Day: September 22, 2023

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!