T/L: hello y’all, sorry for the late update. My country is a political nightmare now and next week I’ll be off to a con, so I’m taking extra overtimes as a compensation. As a result… well, I won’t be posting next week. See you at 27 Feb~
19/3/24 edit: I somehow fucked up and translated Tan Qing’s name as Qin Qing? And made this mistakes again and again in the future??? anyway, I’ve already changed all of them. Sorry for that blunder.
|| “What do you think the appropriate betrothal gift is?”
The result of the four big boys holding hands to buy drinks and hot pot base was getting the complicated expressions of the staff on duty at the 24-hour service center.
So the final camping dinner concluded with the four of them sitting in a circle, each holding a pot of Lao Tan Sour Cabbage Beef Noodles along with bottles of Wahaha mineral water for a satisfying meal.
And because the late nights in the mountains were filled with heavy dew, even the warmest sleeping bags couldn’t withstand the damp and cold of the southern winter nights, resulting in everyone catching varying degrees of colds.
Because Xia Zhiye got up in the middle of the night and wrapped him tightly with his coat and scarf, Song Yan’s cold was the least severe.
Xia Zhiye, who has always been as strong as an ox, had the worst cold because he gave Song Yan all his clothes to keep him warm. Coupled with the climate that was most conducive to the spread of flu during the winter and spring seasons, he remained sick on and off until the final exams rolled around.
In the end, because of battle damage when he went to war, he lost to Song Yan by 3 points. He lost his iron grip on the first place he had for nearly a year and a half and went down to second place.
When Ruan Tian received this report card, she was very satisfied—so satisfied that she even seemed a bit smug. “Some students, relying on their intelligence and talent, never put in the effort. Now they finally realize there’s always someone better. First place isn’t guaranteed anymore, right?”
Zhao Ruiwen and others, who were usually crushed by Xia Zhiye and could not fight back, also felt this schadenfreude. “From now on, the world is our Yan-ge’s! Lord Xia, you can abdicate. I will swear to defend the Song Dynasty with my life!”
Very loyal.
Xia Zhiye tilted his head to look at Song Yan when he heard this bold declaration. He propped his head up, the corners of his lips twitched slightly, and threw a sloppy and sarcastic reply, “I never expected that our Yan-ge would be this kind of person. Isn’t using underhanded methods to vie for power a bit unsavory?”
“?”
Even during the two weeks leading up to the exam, Song Yan stayed up until 1 to 2 AM every night, drilling questions with Xia Zhiye. But then, he didn’t enjoy the male high school student worth 180 yuan’s ultimate service.
Song Yan: “?”
What does Xia Zhiye mean?
What underhanded method?
Why is his competitive method unsavory?
Song Yan had never seen Xia Zhiye look at him like this before. He wondered if something happened that he didn’t know, or if there was some misunderstanding.
But then, Xia Zhiye continue to run his dirty mouth, changing his indifferent accusatory tone into a playful one as he said, “Ever since you transferred here, you’ve been using your charm on me, bewitching me to the point where I couldn’t control myself, couldn’t focus on studying, and had no choice but to hand over the throne. That’s quite a strategy, ah.”
“…”
At that moment, Song Yan felt like a fool.
Why does he still believe that Xia Zhiye will say something serious?
Although Xia Zhiye’s volume was so low that only the two of them could hear it, it didn’t affect Song Yan’s expressionless stomping on Xia Zhiye’s foot.
So Xia Zhiye, who had just entered the state of dramatics, immediately broke down, lowered his head, clenched his fist, and took a deep breath.
At first glance it looks like it hurts like hell.
Ruan Tian watched from a distance on the podium. Although she didn’t know what happened, she still enjoyed the spectacle of Xia Zhiye finally getting a taste of his own medicine. “Keep up the good work, Song Yan! You’ve got to maintain your momentum.”
“Mn.”
Song Yan responded with an expressionless face. After he removed his right foot that was carrying out atrocities, Xia Zhiye was finally able to survive.
Ruan Tian only gave them even a sweeter smile. “There’s one more thing I need you all to work on.”
Every time Ruan Tian showed such a sweet smile, the result was not good. Song Yan raised his eyebrows vigilantly.
Sure enough, the next moment, Ruan Tian revealed her mischievous dimples. “This semester is ending on a high note. When we come back for the next semester, it will be our school’s 110th anniversary celebration. The school will organize an art performance, and our class’s performance of ‘The Butterfly Lovers’ from last time, which was the most popular program among the second years, has already been selected. So, during the winter break, everyone can take some time to review the script.”
