Translator: Lynn
Sponsored chapter (2/2)
Cheng Ke saved the photos and sent them to Chen Qing. He had initially thought about posting them on his social media Moments, but after carefully reviewing them, he decided against it. He rarely posted on Moments, and it felt a bit awkward to share such high-quality photos so easily.
“There’s a lamp vendor over there,” Jiang Yuduo pointed ahead. “Let’s go take a look.”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke followed him over, and just as he was about to put his phone away, he hesitated and opened his social media circle to take a look.
There wasn’t much content, mostly food and drinks. Chen Qing posted all the photos Cheng Ke had sent, divided into three sets of nine pictures each. It was quite lively with accompanying captions.
Cheng Ke smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
At the bottom, there was another set of nine pictures in a grid format. At a glance, it was evident that the photography level was excellent, with great composition and color tones.
This couldn’t have been posted by Chen Qing. Cheng Ke glanced at the username, and the smile on his face froze.
“Put your phone away,” Jiang Yuduo pulled his arm. “Let’s focus on the lights.”
“Cheng Yi…” Cheng Ke looked at Jiang Yuduo, furrowing his brow and scanning the surroundings.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yuduo was puzzled.
“I don’t know,” Cheng Ke said. The place was bustling with people. Besides the area occupied by the lanterns, the rest was filled with people. He didn’t possess Jiang Yuduo’s ability to spot people in a crowd. He couldn’t even catch a glimpse of someone’s face. “He might be here with my parents.”
“Huh?” Jiang Yuduo took his phone. “Did he take these photos?”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke nodded, feeling a sudden wave of melancholy. This melancholy was like a hook, tearing off the camouflage he had carefully put on, revealing the suppressed memories of Jiang Yuduo’s past.
“It was posted ten minutes ago, so they probably just arrived,” Jiang Yuduo examined the photo. “Maybe there will be more fireworks… Look at this carp lantern, we saw it when we came here.”
“Really?” Cheng Ke found it quite convincing.
“Let’s go over there,” Jiang Yuduo pulled him towards the diagonal corner of the square. “They wouldn’t have just entered. Your mother must be around.”
“How do you know?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Look at this hand,” Jiang Yuduo pointed to the enlarged photo on the phone screen. “This big green ring is your mother’s hand. She was wearing it when I saw her at your place last time.”
Cheng Ke clasped his hands together. “That’s great.”
To be honest, he didn’t expect his family to come and see the lanterns. In previous years, he thought it was too crowded and chaotic.
“I don’t pay attention to these details,” Jiang Yuduo circled the ring with his thumb and index finger. “It’s so big. If I saw it in Chen Qing’s mother’s hand, I would think it’s made of plastic.”
That statement slowed down for a moment. “Let’s go over there. I’ll buy you a lantern.”
They walked through the crowd, heading to the opposite corner of the square. There were many lanterns being sold there, all sorts of small lights that were quite cute and more delicate-looking than the larger lanterns nearby. Most of the customers buying lanterns were children and girls, with a few men buying them, mostly for their children or girlfriends.
The two of them stood in front of the lanterns, looking quite distinct.
Cheng Ke didn’t mind, stealing a glance at Jiang Yuduo, who seemed completely at ease. It didn’t seem like he noticed anything odd about two men buying lanterns for each other.
“Oh, I bought one for Chen Qing too,” Cheng Ke mentioned.
Imagining Jiang Yuduo and Chen Qing standing there holding lanterns, Cheng Ke burst into laughter. Chen Qing was truly adorable. He had intended to feel a bit jealous, but whenever he encountered him, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
“Laughing your butt off,” Jiang Yuduo said beside him. “Can I ask if this little fairy is cute?”
“Little fairy…” Cheng Ke turned his head and saw a lantern in Jiang Yuduo’s hand. It was a cute little figure in an ancient costume holding a lantern. “Why is this called a little fairy? There are no fairies,” Jiang Yuduo said.
The surrounding noise was quite loud, with music playing, so Jiang Yuduo raised his voice, “But there’s a little bee here, or a lotus. Which one do you like?” As Jiang Yuduo finished his sentence, a few people nearby looked over, and a woman burst into laughter.
