These past two days, Jiang Muping has been going to his parents’ house quite frequently, which led to him being greeted with some skepticism by his cousin Li Sizhi as soon as he entered that quadrangle courtyard.
“Why have you been returning home so frequently these past few days?”
Li Sizhi was sitting in front of the stone table in the courtyard. On the table, there was a bottle of clear liquor and an exquisite wine glass, with about half a glass of liquor poured into it.
Jiang Muping first entered the house to drop off his bag and heard Li Sizhi calling him from outside, asking him to join her for a drink.
The weather in September still had some lingering heat in the evenings. Jiang’s mother sliced a plate of watermelon and asked Jiang Muping to bring it to the courtyard to share with Li Sizhi.
Jiang Muping placed the fruit platter on the stone table. He had already removed his tie, with the top button of his collar undone and his sleeves loosely rolled up to just above his wrists.
“You’re coming back to stay?” Li Sizhi took a bite of the watermelon she had scooped, asking, “Why do you have free time to come back every day recently?”
Jiang Muping also took a scoop of watermelon, “I have a doctoral student this semester who constantly comes to me for consultation every few days. I come to my parents’ place to seek some peace and quiet.”
Biting into the watermelon, Li Sizhi gossiped, “What do you mean? Why do I sense something taboo in your words?”
Jiang Muping remained silent.
“Does that student have a crush on you?”
Jiang Muping didn’t seem to care, “I don’t know.”
“Is it a boy or a girl? How did they find out where you live?” Li Sizhi inquired.
“It’s a boy,” Jiang Muping took a bite of the watermelon, “I guess he probably asked his dad.”
“Who is his dad?”
“He’s the dean of our department,” replied Jiang Muping.
“…” Li Sizhi chuckled, with a hint of schadenfreude in her laughter. “How can you avoid seeing the student who comes to consult you? It goes against professional ethics, Professor Jiang.”
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Muping’s face, mixed with a hint of helplessness. “Who can handle someone coming every few days?” he replied.
Li Sizhi lifted her wine glass and suddenly stopped, “Oh, I just remembered. Did you go to meet Cheng Yan today?”
“Yes, I did,” Jiang Muping replied.
Li Sizhi set down her wine glass. “How did it go?” she asked.
“It was just alright,” Jiang Muping gave a vague answer.
“What do you mean by ‘just alright’? Was there a spark? Did you have any feelings?”
Jiang Muping tossed the watermelon rind into the trash bin next to his feet, his fingers slightly moist with juice. He took out a tissue and slowly wiped his fingers. “Jiě, have you ever been his teacher?”
“Well, since we’ve come to this topic,” Li Sizhi chuckled, “I taught him how to draw. He was still young back then, in his early twenties.”
“Wasn’t he attending school at that time?” Jiang Muping looked up at Li Sizhi and asked.
“No, he didn’t. He didn’t even graduate from high school,” Li Sizhi seemed to sense something. “Muping, why are you asking about this?”
Li Sizhi knew Jiang Muping very well. He was a very tolerant person and didn’t care about the educational background of his partner, whether it was high or low.
“He was my high school classmate,” Jiang Muping said.
Li Sizhi was taken aback. “Really? What a small world! Such a coincidence!”
“I find it hard to believe as well,” Jiang Muping said. “I haven’t seen him in almost twenty years.”
“What kind of fate is this for you two to meet again? Professor Jiang, what do you think?”
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.
Jiang Muping glanced at her, amused by Li Sizhi’s apparent enthusiasm in trying to match him with Cheng Yan. He didn’t express any opinion, so Li Sizhi continued to pursue his feelings about Cheng Yan.
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“Then let me ask you a question, and please answer honestly.”
Jiang Muping nodded in agreement.
“Will he turn out to be the appearance you like? In your opinion, would I be proven right or wrong?” Li Sizhi asked.
After giving it some thought, Jiang Muping didn’t shy away and nodded confidently.
Even though Cheng Yan has the kind of appearance that most people would find attractive.
The main reason why Jiang Muping has been single until now is not only because he missed the best time for dating in his early years due to being too busy with work and subsequently became lazy to find a partner, but also primarily because he has very high standards.
Li Sizhi vaguely remembers asking Jiang Muping what kind of wife he would like to have in the future when they were young. Jiang Muping, in his childish voice, told her, “I want to find someone very beautiful.”
What was once thought to be a child’s playful remark turned out to be true. Moreover, Jiang Muping adhered to this standard of finding a wife for over thirty years.
