As midnight settled, Shen Heng found himself lying in bed, devoid of any signs of sleepiness.
As expected, rain started pattering outside once more. The thunder, though not loud, echoed endlessly in a persistent rumble.
Water dripped from the clothes hanging on the window ledge incessantly, each drop punctuating the silence with a soft dripping sound as they fell into the vacant basin below.
Amidst this rhythmic ambiance, Shen Heng couldn’t help but recall the guarded look on Zhai Yao’s face upon seeing him with the hemp rope, followed by the mix of embarrassment and anger when he realized he was being teased.
Truly amusing.
It drove him to irresistibly want to double down on teasing him.
All of a sudden, Shen Heng began to comprehend why some people would find amusement in teasing and provoking others for no apparent reason; indeed, how adorable.
In a flash, his gaze deepened.
Adorable?
Why did he use the term “adorable” to describe another man?
Reaching out, Shen Heng flicked on the bedside lamp, donned his glasses, flipped open a book, and leaned back against the headboard.
He felt an urgent need to do something else to distract and redirect his thoughts.
Nearly a full night had gone by; no matter where he initiated his train of thought, they inevitably converged at the same destination.
Zhai Yao.
Shen Heng had never experienced such sentiments before.
Up to the current moment, his thoughts had revolved solely around “Shen Ziyao” and “life”.
An inner voice in his heart seemed poised to reveal the answer to him, only to be swiftly silenced by Shen Heng, deeming it ridiculous.
Him towards Zhai Yao?
How could that be possible?
…
*
In the early hours, the rain ceased, and the birds perched on the electric poles outside started their cacophonous gathering once more.
Zhai Yao awoke, and the moment he opened his eyes, the very first sight that his gaze landed on was the loosely drawn curtains, then to the hanging garments, and finally to the hemp rope used for hanging them.
Ah, the hemp rope…
Zhai Yao was once again reminded of that goddamn embarrassing disaster from the previous night.
Outside came the sounds of activity—probably the senior caregiver who had arrived and was currently preparing breakfast.
Zhai Yao quickly put on his clothes and opened the door, only to be momentarily taken aback by the sight of the busy figure in the kitchen.
“Grandpa?”
What greeted him was the sight of Shen Ziyao in an apron, standing before the stove and frying an egg.
Behind Shen Ziyao stood Shen Heng, who, upon noticing Zhai Yao’s presence, remarked, “Go freshen up and get ready for breakfast.”
An “oh” of acknowledgment escaped Zhai Yao’s lips, yet he remained rooted to the spot, motionless.
Shen Heng knew that Zhai Yao was curious about why Shen Ziyao was the one making breakfast today, so he explained, “He knows you have a competition today and insisted on preparing it himself.”
Right after Shen Heng finished speaking, a slap was heard as Shen Ziyao smacked his own forehead, exclaiming, “It’s burnt, it’s burnt, it’s burnt!” Shen Heng then swiftly took over the spatula and helped Shen Ziyao flip the egg.
Without even lifting his gaze, Shen Heng prompted, “Hurry and go.”
…
Shen Ziyao’s lovingly prepared breakfast consisted of a fried hot dog sausage and two fried eggs, symbolizing a perfect score of 100.
Such food combinations were common in many families, where on the day of a child’s exam, the “100 points” meal was prepared to wish for good luck.
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.
However, Zhai Yao had never had breakfast prepared by family members throughout his childhood and into adulthood.
When his parents were still around, he remembered they were always busy and would leave 10 yuan under the table before leaving for work in the morning, for Zhai Bing and Zhai Yao to buy their own food.
Later, when his parents were gone, making breakfast became his responsibility.
Zhai Yao wasn’t superstitious, so he didn’t believe in the theory that sausage and eggs together would guarantee a perfect score. Meals were fetched directly from the refrigerator; at best, he would toast bread and prepare a steaming cup of milk for Xiao Lajiao.
“Grandson, eat up!” Shen Ziyao sat beside Zhai Yao, eagerly watching him eat with gleaming eyes.
