Translated by Eve
Edited by Kara
The alley didn’t have any lights, but some light being reflected off the snow was enough to brighten up their surroundings.
Song Xuanhe evaded the question. “You really seem like you’re in a bad mood.” He then looked up. “Why?”
Behind Xiao Yuanmu was the dark alley. Above him was a faint, yellow light filtering out of an old window. His pupils were jet-black, and his gaze fell onto the reflective snow behind Song Xuanhe. His lips were slightly pursed, and his jaw was tensed. He didn’t say a word.
His cold aura paired with this kind of surrounding made him look lonely and dejected somehow.
Suddenly, Song Xuanhe realized something. Many complicated emotions bubbled in his chest. But in the end, he simply broke the silence with a laugh. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Xiao Yuanmu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. When his gaze locked onto Song Xuanhe, whose eyes only seemed to hold him in this moment, the look in his own eyes changed slightly. He said in a flat voice, “No.”
“Then, let’s go eat.”
Song Xuanhe came in a bit closer, putting Xiao Yuanmu’s ice-cold hands into his coat’s pockets. He asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Xiao Yuanmu looked away. “Haven’t you already eaten?”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes returned to see Song Xuanhe’s now-lowered ones. He finally said, “Let’s go to Jinji.”
Song Xuanhe paused and then agreed.
Nights in the city were always very lively. Even though it was a weekday today and already past eight, there were still lines and people taking numbers at most restaurants. Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu only discovered that Jinji was crammed full of people when they had arrived. If they wanted to eat, they’d have to wait at least half an hour.
Song Xuanhe was dressed in a suit. He was like a luxurious car parked on the street—he looked very out-of-place standing outside a hundred-year-old restaurant like this. Furthermore, Xiao Yuanmu, who was wearing an indifferent expression on his face, also seemed incompatible with the surrounding lively, raucous crowd. Even when sitting down onto the stool that was much too short for his long legs, it was difficult to suppress his cold aura and shockingly good looks.
Occasionally, people would either boldly or secretly cast their gazes over. Even the guests who had been leaving the restaurant couldn’t help but turn back to take a look. Xiao Yuanmu was calm despite the commotion, completely unaffected. Meanwhile, Song Xuanhe felt uncomfortable for some reason.
So, he pulled his phone out and swiped at it casually. He saw that Zhou Nan had sent him several voice messages.
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.
It was noisy in here, so Song Xuanhe didn’t want to bother with opening them. He just wrote back: Whatever you have to say, write it instead.
Who knew what Zhou Nan was doing right now, but his reply came back very quickly. There really seems to be something wrong with Lin zi. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him drink so much. He usually only takes a few sips. I think that he’s going to get drunk tonight.
Vbcu Wejctf tjv rbwfatlcu firf bc tlr wlcv atbeut. Ciatbeut tlr fsfr kfgf gfjvlcu Itbe Rjc’r afza, tf vlvc’a jmaejiis qgbmfrr jcs bo atf kbgvr.
Wljb Tejcwe’r ujhf ofii bcab Vbcu Wejctf’r qtbcf, jcv tlr jigfjvs vjgx fsfr ugfk fnfc vjgxfg. Pc mbcagjra, atfgf kfgf cb jevlyif fwbalbcr lc tlr nblmf. Pa kjr mbbi jr jikjsr. “Qtb lr la?”
“Zhou Nan,” Song Xuanhe replied casually. Xiao Yuanmu’s voice had pulled him back to the present situation. He finally understood the words on his screen, and his brows furrowed slightly. “They’re at a bar.”
As he had spoken, Zhou Nan once again sent another text: F*ck, Lin zi’s drunk. If you’re free, come help me talk to him!
Song Xuanhe’s fingers shifted to the keyboard. He was about to type a response when he heard Xiao Yuanmu ask, “Are you going to go there?”
His fingers paused, and then, he sent a short message back: I’m busy, won’t be able to make it.
Xiao Yuanmu looked away. His gaze was downcast, and Song Xuanhe couldn’t tell what he was thinking about.
