Jian Heng suddenly fell silent and stared at him for a long time.
Qin Cheng felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and withdrew his hand, saying: “What’s wrong? Is there a charge for a touch?”
Jian Heng shifted his gaze away, took his hand, and placed it over his heart, giving it a gentle squeeze: “I’ve told you; it’s free for you.”
Qin Cheng’s mouth twitched a couple of times in an effort to hold back a smile, but he couldn’t resist, grinning like a little flower spoiled by the sun. After touching it a couple more times, he said: “Have you not really explored Jinhua properly yet? Where do you want to go play? I’ll take you.”
Jian Heng rested his arm under his head, pondered for a moment, and said: “I’ll listen to you.”
“Hey, don’t just listen to me,” Qin Cheng said.
He just wanted Jian Heng to have a good time, but when Jian Heng said, ‘I’ll listen to you’, he suddenly felt like something was missing. After a while, he thought maybe nothing was missing at all——just the right time and place, plus a flat square meter of ground for him to kneel down and say, Jian Heng, I love you.
“Then, how about watching a movie?” Jian Heng suggested, “You can’t take pictures in the cinema; is that okay?”
“Of course, of course. We can just record a bit when we go in and come out.” Jian Heng finally made a request. Qin Cheng would have done anything for him——pluck stars, steal the moon, shoot the sun——what couldn’t he do?
“Did you like hot pot1火鍋 (huǒguō): Hot Pot. 
? There’s a pretty good hot pot restaurant downstairs from that cinema in the west part of the city. How about we go for some barbecue instead? There’s a breakfast place that’s also quite good, but it’s a bit far; you haven’t tried it yet, right? Or we could stroll around the snack street a few times? Oh, and there’s a little yellow dog2小黃狗 (xiǎo huáng gǒu): lit. little yellow dog. T/N: For some reason, a lot of Chinese wn use this phrase to call stray dogs. I’m not sure if it’s because of the color of the dog or something else. I did some research but didn’t find anything of note. I only know that 黃狗 (huáng gǒu) is Internet buzzwords that refers to the name given to the CEO of Jidian by Jidian users. Since his last name is Huang, they call him Yellow Dog. Another netizen said that there is a public figure with a bad record named Huang, so he was called a yellow dog. Another netizen said that yellow dog means villain, despicable person. 小黃狗 (xiǎo huáng gǒu) is also an app developed by Xiaohuanggou Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. on that street that always follows me when I go there. You’d definitely like it…”
Qin Cheng wished he could list all of Jinhua City’s delicious foods and fun activities for him to choose from. The eldest young master3大少爺 (dà shào ye): eldest son (of a rich family); spoilt son of a rich family; spendthrift. from Chuan City lived a life of luxury; he couldn’t let him lose weight on his watch. He had to find a way to help him gain it back.
“Let’s set off in the morning to the breakfast shop, watch a movie, and visit that indoor amusement park; then, when we’re hungry, we can have hot pot; after that, we can go to the newly opened cat café, and then stroll down a street to play with dogs…” Qin Cheng counted on his fingers, “What do you think?”
“Mm, sounds good,” Jian Heng said.
“Actually, Jinhua may seem small, but there are plenty of fun things to do,” Qin Cheng turned over, as if envisioning his future with Jian Heng, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Anyway, there’s still more than a year left in high school. By the time Qin-ge takes you around, you’ll have something to think about when you get to college.”
“College?” Jian Heng also turned to look at the ceiling. “Have you thought about where you want to apply?”
“No,” Qin Cheng shook his head, not really wanting to continue this topic. “It’s pointless to think about it, a waste of brain cells. I don’t want to. Shall we get up early on Saturday?”
“Why is it pointless? Is it because your grades aren’t good enough?” Jian Heng ignored his previous statement and pressed on.
Qin Cheng remained silent for a moment. After a while, he said: “I’m not going to college.”
