EL Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Return

Novel Title: 一屋暗灯 (Ephemeral Light)

Author：麦香鸡呢 (McChicken)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 宋谨 (Song Jin -MC), 宋星阑 (Song Xinglan -ML)

*Please read at sin.Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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⚠️Translator’s WARNING: Gee… Allow me to warn you guys at the beginning of this chapter unlike how I always do at the end in my T/N. Please DO NOT read this if you can’t handle non-consensual sexual relationships, incestious sex between REAL siblings, and the messed up personality of both the gong (seme) and the shou (uke). I’ve read way more fucked up things than this novel and I can stomach it. You’ll be surprised with the kind of novel I read lol so this doesn’t come as something too much for me. But if you’re not up for it, leave now so that I won’t receive people judging and commenting on things I don’t wanna hear when I’ve clearly warned you guys to stay away. Yes. This one’s fucked up but it’s kinda sweet too, especially in the middle part. Incest is one of top tier most forbidden relationships in the world and I know some people are repulsed by it. But the more forbidden it is, for me, the more interesting it is. The more painful it is, the more exciting it is for me. I love possessive crazy psychopathic seme. I’m not shy to admit it. Judge me anyway you like but just keep it to yourself lol. With that said, if you’re ready, jump into the novel and thanks for reading in advance. Phew! That was a long note. -K

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The day after the funeral of his mother, Song Xiangping sent a car to pick up Song Jin.

Song Jin took off the black veil from his sleeve and placed it in the compartment of the suitcase. As he walked down from the attic, the floor creaked as if it couldn’t bear the weight. In the beams of light leaking in from outside the window, countless floating specks of dust were illuminated.

He had lived here for so many years. But never before had he felt the house to be so old and desolate.

Well, his mother was gone. How could this still be considered a home?

***

Song Jin’s mother and Song Xiangping divorced ten years ago. His mother took Song Jin with her, leaving his younger brother, Song Xinglan, who is three years younger than Song Jin, to be raised by Song Xiangping.

Because the divorce was so acrimonious, his mother later did not allow Song Jin to see Song Xiangping and Song Xinglan. In her eyes, Song Xiangping, a man who constantly cheated and neglected his family, could not be considered a father. As for Song Xinglan, he was quite unlucky. His mother only discovered Song Xiangping’s infidelity after he was born. Thus, accompanied by the heartbreaking cries of the baby and various marital disasters, his mother was full of resentment and disgust towards Song Xinglan, as if he were a harbinger of disaster.

Song Jin remembered very clearly that when his mother left home with him, the four-year-old Song Xinglan cried out to hold her hand. But he was harshly pushed away by his mother, who then dragged Song Jin out without looking back.

“Mama… Gege… Where are you going?…”

This was Song Jin’s last memory of his brother.

The following days were not easy. His mother refused any financial support from Song Xiangping, relying solely on her meagre salary to put Song Jin through school. She complained, nagged, cried, and cursed. Because there was no one else to confide in, she displayed all her negative energy in front of Song Jin.

Song Jin quietly accepted it all. Then, after his mother’s emotions subsided, he would pour her a glass of hot water or fetch a few tissues for her.

He knew that life had many unbearable aspects. He understood all of his mother’s complaints and tears.

When autumn came, his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. The pain and suffering came crashing down like a mountain. His mother’s limbs ached day and night, her breathing was like a wheezy bellows, and she coughed up blood frequently.

Song Xiangping did not show up. He just gave Song Jin some money to use for his mother’s treatment.

Song Jin was still in the second year of high school. Every night, he would study while taking care of his mother, until his mother could no longer endure.

The last sentence his mother said to Song Jin was: “You have suffered too much. Don’t end up like me, I won’t hold you back.”

“I won’t hold you back.”

Song Jin knew that his mother had always felt guilty towards him. So after she was sure she could no longer care for him, she let him accept Song Xiangping’s arrangement and return to the Song family.

***

The driver’s car stopped downstairs. Song Jin came out of the stairwell and the driver helped him put the suitcase in the trunk. Then Song Jin got into the car and sat quietly in the back seat.

The car drove out of the old city district, towards the bustling city centre. It finally stopped in front of a garden villa gate.

Song Xiangping hadn’t returned yet. He sent a message to Song Jin, saying he would be back later at night. He told him that the nanny had already prepared dinner for him to eat and then he can rest.

Song Jin replied one by one. In this house, even though he and Song Xiangping were blood relatives, they hadn’t lived together for ten years. So he could only be considered a stranger.

As for Song Xinglan, there was no need to ask. When he didn’t attend their mother’s funeral, Song Jin understood that his brother simply didn’t care anymore.

Because there were no feelings, perhaps all love and hate were in vain. It was not worth wasting emotions.

