chapter 50 - acquiescence

very very very very sorry for the long silence! my test is finally over with and i have time to tl now! will try to bang through the rest of it as quickly as possible! :)

Early evening, when lanterns are first lit.

Although Valentine’s day is a foreign holiday, it is still quite popular in China. Maybe someone wanted to find some fun in the boring life of a 9-5 job, or maybe their heart was still stuck in the New Year’s festivities, so they took the opportunity to indulge.

When they passed by the fountain, Zhuang Yan hugged him from behind.

Xie Ning looked at the ever-changing water pillars and didn’t avoid it.

He thought about it and figured that he couldn’t avoid it anyways.

“NingNing.” When Zhuang Yan called his name, his voice was still low, but carried a sense of joy that couldn’t be concealed.

Just like a child who had finally tasted his favorite candy, the sweetness filling his mouth.

Xie Ning let himself be held, and responded softly, “Yeah.”

Zhuang Yan chuckled next to his ear and called again, “NingNing.”

There was a street lamp right behind the two of them, and the soft light poured onto them, dragging out their shadows.

Xie Ning lowered his head to look at the two shadows that overlapped.

Zhuang Yan was hugging him too tightly, and closed the gap between their two shadows. It looked like there was only one shadow.

Xie Ning looked at it for a while, then absently said, “....Mmn.”

Zhuang Yan seems a little clingy today.

There was the gentle sound of breathing in his ears, and the sound of a steady heartbeat from the chest right behind him.

He was still in a daze when he suddenly felt a warm, wet feeling on the back of his neck. It was very soft, but there was a bit of a tingling sensation, as if there was an electric current that headed straight for his heart.

Zhuang Yan planted a kiss there softly.

Xie Ning’s body trembled, and he couldn’t help but quiver.

This action seemed to be a little too intimate, and made him feel shy for some reason. He turned his head to look around.

On this special day, the couples were intimately intertwined together. There were heterosexual couples, and same-sex couples occasionally as well.

Their actions weren’t too strange.

Zhuang Yan put his head on Xie Ning’s shoulder and seemed to smile. “You didn’t deny me with your words just now.”

Xie Ning isn’t an expert on voices, but he was unable to resist Zhuang Yan’s low voice, especially when he spoke right next to him. Every time, his legs would go soft.

Xie Ning’s legs were a bit soft right now, actually.

He reluctantly thought about Zhuang Yan’s words and finally understood, then muttered, “Wasn’t there a discount?”

Zhuang Yan chuckled. “It’s just the price of dinner. Do you think either of us would mind?”

Xie Ning was speechless.

He understood it too, actually. The so-called excuse of acting as a couple for a discount, when applied to them, wasn’t very convincing.

At that moment, when the waiter gave him a questioning look, Xie Ning hesitated for a little while but wasn’t able to deny it.

Xie Ning didn’t remember when he realized that it was Valentine’s Day, but when he did, he suddenly understood what Zhuang Yan’s plans for today were, the painting that he bought with favors from the past, and what this not fancy yet still romantic dinner was for.

He thought he probably couldn’t refuse such a Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan asked again, “NingNing, why didn’t you deny it?”

Xie Ning was stumped, and couldn’t answer for a while.

But it was Zhuang Yan’s personality to get to the bottom of things, so he held Xie Ning with the intention of not letting go until he got an answer. He bowed his head and asked again.

Xie Ning reluctantly said, “...I don’t know.”

Every time something like this happened, the softness of Xie Ning’s southern accent was brought out. Especially with the ending phrase, “ya”, it was so cute that a person’s heart would go soft.

But in front of Zhuang Yan, it was easy to set off the mischievousness etched into his bones, and it made him want to tease Xie Ning even more to see if he could say even softer words.

“Then what if you ask your heart?” The corner of Zhuang Yan’s lips curled upwards. “Ask it what it thinks?”

Xie Ning: “...”

While eating dinner, Zhuang Yan ordered a bottle of red wine for the occasion and they both drank some, so they couldn’t drive.

The driver was driving the car up from the underground parking garage. When the car lights shone onto them, in a tight embrace, Xie Ning subconsciously struggled.

But he was unrelentingly suppressed.

He didn’t answer, so Zhuang Yan answered for him. “NingNing, you’ve actually accepted that we’re together in your heart, but because of certain reasons, you can’t say it, right?”

Xie Ning was stunned. “No.”

“You’re lying.” Zhuang Yan gave a laugh.