Before Jian Heng could respond, Qin Cheng took a deep breath and pretended to be relaxed as he waved his hand: “It’s not cost-effective to go to college. It’s a waste of time and money. You see, your Auntie Song is not in good health, and my grades aren’t great either. We still have debts to pay at home. Instead of going to college, I might as well earn some money. What good is spending four years there?”
“Is it just because of this?” Jian Heng’s tone revealed no joy or anger; his expression was surprisingly calm.
Qin Cheng found it hard to grasp his thoughts. He hummed and couldn’t help but explain: “With my grades, I can barely manage to get into a third-tier university. The tuition is several tens of thousands a year, and I’m not the kind of person who can study well. If the university professors don’t pay attention to me, I’ll definitely let myself go. After four years, aside from spending money, I wouldn’t have accomplished anything. It’s not that I lack ideals or feel pressured; it just doesn’t seem worth it.”
Jian Heng suddenly turned to him and asked: “Then, what if I get admitted somewhere else?”
Qin Cheng was taken aback.
In the past, he didn’t realize whether he liked him or not, or whether he was straight or not; he had always regarded Jian Heng as a brother. If his brother went to a good school, he would be happy for him, at most feeling a sense of melancholy at the departure of a friend.
Now he understands his feelings, and along with the melancholy, he feels a sense of reluctance, discomfort, and an irresistible powerlessness.
Jian Heng is different from him. Although both of them are burdened with a past that they don’t want to mention, Jian Heng has a bright future ahead.
The two people, whether in terms of family background or personal circumstances, are actually not on the same level at all.
Qin Cheng had never considered it before, but now that Jian Heng has brought it up, he feels a sudden wave of embarrassment, as if he has lost the last vestige of his modesty.
He had never noticed that the distance between the two of them was actually quite far.
When he was unaware of his feelings, everything seemed fine, but the moment he realized it, it felt as if a mountain range stretched between them.
Qin Cheng had worried about many things; he even contemplated death, but when he managed to endure it all, there weren’t many things left that could weigh heavily on his heart.
Now, the distance with Jian Heng counts as one of them.
“Ah, well, let me think of a way.” Qin Cheng didn’t dare to look into Jian Heng’s eyes. There were so many mountains to climb, and he definitely had to find a way to overcome them, but he hadn’t figured it out yet. However, he couldn’t let Jian Heng know that he was temporarily at a loss; he couldn’t scare him away. “I… you don’t need to worry about this. I’m well aware of the situation.”
“What do you mean?” Jian Heng said, gripping his shoulder and turning him back around.
Qin Cheng was forced to meet his gaze, and after a moment of silence, he raised his hand to cover his eyes: “Don’t look anymore; Qin-ge has superpowers and will definitely give you a satisfactory answer. Right now, just focus on sleeping and resting. Don’t think about anything else; I’m here for you.”
Jian Heng placed his hand over Qin Cheng’s, tightening his grip: “That’s what I wanted to say to you.”
That’s what I wanted to say to you.
Don’t think about anything else; I’m here for you.
Qin Cheng felt that his tear point had become lower lately. Is this how it feels after liking someone, or is he just being overly sentimental?
Jian Heng’s words struck right at his heart without any ambiguity.
Qin Cheng wasn’t someone who liked to overthink. Otherwise, with all the experiences he’s had since childhood, he would have been mulling over them every day and would have ended up with problems. He forces himself to be more open-hearted, not to dwell on things, not to keep records.
But Jian Heng’s words gave him a sense of urgency. He needed to get serious; the days of muddling through life were over. Someone needed him to fight for a chance.
When that someone is Jian Heng, Qin Cheng feels invincible.
“Jian Heng,” Qin Cheng said, holding his hand and staring into his eyes. “Give me some time; trust me.”
At that moment, he didn’t care whether Jian Heng would see through him or if the plan would fall apart; he just wanted to tell Jian Heng that he wasn’t the kind of coward who would back down in the face of difficulties; he would solve all challenges, and his feelings were just as unwavering as Jian Heng’s.
Jian Heng looked at him and responded seriously: “Good.”
—
The next morning, when they set off, Qin Cheng took care of the injured and sat at the front of the bicycle.
