Strong Offense and DefenseCh54.1 - 《Shi Jing》

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    “I would love to get acquainted with that very important friend of yours too.” 34c2Pp

 

    These words once again made Nie Chuan certain of Lily’s favorable impression of himself.

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    If it was before, Nie Chuan might have been ecstatic, boasting to Zhou Bin about how there was finally a goddess who took a fancy to him. sylFzT

 

    But at this moment, under Reece’s eyes, Nie Chuan felt inexplicably guilty.

 

    Nie Chuan didn’t know how to answer Lily. At this time, Reece’s hand reached over and took the phone. 

Qd869i

 

    “Hello, this is Reece. Allen is with me.” 

 

    Nie Chuan was stunned. He didn’t expect Reece to take his phone.  xiPAoX

 

    Reece held the phone while watching Nie Chuan the entire time. The feeling of being suppressed made Nie Chuan unconsciously swallow.

 

    This kind of conduct was clearly impolite but when Reece did it, it seemed perfectly justified. It almost seemed as if Nie Chuan was the one who had done something wrong.  52FqP1

 

    Nie Chuan could only imagine how awkward it was for Lily on the other end! 

 

    A few seconds later, Reece said an indifferent “Goodbye.”  Hn4N8P

 

    The phone was pushed back in front of Nie Chuan.

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    “I hope our time together won’t get disturbed.” QBqi7d

 

    When Reece finished this sentence, Nie Chuan didn’t feel angry or out of sorts. On the contrary…… he felt a surge of joy in his heart. 

 

    It’s over…… Nie Chuan, you can’t be saved ah! zKLfmo

 

    “Oh.” Nie Chuan lowered his head and continued to eat. Even though they didn’t say anything else, Nie Chuan felt very happy. 

 

    A whole table’s worth of takeout was completely eliminated. After eating his fill, Nie Chuan yawned, feeling sleepy. qEFsLB

 

    “Which flight did you take to New York?” Reece asked as he tidied up the paper cartons on the table.

 

    Nie Chuan got up to help Reece with the tidying. “It was the 7:40am one!” HkwZtD

 

    Apart from the flight in the wee hours of the morning, that one was the cheapest.

 

    “So you were up really early?” 1zoKdm

 

    “Of course.” Nie Chuan’s tone carried a bit of flaunting.

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    See, even without you there to wake me up, I can get up at any time as long as I’m determined.  538NUg

 

    “That’s rare, you actually got up that early.”

 

    Nie Chuan smiled. He wasn’t shameless enough to say that he actually didn’t sleep at all last night.  je3trJ

 

    Reece’s finger poked Nie Chuan between his eyebrows.

 

    “Ah? What’s the matter? ” Nie Chuan raised his head. hgyX8J

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.

 

    Glv tf cba mifjc eq rbwfktfgf?

 

    Effmf rffwfv ab tjnf j rwlif jr tf ufcais qertfv Rlf Jtejc’r tfjv. “Xb riffq.” I7OcD0

 

    “Efjiis? P’v ralii yfaafg mifjc atf ajyif yfobgf ublcu obg j cjq!” 

 

    Lf vlvc’a xcbk kts yea ktfcfnfg Effmf kjr vblcu rbwfatlcu, Rlf Jtejc kbeiv frqfmljiis kjca ab vb atf rjwf atlcu klat tlw.  Zpdbx7

 

    It wasn’t until all the trash was tidied away that Nie Chuan curled up contentedly on the sofa in the living room. 

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    “Go into the bedroom to sleep.” Reece pushed aside Nie Chuan’s bangs. kQdlJE

 

    “I can sleep in the bedroom? That should be your mom’s room, right?”

 

    Having always felt that this apartment held a special meaning to Reece, Nie Chuan wouldn’t dare do whatever he pleased in the bedroom.  hxt631

 

    “It doesn’t matter, it’s my room now.”

 

    He can sleep in Reece’s room? This made Nie Chuan feel inexplicably happy again. 7RhS1K

 

    He followed Reece into that room. Although the room wasn’t big and it was also a single bed, it was still larger than the one in the school’s dorm.

 

    Across from the bed was a desk with a row of books pertaining to Asian culture.  5fa98

 

    Nie Chuan curiously went down the line with his finger and even found “Shi Jing” to his surprise. 

[T/N: Also known as the Classic of Poetry of Book of Songs. According to Wikipedia, it’s the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry with works from 1100-700 BC]

  lvJjIE

    “Reece! Reece! Can your mom read《Shi Jing》?” It was like Nie Chuan discovered a new world. 