Xie Ning shut his mouth again. He saw the driver park in front of them, and changed the subject, saying, “Let’s get in the car first?”

But Zhuang Yan reached out and held him in his arms tightly. “No.”

Xie Ning’s voice became softer. “The driver is waiting.”

“Then let him wait.” Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows. “He won’t be waiting very long anyways.”

Xie Ning: “...

Zhuang Yan smiled. “You only know how to say harsh words. It’s not the first day that I know of your duplicity.”

Xie Ning couldn’t help but deny it. “I’m not.”

Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows. “Not what? Not duplicitous?”

Xie Ning’s eyes wandered a little. “...I’m not.”

Zhuang Yan laughed. “Do you only know how to say this sentence today?”

Xie Ning was almost at the end of his rope. “What am I supposed to say!”

Zhuang Yan is used to acting on his own, and whatever he decided on is how it would be, but the more Xie Ning denied it, the more it became evidence of his duplicity.

It sounded very hooligan-like.

Zhuang Yan thought about it. “Then, how about this? If you haven’t accepted it in your heart already, then go back to the restaurant to find the waiter, tell them that we aren’t a couple, and pay the money. What do you think?”

Xie Ning’s scalp went numb. “...I-It’s too troublesome, isn’t it?”

Zhuang Yan answered slowly, “It’s not troublesome. We haven’t walked very far.”

Xie Ning was silent.

Zhuang Yan chuckled in his low voice. “How about it? Do you want to go or not?”

Xie Ning thought indignantly, What does he mean, how about it!

At this time, if he answered “Let’s go”, Zhuang Yan would give up.

But Xie Ning opened his mouth several times and wasn’t able to say this simple phrase out loud.

Xie Ning pursed his lips, and his gaze landed on their shadow. For some reason, he fell into a daze.

When he finally reacted, he’d already said two words: “...Not going.”

After a moment, he came back to his senses and hurriedly said, “We can’t let the driver wait for too long…”

Zhuang Yan, having gotten his answer, was satisfied and smiled at Xie Ning’s belated excuse.

He didn’t want to pressure him too much either, and chuckled. “Then I’ll take it as you’ve accepted it.”

Accepted what!

Xie Ning, taking advantage of the fact that his embrace loosened, took a few steps towards the car with his blushing face, opened the car door, and sat inside.

After they got home, it seemed like Xie Ning was trying to hide from Zhuang Yan and hurriedly ran upstairs. Zhuang Yan didn’t try to hurry after him, and said from behind him, “Don’t forget to shower.”

Xie Ning glanced back at him with wide eyes.

During the day, Zhuang Yan sweated until he was covered in a thin layer of sweat, so he took a shower after arriving home. He picked up his phone and glanced at it to find that Song Qingqing sent a message to him first.

The two of them hadn’t been in touch for several years. Since they met each other by coincidence today, it wasn’t strange to say hello on WeChat.

After some conversational greetings, Song Qingqing beat around the bush and asked about Xie Ning.

Zhuang Yan squinted and replied: It’s exactly as you think.

Song Qingqing sent a huge exclamation mark.

Song Qingqing: No wonder; during those years, there were so many beautiful girls that pursued you and there wasn’t anyone you looked at with special interest. It really was because the sexual orientation was incorrect.

Zhuang Yan snorted and replied: No, it’s just that my standards are too high.

Song Qingqing: ...Alright.

After a while, Song Qingqing hesitantly sent a message: But about Xie Ning…

Zhuang Yan: ?

Song Qingqing: I’m not familiar with Xie Ning, but I’ve met Auntie Xia Wan, Xie Ning’s mother a few times. How do I say it…

Zhuang Yan lowered his eyes: If you have something to say, say it straight.

Song Qingqing: Then I’ll be direct. I always felt like she wanted to match Xie Ning and I together.

Zhuang Yan paused for a moment and furrowed his brows slightly.

Song Qingqing: Although it’s just a feeling, you should also know that us women are always a bit more intuitive with these things.

Zhuang Yan responded: Got it.

Remembering the things Xie Ning mentioned to him before, Zhuang Yan didn’t actually think it was strange.

Xia Wan wanting to arrange a blind date for Xie Ning with a girl wasn’t something that happened for just a day or two.

Song Qingqing carefully asked: His family doesn’t know about you two, right?

Zhuang Yan: Mmn.

Song Qingqing: Then...do you want me to find out their thoughts?

Zhuang Yan wanted to refuse at first, but he hadn’t finished typing yet when he thought about it a little more. He slowly deleted what he’d typed and started a new line.

