Chapter 13 – Belated Gift
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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Chen Antong shrugged playfully, his eyes glancing around. “Shh, don’t get angry, someone’s watching us.”
Before Yu Yang could react, Chen Antong reached out, grabbing his tie and pulling it down forcefully, causing Yu Yang to bend down. Then, Chen Antong tilted his head up and kissed his lips directly.
Amidst the laughter and clinking of glasses from the guests, blending into a noisy symphony, they stood slightly apart, unnoticed by anyone. After a few moments of confusion, Yu Yang was about to push away this crazy kid when Chen Antong let go first, stepping back with a smug look. “I can only help you this much.”
Yu Yang turned his head and saw Jin Wuqi walking towards them.
Jin Wuqi’s gaze met his through the crowd. For a moment, Yu Yang’s ears seemed to go deaf and his vision blurred. He couldn’t hear any sound or distinguish any colours, except for the omega walking towards him.
Chen Antong made mischief and then slipped away. He waved to Jin Wuqi to greet him and then ran off. As he passed by the crowd, he gave Song Zhimu a provocative and gloating look.
Song Zhimu still wore a gentle and cultured expression. He smiled at Chen Antong. His gaze passed over Jin Wuqi in the distance before returning to the business partner in front of him.
Yu Yang set down his glass, adjusted his tie, and then heard Jin Wuqi say, “Let me help you.”
“No need.” Yu Yang took a step back as he hastily straightened his tie. He tried to walk past Jin Wuqi.
But Jin Wuqi reached out and stopped him. Standing close in front of him, he said softly, “Yu Yang, I need to talk to you.”
The scent of roses lingered. The sweet breath of omega tantalised him under his chin. Yu Yang sighed as if resigned and said, “Alright.”
***
The two stood by the window at the end of the corridor. The light was dim and outside the window were various flickering lights, casting a hazy feeling. Combined with a bit of alcohol, Yu Yang felt a sense of confusion. He felt like he had let go, could face things freely, yet he also felt something etched into his bones, something he couldn’t shake off. Even though he could pretend to be calm on the surface, the pain beneath his skin remained vivid.
“What is it?” Yu Yang asked.
“It’s about you,” Jin Wuqi said.
He handed a plate of desserts to Yu Yang and then took out a cigarette box from his coat. Putting a cigarette in his mouth, he lit it.
Yu Yang just looked at him. When Jin Wuqi lit the cigarette, the warm flame illuminated the scattered hair and the drooping eyelashes of the omega, like a frozen old photo. This was the first time Yu Yang had seen Jin Wuqi smoke.
It wasn’t until Jin Wuqi gently inserted the slender cigarette into the dessert that Yu Yang’s gaze finally wavered.
“You’ve never lacked anything, and you probably wouldn’t want any gifts from me,” Jin Wuqi said, lifting his head. “Since there’s nothing else that catches your eye, I can only be by your side.”
“Happy birthday, Yu Yang.”
Yu Yang looked at the flickering flame on the cigarette tip. His heart felt like it had been scalded.
He remembered. He had always remembered, Jin Wuqi remembered Yu Yang’s wish on his eighteenth birthday.
“Just having you by my side is enough.”
The awkward and muffled tone of the teenage alpha seemed to still echo in his ears. But time had cruelly passed for almost five years.
So it’s too late. A moment of heart death, forever dead, even if scorched again by the flames, it’s just a mockery of the corpse, tearing open old wounds and reliving memories. What’s the point?
It’s late. It’s already too late. Standing here now is the 23-year-old Yu Yang. What he wished for was like a toy he wanted in childhood but never received. And then he had given up on it when he had grown up. It no longer holds any meaning for him.
“My birthday that year has long passed,” Yu Yang said wearily. “You’re late.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” Jin Wuqi said. There was a rare seriousness on his face as he looked at Yu Yang. “However many years you want, I’ll make it up to you.”
“I don’t need it,” Yu Yang said, pushing the plate of desserts back onto the windowsill. “I don’t need you to make it up to me.”
“You will want it,” Jin Wuqi suddenly smirked, revealing his familiar playful smile. He lifted his hand and wrapped it around Yu Yang’s neck. He then kissed the alpha’s chin, saying with a teasing tone, “What’s wrong? After being kissed by another omega, you don’t even want to look at me?”
Yu Yang frowned. “That guy’s just a kid.”
After he blurted out his answer, he realised he didn’t need to respond to such a question. Jin Wuqi laughed again. “You’re just a kid too.”
Yu Yang pursed his lips and remained silent. He could never understand Jin Wuqi’s attitude and mood. If he let go even a little, he would be like an avalanche, going down uncontrollably.
