Chapter 19 – Sharing a Bed: Catching Bugs
Novel t.i.tle: 一生之计在于春 (Spring is the Plan of Life)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 姚锦夕 (Yao Jinxi -MC), 吴洋 (Wu Yang -ML)
*Please read at knoxt.s.p.a.ce, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Yao Jinxi didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he asked, “Don’t you have it?”
Their conversation had already delved deep. But under the cover of the night, everything secretive seemed easier to talk about.
Wu Yang had already shared all of his experiences with him. So this question was quite pointed. However, Wu Yang denied, saying, “No.”
He continued, “I don’t have that kind of thing.”
Regarding dependence and faith, Wu Yang had never felt that way. His illness didn’t stem from sudden loss but from a long-standing absence.
Yao Jinxi fell silent and sighed softly after a moment.
His wrist was suddenly held and his body instinctively trembled but failed to pull away. It was because the warmth of the hand holding his was just right. The touch on his wound was gentle and comforting.
The trembling of his body seemed to penetrate into his heart.
Wu Yang asked softly, “Back then, it must have been very painful, right?”
Yao Jinxi turned to look at him. Wu Yang was also gazing at him.
Their eyes met. It seemed as if they both saw a hidden expectation and hesitation in each other’s eyes. This sensation made their hearts race. The slight dizziness intoxicated them, making them reluctant to break the moment.
They were both people who understood that kind of pain, which allowed them to empathise with each other. So, whenever they faced each other, they couldn’t help but want to be even gentler. They were gentle enough to comfort each other.
This impulse felt as if it was an innate instinct. By the time Yao Jinxi realised it, there was a moment of awkwardness. He almost panicked. He pulled his hand away and turned his gaze towards the ceiling, trying to calm himself down. He said, “I don’t remember… It’s been a long time.”
Wu Yang didn’t pay much attention to his evasion and asked, focusing on the topic, “How long ago was it?”
“About 5 or 6 years ago, maybe…” Yao Jinxi himself didn’t remember well. The period before he turned 20 was a blur. He lost track of time.
Wu Yang calculated the timeline and since Xia Ruonan and Yao Jinxi grew up together, their ages should be quite close. “6 years ago? You were in college then, right?”
Yao Jinxi paused for a moment before responding, “At that time, I wasn’t in college…”
Without giving Wu Yang a chance to ask any further, he turned to the side. He left Wu Yang with a slightly bowed silhouette. “I’m sorry, Wu Yang. I think I’m going to sleep.”
This was a signal that the conversation had come to an end. Even Wu Yang couldn’t say much more at this point. They had talked enough for tonight. He could only say, “Goodnight.”
Yao Jinxi didn’t respond. He closed his eyes. With a strangely preoccupied mind, he tried to force himself to sleep.
-The next day-
Summer mornings dawned early. The clock had reached 10 o’clock. So the room was already brightly lit by the time they woke up. Sunlight filtered through the wide gap in the curtains.
Yao Jinxi found himself in a rather awkward situation upon waking up. Despite the outside temperature being high, they had each covered themselves with a blanket because the air conditioning was on in the room.
However, the current situation was that his blanket had slipped halfway to the floor and he was not only close to Wu Yang but also had one leg draped across Wu Yang’s waist.
After so many years, Yao Jinxi had a good understanding of his own sleeping habits and could easily guess what had happened. He must have kicked his blanket while sleeping, felt cold in the middle of the night, and naturally gravitated towards Wu Yang’s warmth.
Feeling quite embarra.s.sed about this, he wondered how he could forget this side of him…
If there was anyone to blame, it was Yao Jinxi himself for not sharing a bed with someone for many years. It caused him to forget his own ability to hara.s.s a bed partner. He felt extremely embarra.s.sed. With cold sweat breaking out, he was about to discreetly withdraw. But there was movement from the other side.
“Good morning.”
It was unknown whether Wu Yang had just woken up or had been awake for a while. But he was smiling slightly, looking at Yao Jinxi with a playful expression. “Still not awake yet?”
Feeling caught like a thief, Yao Jinxi withdrew his leg and hand with a heart as heavy as stones. “I’m awake… um…”
Should he explain his sleeping position? Straight guys usually didn’t mind same-s.e.x contact too much. But Wu Yang knew he was gay. Would he find it disgusting to be hugged like this?
“Xia Ruonan has gone to work.” Wu Yang sat up and didn’t bother fixing his sleepwear that Yao Jinxi had pulled into disarray. He reached for his phone and handed it to Yao Jinxi, showing a text message.
Yao Jinxi quickly took a look. It was indeed a message from Xia Ruonan. “She went to work? Today?”
“She didn’t take leave. How could she? Besides, to others, it’s just a breakup.” Wu Yang’s voice was nonchalant as he leaned against the headboard, observing Yao Jinxi, who was half-lying on the bed.
Yao Jinxi’s hair was a mess from his intense sleeping position. The man himself hadn’t realised it yet. He scratched the back of his head, looking remarkably like a child who hadn’t fully woken up. “Oh, how did she go there?”
Wu Yang didn’t know or care much about how Xia Ruonan got to work and casually said, “The office is quite close by. She probably walked.”
“She didn’t even say goodbye to me.” Yao Jinxi yawned. As soon as he set one foot on the ground, his own phone rang. He had different ringtones for different groups of people. So he could tell from the ringtone that it was a call from a client.
