Translator: Lynn
Jiang Yuduo’s words extinguished Cheng Ke’s excitement before it could fully take hold, and he clicked his tongue disapprovingly, asking, “Are you already starting this? Who are you counting on?”
“Didn’t you bring it up first?” Jiang Yuduo let go of him and looked at him intently.
“I was just kidding, not actually telling you how to do it,” Cheng Ke replied. “Did I say I want to be counted on?”
Jiang Yuduo frowned but remained silent.
“Did you say it?” Cheng Ke pointed his plastered finger at him. “It was you, San-ge?”
“I dare others to talk to me like that. They wouldn’t dare,” Jiang Yuduo pointed back at him. “I can beat anyone with all four of their legs in plaster.”
“Get lost,” Cheng Ke retorted.
“I’m a little hungry. I haven’t eaten since noon, and there’s still a few more hours of work to do,” Jiang Yuduo said, “I want to have lunch.”
“It’s already past five o’clock, and you call that lunch?” Cheng Ke said.
“Well, because I haven’t eaten lunch, I must have lunch,” Jiang Yuduo insisted.
“What about dinner?” Cheng Ke asked.
“I’ll eat at night,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Alright, let’s head back there to eat. I’m not familiar with this place, and if there are still people following, it could be troublesome,” Cheng Ke said.
“Okay,” Jiang Yuduo said, picking up his coat.
“By the way, do you have time tomorrow afternoon to come over and help me with the casting?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Afternoon is fine,” Jiang Yuduo replied.
“Shall I calculate your wages for you?” Cheng Ke said. “This pile of things was supposed to be bought, and it cost a lot of money. I didn’t ask you to do it yourself just to save money, but because I thought you’d find it interesting.”
“How much?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
Originally, Cheng Ke’s question was just casual, wanting Jiang Yuduo to feel like he was working as a master carpenter and mason to earn money. He thought Jiang Yuduo might not accept it, but he didn’t expect Jiang Yuduo to simply ask about the price.
“I’ll go and find out how much this set would cost if I bought it outside.” Cheng Ke smiled.
“Okay,” Jiang Yuduo said, “You don’t need to give me any kickbacks.”
“I don’t take kickbacks, but design fees and other expenses will be deducted, and material fees too,” Cheng Ke explained. “What you’ll get is the manual fee.”
“My manual fee is quite high,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“…Why?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Because I’m handsome,” Jiang Yuduo said as he put on his coat and walked downstairs.
“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Cheng Ke followed him. “You’re not exceptionally handsome, just average handsome, not…” he paused. “What did you say?”
“I still have a chance,” Jiang Yuduo replied. “But do you really want to know?”
“For the sake of face,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Okay, well, you have a good side profile, and your face looks good from various angles,” Cheng Ke said.
“I don’t understand,” Jiang Yuduo sighed, took two steps downstairs, then stopped and continued, “Last time, Xu Ding…” But he didn’t finish his sentence and continued walking down.
“Xu Ding said what?” Cheng Ke asked.
“I think he was just joking,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“What did he say?” Cheng Ke inquired.
“He said… he had a chance for me to do some video shooting,” Jiang Yuduo was a bit embarrassed. “It’s like a dialogue scene, and I have nothing to say.”
“Xu Ding is not the type to say something he doesn’t mean. If he said it, he must have thought so,” Cheng Ke said. “When did he say that?”
“During the time when you and Lin Xu were shooting that naked butt video,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Who was naked?” Cheng Ke retorted.
“Lin Xu,” Jiang Yuduo said, “It was almost like he was bare-assed.”
“You’re talking nonsense,” Cheng Ke smiled. “He was wearing long clothes all the time, wasn’t he?”
“With open arms,” Jiang Yuduo retorted.
“You…” Cheng Ke realized that Jiang Yuduo had easily diverted the topic, so he stopped questioning and brought the topic back, “Do you want to do the video shooting?”
“What?” Jiang Yuduo seemed puzzled.
“Video shooting,” Cheng Ke clarified. “Xu Ding has a lot of video shooting jobs, and the pay is higher than what a novice carpenter like you can earn. You can also work part-time.”
Jiang Yuduo looked at him without saying a word until they reached the door of the store, and Cheng Ke didn’t even wait for his answer before locking the door again.
“Are you not interested?” Cheng Ke asked once again, trying to gauge Jiang Yuduo’s thoughts on doing video shooting.
