chapter 4

Part 1

After sending Lingling to school, Ding Xiaowei went to work as well.

When he had some free time, he took advantage of it and asked his colleague where one could get precious stones identified.

Ding Xiaowei still kept an eye on this matter. After all, he himself had never experienced good stuff like this, so how could he know whether this kind of plaything was real or fake? He would still feel more reassured if he went to find a professional to look at it.

The colleague also wasn’t sure, so he searched the Internet for him, and finally gave him the address of a jewelry store that would check it for free.

Ding Xiaowei looked at the address, it wasn't close, so he thought of stopping by the next time he got to drive the car around.

When Ding Xiaowei came home, as soon as he came through the door, he saw Zhou Jinxing and a strange middle-aged man in his home, sitting on the sofa. A small notebook and several documents were spread out on the coffee table.

Zhou Jinxing was also quite surprised to see him, and looked at his watch, "It's only after four o'clock, you got off work this early?"

Ding Xiaowei cursed, "Don't mention it, damn it, I'm so angry today - hey, who is this?"

Zhou Jinxing lightly said, “An insurance seller.”

The middle-aged man's expression was obviously startled, and he quickly packed up the computer and documents on the table, got up and said with a smile: "Then I won't disturb you[1], Mr. Zhou, you may reconsider it. I dare not say that the service provided by our company is of the most excellent quality, but at the present time, it is the most suitable for your consumption values. "

Zhou Jinxing stood up and shook hands with him, "Thank you, I have your phone number, and I will contact you another day."

After the man left, Ding Xiaowei sat his butt down on the sofa, and grumpily said: "Why are you letting an insurance seller into the apartment? All that is bullshit."

Zhou Jinxing said mildly: “It’s boring for me to stay at home by myself, I just saw it as having someone to chat with me… Tell me about you, what’s going on? Is something the matter at work?”

Ding Xiaowei drank a mouthful of water, "Everything was fine this morning. I was just thinking about why today was so idle, but then the next minute the boss's stupid secretary hurriedly asked me in a panic why I hadn’t gone to the airport to pick up a client. I said I hadn’t received the notification at all, she said she texted me early this morning, I said I hadn't received it, she said that was impossible, she just sent it earlier. I said, if you sent it, then show me your folder for sent messages. Then all of a sudden she got an uneasy expression on her face, saying that her phone gets cleaned up automatically. Damn, this chick is so entertaining, obviously she forgot to tell me and then blamed it on me. When I hurried to the airport today, that guest had already waited over half an hour. When I brought him to the hotel, the boss was waiting there with a dark face, and asked me to have a chat with him tomorrow. Fuck, I’m so angry I could choke!"

Zhou Jinxing refilled his cup with cold, boiled water and said with a light smile, "It's not a big deal, it's easy to solve."

Ding Xiaowei put his legs up on the coffee table and said with an angry huff, "How to solve this, this matter has no evidence at all[2], that stupid old woman exchanges flirty looks with the boss all day long, and is especially unpopular in the office, but the boss just sides with her. Whatever I manage to say tomorrow, everything will definitely be my fault. It's no big deal, I’m just really pissed."

Zhou Jinxing said: "When the boss asks you tomorrow, you insist that you didn't receive the text. If he doesn't believe it, let the secretary send you a message on the spot to see if her sent message folder automatically gets cleared."

Ding Xiaowei frowned and said, "And if it really does?"

Zhou Jinxing shrugged and said, "Even if it does, you still won't admit it. What can the boss do to you? It was her who neglected her job and didn't notify you about the location."

Ding Xiaowei still frowned, "If not, then won’t she immediately be put in an awkward position..... That’s not very good, after all, she's a woman."

Zhou Jinxing smiled and said, "Anyway, do you want to protect yourself, or do you want to act like a gentleman[3]?"

Ding Xiaowei made a "tsk" sound: "Isn’t there another way? Besides, if I offend her this time, won’t she still make life difficult for me in the future?"

"If you are afraid that she will cause you trouble in the future, just send a text message to the boss’s wife from an unfamiliar number."[4]

Stupefied, Ding Xiaowei said: "To send a.... No, that would be too harmful, right?"

Zhou Jinxing leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed and carefree manner, "What's the matter, don't you all hate her?"

Ding Xiaowei hesitatingly said: "No matter how much of a bother she is, I also don't want people to lose their jobs. It's not easy for anyone to support themselves. I also heard that she is divorced and has a kid."

Zhou Jinxing showed an ambiguous smile, "So to say, for you and her, those with the same illness sympathize with each other[5]?"