“It doesn’t matter,” Cheng Ke sighed.
“That’s settled then,” Jiang Yuduo turned his head and nodded at the vendor. “This little fairy and the bee…”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Cheng Ke hurriedly interrupted him, poking his arm. “Just the little bee, the little bee.”
“Little bee,” Jiang Yuduo said.
The vendor brought over the little bee lantern and handed it to Jiang Yuduo, who picked it up and examined it. “Yeah, it’s good.”
After paying, Jiang Yuduo punched the little bee in front of Cheng Ke. “Here, it’s for you.”
“Thank you.” Cheng Ke accepted the little bee lantern.
“Now it’s your turn,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“What…” Cheng Ke was taken aback.
“Buy one for me,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I want the one with the dog.”
“The DOGE?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Yes.” Jiang Yuduo nodded.
“Don’t you want a cat?” Cheng Ke asked casually.
“I didn’t see it…” Jiang Yuduo turned his head and called out to the vendor again. “Boss! Do you have a cat lantern!”
“… just the DOGE,” Cheng Ke was startled, and the people nearby looked at him again. Lowering his voice, he added, “Dogs and cats are the same.”
Jiang Yuduo probably noticed the attention now, so he waved his hand at the vendor. “Just forget about the dog, I don’t want the cat.”
After paying, Cheng Ke handed the DOGE lantern to Jiang Yuduo. “Here, it’s for you.”
“Thank you.” Jiang Yuduo accepted it with a smile.
Cheng Ke breathed a sigh of relief, looking away.
After walking a few steps, he felt something was amiss again, making him uncomfortable.
He glanced at Jiang Yuduo, who was holding the DOGE lantern, seemingly in a good mood, occasionally inspecting it with a smile. However, as they leisurely strolled past the lantern stalls, Jiang Yuduo’s gaze frequently wandered to the various lanterns hanging on the stalls.
Cheng Ke’s discomfort grew more pronounced.
Then, when he saw a black-and-white cat lantern on one of the stalls, it suddenly hit him.
Perhaps due to his “upbringing,” Cheng Ke felt a bit embarrassed when Jiang Yuduo raised his voice and casually shouted at the vendor.
Because of this embarrassment, he chose not to accompany Jiang Yuduo in searching for the much-desired cat lantern.
Cheng Ke didn’t think there was anything wrong with feeling embarrassed, but now he felt a tinge of regret.
Extending a hand to Jiang Yuduo, Cheng Ke pointed at a cat lantern hanging among a pile of lights. “Is that the cat you wanted?” Jiang Yuduo nodded excitedly.
“I’ll buy you another cat lantern,” Cheng Ke declared and walked over to it.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t stop him and followed him happily to the cat lantern. “It’s a sheriff cat! Much more stylish than a meow,” he remarked.
“You’re right,” Cheng Ke smiled and signaled to the vendor, “Please take this lantern down for me.”
“Sure thing.” The vendor approached, took down the cat lantern, and handed it to Cheng Ke.
Cheng Ke inspected the lantern and found no issues. He paid for it and then presented the cat lantern to Jiang Yuduo. “Here you go, another gift for you.”
“Thank you…” Jiang Yuduo accepted the lantern with a smile, glancing behind Cheng Ke. He didn’t finish his sentence, but the smile on his face persisted. “Don’t turn around.”
“Huh?” Cheng Ke was taken aback, but he reacted swiftly. Unlike 80% of people who instinctively turn back when told not to, he refrained from doing so.
“Your brother,” Jiang Yuduo averted his gaze, focusing on the cat lantern in his hand, “and your mother, plus a young woman, are right behind you, about five meters away.” Cheng Ke furrowed his brows. A woman?
There were many girls around Cheng Yi, but he had never brought anyone home. This time, not only did he bring someone home, but he also brought them to the lantern festival with their mother.
“Do you want to acknowledge each other?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“Damn,” Cheng Ke chuckled, “Let’s not acknowledge each other. Did Cheng Yi see us?”
“He saw me,” Jiang Yuduo said, “but he pretended not to notice, so he probably doesn’t realize that I saw us. He’s playing it cool.”