After she finished her announcement, the students fell into an uproar.
“Fuck! This school celebration actually chose our class?”
“Our class finally beat Class 16 in the field of art!”
“Our class is YYDS1Chinese equivalent of GOAT/greatest of all time.!”
“Then can we see our Yan-ge crossdressing again!”
“Yan-ge crossdressing is YYDS!”
“I wonder how many first-year girls will fall for our Yan-ge’s charm again. So envious, ah!”
‘I’ll give this blessing to you, do you want it, ah?’
Everyone was laughing, only Song Yan’s face instantly turned into that of a handsome refrigerator.
What kind of crime did he commit in his last life? Why must he crossdress again in his life?
Is it too late for him to transfer out?
Beside him, Xia Zhiye understood his thoughts and despair. He put his arm around his shoulder and comfortingly patted him twice, saying, “Yan-ge, that’s just fate. Stop resisting and go with the flow. As they say, marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog2idiom: 就当嫁鸡随鸡嫁狗随狗; equivalent to “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”.”
Song Yan let out a cold scoff before adding, “You’re aware that you are a dog.”
“But this dog won everything in his life.”
Not only was Xia Zhiye not ashamed, but he was also proud.
Song Yan found himself completely unable to verbally defeat this shameless guy, so he could only retaliate by giving him another stomp.
As a result, Xia Zhiye was well prepared this time. Relying on his long limbs, he bent slightly, and his left hand successfully arrested a repeated offender’s right ankle.
The winter dress code at Nanwu No.3 Middle School requires students to wear their own coats or down jackets over their school uniforms to keep warm. As for pants, they still have to wear Nanwu No.3 Middle School’s ugly loose blue and white school pants.
So when Xia Zhiye caught him, the warm palm of his hand was naturally attached to Song Yan’s cold and hard ankle.
Due to the difference in temperature, when Xia Zhiye rubbed his palms, Song Yan immediately felt goosebumps all over his body.
Attempting to free his ankle, it was directly grasped by Xia Zhiye and placed on his lap, thus revealing under the table the libertine posture of Song Yan placing his lower leg on Xia Zhiye’s thigh.
As soon as Xia Zhiye did this, Ruan Tian on the podium noticed that Song Yan’s expression was wrong. “Classmate Song Yan, what happened? Are you unwilling?”
“No, I am willing.”
Song Yan panicked and blurted out this sentence.
Xia Zhiye covered the ankle of someone whose cold sensation made it seem like they were about to get frostbite the next second, and chuckled softly.
Ruan Tian looked at them again. “Then Xia Zhiye, are you unwilling?”
“No, I’m willing too.” Xia Zhiye put his right hand on the table, casually spinning his pen. He straightened his sitting posture, but his face was as usual – lazy and relaxed.
In addition, the desks of Nanwu No. 3 Middle School had wooden boards on its sides, blocking outsiders from viewing what’s under the table.
So Ruan Tian nodded in satisfaction. “Since both lead actors have no objections, then it’s settled. The tentative date for the performance is March 5th, and we’ll return to school on March 1st. You guys should find time to prepare accordingly. If there are no other matters, let’s wait outside the classroom until the parent-teacher meeting is over, and then you can leave school together with your parents. I wish you all a happy winter vacation and a Happy New Year. See you next year.”
“Okay— Wishing Tian-mei to also have a Happy New year! Happy winter vacation!”
The students of Class 1, as usual, dragged their feet with their typical lackadaisical attitude.
Ruan Tian was both irritated yet amused. “Alright, no need to wait outside the classroom. Feel free to go and do whatever you want. That’s it, okay?”
“Oh yeah! Long live Tian-mei!”
“Ah! I’m free at last! I can lie down and sleep all day!”
“I’m going back to the dorm to pack up my things and head straight to my hiding spot – my bedroom with my computer and small bed.”
“I will also go back to the dormitory to hide first. I hope my mother will still be willing to recognize me as her son after the parent-teacher meeting.”
“Ahhh!! Why is my dad here! He’s blocking me at the door of the classroom!”
The crowd, who had been suppressed for the entire semester, went into a frenzy of madness and chaos upon hearing the words “free activity,” instantly engulfing the classroom.