Jian Heng wore a black duckbill cap on his head, a thin black down jacket over his school uniform, and Qin Cheng’s gray sweatpants on the bottom, with his hands wrapped around Qin Cheng’s waist.
Qin Cheng glanced down at the hands around his waist, the corners of his mouth curling up. He gave a light pat and said seriously: “Aren’t your hands cold? Just put them in my pocket.”
Jian Heng didn’t say anything, naturally slipping his hand into Qin Cheng’s cotton-padded jacket pocket: “Let’s go.”
Qin Cheng felt so pleased, so excited, that he pulled Tan Qi over to let him read WeChat.
Tan Qi, with half a bun in his mouth, looked utterly confused as he watched his Qin-ge clearly bump into Jian Heng’s shoulder while walking backward, signaling him with his eyes.
Tan Qi opened WeChat.
There wasn’t even a fart.
So he hadn’t sent it yet, and he was already anxious for him to see it.
Could it be that the platform is doing some kind of promotion again? Were the two of them about to get rich?
Thinking this way, Tang Qi also felt excited, but just halfway through, a notification pinged on WeChat.
Earning money to support the family: Didn’t you say to do something romantic? I told Jian Heng that the platform wanted me to do activities and make a daily vlog, with a bonus. I invited him to go out for dinner tomorrow to strengthen our relationship. You should talk to the higher-ups and get this event rolling as soon as possible; post it on the software’s homepage.
Earning money to support the family: Better hurry up; don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Tan Qi: Grandpa on the subway looking at his phone.jpg
“Fuck,” Tan Qi said, turning around and seeing Qin Cheng leaning on the table, resting his face to the side while chatting with Jian Heng, smiling so hard that his eyes almost disappeared. Jian Heng, the cold-faced iceberg, was propping his chin up, looking at Qin Cheng with a hint of a smile on his lips.
This is really fucked up. Tan Qi has been navigating the dating scene for over ten years, and who would have thought he would end up in a position where he has to eat Qin-ge’s dog food? A dog in the plains is bullied by a tiger4犬落平陽被虎欺 (quǎn luò píngyáng bèi hǔ qī): T/N: The original phrase is 虎落平陽被犬欺 (hǔ luò píng yáng bèi quǎn qī), lit. a tiger in a plain is bullied by a dog; a man who loses position and influence may be subjected to much indignity; This is a Chinese phrase, which means that if a tiger leaves the mountains and falls into the plain, it will be trapped and even a dog will bully the tiger. It is a metaphor for a powerful or strong person who has lost his power or advantage..
Looking at the messages on WeChat, Tan Qi felt a headache coming on.
Tan Qi’er: How am I supposed to negotiate? Do you want me to threaten the boss with resignation? Or should I use my salary as a bonus to do this? Don’t force me.jpg
In his line of sight, Qin Cheng took out his phone, glanced at it quickly, replied, and then continued to flirt with Jian Heng.
Tan Qi looked down at his phone.
Earning money to support the family: Good idea.
Fuck!
***
In the end, Tan Qi sacrificed part of his personal interests and negotiated with the boss, putting up an announcement on the software’s homepage, which made Qin Cheng feel relieved.
At noon, Qin Cheng happily treated him to a 40-yuan bowl of Malatang: “As expected of my son, your dad is very pleased.”
Tan Qi buried his face in the bowl of Malatang and, taking a moment, gave a middle finger while mumbling: “Look at the mess you made; why are you bothering me when you want to date someone!”
Qin Cheng patted the dog hair on his head: “You are freaking awesome, Qi’er. If my confession is successful, I’ll treat you to a year’s worth of meals.”
“Come on,” Tan Qi could see it clearly. “I’ll be very grateful if you can spare me even a glance while you’re busy staring at Jian Heng a million times.”
Qin Cheng laughed so hard that he slapped the table.
***
The last class was Lao Xu’s. Qin Cheng was lying on the desk, playing with his mobile phone, searching for movie tickets for tomorrow.