He didn’t know why, but Ding Xiaowei felt that Zhou Jinxing's manner of speaking made him uncomfortable, yet he was unable to say what was amiss. It was just uncomfortable, rather like if someone was teasing a puppy, but he didn’t know if he was just overthinking things.

He glanced at Zhou Jinxing one more time, and suddenly felt that this person was always putting on a fake smile, and he didn’t know what he was thinking. He shook his head, patted his thighs and stood up, "Forget it, let’s not talk about it, I'll go pick up Lingling."

Zhou Jinxing also stood up, "I'll go with you, I’ve got nothing to do."

"Don't, there’s not enough space in my car. You would just take Lingling’s seat."

Zhou Jinxing helplessly sat back on the sofa, "Then how about I'll prepare dinner?"

Ding Xiaowei became happy, got up and touched his face while teasingly saying, "I didn’t marry this young wife in vain." After saying that, he put the key in his pocket and went out.

Zhou Jinxing stroked his own face and glanced thoughtfully after his tall and straight back.

After picking up Lingling and getting back home again, the meal was already on the table. Ding Xiaowei felt that if Zhou Jinxing was a woman, this would simply be a heavenly day.

Wasn't it every man's fantasy to have a beauty cook for him every day and lie next to him in bed at night?[6]

Thinking of this, Ding Xiaowei stared happily at Zhou Jinxing's face.

Zhou Jinxing frowned slightly, "What's the matter, what are you smiling at?"

Ding Xiaowei laughed aloud and said: "Say, how good would it be if you were a woman, it would be as if I had just picked up and brought home a beautiful and virtuous wife."

Zhou Jinxing’s lips curled up into a smile, but didn’t say anything.

Ding Xiaowei had a straightforward personality, and it was his nature to have an impertinent tongue. He especially liked to tease[7] the younger generation, and when coming across a more serious type, he would only get more high-spirited about it. A good-looking and close-mouthed person like Zhou Jinxing was simply the ideal target for his amusement.

Part 2

Ding Xiaowei made a hehe laughter twice, "Ai[8], I think you’re also around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, maybe you’re already married and there’s a big beauty waiting for you at home, wiping her tears every day? You really can't remember anything?"

Zhou Jinxing gracefully put a mouthful of food into his mouth, shaking his head without raising his eyes.

"You never thought of going to the Public Security Bureau to report the case and find out where you got lost? You looked like you were so well dressed before, your daily life must definitely have been pretty good, so why would you cram in with me? Aren’t you at all curious about who you are or where you’re from?"

Zhou Jinxing’s body paused, he put down the bowl and chopsticks and looked at him quietly with a pair of bright eyes, giving Ding Xiaowei goosebumps.

He said quietly: “Ding Ge, I don't mind your jokes, but I'm actually scared."

Ding Xiaowei's heart skipped a beat.

No way, this type of young master, who was obviously both taller and stronger than himself, seemed at this moment to be especially frail, how could he look so innocent and pitiful?

"You also know that when you picked me up, I had been injured by someone. I don't know what kind of person I was before, or what kind of person I provoked. I'm afraid that once I remember who I am, then I will have to face those... Moreover, I don't know why, but as soon as I heard the word ‘Public Security Bureau’, I felt a strong aversion, even some dread. I really don't want to go to that place, I don't even want to hear about it, can you understand this?"

There was a faint glint of worry in Zhou Jinxing's eyes, which made Ding Xiaowei stunned.

"This... yes, I can, maybe you were previously..." Ding Xiaowei once again remembered his guess about Zhou Jingxing’s identity. He supposed that this unlucky bastard was indeed a duck previously. Having many dealings with police uncles[9] and the like, leaving him with quite a large psychological shadow. Who in that situation wouldn’t get weak knees at the sound of the siren, this was just called a subconscious reaction, wasn’t it?

Ding Xiaowei promptly patted him on the shoulder to reassure him, "Ding Ge understands you, I know you are quite confused right now, although I’m really curious about who you are and where you come from, but since you’re afraid of finding out, scared that you won’t be able to accept your own identity.... Ding Ge just spoke without thinking, and didn't mean to pressure you to go. Ding Ge will wait for you to figure it out before mentioning it again. You can just live well here with me. Your Ding Ge doesn’t make a lot of money, but feeding another mouth isn’t a problem." After he finished speaking, he repeatedly patted Zhou Jinxing's shoulder, and at that moment he felt himself to be a great and generous patriarch[10].

Zhou Jinxing gave him a grateful look, "Thank you, Ding Ge."