Only Song Yan, feeling embarrassed and indignant, attempted to pull his ankle out, his whisper was full of aggression. “Let go of me.”
Xia Zhiye, having finished rubbing his boyfriend’s foot, leisurely released the sinful leg, turning his head to look at Song Yan, “Is March 5th your birthday?”
“Mn.”
Song Yan retracted his legs with a cold face and began to pack up his backpack.
Beside him, Xia Zhiye nodded. “Very good.”
Song Yan stopped in alert, his head turned. “What are you planning to do?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Xia Zhiye smiled, “What can I do? I just think it’s great and auspicious that my adorable boyfriend and our magnificent alma mater share the same birthday. Isn’t that wonderful?”
However, Song Yan didn’t believe a word of what Xia Zhiye said. He glared at him coldly and threatened, “You’d better hope so, or you might end up losing your boyfriend and resting eternally at your magnificent alma mater.”
After he finished speaking, he stood up with his bag and walked to the door of the classroom.
Ruan Tian, who was on the platform, was verifying each parent’s seat. She noticed him and quickly called out, “Song Yan, your parents haven’t taken their seats yet, so don’t rush to leave!”
Song Yan stood, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked at Ruan Tian with a frigid expression. “I don’t have a parent to attend this meeting.”
Hearing Song Yan’s reply, Ruan Tian frowned: “No way. I saw your mother coming today, ah.”
Song Yan: “?”
“In the afternoon, she even went to the Academic Affairs Office. Ah, Song Yan’s mother, you are here. Song Yan, bring your mother to your seat.”
Song Yan followed Ruan Tian’s gaze and turned back. He saw Tan Qing, standing in front of him with a graceful smile. He froze in place.
Before Tan Qing married his father, he never had someone attend his parent-teacher meeting.
After Tan Qing joined his family, she would attend his parent-teacher conferences every semester, but that was mainly because they were held in Beijing, which was convenient, and it was necessary to maintain their marital image as a couple.
So Song Yan never thought that Tan Qing would leave Song Lele alone at Beijing, and went all the way to Nanwu to attend such an unimportant parent-teacher meeting for his sake.
While Tan Qing always reminded him to dress warmly and asked him about his physical condition at regular intervals, she never told him that she would come to Nanwu to pick him up in person.
Tan Qing didn’t say much, she just pinched the collar of Song Yan’s shirt and flipped it outwards to make sure he was wearing a thick sweater underneath. Satisfied, she released her grip and looked at Song Yan’s much healthier complexion, smiling, “Not bad, you finally gained some weight. You don’t look like all skins and bones anymore.”
Just a moment ago, Song Yan was putting on a tough demeanor in front of Xia Zhiye, but now his posture instantly softened, though his tone still feigned indifference. “What brings you here?”
“Come to see if you’re adapting here. Principal Liu already informed me about your missed exam last time. Why didn’t you tell us about it?” Tan Qing’s voice was extremely gentle.
Song Yan fiddled with the strap of his backpack with his fingertips. His eyelashes were lowered alongside his gaze. “I just thought that there’s nothing to say.”
Song Minghai wouldn’t help him anyway.
Tan Qing could read between the lines. She sighed as he straightened up Song Yan’s crumpled clothes. “Never mind, it’s all in the past. From now on, if there’s anything…”
“Aunt Qin.” Before Tan Qing could finish speaking, Song Yan frowned slightly and held her wrist, “What is this?”
He was much taller than Tan Qing. When Tan Qing raised her hand to tidy up his clothes, her sleeve cuff naturally slid down, revealing three glaring bruises on her fair, slender wrist.
And Tan Qing just naturally withdrew her hand, tidied up her sleeves, and smiled lightly, saying, “It’s nothing, just got injured a few days ago while playing with Lele. The driver is waiting at the school gate, let him accompany you back to the dormitory to pack up.”
Song Yan still felt that something was wrong. Just as he was about to ask another question, a familiar female voice came from behind: “Ah, if it isn’t Xiao Yan. Is she your mother? She’s so youthful and beautiful. I thought she was your older sister!”
Tan Qing followed the direction of the voice and looked at the young and beautiful lady behind Song Yan. “May I ask who you are…”
“Oh, I’m Xia Zhiye’s older sister, you can just call me Xia Yu.” Xia Yu took advantage of the situation and took Xia Zhiye’s arm, who was about to grab Song Yan. She smiled generously, “They’re deskmates and roommates, they are also best friends.”
