design to the one on his ring finger, except that the gemstone on it was not deep blue, but a dazzling golden yellow.
Just like a tiny sun.
He took off the ring from his ring finger and placed it in the palm of his hand along with the new ring.
“For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will be loyal to you, love you, and honour you.” Xu Qichen suddenly recited the words, his gaze clear and sincere.
“Until death…” He paused, then continued with a smile, “No, even death will not part us.”
Xia Zhixu stood in front of him, smiling slightly, his handsome outline reflected in his pupils. “You have a great memory, but I only know one phrase,” he grabbed Xu Qichen’s hand and said, “I do.”
Xu Qichen handed Xia Zhixu the sapphire ring he had been wearing for a long time and held the ring he had secretly customized himself, putting it onto Xia Zhixu’s ring finger. Xia Zhixu also repeated this already-completed action once again.
Exchange and mark.
“Can the groom kiss the groom now?” Xia Zhixu asked.
Xu Qichen felt a little uneasy, with a hint of nervousness on his face. “Is this ceremony…”
But his face was held and kissed without any regard.
The tip of the tongue pressed a hard candy into his mouth, and the rich lemon aroma surged in an instant, with a subtle sourness and mild sweetness mixed in.
The person who had been hiding in a colourful bubble when they first met, finally took the initiative to extend his fingers and pierce through this beautiful yet fragile film, truly accepting this imperfect yet beautiful world.
And the sun that could be shattered with just one touch, lit and extinguished, struggled for ten years, and finally returned to the track of true longing, shining only for one person.
Xu Qichen, who finished kissing, gave him a push and, holding the candy in his mouth, turned around and walked off the bridge.
As Xia Zhixu followed behind, pursing his lips and smiling, he remembered something. He took off the ring that Xu Qichen had just put on him and examined the smooth inner circle in the light of the quickly setting sun. As expected, there was indeed a line of small characters engraved inside.
My little sun.
“Speaking off, how long does the entangled state last?”
“It probably ends at the moment when the two particles disappear.”
“And if they don’t disappear?”
“Then… they’ll be entangled until the end of time.”
TN:
And that’s a wrap! Thank you for joining us on this journey! 
We won’t be translating the extras so feel free to pick those up if you’re interested in translating them.
Thank you for translating this novel and doing such a good job!! <3
Hello! Thank you very much for your hard work! I would like to translate this novel into Spanish, so that more people have the opportunity to know this beautiful story! I did not find a translation into Spanish, although if so please tell me because it is not my intention to take over anyone’s work. Thank you and I await your response!! 💗
Thank you for translating this beautiful and heartwrenching (warming) novel!
My heart is full after I finished reading this novel. Everything is perfect 😭❣️ may the author live a long life. And kudos to the translator team for translating this novel so beautifully ❣️❣️🫶
This has been such a great journey; a real pleasure to read! Thank you for your translation!
Such a nice journey it is. Thank you so much for translating this novel. Keep it up ❤️❤️
Thank you so much for translating this novel! So happy that they’re together!
what a beautiful journey! i remember reading this while the tl was still on going and now re-reading after it has completed bring me so many memories. thank you so much for ur hardwork to translate this novel <3