Chapter 31 – Too Much Like Him
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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Two days later, they went back to the vegetable field. Last time, there was still half of the field left to turn over. Today was the last sunny day.
After working for more than half an hour, they heard voices from behind. Song Jin turned around and saw an old man walking towards them with a child.
It was the owner of the neighbouring vegetable field. Song Jin remembered the child, who had visited during the summer break and was very naughty, probably spoiled since childhood. During the holidays, he stayed at his grandfather’s house and was even more unruly. Previously, the child had gone to Song Jin’s house and chased Grapefruit with a stick, which Song Jin stopped. Since then, whenever the child saw Song Jin in the village, he would roll his eyes and spit at him. Song Jin didn’t mind. The more seriously you take such children, the more they act out. As an outsider, ignoring him was the best choice.
Children’s grudges can be quite scary. After almost half a year, the moment the child saw Song Jin again, he started squinting his eyes and glancing at him sideways, muttering something under his breath.
The grandfather greeted Song Jin, who responded with a nod and then turned back to his work. Song Xinglan was still diligently hoeing the field, working very earnestly.
Song Jin was squatting on the ground applying fertiliser when he suddenly felt something hit his back. He turned around and saw the child throwing clods of dirt at him.
The grandfather was working and didn’t notice what was happening. Seeing Song Jin looking at him, the child made a defiant face, rolling his eyes upward, which was quite unpleasant to see.
Song Jin stood up and moved to another area.
But less than a minute later, something hit his shoulder again—this time it was a stone.
Song Jin gave him a blank look. They were almost done with the field. And soon he could call Song Xinglan to go home. Song Jin felt there was no need to speak up. He could already predict what the child’s grandfather would say, something like “He’s just a child,” “Kids this age are just mischievous,” or “You should be more tolerant of him.” Song Jin didn’t want to hear any of it.
He stood up and watched Song Xinglan hoeing the field. There was just a bit left and once it was done, they could go home.
The child stopped throwing stones and seemed to have taken something out of his pocket. Song Jin heard a click. Just as he was about to turn his head to look, he felt a sharp pain on his face. Instinctively, he raised his hand to touch his face and saw a green pellet fall into the mud.
It was a toy gun bullet, plastic and solid. It was very small, but if shot at close range into the eye or temple, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Another shot hit with a ‘pop’, this time on Song Jin’s forehead. The pain was like a dull stab. Song Jin looked up and glared at him coldly. But the child just tilted his head back and forth, sticking out his tongue, then raised the toy gun again.
“Ge, I’m done,” Song Xinglan exhaled and looked up at Song Jin with a smile, “Shall we go back…”
Before he could finish his sentence, something shot straight towards Song Jin’s face. Song Jin quickly raised his hand to shield his eyes, then shook his wrist and said, “Let’s go back.”
It was as if Song Xinglan didn’t hear him. He turned his head towards the child, and upon seeing the toy gun in the child’s hand, his previously smiling face instantly turned frosty. Song Jin saw his expression and felt a chill in his heart.
“Xinglan…”
Song Xinglan, hearing Song Jin’s voice, walked a few steps towards the child and directly kicked him in the shoulder.
Song Jin stood in place, stunned for a few seconds. It wasn’t until the child lay on the ground crying that he hurriedly grabbed Song Xinglan’s arm, “What are you doing?!”
The child’s grandfather immediately rushed over when he heard the noise, picked up his grandson from the ground, and checked him all over, fearing he was injured.
Then he straightened up and pointed a finger at Song Xinglan. His eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets, “Are you crazy?!”
“He’s the one who’s crazy,” Song Xinglan said coldly. “Using a toy gun to shoot at people. Are his parents dead? Didn’t anyone teach him that this is dangerous?”
The child’s grandfather was trembling with anger. Song Jin desperately held onto Song Xinglan’s hand. The aura around Song Xinglan was so cold and hard that even Song Jin felt a bit frightened. He whispered, “Xinglan, let’s go back.”
The child was still crying loudly, shouting that the bad people should die. His grandfather, both heartbroken and angry, gritted his teeth and said, “What’s dangerous about a toy gun? I didn’t see him hitting anyone. You think he’s easy to bully because he’s young, right? You’re a grown-up kicking a child—what kind of person are you?!”
“He knows perfectly well if he hit anyone,” Song Jin suddenly said calmly. “Or you can look at my face and see if there are any marks. There are also bullets he shot into our vegetable field.”
“I didn’t hit anyone! I didn’t!” the child cried loudly in rebuttal. “You’re bullying me! Hitting me! Bad people!”
“See? See?” His grandfather seemed to think he’d heard undeniable proof. “Kids don’t lie. He just shot a few bullets into your field. And you hit him?”
