Category: Replica (Page 2 of 5)

Chapter 36: Awake Yet Drunk

 

It was evening, and for once, there was a bit of sunshine. The orange hues spread across the sky, faintly visible through the hospital corridor’s window glass. Only a rough outline could be seen.

 

A sparrow landed on the branches of the plane tree outside the window, flapping its wings and causing a few dry leaves to fall.

 

The hospital was crowded with people, and the corridors were bustling with activity. No matter which corridor one walked down, there were people either excited about the birth of a newborn or grieving for the loss of an elderly family member. Hospitals saved lives but also took them. Those who were lucky would escape the gates of death, while the unlucky ones would be sent to the morgue as soon as they left the operating room. As Tan Xilu walked through the hospital, he saw two patients being wheeled out of the operating room and struggling to stand. They had to rely on Xu Huaiming’s support to walk.

 

Tan Xilu had witnessed death up close only twice in his life. The first time was when he learned of Xu Huaiming’s disappearance, and he went to the scene a few days later. The place was so high that there was almost no chance of survival if a truck overturned there. But they couldn’t find Xu Huaiming, and after Tan Xilu’s initial despair, he reluctantly accepted the likelihood of his death.

 

The second time was now, when he was facing a person who had been alive and walking in front of him just a few days ago but was now lying on a cold stretcher.

 

The impact was overwhelming, and Tan Xilu found it difficult to bear.

 

This was death: merciless, indifferent, and frightening.

 

The bright light bulb hung above, covered in years of dust, and each time someone cried, the dust would fall, floating in the air.

 

Tan Xilu, supported by Xu Huaiming, walked slowly towards the operating room. He saw Lin Changyu standing in a daze at the door of the operating room. Lin Xiaozhi was crying beside him, and Lin Manling’s husband was angrily berating the doctors, “I have money! I’ll give you money! How can you not save her? I have money, as much as you need. Save her! Are you just taking money without doing anything? I’ve thrown in hundreds of thousands, and she still couldn’t be saved. Are you all just here for the paycheck?”

 

The doctor lowered his head and apologized, “I’m sorry, sir, we did our best.”

 

The man sneered and said, “I don’t care. Yesterday, the nurse said she was recovering well. How could she die so suddenly?”

 

“Sir…” a nurse said, “It was because the patient was under a lot of stress.”

 

The implication was that it wasn’t our fault; she went into shock on her own.

 

The man’s mouth twitched, and he turned to look at Lin Changyu, who had been silent the whole time. He kicked Lin Changyu hard, “You jinx, not only did you kill your dad, you also made Manling die.”

 

Lin Changyu was kicked into the corner of the wall and groaned in pain.

 

“Changyu…” Tan Xilu, with a quick reaction, broke free from Xu Huaiming and rushed over to protect Lin Changyu, glaring at the man. “What are you doing?!”

 

“Who are you? What’s it to you if I educate my son?” The man frowned at Tan Xilu and was about to push him aside.

 

Before his hand could touch Tan Xilu, someone grabbed his shoulder. Their voice was cold, “Try touching him.”

 

The person was ice-cold, and the man felt his whole body freezing. He struggled but realized that he couldn’t move a muscle. He couldn’t believe it and turned to look at a very handsome face, but this person was looking down at him with a detached expression, hidden behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

 

Instinctively, the man was overwhelmed by this person’s aura. He clenched his lips and didn’t dare to move.

 

Tan Xilu helped Lin Changyu up, and he had fallen quite heavily. The pain made him break out in a cold sweat, and Lin Xiaozhi, who had been crying for her mother, had now switched to crying for her brother, “Brother.”

 

Lin Changyu touched her head and said, “Brother is fine. Don’t cry, little bean.”

 

Lin Xiaozhi heard him and wanted to cry but was afraid to cry, her face was streaked with two teardrops, wet and beautiful, and her small face was wrinkled.

 

Lin Changyu took a deep breath, and the man had gone too far. His business had indeed encountered problems in recent years, and he urgently needed a large sum of money to tide over the situation. So he set his sights on the dying Lin Manling.

 

Lin Manling had said that she had helped him before, but he was too greedy, like a bottomless pit. Lin Manling felt that she couldn’t let this continue and decided to leave the money to her two sons, at least to ensure that they would have enough to eat and drink for the rest of their lives, instead of seeing the money being squandered.

 

Lin Changyu had initially found it strange. After all, they were still husband and wife, why would Lin Manling do this? But he could never understand Lin Manling’s mind. For example, when she remarried, she could have left her ex-husband’s son and married the wealthy man alone, but she still brought him along, ensuring he didn’t become an orphan. But when her new husband abused him, she turned a blind eye.

 

So he felt both grateful and resentful towards this woman.

 

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T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 35: I’ve seen it all

 

On the afternoon of the Laba Festival, the college went on winter break, and as a teacher, Tan Xilu had to be busier. He didn’t leave the office until 7 o’clock in the evening.

 

The sky had already darkened completely, and the corridor was quiet. The only person staying later than him was Qin Sizhe’s counselor, Mr. Li Yu, who was two years senior to Tan Xilu in joining the faculty. He had a good personality, was responsible for the students, and either Tan Xilu or him would often be the last ones working in the office.

 

“Mr. Li, are you not leaving yet?” Tan Xilu had already stepped half out of the office door when he turned back to look at Li Yu, who was still working on something.

 

Upon hearing this, Li Yu looked up, and the lenses on his nose reflected some light from the lamp. He shook his head and said, “Mr. Tan, you go ahead. I still have some work to finish.”

 

“Well, then.” Tan Xilu said, “But you should go home early too. It’s already this late.”

 

Li Yu nodded and said, “I know, Mr. Tan, you go ahead and don’t worry about me.”

 

Tan Xilu responded with a nod and paused for a moment. He then said to Li Yu, “Mr. Li, Happy Laba Festival.”

 

Li Yu was momentarily stunned and then smiled, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Tan. You too.”

 

Tan Xilu nodded and left the office.

 

Tan Xilu usually paid little attention to what was happening outside the window. After his classes, he would at most go to the office to organize his teaching materials and then head straight home. He had only learned yesterday from a student that Li Yu planned to resign. The reason was that he had been diagnosed with bone cancer, and he wanted to enjoy his last days.

 

Li Yu was three years older than Tan Xilu, just turning thirty this year. He had a girlfriend he was dating, and they had originally planned to get married after the New Year. However, fate had other plans, and it seemed that Li Yu had already broken up with her.

 

When Tan Xilu first came to the school, he didn’t fully understand some of the work processes, and it was Li Yu who helped him. They had worked together for less than five years, and they never expected that life could be so unpredictable. Now, Li Yu had been diagnosed with this illness.

 

This night might be Li Yu’s last night at the school. Perhaps there would never be anyone working late with him again. As Tan Xilu walked down the hallway, there was only a crescent moon tonight, but the stars were exceptionally bright. He suddenly felt an emptiness in his chest.

 

Xu Huaiming was still waiting for Tan Xilu at the school gate, holding a cup of hot milk tea in his hand. When Tan Xilu came out, he handed the milk tea to him.

 

Tan Xilu didn’t know when it started, but every time Xu Huaiming picked him up, he would bring a hot beverage. Sometimes it was milk tea, sometimes juice, or even cola. Tan Xilu always accepted whatever he brought.

 

They caught the last bus, and there weren’t many people on the bus at night. The driver only had a few lights on, so the inside of the bus was dim. Tan Xilu and Xu Huaiming sat at the back, and when the bus started, Xu Huaiming held Tan Xilu’s hand.

 

Xu Huaiming adjusted the temperature of his hand to be warm, while Tan Xilu’s hand felt a bit cold. When their hands touched, it felt just right. Tan Xilu looked at Xu Huaiming and suddenly spoke, “One of our teachers at the school is resigning.”

 

The milk tea was originally hot, but it started to condense into water droplets as it came into contact with the cold air, making the packaging bag damp. The hand holding the paper bag could also feel the icy dampness.

 

Cold, the winter was so cold, and Tan Xilu disliked winter. He felt like nothing good ever happened during this season.

 

“He’s sick, and I don’t know how long he has left to live.”

 

The bus stopped, people got on and off, everyone seemed busy with their lives, tired from the struggle for survival.

 

But some people had just finished being busy and were about to settle down, only to find that they no longer had the chance.

 

The bus started again, and the night scenes outside the window flashed by frame by frame. Tan Xilu leaned slightly on Xu Huaiming’s shoulder, and Xu Huaiming felt that his shoulder was damp. He knew that Tan Xilu was crying.

 

Tan Xilu was crying silently, but his boundless sadness spread.