 

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    Reece sat down on the bedside and watched Nie Chuan. “Of course she can read it. However, her understanding may be different from yours.”

  3Ob6Ch

    “Oh.” Nie Chuan nodded and opened the book. He could see that there were some notes in English between the lines of Chinese characters. “Then which line was your mom’s favorite?”

 

    “The reeds are boundless and flourishing,

The pure dew turned to frost. PHIOjC

The man of whom I think,

Is somewhere about the water.” 

[T/N: “蒹葭苍苍, 白露为霜. 所谓伊人, 在水一方.” From Odes of Qin; Jian Jia]

  m4BXlP

    Reece already had a unique timbre. When he spoke those lines, Nie Chuan seemed to see a graceful woman standing on the opposite bank of the river.

 

    “This line really is artistic,” Nie Chuan smiled. 

  3GOZYS

    For Reece to be able to speak at such a standard, does that mean he’s also read《Shi Jing》?

 

    “Then what about you? Which one do you like?” Nie Chuan was extremely curious.

  WOzfuL

    “Guess.” There was a faint smile on Reece’s lips.  

 

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

    Nie Chuan thought, “”Qi?

How shall it be said that there are no clothes to wear? 3hZkBm

I will share my long robes with you.

The king is raising his forces;

I will prepare my lance and spear,

And take to the field with you.”  sdk2ZI

[T/N: “与子同泽. 王于兴师, 修我矛戟. 与子偕作.” From Odes of Qin; Wu Yi]

 

    Reece looked into Nie Chuan’s eyes and said the next lines unhurriedly,

“How shall it be said that there are no clothes to wear? gEKdo6

I will share my lower garments with you.

The king is raising his forces;

I will prepare my armor and weapons,

And march along with you.”  FW5uns

[T/N: “岂曰无衣, 与子同裳. 王于兴师, 修我甲兵. 与子偕行”]

 

    “You actually remember it!” Nie Chuan felt Reece was too godlike. 

  Q0nV5H

    In other words, what Chinese people felt was tongue twisting, Reece could actually speak them so clearly!

 

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    “But my favorite poem isn’t this one,” Reece chuckled.

  djXSr

    “Ah? It’s not? 

For life or for death, whether together or apart,

To our wives we pledged our word.

Let me hold your hand;  EUAOG0

And grow old together with you?” Nie Chuan asked with great uncertainty. 

[T/N: “死生契阔, 与子成说. 执子之手, 与子偕老.” From Odes of Bei; Ji Gu]

 

    This poem was very famous, Reece definitely would have heard it before.  WkPBeR

 

    “I also like this one, but it’s also not the one.”

 

    Nie Chuan was extremely curious, but it seems that Reece wouldn’t tell him the answer easily. vd9hbU

 

    “Which one is it ah!” Nie Chuan tilted his head and thought hard, Westerners seem to be quite fond of Cao Cao, “Is it ‘My heart still lingers about that blue collar,

You are the reason I have been reciting thus far’?”

[T/N: “青青子衿, 悠悠我心, 但为君故, 沉吟至今.” From Duan Ge Xing by Cao Cao; first two lines come from Shi Jing] WYpeCF

    

    “The first half is from《Shi Jing》but the second half isn’t.” Reece hooked his finger at Nie Chuan, “Forget it, I’ll just tell you.”

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    “You could have just told me directly!” Nie Chuan’s head moved closer. cWtio0

 

    Reece approached slowly. He leaned his head to the side, his posture as if he was going to kiss him. 

 

   The feeling of blood rushing through the body as if it was about to burst through became increasingly clear. mKBnIu

 

    Don’t be like this, don’t you know that I’ve been “fantasizing” a bit about you lately?

 

    “Zi huì sī wǒ, qiān shang shè qín. Zi bù sī wǒ, qǐ wú tārén? Kuáng tóng zhī kuáng yě qiě.” gb8Gq5

[T/N: “子惠思我, 褰裳涉溱. 子不思我, 岂无他人? 狂童之狂也且.” From Shi Jing by an anonymous author. The translation will come up later in the chapter]

 

    Reece’s breath brushed past Nie Chuan’s ears. Feeling itchy, his shoulders rose.

  XJasI6

    “I…… I don’t seem to have heard this before?”

 

    Moreover, it seemed exceedingly complicated. He completely didn’t know what Reece was reciting, he only felt that Reece’s voice was hooking his own thoughts and his entire body became itchy.

  xdDp4X

    “Go look in that book ah.” Reece raised his chin, his eyes falling on a book.

