Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Lu Rong returned home that day and knocked on Ji Tong’s study.
Ji Tong looked at his introverted and quiet adopted son, and his heart overflowed with fatherly love. He quickly put down the phone and spoke to him softly: “Rong Rong is back? How was your day at school?”
“It was fine.” Lu Rong said quietly.
Just like usual, earning some hard-earned money.
“Did you encounter any problems? Tell your uncle.” Ji Tong knew that boys of this age would not come to him unless they had something to ask for. They were a blended family, and if Lu Rong hadn’t encountered something he couldn’t solve, the sensible and well-behaved boy wouldn’t have taken the initiative to come to him. The little boy was shy and didn’t like to speak, so he asked directly to save Lu Rong from embarrassment.
Lu Rong blushed and asked, “Uncle, I want to ask, why did you name Brother Xiao Feng ‘Ji Wenfeng’?”
Upon hearing this, Ji Tong said “Oh,” and smiled, “Xiao Feng’s name is based on a poem.”
Lu Rong: “A poem?”
Although his Chinese was decent, he hadn’t read many books and hadn’t memorized many poems, so he didn’t know the story behind “Ji Wenfeng.”
Ji Tong stood up, walked to the window, and slowly recited: “The ridge holds the moonlit laurel, pearls pierce the morning dew. Cicadas chirp, feeling the trees are cold, fireflies do not warm the wind.”
“Fireflies do not warm the wind…” Lu Rong softly repeated.
He hadn’t expected the original to be “not warm the wind.”
After reading it aloud, Ji Tong paused for two or three seconds, then turned to Lu Rong and said, “Autumn Day in the Style of Yu Xin[1]. It’s a palace-style poem that isn’t very famous, so it’s normal that you don’t know it. It’s just beautifully written, without any profound meaning.”
“Even if the original poem itself doesn’t have a profound meaning, as my brother’s name, it still carries some of my uncle’s hopes, right?” Lu Rong looked at him calmly.
Ji Tong smiled elegantly, “Of course. ‘Fireflies cannot warm the wind,’ this line of poetry is very poignant and melancholic, describing how the light of fireflies cannot even be warmed by the passing wind. As for me, I hope that even a small firefly in the vast sea of people can at least shine and give off heat, illuminating everyone who passes through its life.”
Lu Rong was stunned for a moment, then stood up and bowed to Ji Tong, “Thank you, Uncle.”
“Why are you being so polite?” Ji Tong was flattered. “It’s such a small thing.”
“To me, it’s not a small thing.” Lu Rong said solemnly, then laughed quickly. Ji Tong suddenly felt that his adopted son was acting a bit like a child.
“By the way, why did you ask that?” Ji Tong asked.
Lu Rong lowered his head and said softly, “I want to carve a seal for him to thank him for taking care of me all this time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Uncle, I’ll be going now.” Lu Rong left quietly, just as he had come.
“They have such a good relationship…” Ji Tong watched his back and smiled lovingly.
Before marrying Fang Qing, his biggest worry was that the two teenage boys wouldn’t get along, but now it seemed like he had worried for nothing: they made friends very quickly, didn’t they? No sooner had Lu Rong left than Ji Wenfeng sneaked into Ji Tong’s study.
“What did Rong Rong want to talk to you about?” Ji Wenfeng pressed his father.
Ji Tong said, “Nothing, just asked about the story behind your name, and said he wanted to carve a seal for you.”
Ji Wenfeng’s lips curled up wildly: “I knew it.”
He swaggered away.
Ji Tong: “…”
Is this child really that happy?
Lu Rong returned to his bedroom, finished his other homework, and took out the stones that had been given to him in art class.
The stone was reddish-blue, its texture resembling the deep, chaotic surface of a frozen lake.
At this moment, he had no homework, no bets, no competitions on his mind.
If, as Xiao Zhuqing said, carving someone’s name meant a lifetime together, whose name would he carve?
Lu Rong silently asked himself under the lamp.
“A lifetime, what a boastful tone.” After a long while, Lu Rong shook his head with a bitter smile. These ignorant and fearless teenagers…
Lu Rong had never possessed the arrogance and pride of youth since birth.
He had always been a mature and composed little adult.
Ordinary, unremarkable.
Living was so difficult; just getting through today required immense effort. Who would think about a lifetime? He hadn’t even thought about tomorrow.
The world changes in an instant, and people’s fates rise and fall. Only these teenagers, who had never experienced anything, dared to make such a high-minded bet.
“Anyway, it’s just a hypothetical. Who do you want to be with forever?” Xiao Zhuqing’s malicious voice echoed in his mind again.
Lu Rong thought for a moment.
Everyone.
Lu Rong didn’t hate humans. Hating humans, treating them coldly, was the privilege of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome). Because life was so difficult, he respected and treated everyone around him kindly.
