Chapter 14.3 – Birthday Celebration (Part 3)
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 Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Song Jin’s Adam’s apple rolled in Song Xinglan’s palm as he said, “You hate me. You resent me. There’s no need for any more of this.”
“I will never set foot in the Song family’s house again. Next year, I’ll intern in another city. You’ll soon be going abroad. We’ll grow further and further apart. I’ll never appear in front of you again. I’ll never interfere with you.”
“So this is what you’ve been planning.” Song Xinglan released Song Jin’s neck and extinguished his cigarette. “But reality may be even better than you imagine.”
He looked up at Song Jin. “Yuan Ya is pregnant. Song Xiangping is preparing to emigrate.”
Song Jin was stunned for a moment. He then heard Song Xinglan say, “When Yuan Ya give birth to the child, there’ll only be you left in the country. The Song family’s assets won’t have much to do with you by then.”
“Song Xiangping, when it comes to a son who didn’t grow up by his side, isn’t as loving as he appears on the surface,” Song Xinglan said calmly. “Otherwise, why has he never asked you to move your household registration back, why has he never said he’ll send you abroad? He has only ever mentioned buying you a house, which is his greatest generosity, and you haven’t even asked for it.”
Upon hearing this, Song Jin was surprisingly unsurprised.
He had always considered himself an outsider. And his interactions with Song Xiangping were few. It was only natural they lacked a father-son bond. He had never coveted Song Xiangping’s wealth. But he had, perhaps naively, believed that Song Xiangping was trying to be a good father. The care and gentle smiles he had received, Song Jin had thought they were genuine.
Perhaps they were genuine. But as Song Xinglan said, they were just small gifts under the guise of generosity.
“What’s the meaning behind telling me this?” Song Jin looked at him. “Pity? Ridicule?”
“Compared to Song Xiangping, do you think what you’ve done to me is any better?” The alcohol, momentarily subdued by fear, was now resurging. It filled Song Jin with a mixture of emotions. He fought back tears. “Do you think I care so much about the Song family’s wealth? Do you think there’s anything more disgusting to me than being raped by my own brother?”
Song Xinglan remained expressionless. He leaned in slightly closer to Song Jin. “That wasn’t rape, Ge.”
“That was just us committing incest. And you’re just as guilty.”
Song Jin was speechless. He couldn’t match Song Xinglan’s level of coldness. Anything else he said would be futile.
“Ge,” Song Xinglan reached out to wipe away the moisture at the corner of Song Jin’s eyes. His gesture was ambiguous. His voice was low and cold, “If Song Xiangping knew you liked men, if he knew about us committing incest, do you think he would believe I forced you into bed? Or that you seduced me first?”
Song Jin widened his eyes: “You…-“
“-Neither possibility seems likely, right?” Song Xinglan chuckled. “But he would definitely think you initiated it. After all, I’ve had so many girlfriends in front of him.”
He patted Song Jin’s cheek. “You really have too many weaknesses, Song Jin.”
“I just beg you…” Song Jin was feeling almost powerless, “can you not involve others in our business?”
“I hate sharing with others, whether it’s money or people,” Song Xinglan’s words seemed disjointed and illogical, “not even with an unborn child.”
Song Jin was stunned for a second. Then, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to his scalp. His expression was one of disbelief. But more so of fear. “What do you mean by this?”
“Song Jin, you always waste your concern on people who have nothing to do with you,” Song Xinglan said.
His hand slipped under the hem of Song Jin’s thin sweater. As he moved inward, Song Jin’s waist tightened and his face paled. Before he could get any answers, he was about to face another dilemma. But before he could offer any resistance, Song Xinglan lowered his head and kissed him.
He sucked on Song Jin’s lips before having his tongue prying open his teeth, mixing alcohol with moist saliva that invaded his mouth. Song Jin was still somewhat intoxicated. The air in his chest gradually thinned. His emotions were like mixed, crumbling sand, and in his peripheral vision, there were occasional passersby. He was firmly held in place by Song Xinglan. Even though he resists, it will be in vain.
It seemed that after being forced into this intimacy, all boundaries were lowered. Despite the current behaviour being pathetic and absurd, Song Jin foolishly hoped that this would appease Song Xinglan. If he were to anger him here today, Song Jin knew he would suffer even more brutal torture and humiliation. That would be too painful. He didn’t even dare to think about it.
It seemed that Song Jin’s resistance was not strong. Song Xinglan’s force this time could barely be considered gentle. He nibbled at Song Jin’s tongue and lips, with a hint of teasing malice, as if treating his own brother like this in public pleased him.
Onlookers thought they were an ambiguous couple, unaware of their sinful relationship and the unequal oppression and submission within it.
As oxygen returned, Song Jin opened his eyes and calmly looked at Song Xinglan’s shoulder. He asked him, “Have you had enough?”
Song Xinglan withdrew his hand from Song Jin’s clothes and said, “You should ask your colleague if it’s enough.”
With that, Song Xinglan walked away, leaving Song Jin at a loss as he turned his head to see Song Xinglan’s back and Tang Min standing not far away.
***
He Hao had too much to drink and couldn’t pick up his girlfriend. Instead, he had his girlfriend come out of the school to pick him up.
After seeing He Hao and his girlfriend off, Song Jin and Tang Min stood by the roadside. The rain had stopped and the air was cool. Everything seemed to have been washed clean.
“Still feeling dizzy?” Tang Min asked him.
Song Jin’s fingertips twitched slightly. “Not anymore.”
“You were scared silly by me, right?” Tang Min said with a faint smile.
“I wasn’t.” Song Jin shook his head. “Just a bit surprised.”
“I saw your friend had returned to the booth, but you hadn’t. So I came to check on you. It wasn’t intentional.”
“It’s nothing for you to be concerned about,” Song Jin said. “Don’t worry about it.”
Tang Min smiled. “I was just saying, last time in the store, why did he suddenly make things difficult for you? Your boyfriend seems to have quite a temper…-“
He stopped abruptly, realising that there was also an affectionate girl next to Song Xinglan in the dessert shop that day.
Song Jin said calmly, “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just someone I know. We both had a bit too much to drink today. But there won’t be any relationship between us in the future.”
Tang Min pursed his lips and smiled. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s go home.”
“Okay.”
***
Back in the dorm room, Song Jin was about to take a shower when his phone rang. It was a call from Song Xiangping.
“Xiao Jin, still awake?” Song Xiangping’s voice carried a smile. “Next Wednesday night, I’ve arranged for someone to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
Song Xiangping continued to sound lively. “You’re not going to ask what it’s about?”
Looking at the ground, Song Jin replied, “It’s your fiftieth birthday.”
Song Xiangping seemed very pleased. “Impressive that you remembered. You’re truly a good son of mine.”
In the past, hearing such words might have stirred some emotions in Song Jin. But tonight, after what Song Xinglan said, regardless of the truth, it helped Song Jin see and understand some things more clearly.
He actually didn’t owe Song Xiangping anything. After all, tracing back to the root of it all, all the grievances stemmed from Song Xiangping’s infidelity to marriage and irresponsibility to the family many years ago.
When he desperately tried to disassociate himself and distance himself, it turned out that his father had never really considered him as part of the family.
He has a hypocritical father and a crazy brother. These were his family.
Song Jin said, “Remembering is just something one should do, Baba. I have something to attend to here, so I’ll hang up.”
“Alright. Then get some rest.”
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*Translator’s Note: Aaa… Song Jin, such a poor child. -K
Next update: -Daily-
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