chapter 33

Old Yuan’s fracture wasn’t too serious and didn’t require surgery. The doctor helped him get a fixation done, so the next step was recuperation.

When the director and a few other teachers got to the hospital, Huo Ran and Kou Chen were helping Old Yuan out of the consultation room, one on each side.

“Is it all settled?” the director asks, “So quickly?”

“Are you hoping that I’ll undergo a surgery then stay in the hospital for a few days?” Old Yuan smiles.

The director was not too reassured and went into the room to ask the doctor about his condition before coming out: “I drove here, how about I send you home first.”

“It’s not like it’s anything much, let’s go back to the school first,” Old Yuan says, “The students in class definitely feel unsettled after something like this happened.”

“It’s almost time for dinner,” the director says, “What’s wrong with letting them feel unsettled for one night? These two brats wouldn’t keep their silence once they get back would they, they’d definitely spill.”

“We’ve been going back and forth in the group chat for ages,” Kou Chen says, “The class was reassured after hearing that your injuries aren’t too serious, if there’s anything else we can talk about it tomorrow.”

“It’s the sports meet soon…” Old Yuan says.

“We* guarantee that we’ll get first for you in the events that Huo Ran and I signed up for,” Kou Chen says, “So don’t worry about this.”

[*tl note: he doesn’t actually use a specific pronoun here]

“This came from both of you okay,” Old Yuan points at both of them.

“This came from both of us,” Kou Chen nods.

Huo Ran looks at him.

Old Yuan’s home was not in the same direction as the school. The director gave the two of them some money and got them to take a taxi back to school themselves.

Kou Chen did not reject this time; after receiving the money, they watched the director’s car leave.

It was only when they were standing by the roadside and watching the car disappear at the end of the street that Huo Ran regained his senses: “I didn’t say that!”

“Mn?” Kou Chen turns to look at him, “What did you not say?”

“When did I say that we guarantee that we’ll get first place?” Huo Ran says.

“Did you not say that?” Kou Chen answers with a straight face, almost failing to suppress the smile at the corner of his lips.

“Do you know which events we signed up for? And you just say that we guarantee that we’ll get first place?” Huo Ran glares at him, “100! 400! 1000! Triple jump! High jump! Relay! Were you unaware that we have sports students in our school?”

“Isn’t Zhou Haichao a sports student?” Kou Chen places his arm on his shoulder, turning to look at him, “You think I can’t beat* him?”

[*tl note: the meaning of the word 干 [gàn] changes depending on the combination. In this sentence, 干 is meant to refer to the phrase 干架 [gàn jià] which means ‘to fight’. On it’s own, it means ‘to do’ (and similar to English, has the alternative meaning ‘to fuck’); do note this when reading huo ran’s response~]

“Depends on how you beat him I guess,” Huo Ran says, “I know you’re good at getting down and fighting, but I don’t know if you’re be okay getting down and doing something else.”

“No wait,” Kou Chen stares at him, “Huo Ranran, I usually genuinely find you a pretty respectable person… why are you like this…”

Huo Ran gives him a sweeping glance, unable to hold his laughter in: “Who told you that I’m ‘pretty respectable’.”

“That’s what I feel though,” Kou Chen says.

“Your clothes are too thick, what you feel isn’t too accurate maybe,” Huo Ran says.

“Possibly,” Kou Chen reaches a hand under his own clothes to feel about, “If that’s the case…”

“Get lost,” Huo Ran says, “Call a taxi? To get back to school.”

“Let’s look for a place to eat,” Kou Chen says, “I’m kind of excited today, don’t want to get back to school.”

“Not going back tonight as well?” Huo Ran asks, a little shocked.

“I’ll see after I’m done eating, do you want to go back to school?” Kou Chen stretches while clinging onto him, “If you want to go back you can go back first.”

“Let’s eat first,” Huo Ran takes his phone out for a look, “Should we call them out to eat?”

“Nah,” Kou Chen runs his hand through his hair, “I want to hang out with you alone, they’d definitely have to make a fuss once they arrive, would make my head hurt.”

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Huo Ran did not expect Kou Chen to look for such a faraway place when he’d said “look for a place to eat”.

The school was in the east end and Kou Chen called a taxi, heading straight for West City, crossing half a city.