Jin Wuqi looked up at Yu Yang, the light from outside reflecting in his eyes. The cigarette on the dessert seemed to have gone out, leaving only the slowly rising smoke mixed with the scent of cream, which then dissipated into the air.
“You’ve really grown taller,” Jin Wuqi said, nudging Yu Yang’s chin with his nose. Even though he hadn’t been drinking, his words had a slight drunken sway. “Yu Yang, give me a kiss.”
His soft, coquettish tone was so familiar, evoking countless memories in an instant. Amidst a slight ringing in his ears, Yu Yang whispered, “Chen Antong said he heard about you and asked if I wanted to know.”
Jin Wuqi’s hands around Yu Yang’s neck stiffened for a moment. He lowered his eyelashes for a second or two and then raised his eyes. He smiled unconcernedly and said, “It’s all trivial matters. If you want to know, I can tell you myself.”
When he said this, his fingertips were trembling slightly. But Yu Yang did not notice.
Yu Yang was silent for a moment before saying, “I don’t want to know.”
Then he continued, “Okay…”
Before Jin Wuqi could react, Yu Yang raised his hand and grabbed his waist. He pushed him against the wall and then leaned down and kissed him.
Jin Wuqi only realised that Yu Yang’s ‘okay’ was in response to his request for a kiss.
There was no need for further words. Yu Yang directly pried open Jin Wuqi’s lips and forcefully entwined their tongues. The smoke on the dessert extinguished. The mist dispersed. And in the dim corner, there was only the dominant lemon soda pheromones of the alpha and the increasingly soft and rich rose scent of the omega.
Jin Wuqi’s hands could no longer hold onto Yu Yang’s neck. They simply hung onto the alpha’s shoulders. The oxygen in his mouth was stolen away, replaced by the lemon soda pheromones, filling his heavy breathing. The virtual carbonation in their saliva swept through their bodies, as if bubbles were boiling, pressing Jin Wuqi’s body to tremble. Yet he was forcibly restrained by the alpha, unable to move in the confined space.
The alpha’s canine teeth bit into the soft lip, causing Jin Wuqi to involuntarily let out a broken moan with a hissing sound from his nose. Transparent saliva overflowed from the corner of his mouth. His hand slid down to Yu Yang’s chest, unbuttoning the buttons of his suit jacket. He slipped his hand inside the open collar. His palm pressed against the location of Yu Yang’s heart, feeling the strong heartbeat of the alpha.
The omega in his arms was almost melting into a puddle. Yu Yang lifted Jin Wuqi’s waist and raised his head, panting heavily as they locked eyes. The dim light concealed the redness at the corners of their eyes. Many complex and subtle emotions were engulfed by the ambiguous tension, like faint meteors passing through the dark night, instantly covered by the vast night sky.
“Little kid, you’re so fierce,” Jin Wuqi gasped and laughed. He leaned close to the alpha’s ear. And as his hand, which had been on Yu Yang’s chest, slowly slid down, he whispered, “You’re hard.”
The rose scent was scorching, reddening the tips of the alpha’s ears. Yu Yang lowered his eyes. His gaze filled with suppressed waves. His breathing was heavy. But his tone was calm. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“What’s wrong? Are you not satisfied with me as a birthday gift?” Jin Wuqi’s tone was soft and charming. He used his finger to gently lift Yu Yang’s chin, innocently asking, “Why won’t you accept me?”
Yu Yang released Jin Wuqi and took a step back. He buttoned up his jacket and said, “There’s no reason I have to accept it. It’s late. I’m going back.”
Jin Wuqi didn’t insist. He lazily leaned against the wall, tucked his hair behind his ear, then raised his eyes and smiled at Yu Yang, “Then I’ll wait for Mr. Yu to consider it slowly.”
Yu Yang turned and left. He heard Jin Wuqi repeat, “Happy birthday, Yu Yang.”
As the alpha walked away, Jin Wuqi watched his tall, slender figure move towards the brightly lit area, while he remained standing alone at the end of the dark corner.
He turned his head to look at the dessert on the windowsill. The smoke on it had long been extinguished, leaving only a piece of dark and heavy ash trembling on the edge.
Jin Wuqi bit his reddened lips and smiled to himself self-deprecatingly.
“It’s true. I’m not worthy enough to be a gift.”
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*Author’s Note: Chen Antong is a spoiled and mischievous young master. He is a character who fearlessly goes straight to the point, without needing further explanation. – McChicken
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*Translator’s Note: Haha. JWQ’s turn to be jealous! -K
Next update: 2024.04.25
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