Chapter 17 – Let’s Get Back Together
Novel Title: 我们已经分手了 (We Have Broken Up)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 刘帆 (Liu Fan -MC), 陈谦 (Chen Qian -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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It’s really ridiculous to have such an intense fight after drinking.
Passersby on the street saw them looking like they had just been in a brawl and gave them a wide berth. Chen Qian was still panting, his muscles tense, with some injuries and his clothes in disarray. He turned his head away, refusing to look at Liu Fan.
“Are you okay?” Liu Fan asked, touching his cheekbone. He found the situation quite funny and then burst out laughing.
Chen Qian turned back in surprise. Seeing Liu Fan laughing so carefreely, he angrily shouted, “What’s so funny?!”
“It’s a rare experience,” Liu Fan laughed even harder and asked, “Are you okay? Let me see your hand.”
“You should worry about yourself first,” Chen Qian seemed like he wanted to poke him but refrained upon seeing Liu Fan’s bruised face. He asked angrily, “Does it hurt?”
It did hurt a bit. But Liu Fan didn’t care, “It’s nothing. Should we call your assistant and find out where they are? Just in case they’re still stuck in there.”
“He’s smarter than you. When someone comes to hit you, you don’t even know how to dodge?! You actually used your face to take the hit!” Chen Qian glared at him in frustration and then grumpily said, “Let’s go to the hospital.”
“What hospital? It’s just a minor injury. Hold on, I’ll call Mengjiao.” Liu Fan took out his phone to call her. Seeing Chen Qian turn and walk ahead, he quickly followed. Fortunately, the call was answered after a few rings. Liu Mengjiao’s frightened voice came through the earpiece, “Motherfucker, I’m never going to that bar again.”
“Are you okay? Where are you now?” After hearing Liu Mengjiao’s response, Liu Fan was relieved. Trying to cross the street while on the phone was a bit much to handle. Chen Qian’s figure was constantly swaying a short distance ahead. For some inexplicable reason, Liu Fan reached out and grabbed his hand. The moment he touched it, his heart pounded loudly.
Then everything felt so familiar it was almost overwhelming. He entrusted his direction completely to Chen Qian, focusing solely on the phone call, “Okay, then go home first. Do you want me to call in sick for you tomorrow?”
Chen Qian didn’t turn around, seemingly unresponsive. He just continued walking ahead. His fingers moved slightly but he didn’t pull away, allowing Liu Fan to hold his hand.
Liu Fan earnestly instructed, “Just take a cab home. Don’t wander around outside. Take a hot shower and go to bed early. Okay, I got it. Did you see Li Yu? Oh, okay, okay. Text me when you get home.”
He ended the call and asked, “Li Yu called you several times. Didn’t you hear your phone ring?”
Chen Qian patted his pocket with his free hand, “Damn, I lost my phone. Lend me your phone.”
“Here.” Liu Fan handed it to him and watched as he made a call, “Hey? Li Yu? I lost my phone. Go home. I’m fine. Yeah, okay. That’s that.”
Finishing the call swiftly, Chen Qian awkwardly tugged at the hand Liu Fan was holding. Liu Fan simply swung their hands a bit, making them look like two kids who had just had a fight and didn’t want to go home, “Where to?”
“Pharmacy,” Chen Qian replied.
After walking several streets, they finally found a 24-hour pharmacy. They bought some medicine and sat on the steps outside the store, applying it to each other.
Chen Qian cleaned the cut on Liu Fan’s face with disinfectant. Keeping his mouth tightly shut, there was a look of deep pain in his eyes. Chen Qian’s tone grew harsher, “Did you twist your foot again?”
Liu Fan replied, “It’s fine! I can still run four hundred metres.”
“Shut up.” Chen Qian applied a band-aid on his face and then bent down to check his ankle. Liu Fan reached for his hand again and saw that his knuckles were scraped. He took the disinfectant and began cleaning Chen Qian’s wounds, laughing as he did so.
Chen Qian looked at him like he was crazy, “What are you laughing about this time? What’s so funny all the time?”
“I miss this so much.” Liu Fan said cheerfully, “I’m quite experienced doing this by now.”
He couldn’t stop laughing. The soft yellow light of the streetlamp made their expressions gentle, each line of their faces carrying an unspoken sentiment. The warm summer evening breeze had a playful air, stirring the dormant garden in their hearts to life.
Liu Fan stopped laughing, feeling a long-lost stir within him. He opened his mouth, then laughed again, “Chen Qian.”
Chen Qian confirmed that his ankle wasn’t seriously injured but felt warm. He was not sure if it was due to body heat or inflammation. So he casually responded, “Hmm?”
Liu Fan paused for a moment, then said, “Let’s get back together.”
Chen Qian absentmindedly replied, “Hmm.” It took several seconds for him to snap his head up, “What did you say?!”
“I said,” Liu Fan whispered, “let’s get back together.”
Chen Qian looked like he had been struck by lightning. He was frozen in place. Liu Fan, initially not nervous despite the turmoil in his heart, began to feel his pulse race because of Chen Qian’s reaction.
Chen Qian’s reaction left Liu Fan in a whirl, “Say something… Do you agree or not?”
Chen Qian remained silent. His face was that of a mix of emotions. His lips twitched slightly, looking as if his face might crack. Liu Fan, confused and unsure, stared at Chen Qian. Why is he reacting like this? Did he misinterpret everything? Maybe Chen Qian no longer had feelings for him and his protective gestures were just old habits?
Liu Fan’s heart pounded wildly, “Is it… a no? Then… then…-”
Then forget it.
Maybe he was too late.
Liu Fan felt an indescribable sense of sadness and disappointment. But his straightforward personality meant expressing his true feelings didn’t make him feel embarrassed. Still, he wanted to get up and leave, feeling a strong urge to be alone.
