Chapter 31 – Opportunity
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 has been constantly considering lately what feelings he has for Wu Yang.
This is a very strange thing to think about. Whenever he thinks about Wu Yang, Yao Jinxi feels melancholic. To be precise, it’s a kind of melancholy with a tinge of joy, not just one or the other.
It’s a complex feeling where happiness suddenly turns into anxiety.
If we were to use an example from Yao Jinxi’s life to describe it, it’s probably similar to the feeling of antic.i.p.ating the results of a final exam, causing him to be exhausted from the wait.
As for what he’s antic.i.p.ating, Yao Jinxi doesn’t want to delve into it. He has always been an easily satisfied person. He was just like a poured tea that never fills the cup completely. It’s always seven parts, or else it loses the essence of the tea ceremony.
Life is best like this, so as not to lose a sense of proportion.
On the day Yao Jinxi was discharged from the hospital, everyone gathered to celebrate. There were a total of four people: Yao Jinxi and Wu Yang, Xia Ruonan, and Fu Hongyu. Fu Hongyu and Wu Yang had cars of the same brand. Due to work reasons, they were both st.u.r.dy sedan models. The two of them started discussing car-related matters. Meanwhile, Yao Jinxi and Xia Ruonan, feeling a bit lost in the conversation, turned their attention to the menu.
Considering Yao Jinxi’s situation, he couldn’t eat anything too spicy. Wu Yang suggested a famous health porridge hotpot place in City C.
Yao Jinxi liked spicy food, but it wasn’t good for his wound. Among the four, only he had a soy sauce dish. He had been eating bland food for a while. So this meal was rather tasteless for him.
In the end, Wu Yang ordered two bowls of porridge with no chilli and some tofu for him. Ironically, Yao Jinxi, the main character of this celebration, ate the least.
Wu Yang consoled him, “Once you’re feeling better, we’ll go for a hotpot.”
Yao Jinxi looked a bit frustrated, “Let’s not talk about that. The more we talk about it, the more I crave for it. I’m hungry.”
With a light chuckle, Wu Yang asked, “Should I go down and buy you two more steamed buns?”
“Thanks. I don’t need that for now,” Yao Jinxi said, covering his forehead and looking out the window. His mouth watered as he glanced at the barbecue stand by the street.
Fu Hongyu and Xia Ruonan wanted to go watch a movie. But Yao Jinxi didn’t really like movies. Besides, since he had just been discharged, everyone didn’t want to tire him out. So he went directly to the tea shop with Wu Yang.
The tea shop had been neglected for some time and had a smell of acc.u.mulated dust as soon as they entered. Yao Jinxi waved his hand, coughing a bit from the dust, “We need to clean this place up.”
Wu Yang placed the luggage on a chair, “I’ll do it. You need to rest properly during this time.”
“Let it be for now. We can deal with it later. After all, we can’t do much in one night,” Yao Jinxi said as he walked towards the back, “Don’t linger downstairs. Let’s go up.”
Upstairs needed cleaning as well. Wu Yang quickly tidied up. In the summer, there was no worry about the bedding getting damp. He could use it directly after taking it out of the wardrobe.
Yao Jinxi sat cross-legged on the tatami, still thinking about the barbecue. He heard Wu Yang pouring two gla.s.ses of water and saying, “I’ll be leaving for a while in a couple of days.”
“Thank you,” Yao Jinxi took a sip of water from the gla.s.s given to him by Wu Yang as he leaned his chin on his hand. He suddenly showed a hint of surprise. “What?”
Wu Yang explained, “I’ll be leaving City C for a while to take care of something.”
“Is it a business trip?” Yao Jinxi sat up. He hadn’t heard about this from Xia Ruonan. Their company didn’t have this practice, considering Wu Yang wasn’t a field personnel.
Wu Yang smiled mysteriously, “Not exactly. It’s more of a personal matter. So I need to handle it myself.”
After a moment, Yao Jinxi responded with an “oh”. He realised Wu Yang had no intention of providing further details. He chuckled to himself, realising that there was indeed no need for Wu Yang to report every detail of his whereabouts and activities to him.
