Li Tang and He Yu went to the parking lot to pick up their car. When Li Tang reversed the car, the rear of the car accidentally rubbed against the wall behind it. He Yu opened the door and got out of the car to take a look. He saw that the paint on the rear of the car was scratched. He returned to the passenger seat and said, “It’s not that serious. I’ll send it to be repainted next time.”
Li Tang said, “Hmm,” stepped on the accelerator, and drove the car out slowly.
He Yu pulled the seat belt, fastened it, and said, “Brother Li, you’re a little absent-minded, ah.”
Li Tang asked, “Really?”
“Of course,” He Yu said, “You think I didn’t notice you? What’s wrong? You were fine listening to the concert inside just now.”
Li Tang smiled and said, “I told you not to ask me to attend any concerts. It will waste everyone’s time all night.”
Of course, He Yu didn’t think that Li Tang was really affected by the concert. The only thing he could think of was Hong Minhang and the singer he saw when he came out.
He Yu had never been involved in Li Tang’s feelings. Love was not a necessary thing in everyone’s life, and his own emotional outlook couldn’t be used as a stance to interfere with other people’s lives. However, as he grew older, he had a deeper understanding of the people he cared about. He always hoped that they could live a better life. Because he couldn’t accompany them for a lifetime, he always hoped that someone else could accompany them for a lifetime instead.
He Yu suddenly wanted to ask Li Tang, Is there someone you can’t let go of? Is that person Hong Minhang?
But before He Yu could ask, Li Tang suddenly asked him, “You’ve been watching me all the way. What are you looking at?”
He Yu said, “I was just wondering, are you unhappy because you saw Hong Minhang with that man?”
Li Tang did not answer directly but asked He Yu a question, “Do you have any brothers?”
He Yu shook his head. “I only have one sister.”
Li Tang continued to ask, “Were you unhappy when you saw your sister getting married?”
He Yu said, “How could it be? When my sister got married, I was still studying. I felt very happy at that time.”
Li Tang said, “Suppose she is the only one of your relatives left. You two have a very good relationship and are irreplaceable. Would you feel a little lost and sad?”
He Yu seemed to think about it seriously, and he finally shook his head. “It’s a bit hard to imagine. I haven’t experienced it personally, and imagination is always unreliable. But I think it won’t be possible, because I will also have a person I’ll love, and we will probably bless each other.”
Li Tang fell silent.
He Yu said, “Brother Li, if you have that kind of feeling for Hong Minhang, I can only say that it’s definitely more than brotherly affection.”
“Is there any difference?” Li Tang asked, “It’s the same as watching him and sincerely wishing him well. Is there a clear line between this?”
He Yu turned around and looked at Li Tang. “Of course, didn’t you feel it just now? You don’t like him getting close to others. You feel uncomfortable. You have an exclusive desire for this person. Maybe it’s not that strong that it didn’t prompt you to rush forward and snatch the person back, but you still felt uncomfortable; otherwise, why would you discuss this issue with me now?”
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.
“Minhang has given a lot to me,” Li Tang suddenly said, “At least emotionally. I can feel his emotions, and even refusing without hesitation from the beginning has become more and more like today. I was hesitant. I always think about what’s the best choice for him, but I have long been unable to figure it out. If I don’t accept it, I’m not sure that I can give him what he wants, just like I thought I could before. I spent my whole life with a woman, but later found out that what I gave her was not what she wanted. If it were Minhang today, I’m afraid it would also be like this.”
Lf Te rjlv, “Tbe jikjsr ajix jybea ktja Lbcu Zlctjcu kjcar, yea ktja lr la atja sbe gfjiis kjca? C gfijalbcrtlq lr cba jybea tbk wemt atf batfg qjgas tjr qjlv jcv tbk wemt sbe wera gfqjs. Rb wjaafg tbk wemt Lbcu Zlctjcu qjsr, la’r cba atf gfjrbc kts sbe cffv ab jmmfqa tlw. Pc ojma, sbeg atlcxlcu lr abb mbwqilmjafv. Qtfatfg sbe mjc ulnf tlw ktja tf kjcar lr cba atf wbra lwqbgajca atlcu. Qtja’r lwqbgajca lr ktfatfg sbe kjca ab yf klat tlw bg cba. “
Do you want to? Do you still don’t want to?
If you don’t want to, why would you always think about him, worry that he works overtime and can’t take care of eating, and want to be able to look at him at any time and stay by his side to take care of him? Although it seems to be like an attachment for a younger brother, saying that it was a romantic love was actually not an exaggeration.