 

Xu Huaiming didn’t really understand normal people’s feelings of sadness, perhaps because of his existence for Tan Xilu. He only felt sad for Tan Xilu, but when Tan Xilu was upset about something else, he was quite indifferent, and sometimes couldn’t understand why Tan Xilu was crying.

 

He gently embraced Tan Xilu and awkwardly comforted him by gently stroking his back. “Don’t be sad, Alu.”

 

Suddenly, Tan Xilu hugged him tightly and said, “Xu Huaiming, I’m so afraid of death. I’m afraid I won’t see you again.”

 

Tan Xilu’s unusual sadness finally found an explanation at this moment.

 

Tan Xilu was afraid of death because he had experienced Xu Huaiming’s “death.” So he was very afraid, afraid that someone who was alive one day would stop breathing the next.

 

Li Yu had been perfectly fine before, and when Qin Sizhe caused such a big incident, he went to the school leadership to take responsibility. They deducted half a month’s salary from him, but he didn’t seem upset. He told Tan Xilu that being a teacher was like this, you just had to get used to it. At that time, he was still smiling, with a faint dimple at the corner of his mouth that could only be seen when he smiled.

 

Li Yu said, “It’s just a small deduction. They might deduct even more in the future.”

 

But now, there was no future anymore.

 

Tan Xilu was very sad, not just because he feared death but also because of the farewell to a friend.

 

Tan Xilu cried on the bus that night, but by the time he got off the bus, he was much better. However, Xu Huaiming’s shoulder was now damp.

 

As they got off the bus, Tan Xilu rubbed his watery eyes and apologized to Xu Huaiming, “I’m sorry for losing control today.”

 

“It’s okay, your shoulder is there for you to lean on,” Xu Huaiming said, patting Tan Xilu’s head, then holding his hand, their warm palms interlocked. He added, “Alu, don’t worry, I won’t leave you, not anymore.”

 

In his heart, Xu Huaiming added, “As long as you don’t want me to.”

 

On this cold winter night, cars were racing on the road, and behind

 

 the small bus stop sign, Xu Huaiming kissed Tan Xilu’s lips.

 

Tan Xilu’s fear had dissipated at this moment. His heart was surrounded by something called happiness, and he thought, at least Xu Huaiming was still by his side, and he didn’t have to be so afraid. When they truly faced separation and parting again, they would deal with it then.

 

But what he didn’t expect was that this day would come so soon.

 

Before Tan Xilu and Xu Huaiming went to bed, Tan Xilu found a bottle of vitamins in the closet that he didn’t remember when he had bought. He looked at the expiration date and realized that it was still good. These past few nights, he had been having trouble sleeping, so he decided to take two before bedtime.

 

That night, he actually fell asleep.

 

The next morning, when Tan Xilu woke up, he looked at the bottle of vitamins again. He realized that he couldn’t remember when he had bought them, and he pondered for a long time but couldn’t recall. Finally, when Xu Huaiming called him for breakfast, he gave up.

 

After breakfast, Tan Xilu and Xu Huaiming changed their clothes to go shopping at the supermarket. They had been busy lately, and the refrigerator had been empty for a long time.

 

The Lunar New Year was approaching, and the supermarket was already crowded with people preparing for the holiday. Tan Xilu walked ahead with Xu Huaiming pushing a small shopping cart behind him.

 

“Potato chips, get two bags.”

 

“Coke, get a big bottle.”

 

“Hawthorn slices, get two bags.”

 

“Dried milk dates, I want those.”

 

Unknowingly, the shopping cart was already more than half full. Luckily, the supermarket wasn’t far from their apartment, or they would have been exhausted. Tan Xilu thought it might be time to buy a car. Previously, the apartment wasn’t far from the school, so he didn’t need a car. Sometimes, it was so crowded during rush hour that driving would be even slower. But now, it wasn’t just him, and they needed to consider it.

 

When they returned to the apartment building, Tan Xilu heard a commotion in the hallway. When he approached, he saw that Lin Changyu’s apartment door was partially open. He hesitated for a moment, and Mrs. Zhang from upstairs came down.

 

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T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 34: A New Earth

 

Lin Changyu said that the first time he saw Tan Xilu was on a rainy day.

 

Lin Changyu really hated rain. The continuous, damp raindrops shattered on the ground, making the entire city wet and gloomy. The sky turned dark, accompanied by occasional raging winds, always causing irritation. Most importantly, Lin Changyu had spent most of the rainy days before escaping from that home enduring violent beatings from a man.

 

Raindrops hit the glass with a “bang,” and the man’s slaps followed suit. Lin Changyu was frail, and each blow left a ringing in his ears. The man seemed like a crazed monster trying to crush him. Thunder roared, and Lin Changyu was lifted and kicked down the stairs. In the pitch-black basement, within five minutes, the cries of children would fill the air. Lin Xiaozhi would hold him, saying, “Brother, I’m scared.”

 

The basement door was closed, leaving only a small window. Outside, raindrops pattered, and inside, the cries were miserable.

 

Children feared the dark and pain, clutching Lin Changyu’s clothes, asking, “Brother, I miss Mom.”

 

Tired of comforting the vulnerable child, Lin Changyu, he said, “Mom will come back at night.”

 

But the inadequate mother didn’t return that night. In the pitch-black basement, the two children heard the man in the living room on the phone, angrily scolding, “It’s just a beauty salon. Can’t you manage without it? You’re not even coming home at night?”

 

The man’s irritability turned into violence on that rainy night. He kicked open the basement door and vented his frustration on the two children with a long wooden stick.

 

Escape, escape from here.

 

Lin Changyu thought when he saw Lin Manling ignoring his beatings.

 

I can’t go on like this.

 

He began to plan a route; he wanted to find a safe place; he wanted to live alone.

 

The air during the rainy season was damp, green moss climbed on the stone slabs, and his worn-out canvas shoes made his steps slippery. Lin Changyu almost fell and had to grab a nearby pillar. When he looked up, he saw a teenager on the opposite basketball court, sweating profusely.

 

Lin Changyu was skilled at disguising himself. Despite several scars hidden under long sleeves, he could always put on a smile, making others think he was happy.

 

Qin Sizhe thought the same way, so he was completely unguarded when Lin Changyu intruded into his life.

 

Lin Changyu entered through a side door and said to the teenager in the rain, “Can you teach me how to play basketball?”

 

Lin Changyu had a plan. The truly energetic teenager was very kind, so Qin Sizhe naturally agreed. He taught Lin Changyu how to dribble, how to slam dunk, and how to avoid dirty tricks from other players.

 

In exchange, Lin Changyu became Qin Sizhe’s confidant, listening to the troubles that bothered him.

 

Qin Sizhe said he had a crush on someone, but that person wouldn’t like him. He didn’t know what to do. He used to have a bad temper, but he was willing to change for that person.

 

Lin Changyu had only seen Qin Sizhe’s good-natured side, and he was curious about the boy’s past. But only the person Qin Sizhe liked had seen it.

 

Lin Changyu didn’t even realize that he was beginning to feel jealous of that man.

 

The day Lin Changyu and Tan Xilu were in the office together was actually Lin Changyu’s idea. He regretted it afterward, realizing he shouldn’t have taken that risk.

 

Falling in love with Tan Xilu was something he hadn’t anticipated. But once it happened, a dark flower of obsession blossomed in his heart. He wanted to sever the ties between them, yet at the same time, he desired to get closer.

 

He leaned against the office desk, enduring the pain in his lower back from the corner of the desk.

 

Tan Xilu looked at him, his eyes filled with innocence, no hint of suspicion. He asked, “Is it really going to work? Will Chi Yexing really come?”

 

“As long as he’s even a little concerned about you, he’ll definitely come,” Lin Changyu replied with a smile.

 

The plan was Lin Changyu’s idea. He knew that Tan Xilu was unwilling to stay in unrequited love, and his feelings for Chi Yexing were too overwhelming. He couldn’t control himself; he wanted to touch this person, to kiss them. But before they could be together, none of these things were possible.

So he came up with this plan: he and Tan Xilu would engage in intimate actions in the office, and if someone happened to witness it, they would report it to their parents.

 

They wanted to gauge Chi Yexing’s reaction and see if he would get jealous.

 

In reality, it was a rather foolish idea. They couldn’t guarantee that Chi Yexing would actually come because of Tan Xilu, and they couldn’t predict the consequences. If Chi Yexing did get jealous and Tan Xilu confessed, it might end well. But what if he didn’t? Chi Yexing might think that Tan Xilu was behaving immaturely in the school office, which could be repulsive.

 

But Tan Xilu couldn’t control his emotions anymore; his feelings had clouded his judgment.

 

Lin Changyu looked at Tan Xilu in front of him, their proximity so close. With just a bit more initiative, he could kiss him.