Minutes ticked on by. The people before them had gradually all made their way inside. Song Xuanhe continued to play on his phone, bored out of his mind, but he was perpetually paying attention to Xiao Yuanmu through his peripheral vision.
The other’s eyelashes were downcast, and his sculpture-like profile had a bit of an unhealthy pallor. However, his lips were rosy. Contrasted with his pale visage, they seemed even more beautiful. But, the surrounding lively atmosphere only made him look all the more lonely.
“Xiao Yuanmu.”
Song Xuanhe couldn’t stop himself from calling the other’s name.
Xiao Yuanmu looked up slightly. When he met with Song Xuanhe’s eyes, he didn’t say a thing. He only stared at him calmly.
Song Xuanhe suddenly didn’t know what to say. He looked away, eyes falling back onto his phone as he made idle conversation. “What kind of congee do you want?”
“Seafood congee.”
Song Xuanhe paused his swiping. A moment later, he tapped his phone awake after the screen had dimmed. His own eyes were lowered as he said, “I also want that.”
“Mn.”
Staring at the app icons on the screen, Song Xuanhe feigned nonchalance. “Is work slowing down now?”
When he hadn’t heard a reply after a while, Song Xuanhe looked up and met with Xiao Yuanmu’s black eyes. He was slightly taken aback and looked away discreetly. His expression was still relaxed though. “Are you done?”
“Yes.”
Song Xuanhe’s hand tightened around his phone. He couldn’t help but scratch at the side of his cellphone. Nails against the fine, long frame, his lips pursed unconsciously. “Then, what do you plan on doing now?”
“Number five hundred and twenty!”
Not hearing Xiao Yuanmu’s response, Song Xuanhe looked up and was prepared to ask again. However, he heard a young lady yell again, “Is number five hundred and twenty here?!”
“What’s our number?”
Song Xuanhe glanced at it: “520.”
Xiao Yuanmu stood up. “Let’s go.”
The young lady’s eyes lit up when she saw the two of them walk over together. “Are you guests number five hundred and twenty?”
Song Xuanhe nodded and handed the slip of paper over to her.
After having confirmed this, the young lady covered her mouth and giggled. “You two must be lovers? Because our restaurant's bosses got together on January 16th, every year on this day, the guests who draw that number will get a free meal. However, if the guests who drew the number happen to be a couple, they have to kiss to get the free meal.”
The young lady had a crafty smile on her face as she said this. She looked very cute with that wicked smile on her face, which still had a bit of baby fat. Song Xuanhe raised a brow and said, “Why can’t we just eat if we’re a couple? You’re treating couples differently from single people.”
“Well, duh,” The young lady smiled, “We have to take care of our single folks. You two make such a handsome and outstanding couple. You should help make things a bit more fair for the single people.”
People were already listening in on this conversation. Someone in the line laughed and teased, “You’re the one not making this fair, you’re just forcing us to eat dog food!”
But, a lot of people had started to cheer them on. “It’s a free meal, ah, brother! Give him a kiss!”
“Kiss, kiss!”
“You’re both so good-looking. What’s there to be embarrassed about?” The young lady noticed that the two men in front of her remained motionless. She pouted, “If you don’t kiss, you’ll have to pay the full price.”
Song Xuanhe had no intentions of kissing Xiao Yuanmu in front of all these people. He had parted his lips, about to tell her that he was fine paying the full price, but was cut off by the young lady. “Our restaurant has been open for a hundred years. It has already been eight years since the third boss has taken over. All sixteen couples have kissed. Even if you don’t care about the price, based on this….”
The young lady’s eyes widened midway through her sentence at the sight in front of her. Everything had fallen silent outside. A moment later though came an eruption of cheers.
Xiao Yuanmu’s hand was pressed against the back of Song Xuanhe’s head. His cold but soft lips were tightly pressed against the other’s. Amidst the cheers, he had pried open Song Xuanhe’s teeth.
The spectators all cheered them on happily as if they weren’t currently outside a restaurant but rather at someone’s wedding. Song Xuanhe’s hand twitched before he looped one arm around Xiao Yuanmu’s neck and placed his other against the other’s head, pulling him towards himself. Without any hesitation, he stuck his tongue into Xiao Yuanmu’s mouth. Lips and tongues intertwined; he wasn’t passive in the least.
