Here’s a fun post to finish off Beautiful Bones and bid goodbye to Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi. I’m usually sad to say goodbye, but for Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi, I feel like, after one millennia, there is finally nothing interesting about their lives anymore that is worthy of being written about. 平淡是福 “Mundaneness is actually a blessing.” And now, they can finally live that ordinary, mundane life that they have always desired — together. This post is a little glimpse into what their “uninteresting” life is like. Zhousheng Chen is a little more black belly than you think.
Paraphrasing a quote I saw on Weibo: “Love is, after being with you for a long, long time, I still want to be with you for a long, long time.”
Thank you, everyone. Chapter 1 of Together Forever will be up on my normal Fri/Sat slot. Hope to see you there. ❤
Weibo Scenes
There were a few random little scenes that the author posted for this novel just for fun on Weibo, so I’ve translated them for you.
Scene 1 — Released February 14, 2014 (In 2014, the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival also fell on Valentine’s Day, so a “double event” release)
Today, Zhousheng Chen brought Shi Yi back to the old manorhouse for the Lantern Festival.
Shi Yi did not enjoy engaging in social civilities, so she went to the library tower to get some new books. When she emerged from the tower, a young man, twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, similar in age to her, came over and said a few words to try to make conversation. “I’m considered to be in the direct line of descent for the main branch of the Zhou family and also have the ‘Zhou’ surname. This manor is a legacy left behind from several hundred years ago by my ancestors. Miss Shi Yi, your name is one I have not often seen. Are you&h.e.l.lip; your parents are old friends of the Zhou family?” The man was arrogant and full of himself.
Shi Yi shook her head. “No, you couldn’t say so.” Shi Yi’s impression of him was that he was rather flippant, but still she remained polite.
The man lowered his voice. “Miss, you are truly more beautiful than those actresses and artistes. At night, there’s not much for entertainment here. How about after dinner, I’ll take on the role of being a host and take you around Zhenjiang?”
Shi Yi frowned and wanted to walk off but the man once again moved to obstruct her way.
She was about to remove all semblance of niceness when without any warning, she felt someone take her arm. Zhousheng Chen calmly guided Shi Yi and shielded her behind himself, then glanced at the man and asked, “This is&h.e.l.lip;?”
Shi Yi was in a displeased mood as she answered quietly, “Don’t know him. Only know his surname is Zhou.”
Zhousheng Chen said, “Oh, so he is surnamed Zhou.”
The man flicked a haughty glance over at Zhousheng Chen. Musing that he would be able to see the beautiful girl again during dinner anyway, he planned to find an opportunity then, when this plain-looking guy wasn’t around, to strike up another conversation. And so, with his nose in the air, he left.
Shi Yi peeked at Zhousheng Chen beside her. Getting the sense that, right here, right now, he truly was not feeling any sort of jealousy, she could not help inwardly feeling disappointed&h.e.l.lip;
At the family banquet that night, an elderly man beamingly approached the head table to toast the people there. “Tang-Uncle, now that you are residing in Xi’an, are you accustomed to it?”
Zhousheng Chen gave a couple sentences in casual reply. Seeing that Zhousheng Chen seemed to be in a rather good mood, the elderly man hurriedly pulled over another young man, hoping to take this opportunity to introduce him to Zhousheng Chen. “Tang-Uncle, this is my youngest son. He has never before been to the manor. Hurry now,” he said to the young man, “and respectfully address your great uncle.”
When Shi Yi glanced over, she nearly choked on her tea&h.e.l.lip;
It was the man who had tried to make a pa.s.s at her this afternoon.
At this moment, though, the man was not at all flippant. His face pale, he forced his lips to turn up in a smile. “Great&h.e.l.lip; Great Uncle&h.e.l.lip;”
“Mm.” Zhousheng Chen smiled meaningfully and pointed at Shi Yi. “This is your great aunt.”
Trembling with fear, the man very properly bowed to pay the proper respects a person of a younger generation would give to an elder. “Zhou An respectfully greets Great Aunt.”
