(16)
This morning"s blue sky is cloudless, just like my general mood.
Breakfast is still buns and soy milk. Carrying a takeaway bag, I hummed a song on my way to try a store"s new purple sweet potato bun. The sweet taste was not bad and in my heart I gave it a thumb"s up.
While on the road, I happened to meet the supermarket"s vegetable-selling auntie who smiled at me, her eyes squinting into a line.
“Aiyo, I thought you were buying breakfast for your flower of Gaoling. Young man, you really are a *24 filial boyfriend.”
[T/N: "二十四孝男" refers to 24 rules of how a boyfriend should treat their girlfriend]
I swung the plastic bag and made a bitter face. “No ah, that person doesn"t want me.”
Auntie patted me on the shoulder, sympathetically, which made me stagger a little.
“Don"t be discouraged. Don"t be discouraged. Your girlfriend is just being emotional. Young people nowadays talk about being in love as if they"re already married. You are a big man, let her have her way.”
That person doesn"t want me yet I have to yield and let him have his way? What is the reason for this!
Seeing my expression becoming thunderous, Auntie made a look of a wise elder and shook her head.
“Girls ah, they just want coaxing.”
She pulled me closer and started giving me many suggestions. I don"t know if it has to do with her being on vacation, but Auntie is chattering ten times more than usual. My expression was already stiff by the time she took a deep breath and summed it up.
“Or you can just tease her to make her laugh, her anger will dissolve very quickly.”
My mouth fell open unconsciously, and Auntie"s expression drastically changed. Releasing the hand that was pulling on my sleeve, she walked away muttering, “No wonder! No wonder!”
As I arrived home feeling very bewildered, the light"s reflection on the silver gate caught my attention. It was only then that I found out my normally white teeth in the reflection were dyed a light purple by the sweet potato stuffing.
Heh! It"s actually rather funny! I lifted the corners of my lips and smiled brilliantly at myself in the iron gate.
“Kang Yan, why were you gone for so long…"
When the male G.o.d pulled open the iron gate and walked out of the door, he was evidently stunned when he saw me.
“…”
“…”
(17)
I smacked my lips together, took off my boots, and happily put the steamed buns and soy milk on the table.
The TV has been adjusted to the 24-hour news channel. I stretched lazily, and retired to my room.
I immediately started browsing videos on my computer. The episodes from the Evil Mango broadcasting station can only be replayed on the official website. I haven"t been following the drama for two weeks! I"m simply a hungry wolf about to fight a tiger for food.
But, I have no idea what BOSS was up to. He just sneakily stood in the hallway outside my room.
"Kang Yan, what about your share?”
Without raising my head, I replied loudly, “I got hungry on the road and already ate! BOSS, no need to worry about me, you can start eating!”
In one breath, I watched two episodes of the idol drama starring Zhu Zhuyan, then went to the living room to probe around a little.
Why does the view of the male G.o.d"s back, as he typed on his laptop, look so pitiful?
I blinked. My compa.s.sionate side really cannot be cured with any medicine.
I sat down with him, watching him hastily eat his lunch. BOSS seemed absent-minded throughout the meal. I don"t know if it was because he was bothered by the threat from that woman. But if I think about it, BOSS"s family background is no secret. One phone call should be able to solve this little thing.
The male G.o.d then took our bowls and chopsticks and walked into the kitchen.
I immediately rushed in after him and stopped his hand that was reaching to twist on the faucet.
“BOSS, what are you doing?”
He moved away, his eyes revealing a little confusion. "Doing the dishes.”
I hurriedly took the chopsticks from his hands, deftly put on my gloves, and poured just the right amount of soap. This action was done all in one go.
“BOSS, you are my employer, how can I trouble you?”
Just kidding! 200,000 is as much as my annual salary! And it"s just too cost-effective to only be responsible for sending a doc.u.ment and cooking a meal.
If you only talk about the money, everything stays very clear. What"s more, he doesn"t like to do housework so what use is there in being reluctant.
Humming the theme song of the drama, I calmly washed the dishes, but I could feel BOSS"s stare as he stood next to me.
The male G.o.d walked out to the hall briefly, then came back to the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. He just stared at me.
I used my eyes to ask him what he was doing.
He remained silent, then walked into the hall again.
He went back and forth several times and every time he did this, I wanted to stop what I was doing. I finally asked, “BOSS, is there a problem?”