“What does he mean by that?” Cheng Ke frowned.
“I think he wants to get a bit closer,” Jiang Yuduo stated, “Close enough that he can only hear you when you call, and he won’t have time to pretend he didn’t hear and walk away.”
Cheng Ke smiled. “Quite considerate of him to think so far ahead.”
“I doubt others would think the same. Your brother is just like that,” Jiang Yuduo said. “If you don’t want to acknowledge each other, let’s leave now.”
“No,” Cheng Ke gazed at him, “I’m not leaving. Please cooperate.”
“Cooperate with what?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“You’ll find out soon,” Cheng Ke replied and turned around.
Cheng Yi and his mother stood about four or five meters away, gazing at the lights. Next to them was a stunningly beautiful girl, tall enough to match Cheng Yi’s height even on tiptoes.
Cheng Ke could sense that Cheng Yi had noticed him turning around from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t turn his head. Instead, he wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulder and moved forward slowly. When his mother spotted him, she exclaimed in surprise, “Xiao Ke!” Cheng Yi suddenly turned his head.
Jiang Yuduo’s assessment was still biased. Cheng Yi probably wanted his mother to notice him on his own, so it was uncertain whether it was intentional or not.
“Mom.” Cheng Ke approached and smiled at his mother.
“Xiao Ke, your hand…” Mom’s attention immediately went to his hand.
“Brother, what happened to your hand?” Cheng Yi stepped forward in two strides, a look of surprise on his face as he examined the cast on Cheng Ke’s hand. “Is it serious?”
“It’s fine, the cast will be removed soon,” Cheng Ke reassured, “I had a fall.”
“Amitabha,” Mom gently touched the cast. “Why are you so careless… You must rest well and not exert yourself after the cast is removed, okay?”
“Yes, I understand,” Cheng Ke nodded, changing the topic. “Why are you here?”
“Those two,” Mom turned to glance at Cheng Yi and the girl, “invited me to join them. They were quite lively.”
“Brother,” Cheng Yi turned his head towards the girl, tilting it slightly, “This is my girlfriend, Li Na… she came to meet my brother, Cheng Ke.”
“Happy New Year, brother,” Li Na approached with a smile, greeting Cheng Ke.
“You…” Cheng Yi looked back, “Are you going to the Lantern Festival?”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke turned to face Jiang Yuduo, “This is Jiang Yuduo, my boyfriend.”
He hesitated slightly before saying this. Was it necessary to exchange a glance with Jiang Yuduo first? After all, Jiang Yuduo was straightforward, and his reactions could be even more unique than Chen Qing’s.
However, Jiang Yuduo was generous, not even hesitating for a moment, his expression remaining unchanged. He took two steps forward, standing side by side with Cheng Ke, and greeted his mother, “Happy New Year, Auntie.”
“Happy Chinese New Year,” Mom appeared somewhat surprised, with a hint of displeasure in her eyes. “Didn’t you say… that you were the landlord?”
“Mom,” Cheng Yi leaned closer to his mother’s ear, lowering his voice as if trying to prevent her from saying more.
Cheng Ke felt that after living with Cheng Yi for so many years, he always knew that his brother was skilled at disguises. However, he truly realized this fact after leaving home.
Mom didn’t continue speaking but forced a smile instead.
“The third one, right? We’ve met a few times, but we still don’t know how to address him,” Cheng Yi looked at Jiang Yuduo, “I heard from Miller…”
“What Miller?” Jiang Yuduo bluntly interrupted.
“You may not remember…” Cheng Yi’s expression remained unaffected by Jiang Yuduo’s attitude, and he continued to smile peacefully.
“If you don’t want to be called by your name, you can call him San-ge,” Jiang Yuduo interrupted once again, “Addressing San-ge isn’t something to be taken lightly.”
Cheng Yi’s expression finally turned sour. “It doesn’t matter, you can call me whatever you like. I suppose there won’t
be another chance to address me in the future.”
“Let’s go,” Cheng Ke said, glancing at his mother once more. “Mom, take your time. We’ll go ahead.”
“Take care of your health,” Mom advised.
“Sure.” Cheng Ke nodded.