"No, don’t mention it, a good deed shouldn’t be done by half measures[11]. Since I picked you up and brought you back, I will surely take responsibility for you no matter what." When Ding Xiaowei thought about the shiny ring, and again looked at delicious food on the table, the handsome man in front of him was likable to look at.

He could still afford to feed another mouth at home. When this beautiful man would one day regain his memory, how would he reward him? The selfish calculations echoed in Ding Xiaowei's heart, and he felt the future held a trace of bright prospects.

Zhou Jinxing looked at his face, which could not hide his smile, and also showed quite a deep, meaningful smile. He said, "Ding Ge, is there a spare key at home? Could you give me one - I would like to go out for a walk during the day."

Ding Xiaowei happily scooped up a big mouthful of rice, "Alright, I'll find it for you later. Right, I'll give you a bit of money, so you don't get lost and can't come back, Ding Ge would get distressed, hahaha."

Zhou Jinxing’s lips pulled up into a smile, "Thank you, Ding Ge."[12]

The next day Ding Xiaowei went to work, and he and Secretary Liu were immediately called into the boss's office.

Their company was small, and the boss would always solve things himself, so if someone made a mistake, he would directly prod into it.

With regard to this kind of thing, it was pretty simple. The boss first complained for a while, saying how important the client yesterday was, and that he would have picked him up himself if he hadn't had other commitments that he couldn't put off, and then asked what on earth had been the reason for this.

Ding Xiaowei sucked in a breath, remembering what Zhou Jinxing had said to him yesterday, feeling very angry in his heart. But then he looked once more at Secretary Liu and saw that she had a somewhat nervous expression, and got a somewhat unbearable feeling.

Ultimately, when all what said and done, he couldn’t harden his heart to fight so fiercely with a woman[13], so he just said that he didn't receive the text message, and he didn't know what the problem was, but in any case he had neglected his job, so please if the boss could excuse him, and so on and so on.

In the end, the boss had no choice but to let them go out after lecturing them for a bit.

After going out, Secretary Liu's face was a little unnatural, obviously feeling very apologetic, but she also didn't say anything at that time.

During lunch, while Ding Xiaowei was standing in line holding a tray, Secretary Liu was just behind him in the line.

Ding Xiaowei wasn't a small-minded person, so he turned his head and said "hey" to her.

Secretary Liu opened her mouth and said, "Ding Ge, what happened yesterday was quite a mess, can't we say... the past is in the past, ah?"

Ding Xiaowei grinned, "Okay, the past is in the past."

Secretary Liu suddenly said, "Ding Ge, how old is your girl?"

"Oh, five years old.”

"My daughter is already off to primary school. Some of the toys she used to play with, she no longer likes to play with, and the child is just constantly growing. In fact, these things are all pretty good, many of them are new, and I don’t have any small girls around me. Throwing them away is too wasteful, if you don’t mind, can you give the toys to your daughter?”

Ding Xiaowei was happy, "Alright ah, that's great."

Secretary Liu exposed a relaxed smile.

When Ding Xiaowei came home at night, he was in high spirits.

Zhou Jinxing had already been sitting at home for a while, scribbling and drawing something on paper, but it wasn’t clear what he was writing.

Ding Xiaowei walked over and saw a pile of baffling data and formulas, and said surprised: "What is this?"

Zhou Jinxing put down his pen, "I also don't know, my mind is very confused."

Ding Xiaowei also didn't care, and fell comfortably into the couch, "Ai, Xiao Zhou, I'm so happy to tell you something."

"Oh, what?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that our boss’s secretary bullies people - today I originally wanted to blacken her too, but later I felt that if I, as a man, spoke against a woman, it would be too unsightly, so I didn't say anything. After coming out from the boss’s office she felt a bit apologetic. At noon, she told me that she wanted to give me her daughter's toys. Heh, you know what, she's usually a bit of a pain in the ass, but she's a woman after all, and when she softens up, she's quite pleasant to look at.”

Zhou Jinxing leaned back on the couch, his eyes somewhat gloomy[14]. When he saw Ding Xiaowei's half-squinted eyes, a man knew what kind of fantasies he had in his heart, "Oh, so she’s pretty?"

“She’s alright, white skin with a big ass, heh. Say, you think she would look my way?"

Zhou Jinxing put on an insincere smile and snorted, "Could be."

Ding Xiaowei had some vulgar fantasies in his mind, until he realized that he was forgetting himself for a bit, and gave a couple of embarrassed smiles, "I have been separated from Lingling's mother for two years, so this person's problem is still unresolved[15]. Xiao Zhou, when you get your memory back, don't forget to introduce Ding Ge to someone[16] ah."