Zhai Yao looked at the sausage and fried eggs before him, both charred to a coal-like state.
There was one egg that wasn’t too bad, likely the one Shen Heng rescued in time.
Zhai Yao picked up the “charcoal egg,” took a bite, chewed quietly, and swallowed.
“It’s delicious.”
Shen Ziyao’s face lit up with a smile, but soon he sighed. “It’s a shame Grandpa has to go to the hospital for a checkup today; otherwise, I’d be there watching your competition.”
Zhai Yao finished his egg and then reached for the sausage, saying, “I’ll bring back the certificate for you to see. It’s the same as watching me compete.”
“Good lad! That’s the spirit we want to see!” Shen Ziyao slapped the table and praised. Then, he nudged Shen Heng with his elbow. “See that? My grandson’s amazing, isn’t he!”
“Mm,” Shen Heng murmured, taking a sip of his congee.
Shen Ziyao let out yet another emotional sigh. “Once your mother returns from abroad, you can show her the certificate too.”
Both Shen Heng and Zhai Yao’s movements hesitated momentarily.
Zhai Yao pretended to casually glance up at Shen Heng, while Shen Heng, unfazed, continued sipping his congee in silence.
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy due to Shen Ziyao’s words, though the old man himself remained oblivious to it.
With a tune humming softly, Shen Ziyao got up to his feet with a wobble and sauntered over to the sofa, tuning into the morning news.
…
After finishing their meal, Zhai Yao and Shen Heng left together.
There was a bus stop right outside Shen Heng’s residence that offered a direct route to the stadium. Once the bus arrived, they boarded it and sat in the last row.
Zhai Yao scrolled through his phone, paying no attention to the arrival announcements. When Shen Heng told him it was time to leave, he followed suit and got off the bus with him.
Yet upon lifting his gaze, Zhai Yao realized they stood not at the stadium but before a lamb soup restaurant.
Pushing aside the entrance door curtain, Shen Heng entered and ordered two bowls of soup and two sesame pancakes from the boss, then passed them to Zhai Yao.
Catching the sight of the milky-white soup, Zhai Yao’s stomach instantly let out a grumble.
He hadn’t eaten much in the morning, and fearing that Shen Ziyao might fry another ten eggs for him in a moment of excitement, he had no choice but to endure it. He thought he could just buy something near the stadium to alleviate his hunger when they arrived.
“Don’t dawdle,” Shen Heng said.
Zhai Yao scooped some chilli and added it into the lamb soup. Pairing it with the pancakes, he efficiently finished the meal in quick successive bites, sweat forming on his forehead.
As soon as he stepped out, he felt completely refreshed.
“How’s your leg?” Shen Heng asked.
Only then did Zhai Yao realize that his leg was no longer sore.
“How about you just open a massage parlour downstairs at your place after you graduate?” Zhai Yao suggested.
“Massage parlours don’t want men.”
“You’re talking crap; the one you’re fricking describing is the shady kind.” Zhai Yao bought two bottles of cola, opening one for himself and taking a sip. “But nowadays, those adult-sensual parlours also hire men, and guys like you are quite in great demand.”
Shen Heng halted, scrutinizing Zhai Yao. “You’ve gone to one before?”
“To hell with you!” Zhai Yao tossed the cola to him. “Laozi’s not interested in men or women.”
“……” Shen Heng pursed his lips, then after a moment, he softly uttered, “Mm.”
A look of confusion crossed Zhai Yao’s face.
No, but, why does this guy seem somewhat regretful?
Could it be he actually wanted me to take him to one?
“Shen Heng.” A brief silence ensued before Zhai Yao continued, “You’re not yet eighteen, are you?”
Shen Heng frowned, momentarily failing to grasp what Zhai Yao meant.
When realization finally dawned on him, he lifted his hand and flicked Zhai Yao’s forehead lightly.
“The f*ck!” Zhai Yao rubbed his forehead, then jumped up, locking onto Shen Heng’s neck with his arm.
Shen Heng resisted for a while, but as he attempted to break free, his hand hesitated briefly before slipping down quietly.