Sitting in the car, Huo Ran felt that the road ahead was very long, and the driver was listening to Buddhist music which buzzed with ‘ah’, ‘ma’, ‘ni’ the whole time, so his eyelids kept fighting.

It was different for Kou Chen, however.

Kou Chen had fallen asleep straightforwardly.

Furthermore, his sleeping posture was extremely unsightly as well as unreasonable, as in, taking him for a bolster, kind of unreasonable.

His arms were around his body in a hug, his head rested on his shoulder, and he’d even tugged the hood of his jacket to cushion it, sleeping soundly.

Considering their militant friendship after having fought numerous battles together, Huo Ran didn’t push him away, dazing as he leaned on the car door.

He was actually pretty keen on sleeping as well, but with Kou Chen in this position, if he fell asleep and relaxed, he’d have to roll onto the ground.

“Ai,” Huo Ran sighs, turning to look at Kou Chen.

From this angle, he happened to look down from Kou Chen’s head. He usually did not quite pay attention, but with this glance, he found that Kou Chen’s eyelashes were shockingly long.

“Fuck,” he couldn’t help but marvel in a soft voice, “Did you put on fake eyelashes today?”

Kou Chen slept soundly.

Huo Ran watched for a while, then glanced at the driver. After making sure that he couldn’t be seen in the rear-view mirror, he blew a breath on Kou Chen’s eyelashes.

Kou Chen did not respond.

He blew another breath, this time with more force, almost failing to control himself and blowing saliva onto Kou Chen’s face.

Kou Chen still did not respond.

Discuss the degree of boredom a person can experience*.

[*tl note: really not too sure about this one, might be more accurate to say ‘(the extent of) the things a person can do out of boredom’]

Huo Ran reached a hand out and extremely carefully, he caught hold of an eyelash on Kou Chen’s left eye, then tugged it outwards gently.

Kou Chen’s eyelid was lifted up, then bounced back into place.

Huo Ran couldn’t help but start laughing, but he didn’t dare to laugh out loud, so he could only tremble soundlessly with his head facing upwards as he leaned back in his seat.

“Your hand’s really fucking naughty,” Kou Chen says suddenly.

“Ai!” Huo Ran got a fright, hurriedly looking at him, “Kou Chen?”

“If I’d really gone into deep sleep I really have no idea about the things you could do,” Kou Chen doesn’t move, maintaining the posture he was previously in in which he was cuddling him, but his voice sounded extremely awake.

“Did you not go into deep sleep or did you not sleep?” Huo Ran asks.

“Did not go into deep sleep,” Kou Chen says, “I woke up when you spat saliva on my face.”

“…I didn’t spit!” Huo Ran retaliates, flabbergasted, “I just blew a mouthful of air!”

The driver at the front accidentally laughs out loud.

Huo Ran glances in that direction, then glares at Kou Chen a little awkwardly and lowers his voice: “Are you asking for it?”

“They’re long, aren’t they?” Kou Chen asks.

“Wh…” Huo Ran was baffled, “Long.”

“Did you only notice today?” Kou Chen yawns and turns, no longer cuddling him. He turns to lean on his body, and was about to stick his foot onto the car door out of habit when he probably realised that this wasn’t his family’s car, because he puts his leg back down.

“Yes, I usually don’t pay attention,” Huo Ran says, “Did you put fake eyelashes on?”

“If I’d really fucking put fake eyelashes on and you dare to tug on them like you just did, you’d be dead meat, got that?” Kou Chen says, “Those things, they fall off with one tug.”

“…Had you tugged Kou Xiao’s fake eyelashes off before?” Huo Ran catches on immediately.

Kou Chen doesn’t speak, only nodding after he’d giggled half a day leaning on him: “Fuck, she almost beat me to death.”1

The restaurant Kou Chen brought him to was next to the showiest club street behind West city’s most prosperous business district.

It was a store for mini personal hotpots.

A mini stone pot for each person.

Kou Chen had already called to reserve a two-person booth when they’d gotten on the taxi at the hospital, otherwise they wouldn’t even be able to share tables when they arrived.

The waiter brought them to the main hall and they passed through the corridor to get to the innermost ambulatory: their booth was at the end of the ambulatory.

They could look outside through the French windows next to them; although it was only the second floor, outside was the restaurant’s backyard and the rocks and flowing water were arranged to look rather peaceful.