As Cheng Ke turned to leave, Cheng Yi stopped him from behind.
Cheng Ke turned his head, and Cheng Yi approached him, speaking in a low voice, “Brother, I’m serious. Otherwise… you should go home.”
“What?” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“I’m a little worried,” Cheng Yi glanced at the cast on Cheng Ke’s hand. “You mentioned that in case something happens…”
“The most significant thing he ever experienced was being kicked out of his home,” Jiang Yuduo interjected, “As long as you don’t go home, nothing bigger than that should occur.”
“Be mindful of your words,” Cheng Yi said with a stern expression.
“That’s what I said,” Jiang Yuduo remarked, “I don’t want to hear that you should have taken your mother away when you pretended not to see me.”
Cheng Yi furrowed his brow and looked at him. “Mr. Jiang, may I have a moment alone with my brother?”
“You first get rid of all the people around you,” Jiang Yuduo responded, “or else the two of you won’t be able to have a private conversation.”
Cheng Yi opened his mouth but remained silent.
At first, Cheng Ke couldn’t discern Cheng Yi’s mood. He didn’t want Jiang Yuduo to have a conflict with Cheng Yi, but he also didn’t want to prevent the conflict from happening. It left him feeling unsettled.
Now, after hearing Jiang Yuduo’s words and seeing Cheng Yi’s reaction, his mood instantly brightened. Jiang Yuduo’s straightforwardness and disregard for polite words that left people speechless reminded him of their past relationship. Despite the difficulties they faced in communication, he couldn’t help but want to laugh.
Cheng Yi likely noticed the uncontainable smile at the corner of Cheng Ke’s mouth. His gaze changed as he looked at him, and after a while, he said, “Brother, I have no ulterior motives. I’m just worried that something might happen to you while you’re out alone.”
“I understand,” Cheng Ke nodded, smiling, and patted Jiang Yuduo. “Let’s go.”
“Brother…” Cheng Yi seemed to want to say something but was interrupted by Jiang Yuduo once again.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jiang Yuduo said, “I’m here.”
Cheng Ke didn’t look back. He walked straight ahead, and when he reached the edge of the square where the lanterns began to thin out, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Jiang Yuduo asked, looking at him.
“You’re adorable,” Cheng Ke couldn’t stop laughing. “Actually, you’re no match for Cheng Yi.”
“Why would I want to compete with him?” Jiang Yuduo said. “I don’t have that kind of free time.”
“That’s true,” Cheng Ke smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Only you can tame him when you go all out and don’t hold back.”
“Satisfied?” Jiang Yuduo walked over to the nearby trash can, lit a cigarette, and glanced at him.
“It’s not bad,” Cheng Ke approached him. Holding a lantern in one hand and a cast in the other, he couldn’t do much else, so he raised his chin towards Jiang Yuduo. “Light one for me.”
Jiang Yuduo brought the cigarette to his mouth, and Cheng Ke took a puff while Jiang Yuduo took the cigarette back and took a puff himself.
“Can’t you buy another one?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Then I’ll have to wait for two cigarettes,” Jiang Yuduo replied. “If you feel uncomfortable, you can have another one later.”
“The main issue is that it’s not elegant to do this in public,” Cheng Ke remarked. “On the street.”
“You always find something to fuss about,” Jiang Yuduo glared at him. “If you smoke, then shut up. If you don’t smoke, then shut up. You’re always arguing with your brother because you’re too refined. Slap him and see if he still smirks at you all day long.
Cheng Ke laughed and sighed after a while. “Maybe.”
“I don’t have siblings, so I don’t know what it’s like to be with my family,” Jiang Yuduo leaned against a nearby tree and put the cigarette to his mouth. “Maybe your perspective is different from mine.”
“When I’m in front of my mother,” Cheng Ke took a drag from the cigarette, “I don’t want things to get too awkward. There should be some interaction.”
“It’s fine,” Jiang Yuduo said, “You see, I’m alone without a family. It’s different, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke smiled.
Jiang Yuduo took two puffs and then flicked the cigarette away. After contemplating for a moment, he looked at Cheng Ke again. “I just said it casually. Our situations are still different.”
“I know,” Cheng Ke handed him the lantern and gently patted his face.