Suddenly, Chen Qian asked, “You mean you want to get back together with me?”
Liu Fan, too tired to look at him, nodded listlessly. He was thinking to himself that he could understand if it was a no.
Chen Qian asked, “Do you admit you were wrong?”
Liu Fan: “?”
The tone didn’t carry any offence or awkwardness from being confessed to but seemed to hold a barely suppressed sense of triumph. Liu Fan, full of confusion, asked, “What?”
Chen Qian’s reaction finally clicked with Liu Fan. After all these years together, he understood Chen Qian’s temperament well enough to anticipate this kind of response. They still had that level of unspoken understanding.
Liu Fan: “…”
Is this guy settling old scores now? Damn it, it’s been a whole seven years! Revenge is a dish best served cold, huh?!
Realising Chen Qian understood his meaning, Liu Fan sat there contemplating. He didn’t necessarily think it was all his fault. Or at least not entirely. It was like the lyrics of a song, where half of it was his and half of it was yours… What kind of mess is this!
But he didn’t want to argue with Chen Qian about this now. What was there to argue about? They were both adults and such trivial matters should be water under the bridge. Unlike this jerk, who insisted on settling scores.
Liu Fan thought about it and found Chen Qian’s reaction both amusing and somewhat endearing. He couldn’t help but find it funny that Chen Qian had been holding onto this childish grudge for so long. He wondered how long he had been waiting to bring it up since they reunited. It was a bit amusing that Chen Qian hadn’t shown it until now.
He sighed inwardly, thinking; Oh well, it’s my fault for bringing up getting back together first.
So Liu Fan said, “Um. I’m sorry.”
Chen Qian’s mouth twitched again.
Liu Fan shrugged helplessly. “If you want to laugh, go ahead.”
Chen Qian stopped smiling. “Is that your idea of an apology?!”
Sparks fly just like that. Is he manic or something? It’s really driving me crazy. Liu Fan looked innocently at him and asked softly, “So what do you want to do?”
“Do I have to be the one to figure that out?” Chen Qian stood up, checked Liu Fan, and saw that besides a small cut on his face and a slight split at the corner of his lip, there were no other injuries. “Get up. I’ll take you home.”
Liu Fan, feeling melancholy, was pulled up and said in a resigned tone, “Should I write you a self-criticism essay?”
Chen Qian bent down, brushed the dust off Liu Fan’s clothes, eyed him, and then led him towards the street corner. “You talk big. But there’s no action. What kind of sincerity is this?”
Liu Fan thought for a moment. He exerted force on his hand, causing Chen Qian, who was walking briskly, to stumble. Taking advantage of Chen Qian turning back to see what was going on, he kissed him.
The sensation was slightly different from what memory held. It was a mixture of familiarity and unfamiliarity that left both of them somewhat spellbound. Chen Qian’s breath hitched and then he reached back to pull Liu Fan’s neck, using his elbow to forcefully draw him closer. His kiss was wild and unrestrained. The sucking sensation was almost dizzyingly intense for Liu Fan. The small cut at the corner of his mouth tugged, causing him to emit a pained moan. However, Chen Qian didn’t let go. He continued to kiss him fiercely, ignoring everything else.
Finally, their lips parted. Their rapid and fiery breaths were intermingling. Liu Fan took in a cooling breath with a hiss, smiling as he asked, “Is that sincerity enough?”
Chen Qian looked down at him. His gaze was almost tender in its intensity. There was a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Leaning in, he kissed Liu Fan deeply again. He then chuckled, “No.”
Liu Fan: “…”
“Let’s go home.” Chen Qian hooked his finger with Liu Fan’s. He playfully shook it like a big boy and led the bewildered Liu Fan to the street corner to hail a taxi. They headed straight to Liu Fan’s apartment building.
Seeing Chen Qian showing no intention of getting out of the taxi, Liu Fan casually asked, “Are you going straight home?”
Chen Qian replied coolly, “If not home, then where? Going to your place?”
Liu Fan: “…If you want to come to my place, you can come.”
Chen Qian looked disdainful, “What’s our relationship again? Why would I go to your place so late?”
The driver in front glanced back at them with a strange look in his eyes. Liu Fan, unable to bear it anymore, slammed the car door shut heavily. What kind of madness is this! I’m done playing with you! “Fine! Whatever!”
Chen Qian leaned against the car window, smiling as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at him. Seeing him like this, Liu Fan’s heart softened immediately. It was a strange feeling. In every aspect, Chen Qian was more dominant than him. But sometimes Liu Fan also wanted to indulge him.
Perhaps that’s what love is like—sometimes making you feel like a child, sometimes making you see your lover as a child. Sometimes being cared for without any burden, sometimes willingly taking care of each other.
It was unclear whether Chen Qian sensed Liu Fan’s softening and compromise from his face or not. But he said to him, “Get some rest. I’m heading off first.” Then he turned back to the driver and gave him an address.
The driver got the signal and finally stepped on the gas to get on the road. He occasionally glanced at the man in the back seat through the rearview mirror. He looked decent enough. But his clothes were dirty and torn. His smile didn’t seem to indicate a clear mind. He seemed to be lost in thought. Suddenly, he clenched his fist and swung it, looking like a young man scoring a crucial goal on the field.
Driver: “…”
Heading out at night for work driving a cab indeed posed significant risks. Besides encountering robbery, one might also come across mentally unstable individuals like this.
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*Author’s Note:
Chen Qian [hands on hips]: Hahaha!
Liu Fan: = =… You’re really something…
After dropping off Chen Qian, the driver picked up the radio: I’m telling you guys, tonight I encountered a lunatic…
-Yu Xiaofan
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*Translator’s Note: Poor cab driver… Lol! -K
Next update: 2024.09.22
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