“Be honest,” Huo Ran looks around after sitting down, getting closer to Kou Chen who was seated opposite him by leaning on his hands that were rested on the table, speaking quietly, “Have you brought a girl you were wooing here before?”

“Why do you say that?” Kou Chen also leans on his hands that were rested on the table, getting closer to him to ask.

“I just feel that this is a pretty suitable place,” Huo Ran says.

“Then you can bring girls here in the future,” Kou Chen curls the corners of his lips.

“Nobody to bring,” Huo Ran leans back in his chair, “That day during the class meeting, they were all so enthusiastic in their speeches. I was pretty depressed even, didn’t actually have anything to say.”

Kou Chen starts laughing, only speaking after a while: “I often used to come here to eat by myself.”

“By yourself?” Huo Ran looks at him, “You don’t seem like a person that would come out to eat by themselves though.”

“Didn’t I mention it before? I used to not have many friends, just a bunch of scoundrels that fooled around,” Kou Chen says, “After coming to your school, only Chuan-ge and Chaoren are considered my friends, and after that there’s you guys.”

“Oh,” Huo Ran nods, “What’s it like eating alone?”

“What you eat isn’t food…” Kou Chen says.

“It’s loneliness, okay, you don’t have to say any more,” Huo Ran cuts him off.

Kou Chen laughs for half a day: “My ass, it’s depression. I only came out to eat by myself when I was depressed.”

A waiter came over to help them place their orders: Kou Chen ordered a Mala pot and a pork bone soup pot, Huo Ran ordered a tomato-based pot, then added a wild mushroom-based pot after deliberating half a day.

He only asks after the waiter had left: “What were you depressed about? I feel that every day, you’re like a fool, not thinking seriously about anything. You actually get depressed?”

“Because back then my relationship with my dad was tense,” Kou Chen pours a bit of corn juice for him, “I came out after we fought.”

“Your dad… Zhifan says he’s quite a good person though, Old Yuan also said that he’s good,” Huo Ran says.

“I never said he wasn’t good, he actually cares more about me than he does my sister. Regarding my sister, he just goes along with her, whatever she wants he gives, however she wants to be he lets her be,” Kou Chen drinks a mouthful of water, “As for me, he’s got more expectations, how do I say this, you are a man.”

“Isn’t this way of thinking kind of, a little, not quite right?” Huo Ran says.

“Mn, my mom said that about him as well, but is a person’s perception something that can be changed if you say so? How could it be that easy?” Kou Chen says, “That’s how he does things, spoiling my mom. My mom only needs to enjoy life, to be an old princess… don’t tell my mom I said that she’s old, okay.”

“Mn,” Huo Ran smiles as he nods.

“My mom to be an old princess, that makes my dad her knight,” Kou Chen sighs, “But I don’t want to have an indomitable spirit, don’t want to shoulder whatever hardships, don’t want to do everything to the best of my ability. I don’t want to be a knight, can’t I want to be a princess?”

“Princess Chen,” Huo Ran squints his eyes.

“I’m warning you,” Kou Chen reaches a hand over, tapping on his chin with a finger, “If I hear this address a second time, you’re finished.”

Huo Ran smiles without saying anything.

“That’s not what I meant…” Kou Chen says.

“I know,” Huo Ran nods, “Men need to be masculine, women need to be feminine, but what is masculine, what is feminine, who dictates that, why do they have the right to dictate that, is that right?”

“Mn,” Kou Chen furrows his brows before sighing, “My dad is pretty rigid in any case, my mouth is also stupid, so I can’t get through to him… and sometimes I feel, I’m about the same as him.”

“So you can only come out to eat mini hotpots by yourself,” Huo Ran says.

“That’s right,” Kou Chen nods.

“Poor little thing eating mini hotpots,” Huo Ran says.

“Scram okay,” Kou Chen glares at him.

The taste of the mini hotpots were extremely intoxicating, especially since they used old stone pots, so there was a unique fragrance.

After the hotpots were served, Kou Chen ordered two bottles of Jiangxiaobai*.

“You drank Erguotou* when we ate roast last time,” Huo Ran says, “You’ve changed to Jiangxiaobai now?”

[*tl note: both are alcohol brands]

“I know you can drink,” Kou Chen pours the alcohol for him, “Isn’t my tolerance not as good as yours? If I get drunk here, how will you get me back to school?”