When did I become so self-conscious?
His voice unintentionally became subdued. “How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know,” Wu Yang replied, seeing a trace of disappointment flash across Yao Jinxi’s face. He quickly smiled and rea.s.sured, “But I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Yao Jinxi turned his head slightly to scrutinise Wu Yang and remarked, “I’m more concerned about your boss. Taking such a long leave without completing your final tasks properly shows a lack of commitment.”
“That should be fine. I’ve actually already prepared a work handover plan,” Wu Yang said after a few seconds of contemplation. His expression gradually lost its casualness, looking at Yao Jinxi seriously. “I’m more worried about you.”
Yao Jinxi was taken aback. “Me?”
Then he chuckled again. “What’s there to worry about? I only have one appendix and it’s already been removed.”
Wu Yang chuckled as well, “It’s not about worrying for your health. I’m worried about your younger brother.”
As soon as he said this, the smile on Yao Jinxi’s face faded. He had already spilled the beans about his own and Yao Jinchen’s messy situation so there was no need to pretend in front of Wu Yang. “Honestly, I’m also very troubled by it.”
He wasn’t saying he was afraid Yao Jinchen would harm him. Harsh as it might sound, Yao Jinxi was still a grown man and wouldn’t be taken advantage of by another man so easily.
But the thought of facing Yao Jinchen again made Yao Jinxi feel anxious. Anger was not the primary emotion. He just felt that it is necessary to give that unruly kid a good beating. Did he not know any boundaries?
“In any case, I hope you won’t be so defenceless against him,” Wu Yang said. His gaze was first set on the gla.s.s of water. It then met Yao Jinxi’s eyes again as he spoke earnestly. “If there’s a next time, I believe he really needs to spend some time in a police station to learn a lesson.”
“Wu Yang, please stop,” Yao Jinxi said weakly, covering his forehead. He slid down a bit. His entire being slumped in a state of depression over the table.
Wu Yang said, “I think your brother believes he can do anything to you since you’ll forgive him anyway. That is why he’s so persistent and has no sense of boundaries. You know, this isn’t good for him. Didn’t you say you regretted it?”
“Wu Yang…” Yao Jinxi sighed, lifting his head and looking at him with a pained expression. “I understand.”
Wu Yang smiled, “You understand?”
Yao Jinxi nodded, “I understand.”
Wu Yang asked, “You understand that if he tries to do something he shouldn’t do again next time, you’re going to give him a punch right away, right?’
Yao Jinxi: “…”
He scratched his head irritably, feeling a bit frustrated and embarra.s.sed. “I got it! You don’t have to give me a lesson on personal safety. I know what to do. I’m not a girl.”
The point was made and Wu Yang was satisfied. He wasn’t worried that Yao Jinxi couldn’t handle Yao Jinchen. What concerned him was Yao Jinxi’s att.i.tude. As long as he remained firm, dealing with Yao Jinchen wouldn’t be an issue in Wu Yang’s eyes, whether in terms of capability or intimidation. Yao Jinchen simply lacked presence.
What he was truly concerned about was another matter. It was quite th.o.r.n.y and it was the most urgent one to address.
The next day, Wu Yang left City C.
Yao Jinxi was surprised once again. Was it really that urgent? What made his mood even more complex was the fact that Wu Yang had gone to City L.
City L was Yao Jinxi’s hometown.
They had briefly discussed this when chatting with Wu Yang before. But he truly couldn’t figure out why Wu Yang would mysteriously go to City L.
During noon, Wu Yang called, “You got the message, right?”
“The one where you said you have left? Yes, I saw it,” Yao Jinxi had seen it already. City L was right next to City C. It was less than 200 kilometres away on the expressway. If all went smoothly, he could reach there in about two hours. “I have to ask. Do you have a friend in City L?”
Laughter came through the receiver, “I only know you, after all. Well, it’s about time. I’m off to handle things. Wish me luck?”