The conversation between Li Tang and He Yu ended here. After he drove He Yu home, he hesitated and drove towards the place where Hong Minhang lived.
Arriving at the gate of the community, while Li Tang was hesitating whether to drive in, he heard the car behind him honking its horn. He peeked his head out of the car window and saw a car parked behind him. Hong Minhang opened the door and got out of the driver’s seat, looking at him in surprise.
Li Tang noticed that he was the only one in Hong Minhang’s car, and Shu Ling was no longer there.
Hong Minhang took two steps forward, then stopped again and asked, “Li-ge, are you here to see me?”
Li Tang nodded and said, “Don’t park your car here. You’re blocking the road.”
Hong Minhang then returned to his car and said, “Let’s park our cars first. We’ll talk about it upstairs later.”
The two cars drove into the underground parking lot, one after the other. Li Tang then waited for Hong Minhang. The two of them entered the elevator together. In fact, Li Tang just impulsively came to see Hong Minhang after hearing what He Yu said tonight. Now that they actually met, he had nothing to say.
In fact, what He Yu said was wrong—that Li Tang’s desire to monopolize Hong Minhang was not enough to make him rush forward and snatch him back. For a moment, he really wanted to step forward and ask Hong Minhang, “Are you together with him?” But monopoly was a very subtle thing. It could not be simply equated with love. But as He Yu said, Li Tang also understood that, at least, it was not just a simple brotherly relationship.
In the elevator, Hong Minhang asked Li Tang, “Why are you here at this time?”
Li Tang thought for a while and said directly, “I went to a concert with He Yu this evening.”
Hong Minhang turned to look at him.
Li Tang said, “I saw you when I came out.”
Hong Minhang frowned slightly, as if he were recalling what he had done at that time.
Li Tang leaned against the inner wall of the elevator. “So I came here to see if you were back or if you had brought anyone back.”
Hong Minhang was startled.
At this time, they had arrived at Hong Minhang’s floor, prompting the elevator to stop.
Li Tang raised his hand, gently placed it on Hong Minhang’s head, and pushed him. “We’re here, let’s go.”
This action was very intimate, like a big brother pushing a younger brother. Hong Minhang felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Opening the door, Hong Minhang reached out and turned on the light. Warm orange light instantly filled the entire room. Li Tang changed into slippers and asked Hong Minhang, “Are you hungry? Do you want a midnight snack?”
Hong Minhang hadn’t recovered from the shock yet, so he stood at the door and asked, “Will you make it for me?”
“Yeah,” Li Tang felt that his throat was a little itchy, so he resisted the urge to smoke and opened the refrigerator to see what food was in it. Hong Minhang’s refrigerator was mostly filled with fast food. He was not very good at cooking, and he doesn’t like to cook much either.
Li Tang looked at it and said, “Let’s go to the supermarket tomorrow. I’ll buy you some food.”
Hong Minhang suddenly hugged Li Tang from behind. He hugged Li Tang so tightly that it was even difficult for Li Tang to straighten his waist. Hong Minhang asked him, “What if I brought someone back today? Or if I don’t come back tonight? What will happen?”
Li Tang put one hand on the open refrigerator door and said, “Of course I will leave. Is it possible for me to wait downstairs all night?”
“No,” Hong Minhang’s lips were close to Li Tang’s ear, “You know what I want to ask. If you leave, we will have no future.”
Li Tang hesitated for a moment and said, “I don’t have this idea. If I have to say there’s no future, it would probably be if one day you come and tell me that you have fallen in love with someone else and want to live with that someone else for the rest of your life.”
Hong Minhang was stunned for a moment. “Is it impossible for you to fall in love with someone else?”
Li Tang reached out and pressed Hong Minhang’s hand around his waist. “It’s impossible.”
Li Tang’s tone was calm and affirmative. He had lived for so many years, and he knew that no matter how deep his feelings for Hong Minhang were, there would never be another person in the world who could make him have deeper feelings.
Hong Minhang grabbed Li Tang’s hand tightly with his backhand. He was a little excited. He turned Li Tang’s body over, pressed him against the open refrigerator, and kissed Li Tang’s lips forcefully.
With the air conditioning of the refrigerator behind him, Li Tang had to push Hong Minhang away, take a breath, and say, “Minhang, calm down.”
Hong Minhang stretched out his hand and pinched Li Tang’s chin hard. His eyes were a little red. He said coldly, “Li Tang, you better not joke with me. No one would buy this kind of joke!”