The male G.o.d pursed his lips and said, “Hair clip…..”
"Ah?" I did not understand.
“Where did the bear hair clip you gave me go?”
I lowered my eyes, and while forcefully scrubbed the dirt on the side of the bowl, replied in a rather light tone, “You didn"t want it so I put it back in the drawer to let it play with a good buddy.”
By the way, good buddy refers to the small flower hair clip.
The male G.o.d was silent and did not speak anymore.
Our surroundings were filled with the sounds of running water and the theme song that I would hum out of tune from time to time.
He just stood there beside me, for a long time.
(18)
When I returned home at midnight with an exhausted body, I found the male G.o.d sitting in a wooden chair in the hallway. The dark yellow table lamp shone on the side of his face, giving off a warm light.
The male G.o.d looked up, and I couldn"t see his expression with my eyes.
“Where have you been?”
I rubbed my forehead and calmly answered, “Didn"t I tell you before? Sleepwalking ne, sleepwalking.”
BOSS stared at me as if he was trying to find a clue. After a long while, he said, “Kang Yan, you have not been right all day today.”
I paused then said faintly, “I will tell you a story, okay?”
The male G.o.d tilted his head, then nodded.
I brought my cold body to sit down in the chair beside him and slowly began.
“There was once a person who liked another person.”
“En.”
“Then one day, he died.”
“…”
The man G.o.d expressed the emotion of speechlessness to the fullest.
I asked him doubtfully, “Is it not funny?”
BOSS does not say a word.
When I was about to fall asleep while reclining in the wooden chair, he finally said just two words.
"I"m sorry.”
……Oh.
I bowed my head, pretended to focus on playing with the knot on my coat, and asked softly, “Why apologize ah?”
“… You treat me as a friend, but I doubt you like this.”
Male G.o.d, you are really upright ah. Even his expression while apologizing is so serious and guilty, it"s just…
My expression at that moment must have been very complicated.
“I"m not angry.”
BOSS used a "you don"t count this as angry?" look to stare at me. I scratched my head and said, “I"m a *tintin bit angry.”
[T/N: cute way of saying teeny weensy/teeny tiny]
The male G.o.d looked at the “just a little bit” gesture I made with my fingers and smiled silently.
He is very good-looking when he smiles.
I racked my brain and could only think of the word "good-looking" to describe it. There are billions of people under the skies, thousands of people who are charming when they smile, and hundreds of people who have appeared in my life.
But only for the dimpled smile in front of my eyes would I do whatever it takes.
On one hand, I thought, my weak heart can"t take this ah. While on the other, I couldn"t help but wonder just what kind of relationship do we have anyways?
“Then you need to coax me before I forgive you.”
Give me an inch and I"ll want to take a mile. I just wanted to dispel this strange atmosphere.
“Good.” He smiled and agreed.
Looking at the sky outside the window, it"s almost sunrise. With heavy eyelids, I went to lie down on my soft bed.
I said in a very small voice to the male G.o.d beside me, “BOSS, I want to hear the little stars.”
“…”
The male G.o.d also seems to be unclear why he is doing this. Even after faltering for a long time he could not utter a single sound.
I dazedly watched the blurry figure of the male G.o.d and faintly saw his serious but struggling appearance, as well as his brilliant eyes which were like stars in the darkness.
Before entering my dreams, I seemed to hear his voice beside my ear.
"Twinkle twinkle little star…"
(19)
Drowsily waking up in bed, I did not see a trace of the male G.o.d.
As I tried to breathe, there was a burning pain in my throat and my nose seems to be blocked.
I squirmed around in bed like a worm. In my head flashed the events that have happened these past few days, and I tragically found that I had probably caught a cold.
Is this the legendary sorrow begets joy?
I planned to call my dear male G.o.d. Swallowing a few mouthfuls of saliva, I opened my mouth only to emit a heavy ba.s.s out of tune.
“Bo……ss………”
… Or just peacefully lay in bed like a corpse and wait for the male G.o.d to discover this crime scene! I thought self destructively.
The sunlight scatters onto the white blankets and it is soon pa.s.ses noon. I felt my forehead, and my hands became covered with a thin layer of sweat.
I was shocked that it turned out to be a fever. I did not have time to think about it before I heard the sound of a key turning.
In a few moments, the male G.o.d, with a steaming bowl of porridge, an angel"s halo, and Superman"s cloak, stepped into the room under a ray of light.