While answering the phone and watching Wu Yang gesture that he would go outside, Yao Jinxi nodded to signal that he understood. “Ah, today? Alright…”
He listened to the client’s tea art invitation while keeping Xia Ruonan in the back of his mind. Originally, he wasn’t too keen on taking this call. But the client was a regular. Their relationship went beyond just business. They were friends. “Okay, can you please tell me the time and place?”
After arranging the details with the client, Yao Jinxi hung up the phone just as Wu Yang came back in, having changed his clothes. “I’ve taken your clothes to be washed. You can pick them up tonight.”
“Oh, okay.” Yao Jinxi put on his slippers and went into the bathroom to freshen up. When he emerged, Wu Yang had already prepared his outfit. “Do you think this looks okay?”
Wu Yang himself preferred wearing dress shirts, but for Yao Jinxi, he had chosen a simple polo shirt. Yao Jinxi couldn’t be too picky about other people’s clothes. So he thanked Wu Yang and put it on. The light yellow colour unexpectedly complemented his slightly faded, washed-out jeans.
Yao Jinxi had to attend to his tea shop’s business. So he got into Wu Yang’s car and headed back.
Wu Yang gripped the steering wheel. “If Xia Ruonan really needs to move out, she can stay at my place.”
“You mean at the hotel? She can’t stay at the hotel indefinitely…” Yao Jinxi couldn’t let Wu Yang bear the cost. Burdening Xia Ruonan and himself with the expenses was also too much.
“No. I have another place in City C. It’s newly renovated and hasn’t been rented out yet. Everything is ready up there. If Xia Ruonan can’t find a place right away, she can stay there temporarily.” Wu Yang explained briefly. “It’s just a bit far from the company, above the Second Ring Road.”
Their company was located in the city centre. It took about half an hour by public transportation. It couldn’t be considered close. But it wasn’t too far either.
“That sounds great. I’ll ask Ruonan about it later. Thanks a lot for this.” Yao Jinxi felt that his grat.i.tude didn’t quite match the trouble Wu Yang was going through. Wu Yang was supposed to be on vacation. Yet, he was busy helping in various ways.
“No problem. Friends help each other out.” Wu Yang smiled. “So, should I go directly to the market later? How about making sweet and sour spare ribs for lunch?”
Neither of them had eaten at the hotel for lunch. Yao Jinxi had initially thought about eating out for convenience. But before he could suggest it, Wu Yang indicated that he wanted him to cook. Making sweet and sour spare ribs was a bit complicated and required attention. Yao Jinxi had tried making it once. But now, feeling grateful, he didn’t mind the effort. “Sure. What else would you like to have?”
Wu Yang glanced at him and then quickly turned his attention back to the road. “Am I getting special treatment today? Should I still wash the dishes?”
“…” Yao Jinxi smirked. “Yeah. I think I’ll leave it to a professional like you.”
Wu Yang laughed heartily. “Sure, no problem. I’ll take care of it.”
At lunchtime, Yao Jinxi prepared a lavish spread, including sweet and sour spare ribs, boiled fish slices, chicken-stuffed tofu, steamed scallops with gla.s.s noodles, and a plate of oyster sauce lettuce. The table was set for a feast, far more than two people could eat.
After the meal, the table was covered with messy dishes. Yao Jinxi was relieved that he didn’t have to clean up all this mess himself. Otherwise, it would have been quite a ha.s.sle.
Wu Yang skillfully transferred the leftovers into smaller containers and covered them with plastic wrap. He wiped the table and swept the floor. Then, he carried the plates and utensils into the kitchen to wash.
By the time he finished cleaning up, Yao Jinxi had brewed a pot of Tie Guanyin tea and leisurely poured a cup for him. These were the moments Wu Yang cherished the most. Of course, he always enjoyed his time with Yao Jinxi.
A customer called to confirm their appointment once again. So Yao Jinxi put on another string of Buddhist prayer beads to cover the scar on his wrist. However, it was clear that this string was old and well-worn.
Wu Yang glanced at him. “Do you have plans for the afternoon?”
“Yeah, I have some business to attend to.” Yao Jinxi briefly explained the situation.
“That would take you into dinner time.” Wu Yang calculated the time carefully. “I can drive you there. And then when I pick up Xia Ruonan, I’ll come back to get you.”
It was a thoughtful suggestion. But Yao Jinxi didn’t want to trouble Wu Yang too much. He said, “No need. If you’re free, just pick up Ruonan. I’ll take a taxi back by myself.”
“It’s not a problem. I’ll pick you up after getting Xia Ruonan and we can have dinner together.” Wu Yang’s tone was devoid of any reluctance. “I don’t have anything else to do, anyway.”
This statement was quite straightforward. Yao Jinxi understood that Wu Yang didn’t have anywhere else to go. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been spending so much time at the tea shop with him. Pushing the matter further would have seemed overly dramatic, so Yao Jinxi agreed, “Alright.”
As the time approached, Yao Jinxi and Wu Yang left together. Yao Jinxi had been to the customer’s company before. So he directed Wu Yang to drive to the front entrance.
Wu Yang rested his hand on the car window and instructed, “Give me a call when you’re about done.”
“Yeah, drive safely,” Yao Jinxi replied. He didn’t inquire about Wu Yang’s plans. How he arranged his time was his own business. As he watched Wu Yang drive away, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of appreciation. Anyone who had this man as a boyfriend would probably have much less to worry about.
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*Author’s Note: Boss Yao should be thankful that he didn’t have a ‘morning wood’ today.-YXF
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Next update: 2023.10.19
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