“Why take it seriously?” Jiang Yuduo replied.
“Why not take it seriously?” Cheng Ke adjusted his coat. “I told you, Xu Ding is not someone who would casually make such remarks.”
“Of course, not in front of you,” Jiang Yuduo helped him zip up his coat, then pulled his empty sleeve and walked towards the intersection, checking his phone. “The car will be here soon.”
“Jiang Yuduo…” Cheng Ke glanced at him, wanting to ask him what he really thought about making videos.
“Me?” Jiang Yuduo turned away, pointing to himself. “A street rent collector, shooting videos? Come on, who are you kidding?”
“What you do has nothing to do with making videos,” Cheng Ke sighed. “These considerations are separate. It’s about whether you want to or not.” Jiang Yuduo fell silent.
Cheng Ke didn’t press the matter further. It was evident that Jiang Yuduo had set a clear boundary for himself. Whatever lay on the other side of that boundary remained on the other side.
Their ride arrived, and Jiang Yuduo pulled his sleeve, opening the car door. He whispered in a low voice, “I don’t dare.” Before Cheng Ke could respond, Jiang Yuduo gently pushed him into the car.
Pulling the sleeves was like flying a kite, a good way to motivate him and encourage him to work harder.
After sitting down in the car, Cheng Ke noticed that the driver was looking at him.
“Lost an arm?” the driver asked.
Cheng Ke was taken aback and was about to respond when the driver clenched his fist playfully. “It’s alright, young man, I still have my other arm!”
Jiang Yuduo got into the car from the other side and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“I was encouraging him,” the driver said as he drove away. “This society is fair. Whether you’re able-bodied or disabled, if you work hard, you’ll do well! Don’t you agree, young man?”
“Yes.” Cheng Ke nodded, feeling a bit awkward to refute the driver’s enthusiastic remarks.
Jiang Yuduo glanced at Cheng Ke, put on his coat and hat, and covered most of his face with the hat’s brim. Then he leaned against the car window.
Cheng Ke looked at him for a while, recalling what Jiang Yuduo had said in the car… but… Jiang Yuduo was laughing. Even though Cheng Ke couldn’t see his face, he could tell from the shaking shoulders.
He reached out and pinched Jiang Yuduo’s leg.
Jiang Yuduo took a deep breath, rubbed his leg, and turned his face away. A smile that he hadn’t managed to suppress was still evident on his face. He whispered, “Damn, why did you pinch me so hard?”
“Laugh one more time,” Cheng Ke whispered back.
Jiang Yuduo quickly removed his hat, turned his face towards the car window, and smiled again.
The driver was a friendly person who encouraged Cheng Ke all the way, telling him not to give up on life just because of losing an arm.
When they got out of the car, Cheng Ke thanked the driver sincerely.
As Jiang Yuduo grabbed his sleeve to pull him out of the car, Cheng Ke deliberately resisted, letting Jiang Yuduo use his strength to pull him out.
After the car drove away, Jiang Yuduo scolded, “Is your mother’s leg also broken? Can’t you put in any effort?”
“I’m disabled,” Cheng Ke replied.
“Get out!” Jiang Yuduo stared at him and then burst into laughter. “Hey, why didn’t you tell him?”
“I wanted to say it, but he already mentioned it several times,” Cheng Ke smiled. “I didn’t want to embarrass him. Besides, he’s a good person. What if he meets a disabled person in the future?”
Jiang Yuduo looked at him silently for a moment, then patted him on the face. “You’re also a good person, especially… kind.”
“Do you have a hidden agenda?” Cheng Ke touched his face. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I thought you were teasing me!”
“What the hell, you can’t beat me even if you had four legs, and now you’re using me to tease you with just three and a half legs?” Jiang Yuduo gestured to his hands and then playfully patted the air. “Am I really that strong? I didn’t feel like I used much force.”
“Can’t you hear the slap?” Cheng Ke clicked his tongue.
“I’m not skilled in this business,” Jiang Yuduo laughed. “Damn, in a fight, I used to slap people like that.”
“Anyway, let’s go find something to eat,” Cheng Ke suggested.
During mealtime, most restaurants were crowded with people, but they finally settled on eating something simple.
“Bibimbap,” Jiang Yuduo pointed to a place ahead. “The first time Lucy paid me a salary, I treated Chen Qing here. It’s an old restaurant.”
“The first time you treated Chen Qing, it was quite an experience,” Cheng Ke said. “I thought you would go for something like pancakes or something, given your young age.”
