Translator: Lynn
Thank you, Kizuna for the ko-fi! I’m glad you enjoy my translation <3
Sponsored chapter (1/1)
Cheng Ke didn’t give up immediately. This vacant lot was simply a parking area and a row of shops had back doors facing it. He went back to Qianmen Street and turned around, but he didn’t see the two people again. He entered the stores one by one and inquired if anyone had entered and exited through the back door.
When he reached the third-to-last shop, the boss nodded and said, “Someone did come in through the back door and then left through the front. I’m not sure where they went, but it was only one person, not two.”
“Thank you,” Cheng Ke replied.
“Was something stolen?” the boss asked.
“Ah,” Cheng Ke responded.
“Thieves are quite common around here,” the boss remarked. “Shop owners can usually recognize them. But I didn’t see the ones you’re referring to.”
“…Alright, thank you,” Cheng Ke said.
“You’re welcome. Take care of your belongings. Don’t assume that there are no thieves in the building materials market, because there are plenty,” the boss advised.
Cheng Ke walked out of the store and glanced at Jiang Yuduo, who was standing outside. “I went into that store, but the boss didn’t see where they went.”
Jiang Yuduo remained silent.
“It’s pointless to see them,” Cheng Ke sighed. “I can’t be sure whether they passed by or if they followed us and then ran away.”
“When we bought the cement and came out, those two smokers hadn’t finished their cigarettes yet. I didn’t intend to leave immediately after we finished talking,” Jiang Yuduo explained. “I walked to the far end of the row of shops just to see if they would follow. With so many wooden board shops, if they followed us, they would have gone to the end and never entered any of the stores. That’s when I came out and suddenly went into the store.”
Cheng Ke furrowed his brow; Jiang Yuduo’s explanation did make sense.
In the past, Cheng Ke never fully believed Jiang Yuduo when he claimed to have seen someone, as he never saw anyone himself.
But today, he saw those two individuals, or rather, one person. And two shop owners confirmed it.
“You just said,” Cheng Ke looked at Jiang Yuduo, “it wasn’t them?”
“No,” Jiang Yuduo replied simply.
“Why don’t they belong to them?” Cheng Ke asked.
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yuduo frowned.
Cheng Ke looked at him, speechless.
How many times had Jiang Yuduo received the answer “didn’t see”?
This time, when someone finally told him that they had seen them, he said it wasn’t “them” anymore. Cheng Ke didn’t understand why. If it wasn’t “them,” then who could it be? Why was Jiang Yuduo acting so suspiciously? If it were “them,” why did Jiang Yuduo deny it?
Was it because… he had previously claimed to be “fine”?
Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo purchased the wooden boards and returned to the cement shop. The boss had arranged for a truck to transport their goods. Once everything was loaded, they could bring it back directly.
But only in the backseat.
“Can this car take us to the shop?” Cheng Ke felt a little worried.
“I can get you there,” the driver said, cigarette in his mouth. “But let me tell you upfront, I don’t assist with unloading. I’ll only drive and you’ll have to pay extra for unloading, entering the destination, and climbing stairs.”
Cheng Ke was about to say that it would increase the cost, but Jiang Yuduo interrupted him, already standing by the car door. He said, “We’ll unload this little stuff ourselves.”
Cheng Ke had no choice but to remain silent. After all, they just needed to transport it to the door, and the amount of stuff wasn’t significant. They could ask the workers for assistance in moving it inside.
Jiang Yuduo reached out his hand and pulled Cheng Ke to the backseat.
“Is this your first time sitting in a place like this?” he asked.
“Well,” Cheng Ke nodded, “it’s my first time on a tricycle.”
“Is it uncomfortable?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“It’s not uncomfortable,” Cheng Ke clicked his tongue. “Are you trying to tease me again?”
“No,” Jiang Yuduo smiled and glanced outside the car.
Cheng Ke also took a look but didn’t see the previous person or anyone suspicious.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked in a low voice, “You said it wasn’t them… then who do you think it could be?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yuduo shook his head. “These days…”
“Hmm?” Cheng Ke waited for him to continue.
Jiang Yuduo hesitated for a moment. “Will you get mad?”
“Mad about what?” Cheng Ke didn’t understand.
“If I had someone follow you,” Jiang Yuduo bit his lip, “would it bother you? I don’t think it’s… for you.”
“For me?” Cheng Ke was taken aback. “I don’t have any enemies.”
“Really,” Jiang Yuduo narrowed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if they’re blocking or not.”
“What the fuck? What are you trying to do?” Cheng Ke was startled.