After the nanny finished cleaning the house and cooking, she left. Song Jin went upstairs, pushed open the door, and found a clean and spacious room. It was a hundred times better than the old attic he had been in before.

He took out the things from his suitcase and arranged them simply. He then left the room. The next room was Song Xinglan’s. Song Xiangping said he had gone out with friends today and might not be back until late.

Song Jin went downstairs to eat. But the sudden change to such a spacious environment made him somewhat uncomfortable. So he went back upstairs to his room, sat at the desk, and opened a book.

There were only a few days left of summer vacation. Next semester would be his senior year. Song Xiangping had transferred him to a better high school, which he was more than capable of attending based on his middle school exam results. However, considering the difference in tuition fees of seven hundred yuan per semester, Song Jin chose without hesitation another slightly more ordinary high school.

***

He sat at the desk for the whole afternoon. In the evening, Song Jin sent a message to Song Xiangping, saying there was no need for the nanny to come over again. There was plenty of food left from lunch and he could heat it up himself.

Song Xiangping replied briefly with an ‘okay’, indicating that he was very busy.

After dinner, Song Jin took a shower. As he was drying his hair in the bathroom, he heard noises downstairs.

He heard the voice of a boy, probably Song Xinglan, talking on the phone.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Song Jin felt his palms sweating and his heart racing. He didn’t know how to face his brother whom he hadn’t seen in ten years.

As the footsteps approached, Song Jin finally pressed his palm against the door handle and opened the door.

Song Xinglan happened to walk past his room as he just hung up the phone. He happened to glance towards the door.

Song Jin was caught off guard by the eye contact.

Song Xinglan had inherited all of Song Xiangping’s good looks. He was tall and had a good posture, with extremely handsome features. He carried a youthful rebelliousness about him. His sense of rebellion was almost written on his face and there was a casual indifference in his gaze when he looked at people.

He was only fourteen years old. But he was already as tall as seventeen-year-old Song Jin. Under the overwhelming aura of a teenage boy in puberty, Song Jin vaguely felt that Song Xinglan’s gaze was full of disdain and contempt.

He immediately realised that Song Xinglan was indeed looking down on him.

Because Song Xinglan just glanced at him and then indifferently looked away, walking straight to his own room.

The adorable child from childhood who used to call him ‘brother’ with a milky voice and ask for hugs had transformed over the course of ten years into the boy who now completely ignored him.

Song Jin had long expected this scenario. But when he actually experienced it, he felt somewhat powerless and unable to bear it.

“Xinglan…” Song Jin spoke dryly, his throat tightening. This name was not unfamiliar. But he hadn’t said it in many years.

He didn’t know what to say. He just felt that the first meeting with his own brother after ten years shouldn’t end like this.

With his hand pressing on the door handle, Song Xinglan turned his head at the sound, his eyes full of impatience. “Don’t fucking call me by my name.”

Then he went into his room and slammed the door shut. The sound that echoed in the house almost created a reverberation.

He should have known it would end up like this. It would have been better to end it hastily.

***

Around eleven o’clock at night, Song Xiangping returned.

Song Jin went downstairs to meet him. They exchanged a few words. They were distant and estranged. Song Xiangping told Song Jin to go upstairs to sleep, as he wouldn’t be sleeping at home tonight.

Song Jin wasn’t so rude as to ask where Song Xiangping would be sleeping. He just nodded and got up. But then he heard Song Xiangping say, “Xinglan is young and has a bad temper. It’s been a long time since he’s seen you, so he might not adapt all at once. Don’t take offence at him.”

Song Jin said, “It’s okay. I’m his older brother. I should be the one accommodating him.”

Song Xiangping smiled somewhat comforted. He patted Song Jin on the shoulder and then left.

Song Jin went upstairs and before entering his room, he glanced at Song Xinglan’s door next to his. It was quiet inside. He was probably already asleep.

Before going to bed, Song Jin took out a photo of himself and his mother from a book and looked at it carefully under the bedside lamp for a long time.

Then he placed the photo under his pillow, turned off the light, and closed his eyes.

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*Author’s Note: My new son has a rather bad temper. Please bear with him. It’s never too late to scold him later. (Laughs). -McChicken

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*Translator’s Note: Please read my warning at the beginning of the chapter and that’s that. Thanks! -K

*GLOSSARY:

• Mama = mom/mommy

• Gege/Ge = (Big) Brother

• Baba = Dad

• Shushu = Uncle

• Ayi = Auntie

• Didi = (Little) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. I won’t be using English words for most titles that are being called out.

★ If you missed reading this in the description, do note that the chapter title with (M) at the beginning means it’s a mature/smut chapter while (M?) is a light mature chapter.

☝🏻Cover from Weibo

Next update: 2024.06.20 [Updates will be every alternate days]

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