Cheng Yan indeed highly fits Jiang Muping’s aesthetic preferences.
Beautiful, yet not vulgar, with an approachable appearance, but in reality, there is a gentle sense of aloofness about them.
“You see, I told you,” Li Sizhi revealed a childish look of satisfaction. “So, what are your thoughts?”
“I don’t have any particular thoughts. I’m not eager to disrupt the current pace of my life.”
Li Sizhi understands. Whether there is a spark between two people ultimately depends on the feeling, not just appearances.
Jiang Muping added, “Besides, I feel a bit… I can’t quite put it into words, but it feels a bit awkward to date someone from high school.”
“This is what they call a childhood sweetheart,” Li Sizhi said, unsure where she had learned the phrase.
Jiang Muping was much more fashionable and knowledgeable than her. He replied, “To be childhood sweethearts, we would have had to meet when we were still wearing open-crotch pants. Don’t say things you don’t understand.”
Li Sizhi burst into laughter, raised her glass and drank it all in one go. Her face flushed as if she were drunk, and she said, “If we didn’t have a chance to be childhood sweethearts, we still have a chance for a twilight romance.”
After that blind date, Jiang Muping and Cheng Yan didn’t contact each other again. Cheng Yan had long thrown Jiang Muping’s contact information into the trash and never had any intention of further pursuing him. As for Jiang Muping, the school had just started, and he was overwhelmed with various tasks and responsibilities, leaving him with no time to attend to matters outside of work.
Until today, Jiang Muping finally had some free time, so he was in a good mood. And when he was in a good mood, he felt like calling out names.
Jiang Muping’s classes were always full, and he would occasionally call out names, but it was always selective each time.
Feeling good today, Jiang Muping entered the classroom and added a couple of unrelated jokes. There were two empty seats in the second-to-last row, and on one of the seats, there was a bunch of vibrant red roses. Jiang Muping noticed them, placed his teaching materials on the podium, and casually remarked, “It’s not Valentine’s Day today, is it?”
The students understood his meaning and turned their heads to look at the bouquet of flowers. Laughter filled the classroom from under the podium.
Jiang Muping pulled out the list that was tucked under the teaching materials. “As usual, let’s do roll call out of order. Those who have requested leave, please submit your leave slips to me.
Generally, no one would take leave from Jiang Muping’s class. In fact, many students would even come early to secure seats in the front row. Since no leave slips were submitted, Jiang Muping proceeded with roll call directly.”
“Bao Minghui.”
“Here.”
“Cao Xue.”
“Present.”
“Fang Yuyan.”
“Here.”
“Kang Ming.”
No response.
Jiang Muping raised his head. “Kang Ming.”
Still no response. Jiang Muping lowered his head and drew a line on the list, then continued calling out names, “Lin Weijing.”
A silence fell over the classroom as the students whispered to each other. With two consecutive absences, Jiang Muping couldn’t be bothered to call out the name again. He simply wrote down the names directly on the list.
“Professor!” A student in the front row raised their hand and stood up. “Lin Weijing went to the infirmary, and Kang Ming escorted him there.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure…” The student pointed to the two empty seats and the flowers on the desk. “Someone gave those flowers to Lin Weijing. It seems he had a severe allergic reaction to the pollen and started having difficulty breathing. I arrived early and saw Kang Ming escorting him to the infirmary.”
Jiang Muping furrowed his brow. “Having difficulty breathing?”
“Yes,” the student nodded.
Jiang Muping closed the teaching materials. “Everyone, continue with self-study. I’ll be there in a moment.”
The masseur had a strong grip, pressing precisely on acupoints with each stroke. Cheng Yan lay on the therapy bed, feeling so comfortable that he was on the verge of falling asleep.
The sudden ringing of the phone startled Cheng Yan awake, He groggily opened his eyes and impatiently grabbed his phone, causing the masseur’s hands to lighten their pressure.
Cheng Yan looked at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number.
“Hello, how are you?”
“May I ask if this is Mr. Cheng Yan?”
“Who is calling?”
“I am the school doctor from Beicheng University, are you Lin Weijing’s older brother?”
Cheng Yan raised his hand to signal the masseur to stop and sat up, supporting his upper body. He said, “Yes, I am. What’s wrong with Lin Weijing?”
“He’s having an asthma attack. Are you available to come to the school now?”
“I understand, thank you.”
Cheng Yan got up and said, “Old Cao, let’s skip the massage for today.”