“Is that so?” Tan Qing raised her eyebrows slightly, looked at Song Yan, and smiled softly, “Our Xiao Yan have made new friends?”
Her tone was full of joy and relief.
Song Yan suddenly felt like he was being treated like a kindergarten kid, feeling uncomfortable and ready to escape the scene. However, he was lightly held back by Xia Zhiye, pressed in place, and smiled as he looked at Tan Qing, saying, “Yeah, Song Yan is particularly likable. He’s already become a popular figure in our school now and has made many friends.”
Not long after Xia Zhiye said that, Little Fatty and Zhao Ruiwen shouted from the corner of the classroom: “Yan-ge, Lord Xia, we plan to order milk tea to drink. Do you guys wan– Forget it, you guys definitely want it, so I’ll order it together.”
It really looks like he made a lot of good friends.
Sure enough, everyone can live better as long as they leave Song Minghai.
Tan Qing raised her hand and rubbed Song Yan’s head with a smile. “Go, then, with your classmates. I’ll call you after the parent-teacher meeting.”
Xia Yu also loosened her grip on Xia Zhiye’s hand and linked arms with Tan Qing, waving dismissively at the two of them. “Alright, you two go do whatever you want. I’ll chat with this sister for a bit.”
After speaking, she and Tan Qing walked to their seats, arms linked.
And Song Yan and Xia Zhiye could vaguely hear Xia Yu’s extremely sweet laughter. “Jie, what kind of skin care are you using, why is your skin so good?”
“Your figure is also so good. I definitely couldn’t tell that you already gave birth.”
“I was still wondering about who gave Song Yan his good temperament, but now I understand.”
“And how did you raise Song Yan? How did he grow up to be so tall, handsome, good at studying, and so sensible? Unlike our Xia Zhiye, who is always carefree and irresponsible.”
“Aiyah, since when is Xia Zhiye good? He might be tall and handsome, and his grades aren’t bad, but overall, he’s a little bit worse than Song Yan.”
“Sigh, I knew you would like him. He doesn’t have any other talents from childhood to adulthood, just knows how to please his sisters and aunties at home, so he has a good personality and knows how to take care of people.”
“Really, when your family’s Xiao Yan was sick, it’s Xia Zhiye who was taking care of him. Otherwise, how could they have such a good relationship?”
“Right, let the two children play together and learn from each other when winter vacation starts.”
“But I think our Xia Zhiye seems to have a puppy love problem lately, which worries me a lot. So Jie, what do you think about high-schoolers dating?”
“As long as they are mindful about it, it won’t affect their studies? You are right, I think that the most important thing is to make sure the children are having a good life. Parents shouldn’t be too restrictive.”
“You are really open-minded and gentle, and you must be a good mother. Hey, if you have a daughter, if someone else wants to marry her, what do you think the appropriate betrothal gift is?”
“The other party comes from a good family, a really good one. They have all sorts of properties, hotels, companies, private jets, you name it. So, you don’t need to worry about that.”
…
Seeing that the trend of the topic became stranger and stranger. Song Yan looked at Xia Zhiye, his whisper was full of promises of violence. “What does your sister want?”
Xia Zhiye smiled and slung his arms around his shoulder. “Nothing, she just wanted to cheer up the elders and see if she can help me propose a marriage with you.”
“…”
Marriage my ass!
Even from the first glance, it’s clear this is that dog Xia Zhiye’s idea!
Song Yan gritted his teeth and kicked Xia Zhiye out of the door.
The two women who were in close communication in the corner of the classroom raised their heads, paused, and froze when they heard the movement.
Then Xia Yu reacted instantly and blocked Tan Qing’s sight with a smile. “Aiyah, you know, boys their age usually play rough, it’s just a sign of their good relationship. Don’t worry about it.”
In the corner of Tan Qing’s vision, she inevitably saw Xia Zhiye, who was clearly trying to coax Song Yan with a relaxed smile as they walked outside the classroom. She fell into silence.
Is everyone in this family so good-tempered?
Why did she feel that something was wrong?
After all, this kid named Xia Zhiye also looked like he was beaten too badly.
He’s indeed tall, handsome, and has a good temperament. He’s quite impressive and catches the eye. Maybe, if he had the time, she could invite him over to a dinner in her home?
Hm… such a plan wasn’t impossible.