The male G.o.d put the porridge on the small table, and we were separated by the steam.
“Bo…….ss……..cough cough cough cough cough I"m sick…”
I pointed at my throat in a depressed way but actually wanted to ask, BOSS how do you know that I"m sick?
Then, the male G.o.d said more to me than he ever had before.
“Early this morning, you woke up once and said, "Pikachu, I choose you!"”
I deeply thought about the dream I had last night.
“Then you hugged me and refused to let go. You kept asking me… what type of magical thing is Pikachu?”
I buried my head in the blanket, and covered my ears so that I didn"t have to listen. Was it human instinct to eat the male G.o.d"s tofu…
“I answered you with… *baby.”
[T/N: The word Pokémon used in Taiwan, is Shénqí bǎobèi 神奇寶貝 (“Magic Babies”) ]
“…”
Let me die.
“In the end, you kept wanting me to repeat this answer and I wondered if you had a fever. When I checked your body temperature, you really did have a fever.”
My G.o.d! Teasing the male G.o.d is not a problem. The problem is that completely losing the memory afterwards is not worthwhile at all.
I thought about it for a while with my unclear head, poked my head out from the quilt, and asked the male G.o.d hopefully, “Is it…… cough cough recorded?”
At that time, was I clear-minded enough to record those couple of baby"s?
(20)
The male G.o.d seems to have become used to ignoring my temper. After wordlessly handing me the porridge, he started to talk about business.
I ate the porridge in small mouthfuls, regretting that there was no excuse for the male G.o.d to hu hu blow it cool for me.
Can"t you just nicely follow the script?
“In the afternoon I need to see a future business partner.”
Business partner? Who ah?
“Didn"t you say last time that you wanted to acquire stocks? Using your own name or acquiring sh.e.l.l companies will raise doubts.” [T/N: sh.e.l.l companies = readymade companies]
So? Seeing the male G.o.d himself fall into thought, I pulled his sleeve to hint that he lean in closer and said, “Yesterday, a person who is highly respected in the business sector contacted me and said that they would be willing to help unconditionally.”
BOSS stared at me for a while then sighed, “I also feel that there is no such thing as a free lunch.”
With a mouthful of porridge, I indignantly waved my hands. You"re not allowed to read my mind through my eyes!
At two o"clock in the afternoon, BOSS covered me with the heavy blanket that belonged to him and said, “I am going out. If you sweat a lot, you will get better soon.”
Gripping the edge of the floral blanket, I nodded.
“On my way home, I"ll buy porridge for you to eat. You stay home obediently. Although I don"t know what you are doing when you go out, just don"t go "sleepwalking" since you"re sick.”
Although my throat was a lot better after taking the cough medicine, my voice still had a nasal sound, “BOSS…… has changed. Am I dreaming right now?”
It"s rare for the male G.o.d to rub my messy hair, and there is no emotional change in his voice, but I suspect he may be feeling shy.
“Because you usually chatter non-stop. Now that you"ve quieted down, it feels a bit… not quite right.”
I blinked my eyes sleepily, muttering, “If you don"t like it, then I will talk less in the future?”
Of course, it was all talk. I haven"t used a low-level trick like the *kǔ ròu jì!
[T/N: "苦肉計" (literally "bitter meat plan") – when you deliberately injure yourself to deceive others in order to achieve your goals]
BOSS took his hand off my head and turned around to pick up the trash on the small table.
“……. No need. I don"t find it annoying.”
Hehehehehe.
I slept shallowly.
When I woke up, I leaned against the bed in a daze. I kept waiting until dusk, when the sun was setting.
Laying by the window, I watched a small black spot in the distance gradually revealing a silhouette, and it then became the appearance of the male G.o.d.
Under the evening afterglow, the male G.o.d was basked in an orange light. Even though I knew that he could not see, I still stupidly waved to his shadow.
In BOSS"s hand was a white plastic bag containing porridge which drew an arc in the air as it followed his steps.
Swing, swing.
Hey, male G.o.d.
Come back ah.
Little Corner:
Re: *clap clap* Great story Kang Yan. Beautiful characters and (zero) plot x"D 10/10
MadMadamMims: KY has successfully become the coaxed girlfriend while Male G.o.d has some serious separation anxiety. Everyone take a shot every time he asks KY where he has been!