Li Tang was pinched by Hong Minhang, but he didn’t release himself from Hong Minhang’s grasp. He simply looked into Hong Minhang’s red eyes and felt a little distressed. He raised his hand to hold Hong Minhang’s head and let him bend down. He leaned forward, kissed him gently on the forehead, and then he reached out and hugged his head in his arms.
Hong Minhang didn’t struggle. He relaxed his body and leaned into Li Tang’s arms.
Li Tang kissed the top of his head again.
Hong Minhang put his hands around Li Tang’s waist, like a child leaning on his beloved without any defense.
Li Tang smiled bitterly and said, “Minhang, let me close the refrigerator.”
Hong Minhang loosened his grip slightly, allowing Li Tang to close the refrigerator door sideways. Then he said to Li Tang, “Li-ge, aren’t you leaving tonight?”
Li Tang was about to agree when he suddenly remembered that he had followed He Yu out in the afternoon and the kitten at home had not been fed yet, so he quickly said, “No.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Tang felt that Hong Minhang, who was holding him, suddenly became anxious. So he comforted him and said, “I have something to do at home. You can go back with me. I will take you to work tomorrow morning.”
Hong Minhang relaxed slightly, looked up at Li Tang, and said, “Okay.”
Hong Minhang did not drive, so they took Li Tang’s car to go home with him. This was the first time Hong Minhang came here after Li Tang moved.
Li Tang opened the door, and before he could turn on the lights, Hong Minhang suddenly heard a faint meow.
Li Tang reached out and turned on the ceiling light. Hong Minhang saw a white and yellow kitten sitting upright on the coffee table in the living room, calling “meow, meow” at Li Tang. It was hungry.
Li Tang hurriedly went to the kitchen to warm up milk for it.
Hong Minhang stepped forward, stared at the kitten that looked very similar to his old cat, and reached out to touch its head.
After Li Tang came out, Hong Minhang asked him, “Why do you have a cat?”
Li Tang didn’t say anything. He put the bowl of milk on the ground with a cigarette in his mouth, and then went to get the kitten’s cat food from the refrigerator.
Hong Minhang squatted on the ground, watching the kitten drink milk.
After Li Tang brought the cat food, he grabbed Li Tang’s hand, asked Li Tang to sit next to him, and asked again, “Why did you suddenly raise a cat?”
Li Tang took the cigarette out of his mouth, reached out to touch the ashtray on the table, and then said, “The last time I went to your house, I saw one on your bed.”
Hong Minhang originally looked down at the kitten drinking milk, but now he raised it up and looked at Li Tang.
Li Tang said, “I didn’t know what happened, so I went to Xiangzhu Street and found that the cat was no longer there. Then I went to the pet market to look for it for a long time and found such a very similar kitten.”
Hong Minhang asked him, “Did you buy it for me?”
Li Tang stretched out his hand and rubbed the kitten’s head. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t really know why.”
The kitten said “meow” and looked up at Li Tang, seemingly a little dissatisfied.
Hong Minhang didn’t ask again. The two of them just sat on the floor, watching the kitten drink milk and eat cat food. It finally licked its mouth and went back to sleep in its own nest.
Hong Minhang leaned his body on Li Tang’s shoulder. Li Tang, however, said it was cold here and that they should go sit on the sofa instead.
Thus, the two of them sat on the sofa. Hong Minhang lay down and rested his head on Li Tang’s lap. Li Tang kept gently stroking his hair.
Li Tang suddenly felt that there was nothing wrong with this. At least he felt very satisfied whenever he looked at Hong Minhang’s quiet and contented expression.
Thumbs up 👍 to He Yu for shaking & waking Li Tang up a little…thank you for the update🌺
That’s how it should be..so happy to read this side story about this two characters.
Thanks for translating!👍
Perfect. Really enjoyed the side stories of li tang. Thx for the new chapter!
Oh no! I commented in the wrong section. Sorry 😁
Thank goodness! This is a very satisfying chapter…. (˘︶˘).｡*♡
OHHHH MY GODDDDD LI TANG AND MINHANG ARE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it’s not the point but honestly these extras have truly fulfilled all of my psychic needs with BL (way more than the main story). Thank you thank you thank you to the author for writing them and thank you to the translator for making the effort to translate them.
+1 This is literally my reaction while reading Li Tang and Minhang’s side story. I love them too! You’re welcome, Li Tang’s side story deserves to be known~