The two of them kissed for a long time. More and more people had come to join in on the fun. Some people had even started to record them. Others had even called their besties with excited shrieks. Someone’s voice broke as they excitedly said, “Two extremely handsome guys! This is a once-in-a-thousand-year encounter! It’s enough candy to last me ten years!”
Under the excited female shrieks and other cheers, Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu finally separated. When their eyes met, they could both see some unprecedented emotion in the other’s eyes.
They stared at each other for a moment. A while later, Song Xuanhe was the first to react. He looked away, embarrassed, and cast his gaze towards the young lady, who was covering her face. “Is this enough?”
“Yes!” The girl nodded at once. Excited, she said, “Not only that, but we’ll also give you guys a membership card charged with five hundred and twenty yuan! May your love be always blissful and everlasting!”
“Thank you.”
A hint of a smile suddenly appeared in Xiao Yuanmu’s cold eyes when he heard her blessing. Even if it had just been a hint, it was enough to thaw the ice in his eyes. The young lady was stunned seeing this.
Xiao Yuanmu didn’t notice the young lady’s expression. He took the gift card from her and asked, “Can we go in now?”
“O-of course!”
The young lady promptly led the way. But after just two steps, she couldn’t help but turn around. Unexpectedly, she just so happened to see that the two men’s hands were intertwined. Their laced fingers were so good-looking that she found it hard to look away.
Song Xuanhe let Xiao Yuanmu hold his hand. He had just taken a step before he noticed the young lady’s dazed expression. He paused and teased, “Are our seats in the aisle?”
“O-of course not!” The young lady came back to herself at once. Her face flushed as she explained, “It’s not my fault. I was stunned ‘cause you two are the most well-suited couple that I’ve ever seen before.”
Xiao Yuanmu’s hand tightened around Song Xuanhe’s. Song Xuanhe had also paused, the smile in his eyes dimming. His tone, however, was still the same. “Is that so? How old are you to make such a claim?”
“I’m telling the truth!” The young lady continued to lead the way, not daring to look back at them this time. Although her voice was quiet, it was confident. “I’m sixteen! Although I haven’t seen many couples, you are indeed the most well-suited couple I’ve ever seen. Of course, that’s only because my father and dad don’t count ‘cause they’re already married. They’re even more well-suited than you two are. But, you guys are just like them. I can tell just by looking at you.”
After having passed through the main hall, they walked down a corridor. She pushed open the door to a private room and then turned around with a smile. “This is the room specifically for guests with the number, 520. I’ll bring you the menu in a bit. Please sit first.”
When they sat down, the young lady giggled and closed the door, skipping away.
Song Xuanhe looked away, covering up the flash of emotion in his eyes. He met with Xiao Yuanmu’s pitch-black eyes before looking away again. With a smile, he said, “Children these days are interesting.”
Eve: He bao is so weak to Mumu’s affection…Somebody seemed to be unnecessarily into that kiss hahaha.
Kara: Ki…Kiss!!! And a French one at that, hehehe, this chapter makes me so happy! My babies, please continue to get even closer!! σ(≧ε≦o)
Awww. Everything seems sweeter especially that there’s no system yapping on about at this moment. Such genuine interactions. sigh
And Song Xuanhe seem to be indulging and pacifying a sulking Mumu~
Thanks for the update! 💕
+1
+2 they indeed got sweeter awww 💕
3+
ahhhh how satisfying, seeing them get closer!
please, keep the sugar coming!
Thanks for the chapter <3
Seems like I dont need breakfast 😅
Ah, they kissed!!
also Zhou Nan & Lin zi: “What happened to bros before hoes?? Lamps before tramps??? Mates before dates???”
Thank you for the chapter!
The candy was great I’d like some more.
Thanks for the great translation ♥️
You two are supposed to be breaking up, not hooking up. ^^;
+1 LOL, life gets ya y’know
+1 you seems to know somethin huh
Baby Xuanhe~ Mumu~
Kiss some more (º﹃º) I don’t mind the dog food.
