Chapter 78 - The joy of being attached (Translated and edited by Xing)
Tang Xue"s heart raced. Though she had agreed, she did not know how to face Li Yubing now. She broke free from his hug, and still holding on to her umbrella, continued walking forward by herself.
Li Yubing followed closely behind her. After a while, he stepped up to her side and took the umbrella from her hand. He used one hand to raise the umbrella and the other hand to grab her hand tightly.
Tang Xue looked down at her feet. The rain had acc.u.mulated on the asphalt-black pavement and was currently flowing along the road in thin trickles.
Li Yubing looked at her jet-black hair and asked, "Embarra.s.sed?"
"Shut up."
Li Yubing snickered. His low laughter held a faint, intoxicating charm that lingered on in the damp, rain-filled air.
Heat climbed up Tang Xue"s face. She felt that there must have been something wrong with her brain earlier. Why in the world did she agree…
She thought of pulling her hand back but Li Yubing had a death-like grip on it. Fine, you win since you"re so strong.
They walked in this manner for a distance before coming across a patch of uneven ground. The puddles were quite deep and Tang Xue hesitated before it, unable to find anywhere to step on. Suddenly, Li Yubing spoke, "Don"t forget that you have a boyfriend now."
Li Yubing let go of her hand and curved his arm around her. Using just that hand, he lifted her up off the ground until her feet dangled in the air. Then, with one hand still on the umbrella and the other hand carrying her, he crossed the puddle.
It was an unusual position to be in. Tang Xue felt like a burlap sack being heaved in someone"s arms. Her face turned towards him, she watched him with a stiffened body and did not dare to move. Li Yubing"s side profile was striking. The clear silhouette of his ear showed a well-formed shape that was like the Big Dipper… How could someone be so good-looking that even his ears are attractive…
Li Yubing put Tang Xue down after crossing the puddle. He lowered his head and looked at her.
She was looking at him as well. Their eyes met and in each other"s eyes, they saw an endless stretch of stars.
Li Yubing"s lips curved. He put his palm on her head and patted.
Just like this, they returned to school. The fine rain continued the entire way back. Pa.s.sers-by travelled with hasty steps while cars with moving windshield wipers sped past with splashes… It was clearly a dull journey but it became a memory that Tang Xue would remember even at the very end of her life.
She would forever remember how on this night when they decided to get together, they walked hand in hand in the rain. Her heart pounded chaotically while her mind churned with a feverish whirl. Every step she took felt like she was walking on air. Some of the fine rain was blown under the umbrella and landed on their faces in scattered specks. Cool and crisp, it felt as if it was meant to cool the fervent heat on their cheeks.
The only romance in her entire life began on this ordinary yet unforgettable night. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
Even after Li Yubing returned to his dorm that night, his lips were still curved.
Old Deng was biting on a hotdog that was half-unwrapped. He stared at his laptop screen, in deep concentration on his game.
Seeing two unopened cans of beer on his table, Li Yubing took one, cracked it open and took a swig.
Old Deng lifted his sight off the screen to glance over for a quick second. He saw that Li Yubing was all smiles while his eyes were dazed and rippled with unknown thoughts. Old Deng was puzzled. "What"s up with you?"
Li Yubing shook his head while holding his beer. "You won"t understand even if I tell you, single dog."
This is an original work of 酒小七 (Jiu Xiaoqi) translated by Tea Fragrance. If you are not reading this at teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com, this translation has been reposted without the translator"s consent. Head there for extra content or to leave feedback and comments on the novel translation. This short chapter took me so long it"s ridiculous but translating it made my heart so full.
I think I"ve never said it explicitly in a blog post so this is a reminder to not repost my translations on other platforms. If you want to save it for offline reading, save it to an offline doc.u.ment for your own personal use. If you want to share this story, please link them over here or to RSAPS"s NovelUpdate page. Thank you.
Since this chapter is so short, here is a bonus scene I found a while back on Jiu Xiaoqi"s Weibo.
A discussion on whether girls should be gentle and quiet.
Time: When Tang Xue was six.
Tang Xue: Why must girls be gentle and quiet?
Princ.i.p.al Tang: Because everyone likes gentle and quiet girls.
Tang Xue: Then am I a gentle and quiet girl?
Princ.i.p.al Tang: Where did you get the confidence to ask this?
Tang Xue: Owh, but everyone likes me.
Princ.i.p.al Tang: … (Darn, I actually can"t refute that)