Chapter 47 – Routine
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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The next day, Song Jin got up early, intending to go downstairs and make breakfast. However, when he checked the time on his phone, he found a message: “Went to the office. Contact me if you need anything.”
Song Jin turned off his phone and lay back in bed, closing his eyes.
He recalled that Song Xinglan was only 22 years old this year.
At eighteen, he went abroad to escape his despised father. In a foreign land, he took over the company early and worked tirelessly until it went public. Song Jin could imagine what it must have been like. The exhaustion in Song Xinglan’s eyes when he appeared before was not a facade.
His brother was ruthless to everyone, including his family and himself. When he went out of his mind, he was not even humane. How they reached this point, Song Jin couldn’t quite figure out. He just felt that maintaining the current state was good enough, as long as things didn’t get worse. After all, there had never been a normal relationship between them.
Song Jin had truly hated Song Xinglan, not with the kind of hatred that wished for his death, but hoping never to see him again in this lifetime. But it couldn’t be helped, the amnesiac Song Xinglan clung to him regardless, shining with frankness. As Song Jin had said before, the current Song Xinglan is still basking in that person’s brilliance.
But really, it was enough. Song Jin didn’t want to have another hysterical episode. It was too exhausting. And now there was no need.
He lay in bed for a while longer, then got up to wash. When he opened the curtains in his room, he could see two people standing under the tree outside the courtyard gate, presumably arranged by Song Xinglan.
Opening the door, Song Jin saw Grapefruit loitering at the entrance. He picked the cat up and went downstairs. He fed the cat and made breakfast. He probably wouldn’t be going to the library for a while and would just stay at home.
In the morning, Song Jin stayed in the study reading a book. After lunch, he lay on the sofa reading a magazine. Grapefruit stepped all over him, its weight of over ten pounds pressing down firmly. Song Jin, feeling a bit annoyed, put down his book. He hugged him and said, “Stupid cat.”
Every time Grapefruit was called a ‘stupid cat’, he would get angry. He glared at Song Jin indignantly. Now he lay on Song Jin’s chest, expressionless. Song Jin couldn’t help but laugh, lifting his chubby body and saying to the camera in the corner, “I’ll take a picture of you.”
The fat orange cat clumsily kicked his short legs and meowed.
***
In the afternoon, Song Jin did some work and then went back to his room to rest. He loved lying on the blanket by the bay window, with the window slightly open. The window let in a tiny breeze that gently swayed the white curtains, easily inducing drowsiness.
Song Jin indeed fell asleep. But it was not very deep. In a drowsy state, occasionally waking up for a split second, he was aware that the sky was getting darker.
Grapefruit squeezed in through the door crack, jumped onto the bay window, and rubbed against Song Jin’s neck. In his sleepy state, Song Jin hugged the cat. His eyelids were heavy. He was unable to open them.
In a daze, he seemed to hear two knocks on the door. With great effort, he half-opened his eyes, meeting Grapefruit’s gaze. He smiled, pressed his lips together, and patted Grapefruit’s head, not noticing that Grapefruit was staring in a specific direction.
Song Xinglan stood silently about two metres away from Song Jin. The room was dim, with some light colours outside, tinted deep blue, blocked by the white curtains. Song Jin was wearing only a white shirt, leaning against a cushion, holding a cat. His profile softly outlined as he looked down and played with the cat.
The curtains swayed, the surroundings were so quiet that it seemed unreal. It was as if the scene before his eyes would disappear with a gentle breeze.
It was only when he walked to the bay window that Song Jin noticed him. Having just woken up, he was already groggy. He saw Song Xinglan suddenly standing nearby in a suit. Song Jin unconsciously widened his eyes, his whole being appearing bewildered and fragile in the dim light. After a while, he finally spoke, asking, “You’re off work?”
“Mm.” Song Xinglan responded. Then, without warning, he bent down and hugged Song Jin.
There was a faint coolness about him, mixed with a bit of perfume. It was strangely mesmerising. Song Jin was dazed for a second, then struggled slightly, saying, “Let me go.”
Grapefruit, caught in between, was in an awkward position. He was neither moving nor staying still. He could only meow symbolically to express its presence of over ten pounds.
Song Xinglan didn’t speak. He held him for a while longer before straightening up. In his suit, he exuded an indescribable aura. Song Jin couldn’t quite describe it, only feeling it was very unfamiliar. It was as if all the previous madness was neatly suppressed within that suit, leaving only an extremely cold and calm exterior. His hands were still wrapped in bandages. The more restrained he appeared, the more fascinating it was.
“I’ll go make dinner.” Song Jin sat up and said, “You rest for a while.”
While Song Jin was cooking, Song Xinglan sat in the living room with a laptop on his lap, working. After circling Song Jin’s feet a few times, Grapefruit wandered over to Song Xinglan. He sat properly on the sofa and tilted his head to look at the laptop screen.
Song Xinglan glanced at Grapefruit. He then finished typing a line, lifted Grapefruit’s paw, and pressed the ‘Enter’ key on the keyboard. The message was sent.
After quietly finishing dinner, Song Jin cleared the table and then went upstairs to take a shower.
After showering, he knocked on Song Xinglan’s door. Once the door was opened, Song Jin went straight to the bathroom to fill the bathtub with hot water. Song Xinglan stood behind him. After the water was ready, he said as if it were routine, “Take off my clothes.”
Song Jin turned around and raised his hand to help him untie his tie.
The atmosphere was somewhat delicate, with only the sound of the water flowing. Song Xinglan looked down at Song Jin. The tie was pulled away and the shirt buttons were undone one by one. Song Jin took off his shirt and then went to undo his belt.
It was a very mechanical, assembly line set of actions. After the belt was undone, Song Jin left the bathroom without saying a word throughout the whole process.
It was as if he were an emotionless undressing machine. But the machine’s ears were flushed red. It was uncertain if the face that was always lowered was also red.
***
Because he had taken a nap in the afternoon, Song Jin was still wide awake after eleven at night. Feeling a bit stuffy, he got out of bed. He kneeled on the bay window, pulled the curtains slightly open, and tilted his head to smell the cool air outside.
The bay window was next to the master bedroom’s balcony. He heard some noises. Song Jin hesitated for a moment before leaning closer to the window.
“Hold him for now. I’ll come over tomorrow.”
“No need. There’s nothing to ask. Just keep an eye on him.”
After those brief words, Song Xinglan probably made another call, saying, “Book the earliest flight to Xishuangbanna. Cancel tomorrow’s meeting. I need to fly over there.”
His deep voice mixed with the faint scent of smoke, carried vaguely by the midnight breeze. Song Jin maintained his kneeling posture. His gaze was fixed on the pitch-black night outside. He couldn’t see anything clearly, nor did he know what he was looking at.
Song Jin knew that Song Xinglan had been investigating Song Xiangping’s whereabouts. But he hadn’t really thought about what Song Xinglan would do if Song Xiangping were actually caught.
He only knew that Song Xinglan would never simply bring Song Xiangping back and put him in jail. It was impossible.
His knees felt sore when he stood up. Song Jin stood there for a few seconds, then left his room.
He knocked on the door of the master bedroom and, without waiting for Song Xinglan to respond, pushed the door open and went in.
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*Author’s Note:
Song Xinglan: Uh, my brother has gotten bolder. He dared to come to my room in the middle of the night.
-McChicken
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*Translator’s Note: I second that, author. -K
☝🏻Bay window. Demmit! I want one too.
Next update: -Daily-
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