Chapter 12 – Especially Tall and Handsome
Novel Title: 长夏醒迟 (Long Summer, Late Awakening)
Author：麦香鸡呢 (McChicken)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 余炀 (Yu Yang -MC/Gong), 靳吾栖 (Jin Wuqi -ML/Shou)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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The days were not easy. After taking a few days off, Yu Yang returned to work to find a pile of things waiting for him. Looking at the schedule of events and banquets arranged by his assistant, Yu Yang felt a headache coming on.
“Try to reschedule as much as possible,” Yu Yang said. “I’m really busy.”
The assistant replied with a strict tone, “These have already been screened. Most of them are events organised by our partners or closely related to the company’s interests. You should attend them regardless.”
“Did you have a talk with my dad?” Yu Yang asked, lifting his eyes.
The assistant didn’t hide anything: “Mr. Yu instructed that you should quickly adapt to these types of occasions, as they will be unavoidable in the future.”
Yu Yang knew that in business, socialising was indeed essential. But he had no interest in it. The first time he attended a banquet was when he was in his teens, taken there by his father. He found it all boring and fake, feeling like everyone was wearing a mask, which was exhausting.
But things were different now. He was a manager of the company, the future heir. The things he couldn’t stand when he was young, he would eventually have to learn to accept and adapt to. It was unavoidable.
“Got it,” Yu Yang said, tapping his index finger lightly on the table. “Number 1, 3, and 4. I won’t attend these three. Strike them off the list.”
The assistant thought for a moment and then nodded. “Alright.”
“And this one tomorrow…” Yu Yang started.
“You must attend,” the assistant said. “Mr. Chen is one of our shareholders. And we currently have cooperative projects with him. Tomorrow’s event will also be attended by several top executives from foreign conglomerates. You must go.”
“Oh,” Yu Yang pinched the bridge of his nose as he resigned to his fate. “I understand.”
He knew it was a major shareholder. He just wasn’t interested in the banquet and wanted to resist a little longer.
***
Yu Yang woke up early and realised it was his birthday when he checked WeChat. His parents, Zhou Zhou, and Cheng Che had all sent red envelopes in the early morning.
He had long passed the time of gathering friends to go out for dinner, singing, and cutting cake together. Since university, he had never cared about his birthday. Every time Zhou Zhou and the others wanted to invite him out for his birthday, Yu Yang always declined.
He didn’t want to celebrate his birthday anymore.
That summer, before Jin Wuqi left, there was one night when they stood on the balcony, holding a sliced watermelon under the moonlight.
“What gift do you want for your birthday?” Jin Wuqi lazily leaned against the balcony railing and asked.
“It’s still several months away,” Yu Yang said. “Why so eager?”
“Just asking. What if it’s something that takes a lot of time to prepare? I can start preparing early for you.”
Yu Yang didn’t lack anything and didn’t have anything special in mind. He looked at Jin Wuqi’s shining blue hair under the moonlight and glanced down to meet his hazel eyes. He then said, “There’s nothing I want.”
He looked away. It was as if he was concealing something. He bit into the watermelon in his hand and vaguely said, “Just having you by my side is enough.”
With a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Jin Wuqi stood up straight and leaned in front of Yu Yang, with a pretend troubled tone, “What if I’m not around? Shouldn’t I buy you a gift to accompany you?”
Yu Yang couldn’t stand his teasing look. He grabbed Jin Wuqi’s hand and stuffed the watermelon into the omega’s mouth, saying in a tone of annoyance, “What’s the use of a gift if you’re not here?”
Jin Wuqi took a bite of the watermelon. He then smiled and tilted his head back to kiss Yu Yang. Yu Yang hugged his waist and pressed him against the balcony railing, crushing the watermelon between them during the kiss. The pale pink juice flowed down their mouths. Yu Yang’s kisses followed the trace of the juice, from the chin to the collarbone. Finally, he carried the omega back into the room.
It was as if a prophecy had been fulfilled. On his birthday, Jin Wuqi had already been gone for several months.
Upon reflection, Yu Yang realised that Jin Wuqi probably knew early on that he wouldn’t be able to be there for his birthday, which was why he asked what gift he wanted.
Such a simple request. Yet Jin Wuqi couldn’t fulfil it.
In the early morning of his birthday that year, Yu Yang sent a WeChat message to Jin Wuqi: Do you know today is my birthday?
The chat box was filled with long green boxes. All the WeChat messages Yu Yang had sent that had gone unanswered.
He stayed awake until dawn and then fell asleep. When he woke up around noon, Jin Wuqi’s chat box had been pushed to the bottom by other people’s well-wishes and red envelopes. There was no red dot. The conversation remained quiet. The last message was still the question Yu Yang had sent.
Yu Yang blinked wearily and then added Jin Wuqi to the blacklist.
He had held on for months, waited for a response for months. At this moment, it was finally enough.
In the present, Zhou Zhou sent a message to him: Happy birthday. Yu Yang, shall we have dinner together tonight?!