Song Jin suddenly didn’t feel like explaining anymore. It was pointless and would only lead to endless arguments. He said, “Fine, let him say whatever he wants. It was wrong of my brother to kick him. I apologise for that. But please take better care of your kid. If something really happens one day, it might not be as easy to deal with as today.”
After saying this, he pulled Song Xinglan and started to walk down the slope. However, before they could turn around, the old man became even more displeased: “You two adults bully a child and then just walk away? If my grandchild is hurt, can you afford to pay? We need to go to the hospital for a check-up and you are coming with us!”
“Are you fucking done?”
Song Xinglan shook off Song Jin’s hand, took a step forward, and grabbed the child’s grandfather by the neck. He was so tall that when he looked down, there was an intimidating sense of oppressive fear. The child, hiding behind his grandfather, suddenly screamed. Song Xinglan freed one hand, pressed the child’s head, and threw him to the ground.
The scene was terrifying: Song Xinglan choking the old man’s neck with one hand and pushing the child to the ground with the other, exuding a violent and ruthless aura like a demon in broad daylight.
Even though Song Jin knew he was acting to protect him, he was still shaken to the core and unable to calm down.
Old habits die hard. No matter how well they are buried, in certain moments, they will crawl out like wild vines—impossible to change.
“Enough… enough!” Song Jin called out coldly, “Song Xinglan, stop it. Come back with me!”
“I’m going to kill them today,” Song Xinglan said coldly.
The old man’s face turned pale and his knees buckled. The child cowered on the ground. He no longer dared to make a sound. Song Jin staggered to pull at Song Xinglan’s clothes, his voice trembling, “If you don’t let go now, don’t bother coming home again. And don’t expect to see me either!”
Song Xinglan suddenly turned his head to look at Song Jin, as if he had been startled. Then he released his grip.
The grandfather and grandson clung to each other, silent as if they had seen a ghost. Song Jin didn’t say anything more. He turned and walked down the slope. After a few seconds, Song Xinglan packed up his tools and followed.
Once back home, Song Jin went straight to his room. Standing by the window, he saw that the sky outside was gloomy. It would start raining in the evening.
Song Xinglan washed his hands and then walked up behind Song Jin. “Ge.”
“Are you insane?” Song Jin asked him, “You always resort to choking people and threatening to kill them.”
He turned to look at Song Xinglan again and asked, “Are you insane?”
Song Xinglan’s face, unusually devoid of any expression, was very serious. He said, “That child bullied you, I saw it. They don’t admit it and still blame you.”
“So, you kicked the child and choked an old man?” Song Jin asked. “You could have just ignored them or scolded them. Why did you have to resort to such heavy-handed tactics? Have you thought about the consequences?”
“I didn’t use much force at all. I know what I’m doing,” Song Xinglan insisted. “They were wrong. And they deserve it.”
“What if you were wrong?” Song Jin asked him. “What if you had committed a mistake worse than theirs before. And it hurt me more than what just happened?”
Song Xinglan seemed to furrow his brow slightly and asked, “What mistake did I make?”
“I really dislike you being like this,” Song Jin said, looking at him. “You’re too much like him.”
“Who?” Song Xinglan had heard Song Jin say this before. It was as if there was an invisible presence between them that they couldn’t shake off. Song Xinglan had actually wanted to ask Song Jin for a long time. He wanted to know who that person was, why his brother remembered that person so vividly, and why he kept bringing it up, comparing them.
Song Xinglan’s expression was strained with his eyes reddening. He asked again, “Who?”
“Would it even matter if I told you? You’ve completely forgotten. What’s the point of telling you?” Song Jin’s teeth were chattering. His face was drained of colour. “Song Xinglan, I hate your nature the most. I hate your unreasonable, stubborn, and violent tendencies. I don’t want to see even a trace of his likeness in you. But you’re becoming more and more like him.”
“Who is he…”
Song Xinglan’s eyes reddened, as if countless twisted and thorny wires were tangled in his head, causing chaotic pain. He knew nothing. He only knew that Song Jin really disliked that person. But now, Song Jin was saying he was becoming like him, saying he hated his own nature the most.
He gasped for breath, tears falling down, stubbornly asking over and over again, “Who is he? Ge, please tell me.”
“I beg you. Stop comparing me to him, please…”
He choked up, wanting to reach out and grab Song Jin’s hand. But Song Jin stepped back, leaning against the window sill. His eyes were red as he said, “It’s me who should be begging. Song Xinglan, please don’t remember. I’m begging you.”
“You should leave. I want to be alone for a while.”
Song Xinglan lowered his head. He blinked and tears that had been welling up in his eyes were shed. His vision seemed clearer now. He didn’t say anything. He just turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
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*Translator’s Note: Guys, take good care of your child so they won’t end up spoiled rotten like that child just now. That child’s about to do something much worse in the next chapter. -K
Next update: -Daily-
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