Li Nanbian, Yan Gou, Liang Wendao, Deng Te, Fang Chang, Ling Ren, Guo Jing, Niu Yanling, Xiao Zhuqing, Shen Yu, Ji Tong, Fang Qing, Old Wang, Old Song… even the unreliable laundry aunt Wang Xiufang.
How long was it? 18 is just the blink of an eye.
After that, everyone will go their separate ways, right?
If possible, he wanted them all to stay by his side forever…
Then you’re too greedy. Only one name can be engraved on the seal. Only the one you like the most… Fireflies don’t warm the wind… Where are the fireflies? It’s clearly a grand bonfire suddenly lit in a world of ashes, yet just looking at it from afar feels warm. It’s as if… someone has lit a lamp, waiting for him to come home.
….
Lu Rong extracted the necessary traditional Chinese characters, converted them to seal script, and imprinted them on the seal. He picked up the carving knife and began to carve carefully, stroke by stroke, under the lamp.
When Ji Wenfeng swaggered in through the window, Lu Rong was asleep at his desk, a carving knife in one hand and the seal tightly clutched in the other. The lamp hung gently above his head, and the white gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, brushing against the boy’s face.
Ji Wenfeng’s expression softened instantly.
But the next second, he frowned, stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Lu Rong’s back, hooked his knees, and lifted him up in his arms.
Because the position wasn’t comfortable, Lu Rong mumbled something in his sleep.
Ji Wenfeng carried him to bed, tucked him in, and scolded him fiercely, “You’ll catch a cold, you know?”
Lu Rong fell asleep again, quietly.
Ji Wenfeng stared at him for a while, then lifted the covers and tucked himself in.
This time Lu Rong reacted. He groggily opened his eyes, and when he saw it was Ji Wenfeng, he pushed him away a couple of times unhappily, “What are you doing…” His voice was soft and sweet because he was still sleepy.
“I’m just trying to warm you up,” Ji Wenfeng said, then shamelessly snuggled closer to him.
Lu Rong didn’t have the energy to argue with him anymore, he let out a long “hmm,” and fell asleep again.
Not only did he fall asleep, but the seal he had been tightly clutching in his hand loosened and rolled to Ji Wenfeng’s eyes.
Ji Wenfeng held his breath.
The seal was intricate, and the characters were crooked and difficult to read.
Even with thousands of years of script evolution and the characters reversed, Ji Wenfeng still recognized his name at a glance.
[Ji Wen Feng]
His heart pounded violently, as if it would leap from his chest.
A light, warm current spread from his heart, permeating his limbs.
Ji Wenfeng naturally knew where his name came from.
Lu Rong had secretly removed a character from the middle.
From then on, Ji Wenfeng knew where he was going.
Poetry was such a beautiful thing.
No one needed to speak.
Just one more word, one less word, and all the unspoken, deep-seated youthful thoughts would be revealed.
Ji Wenfeng picked up the warm seal and placed it back in the boy’s hand.
The boy lay on his side beside him, his slender fingers reflexively clutching his name, his sixteen-year-old face.
“Don’t drop it,” Ji Wenfeng thought.
At sixty, we’ll still use it to commemorate this.
After the weekend, Ji Wenfeng arrived at the school. Shen Yu was waiting for him at the end of the corridor leading to the student council president’s office, leaning against the wall.
Shen Yu asked, “How did it go?”
Ji Wenfeng calmly replied, “This one’s a sure thing.”
Shen Yu asked, “Are you sure? Secretary Lu is a cunning person.”
Ji Wenfeng’s lips curled into a wild smile: “I checked it myself, he carved my name.”
This time, it was a sure thing that Lu Rong was going to confess to him!
Shen Yu hummed in agreement, sent him a red armband for disciplinary inspection, and then sent a message to Xiao Zhuqing in the opposite teaching building: “You can begin.”
Upon receiving the order, Xiao Zhuqing abruptly turned to look at Lu Rong outside the window.
Li Nanbian held a report in his hand, reporting last week’s revenue to Lu Rong: “The revenue from the ‘copying homework’ project was 3852, a 9.7% decrease compared to the same period last month due to the approaching end of the term; seal engraving revenue was 7780, expenses were 1945, losses were 79, and the profit was 5756; small fish cake dividends; a piece of clothing sold on Xianyu brought in 3600; trendy shoe reseller revenue was 2368… Total revenue.” After Li Nanbian finished reporting, he exclaimed, “Boss, you’re awesome! The engraving business is ruthless and accurate!”
Lu Rong said, “It’s not just about the money.”
Li Nanbian: “Huh?”
Lu Rong glanced at his phone: “Whoever’s name is engraved is who you like. Now you basically know the whole school’s secret crushes, right?”
Li Nanbian held the phone in his hand, paused for a moment, and chuckled: “That’s right.”
