Two days later, Yan Jingze received an urging call from Wen Yichuan and visited his place again. This time, he noticed that the gentle and smiling person seemed to have returned.
“I thought you would come yesterday, but ended up waiting for you the whole day. So, I had to call you early today.”
Seeing the man’s shallow smile, Yan Jingze replied, “Something came up, causing a delay.”
They both tacitly avoided mentioning the incident from two days ago. They had breakfast together, and just as Gu Weizhou was about to lead someone into the study, a melodious ringtone interrupted him.
Looking at his phone, Gu Weizhou’s face lit up with a smile.
“Junhao?”
“Yeah, it’s me. You woke up quite early today, I thought you might still be asleep,” Jiang Junhao said, half-lying on his office chair, holding the phone with one hand and habitually gripping the picture frame on his desk with the other.
Glancing at Yan Jingze beside him, Gu Weizhou asked, “I have something to do today, what’s the matter?”
“I just received a message from above; I need to carry out an international mission. I’ll probably be abroad for a while, around three to four months.”
“Such a long time?”
As the words fell, Jiang Junhao smiled and asked, “Will you miss me?”
“If you leave, I won’t be able to taste the crayfish by myself,” Gu Weizhou said, sounding full of regret.
Hearing this, Jiang Junhao couldn’t help but smile wryly. “I can’t even compare to a crayfish in your eyes?”
“Haha… I’m just teasing you,” Gu Weizhou paused and spoke with concern, “Although I don’t know what mission you’ll be undertaking, since it’s your work, I support you. Just promise me one thing – you must stay safe and don’t let anything happen to you.”
Hearing the concern in the voice from the other end of the line, a tender curve formed at the corner of Jiang Junhao’s lips, and he softly said, “Yichuan hasn’t cared about me like this in a long time.”
“I was too busy with my studies before, but not anymore. So… promise me that you’ll come back safely.”
Picking up the picture frame by his side, Jiang Junhao looked at the young man’s face in the frame and said, “I promise you.”
“Okay, then. You haven’t called Uncle Jiang or Aunt Jiang yet, right? I won’t take up any more of your time. Go and talk to them properly.”
Feeling that the call was about to end, Jiang Junhao suddenly said, “Yichuan.”
“Hm?”
“After I safely return… can I ask you a question?”
Gu Weizhou, … Bye love.
Gu Weizhou replied, “Sure, I’ll wait for you to come back and ask me.”
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.
In the silence that followed, Jiang Junhao lifted his hand and gently caressed the young man’s smiling features in the picture frame.
‘If I ask that question, will you still treat me with the same calmness as now?’ With this thought, he gently closed his eyes.
Yichuan, my Yichuan, what should I do with you? What should I do with you…
[Host, is there something wrong with his mission?]
Gu Weizhou pursed his lips and replied, [He… died during this mission.]
[…Then why didn’t you stop him this time?]
[He has received direct orders from the highest authority. He is one of the insiders and has no choice.]
Vbwfalwfr lc ilof, sbe xcbk ktja ilfr jtfjv, yea atfgf jgf wbwfcar ktfc sbe ageis tjnf cb mtblmf. Aera ilxf Xe Qflhtbe, ktb bcmf xcfk atja atf batfg qfgrbc kjr rmew yea ralii tjr ab obbilrtis gert lc, tbqlcu ab erf tlr rwjii lcoiefcmf ab mtjcuf atf kbgiv.
[But… this time, I believe he will be fine.]
[Hmm?]
He grinned, [Because of love.]
[…] Don’t talk to me about the kind of love you can buy with a hotel room card.
“Pr atja Yoolmfg Aljcu?”
“Yes, he’s about to embark on a mission, so he called to inform me.”
“The relationship between Senior and Officer Jiang is really good. Officer Jiang always calls Senior first for everything.” Yan Jingzhe said with a seemingly casual sigh.
[I feel like there’s more to this conversation.]
[You’re so clever, can’t you tell?]
[Is he jealous?]
[…I think you’ve been eating too many walnuts lately.]
[…]
Gu Weizhou smiled and said, “We’ve been neighbors and childhood friends since we were little. Indeed, our relationship is much better than that of ordinary friends.” I’m not falling for your attempt to sow discord.
Yan Jingze nodded and smiled faintly, smoothly changing the topic, “Regarding the thesis you mentioned earlier, I looked up some relevant papers online yesterday and read through them. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to handle the translation job today.”
“No worries, take your time. Besides, you have me, right?” Gu Weizhou said, leading him to the nearby study.
Wen Yichuan had a very spacious study, purely designed to show off. The bookshelves were made of the finest red sandalwood, occupying two entire walls. Due to long-term placement, the entire study was enveloped in a faint and mild fragrance, making one feel as if their body and mind were being cleansed by refined culture upon entering.
Clearly, as soon as Yan Jingze stepped into the study, he caught a whiff of the lingering fragrance in the air.
The pleasant scent made him stop for a while. The scent was good and somewhat familiar…
He raised his eyes and looked towards Gu Weizhou, who was standing not far away, with his back turned, sorting through a stack of documents on the bookshelf.
His eyes slightly dimmed. It was the same scent as that night, but the fragrance on him felt even warmer.
