WHBU Chapter 4

Unreachable

Posted by April Fox, ? Views, Released on September 2, 2024

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Chapter 4 – Unreachable

Novel Title: 我们已经分手了 (We Have Broken Up)

Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 刘帆 (Liu Fan -MC), 陈谦 (Chen Qian -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Chen Qian frowned at him for a moment. He then nodded, “It’s been a while.”

Maybe it was because he had just spoken with a familiar person on the phone. But he seemed much more relaxed and less stiff. This more approachable version of Chen Qian was closer to the one Liu Fan knew. He always looked like he was angry at someone, which was quite amusing. Liu Fan asked, “How have you been lately? I heard you mentioning that you’re in business. It seems to be going well?”

“It’s not bad.” Chen Qian replied nonchalantly, holding his phone as if he felt a bit awkward.

Liu Fan also felt a bit uneasy. But he believed that before they were lovers, they were friends. A person only has one childhood and can only know a few people from the beginning of their memories.

For Liu Fan, Chen Qian was that person.

Though many lovers turn into strangers after breaking up, Liu Fan believed their relationship wouldn’t become so irreparable.

After all, they were no longer clueless teenagers. Back then, they were filled with passion, acting on impulse without much thought.

In their twenties, there were still many things they hadn’t experienced. But some things could be let go of.

Walking alongside him, Liu Fan asked, “How are Shushu and Ayi? Where did they move to later on?”

“I don’t live with them. So I don’t know.” Chen Qian replied impatiently. The crowd ahead slowed down. They had already reached the school gate.

His response suggested he was either being dismissive or there was an issue, raising Liu Fan’s curiosity. Despite that, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask.

The entrance was bustling with people. The school was on holiday for the anniversary. But it was open to visitors without any registration required. Everyone entered the school with excitement. It had been nearly ten years, and the school had changed a lot. That is except for the road lined with sycamore trees, which looked just the same as before.

In mid-April, the weather was clear, and the air carried a hint of early summer. Many of the people passing by were young and fresh-faced high school students, which made them feel even older.

With the large crowd, they quickly got separated. When Liu Fan came to his senses, only Chen Qian was left beside him.

They stood between the first and second teaching buildings. A few gardenias bloomed in the flowerbed along the wall. Chen Qian wore his typical ‘I’m annoyed’ expression, seemingly lost in thought. He unconsciously licked his lips.

Liu Fan asked, “Do you want a smoke?”

Clicking his tongue, Chen Qian replied irritably, “I didn’t bring any.”

Liu Fan looked around. The empty space was only separated from the sports field by a thin iron fence, making it easy to see what was happening on the field. However, the view from the field to this area was blocked by the greenery. Some event seemed to be taking place, making it quite lively. Liu Fan asked, “Want to go buy a pack outside?”

“No need.” Chen Qian turned towards the sports field, squinting slightly at the sight of the energetic students.

Standing beside him, Liu Fan also looked out. “It’s nostalgic. We graduated so many years ago. We were just like them back then.”

We were absolutely carefree.

Chen Qian casually added, “And equally stupid.”

Liu Fan laughed and shook his head, feeling a rare sense of closeness. “I kind of want to see the old dormitory again, though my stuff is probably all…-“

At this point, Liu Fan stopped speaking involuntarily. He had left many of his belongings in the dormitory without packing them up. He spent the entire summer holed up at home, almost turning into a mouldy mushroom. He never went back to school.

Recalling these memories, Liu Fan fell silent for a moment before he couldn’t resist asking, “What happened to Da Yi and Xiao Er later?”

Da Yi and Xiao Er were two turtles that Liu Fan and Chen Qian had raised together. Chen Qian always hated those little creatures, thinking they were useless pets. However, Liu Fan enjoyed playing with the turtles during his free time. Watching their slow movements provided a sense of calm during the stressful days of their studies. Since dormitory rules prohibited most pets, they could only keep fish and turtles. When Liu Fan left, naturally, he didn’t take the turtles with him.

Chen Qian glanced sideways, his profile sharp and impressive. He laughed lightly, “I threw them out as soon as you left. I never liked those damned things. They were left in the dormitory, who knows where they ended up.”

Feeling a mix of surprise and annoyance from being mocked, Liu Fan was about to retort. But seeing the challenging look in Chen Qian’s eyes, he swallowed his words.

Yes, everything was gone. They were all left behind in the past.

Forget it. It’s really pointless to think about them now.

Although he didn’t feel the urge to walk away immediately, he had no interest in continuing to warm up to a cold shoulder. He closed his mouth and simply stood next to Chen Qian silently. Both of them wore sour expressions, like a very unhappy dog and a very unhappy cat sitting side by side.