Eventually, he allowed Zhai Yao to cling to him as they made their way towards the stadium…
…
*
The fencing field was indoors, a formal and standardized competition field.
Though, of course, a professional venue didn’t necessarily mean the ones standing on the field would be professional competitors.
Zhai Yao watched as the group of competitiors across from him held their swords in improper stances, speculating that the competition would probably be over by noon.
“Don’t underestimate your opponents,” Shen Heng cautioned, leaning against the wall, wiping his foil, and subtly gesturing in one direction with a nod of his chin. “The one from 3rd High School is a professional.”
Zhai Yao lifted his eyelids to find, at the spot indicated by Shen Heng, a tall male student encircled by a swarm of girls, standing out amidst them like a constellation among stars.
Because the other party was wearing a mask, Zhai Yao couldn’t see the guy’s face clearly, but he could tell he was quite tall.
The competition followed an elimination format, where the first to land 15 valid hits on the opponent’s target area within nine minutes or having the most hits when time was up would win. The winner would then take a brief rest before facing a new opponent.
Given that it was already a niche, almost eccentric event in the “school sports competition,” the combined competitors from several schools amounted to just about ten individuals, forming exactly five pairs.
Among the few, some schools had already planned to give up this event entirely, opting to place all their bets on the afternoon relay race instead. Thus, they simply recruited someone at random to fill the quota.
As a result, Zhai Yao and Shen Heng effortlessly gained the upper hand in subsequent matches, easily defeating a wave of filler competitors.
By the end, only four contenders remained. Besides them, one was the representative from 2nd High School, selected as the cream of the crop from the pool of not-so-good candidates, and the other was the “professional” from 3rd High School, as previously mentioned by Shen Heng.
Considering the present situation, with two representatives from 9th High School still in the competition, their odds of winning could be said to be quite favourable.
The crowd outside the field buzzed with excitement, with Yang Ning eagerly leading the charge at the forefront, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
As such, poor Song Kai fell victim to her once more as she vigorously shook him while her arm was wrapped around his neck.
Yang Ning: “I can’t handle it anymore! Look at my husband’s waist, his legs, his bum!!! Ahhhh, I’m dead!”
“Hurry up and let go! Helpppp!!!” Song Kai’s cries for help were ruthlessly drowned out by the deafening cheers.
After all, the excitement extended beyond Yang Ning alone. Even students from other schools couldn’t help but engage in heated discussions.
Zhai Bing had also arrived at the spectator zone with Xiao Lajiao.
Showing her support for Zhai Yao, Zhai Bing donned a white sports shirt and a stylish mini skirt today, resembling an NBA cheerleader.
Xiao Lajiao held a small trumpet in her hand that she personally crafted during her art and craft lesson.
“Jie, come over here!” Xie Ziming caught sight of Zhai Bing from a distance and called out, waving to her.
Zhai Bing hurriedly led Xiao Lajiao along and walked over to him, sitting down next to Xie Ziming and Luo Le.
Listening to the people in the crowd discussing her brother, Zhai Bing couldn’t help but feel proud. She straightened her back, lifted her chin up high, and gestured to Xiao Lajiao in sign language: —Hurry, blow the trumpet!
Xiao Lajiao nodded, placing the trumpet to her mouth and blowing hard, resulting in a honking sound reminiscent of a duck’s quack.
Though the trumpet sound was a tad flat, Zhai Yao still managed to hear it.
He instinctively looked in the direction of the trumpet, and when Zhai Bing saw that Zhai Yao had noticed her, she stood up with a sudden burst of energy, raised her arms and shouted loudly, “Go, Liangzai!! You’re the best, Liangzai!! Liangzai’s so cool!!!”
Feeling embarrassed, Zhai Yao shifted his gaze away.
Zhai Bing always loved calling him “Liangzai” because she had been a fan of Hong Kong movies since childhood.
Yang Ning also heard Zhai Bing’s cheers from the spectator zone and turned to glare, only to catch a sudden sight of Xiao Lajiao beside Zhai Bing.