“Why do I have to get you back to school,” Huo Ran says, “I’d leave you here of course, I’d go to the bathroom then disappear.”

“Do you know what’s written on this bottle?” Kou Chen points at the alcohol bottle.

“Don’t know,” Huo Ran says.

“I’ll read it out for you,” Kou Chen looks at the words on the bottle, “I pray that ten years later, I’ll still pour you wine, we’re still old friends. You see that? You’re treating me like this?”

“That’s pretty interesting,” Huo Ran takes the other bottle up, “Let me read this one… Many coming years ahead, becomes a meeting indefinitely postponed*…”

[*tl note: not sure about this one, there’s probably a better way to phrase it but i just tried to get the main point across]

“Fuck,” Kou Chen snatches the bottle over at once, gives it a glance, then gives a series of presses on the attendant-calling device on the table.

After the waiter arrives, he hands the bottle to the waiter: “Get me a new bottle, I don’t want ‘a meeting indefinitely postponed’, get a bottle with ‘together every day'”.

“Alright, please give me a moment,” the waiter turns to jog off with the bottle.

Not even two minutes later, the waiter brings a new bottle over: “Please have a look, is this one alright?”1

“Removing layers of masks,” Kou Chen reads aloud seriously as he holds the bottle, “Only in front of you guys am I myself… this one’s fine.”

After the waiter walks away, he lowers his voice to say: “Only in front of you am I myself.”

“I could tell,” Huo Ran answers very sincerely.

“Which me do you like? The one in front of you, or in front of others?” Kou Chen asks.

Huo Ran looks at him and finds that the expression on his face was very serious, thus also hurriedly considers carefully and seriously, only answering a good few seconds later: “I quite like them all.”

“Oh,” Kou Chen heaves an obvious sigh of relief, “I thought you would say you quite dislike them all.”

This statement rather surprised Huo Ran, and only after watching Kou Chen for a long while did he hesitantly say: “Why do I feel this sentence is a little self-derogatory?”

“It probably is a little self-derogatory,” Kou Chen finishes pouring the alcohol, lifting the cup and holding it in front of him, “Come.”

“Come what?” Huo Ran was shocked a little out of habit; each time, behind Kou Chen’s “come”, what followed was always smooch smooch.

“A toast!” Kou Chen says with gritted teeth, “Would you like to kiss!?”

“Friendship lasting forever,” Huo Ran swiftly takes his cup up, bumping it on Kou Chen’s.

“So perfunctory!” Kou Chen was still gritting his teeth.

“…Ten years later I’ll still pour wine for you,” Huo Ran bumps it once again.

“What do you mean ‘still’! ‘Still pour wine for me’, you’re not even pouring it for me now,” Kou Chen continued grinding his teeth, “Right now I’m the one fucking pouring you wine.”

“…Ten years later you’ll still pour wine for me,” Huo Ran continues bumping cups.

“Can’t you help me pour!?” Kou Chen says, forgetting to grind his teeth for this line.

Huo Ran stares at the full cup of alcohol in his hands, and was too lazy to squabble with him. He got up to his cup and viciously slurped a large mouthful, then took the alcohol bottle up and refilled his alcohol to the brim: “This should be fine now, right, Princess Chen?”

“You’re dead,” Kou Chen says.

“Is it that you don’t dare to drink it?” Huo Ran squints his eyes, “Talking so much shit.”

“Your uncle,” Kou Chen bumps his cup on his with a dang, and with a raise of his head, downs the cup of alcohol, then wipes his mouth and points at his cup.

Huo Ran also raises his head and downs his alcohol.

After putting the cup down, Kou Chen fills it with alcohol again, speaking with a bit admiration: “This place is considered one of my little secrets from the past, nobody ever knew that I’d come here to eat loneliness by myself.”

“I could also pretend that I don’t know,” Huo Ran says.

“That’s no good,” Kou Chen says, “How about you accompany me here next time.”

“Mn?” Huo Ran looks at him.

“I especially like being alone with you,” Kou Chen says, “I feel at ease.”

“Why are you so pitiful,” Huo Ran says, “Chen…”

“Consider the consequences okay,” Kou Chen looks at him, “Are you really not afraid of death!?”

“Chenchen,” Huo Ran says.

“Ai,” Kou Chen grins.