Surrounded by all the gazes of the onlookers, Shi Yi was greatly embarra.s.sed&h.e.l.lip;
Zhousheng Chen pondered very briefly and added, “There is no need to distance yourself. From now on, every Lantern Festival, come pay your respects to your great aunt.”
— End —
Mo Bao Fei Bao: Don’t think the Eldest Young Master doesn’t get mad. You’ve hit on his wife, so now, every year, you’re going to have to bow and pay respects. Muahahahaha&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;
元宵节 “Yuan Xiao Jie.” The “Yuan Xiao Festival” or “Lantern Festival.” As a recap, this festival takes place on the 15th day of the first month in the Lunar year, and marks the end of the Spring Festival (a.k.a Chinese New Year’s festival) with the first full moon of the year. Traditionally, lanterns are lit and put up as decoration or carried around during the night
堂叔 “tang shu.” Or “tang” uncle. A “tang-uncle” is how one would address the younger cousin-brother of one’s father. So, in this case, Zhousheng Chen is the younger cousin-brother of this elderly man’s father, and hence, is one generation higher than the elderly man.
Scene 2 — Released February 19, 2015, Lunar New Year’s Day at 12:01am.
MBFB asked fans what they wanted for a Lunar New Year’s present. Everyone had requests for new scenes from their various favourite novel(s). In the end, she posted a giant post with a scene each for the leads from nearly every single one of her novels, in which a theoretical email was sent out to them asking them to recap the first night they did *it*. Here is the one for Beautiful Bones.
On a certain day, in the middle of the night, Mo Bao Fei Bao sent an email to all the leads of her novels: “Hey dears, do you still remember that night?”
Shi Yi: “Mm&h.e.l.lip; It wasn’t at night. It was daytime. In Wuzhen. He had just returned to the country and came to find me. And then&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
Zhousheng Chen: (calmly flipping through a laboratory report) “I could see she was overly anxious so I recited Wu songs. But unfortunately&h.e.l.lip; in the end, she was still too anxious, so during the entire process, I asked her how she felt. I was worried she might be uncomfortable.”
Shi Yi: “&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
Zhousheng Chen: (falls silent in pondering for a brief moment) “I’m just someone who does research. There really is nothing special about my voice, but my wife seems to particularly like to listen to me recite that when we’re being intimate.”
Shi Yi: “&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
Zhousheng Chen: “You’re feeling embarra.s.sed?” (lowers his voice) “There’s lots of methods you can use to seal someone’s lips. You can choose to use the most direct method.”
Shi Yi: (wraps her arms around his neck, closes her eyes, and resignedly brings her face up to his)
Scene 3 — Released March 5, 2015
This was posted when Mo Bao Fei Bao asked fans which novel’s leads did they want to see a “bi dong” from. The answer was 1) Really, Really Miss You and 2) Beautiful Bones. “Bi dong” is an internet slang used to describe a scene where someone is pressed up against a wall and kissed. “Bi” means wall and “dong” is an onomatopoeia to describe the sound of b.u.mping into the wall.
Inside the library tower, Zhousheng Chen was earnestly and carefully carrying out each of the steps in the procedure.
Zhousheng Chen: “Perhaps, if the knee was bent slightly, it would be more comfortable.” He bent his knee and found the right position, his knee pressed against her leg. “The hand should be placed on the lower back.” His hand slid over and wrapped itself to her back, drawing them into a reasonably close distance to one another. “How does that feel?”
Shi Yi: “Mm&h.e.l.lip; pretty good.”
Zhousheng Cheng lowered his voice: “Our previous life, I really never kissed you here in this place?”
Radio Skit
I know many of you may not know Mandarin, but I really had to post this. Below are two short radio skits, modified from Weibo Scenes 2 and 3, above. They were released this year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day (7th day of the 7th Lunar month, which corresponds to August 20, 2015) by the a.s.sociation that is producing the Beautiful Bones radio drama.