“You’ll be surprised to know that this place used to sell pancakes and big meat buns,” Jiang Yuduo chuckled.
“…And you managed to have a satisfying meal for only ten yuan,” Cheng Ke laughed.
“Yes, those were the times,” Jiang Yuduo reminisced.
“Stingy,” Cheng Ke teased.
“It wasn’t me,” Jiang Yuduo defended himself. “I didn’t know how long Lucy would keep me around. I had to be careful in case I ran out of money next month. It was just a joke.” Cheng Ke remained silent, recalling his own state in junior high. Even now, the idea of running out of money the next month never crossed his mind, not even when he only had a hundred yuan. He had never worried about financial matters as Jiang Yuduo did.
Many times, Cheng Ke found it difficult to understand some of Jiang Yuduo’s thoughts. For example, the phrase “I dare not” from earlier when they got in the car.
Why wouldn’t he dare?
Was it due to fear, lack of self-confidence, or some other concerns?
Jiang Yuduo ordered two servings of bibimbap, both with extra meat and vegetables. When the dishes arrived, Cheng Ke realized he might have trouble finishing the large portions.
“Why did you add more vegetables?” Cheng Ke struggled to mix the rice with his left hand.
“I added eggs,” Jiang Yuduo explained. “I didn’t want you to accuse me of being picky.”
“You really hold grudges,” Cheng Ke joked.
“True,” Jiang Yuduo nodded, switching the spoon to his right hand and continuing to mix the rice. Though not as sharp as his left hand, his movements were still much more agile than those of Cheng Ke.
Impressed, Cheng Ke gave him a thumbs up.
As he tasted the mixed rice, Cheng Ke found it more delicious with the added egg, and it was mixed more evenly than when he wasn’t disabled.
“After we eat, I’ll take you back,” Jiang Yuduo said, poking at his phone while eating. “I’ll go home.”
“Sure,” Cheng Ke replied, feeling a bit disappointed that Jiang Yuduo wouldn’t stay at his place overnight, but he quickly brushed off the feeling as silly.
“I’ve asked someone to keep an eye out,” Jiang Yuduo said. “If those two people show up again, I want to see if they’re after you or me.”
“Ah, I get it now,” Cheng Ke said, realizing Jiang Yuduo’s intention.
Jiang Yuduo glanced at him.
“It’s possible it’s not as serious as we thought,” Cheng Ke speculated. “Maybe they were just thieves who got startled when they felt we spotted them.”
“That’s a valid point,” Jiang Yuduo agreed.
Cheng Ke noticed that Jiang Yuduo’s attitude towards the two individuals changed significantly based on whether they were considered “them” or not. Now, since Jiang Yuduo believed they were not “them,” he remained calm and was open to the possibility of being mistaken in his judgment.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Cheng Ke felt a little overwhelmed and couldn’t resist asking once more, “About your psychiatrist…”
As the question left his lips, he realized it was rather abrupt, and he hadn’t even considered what exactly he wanted to know.
“My psychiatrist’s surname is Luo,” Jiang Yuduo replied, not looking up from his phone. “I call her Sister Luo. But what are you really curious about? How pretty she is? Take a wild guess, Luo Qian is such a beautiful name.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Cheng Ke mumbled, burying his head in his meal.
The people Jiang Yuduo had arranged to keep watch were quite discreet. If Jiang Yuduo hadn’t told Cheng Ke that they were his people before leaving, Cheng Ke wouldn’t have noticed them at all.
These two individuals looked entirely ordinary, just like any other passerby on the road. There was no trace of any gangster-like demeanor that would make you keep your distance. Furthermore, they didn’t linger in one place for long. Cheng Ke looked down from the window, and they vanished after chatting for a few minutes.
Observing the scene, Cheng Ke could understand Jiang Yuduo’s feelings when he stood behind the curtain and looked outside.
Now he was just guessing what might cause such fear, and he had to distinguish the source of that fear…
Tired from the events of the day, Cheng Ke returned to the sofa and sat down. He had been walking around all day and hadn’t had much rest. His legs were a bit sore now.
It had been a while since he exercised, and the fatigue was catching up with him.
He checked his phone and saw several messages from Coach Xiao Yang urging him to come exercise. The cast could be removed in a month…
His phone rang, and Xu Ding sent a message.
I’m at the store, and you’ve arranged everything. I was about to figure it out.