 

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

    Nie Chuan got the book doubtfully and flipped through it for a long time before he finally found the line. When he read the first sentence of the poem’s analysis, his ears couldn’t help reddening. 

  0vJIpx

    This was “A Banter of Bold Courtship.” 

 

    “You…… how can you like this one ah!”

  CQ9YAl

    I’ve never even heard of it!  

 

    “Your country’s poems always have so many metaphors and ambiguous meanings. Isn’t it good that this poem is so bold and straightforward?”

  UqyceB

    Even if Nie Chuan didn’t look back, he already knew Reece was watching him with a smile.

 

    The ”interpretation” of this poem was roughly: If you still think of me, just lift your clothes and cross the Qin River. If you don’t think of me, don’t tell me no one else will love me? You really are a fool. tTVdUu

 

    Nie Chuan suddenly felt that in his case, these words were really fitting ah! Didn’t he just buy a plane ticket because he really missed Reece and flew over like an idiot? 

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    “Hey! Are you mocking me? Or do you actually like this poem ah!” VdIU4i

 

   “What do you say?” Reece patted the bed. “Go take a nap ba, it’ll boost your IQ.”

 

    “……” Nie Chuan understood, it was completely meaningless to discuss this issue with Reece. cPlozr

 

    He pulled the blanket unceremoniously, practically occupying the entire bed. This was Nie Chuan’s childish way of expressing his discontent. 

 

    Reece didn’t get angry. He reached his arm out and his fingers fell on Nie Chuan’s hair, gently fiddling with it. Nie Chuan directly pulled the blanket over his head and turned around.  6GCglD

 

    He buried his head in the blanket, unwilling to let Reece see his expression. He was a little worried that Reece wouldn’t make such jokes with him again should he see his expression.

 

    Nie Chuan knew that this feeling must quickly stop.  GzHywW

 

    But he was unable to control himself. If he can’t control it then he should keep away from Reece, maintaining a safe distance, but he just couldn’t.

 

    This kind of feeling was different from that of his countless, previous crushes.  gSNv7Q

 

    It was more than just “like.”

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    It enabled Nie Chuan to do many things that he never would have done before.  RlpAyH

 

    Don’t think anymore, Nie Chuan.

 

    If this feeling can be retained for a bit longer then he will hide it in his heart for just a bit longer. In any case, this won’t be the first time you’ve been lovelorn!  yTeRNK

 

    Reece got up, went to his desk and turned on the computer to browse the web. 

 

    Ten or so minutes later, the shallow sound of Nie Chuan’s breathing came from behind him. Dn7PWV

 

    Reece got up and gently pushed the quilt under Nie Chuan’s nose. “You idiot, you’ll suffocate.”

__________

Drea: NC, you idiot, it took 54 chapters before you finally realized your feelings amidst all the sexual tension! Dx I can’t be the only one who shriveled from that wait PjKNLg

MadMadamMims: Can we take a minute to sob that NC has finally admitted he has a crush on Reece? TT Started from the bottom now we here

Translator's Note

岂曰无衣, the name of a poem in Shi Jing describing the morale of the Qin soldiers before battle against a common enemy

Translator's Note

The original went something like this: 

If you still think kindly of me, 6Ourd1

Just lift your lower garments and wade through the Zhen (name of a river).

If you do not think of me,

Is there no one else to do so?

You foolish, foolish fellow.

Leave a Comment

5 comments

  1. Nie Chuan’s finally realized it huhu now we wait again for him to confess

    Thank you for the update!! Merry Christmas ❤️🎄

  2. “if you don’t look for me, is there anyone else that would? foolish, foolish” is reece telling nie chuan he would ignore the “anyone else” clamoring for his attention as if they didnt exist, while pining for nie chuan. literary analysis is my passion~

    thanks for the chapter

  3. Lily’s honestly a very nice girl 😔 it makes me sad that she’s getting rebuffed like so. Unfortunately when Nie Chuan walked into the room Reece yelled dibs first and it’s first come first serve 😭 sorry lily! Also Nie Chuan finally catching a clue about his feelings but had the audacity to go “this posture is like he’s gonna kiss me!” 🗿🗿🗿 FOOLISH BOY He already kissed you through the towel!!!! He’s done every besides literally out his hand on your dick!!!!!! Nie Chuan!!!!!! ヾ(。 ̄□ ̄)ツ

  4. Can anyone tell me when will they confess to each other??????? Like???. This slowburn with this much sexual tension is killing me