“Chen Qian! Liu Fan!” Huang Xiaolong’s voice called from behind them, causing both of them to turn around. He held a basketball he had found somewhere, followed by several others. “Want to play a few rounds?”

Basketball skills aside, most high school boys enjoyed playing the game. Liu Fan had played with them often back in the day. Since there was nothing better to do than stand around with Chen Qian, he figured they might as well get some exercise. Unlike some others, he was dressed casually for comfort, wearing sneakers, so he was ready to play. “Sure. Let’s go.”

Huang Xiaolong grinned, “What about Chen Qian?”

Chen Qian, with a blank expression, looked at Liu Fan and replied, “I’m not going.”

Liu Fan thought to himself; Fine, don’t go if you don’t want to. Who cares?

Seeing that Chen Qian wasn’t dressed for sports, Huang Xiaolong didn’t insist and tilted his head slightly, “Then just come over and watch?”

“No. You guys go ahead. I need to make another call,” Chen Qian said.

Huang Xiaolong laughed and said to the others, “Such a busy guy. Alright, we’ll be at the playground. Come find us when you’re done.”

Unmoved, Chen Qian nodded and reached for his phone.

Liu Fan felt a bit disappointed, though he hadn’t really expected Chen Qian to be different. This guy had always been aloof. But things had been different between them in the past.

Not anymore, it seemed.

Why did Chen Qian even bother coming to the reunion if he was going to act like this?

He dismissed these thoughts and let Huang Xiaolong and the others drag him to the basketball court. He was rusty from not playing for so long and initially struggled even to dribble. However, after a few rounds, he got the hang of it again. Huang Xiaolong’s skills were still the best. It was evident he had been practising. He even pulled off some fancy moves. Liu Fan, on the same team as Huang Xiaolong, happily passed him the ball, letting him shine.

Gradually, the girls and other boys from their class gathered around the playground, cheering for both sides. They bought a box of water and left it nearby for everyone to grab as needed.

Once they got into the game, they lost track of time. When the sweaty group of adults finally stopped playing, a few hours had passed. The usually inactive office workers felt utterly exhausted, barely able to stand.

Liu Fan, who rarely exercised, leaned heavily against the railing. He was gasping for breath. He felt a cool sensation on his face.

“Here,” Yan Yi said, poking his cheek with a bottle of mineral water. “Your face is so pale. Are you about to pass out?”

“Jiejie, can you say something nice for a change? I’ve always been pale, alright?” Liu Fan swallowed hard, regaining his breath before standing upright and gulping down half the bottle. His eyes wandered over the gathered crowd. But Chen Qian was nowhere to be seen.

Haaa.

Trying to stay friends with an ex seemed a bit unnatural, after all.

Thinking back, neither of them had really dumped the other. They had a huge fight and stormed off in different directions. Now, Liu Fan could barely remember what the fight was about. Probably both of them were at fault and blameless at the same time. It all boiled down to youthful pride.

Everyone says first loves never last. And there’s some truth to that.

Liu Fan gloomily put down the water bottle and wiped his sweat.

Someone clapped their hands, catching everyone’s attention. “It’s almost time for dinner. The class monitor just called. We’re heading straight to the KTV. They have a buffet dinner there, so we can eat and sing. It’s fine to go a bit early.”

Liu Fan felt a twinge of disappointment. He had hoped to go back to the restaurant from lunch—those banana desserts were really good. But thinking it over, he realised that place was probably too expensive for a group outing, costing about 300 per person for two meals and drinks.

He’d just have to go there on his own next time.

With a plan in place, the group started making their way to the school gate. Chen Qian, who had been missing, stood coolly at the entrance, talking to Yu Huilin.

Once everyone was there, Yu Huilin turned and shared the exact address. It wasn’t far. Only a ten to twenty-minute walk.

Chen Qian led the way with Yu Huilin. This time, Liu Fan didn’t follow him to chat. Instead, he lingered at the back, chatting intermittently with Yan Yi. Occasionally, through the crowd, he caught glimpses of Chen Qian’s upright figure, feeling a bit nostalgic.

Back then, they were young, feeling the future was distant and uncertain. Now, as an adult, Liu Fan realised that what truly seemed unreachable wasn’t the future—it was the past.

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*Translator’s Note: I think I’ve explained this somewhere before (I’m just not sure if I explain this in this novel’s translation yet) but just let me reiterate; In many Chinese cultures, it is common to address people who are not blood-related as “auntie/ayi”, “uncle/shushu”, “brother/gege/didi”, and “sister/jiejie/meimei” as a sign of respect and courtesy. This practice is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese values and customs, and it serves several purposes but in this case, it is to create familial warmth. It creates a sense of warmth and familiarity in social interactions. By using these familial terms, people can establish a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, even with acquaintances or strangers. -K

*GLOSSARY: