Chapter 23 – The Coldness of Winter
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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Du Yele has a quirky personality. But when it comes to work, he is serious and reliable. After taking over the assistant position, it only took him a few days to settle in. Compared to the previous assistant, Jin Wuqi felt more at ease delegating tasks to him, as during those years abroad, it was always Du Yele who was by his side.
“Aren’t you leaving yet?” The office building was dimly lit, with only Jin Wuqi’s office still illuminated. Du Yele walked over and said, “You’re still the same, always working non-stop.”
“Because there are always things that need my attention,” Jin Wuqi smiled, “Besides, I’d rather work quietly here alone than socialise and deal with others.”
Du Yele sat down in the chair opposite him, pondered for a moment, and asked, “How are things between you and Yu Yang going?”
“Are you so concerned about the affairs of your boss with an Alpha?” Jin Wuqi teased lightly.
“Don’t try to deceive me,” Du Yele said discontentedly. “If you didn’t truly love him, why would you be calling out his name while you were half conscious? Now that you’re back, why don’t you talk to him properly?”
Jin Wuqi looked at the computer screen. After a while, he rubbed his eyes wearily and said softly, “Some things, it’s not just about talking that makes a difference. It’s been nearly five years. So much has happened during this time and they were hardly anything good. Almost everything has pushed me to the brink of collapse. How do you expect me to talk to him about it?”
“At least you can let him know you love him,” Du Yele looked at Jin Wuqi, saying firmly, “Sometimes love can heal everything. Maybe he doesn’t care about what you’ve been through. He might just be waiting for you to say you love him.”
“This is the problem,” Jin Wuqi smiled. But there was no light in his eyes. “It’s because of those experiences that I can’t easily say I love him. It’s not that simple at all.”
“Have you contacted him since you came back?”
“Yes,” Jin Wuqi nodded. “My heat cycle happened when I was with him.”
Du Yele stood up suddenly. “Then he…”
“He didn’t touch my gland,” Jin Wuqi said. “I went to see him that day because I had encountered Wei Yi before. I… I was scared and wanted to try to tell him a few things. But then I went into heat.”
“Yu Yang didn’t ask me to leave. But there are still many things unclear between us. I don’t know what to do. In the end, he said he wouldn’t bite my gland and that he would wear a condom.”
“I couldn’t refuse him at all. But later, he took off the condom.”
Du Yele stared at him in astonishment.
“For an Alpha, it’s very difficult to accept that an Omega has been ‘marked’, especially permanently ‘marked’, which was the case with me. I realised that Yu Yang cared a lot about this,” Jin Wuqi smiled. “So I didn’t say anything afterwards. I’ll wait until we completely resolve the situation with Wei Yi. I hope I will still have a chance to tell him the truth.”
“He cares not that you were ‘marked’. But of your feelings for him,” Du Yele shook his head. “Jin, if he knew the reason you left, knew what happened to you, he would forgive you.”
“It’s no use,” Jin Wuqi looked at him calmly. “Forgiveness is no longer relevant. Several years have passed. And it’s not something that can be erased with just one word. It wouldn’t be fair to Yu Yang.”
“You’ve always been a decisive person. But you’re so irrational about him. You’re very…” Du Yele searched for a word, “entangled, right?”
“Yes. Because I can’t face it. But I can’t let go either. After returning to China, there were too many things going on. And now Wei Yi is nowhere to be found. Du Yele, there’s a six-year age difference between Yu Yang and me. When I had to face all those messy things, he was still a carefree student. By the time he grew up, we were already standing on opposite banks. We’ve missed the timings of each other for too long. And there have been too many misunderstandings. The only thing I can do now is to resolve everything and then cross that river. Whether by boat or swimming, I have to try.”
“But during this time, Yu Yang would also feel very upset. From his perspective, you abandoned him. Then, you came back to him without giving a clear explanation. This is still hurting him,” Du Yele said.
Jin Wuqi felt somewhat powerless as he leaned on the table, looking at the green plant on the desk. After a while, he spoke, “I don’t know what to do… I went to the hospital for a check-up a few days ago. And I’m not pregnant.”
“It’s not a surprising result… but if Yu Yang asks, how will you explain? After all, the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex during heat approaches ninety-nine point five percent. How will you explain not being pregnant?”
“I’ll just say I took some medication afterwards,” Jin Wuqi closed his eyes. “Pregnancy is not good for either of us. And Yu Yang will understand.”
“Of course he’ll understand. But it still hurts,” Du Yele sighed. “I really wish you had stayed here four years ago and not gone back.”
“Every day in the past, I fantasised like this. If I had stayed with him that year, if I hadn’t left, it would have been better.”
“Unfortunately, I never had any other choice.”
***
Jin Wuqi and Du Yele left the company together. Jin Wuqi asked Du Yele to drive him to Yu Yang’s house.
“It’s been almost a month since I last saw him,” Jin Wuqi leaned back in the passenger seat, looking out the window. “I really miss him. Now looking back, I wonder how I managed to get through those four years. And how he managed to get through them.”
“It’s not too late,” Du Yele said. “You still have time.”
Jin Wuqi smiled faintly and closed his eyes.
He asked Du Yele to drive back first and stood under the trees on the avenue outside the villa, waiting.
The sky had darkened. And the street lamps were coldly lit. Jin Wuqi tightened his coat around him, looking down at the ground. It had rained lightly in the evening. And now the ground was damp, with yellowed fallen leaves sticking to it, reflecting the mottled and fragmented lamplight, creating a desolate and bleak scene.
A car approached from a distance. Jin Wuqi turned his head, seeing the blurry headlights.
As the car drove closer, the passenger side window rolled halfway down, casting a warm light from inside, creating a tranquil scene. The Alpha and Omega inside the car seemed like a frozen painting, inviting speculation about the new scent that would be created when their pheromones mingled in the confined space.
The car slowed down. Yu Yang slowly steered it to the front of the garage. He was talking softly to Lin Jiahan. His expression was gentle.
They didn’t notice Jin Wuqi standing on the other side of the avenue. The light outside was dim and Jin Wuqi was standing under the trees outside the circle of the streetlight. How could they have noticed him?
Jin Wuqi suddenly felt fortunate that he hadn’t stood in a conspicuous place. Otherwise, meeting them like this would have been somewhat embarrassing.
The two got out of the car. And despite the short distance from the garage to the main door, Yu Yang still helped Lin Jiahan put on her coat, gently wrapping his arm around her back as they entered the house together. He was so tall. And the Omega next to him seemed particularly petite. They appeared to be incredibly compatible.
As the lights came on in the villa, Jin Wuqi’s eyes darkened, feeling as if the cold wind had wrapped a layer of cloth over his eyes. It was dry and stinging.
He remembered Yu Yang’s expression just a few minutes ago. It was a tenderness that seemed like something he hadn’t seen in a long time, shattering all the coldness. Yu Yang was patient and gentlemanly. He was truly an outstanding Alpha. Anyone who saw the way he looked at Lin Jiahan would be moved.
Jin Wuqi looked up at the dark, starless sky after the rain as he slowly clutched and then instantly relaxed his grip on a gift box in his coat pocket. It was as if he was reluctant to cause damage to it.
It’s so cold. Has winter come?
He blinked and picked up his phone to call Du Yele.
“Du Yele, come pick me up.”
“It seems like it’s really too late for me and Yu Yang.”
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*Translator’s Note: Well, another misunderstanding. Hmm… I know the readers are frustrated. I am too. -K
Next update: 2024.05.15
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