“Secrets are priceless treasures.” Lu Rong put his index finger to his lips, a cunning glint in his eyes.
Li Nanbian seemed to understand, though he didn’t know what the secret would be used for. He’d spent the whole weekend gossiping, saying, “Even Deng Te has someone he likes…”
Lu Rong: “Who?”
Li Nanbian glanced at him: “It’s Li Li.”
Lu Rong: “…Huh?!”
Li Nanbian sighed: “Yan Gou and Deng Te are going to fight over a wife.”
Lu Rong: “…”
It wasn’t about fighting over a wife!
It was about the entire villainous group having an office romance and a love triangle!
He’d have to talk to Deng Te and Yan Gou about their personal conduct sometime.
With the entire villainous group’s finances healthy, Li Nanbian was in a good mood and couldn’t help but ask, holding his head, “Hey, Rong Rong, whose name did you carve? Is it the president?” He suddenly exclaimed, remembering something important, “Hey, you two have a confession bet, you absolutely can’t carve his name!”
Just then, Xiao Zhuqing led a group of busybodies out and blocked Lu Rong in the corridor.
Xiao Zhuqing surrounded Lu Rong with great enthusiasm and energy: “It’s time to collect homework for art class~ Secretary Lu, show us your seal!”
Lu Rong glanced at her indifferently: “Now?”
Xiao Zhuqing couldn’t wait: “Hurry up, hurry up!”
As the initiator of the seal-carving confession and the leader of the Feng Rong CP team, Xiao Zhuqing was now going to give her favorite CP a proper ending!
Ji Wenfeng and Shen Yu, wearing red armbands, stepped forward at just the right moment: “What are you doing blocking this way?”
Xiao Zhuqing’s eyes lit up, and she said matter-of-factly, “President Ji, I’m collecting art assignments. Please hand over President Ji’s seal.”
Ji Wenfeng’s handsome face flushed red, and he deliberately pretended to be embarrassed and angry: “This is insubordination!”
Xiao Zhuqing had already conspired with them and wasn’t afraid of his anger at all: “Could it be that President Ji also engraved his sweetheart’s name on his seal because of that rumor?” She glanced at Lu Rong, “President Ji, are you feeling shy because that person is here too?”
“Minister Xiao, don’t just target me.” Ji Wenfeng’s words were directed at Xiao Zhuqing, but his eyes drifted to the unmoved Lu Rong.
Ji Wenfeng’s words added fuel to the fire, and the onlookers became even more agitated: “Secretary Lu! Secretary Lu! Secretary Lu!”
Li Nanbian glanced anxiously at Lu Rong beside him.
Although he was unaware of the secret confession war between the two, he knew at least that his allowance had been invested in the confession bet, and judging by the current situation, the other side was going to verify the seal on the spot. Could it be that his boss, overcome with infatuation, had actually engraved the name of Ji Wenfeng? Then they would lose everything.
Lu Rong gave him a reassuring look, then turned around with an arrogant expression: “I’ll hand it in myself later, go away.” He pushed Ji Wenfeng aside and tried to slip away.
Shen Yu, standing next to Ji Wenfeng, blocked Lu Rong’s path, saying in a roguish tone, “Secretary Lu, what’s wrong with you? Are you bullying our Minister Xiao because she’s a girl? If she can’t collect the art assignments, Minister Xiao will be in trouble.”
Normally, Shen Yu would be beaten to death by Ji Wenfeng for doing this, but because Ji Wenfeng had personally planned the roguish act of bullying his secretary today, he suddenly felt excited. He coldly put his hands in his pockets and said roguishly, “Yeah, hurry up and hand it in.”
Lu Rong gave him a look of both grievance and indignation, then slowly pulled the seal from his pocket.
Before he could even take it out, Xiao Zhuqing snatched it away impatiently. Upon closer inspection, her face changed drastically: “Oh my god—”
In that instant, Lu Rong gave Xiao Zhuqing a wink, a look that conveyed, “If you dare say another word, I’ll make your favorite couple’s relationship end on the spot.” Xiao Zhuqing only managed one word before obediently shutting her mouth, staring at him in disbelief.
Lu Rong feigned anger and snatched back his seal.
The onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves—
“What did Secretary Lu engrave?”
“It must be President Ji’s name to make a fujoshi so excited!”
“Hey, it was the secretary who confessed first! I bet on President Ji!”
“You dare bet on the secretary to win with odds of 1:80…”
….
The surrounding chatter and Lu Rong’s flushed face convinced Ji Wenfeng that there was nothing to doubt, after all, he had personally seen the “Ji Wenfeng” seal last night.
Ji Wenfeng smiled confidently and pulled out his own seal, tied with a red string, from his pocket.
On his seal were four large, neatly engraved characters—
[Ji’s Wife’s Seal].