All the workers showed up today, so everything’s been taken care of.
Cheng Ke replied to him and then hesitated for a moment. He typed a few more words.
Are you looking for Lao San?
He erased the text and typed again.
Do you think San-ge can..?
He deleted it once more.
After staring at the blank input box for a while, he sighed. He didn’t want to mention Jiang Yuduo’s “dare not” to Xu Ding until he understood the reason behind it.
If he did, Xu Ding would immediately make arrangements.
Jiang Yuduo’s video skills were impressive, but he might need some training and adjustment to handle different kinds of people, unlike the little brothers he usually dealt with. There was a risk he might mistake someone for a suspicious stranger…
Cheng Ke furrowed his brows.
Was that the reason? Was he afraid of such a situation?
If Jiang Yuduo’s “dare not” was related to this, it indicated that he wasn’t “well”.
Tossing his phone aside, Cheng Ke lay on the sofa and turned on the TV. He randomly picked a channel and listened to the voices from the TV series.
When the show paused for an advertisement, his phone rang again.
Cheng Ke was a bit surprised but more pleased. The message was from Jiang Yuduo.
The sofa is going to be replaced.
What happened?
Cheng Ke quickly sent a reply.
Jiang Yuduo sent a photo of the sofa, showing a wet patch.
…Did he pee again?
Yeah, he did.
…
I tried to discipline him, but he’s just not learning.
How did you discipline him?
Jiang Yuduo sent another short video. In the clip, Meow was lying on his back next to the water stain while Jiang Yuduo held a chopstick, mockingly saying, “I’m going to torture you now. You better kneel down for me.”
In response, Meow playfully nibbled on the chopstick.
Cheng Ke laughed heartily.
Do you dare show this video to your guardian and brothers?
I usually teach them this way.
Cheng Ke laughed again but then sighed after laughing for a while.
Jiang Yuduo was very endearing when he wasn’t troubled by certain issues. Despite lacking conventional beauty, “cute” was a suitable word for him.
However, there was still something missing…
After staring at the ceiling for a while, Cheng Ke sat up, grabbed his phone, and searched “How to find call history with the other party’s ID number.”
However, it seemed that a service password was required.
Cheng Ke frowned.
He didn’t know if he was overthinking, but Jiang Yuduo seemed to be trying hard to appear “well.” When he mentioned the past and the psychiatrist, he acted calmly and nonchalantly.
Jiang Yuduo wouldn’t give him the opportunity to explore further, and Cheng Ke didn’t want to show any more distrust.
But he was torn about checking the call records and contacting Sister Luo, the psychiatrist.
He didn’t feel it was his place to do so.
After pondering for a while, Cheng Ke finally decided to send a message to Xu Ding.
– If I know someone’s mobile phone number and ID number, can I find their call records?
He felt somewhat useless in managing “friendships,” and in this situation, Xu Ding was the only person who came to his mind. After all, Xu Ding knew Jiang Yuduo and might have some understanding of their relationship or, perhaps, a misunderstanding.
Xu Ding’s response came swiftly.
— You can ask someone to help you check.
— Okay.
He replied simply.
Xu Ding’s answer provided some relief, as it left room for interpretation. He didn’t ask whom Cheng Ke wanted to investigate or why he wanted to do so.
After a brief pause, Cheng Ke opened the short video sent by Jiang Yuduo and watched it multiple times.
“Now I’m going to torture you. You still have time to kneel down.”
Jiang Yuduo sent another message.
— Send me a picture to see.
— For what?
Though doubtful, Jiang Yuduo complied and sent a photo.
Cheng Ke burst into laughter again when he saw it. The picture showed the big letter “O” that he had taken earlier.
“Idiot,” Cheng Ke sent a voice message, “I didn’t want that one. I wanted you to take one now.”
Jiang Yuduo cooperatively took a selfie and sent it over. The photo was a bit blurry, probably because he wanted to take a picture with Meow, but Meow wasn’t cooperating.
Even so, Jiang Yuduo’s cheerful mood was evident from the grin on his face.
— Are you scared?
— My people are near you. If anything goes wrong, just call me.
Jiang Yuduo sent two more messages.
— No, I just miss you.
Regretting the message the moment he sent it, Cheng Ke quickly clicked “withdraw,” and then stared at the screen.
A few seconds later, Jiang Yuduo’s message arrived.
— I saw that, idiot.
Translator notes
I swear I love eating their dog foodPlease let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^
