Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Yu Xu didn’t want to continue the conversation, so she said, “Drink some milk and go to bed early.”
Duan Min didn’t care about emotions, not even his own, let alone others’. Yet, he could sensitively perceive Yu Xu’s emotions, especially when she was down. The downward curve of her eyebrows and lips made him feel as if a heavy, dull iron spike was stuck in his heart.
Yu Xu herself had lost her desire for milk, but she made Duan Min a cup of milk powder with honey. Then without looking at him, she handed him the glass.
Duan Min didn’t take the cup but covered the back of her hand with his palm.
The warmth of the cup against her palm and the coolness of his hand against the back of her hand made Yu Xu pause. She slowly raised her head to look at Duan Min. His eyelashes were slightly lowered, his lips were slightly pursed, and his bright eyes were quiet yet revealed a hint of grievance.
For some reason, You Xu’s heart stirred, and she voiced her unease: “What do you think of You Qi?”
Duan Min paused before replying, “You treat her better than me.” From the moment he saw You Qi, he felt uneasy. She immediately shared his and You Xu’s space, ate the food You Xu cooked, tasted the apple pie and strawberry jam You Xu made especially for him, and even slept with You Xu. Whenever You Qi was around, You Xu would always give her his attention, going out with her and chatting with her.
Everything became a three-person affair.
Before, it was just the two of them, and everything was fine.
Duan Min was so irritable, irritable from the moment he opened his eyes, wanting to dismember and bury You Qi, or turn her into a puppet to get her away.
But You Qi was You Xu’s cousin after all, and their relationship was so good; if he did anything, You Xu would be angry.
So Duan Min endured it, constantly feeling that You Xu didn’t care about him as much as before.
Duan Min pursed his lips and said in a less-than-friendly tone, “When exactly is she leaving?”
After speaking, Duan Min glanced at her cautiously, afraid that she would resent his unfriendly attitude towards You Qi.
You Xu was amused by his sarcastic expression, her mood instantly brightening. She handed him the glass and walked towards the bookshelf.
Duan Min gripped the glass tightly and followed behind her, watching her rummage through the bookshelf, searching for something. He waited quietly by her side.
After a while, You Xu pulled out a book with a pink cover and bold black lettering from the bottom of the shelf and handed it to Duan Min.
Duan Min subconsciously reached out, only noticing the title halfway through— “The Most Elegant Woman is One with a Strong Inner Self.”
“…” His hand paused, momentarily doubting his own eyes, and he asked uncertainly, “For me?”
“Yes.” You Xu nodded matter-of-factly, opening the book to show him.
Duan Min immediately noticed a line of striking words: “Don’t let jealousy destroy your reason. A wise woman will be a beautiful sight, walking gracefully on the winding path of life.”
Duan Min: “…………”
“So,” You Xu smiled, “Do you like it?”
Duan Min’s lips twitched, and he raised an eyebrow: “Seriously?”
You Xu nodded vigorously, affirming, “Of course.”
Duan Min hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly said, “Then… I guess I like it.”
“Huh,” You Xu looked down and then noticed something, “Not this page, where did it go? Let me find it.”
Then she flipped through two-thirds of the book and opened it again in front of him.
Duan Min looked down and saw a jasmine bookmark. The jasmine flower, flattened and shrivelled, still retained a faint fragrance, its pure white color faded, turning slightly yellow, and the patterns became clear and beautiful.
“This is for you,” You Xu smiled and said, “No need for careful maintenance, it will last a long time.”
In the quiet room, the soft yellow light gently fell upon her. Her eyebrows lifted slightly, her eyes curved like the crescent moon bathed in silvery light outside the window.
The steam from the milk cup wafted between them. Duan Min’s fingertips gently caressed the bookmark, the frustration and unease in his eyes vanishing instantly.
Replaced by a smile on his lips.
….
Finally able to relax and fall asleep in the latter half of the night, You Xu woke up after ten in the morning. The other side of the bed was empty.
She went out of the room and saw You Qi standing on the balcony, talking on the phone. From a distance, she couldn’t hear the exact words, but the smile on You Qi’s face was filled with undisguised sweetness; so she knew without having to guess who she was talking to.
As You Xu went to the bathroom to wash up, she pondered how to handle the situation.
The sunlight at nearly eleven o’clock was bright, warming her.
You Qi hung up the phone, her hands resting on the railing, still smiling. And You Xu, sitting on the small tatami mat on the balcony, beckoned her to come sit down.
“Are you dating someone?” You Xu wasn’t going to beat around the bush and cut straight to the point.
You Qi smiled and said, “Yes.” There was nothing wrong with admitting it, and besides, she’d already met her cousin’s fiancé; what did it matter if her cousin knew she was dating?
You Xu: “His name is Xu Shaosi.”
“Cousin, you…” You Qi was stunned, her tone surprised, “How did you know?” She hadn’t told anyone about it.
“His fiancée told me,” You Xu said calmly.
“Wh-what?” It took You Qi a while to find her voice. “Cousin, you’re not joking…”
You Xu immediately turned on her phone, opening her photo album and showing her videos— photos she’d secretly taken at Lin Lanlan’s birthday party.
The backgrounds of the photos were all filled with fireworks, and in the romantic atmosphere, Xu Shaosi and Lin Lanlan were embracing and kissing intimately.
You Qi stared intently for a long while, then looked away with a stinging pain.
You Xu didn’t speak again, nor was there any need to.
A moment of silence followed.
You Qi stood up, her voice slightly hoarse and trembling: “Cousin, I’m a little tired. I’ll go back to my room to rest.”
Her reaction was much calmer than You Xu had expected; only her reddened eyes and clenched fingers betrayed her inner turmoil.
You Xu lowered her eyes and sighed softly, “Rest well.”
….
You Xu remained seated on the tatami mat on the balcony, her mind blankly fixed on the sunlight on the floor. The sunlight dappled the floor, reflecting tiny, shimmering points of light.
As time passed, the sunlight faded, receding from the ground like a receding tide.
When she came to her senses, she realized it was already evening. This was a habit of hers; when something was on her mind, she would stare blankly at things, and after calming herself, she would feel that everything could gradually get better, and what couldn’t be improved, she could slowly work on.
She’d been in this world for a while now, and often felt that it was fake, yet the people inside were alive. This contradictory illusion gave her a sense of disconnect, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
But now she understood: neither reality nor illusion was something she could control; she would only do what she wanted.
Duan Min always came out to freeload meals without fail, rain or shine, but he’d never stayed in his room from morning till night like he had today.
You Xu knocked twice on Duan Min’s door: “Duan Min?”
After a while, there was no reply from Duan Min. She heard some noises inside— the dull thud of something heavy falling, and the sound of ceramic and glass items shattering on the floor.
Something was wrong. You Xu felt uneasy. She tried to turn the doorknob but couldn’t open it, so she pounded on the door: “Duan Min, what’s wrong? What happened? Open the door!”
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↑Fake, the author has nothing to say.
(Not really anything interesting today, so happy New Year everyone!)
–No
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