This was the ultimate trick that the scumb*g Shen Yu had given Ji Wenfeng!
It satisfied the condition of having it engraved for his beloved, and it was a way to ensure he wouldn’t lose!
After all, a man loving his wife is a traditional virtue!
And who exactly is his wife, or even which wife, can be easily dismissed!
Ji Wenfeng, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the seal, stood before Lu Rong and the crowd, openly declaring, “My seal isn’t specifically engraved for anyone else, but for my wife.”
The onlookers gasped—
“So what does this mean?!”
“The secretary lost! The secretary engraved the president’s name, but the president cunningly engraved his wife’s seal!”
“So the secretary mustered the courage to confess first, but the president was just flirting with him.”
“How pitiful…”
….
Standing in the center of the crowd, Lu Rong naturally heard these rumors. He stubbornly straightened his back, but his eyes drooped, biting his lip as he endured the humiliation of unrequited love.
He looked so lonely, thin, and vulnerable.
Ji Wenfeng was taller than him.
Although he couldn’t see his expression, he knew he never wanted Lu Rong to show such an expression.
His hand reached forward.
Shen Yu grabbed his wrist in time: “President, Lu Rong is cunning!”
Ji Wenfeng: “Let go.”
He had already won, and his Rong Rong was about to cry.
Shen Yu reluctantly released his grip. Ji Wenfeng handed the “Madam Ji’s Seal” to Lu Rong, waving it around with a gentle, slightly ingratiating, and fearful look in his eyes: “Just kidding. If my wife isn’t you, then who is?”
The crowd erupted—
“It’s official! It’s official!”
“Waaaaah, the president and the secretary have matching seals! I’m not swooning!”
“It’s so sweet, I’m going to cry! President Ji is so kind and gentle…”
Only Shen Yu sensed something was wrong.
Sure enough, the next second, Lu Rong slowly raised his head, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Shen Yu slapped his thigh: Oh no, this is a trap! Even Ji Wenfeng realized he’d fallen for it!
He whirled around, looking at Xiao Zhuqing: “What did he carve?!”
Xiao Zhuqing stammered, “He… he didn’t carve anything!”
Ji Wenfeng was thunderstruck! He then turned sharply to stare at Lu Rong! You cunning little secretary!
Lu Rong smiled slightly: Plan worked.
Getting Ji Wenfeng to confess his feelings during a competition wouldn’t be easy, so he had planned ahead.
He went to Ji Tong to inquire about the origin of Ji Wenfeng’s name, then locked the door and had a seal carved to distract Ji Wenfeng, ensuring he’d find the “Ji Wenfeng” seal. Knowing his personality, Ji Wenfeng would assume he’d won and bring people to verify the seal. Ji Wenfeng was going all out this time, determined to let the whole school know he liked him.
At this moment, all he had to do was feign weakness and play the victim, and Ji Wenfeng would be moved and unable to resist confessing.
After all, men are most relaxed after believing they’ve won!
And this loser in love was the easiest person for Ji Wenfeng to feel sorry for!
Looking at the petrified Ji Wenfeng, Lu Rong smiled gently and virtuously, “President Ji and I are worlds apart in status. I never even fantasized about being with President Ji before. But since President Ji confessed first, I accept with trepidation.”
“You…” Ji Wenfeng was furious.
Lu Rong walked past him and, in front of everyone, tiptoed and kissed his handsome profile.
“It’s getting late, honey, don’t be late for class~” he said, then casually entered the classroom.
Men care about their pride, right? It’s one thing to fight for who’s first in a confession battle, but who can stand being rejected? This pride must be given; so he took the initiative to show goodwill and soften his stance.
As Lu Rong expected, Ji Wenfeng’s anger subsided immediately, and his handsome face even flushed slightly. He covered the spot where he had been kissed, stealing glances at Lu Rong’s reflection in the glass window.
Amidst screams, Shen Yu cried out in anguish, “In the end, you still lost!”
Ji Wenfeng paused for a moment, then immediately retorted, “Can you call it losing when it comes to my wife?”
He then swaggered away.
He had a wife, and he was the most… well, you know.
Lu Rong sat down and asked Li Nanbian, “How much?”
Li Nanbian replied, “1 to 80, I made a killing!”
Today, Lu Rong was still managing to have both women and money, and he was good at both!
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[1] Yu Xin (513–581), styled Zi山的 Liang/Northern Dynasties poet, transitioned from a brilliant, ornate courtly writer in the Southern Dynasties to a stranded exile in the Northern Dynasties after the fall of his home. Later emperors and poets—such as Emperor Taizong of Tang in his poem “Autumn Day in the Style of Yu Xin” (秋日斅庾信体)—explicitly copied Yu Xin’s five-character ancient verse structure, pairing austere mountain views, frost, cicadas, and clear melancholy with the cadence of Northern/Southern Dynasties lament.