 

He heard footsteps in the corridor, someone was approaching. On a whim, he thought, this might be their only chance. Suddenly, he grasped Tan Xilu’s waist tightly and rashly pressed his lips against his. Outside the office, someone cursed loudly, and he heard the sound of a camera shutter.

 

Startled, Tan Xilu pushed him away, staring at him in bewilderment. He asked, “What are you doing?”

 

It was an overcast day today, but there was no rain. The afternoon wind swept through the room, making them feel slightly cold. Lin Changyu stumbled back, his lower back, which had collided with the corner of the desk, starting to ache. He smiled provocatively and tore off his facade, replying to Tan Sizhe: “I’m kissing you.”

 

Seeing Tan Xilu’s slow reaction, he squinted his eyes and asked, “Hey, Tan Xilu, you can’t still not see that I like you, can you?”

 

Upon hearing this, Tan Xilu was dumbfounded.

 

Then he furrowed his brows and asked, “Was this also part of the plan?”

 

Lin Changyu: “…”

 

He said, “No.”

 

After a pause, he added, “Tan Xilu, someone took a photo just now.”

 

“What?” Tan Xilu was visibly stunned, then he realized that Lin Changyu was referring to the kiss he had just planted on him.

 

This was not part of their plan. Their plan had only involved hugging, and he didn’t know whether the person had captured the kiss on camera. If they had, it could be a tricky situation if the image got circulated around school.

 

After a moment of contemplation, Tan Xilu suddenly grabbed Lin Changyu’s hand and pushed him towards the door of the office, saying, “You need to leave the school quickly, avoid the school surveillance, use the back door, there’s a low wall there, climb over it.”

 

Lin Changyu was puzzled, not understanding what Tan Xilu meant. He asked, “What are you doing?”

 

He repeated the same question he had asked earlier.

 

Tan Xilu said, “I can’t drag you into this. Today’s mess is my fault, so I’ll take responsibility. You go first.”

 

Why was Tan Xilu blaming himself? Lin Changyu couldn’t comprehend his thought process. It was him who had initiated the kiss, so if anyone was to blame, it should be himself.

 

“Hurry up and go,” Tan Xilu’s voice suddenly grew louder, and he pushed Lin Changyu again. “Get out of here, or I won’t talk to you anymore.”

 

Lin Changyu always felt that Tan Xilu could be quite childish in some aspects. He was a grown-up, yet he was saying things like “I won’t talk to you anymore” at a time like this.

 

He glanced at Tan Xilu one last time and reluctantly headed outside.

 

Following Tan Xilu’s instructions, he climbed over the low wall at the back door.

 

As he landed on the other side, he saw a black car driving by, and the person inside was talking on the phone. It was a very handsome profile, one that Lin Changyu had seen countless times in Tan Xilu’s phone.

 

It was Chi Yexing. He had come to the school.

 

Sitting on the bleachers, he glanced at Tan Xilu sleeping peacefully on the floor and said to Tan Xilu, “I didn’t think the consequences would be so serious. If I had known, I wouldn’t have kissed him. I also didn’t expect that guy to be so ruthless. If he doesn’t like Tan Xilu, he could have just declined him. Was it necessary to crush his heart like that?”

 

“Teacher Tan, do you think it’s wrong to like someone?” Lin Changyu suddenly asked.

 

“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with liking someone,” Tan Xilu thought for a moment and added, “But when you like someone, it’s like putting an extra layer of shackles on your own heart. Just like Tan Xilu right now, even though he’s already hurting all over, he’s still willingly bound by those shackles. But in the end, when he finds the key to unlock those shackles, he’ll realize that liking someone isn’t all that important.”

 

“Yeah, when will Tan Xilu be able to unlock his own shackles?” Lin Changyu wondered. “Or perhaps, can I unlock my own?”

 

The setting sun’s residual radiance filtered through the window glass, creating a marvelous halo around the place where Tan Xilu lay. Lin Changyu stood up, walked over to Tan Xilu’s side, and looked at him for a long, long time. Finally, he gently tapped his shoulder, waking him up.

 

He said, “It’s time for you to go home.”

 

Tan Xilu was a bit groggy from his deep sleep. He hadn’t slept this well in a long time. He opened his eyes and saw Lin Changyu. Suddenly, he remembered that he had just cried in front of him and felt a bit embarrassed for no apparent reason. Then, he noticed Tang Xilu descending from the bleachers and he said, “Teacher Tan.”

 

Tang Xilu looked at him, patted his shoulder, and didn’t say anything.

 

Only Lin Changyu gave him a hug and finally kissed him on the cheek, saying, “Tan Xilu, go home.”

 

Tan Xilu looked at Lin Changyu as if he had read something in his eyes. Then, he nodded and said, “Okay.”

 

The mottled rays of the setting sun played on the memories of Tan Xilu’s heart as he left.

 

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T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 33: Life (Part 2)

 

That night, when Xu Huaiming went to pick up Tan Xilu, he unexpectedly saw Lin Changyu, someone who shouldn’t have been there. Lin Changyu obediently followed behind Tan Xilu, not as assertive as usual. When he saw Xu Huaiming, he hesitated for a moment, then looked away.

 

Xu Huaiming’s gaze fell on Lin Changyu, and he asked, “Why is he here?”

 

Tan Xilu glanced at Lin Changyu, shook his head, and said to Xu Huaiming, “It’s a long story.”

 

After Tan Xilu finished his classes at four in the afternoon, he planned to leave work. However, Li Xuandie suddenly came to his office, saying she knew who the person was that she saw kissing Qin Sizhe in the office.

 

She was furious, clearly holding a strong grudge against the person who had been intimately involved with Qin Sizhe. She spoke with displeasure, “I don’t know how he dares to show his face here. Does he even realize how much Qin Sizhe suffered because of him, Professor Tan? They were in the gym, you need to go check it out.”

 

The gym was closed from 4 to 5 pm every day, usually for cleaning. Today, the cleaning staff left early, and Qin Sizhe happened to come to the gym.

 

After a hundred days of recovery, he had just started walking again and had come to school. The gym was empty, and the sound of his crutch scraping against the floor was piercingly loud. Qin Sizhe couldn’t stand it and angrily threw his crutch forward, then yelled out loudly.

 

He hated Qin Sizhe, truly hated him. Why was he treating him like this? Why did they have to get married so quickly? Did he find himself repulsive?

 

Qin Sizhe lay on the floor, remembering the first time he played basketball in front of Qin Sizhe. That man had patted his head and said, “You’re amazing.”

 

Qin Sizhe had never thought being good at basketball was something to be proud of, but when Qin Sizhe praised him, he was so happy that he almost forgot who he was. He even thought it was a good thing that he knew how to play basketball, a small quality that could match up to him. But in reality, Qin Sizhe didn’t need a boyfriend who could play basketball; he needed a good wife and mother.

 

Qin Sizhe was never within his criteria for choosing a partner; their sexual orientations were different.

 

Qin Sizhe took out his phone from his pocket. He realized that he couldn’t see the screen clearly and wiped his face, only to feel wetness on his cheeks. He had been crying.

 

It was his last chance, his very last chance. If that man came to see him, he would secretly love him, even if he got married and had children, he would love him forever. If he didn’t come, he would give up on him forever.

 

He dialed Chi Yexing’s number and spoke before the other person had a chance to say anything, “Chi Yexing, please don’t get married. I really like you. I won’t misbehave anymore, and I won’t make you angry. Please don’t be with other women, Chi Yexing, can you do that for me?”

 

“I really… really like you…”

 

“I won’t be picky anymore. Even though your fried noodles are really terrible, I can eat them. You’re so clumsy; you can’t even fix a TV. I’ll do the repairs from now on. You like watching cartoons, and I won’t call you childish. Actually, cartoons are quite enjoyable. I know you don’t like it when I eat durian, so

 

 I won’t eat it anymore. As long as you’re happy.”

 

“Chi Yexing… You hurt me that day. Your kick really hurt, and I felt like my bones were broken. You’re so mean, but I still like you so much. Am I pathetic? My legs hurt so much now. Can you come see me? I’m at the school gym. I can play basketball for you, even though my legs will definitely hurt a lot, but as long as you like it, I can do it.”

 

Towards the end, Qin Sizhe’s voice was choked with tears. “I love you, I’m begging you, don’t leave me, okay?”

 

“I’m begging you…”

 

Qin Sizhe didn’t even have the courage to listen to the other person’s response and hung up the phone immediately.

 

He just wanted to take a chance, a chance that his feelings would receive some response.

 

But when he saw that it was Lin Changyu who came to the gym, the small flame of hope in his heart was extinguished completely.

 

He asked, “Why is it you?”