“What exactly are you so mysteriously doing?” Yao Jinxi couldn’t hold back and asked, gripping the phone in his hand. “Are you going for business?”
“If we talk about business… Oh, I have to go. Goodbye. Take care and rest well so that your wound heals,” there was movement on Wu Yang’s end and the phone picked up extra noise.
Yao Jinxi hung up, feeling thoroughly puzzled.
Only after Wu Yang left did Yao Jinxi realize the strength of habits.
He felt even more aimless. He found each day terribly boring, no matter what he did. He felt this despite the fact that both business matters and dealing with Yao Jinchen were headaches for him.
Every day, Yao Jinchen would stand across from the tea shop after work, not coming in to say h.e.l.lo and not leaving until Yao Jinxi was about to close.
With Wu Yang gone, Yao Jinxi found it even harder to muster the enthusiasm to face Yao Jinchen. He knew Wu Yang was right—softening his att.i.tude would only make things worse. He had proven that time and time again.
He had to steel himself and pretend not to care.
But once the headaches were dealt with, Yao Jinxi found himself inexplicably bored.
This boredom stemmed from an abrupt emptiness in his life, leaving him with a hollow feeling inside.
Every day, Wu Yang would call him at unpredictable times, lecturing him from start to finish as if he were a child.
Yao Jinxi, of course, knew he should avoid getting the wound wet during showers. He knew he had to be careful about what he ate. He knew he had to take his medication on time. And he knew he shouldn’t engage in strenuous activities.
In reality, what Wu Yang said wasn’t crucial. He even reminded him about the weather, delivering these seemingly unnecessary pieces of advice in his distinct and serious manner. But Yao Jinxi listened carefully every time. As he listened, he found himself oddly warmed and moved.
After hanging up the phone, Yao Jinxi felt perplexed. What kind of situation was this?
He had lived for 26 years and had realised his s.e.xual orientation during high school. Yet he had never been in a romantic relationship. But in this day and age, even if you hadn’t tasted pork, you’d still see a pig run.
Yao Jinxi sighed deeply, realising he was treading on unfamiliar ground. Some things were just beyond his control.
He soberly recognized the pit ahead—it looked like a honey pot from the outside, tempting one to dive in recklessly. However, once you leapt in, it was more likely a deep abyss.
As Yao Jinxi calculated that it had been a little over a week since Wu Yang left, Wu Yang suddenly called out of the blue, stating that he would be in City C shortly and asking Yao Jinxi to get ready to go with him.
Yao Jinxi’s hand trembled, causing tea to spill across the table. “Where are we going?!”
Wu Yang was driving on the other end. “I’ll tell you when I got back. Be a good boy and start packing.”
Even speaking in a tone one would use to soothe a child didn’t lessen Yao Jinxi’s unease and nervousness. After sitting still for a while, he suddenly stood up and went upstairs to pack.
Wu Yang arrived quickly, obviously already approaching the highway exit when he made the call. Yao Jinxi closed the door and stood at the tea shop entrance with a backpack on his back, resembling a student waiting for a field trip.
Wu Yang honked the horn, waiting for Yao Jinxi to walk over.
“Hey,” Yao Jinxi said nervously as he got into the car, clutching his bag, “Can I ask where we’re going?”
Wu Yang took his bag and placed it on the back seat. “City L.”
Yao Jinxi was stunned. This answer had been on his mind for a while. But having it confirmed made his heart skip a beat.
Before he could fully process it, Wu Yang continued, “I’ve made plans with your mother to take you to see her.”
Yao Jinxi was completely taken aback.
“Jinxi, I’m not trying to force you. If you say you don’t want to go now, then we won’t.” Wu Yang slightly leaned and turned his head, peeking at Yao Jinxi’s face. “But it’s been a long time. Don’t you want to give yourself a chance?”
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*Author’s Note: Alright, Mom’s side is settled. Now they can unravel their secrets _(:з」∠)_ -YXF
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*Translator’s Note: FYI, update frequency has now changed to daily for this novel. -K
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Next update: 2023.11.11
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