“As long as they dare to follow us here, they won’t be able to escape,” Jiang Yuduo declared confidently. Then, after a moment of contemplation, he added, “Don’t worry, they are just blocking our way, so don’t do anything.”
Cheng Ke didn’t say anything in response.
Jiang Yuduo’s assurance carried a sense of confidence and ruthlessness, characteristic of a San-ge. He had several little brothers scattered throughout these streets, capable of talking to people, finding people, or blocking people. Aside from the chief guardian, these little brothers possessed considerable fighting ability, visible to the naked eye, most of them being visible gangsters.
So, why would Jiang Yuduo have nothing to do with “them”?
Even if Jiang Yuduo would be harmed by “them” and his little brothers couldn’t block them, it wasn’t as if they hadn’t encountered anyone before.
Therefore, just as Jiang Yuduo had admitted, “they” were individuals who only existed in Jiang Yuduo’s world, and once he “healed,” they would vanish.
However, when Cheng Ke asked whether it was “them,” Jiang Yuduo’s response was “no,” not “there are no ‘them.'”
Cheng Ke examined Jiang Yuduo’s face.
Jiang Yuduo truly hadn’t completely recovered, as he had claimed.
“Hmm?” Jiang Yuduo looked at him.
“Nothing,” Cheng Ke had no ulterior motives, no thoughts at all. He didn’t feel annoyed, angry, or disappointed after going through such a big circle, encountering new troubles. None of that.
Only when Jiang Yuduo gazed at him, Cheng Ke felt a tinge of sadness and concern.
He reached out and lightly touched Jiang Yuduo’s face.
Jiang Yuduo quickly raised his hand and pressed Cheng Ke’s hand against his face. However, within a second, before Cheng Ke had a chance to savor the sudden warmth, Jiang Yuduo shook his hand off. “What the hell, why are your hands so cold?”
“You…” Cheng Ke was speechless. “Not only are my hands cold, but my fucking heart is cold too!”
Jiang Yuduo clicked his tongue, grabbed Cheng Ke’s hand once again, and rubbed it between his own hands. “Okay, Chen Qing, I haven’t warmed his hands yet.”
“Am I Chen Qing?” Cheng Ke retorted.
Jiang Yuduo shook his head. “No, you are…”
“Shut up,” Cheng Ke interrupted, pointing at Jiang Yuduo with his plaster cast. “I warn you.”
Jiang Yuduo smiled and didn’t continue.
As they traveled back to the store from the building materials market, Cheng Ke remained vigilant, constantly checking if anyone was following him. He didn’t know if he had been influenced by Jiang Yuduo, but he felt somewhat suspicious.
“Cheng Ke,” Jiang Yuduo called out to him when they were about to enter the store. “Don’t look back.”
“Huh?” Cheng Ke was slightly surprised, thinking he had disguised himself well.
“No one knows where we went to buy things today,” Jiang Yuduo explained. “If someone is following us, they would have started from home or the store. They might have followed us, but they might not follow us back. Everyone knows what we bought, so we have to return to the store.”
“…I didn’t look back,” Cheng Ke immediately felt embarrassed.
“Get out of the car,” Jiang Yuduo instructed. “This is where we stop.”
After the car came to a halt, Cheng Ke quickly got out, called two workers from the store to assist, and unloaded everything along with Jiang Yuduo, carrying it upstairs.
It was already past lunchtime, and they had eaten late. Since they weren’t hungry at noon, they hadn’t had anything to eat.
“Tell me what to do,” Jiang Yuduo kicked one of the boards on the ground. “Do you have any tools?”
“Yes, the chainsaw and grinder are in the next room,” Cheng Ke replied. “Let me draw a sketch for you first, and then you can saw out the molded wood.”
“I’ve never used a chainsaw before,” Jiang Yuduo confessed.
“It’s okay. How about you hold the wood while I do the sawing?” Cheng Ke suggested.
“…Will you be okay?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“No,” Cheng Ke responded. “Let’s give it a try.”
“In that case, I’ll do it,” Jiang Yuduo said, turning to retrieve the tools from the next room.
Cheng Ke was momentarily stunned as he looked at the pile of items in front of him. He was still perplexed by what had just happened and couldn’t make sense of it. However, Jiang Yuduo appeared to be taking it lightly.
This lack of seriousness didn’t imply indifference or disregard. Instead, it reflected confidence and the ability to handle the situation, which was completely different from the anxiety he displayed when facing “them.”
If there truly was a distinction between reality and fantasy, based on Jiang Yuduo’s behavior, he would treat them differently.
But…
Cheng Ke furrowed his brow, suddenly wanting to see that psychiatrist.
If such a person even existed.
Jiang Yuduo brought the tools over and placed them on the ground. “I took a look, and I think everything should be fine.”