There would be a lot of people watching on the weekends, so he had to buy them in advance.
As he was picking and choosing, he couldn’t help but poke Jian Heng, nudging his arm and whispering: “Do you prefer watching romantic stuff or action-packed movies with gunfights?”
Jian Heng paused his note-taking, leaned closer to Qin Cheng’s ear, and whispered: “Romantic stuff.”
Qin Cheng felt his ears heat up; this was truly an omnipresent flirtation.
You’re so flirty, Qin-ge really likes it; be a little more aggressive~
Qin Cheng suppressed a smile at the corners of his mouth and scrolled through his phone. Tomorrow morning, there will be a movie with a promotional slogan that says, ‘Exclusive for couples, watch it with your beloved and enjoy every sweet moment’.
In the past, Qin Cheng would have found such slogans cringeworthy and made him uncomfortable just by glancing at them5辣眼珠子 (là yǎn zhū zi): lit. spicy eyes. It is a colloquial expression used in Chinese internet slang to describe something that is visually shocking, overwhelming, or unpleasant to look at. It can refer to anything from bad fashion choices to awkward or inappropriate images. The phrase conveys a sense of discomfort or a feeling that something is so bad that it “burns” the eyes., but not anymore. Now, Qin-ge genuinely believes that this movie is tailor-made for him and Jian Heng. If they don’t go see it, the producers would be heartbroken.
Worried about stepping on a landmine6踩雷 (cǎi léi): (literally) to step on a landmine; (figurative) to unintentionally choose a bad option from other potentially better options; to do something illegal or high-risk. “踩” means to “step on,” and “雷” is short for “地雷,” which means “a land mine.” Often used as a metaphor, this term refers to unwittingly invest in the stocks of a company found out to be fraudulent or involved in other malpractices. The investor often suffers a great loss after the malpractices are exposed, a disaster compared to stepping on a land mine. In a similar scenario, a unlucky person investing in a P2P lending platform which turns out to be a Ponzi scheme is also said to have “stepped on a land mine.”., Qin Cheng took a closer look at the synopsis.
It seemed to be a story about a youthful romance set in a high school, with some flirting and kissing. He didn’t recognize either of the two leads, but based solely on appearances, they seemed decent enough.
To sum it up: it was watchable and met Jian Heng’s requirement of being ‘romantic stuff’.
Qin Cheng chose the couple’s seat in the last row without hesitation. There would probably be a lot of people watching, so if Jing Heng asked him about it, he would just say that there were no seats left, so he had no choice but to pick this one.
He really is a handsome little trickster7帥氣的大機靈鬼 (shuài qì de dà jī ling guǐ): T/N: 帥氣 (shuài qì) means handsome; dashing; smart; elegant. 機靈鬼 (jī ling guǐ) means (humorous, colloquial) clever and quick-witted person; smart child. So, it could also be translated as ‘a handsome and quick-witted person’; but it sounds a bit strange somehow..
The author has something to say:
Your comments are amazing! I love them so much, a little more please~ sob sob sob~
(The author was so disgusted by himself that he died. This article ends here (not), OK.) Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solutions during the period from 2020-05-18 12:40:11~2020-05-19 17:50:09~
Thank you very much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
TQ is such a great brother.
List of Idiom in Chapter 47
養尊處優 (yǎng zūn chǔ yōu): to live one’s whole life in opulence and enjoying high social status; to live like a prince (idiom); live in comfort and luxury; lead a pampered life; enjoy a life of ease and comfort; be in clover; live a privileged life; living in a wealthy and affluent environment.\戰無不勝 (zhàn wú bù shèng): lit. to fight without not winning a single war; to win every battle; to be ever-victorious; to triumph in every battle (idiom); invincible; to succeed in every undertaking; ever-victorious; all-conquering.
不容置疑 (bù róng zhì yí): to allow or admit no doubt; to not open to doubt; to be beyond doubt; to be absolutely certain; unquestionable; leave no room for doubt; be above suspicion; be indubitable; rigorous and beyond doubt.
Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