 

Lin Changyu walked over to him, squatted down, and looked down at him. “You called me. Qin Sizhe, you look really ugly when you cry. You’re making me lose respect for you.”

 

Qin Sizhe turned his head to look at him. Lin Changyu was squatting with the sun behind him, and it took a lot of effort for Qin Sizhe to see his face clearly. The light was blinding, and Qin Sizhe felt like his eyes hurt. He wiped his face and realized his cheeks were wet. He laughed self-mockingly, saying, “Yeah, I don’t even respect myself.”

 

How did he become like this?

 

“Never mind, cry if you want,” Lin Changyu lay down next to him and touched Qin Sizhe’s head, pulling him closer. “Cry as much as you want. If you ever stop liking him, you won’t need to cry anymore. You’ll eventually forget about him.”

 

When Tan Xilu arrived, he found the two of them lying together, and Qin Sizhe had cried himself to sleep. Lin Changyu was tightly holding his hand.

 

Hearing footsteps, Lin Changyu sat up. He was somewhat surprised to see that it was Tan Xilu. He knew that the girl, Li Xuandie, didn’t like him, and she might have gone to find a teacher. However, he didn’t care anymore. The last time, Qin Sizhe protected him and left together. This time, he had to step forward; he couldn’t let Qin Sizhe be bullied again.

 

“Professor Tan, it’s him,” Li Xuandie pointed at Lin Changyu, her beautiful eyes filled with disgust. She said, “Haven’t you always wanted to know who that person was in the office that day? It’s him.”

 

Tan Xilu was also shocked to see that it was Lin Changyu. He suddenly remembered that he had seen the clothes Lin Changyu was wearing once before, and now he realized that they matched the person in the photo from the forum, the one with Qin Sizhe in the office.

 

It explained why they couldn’t find this person; he wasn’t even a student here.

 

“All right, I understand,” Tan Xilu said to Li Xuandie, “You can go now. Don’t talk to anyone else about this. I’ll handle it.”

 

Li Xuandie exclaimed, “Huh?” It seemed her expected reaction hadn’t occurred. She had thought Tan Xilu would be very angry, but his attitude was unexpectedly calm. However, she also remembered that Tan Xilu had always handled things in a composed manner, so she nodded and left the gym.

These days, it kept snowing, and there was a fear of slippery roads and accidents. The bus schedule had been reduced, so a few people waited at the bus stop for ten minutes and only one taxi came by. They asked if anyone wanted to take it.

 

By now, it was quite late, and Lin Changyu was still just a kid, so Tan Xilu suggested they take the taxi.

 

Inside the taxi, they turned on the heater, and it was comfortably warm. Lin Changyu sat in the back, and Tan Xilu asked Xu Huaiming to sit in the front passenger seat.

 

After fastening their seatbelts and giving the driver the address, he responded with a simple “Okay” and started the engine.

 

The strawberry juice that had been ordered was still warm in Xu Huaiming’s lap. He passed it over to Tan Xilu, saying, “Drink it while it’s still warm.”

 

Tan Xilu was momentarily surprised, probably not expecting that Xu Huaiming had brought strawberry juice for him. Then he took it, raised a corner of his lips, and said, “Thank you.”

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 32: Mercury Chronicles (Part One)

 

In an instant, Xu Huaiming’s fist struck Li Zhao’s face.

 

After the sharp pain, Li Zhao fell to the ground in a daze. His back hit the stone pavement, and he felt like his body was about to shatter. In reality, he had only fallen.

 

Li Zhao remembered when he was a child and didn’t listen to his mother. Her palms were not as soft as he had imagined. Instead of comfort, they brought endless pain. He didn’t gain his father’s approval because he was disobedient. But Li Zhao didn’t become well-behaved. Even though he was in pain and his face was swollen, he developed a rebellious mentality. He wanted everyone to hate him. He wanted

 

 to be the despised villain because only then would he be valued.

 

A metallic taste suddenly filled his mouth. Li Zhao touched his lips and realized that they were bleeding.

 

“Quite a punch.” Li Zhao glanced at Xu Huaiming, then turned and walked away gracefully toward the bridge by the lake. “Too bad you’re just a copy, destined to never receive love.”

 

Xu Huaiming watched Li Zhao’s figure gradually disappear on the bridge by the lake. There was a moment of confusion in his eyes, and then a surge of uneasiness welled up from deep within him.

 

He felt like Li Zhao was a madman. A moth fluttering in the midst of flames, seeing a companion, grasping a glimmer of hope, would trample over the other’s corpse to escape, even if one side of its wings had already been burned, even if it only had one breath left.

 

A few birds perched on the sycamore branches, their harsh chirping echoing in his ears. When they flapped their wings, a few dried leaves fell, swaying with the wind and landing at Xu Huaiming’s feet. He shifted his body and realized that he was shivering from the cold.

 

His phone in his pocket began to vibrate. Xu Huaiming only had Tan Xilu’s number saved, so he knew it was him calling. He took a deep breath and answered, trying to sound as steady as possible, “Hello.”

 

Tan Xilu asked when he would arrive at their meeting place.

 

Xu Huaiming forced a smile and replied, “I just finished work. I’ll be there soon.”

 

After the call ended, Xu Huaiming closed his eyes and looked up at the sky. He thought, “I hope the sun comes out soon.”

 

…

 

Unfortunately, Xu Huaiming and Tan Xilu couldn’t meet up. Just as Xu Huaiming had returned to the store and was getting ready to close for the day, Tan Xilu sent him a message on WeChat, saying that there was a sudden emergency at school.

 

Helplessly, Xu Huaiming had to put down his things and stay at the store.

 

The evening at the store was not as busy. Xu Huaiming sat at the bar, feeling somewhat relaxed. He casually made a strawberry juice, knowing that Tan Xilu liked this type of beverage. Xu Huaiming found it overly sweet, but he wrapped it up and planned to take it back for Tan Xilu.

 

Seeing how carefully he packaged it, Arlene, sitting on a barstool, seemed somewhat displeased and said, “Xu Ge, is it necessary? I can see that Professor Tan’s mind isn’t really on you. Is the person who came to see you today the same one from the last video?”

 

Xu Huaiming paused as he placed the strawberry juice in the bag. He looked at Arlene and replied, “You have a good memory. You actually remember that?”

 

“Of course,” Arlene propped up her chin, recalling Li Zhao, and sighed. “He’s quite famous for his dessert shop ‘Xicui,’ with chain stores all over the country. He’s considered successful, and I heard he has a strong background.”

 

“What’s this? Are you thinking of switching teams?” Xu Huaiming inserted a straw into the bag and teased.

 

“No way! Am I that kind of person?” Arlene pouted. “When it comes to desserts, it has to be Xu Ge. How else could you have captured my heart for seven years? I clearly fell in love with your culinary skills.”

 

Xu Huaiming listened to Arlene speak with lowered eyes and smiled from time to time. He wasn’t very good at socializing with people, unlike Arlene, who was lively and likable. Sometimes, he envied her or rather, envied humans in general. If he were human, he wouldn’t have so many concerns and wouldn’t be afraid of breaking up with Tan Xilu.

 

They would continue dating until they got married, perhaps even grow old together. But all these beautiful dreams were based on him being a normal person, which sadly wasn’t the case.

 

“Well, truth be told, I quite like Professor Tan,” Arlene looked at Xu Huaiming and continued, “I just feel that it’s not worth it for you, Xu Ge. When I think about the surprise proposal we prepared that day, all shattered because of one lie from Professor Tan, it makes me sad. Even though we’re dating, he lied for another man, which is just so annoying. Today, that person came to see you again. I hope he’s not here to assert his dominance. Xu Ge, you can’t lose to him, you’re the main contender.”

 

“You have quite an imagination. You should watch fewer palace dramas,” Xu Huaiming chuckled, then added, “No, he’s a friend of Ah Lu’s, someone he introduced to me some time ago. He just came to chat.”

 

“Really? Not a love rival?” Arlene clicked her tongue, seemingly a bit disappointed, believing her previous assumption. “I thought I might witness a battle between two top pastry chefs to win over a male professor.”

 

Xu Huaiming: “…”

 

A battle of that sort might not be necessary, but competing for the professor was a possibility.

 

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 31

 

“Bang…”

 

Xu Huaiming lowered his head to look at his feet. Egg yolk had splattered on them, and a glass bowl, due to inertia, spun a few times by his feet before gradually coming to a stop.

 

“Xu Ge, what’s wrong with you today? It’s happened several times,” Arlene asked hesitantly. “Are you not feeling well somewhere?”

 

“Ah?” Xu Huaiming was momentarily puzzled. He didn’t know why he felt a bit uneasy today, as if something was about to happen. He shook his head and said, “I’m fine.” Then, he picked up the glass bowl and placed it in the sink on the bar counter. He grabbed some paper towels and began cleaning the floor and his shoes.