“That’s good. I’ll sketch it for you,” Cheng Ke nodded, picked up the chalk from the ground, and handed it to Jiang Yuduo. He proceeded to draw the shape of the cement mold and marked its dimensions.
“Isn’t this like the rice bowl in the cafeteria?” Jiang Yuduo remarked. “You could just buy a plate like that and pour it in.”
“…It’s not big enough,” Cheng Ke said.
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo nodded. “Okay.”
Although Jiang Yuduo had never used a chainsaw or performed these tasks before, he displayed considerable hands-on ability. His execution was precise and standard.
“It’s not difficult,” he clicked his tongue. “I could become a carpenter now.”
Cheng Ke smiled but didn’t say anything.
“What do you think about carpentry?” Jiang Yuduo turned to look at Cheng Ke.
“It’s great,” Cheng Ke nodded. “Skilled carpenters are highly sought after.”
“Really?” Jiang Yuduo gazed at the board in front of him. Then, after a while, he turned his head and said, “There’s a carpenter living in the rental house, but I don’t think their skill level is very high; otherwise, they wouldn’t be renting a house there.”
Cheng Ke stared at him, taking a few seconds to suddenly realize something. “You don’t really want to become a carpenter, do you?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yuduo turned off the chainsaw, sat down on the wooden board, and furrowed his brow. “I just…do you think I…” Cheng Ke interrupted, “Have you been helping Lu Qiang with things?”
“Well, somewhat. She asks me to come to her brand house and rental house for anything,” Jiang Yuduo replied. “I’ll earn some money in a month or two.”
“How much money?” Cheng Ke inquired further.
“A lot, quite a lot,” Jiang Yuduo rubbed his nose. “But…will I always be like this in the future? Lu Qiang probably wants to help me. She hires others to do these tasks, so I won’t need so much money.”
“Why did this suddenly come to mind?” Cheng Ke sat down beside him.
“It’s not sudden,” Jiang Yuduo pondered for a moment. “I don’t know, and I don’t have any skills. When I was sawing wood… it just hit me suddenly. I can’t explain it.”
“Do you want to learn something or improve your skills?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo nodded. “My…psychiatrist asked me about my plans once I get better. I couldn’t provide an answer, but I feel like there should be a plan, right?”
“Yes, but don’t worry,” Cheng Ke reassured him. “Take your time. We can discuss it together.”
Jiang Yuduo turned his head to look at Cheng Ke.
Cheng Ke smiled.
“Stop smiling,” Jiang Yuduo teased.
“About your psychiatrist,” Cheng Ke tried to inquire, “is the psychiatrist male or female?”
“Female,” Jiang Yuduo frowned at him. “An older sister.”
“What’s her name?” Cheng Ke asked.
Jiang Yuduo’s eyes flickered with hesitation, and he remained silent.
“Forget it,” Cheng Ke quickly stopped himself. “I…”
“Are you jealous?” Jiang Yuduo suddenly asked.
Cheng Ke choked and glared at him. “What did you say?”
“She’s over forty,” Jiang Yuduo said. “Her children are all in high school.”
“I’m not…jealous!” Cheng Ke exclaimed. However, his voice sounded a little strained.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t say anything, but he looked toward the stairs.
Then Cheng Ke heard the sound of someone ascending the stairs. Before he could ask who it was, a voice came from the other side of the stairs, “Brother Cheng! San-ge!” It was Lin Xu’s voice. Lin Xu was on the stairs, and his calls were quite loud as if he wanted to announce his arrival in advance.
Upon hearing the tone, Cheng Ke immediately realized that Lin Xu had probably overheard their conversation just now.
“Did you bring something?” Cheng Ke quickly stood up.
“Yes,” Lin Xu climbed up the stairs with a hint of embarrassment on his face. He smiled at them. “The trucks are outside. Three of them have been loaded, and two more trucks will arrive soon.”
“Then…are we…” Cheng Ke also felt a bit embarrassed. “Should we start moving now?”
“Yes,” Lin Xu nodded. “The workers told me you were upstairs, so I wanted you to show them where to put the things.”
“I’ll go down right away,” Cheng Ke said.
“Okay,” Lin Xu nodded, smiled at Jiang Yuduo again, then turned around and swiftly descended the stairs.
“I’ll go down and take a look,” Cheng Ke said. “You…”
“I’ll continue sawing the boards,” Jiang Yuduo picked up the chainsaw. “It’s quite enjoyable.”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke patted him on the shoulder.
While walking toward the stairs, Jiang Yuduo said something from behind, “The other day, you said…”
“What?” Cheng Ke turned his head.