Zhou Jinxing nodded, "No problem, what type do you want?"

Ding Xiaowei touched his chin, and earnestly recalled, "It certainly has to be someone who’s good to Lingling, it's okay if the person has kids, just as long as my daughter is treated well. The age shouldn’t be too old, just around my age, a bit shapely, must be a decent woman, that's about it."

Zhou Jinxing smilingly said, "Oh, that would be quite good to find."

Ding Xiaowei nodded and said: "Yes, I also think it would be quite good to find, then why can't I find it? Ding Ge has been alone in an empty home for such a long time... Ai, let’s not talk about it, anyway, you just keep an eye out for me."

Zhou Jinxing nodded, propped his chin, and looked at him with fixed eyes, "Don't worry, I’ll surely look after this matter as my own."

Ding Xiaowei was moved by Zhou Jinxing's words.

He thinks this Xiao Zhou, even though at normal times he was a complete and profound mysterious who didn’t let anyone see through his appearance, but contrary to what one might expect, he was loyal enough. While Ding Xiaowei didn’t have any brothers or sisters, all of a sudden it felt as if he had gotten a brother, which felt pretty good.

Ding Xiaowei felt that his time hadn’t been wasted on this man.

In the evening when it was time to go to bed, Zhou Jinxing was just taking a shower in the bathroom when Ding Xiaowei casually came in.

Zhou Jinxing didn't expect him to come in completely without any qualms, giving him a fright, and when he turned his head to looked back, the man had taken everything off and stood behind him as if nothing had happened, "Xiao Zhou, I ran around to so many places today, I'm a little tired, can you let me wash first, then I can to bed quickly."

It wasn’t that he wanted to take a bath with such a young master, it was just that this Xiao Zhou really seemed like a big girl. He could use half an hour to take a bath. Zhou Jinxing was too late to say anything, so the other person just came in directly. He really didn’t want to wait again, so he just went in immediately.[17]

Zhou Jinxing still had his back turned towards him, his head twisted around to look at him, his face had a somewhat awkward expression, yet his body didn't move.

Ding Xiaowei moved closer and said, "I'll quickly take a shower, you just let me rinse, afterwards you can continue to wash, you shower too slow and I want to go to bed early.

Zhou Jinxing went stiff on the spot.[18]

He could sense his lower part slowly getting hard and starting to stand up. The bathroom was both bright and narrow, and he had nowhere to hide. If he just turned around, Ding Xiaowei would be able to see it. How could he explain having such a thing sticking up?

Ding Xiaowei flung the towel over his back and urged, "Come on ah, I'll be fast."

[1] 您 – honorable or formal you

[2] 死无对证 – idiom, ‘dead men tell no tales’

[3] changed it a bit here, raws say 绅士风度 – gentleman’s bearing

[4] Wow, Jinxing, aren’t you getting a little too carried away here? Also major red flag

[5] 同病相怜 idiom – aka misery loves company

[6] DXW’s train of thoughts about Zhou Jinxing - I just can’t even…

[7] 调戏 – lit. means taking liberties with, flirting, harassing a woman - which is… interesting in the context of teasing ZJX.

[8] I’ve been using ‘hey’ previously, but I think the Chinese sound for ‘哎/Ai’ used as an interjection makes it sound a bit more in line with a Chinese way of speaking, so I think I’ll just use that from now on – will likely go back and edit it in the earlier chapter if I find time for it

[9] Again not a real uncle, it’s just a form of expression

[10] Changed the phrase a bit here – raws say 老仗义老伟大, which is something like a generous/just and great person of seniority – ‘venerable’ can also be used, but I think ‘patriarch’ in the sense of head of household and provider comes closest in meaning

[11] Idiom - 送佛送到西天 - the Buddha should be sent to the Western Paradise

[12] Hmm, seems like ZJX conveniently moved the conversation away from anything related to his past here. Yeah, not suspicious at all…

[13] 死磕 – fight to the death

[14] Looks like someone is eating vinegar already – gotta say that was pretty fast. But then DXW and ZJX seems to have already subconsciously settled into a combo of buddies and husband with stay-at-home wife😉

[15] Bit of a weird sentence here that I don’t really get, except that DXW means he hasn’t gotten laid in a while.

[16] 对象 – romantic object, but gender neutral. So while DXW obviously means a girlfriend, well, I’m not sure if ZJX has that intention in mind…

[17] So two guys showering together in a small bathroom – yeah, not gay at all, nothing to see here..

[18] LOL