 

The floor was a bit tricky to clean since the egg yolk was sticky. After quickly absorbing it with paper towels, he sprayed some dish soap and scrubbed it clean.

 

Fortunately, not much egg had splattered on his shoes, but after wiping away the egg, he still had to brush them carefully to make them spotless. He had bought these shoes a few days ago with Tan Xilu in mind. They were comfortable, and Xu Huaiming really liked them. He had intended to wear them for his date with Tan Xilu later that evening, but he had accidentally dirtied them just after putting them on.

 

“Xu Ge, how about you take a break in the back room? This way, your work won’t be affected,” Arlene suggested. “There aren’t many customers right now anyway.”

 

Xu Huaiming rubbed his temples, hesitated for a moment, and then looked at the several bowls and dishes he had accidentally knocked over on the bar counter earlier in the day. Finally, he nodded reluctantly and said, “Okay.”

 

There was a small resting room in the back, with only a bed inside. Sometimes, when Arlene had a late closing and couldn’t make it to her afternoon shift, she would rest there.

 

The room had a window, and Arlene always kept it open for ventilation. Now, with the wind blowing outside, a cold breeze swept through, lifting a corner of the bedsheet.

 

When Xu Huaiming slept alone, he had a habit of shutting down all his bodily functions. He hardly felt the cold. After about ten minutes of rest, he heard faint voices in his ears. The system was more alert than he was and had reactivated all his functions. Then he heard Arlene’s voice saying, “Xu Ge, wake up. There’s a customer looking for you outside.”

 

Xu Huaiming quickly woke up. He sat up on the bed and, with his peripheral vision, saw a figure by the door. He turned his head and looked outside, only to see the person smirking, a sinister smile that made him uneasy. The person called out, “Hello, Xu Huaiming, do you remember me?”

 

Xu Huaiming squinted and hesitated for a moment before asking, “Li Zhao?”

 

A dessert shop, when going straight ahead to the end, led to a small alley, and further down the alley was a senior citizens’ park. At noon, the park was usually deserted, making it a good place for a private conversation.

 

Li Zhao stopped by the bridge near the lake, turned around, and saw Xu Huaiming following him.

 

To be honest, Xu Huaiming’s appearance was too outstanding. His words and actions were almost impeccable. If Li Zhao hadn’t heard Professor Bon’s statement, he might not have suspected that Xu Huaiming was an AI. Because compared to 059, the AI he had been tending to in the lab, Xu Huaiming was exceptionally convincing.

 

The thing AI creators feared the most was that AI would develop genuine independent thoughts. They hoped that AI would have emotions like humans but also feared losing control. Xu Huaiming fell somewhere in between. What set him apart was that his creator was also an AI. AI understood the pros and cons of AI better than anyone else. So, they had crafted Xu Huaiming almost perfectly. But when AI developed emotions, it meant that the once impenetrable armor had a vulnerability, a fatal flaw.

 

In this case, Xu Huaiming’s vulnerability was Tan Xilu.

 

To be precise, it was that Tan Xilu didn’t love him.

 

So, Li Zhao looked at Xu Huaiming with disdain. He didn’t hesitate to expose Xu Huaiming’s “weakness”: “You’re an AI, aren’t you?”

 

The weather today was truly gloomy. Even though it was afternoon, the sun had barely shown its face, and the sky was gray. The sycamore leaves in the park had almost all fallen, and those that still clung to the trees were half-green and half-yellow. The air wasn’t as fresh as usual. Everything seemed to be signaling that something significant was about to happen today.

 

Upon hearing Li Zhao’s question, Xu Huaiming finally understood why he had been feeling anxious all day. It turned out that Li Zhao had found out.

 

The wind was blowing strangely, making a whistling sound. It stung Xu Huaiming’s face, and while his senses were sharp, at this moment, the inner turmoil hurt more than the wind on his face.

 

He knew that Li Zhao was interested in Tan Xilu. Due to his AI-level alertness, he had sensed it the first time he met the man. Now, Li Zhao had him by the throat. Xu Huaiming couldn’t help but wonder if Li Zhao would tell Tan Xilu.

 

If he told Tan Xilu, what would Tan Xilu do? Would he break up with him immediately? It was possible. Tan Xilu would undoubtedly feel deceived. But Xu Huaiming had no control over that. However, Tan Xilu wouldn’t care about such things. He was the real victim here. Tan Xilu was easy to appease, but Xu Huaiming knew that this time, Tan Xilu wouldn’t forgive him.

 

Xu Huaiming dared not dwell on it any longer.

 

He looked at Li Zhao and took a deep breath before asking, “What do you want?”

 

“Don’t be afraid,” Li Zhao heard the trembling in his voice and relished in it. He raised his lips and said, “I’m just curious. What would happen if Tan Xilu found out that you’re not the real Xu Huaiming? Would he be disgusted? He’s been sleeping with a stranger all this time. He’s so obedient and docile. Would he go crazy?”

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 30: The Mermaid

 

Tan Xilu once had a conflict with his mother over one thing, their choice of college majors after the college entrance examination. Initially, Tan Xilu’s first choice was not a teaching degree; he wanted to study veterinary medicine.

 

When Tan Xilu was in junior high school, he found a stray cat named Ah Miao. When he brought Ah Miao home, it was lively, running around everywhere, which was quite different from Tan Xilu’s reserved personality at the time. Ah Miao had caused quite a bit of chaos at home during the first week, breaking numerous vases. Tan’s mother was furious and even thought about throwing Ah Miao out. However, she couldn’t bear to separate them when she realized that Ah Miao was the only companion Tan Xilu had. Fortunately, Ah Miao became less rambunctious over time and even started catching mice in the house.

 

Ah Miao stayed with Tan Xilu until his senior year in high school. Tan Xilu’s career direction had been decided long ago by his parents – he would major in teaching for a stable job and an easier time finding a partner. Tan Xilu had the same thoughts, but in that year, Ah Miao fell ill.

 

When he found Ah Miao, the cat was already six or seven years old. While it was lively when he first brought it home, it had clearly aged by the time Tan Xilu entered high school. Normally, when Tan Xilu came home in the evening, Ah Miao would excitedly grab his pant leg and try to jump on him. But one day, when Tan Xilu returned, he saw Ah Miao slowly limping towards him. At that moment, Tan Xilu felt like something precious was slipping away from his grasp.

 

As it turned out, that was indeed the case. Ah Miao grew weaker day by day, and by the time Tan Xilu entered his senior year, Ah Miao sometimes wouldn’t even be waiting at the door. Still, Tan Xilu would first go and stroke Ah Miao’s fur when he came home every day.

 

One day, when he returned home, he went to find Ah Miao as usual but couldn’t locate him. Even someone as composed as Tan Xilu panicked. He searched all around the neighborhood, going to places Ah Miao might have gone. It wasn’t until seven or eight in the evening that he received a call from his father, who said that Ah Miao had been found, but the situation didn’t look good.

 

Tan Xilu rushed to the pet hospital. The driver who had hit Ah Miao explained that the cat had suddenly darted in front of his car, and he couldn’t avoid the collision. Ah Miao appeared in bad shape, lying on a small operating table, barely breathing.

 

When the doctor came out, he shook his head and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, we did our best, but the cat’s liver damage was too severe.”

 

Tan Xilu rarely shed tears. When he was a child, crying would result in his nanny withholding food, so despite the hardships and sadness he faced later in life, he refrained from crying. However, at that moment, he couldn’t hold back. He hid in his father’s embrace and cried quietly, tears soaking his father’s shirt. His father had never seen his son so devastated.

 

What no one had expected was that on the second day after being declared critically ill, Ah Miao escaped from the pet hospital, despite its painful condition. Perhaps it knew its time was running out and didn’t want to cause grief to the one who loved it. Ah Miao limped away from the entrance of the pet hospital and Tan Xilu never found it again.

 

Afterwards, Tan Xilu dreamt countless times that Ah Miao was in some hidden corner, licking its wounds to console itself, and patiently awaiting death.

 

It was this experience that led Tan Xilu to choose a major in veterinary medicine, and for this, he had many arguments with his mother.

 

Tan’s mother knew what was always bothering Tan Xilu – why couldn’t he save Ah Miao? Ah Miao still had some life left, and it could have lived for several more days, but it chose to leave on its own. She understood that Tan Xilu was tormented by this thought.

 

Despite her constant efforts to console him, Tan Xilu was determined to pursue veterinary medicine. What ultimately changed his mind was a remark from his father. He said, “On the day Ah Miao was on the operating table, you cried and wet my shirt. What if you’re the one performing surgery on a small animal on that table? Will you cry then? Who will you turn to for comfort?”