Zhuang Yan: Then I’ll have to trouble you.

Song Qingqing: It’s something I should do since I owe you so much.

Zhuang Yan stopped responding to her and threw his phone to the side, then rubbed his forehead and began to organize his thoughts.

It always feels like...Xie Ning’s psychological condition can’t be separated from his mother.

Ji WenBin also said previously that one’s biological family has the biggest impact when a person is growing up.

But...what kind of impact was it?

……

Between Xie Ning’s acquiescence and Zhuang Yan’s shamelessness, their relationship as a couple seemed to be settled.

But the way they interacted didn’t really change. How they were before is also how they are now.

Xie Ning thought about it for a while and belatedly realized that their actions before were also very vague, and there wouldn’t have been a problem if they were called a couple.

Even the people in the crew, whether true or false, said that they’d seen them as a couple long ago.

Whenever Xie Ning remembered this, he could only immerse himself in his work with a reddened face.

Zhuang Yan’s pickiness with the original paintings weren’t compromised just because Xie Ning was the artist. As long as he was unsatisfied, he would still send it back to be drawn again.

Fortunately, the two of them had the same attitude when it came to these things, and they aimed for perfection.

Although they work in the same place, they didn’t have many chances to meet each other; at least, one couldn’t even see Zhuang Yan’s shadow for most of the day.

The filming date was set, and just casting gave him a headache.

The two female actors of the film were also finally decided on, and both of them were appointed by Zhuang Yan himself.

The actress for the white moonlight role was still a student in film school, and was still an amateur with basically 0 acting experience, but Zhuang Yan noticed and focused on her temperament that was very similar to the white moonlight character’s.

The actress chosen for the red rose role was someone who had a lot of experience and remarkable acting skills.

Xie Ning didn’t go to these auditions. The concept artists and actors weren’t supposed to have much contact anyways, and the art team was so busy with the scene designs that they were a terrible mess.

During this time, Xie Ning took some time to meet with Ji WenBin several times, and what they talked about was kept secret.

But when Zhuang Yan contacted Ji WenBin, he said that Xie Ning’s guard towards him had lessened a lot, which could be considered good news.

Most of the time, Zhuang Yan still cooked dinner. He seemed very happy to be feeding Xie Ning, and would only call Auntie Chen over to cook when he was so busy that he couldn’t go home.

Today, right after dinner, Zhuang Yan received a message from Song Qingqing.

Song Qingqing: Auntie Xia Wan asked me to go out with her again today.

……

This wasn’t the first time Song Qingqing met Xia Wan.

They met at a book bar with an elegant atmosphere. When Song Qingqing arrived, Xia Wan had already ordered two cups of tea and nodded when she saw her, letting out a graceful smile.

Song Qingqing’s impression of Xia Wan had always been good.

Although they both chatted for a bit, the subject would always turn towards her son named Xie Ning, but as an elder, her attitude towards Song Qingqing was quite affable.

They said a couple sentences, and Song Qingqing asked about Xie Ning in passing.

Xia Wan took it as Song Qingqing becoming interested, and her eyes lit up. “This son of mine is just too introverted, and doesn’t like to meet people. Otherwise, if I have you two meet, there’d definitely be a lot of common topics to talk about,”

Song Qingqing had now confirmed that Xia Wan intended to match them together. She drank a sip of tea and lightly asked, “Really?”

Xia Wan smiled. “He also studies fine arts. You two have a lot of fate.”

Song Qingqing didn’t mention that she and Xie Ning had already met before and really did have a good conversation. She also didn’t mention Zhuang Yan. She put her hand on her cup and replied, “Then when there’s time, we should meet.”

Xia Wan’s smile grew even happier. If it wasn’t for Xie Ning having refused her so confidently in the past, she would have wanted the two of them to meet that instant.

The tea in the cup slowly sank to the bottom. Song Qingqing chatted with her for a while, and finally pretended to ask her casually, “If Xie Ning liked to socialize with people who you don’t like…”

Xia Wan raised her eyebrows and laughed coldly. “I was worried about this before, because he likes to be friends with messy people, but I thought it through. As long as they weren’t married yet, no matter how long they have been together, they’ll always break up.”

Song Qingqing took a sip of her tea and didn’t say anything.

……

After he read Song Qingqing’s message, Zhuang Yan was deep in thought, expressionless.

Looks like Madam Qiao was right. It’s time to set the wedding date.

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Twitter: @jiyangtrans