One of my favourite male CVs, Xuan Zone, voices Zhousheng Chen, and OMG does he sound good in these radio skits! Talk about tingles up the spine and toe-curling! I nearly defected from my CV idol’s camp into his after hearing this. (Hey, since we read in Really, Really Miss You that Toupai is voicing Zhousheng Chen’s lines, does that make Xuan Zone Toupai?!)
Anyways, the a.s.sociation kindly gave me permission to translate and post the script, so even if you don’t listen, have a read through.
Just an FYI, the script for these skits was written by Mo Bao Fei Bao, and she also plays a guest role in it, voicing herself. (Her voice always reminds me of marshmallows.)
Skit 1
[0:01] Narrator: In a certain year, in a certain month, on a certain day, Mo Bao Fei Bao sent an email to the two leads.
[0:09] Mo Bao Fei Bao: Hey dears, do you still remember that night?
[0:13] Shi Yi: Mm&h.e.l.lip; It wasn’t at night. It was daytime. In Wuzhen. He had just returned to the country and came to find me. And then&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;
[0:25] Zhousheng Chen: That night? I could see she was overly anxious so I recited Wu songs. But unfortunately&h.e.l.lip; in the end, she was still too anxious, so during the entire process, I asked her how she felt. I was worried she might be uncomfortable.
[0:42] (Shi Yi coughs)
[0:46] Zhousheng Chen: Shi Yi, you’re&h.e.l.lip; feeling embarra.s.sed?
[0:50] Shi Yi: Huh? Ah&h.e.l.lip; it’s time. Let’s go, let’s go. I’m going to go read.
[0:55] Zhousheng Chen: When all was done, to make sure that she was truly okay, I held her in my arms the whole time and rea.s.sured her&h.e.l.lip; I remember, she had asked me then whether I had any experience in that before&h.e.l.lip;.
[1:07] (very faint gasp from Shi Yi)
[1:08] Zhousheng Chen: I&h.e.l.lip;
[1:09] Shi Yi: Zhousheng Chen.
[1:10] Zhousheng Chen: I told her, it truly, verily&h.e.l.lip; was my first time.
[1:14] Shi Yi: (loud gasp) Zhousheng Chen!
Skit 2
[1:28] Zhousheng Chen: The time is rather late now. (Shi Yi lets out an “ah” in surprise.) If you read too long, your eyes will become uncomfortable. Let’s go back.
[1:32] Shi Yi: (gives a little laugh) When did you come in?
[1:35] Zhousheng Chen: Just a moment ago.
[1:42] Zhousheng Chen: Shi Yi. (Shi Yi gives a faint “mm.”) Lately, my students Weibos are all flooded with a term&h.e.l.lip; (little laugh) “Bi dong.” Um&h.e.l.lip; why don’t we give it a try?
[1:51] Shi Yi: Ah&h.e.l.lip; That’s a&h.e.l.lip; currently trendy Internet term. Why are you paying attention to&h.e.l.lip;
[1:57] Zhousheng Chen: (little laugh) Enjoyments in life are very important. It builds the relationship and affection between a husband and a wife.
[2:02] Shi Yi: Our&h.e.l.lip; relationship is quite good.
[2:06] Zhousheng Chen: It can be even better&h.e.l.lip;
(rustling)
[2:14] Zhousheng Chen: How’s this? I’ll prop my right arm up against the wall. Hmm&h.e.l.lip; left arm is better.
[2:19] Shi Yi: Ah&h.e.l.lip;
[2:22] Zhousheng Chen: How’s the angle at which my head’s lowered?
[2:24] Shi Yi: Mm.
[2:25] Zhousheng Chen: Hmm&h.e.l.lip; Perhaps, if the knee was bent slightly, it would be more comfortable.
[2:31] Shi Yi: Zhousheng Chen&h.e.l.lip;
[2:32] Zhousheng Chen: Hand should be placed on your lower back&h.e.l.lip; (rustling) Mm. How does that feel?
(slight pause)
[2:40] Shi Yi: Mm&h.e.l.lip; pretty good.
[2:46] Zhousheng Chen: Shi Yi, our previous life, I really never kissed you here in this place?”