 

Tan Xilu was always a timid person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have refrained from hinting to his parents when the nanny mistreated him, even if it meant giving away some clues. They would have noticed that something was wrong with Tan Xilu, despite being inadequate parents. Tan Xilu didn’t know how to protect himself.

 

So, in the end, Tan Xilu compromised and applied for a teaching degree.

 

Tan Xilu stood by the bed and called out softly, “Mom.” His mother, with her back turned, remained wrapped in the blankets, motionless.

 

“Mom,” Tan Xilu walked to the other side of the bed and called out again.

 

His mother had originally had her eyes open, but she closed them when she saw Tan Xilu approaching.

 

Tan Xilu crouched by the bedside, reached into the blankets, and held his mother’s hand. Due to years of holding a pen, there was a thick callus on his mother’s middle finger. When he was a child, Tan Xilu thought this callus was unsightly, but he didn’t realize that he would have one too when he grew up. Now, he understood that this callus was a mark of honor for a teacher.

 

He rubbed his mother’s palm and coaxed her, saying, “Mom, please don’t be angry. Can you open your eyes and look at me?”

 

His mother withdrew her hand from his grasp and didn’t open her eyes. She only said, “Then break up with him.”

 

Tan Xilu suddenly froze in place.

 

“Mom…please don’t do this,” Tan Xilu bit his lip, his voice starting to tremble, “I…I really can’t live without him.”

 

His mother opened her eyes, sat up, and stared at Tan Xilu, saying emotionally, “Why can’t you live without him? Wasn’t everything fine before he came back? Didn’t you say you wanted to live well? Why can’t you live without him? Xiao Lu, what’s wrong with you? It’s been seven years; if he wanted to find you, he could have come back a long time ago! Why did he come back now?”

 

A barrage of questions overwhelmed Tan Xilu, and he didn’t know which one to answer. In the end, he could only call out, “Mom.”

 

His mother, looking at her obedient and seemingly content child, moved her lips but didn’t respond.

 

What went wrong? Why couldn’t Tan Xilu be with anyone other than Xu Huaiming? He had clearly moved on, and things were finally getting better. Why did Xu Huaiming have to come back and take her beloved son away?

 

Sometimes, Tan’s mother would wonder if she had made a mistake by spoiling Tan Xilu so much back then. Maybe she should have taken the initiative, gone to see the man who had stolen her son’s heart when Tan Xilu was in love. Instead of following Tan Xilu’s wishes, she should have found out who that man was and prevented Tan Xilu from experiencing such heartbreak.

 

She also regretted being too busy with work at that time, not having time to take care of the young Tan Xilu. It allowed the wicked nanny to mistreat him. So, when Tan Xilu, covered in wounds, found solace in someone’s embrace, he obediently followed them. But the cost was too high, and she didn’t want to see Tan Xilu hurt again. He was her flesh and blood, and she couldn’t bear to see him in pain.

 

“Xiao Lu, can you please listen to Mom? Can you make Mom happy and break up with Xu Huaiming?” Her voice choked, “I’m begging you. During those years when you almost couldn’t make it, I was suffering too. I even thought that if you couldn’t make it, I would go with you. Fortunately, you only stepped one foot into the abyss, and you managed to come out on your own. But Mom really can’t bear to see you jump back in. I can’t take it, Xiao Lu.”

 

“Xiao Lu, please, can you and Xu Huaiming break up? Mom is really begging you.”

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 29: Orchid Pavilion 

 

Tan Xilu rarely cooked, and before Xu Huaiming returned home, the refrigerator was mostly filled with various instant foods or pre-cooked meals made by Tan’s mother. Due to the nature of his work, he could usually have breakfast and lunch at school, so he often made do with something simple for dinner.

 

However, Tan Xilu’s culinary skills were not particularly great. There was one time when there was only a bag of instant noodles left at home, and he reluctantly tried to cook it when he was really hungry. In the end, the noodles turned out half-cooked and inedible, so he threw them into the trash can and went to ask his neighbor Lin Changyu for some help.

 

But today, he had a sudden urge to make something for Xu Huaiming. He knew that Xu Huaiming was quite picky when it came to food. In the end, he chose to make egg drop soup, which was the easiest dish to prepare.

 

He peeled and diced tomatoes, sautéed them until they were soft, added water to bring it to a boil, and mixed flour with warm water, stirring constantly. Once it started bubbling, he poured in beaten eggs and finally sprinkled in the seasonings.

 

Tan Xilu served a bowl to Xu Huaiming, watching him take the first sip with eager anticipation. “How is it? Does it taste good?” he asked.

 

Before Xu Huaiming could answer, Tan Xilu proudly declared, “It must be delicious. I followed the recipe step by step.”

 

Xu Huaiming paused, pushed the bowl towards Tan Xilu, smiled, and said, “I think it’s not bad. You can try it.”

 

“Really?” Tan Xilu scooped up a spoonful, but as soon as it touched his mouth, he immediately rushed to the trash can and spat it out. His face contorted, and he exclaimed, “Why is it so awful? I followed the recipe exactly!”

 

Tan Xilu was a bit annoyed. It was all a lie, and he rushed to the bathroom to rinse his mouth.

 

“It’s okay, I can handle it,” Xu Huaiming said, moving the bowl back in front of himself and eating it without changing his expression, even though it was genuinely terrible.

 

In reality, it was really bad. Xu Huaiming could taste sourness, sweetness, saltiness, and bitterness all in one bowl of soup. Moreover, because he was an AI, his senses were more sensitive than a human’s, so you can imagine how much of a shock his taste buds had received.

 

But being able to eat a meal prepared by Tan Xilu was a rare treat for Xu Huaiming.

 

Seeing that the bowl was almost empty, Tan Xilu, who had come out of the bathroom and noticed Xu Huaiming still eating, hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly moved the bowl away, saying, “It’s too awful, don’t eat it.”

 

“It’s fine,” Xu Huaiming said with a serious expression, as if the taste was actually good.

 

Tan Xilu knew that Xu Huaiming was encouraging him, but it really was terrible. He had to admit that he had no talent for cooking.

 

He waved his hand and said, “You should cook from now on to avoid wasting food.”

 

Xu Huaiming smiled, reached out, and pinched Tan Xilu’s cheek, saying, “As long as you want, I can cook for you for a lifetime. The choice is yours.”

 

Upon hearing this, Tan Xilu was momentarily surprised. After a moment, he smiled and approached Xu Huaiming, their foreheads touching. He said, “What should I do? It seems I can’t be without you.”

 

Xu Huaiming’s heart skipped a beat. He raised his hand, hugged Tan Xilu’s waist, and carried him into the bedroom. He kicked the door shut with his foot, and as soon as Tan Xilu’s back touched the bedsheet, he said to Tan Xilu, “Then I’ll never leave you.”

 

So Tan Xilu kissed Xu Huaiming, allowing him to take the lead.

 

Perhaps Tan Xilu thought that this was just a commonplace phrase said in the bedroom, or maybe it was something Xu Huaiming said to appease him in response to a certain question. After all, who could guarantee never leaving someone for a lifetime?

 

But Xu Huaiming was different. He truly could never leave Tan Xilu, and he would stay by his side forever.

 

However, before Tan Xilu knew that Xu Huaiming was an AI, he would never have believed it.

 

This time, Xu Huaiming didn’t tease Tan Xilu much. After two rounds, he stopped and carried Tan Xilu into the bathroom to give him a bath. Tan Xilu rested his chin on Xu Huaiming’s shoulder and was already a bit dazed. He occasionally kissed Xu Huaiming’s chin and then became a little drowsy.

 

Afraid that he might slip in the bathtub, Xu Huaiming held him carefully. When he finished washing him thoroughly and lifted him out of the bathtub, Xu Huaiming suddenly heard Tan Xilu mutter something in his sleep.

 

He couldn’t hear it clearly, so he listened carefully and heard Tan Xilu say, “Xu Huaiming, don’t be afraid to meet my mother. She’ll definitely like you.”

 

Xu Huaiming’s heart suddenly softened. He really wanted to kiss Tan Xilu, and in fact, he did.

 

He decided not to think too much. After all, Tan Xilu was his now. Whether he was a replica of Code no.7 or not, only he could kiss Tan Xilu, only he could be with Tan Xilu without any reservations in bed, and only he could hear Tan Xilu say, “I love you.”

 

That was enough.

 

He was like barren soil, and as long as it received a little drop of rain, he could be reborn.

 

When Tan Xilu went home on the weekend, he didn’t bring Xu Huaiming with him. It would have been too presumptuous to bring him back when his mother was still upset. Tan Xilu’s mother had a strong temperament, and when she dug in her heels, she was truly stubborn. Tan Xilu knew her personality well and didn’t dare to be too impulsive.

