Chapter 29

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Translated: lauggh // Edited: lauggh

PSA: Don’t drink while reading this chapter.

Three Years to Start

After returning late from the Tang House the night before, Luo Zhan stayed up for another two hours to catch up on the team’s progress working on the “robot” for Tang Ran.

It was already the middle of the night by the time they finished. Luo Zhan, Lin Qianhua and Tan Yunchang didn’t go home, so they got three rooms in the hotel next to the school, took a bath, and went to bed.

At 9:52 a.m., the door to Luo Zhan’s room was knocked with a bang.

The room was dark and dull with the blackout curtains drawn, and no movement was seen for a long time.

Outside the door.

Tan Yunchang carefully held his cell phone, smiling awkwardly at the other end of the phone: “Sorry, sorry really, Grandfather Luo. Luo Zhan was busy with our algorithm last night and probably didn’t get much sleep, we’ll get him up right now ……”

Tan Yunchang waited for the opposite party to finish and promised repeatedly. He then covered the phone handset, his smile fell, lowered his voice and asked Lin Qianhua who was knocking on the door: “Why is he still not ready?”

Lin Qianhua, with a bitter face, switched hands: “My hand is about to break. What can I do if Brother Zhan does not open the door?”

Then you should put in more effort! Tan Yunchang motioned at the phone that was held far away from him, “The elder ancestor is waiting.”

If I break the door, you’ll have to pay for it.

Smash that door down, leave it for Luo Zhan to compensate.

“……”

Lin Qianhua turned back with a headache, raised his fist in the air, swung it round and smashed it towards the hotel room door…

“Ka-da.”

The door in front of Lin Qianhua’s eyes was replaced by a face of misfortune that hadn’t woken up, a head of disheveled hair, the corner of his eyes deep-set with half-squinting peach blossom eyes, which, at this moment, lazily picked up to glance out the door. It was because of lack of sleep, this person’s usual cold pale complexion was even more pale, against the dimly lit room behind him, like a vampire prince who crawled out from an ancient castle.

Luo Zhan yawned lazily, raised his hand, intercepted Lin Qianhua’s raised fist, and pushed it aside coldly.

He leaned against the door frame.

In a voice caught between adolescent and young adult, still with a raspy sleepy voice low and deep –

“It’s so early in the morning, what bullshit are you smoking.”

“What bullshit are you smoking” is my interpretation of 闹妖 (nào yāo) is a northeastern Chinese regional derogatory saying, literally meaning demons are making a fuss, implying joking, nonsense. The translation here tries to keep the crude intonation of the phrase.

“It’s not so early, ancestor. Look what time it is.” Tan Yunchang lowered his voice, “Is your phone turned off, muted? Your grandfather is looking for you, he’s calling me here.”

“…… didn’t mute it,” Luo Zhan remembered something and hooked the corner of his mouth, coldly mocking, “I just blacklisted him.”

Tan Yunchang: “…………”

Tan Yunchang helplessly let go of the receiver and handed the phone over, “Hurry up and answer the phone.”

Luo Zhan didn’t move, leaning on the door frame and glancing coolly at the phone handed over by Tan Yunchang. Only after a two-second pause did he snort lightly and lift his hand to take it.

Luo Zhan pressed the speakerphone as soon as he received it, then turned around and yawned as he walked inside the room.

“What is it again?”

“…… you still know how to answer the phone! I thought you were dead outside and was ready to ask Butler Lin to collect your body!”

“Thanks to your blessing, I’m still alive.”

“Don’t be coy with me, I asked you why you didn’t go to Tang’s house last night!”

Maybe I shouldn’t use “coy” here… but 耍贫嘴 (shuǎ pín zuǐ) is a regional saying, means to intentionally enrage or excite

“……”

Following Luo Zhan in, Tan Yunchang and Lin Qianhua, the two insiders, looked at each other sheepishly.

The person in question himself snorted lightly with disinterest, “The Tang family complained to you?”

“The elders of her family waited for you for half a night, and you can still laugh?”

“Oh.” Luo Zhan lazily responded and sat down on the armchair, “Then they also know I have no respect for elders, stubborn, and have a bad character. When are they going to choose another good son-in-law?”

The other side of the phone fell silent.

In the silence, the laziness under Luo Zhan’s eyes slowly faded away, and finally condensed into a bit of cold mockery: “The Tang family is so optimistic about this branch of the Luo family; I’m already acting like this, and they still must marry Tang Luoqian off?”