Also, the 16y.o. girl is sooo me inside hahaha!
I want this sweetness to last forever~♡
Thanks for the chapter!
I almost cried realizing I was all caught up
??? why was he so into that kiss???
ngl i don’t like how XYM is so aggressive w SXH :'(
I would agree that it’s unnecessary for anyone to be this aggressive (irl and in other cases), but the way the author wrote this story and SXH, Mumu inevitably has to be pushy to get their relationship to advance. Leave it up to sxh and he will disappear as soon as he can. He doesn’t want to get attached because he’s going to leave. So while his pushiness isn’t exactly a good thing, it’s a neccessary thing for this story.
Did I miss something. What with this development!!!!I’m so lost.. lolololol..
The emotional and action jump is way out of my brain capacity. >.< I mean, MC still rejecting it before ML left, now.. now.. so sweet suddenly.. Can I have MC’s brain reading so I can understand his thought please. But anyway, oh, they KISS!!! Like REAL KISS!!
“…But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away, somehow… one step closer”…
Those lyrics from ‘A Thousand Years’ explain what I think made the MC unable to bear rejecting the lonely looking ML.
He softened a lot after the last orphanage visit. From his conversation with the system, you could tell he already felt something and was afraid of falling deeper. So he’s okay with indulging a bit of affection from ML seeing that he’s in a bad mood.
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡
I don’t know if anyone noticed but the girl said my father and dad…
oops wrong comment section.. Sorry
Thnaks for the chapter
Thank you for translating! <3
Aaaaahhhhh the kiss was great and with our SXH responding ufufufufu
Thank you so much for the chapter!!!!~ 🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇
(๑♡⌓♡๑) thanks for the chapter! So cutee
ITS ENOUGH CANDY TO LAST US A LIFETIME!!!! LIKE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
combusts into fireworks
As a gay person in a world that isn’t always accepting, the casual mention of that mob character’s parents being gay made me so happy! It wasn’t a big thing, wasn’t a huge deal- just parents, you know? It’s a completely normal thing, and seeing it portrayed that way is just… it warms me hehe ♡
Wow…..not expected that passionate kiss from them especially from SXH…..haha….. it shows that action is louder than word. Just admit it already!😍
The truly fall in love and that’s why I adore this novel. This chapter was sweet.
Keep the dog food coming, cause it’s not enough 😍😍😍, thank you all for all the hard you u guys done 😘😘😘
Hard work
(O///O)/ ABUNDANCE OF DOG FOOD!!!! Xixixi~
Thank u for the chappy~
KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE!
Dog food! I can eat this forever! Thank you for the chapter!!
They like making out in front of people ah (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ o(///▽///)q
thank you for the chapter~
kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so sweet so sweet so sweet nom nom nom… moar dog food 🤤
Thanks for the chapter~~ ❤❤❤
I luff you for updating.
THE CANDY. IM GETTING DIABETES ASONDOEKXBSOSK.
THABKS FOR THE CHAPTER! 💞
Who would have thought a meal would bring such joy for Xiao Yuanmu?!
Thanks for the chapter!
Im that girl
cute !
Horaay 🎉🎉
This seems like it could be the start of a romance story lol. Two friends getting food and kissing for the freebies, but they were way too into it to be uninterested, and can’t stop thinking about the kiss afterwards ahhhh
Just this and my tummy’s already bloated??? That was like a whole sack of dog food. 🙂
(。・//ε//・。)
Happy~ face hurts from smiling~ =\\\=
That girl is so cute and she’s so lucky to meet a perfect couple like he bao and mumu at that🤧 and the kiss arrgghhh…btw thank you for the chap…
they both… uhmm… really got into that kiss… they must’ve really wanted to have that meal for free… pfffft
my heart melted! i almost felt myself being in that crowd cheering them on!
And if the people who has 520th number are obligated to kiss in front of everyone even if they aren’t couple? And what if there is like 5 people in this group or I don’t know, father with daughter? It’s weird as h*ll…. And they are seriously has a special room for people with this number? XDD
Thank You for the new chapter (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