 

He hadn’t been home for a long time. In recent years, his career had just stabilized, and his family’s home was quite far from the teacher’s college, so he had been living in the apartment he shared with Xu Huaiming. He only went home to visit during major holidays, and the last time he had been home was during the National Day holiday.

 

When Tan Xilu arrived at the entrance of the housing complex, he called his mother again. This time she didn’t answer the call.

 

Tan Xilu let out a sigh of relief, taking it as a sign that she might be willing to relent. He called his father and told him he had arrived at the gate. Soon, his father rushed out.

 

Before getting married, Tan’s father was a simple and honest man. When he reached the age to get married, he happened to meet Tan

 

‘s mother, who was four years younger. At the time, she was in the prime of her youth, with shallow dimples when she smiled. When Tan’s father saw her, he was immediately smitten and decided that he would only marry her.

 

However, Tan’s father was not very proactive, and he didn’t pursue her actively. If it hadn’t been for the fact that they happened to work on a project together, Tan’s mother might not have noticed him at all. She saw that he was serious about his work and was willing to help her with her questions. It was this academic connection that led to their relationship. People in academia often liked those who were stronger than themselves.

 

After marriage, Tan’s father became a classic example of a henpecked husband. He obeyed his wife in everything and had little say in matters. But he also doted on his wife, so over the years, they had few major conflicts. He always stood on Tan’s mother’s side. This time, he had high hopes for Tan Xilu.

 

After all, this son had the same personality as his mother—stubborn and determined. Once he set his mind on something, he would never let go. And with his son’s personality, it was likely that he would only have eyes for Xu Huaiming for the rest of his life.

 

Tan’s father patted his son’s head when they met, clicking his tongue and saying, “Looks like you’ve lost weight.”

 

“Where did you get that? I’ve been eating a lot lately,” Tan Xilu replied with a smile.

 

Father and son had not seen each other for a long time, so they exchanged pleasantries at the door for a while.

 

When Tan Xilu arrived, he had deliberately bought two boxes of snacks that his mother liked. They were quite heavy, and he carried them up to the fourth floor. When he reached the door, he was a little out of breath.

 

Tan’s father opened the door, and the house was quiet. Tan’s father carried the two boxes of snacks inside and said, “Your mother is in the bedroom. You can go in.”

 

“Okay,” Tan Xilu replied and asked, “Is she doing okay emotionally these past few days?”

 

“She’s fine. Your mother is like a tigress on the outside but a softie on the inside. She’s just afraid you’ll get the short end of the stick,” Tan’s father sighed. “I told her a few days ago that you were coming back, and she went out of her way to pickle some radishes that you like. She asked me to tell you to take them with you when you leave. Soften her up when you talk to her and maybe she’ll relent.”

 

Tan Xilu nodded and said, “I understand.”

 

He walked to the bedroom door, knocked, and got no response from inside. Finally, he called out, “Mom,” and then pushed the door open and walked in.

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 28: The Shadow Speaks

 

This winter seemed colder than previous ones, even though Tan Xilu was dressed warmly. As he walked through the school corridor, he still felt a chill in his limbs. He rubbed his arms and entered the classroom sluggishly.

 

Recently, Tan Xilu’s open classes had been very successful. He was handsome, his teaching logic was clear, and he spoke gently. Some students recorded his classes and shared them online, which gained quite a bit of attention. Today, the usually empty classroom was unusually crowded.

 

It was the first time since he started teaching that Tan Xilu had so many students attending his class. He looked at them in slight surprise and finally chuckled, asking, “So many people today?”

 

A girl sitting in the front row replied first, “Because it’s Teacher Tan’s class, who could refuse Teacher Tan?”

 

Tan Xilu looked at the unfamiliar girl seriously and asked, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before, have I?”

 

Another girl next to her eagerly chimed in, “Because she likes you, Teacher Tan. Do you have a girlfriend?”

 

Tan Xilu was momentarily taken aback, then he realized and looked at the girl, saying, “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

 

The girl’s eyes brightened, but before she could say anything more, Tan Xilu continued, “But I do have a boyfriend.”

 

The girl looked a bit disappointed, said, “Ah,” and fell silent.

 

“All right, let’s not waste time discussing my personal life in the classroom. Let’s focus on the lesson,” Tan Xilu said, opening his textbook and beginning the class.

 

Perhaps because the classroom was full today, everyone was more active in participating. Although many students were unfamiliar faces, possibly friends from other departments, they were all attentive. Tan Xilu occasionally asked questions, and they responded well. He was quite satisfied with the class.

 

At the end of the class, he assigned a small assignment for everyone to write a summary of the lecture for the next class.

 

Tan Xilu paid attention to feedback from his students, as he believed that not every teaching method suited every student. He would adjust his teaching methods based on the students’ summaries. As a result, he consistently received excellent evaluations from his students.

 

After class, as usual, Tan Xilu slowly packed his belongings at the front of the classroom. He usually stayed in the classroom for five to ten minutes after class to answer any questions students might have. However, no students approached him today, which suggested that everyone had understood the lecture well. He picked up his laptop bag and started to leave. Just as he reached the classroom door, someone called out to him.

 

Tan Xilu stopped and turned around to see the girl who had expressed her liking for him before class.

 

“What’s up? Did you have trouble understanding the class?” Tan Xilu asked.

 

The girl shook her head, looked at Tan Xilu with a puzzled expression, and after a few seconds, she spoke, “Teacher Tan, is your boyfriend the pastry chef named Li from ‘West Essence’ Dessert Shop?”

 

Tan Xilu was taken aback, guessing that she meant Li Zhao. He replied, “No, why would you ask that?”

 

The girl seemed surprised, “Isn’t it?”

 

She picked up her phone, found the video she had saved, and showed it to Tan Xilu. “This was constantly being shared on my social media, and everyone said you were dating that pastry chef.”

 

Tan Xilu watched the video, unsure if the person who recorded it was trying to make fun of him or genuinely believed he was dating Li Zhao. The video had filters and effects that made it look romantic, and if he hadn’t known better, he might have thought the same. Tan Xilu shook his head and replied, “We’re just friends, not dating.”

 

“Really?” The girl looked disappointed and said, “But please don’t date him. My friend met him at a party yesterday, and he shamelessly asked her out. I used to have a good impression of him, but now I think he’s really cheap. You mustn’t date him.”

 

The girl emphasized her point by saying “mustn’t” twice.

 

Tan Xilu couldn’t help but smile wryly and said, “Don’t worry, my boyfriend isn’t him.”

 

Suddenly, Tan Xilu remembered this morning when he woke up, and Xu Huaiming was standing with his back to him, holding his clothes. Tan Xilu lazily reached out and pulled Xu Huaiming’s shirt. Xu Huaiming turned around and looked at him. He leaned down slightly, touched Tan Xilu’s face, and there was a faint scent of lemon on him, which Tan Xilu had recently come to love. For this reason, Xu Huaiming had replaced most of their home items with this scent.

 

Xu Huaiming asked, “What’s wrong?”

 

Tan Xilu raised his lips and said, “Nothing.”

 

He grabbed Xu Huaiming’s tie, pulled him closer, and then hugged him around the neck and kissed him.

 

Tan Xilu said, “Xu Huaiming, I love you.”

 

Xu Huaiming looked at him, smiled, and nodded, saying, “I love you too.”

 

His boyfriend was perfect, he loved him deeply, so how could he be Li Zhao? His boyfriend’s name was Xu Huaiming, unique and deeply in love with him.

 

Suddenly, Tan Xilu remembered something else and asked the girl, “You mentioned that many people shared this video. How many people, approximately? Does everyone in the school know about it?”

 

The girl replied truthfully, “Not everyone. The video was sent to Tan Sinzhe at that time, and he asked everyone to delete it…”

 

The girl suddenly realized she had said too much and quickly explained, “I wanted to confirm with you if this was really your boyfriend, so I didn’t delete it. Now that I’m sure, I’ll delete it right away.” She pressed the delete button.

 

Tan Xilu didn’t mind this too much, but he wondered if the video had reached Xu Huaiming. Although they had talked it out the night before, it was still not good to have a controversial video like that circulating, and he blamed himself for his indulgence. He didn’t even know who had recorded it, and it had spread so wildly within the school. Fortunately, Tan Sinzhe knew about his relationship with Xu Huaiming and had asked them to delete the video. Otherwise, they might have been married by now according to the rumors.

 

Thinking of Tan Sinzhe, Tan Xilu realized that he hadn’t seen the young man in a long time. He wondered how Tan Sinzhe would react to the news of Chi Yexing’s upcoming wedding.

 

Tan Xilu sighed, hoping that Tan Sinzhe wouldn’t be too upset.