“Alright, I’ll make it up to you next time,” the masseur responded with concern. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“My younger brother,” Cheng Yan hastily changed his clothes, “He’s not in good health and had an illness episode at school.”
“Oh dear, we need to go there quickly.”
Fortunately for Cheng Yan, Beicheng University was not far from the massage place, so he quickly arrived.
Lin Weijing’s asthma was a chronic condition that originated from childhood, not an acute illness. It rarely manifested in particularly severe cases during normal times. This was his first time having an episode at school, and the fact that the school doctor called specifically made Cheng Yan quite anxious throughout the journey.
The medical facility at Beicheng University was well-equipped, comparable to a small town’s health clinic. Cheng Yan was led by the school doctor to the ward where Lin Weijing was resting.
What a false alarm it was.
Seeing Lin Weijing lying well on the hospital bed, Cheng Yan’s previously suspended heart finally settled down.
Lin Weijing’s condition didn’t appear to be as bad as Cheng Yan had imagined. His lips were just slightly pale. For Cheng Yan, who had grown accustomed to his younger brother’s episodes since childhood, the phone call from the school doctor seemed exaggerated. Moreover, Cheng Yan shouldn’t have been the first person the school doctor contacted.
While Lin Weijing was talking with his classmates, he suddenly raised his head and glanced towards the door. He smiled with narrowed eyes and said, “Gē.”
Cheng Yan furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s going on?”
“He had an attack.” Lin Weijing looked so pitiful, like a little puppy, almost as if he needed a tail attached to his backside.
“How did it happen?”
Kang Ming said, “Someone sent flowers to Lin Weijing, and it seems like he’s allergic to pollen.”
Cheng Yan nodded and said, “He has asthma, and smelling pollen can trigger his condition.”
“Gē.” Lin Weijing called out to Cheng Yan.
“What’s the matter?”
“Were you working just now? Did I interrupt your work?”
“No, you didn’t.”
Lin Weijing is very good at pretending to be pitiful, and he manages to succeed every time.
Cheng Yan knew that it must have been Lin Weijing who had given his phone number to the school doctor. From a logical and emotional standpoint, Lin Weijing should have chosen his legal guardian as his first contact. However, he still chose Cheng Yan, his older brother who had no legal relationship with him.
It was probably intentional. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and Cheng Yan and Lin Weijing had grown distant.
Cheng Yan maintained a neutral expression and walked over to place his hand over Lin Weijing’s heart. He asked, “Feeling chest tightness?”
Lin Weijing obediently shook his head.
“Don’t you have your medication with you?”
“I have it.”
Kang Ming said, “He did bring his medication. I just had some concerns about any further issues, so I brought him to the medical room.”
Cheng Yan turned to look at Kang Ming and said, “Thank you.”
Kang Ming replied, “Hey, there’s no need to thank me. It’s what I should do.”
“How did Professor Jiang come here?”
“Lin Weijing? He’s fine, resting inside.”
The voice of the school doctor came from outside the room, and Kang Ming turned his head to see the person. He respectfully greeted, “Professor Jiang.”
Jiang Muping nodded and glanced at Lin Weijing lying on the hospital bed.
Cheng Yan slowly withdrew his hand from Lin Weijing’s chest and turned around. He looked at the doorway, momentarily startled.
Jiang Muping’s gaze shifted from Lin Weijing to Cheng Yan, and they locked eyes for a moment.
Unconsciously, Cheng Yan licked his dry lips, unable to immediately recall Jiang Muping’s name.
Jiang Muping had changed into a black shirt and wore a grayish-blue tie. He was dressed formally, exuding an otherworldly aura, yet his expression carried a hint of casualness. Cheng Yan admitted that his heart rate was now slightly irregular because of the restrained allure emanating from Jiang Muping’s attire.
He remained in a daze for a while until Jiang Muping spoke up, saying, “We meet again.”
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and honestly if li sizhi isnt like a self-insert character the author wrote then im superrr glad because they really fleshed her well in just 4 chapters even giving her a concrete background which i dont blame other authors but its kind of rare to read a female character in a bl with her own personality (or to even pass a bechdel test)
Thanks for the chapter <33333
I like how everything moving, slowly, but not to much
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
The tension between them is palpable. Just a short interaction but it feels so trilling! I can’t imagine how it is like when they started dating. Love the translation. Thanks a lot.
It’s fate! It’s fate!
Thank You for the new chapter ♡(ŐωŐ人)
😍😍