Yu Yang: No. I have a banquet to attend tonight. I need to make an appearance.
Zhou Zhou: Got it. Yu Yang is always busy.
***
Yu Yang wasn’t surprised to encounter Jin Wuqi at the banquet. Jin Wuqi had returned from abroad. And this time, many foreign conglomerates had established connections through his trade dealings in City A.
In a world dominated by alphas, omegas like Jin Wuqi were unquestionably top-notch in terms of family background, appearance, and capabilities. He never lacked pursuit from handsome and wealthy alphas.
He was like a rose in the galaxy, brilliant and beautiful, yet out of reach, stirring the conquering and chasing instincts inherent in alphas.
After exchanging greetings with the host and chatting for a while, Yu Yang went to the bar to get a drink. He chatted with other familiar CEOs and clients. Amidst the clinking of glasses, he collected quite a few business cards, completing the core task of the banquet.
Jin Wuqi arrived halfway through the event, accompanied by several foreign alphas. He mentioned that his flight was delayed, which was why he arrived late. The atmosphere became lively as handshakes and greetings filled the air. Song Zhimu also stood next to Jin Wuqi. Yu Yang, holding his drink, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. He glanced at the main hall and then turned to look outside.
“Why is Mr. Yu standing here alone?”
A soft and pleasant voice caught Yu Yang’s attention. He turned his head to see an omega.
It was Chen Antong, the grandson of the host of the banquet, Mr. Chen. If Yu Yang remembered correctly, Chen Antong was only in his early twenties and had just returned from abroad not long ago.
Yu Yang politely nodded towards him. “Mr. Chen.”
“Don’t call me that,” Chen Antong smiled. “Just call me Antong. We’re about the same age.”
He had a fair and tender appearance, with the sweet scent of omega pheromones. There was still a hint of innocence in his eyes and brows. But he seemed to be quite adept at such occasions.
“There are too many people. I don’t feel like joining the crowd,” Yu Yang smiled and replied to Chen Antong’s question.
“I can see that,” Chen Antong teased, swirling the drink in his hand. “At the last auction, you also left early, didn’t you?”
Yu Yang kept his eyes down and remained silent. Chen Antong continued, “But then you came back later to pick someone up, am I right?”
Yu Yang felt a headache coming on as Zhou Zhou was always chatty. And now there was a stranger, an omega, who was equally talkative. He looked at the ripples in his drink and asked, “So what?”
“It’s nothing,” Chen Antong said nonchalantly. “I just couldn’t help but notice you.”
This omega was really straightforward. Without Yu Yang having to ask, he described how he had come to admire Yu Yang.
“It was about a month ago. When I went to report to the research institute and hang out with friends. I saw you playing basketball on the court. To be honest, all the alphas were tall and handsome. But you were especially tall and handsome.”
“I asked my friend about you. And my friend said you were a senior at the research institute and that you’re now taking over the family business. They also said you’re super young and super capable. You’re the textbook example from the finance department.”
“I also went to the charity gala and happened to see you there. But at that time, you were with an alpha named Cheng Che, right? I didn’t come over to say hi, thinking there would be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. Just like today.”
“That day, I wasn’t paying attention. You left early. Later, when I went downstairs, I saw you with Song Zhimu and Jin Wuqi. In the end, you took Jin Wuqi away. Am I right?”
Yu Yang was too tired to respond.
“I was thinking, for such an outstanding alpha like you, have you ever dated? I found the answer that night. You definitely haven’t dated. But there’s someone you like, right?” He said, pointing towards Jin Wuqi standing in the crowd.
“Is that all?” Yu Yang asked, lowering his head.
“I didn’t even say much,” Chen Antong retorted somewhat discontentedly. He nodded towards the crowd. “Look, someone like Song Zhimu is more proactive than you. No wonder their dates make the news.”
“But I don’t really like Song Zhimu. He seems gentle and gentlemanly on the surface. But who knows, he might be a pervert behind closed doors.”
Yu Yang looked at Chen Antong with a complex expression. He was surprised by the playful nature of Mr. Chen’s grandson.
“When I was abroad, I heard about Jin Wuqi. Do you want to know?” Chen Antong suddenly asked Yu Yang.
Yu Yang unconsciously tightened his grip on the glass. “I don’t want to know.”
“You seem…” Chen Antong pondered for a moment and then offered an adjective. “To be both loving and hating, is that it?”
“You’re getting a bit too intrusive,” Yu Yang said.
“You really don’t want to know?” Chen Antong said with implications, “Behind the glamour, it’s either desolation or dirtiness…”
Yu Yang frowned impatiently. His polite expression now covered with a cold, icy look. He stared straight at Chen Antong and said with emphasis in every word, “Try to say that again. Don’t test me.”
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*Author’s Note:
Chen Antong: Alright, I won’t say it then :)#
– McChicken
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*Translator’s Note: Yeah JWQ has many pursuers. But don’t forget YY is also tall and handsome and bound to attract other omegas too. This Chen Antong is quite interesting, to be honest. -K
Next update: 2024.04.23
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