 

In the evening, Tan Xilu went to the dessert shop as usual. After the New Year’s celebration, business had slowed down a bit. However, because Xu Huaiming was busy with inventory, he couldn’t come to pick Tan Xilu up. Tan Xilu went to the shop alone. When he arrived, there were only a few customers left. Arlene was tidying up, and for some reason, Tan Xilu felt that Arlene

 

 seemed a bit annoyed with him. Usually, when he came in, she would greet him with a smile and call him Teacher Tan, but today she didn’t even look at him.

 

Tan Xilu felt puzzled but didn’t dwell on it. Perhaps Arlene had dealt with difficult customers today and didn’t feel like talking. He sat down at the counter, and Xu Huaiming, who had just finished working in the back, hadn’t come out yet. She had prepared a glass of lemon water for Tan Xilu, and it was still slightly warm. Tan Xilu took a sip, enjoying the sweet and sour taste that eased the fatigue of the day.

 

With some free time on his hands, Tan Xilu picked up his phone and tried calling his mother again, but as expected, the call was still in progress. He also sent her a message asking if she had eaten, but it still showed a red exclamation mark, indicating that the message hadn’t been delivered.

 

Tan Xilu found his father’s WeChat and asked, “How is Mom doing?”

 

His father replied after a while, “She hasn’t eaten anything for a day, just staying in her room.”

 

Tan Xilu sighed. His mother had always had a good temper, but this time, it seemed she was really upset. He thought, “Well, I’ll visit home this weekend and talk to her myself.”

 

So he sent a message to his father, “Dad, try to comfort Mom and get her to eat something. I’ll be home in a couple of days to see her.”

 

His father sent a sad emoticon and then asked, “Son, is that guy really the only one for you?”

 

When his father sent this message, Xu Huaiming had just come out of the back room. He must have had an accident with one of the packaging bags, as he had white powder on his clothes and cocoa powder on his face. He looked comical, and although he had originally looked a bit unhappy, he immediately put on a smile when he saw Tan Xilu. “Alu, you’re here!”

 

Xu Huaiming’s smile was pure, filled with joy. Even from a distance, Tan Xilu could see that his eyes were filled with him.

 

When Tan Xilu was a child, he had raised a little cat named Ah Miao. It had round, shiny eyes and was a stray cat he had picked up. It was very well-behaved. When it saw Tan Xilu holding a little fish snack, its eyes would widen with excitement. It would lick Tan Xilu’s palm first, and at that moment, he would pet Ah Miao’s head. It was as if Ah Miao sought his approval before finally eating the fish snack.

 

Once, Tan Xilu had a high fever, lying in bed, seemingly on the brink of death. Ah Miao thought he was going to die and snuggled in his arms. It extended its tongue and licked Tan Xilu’s face, as if begging him not to leave.

 

Two days later, when Tan Xilu’s fever broke, he was full of energy again. Ah Miao jumped onto him and looked at him, meowing. Tan Xilu could see his own face reflected in Ah Miao’s black pupils.

 

Tan Xilu felt that Xu Huaiming looked at him in the same way as Ah Miao did back then. He was very happy and a little excited.

 

So Tan Xilu replied, “Hmm, it has to be him.”

 

Unfortunately, not long after that, Ah Miao went missing. Tan Xilu thought, “But Xu Huaiming must not leave him.”

 

He couldn’t bear the pain of losing his loved one again.

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 27: Nine Thousand Mistakes

 

When Tan Xilu learned from the police that Xu Huaiming had gone missing, his whole being went blank. He stood in the police station, enveloped in an unreal, ethereal sensation.

 

He couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of the word “missing.” What did it mean? How could someone go missing?

 

Seeing that Tan Xilu’s reaction was off, the police officer poured him a cup of hot water and comforted him, saying, “Mr. Tan, don’t take it too seriously. It’s just a temporary disappearance. We’ve been actively searching, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

 

Tan Xilu held the cup of scalding hot water, his palm burning from the heat, but he seemed numb to everything. He moved his lips, struggling to focus his pupils, and asked the police, “Did he go missing because the truck overturned and fell off a cliff?”

 

Before the police could respond, he asked again, “Have you searched every place? How could someone go missing? As long as he’s in the car, he must be there, right? It’s just because you didn’t search properly. I’ll go look, and I’m sure I can find him.” With that, Tan Xilu set down the cup and tried to rush out.

 

The police officer, seeing his overly emotional state, quickly restrained him, saying, “Mr. Tan, please calm down. The rescue team is actively searching. It rained heavily last night, and the road is slippery in that area. Even if you go, it won’t be easy to find him. If we have any news, we’ll definitely notify you.”

 

Upon hearing this, Tan Xilu, who had been so agitated a moment ago, suddenly covered his face and crouched down. His shoulders trembled, and tears the size of beans streamed down from his eyes, falling to the floor one by one. His sobbing was quiet but conveyed profound sadness.

 

Tan Xilu had come to the police station as a friend. Not far from where the truck had overturned, a broken phone was found with Tan Xilu’s contact information on the back of the phone case. When the police asked about the relationship between Tan Xilu and the owner of the phone, Tan Xilu, still in a fit of pique, said they were just friends. However, when he heard about the truck overturning and the owner going missing, he was stunned.

 

At that moment, same-sex marriage was not yet legal, and although being gay didn’t make one a pariah, it was far from socially acceptable. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Tan Xilu had not admitted to their relationship when questioned by the police.

 

But even a blind person could see that the tearful Tan Xilu and the missing Xu Huaiming had a relationship that was far from ordinary.

 

In fact, just the day before, Xu Huaiming had sent a message to Tan Xilu, saying that he was going with the elderly man from the neighboring fruit shop to the neighboring city for some shopping. He promised to make a new cake for Tan Xilu when he returned. Tan Xilu was easy to please. Even after their prolonged cold war, he couldn’t resist the allure of good food. Moreover, Xu Huaiming had made the first move to reconcile. However, Tan Xilu, feeling a bit proud, hadn’t replied to Xu Huaiming’s message, planning to make up when they met later. But he hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t get that chance.

 

Tan Xilu’s emotional breakdown continued until his mother came to the police station to pick him up. She apologized to the police for the trouble.

 

The police waved it off, saying, “We understand, Mr. Tan. As soon as we have any news about Mr. Xu, we will notify you.”

 

Tan Xilu, in a dazed state, was led out of the police station by his mother. On the way home, they encountered a traffic light intersection. She stopped the car, looked at Tan Xilu in the rearview mirror, and called out to him, “Xiaolu.”

 

She called his name three or four times, but Tan Xilu didn’t respond. He seemed lost in thought.

 

His mother sighed. She knew that this incident had hit Tan Xilu hard. Tan Xilu hadn’t had much experience in love, and this was his first major setback. She would have preferred it if Xu Huaiming had been a heartless scoundrel who played with his feelings, rather than the sudden disappearance that left Tan Xilu bewildered.

 

His mother had never been fond of Xu Huaiming. She had seen many types of relationships in her profession as a teacher, and she knew that meeting the parents was a serious matter. When parents agreed to meet someone, it meant they saw that person as a potential family member. But Xu Huaiming had repeatedly evaded it. Why wouldn’t he meet the parents? She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he had no intention of staying with her son.

 

Because of this, his mother had become less enthusiastic about the relationship, and she had stopped mentioning Xu Huaiming. But to be honest, Tan Xilu had changed after starting his relationship. Sometimes, he would post pictures of delicious food on social media. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him cook. Whenever she came home, she noticed that he had gained some weight and looked well-fed. She had come to terms with it and thought that if Xu Huaiming was willing to be in a good relationship with Tan Xilu, it was fine. Even if they broke up in the end, she could introduce him to someone else. Love was supposed to go through ups and downs.

 

But now, they were facing more than just ups and downs.

 

Tan Xilu’s emotional breakdown persisted until he finally told his parents that he wanted to live a better life.

 

And he did exactly that. He quickly obtained various qualifications and began working at a pace that surprised his mother. His mother was always afraid that he had been through something traumatic again. But when he first accepted her suggestion to go on a blind date, she realized that he had finally come to his senses and was ready to move on.

 

He was truly prepared to continue living.

 

She thought things were gradually getting better. Despite meeting so many men, Tan Xilu didn’t find anyone he liked, but that was okay. There was plenty of time, and you couldn’t just settle with anyone for the rest of your life. However, now Tan Xilu said that Xu Huaiming, who had been missing for so long, had returned, and they had reconciled.

 

His mother couldn’t possibly agree to that. She didn’t want this man who had disrupted their family to come and disturb their lives again.

 

So, before Tan Xilu could explain, she hung up the phone decisively to show her stance.

 

---

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!