After placing the thesis on the desk, Gu Weizhou turned to the approaching Yan Jingze and said, “Here are the documents. Take your time, and if you have any questions, just let me know, and I’ll be right here to assist you.”
“Okay,” Yan Jingze nodded in acknowledgment.
Inside the study filled with the lingering scent, both of them were occupied with their tasks until the night sky was adorned with stars.
Noticing that the clock on the computer unknowingly pointed to 7 p.m., Gu Weizhou temporarily put aside his work and looked up. “Junior Yan, let’s stop here for today. You are still recovering, and rest is more important.”
Hearing his words, Yan Jingze didn’t insist and stood up to tidy the thesis, intending to leave. However, just as he was about to walk out, he heard a voice from behind.
“The school cafeteria would be already closed. Have dinner before you go back.”
Turning his head, Yan Jingze saw Gu Weizhou not far away, speaking to him while already tying an apron around himself.
It was a very ordinary apron, but for some reason, when Yan Jingze saw him wearing it, he couldn’t help but feel like laughing.
Because at this moment, he suddenly realized that during the time they’ve known each other, this person has always been elegant and ethereal in his presence, like a celestial being in the clouds.
It seemed like mundane things like pots and pans shouldn’t even exist in his life. But as he witnessed this scene, Yan Jingze suddenly realized that the other person was just an ordinary human after all.
Considering that he needed money to eat outside, Yan Jingze, who was currently trying to save money didn’t hesitate when the other party stopped him. He smiled and said, “Then I won’t be polite.”
“You better not be polite with me,” Gu Weizhou replied, opening the refrigerator at home and looking at the vegetables inside. Then he turned and asked, “Do you like noodles?”
“I’m not a picky eater.”
“Then I’ll make noodles for you. Sit in the living room for a while, and if you feel hungry, have some fruits first.”
“No worries,” Yan Jingze smiled.
Gu Weizhou grabbed some ingredients from the fridge and said, [Actually, I wanted to ask if he wanted to have me.]
[…Can you have some shame?]
[What can you do with that thing?]
[…] I’ll just shut up.
Taking two tomatoes and two eggs, along with some small ingredients, Gu Weizhou turned and headed to the nearby kitchen.
As the kitchen was an open kitchen, it was inevitable that Yan Jingze, sitting on the sofa in the living room watching TV, could clearly see the figure of Gu Weizhou working in the kitchen.
Steam rose slightly, enveloping the young man’s slender figure. His fingers, accustomed to holding pens, were now slicing vegetables on the cutting board. Due to the angle and lighting, Yan Jingze could only see a beautifully hidden side profile, but even so, he could still keenly feel the peaceful tranquility emanating from the person.
With the addition of the plain apron he was wearing, along with the rising steam, created a clean, gentle, and dreamy scene.
While quietly watching this scene, Yan Jingze suddenly thought of his own past.
Many years ago, he seemed to have had a warm home like this—a home with a mother who cooked for him and loved him, even though his biological father wasn’t there. The home might have been small, but it was a rare source of warmth in his life’s memories.
But then… that man came into the picture, and the home was shattered.
If it weren’t for that man thinking he wasn’t there that day, he might have suffered the same fate as his mother, beaten to death by that man who considered himself the head of the family.
Unfortunately, he was there, hiding outside the door, witnessing everything from beginning to end, every detail.
Sometimes, Yan Jingze felt like he was truly like that man, a wild beast suited for living in the darkness. Even when faced with such a bloody scene, he didn’t cry.
It was as if the person who died wasn’t his mother who had raised him. Even afterward, he could act as if nothing had happened and extend his hand to ask that man for money.
What was he thinking at that moment?
He didn’t seem to think much about it; he just wanted to survive, even if it meant living in the darkness.
“What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?”
A voice filled with a hint of a smile interrupted Yan Jingze’s contemplation and at the same time, the darkness in his downcast eyes dissipated instantly. He looked up and saw the young man not far from the dining table, smiling at him.
With eyes shining like stars and lips carrying a playful smile, the young man tilted his head slightly, exuding the warmth of spring blossoms in full bloom.
Perhaps the lighting in the kitchen was too warm or maybe it was the rare recollection of the past, that made Yan Jingze feel that the smile on the person’s lips, standing not far away, was so beautiful that it touched his heart.
Uncontrollable darkness quietly spread from the depths of his eyes, as if the darkness wanted to devour all the beauty of the light.
“Alright, come and eat. It’ll get cold if you don’t.”
Suppressing the uncontrollable gloom, Yan Jingze stood up and walked to the dining table. On the table were two bowls of fragrant and rich tomato egg noodles, each accompanied by a pair of silver forks.
Two sets of silver forks?
Glancing at his right hand, which was wrapped like a rice dumpling, Yan Jingze suddenly felt a warm and uncontrollable emotion in his heart.
Because he had just realized that this person seemed to be even more attentive and gentle than he had imagined.
love this arc so far, jiang junhao better not die this time around… ill be heartbroken 😭 thank you for the update! ❤️
this is very touching but… I have bananaphone stuck in my head
I’ll trust Yichan’s words that Junhao will comeback safely 😭. Sobbing over how Yichan and Jingzhe find solace in each other because of their miserable life :((
I find Mrs. Wen’s reason for hating Yichan a little unreasonable. He didn’t choose to be exchanged with their son in the first place:((