Gritting her teeth, Yang Ning exclaimed, “You even dare to kidnap my niece? How preposterous of you!”
She then called out, “Xiao Lajiao, come to Aunt’s side!”
The sudden realization that Xiao Lajiao was unable to hear struck her, prompting her to squeeze through the crowd and rush to Zhai Bing’s side, swiftly pulling Xiao Lajiao towards her.
Zhai Bing was startled and cried out, “What are you doing?!”
Xiao Lajiao, on the other hand, hugged Yang Ning excitedly upon recognizing her.
Puzzled, Zhai Bing asked Xiao Lajiao in sign language: —Do you know her?
Xiao Lajiao vigorously nodded and gestured: —She’s my aunt!
Zhai Bing was shocked. “A-Aunt?!”
She gave Yang Ning a thorough once-over, then did it all over again, finally couldn’t hold it in and asked, “You’re… Zhai Yao’s girlfriend?”
Yang Ning tossed her hair back. “Will be in the future!”
…
Meanwhile, Zhai Yao on the competition field remained oblivious to whatever had transpired in the spectator zone.
In the upcoming match, he was slated to face off against the representative from 2nd High School.
Shen Heng walked up to Zhai Yao and repeatedly advised, “Don’t bother engaging with him later, conserve your energy, and aim for a quick victory.”
“I got it.” Zhai Yao nodded and put on his fencing mask.
Observing him for a moment, Shen Heng then reached out to adjust Zhai Yao’s mask, saying, “Now go, Liangzai.”
At that, Zhai Yao’s expression turned grim. “Call me that again, I dare you.”
The author has something to say:
Shen Heng: Liangzai… Little Princess… Xiao Liang…
Itjl Tjb: (mbiijqrfv)
From Yunz:
Zhai Yao jumping up to hook his arm over Shen Heng’s neck *cries* He tiny.
Random rambling
I read all of your comments, and I felt the same as you guys regarding Zhai Bing 😭 Though at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It’s truly unimaginable what the Zhai siblings had gone through. Zhai Bing was raised in a sheltered environment, while Zhai Yao took on the responsibility of protecting his sister from deceit and harm since a very young age. Considering that Xiao Lajiao is now 7 years old and Zhai Yao is 17, Zhai Bing was likely in her late teens when she became a mother, with no one to rely on besides that bastard and Zhai Yao. Sigh… they’re both 苦命之人 (someone who has faced significant hardships or challenges in their life).
Yeah YaoYao is little but that’s super cute xD
YaoYao reminds me of a lil’bunny haha
On the topic of Zhai Bing, I feel that she’s a very nuanced and realistic character used well to elicit complicated feelings. She’s been through so many struggles and difficulties and is trying her best, and of course she NEEDS to kick that husband to the curb, but that’s easier said than done. Especially when there’s a child involved and financial/legal concerns, not to mention how he’s been manipulating her for years. The pattern of KNOWING that the situation isn’t good and swearing to leave him, but being drawn back in when he promises to change and woos with gifts and sweet words, is something that happens very often in abusive relationships. Everyone wants to believe that the person they love is still the same person they fell for, and it’s very difficult to truly wake up and realize that it’s not going to get better. Zhai Bing has also had Zhai Yao to look out for her when the abuse got really bad, she’s been depending on him. And it’s a good thing that she’s had him, but now that he’s not there, maybe it will be the wake up call she needs when he isn’t there to buffer the worst.
+1 there’s definitely a lot of complications involved in Zhai Bing’s marriage. It’ll be hard for her to leave that man considering his manipulative, abusive tactics and potential custody disputes, but seeing as this is a redemption novel of sorts, I have faith she’ll pull through. Good luck to her! Also patiently waiting for Shen Heng to come to terms with his sexuality and win Zhai Yao over (๑>◡<๑)
It’s so cute how shen heng teases zhai yao every chance he gets 🤣 it’s adorable (≧▽≦)
Thank you for the updates🤍
Thanks for the chapters ❤️❤️❤️🤣🤣🤣