The old man said in a deep voice: “The Luo family and the Tang family have worked closely together for so many years, and they have always been in an alliance. This marriage was decided upon a long time ago – it’s not something you can refuse with some childish tricks and get rid of.”

Luo Zhan narrowed his eyes: “Then I don’t understand. I understand the Tang family’s desire to ally with the Luo family, but for what reason did you choose the Tang family out of all those families?”

“…… It’s all old history. Of course, to each their own destiny. Do I have to tell you the history of my career?”

The old man finished in a cold voice. Next to him, someone seemed to whisper a few words, and he reluctantly softened his tone: “Moreover, although Tang Luoqian has flaws in character and temperament, there’s nothing wrong with her general character. In terms of family background, she is clean; in terms of appearance, she is beautiful. In other areas, she can sing and dance well and has no shortcomings – all together, she is the most outstanding young person among the young people of your age; what do you not see in her?”

Luo Zhan sneered, “You are older, have bad eyesight. I can understand.”

“…… brat, you have to infuriate me, don’t you! You don’t even have someone you like, why won’t you chat with Tang Luoqian and give it a try!?”

“……”

Luo Zhan’s eyes shifted slightly.

After a few seconds, he lowered his voice and laughed coldly and lazily: “I’m not in a hurry. Why don’t you look around some more? Besides, why does she have to be the same age? I don’t mind if she’s four or five years younger.”

The person on the other side choked.

When he finally reacted, the old man roared out in anger and frustration –

“Four or five years younger, that’s just 15 or 16! You’ve had enough of your free life, you want to go in and eat public food, don’t you?”

“To eat public food” 吃公家饭 (chī gōngjiā fàn) is a common term used to refer to state-owned enterprises. Unless you leave the company, you won’t starve. It’s a way of saying that the government will feed you; you are provided for by the government.

Luo Zhan laughed happily, with a hint of relief in this laugh.

The old man was so angry with him that his blood pressure spiked up, so naturally, he couldn’t continue his lecture. After hanging up, Luo Zhan leaned back in the sofa, but he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

In the room, Tan Yunchang and Lin Qianhua watched the whole thing with mixed feelings.

After a while, Tan Yunchang couldn’t help but speak: “Ancestor, don’t laugh. Laugh again and be careful of getting admitted to the hospital.”

“To laugh and be hospitalized” here implies that he may be considered mentally ill and admitted into a psychiatric hospital.

“……”

Luo Zhan stopped.

Half a moment later, they heard the person hiding in the shadows behind the wide leather sofa laugh lowly and self-deprecatingly, “Into the hospital? That’s better than going to the bureau.”

Enter the bureau 进局子 (jìn jú zi) generally refers to being brought to Public Security Bureau, a government office similar to a police station.

Lin Qianhua asked in a whisper, “Brother Zhan, do you really like Tang Ran?”

“……”

“I think that your family’s old man will not agree to it. Tang Ran is indeed quite good, but, after all, she is an illegitimate daughter … We don’t care about this, but the older generation values reputation the most, I’m afraid they won’t allow ……”

Tan Yunchang followed with a sigh, apparently of the same opinion.

“I don’t want to think so long-term.” Luo Zhan said.

Tan Yunchang hesitated and muttered, “Not long term? Then you’re a bit of a player.”

After a few seconds of silence, Luo Zhan snorted, “It’s me who can’t think long term – she’s only 16, what else can I do? I can only be a robot for her. At least once her eyes are cured and she has thoughts on what next, then I can think about it.”

Lin Qianhua hesitated, “Then what if it drags on for too long ……”

Luo Zhan lazily leaned into the sofa and closed his eyes, “It’s okay, I can afford to waste the time. …… I’m also willing.”

Lin Qianhua: “It’s not that I’m afraid you can’t afford to waste it.”

Luo Zhan: “Then what are you afraid of.”

He held back a moment, and then Lin Qianhua whispered: “I am afraid you won’t be able to endure it – It’s three years to start, the maximum death penalty, ah Brother Zhan, when it comes to the pivotal point, you must think clearly.”

“……”

Luo Zhan choked in a rare moment.

A moment later, he was so angry that he laughed and cursed: “Get out of here, you think I am you guys?”

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Hello! lauggh here. Was able to get Chapter 29 done in a timely manner (5 hours)! Yay! Let me know if the translation notes help or affect your reading experience. Sometimes the translation is a little awkward and so I take liberties, but I don’t want to go too far from the original text. As usual, if you notice any typos or have suggestions, please let me know in the comments!

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