Jiang Yuduo lit another cigarette and handed it to Cheng Ke. “Go ahead, continue.”
Cheng Ke smiled. “It’s not that addictive.”
“Even though more than half of them haven’t gone shopping, are you still going?”
“I’m going shopping,” Cheng Ke replied. “My mother probably doesn’t want to stay here anymore. She doesn’t like crowded places and finds them too noisy.”
“Let’s go for a walk over there,” Jiang Yuduo pointed, “There’s a big dragon lantern.”
“Okay,” Cheng Ke nodded, then after pondering for a moment, he looked at Jiang Yuduo. “When I mentioned that we were childhood friends, you seemed quite calm. I was a bit worried that you would be surprised.”
“I anticipated it,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I already guessed that you were going to say that.”
“You’re impressive,” Cheng Ke remarked.
“Common sense, what else would you say? Your brother tried to provoke you with that matter,” Jiang Yuduo sighed. “But he might not believe it.”
“Why?” Cheng Ke looked at his lantern.
“Didn’t he mention that we… um..?” Jiang Yuduo said,
“umm??”. Cheng Ke almost couldn’t react.
After regaining his composure, he couldn’t help but laugh and nearly leaned against the trash can. “Silly.”
Jiang Yuduo laughed for a while, and when he saw Cheng Ke’s laughter didn’t stop, he prodded him. “It’s not over yet. What’s so funny?” It took him quite a while to calm down compared to Chen Qing.”
Cheng Ke gradually stifled his laughter, took a deep breath, stretched his waist with one hand, looked at Jiang Yuduo, and asked after a while, “Was that statement earlier cooperative or true?”
“Which statement?” Jiang Yuduo glanced at him with a cigarette in his mouth.
“When you said, ‘With me here,'” Cheng Ke said.
“True,” Jiang Yuduo replied.
Cheng Ke gazed at Jiang Yuduo for a moment, but seeing no one paying attention to them out of the corner of his eye, he leaned in and, before Jiang Yuduo could react, grabbed his chin and kissed him passionately on the lips. The tip of his tongue even licked his lips eagerly.
After pulling away, Jiang Yuduo’s hand, still holding the cigarette, remained suspended above the trash can.
After a few seconds, Jiang Yuduo suddenly snapped back to his senses, wiped his mouth with his hand, and then pointed at Cheng Ke. “You cheeky bastard! Can’t you just kiss me without warning? You scared the hell out of me! I fucking shivered! And you even licked my lips! If you’re hungry, I’ll take you to buy cotton candy! There’s a stall over there!”
Cheng Ke smiled and looked at him, saying nothing.
“Fuck!” Jiang Yuduo wiped his mouth again. “Didn’t I tell you? Are you still claiming that you’re not holding back? You’re so bold, just licking your lips. If there was nobody around, you’d probably strip off your pants too.”
“Maybe,” Cheng Ke narrowed his eyes, “you would’ve taken them off first.”
“Get lost!” Jiang Yuduo exclaimed.
Cheng Ke smiled and waved his hand. “Come on, where are the marshmallows?”
“…We passed by them earlier,” Jiang Yuduo said.
Cheng Ke had no real interest in eating marshmallows. Jiang Yuduo had bought them simply because he was in a good mood and wanted to have some fun.
As they walked, Cheng Ke took out his phone, found the selfie that was just taken, and opened a photo editing app.
“Why?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“Taking a picture to post on social media,” Cheng Ke said.
“You still use editing apps?” Jiang Yuduo was a little surprised. “No way, you even need to edit a photo before posting it? Are you kidding me?”
“Would you believe me if I said I’ll fuck you again?” Cheng Ke turned to look at him.
“Fuck off,” Jiang Yuduo retorted.
Cheng Ke smiled and tapped the screen of his phone a few times, adjusting the brightness and color tone. Then he covered the mouth of a laughing person in the background and zoomed out to view the photo. It looked great.
He saved it and posted it on Moments.
Soon, he received a reply from XX Car Beauty Chen, with the phone number 139XXXXXXXX.
— Fuck! You guys took such an awesome photo by yourselves! You sent me the bad ones!
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^