“You mentioned telling Lin Xu…” Jiang Yuduo pondered for a moment, stepped on the wooden board, and concluded, “It’s nothing.”
Cheng Ke was momentarily bewildered, but then he burst into laughter.
Approaching Jiang Yuduo, he bent down and whispered in his ear, “No need to say it. He already knows.”
Jiang Yuduo abruptly turned his head. “What does he know? How did he find out?”
“Things like these…” Cheng Ke sighed. “There aren’t many people as clueless as you.”
Throughout the afternoon, Cheng Ke and Lin Xu were busy placing all the tables, chairs, and cabinets in their designated positions, making the store look considerably complete.
After finishing their work, Lin Xu didn’t stay long. He mentioned he had to pay the bill and left with the cart.
Cheng Ke glanced at the time. For several hours, Jiang Yuduo had been on the upstairs terrace and had never appeared.
He hurried upstairs and called out, “Jiang Yuduo?”
“Hey,” Jiang Yuduo responded cheerfully.
Cheng Ke sighed with relief. Jiang Yuduo seemed unaffected when Lin Xu came over this time.
“How’s it going?” Cheng Ke walked over and was surprised to find that Jiang Yuduo had already sawed all the anti-corrosion boards needed for making the benches and even nailed a piece together. “Impressive. Did I give you instructions on how to make them?”
“I had blueprints there, didn’t I?” Jiang Yuduo pointed to the few blueprints placed next to him. “I just followed those, right?”
“That’s right,” Cheng Ke confirmed.
“How is it!” Jiang Yuduo kicked the board with a touch of pride, then turned to look at Cheng Ke.
“Excellent,” Cheng Ke smiled.
“I figured it out. I still have plenty of wood,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I can make some more things.”
“What do you have in mind?” Cheng Ke leaned against the wall. Not anxious, not vigilant, not melancholic, just the appearance of a young man in his early twenties.
“I saw a lamp in the mall that day. It was a big round lamp nailed to a piece of wood with several round holes,” Jiang Yuduo said. “When you turn on the lamp, it creates beautiful round light spots.”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke nodded.
“I wanted to buy that as a birthday present for you. You’re an artist,” Jiang Yuduo said. “It seemed artistic…”
“San-ge,” Cheng Ke interrupted him.
“What?” Jiang Yuduo looked at him.
“What were you thinking? What else could it be? You just ruined the surprise!” Cheng Ke stared at him. “I told you not to tell me what you were planning to give!”
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo was taken aback.
“Oh, my bad,” Cheng Ke said.
“No, it’s okay. I won’t give you that lamp anymore,” Jiang Yuduo quickly reassured him.
“…Oh.” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“I’ll make something myself…” Jiang Yuduo pointed to the wooden planks, stopped halfway, and glanced at Cheng Ke.
Cheng Ke sighed, realizing the situation, “You’re making one yourself, right?”
Jiang Yuduo didn’t say anything.
“It’s better to make it yourself than to buy one,” Cheng Ke said. “I’ll appreciate whatever you make.”
“There will still be surprises,” Jiang Yuduo pondered for a while before clapping his hands. “You don’t know what I’m capable of making, right?”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke nodded.
“What if I can’t make it?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“Damn it!” Cheng Ke laughed indignantly. “It’ll still be a surprise even if you can’t make it!”
“Exactly,” Jiang Yuduo said. “If I can’t make it, then I’ll buy that lamp from the mall as a gift for you.”
“Get out of here!” Cheng Ke playfully yelled.
“There will be surprises,” Jiang Yuduo added.
“Got it,” Cheng Ke smiled for a moment, then stared at him for a while. “Jiang Yuduo.”
“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo responded.
“Come here, let me give you a hug,” Cheng Ke opened his left arm.
Jiang Yuduo furrowed his brow, first glanced inside the room toward the stairs, then looked outside on the balcony, and finally walked up to him.
“You really know how to cheer someone up,” Cheng Ke sighed and embraced him.
“I’m just not used to it,” Jiang Yuduo also hugged him. “I’ve grown up all this time without doing this kind of thing in broad daylight, in front of so many people.”
“What kind of thing are you talking about?” Cheng Ke said. “Don’t make it sound like I’m fucking you on the street.”
Jiang Yuduo remained silent.
After a while, he spoke in a low voice, “Why…?”
Cheng Ke was caught off guard by the question.
Before he could decide whether to answer or play dumb, Jiang Yuduo clicked his tongue again. “Actually, I can almost guess… Forget it, it’s quite awkward.”
Translator notes
Gosh I love Jiang Yuduo. Soo moe (*≧ω≦*)Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^
