Translator: shl
TL Checker: maripaz
Proofreader: librismuse, Miss Bookie, kira
After the sports meet, both teachers and students quickly resumed their usual classroom routine of monthly tests, mid-terms and finals, as well as the imminent decision of whether to select the liberal arts or science stream.
(T/N: In the second year of high school in China, students choose to be in either the humanities or science (STEM) stream)
Li Erqin’s Physics grade had greatly improved. Occasionally, when the topic of choosing subjects came up, she would tentatively seek the opinions of others. “Should I . . . also choose science?” she’d ask.
No one raised an objection. This kind of biased question, whereupon the person had already made up his or her mind so that it was a foregone conclusion, could not be refuted by anyone else.
Including Rong Si.
The excitement that comes from a ‘one of a kind’ love continued to throb ceaselessly and showed no signs of letting up.
It was just that in the end, the four words ‘let us be together’ were never uttered.
This was because Li Erqin had very quickly tacked on another phrase right after, which served as a wet blanket: ‘It’s a ‘like’ that’s different from the way I like Peng Zige and Su Zi’.
Rong Si had kept his expression as light and pleasant as a spring breeze. It was just a shade too remote as he asked, “Then, what kind of ‘like’ is it?”
Li Erqin blurted out, “It’s the kind of like where I think everything about you is great.”
Rong Si’s smile faded perceptibly, and his demeanor became even more distant.
“You mean the kind of like where we’re a couple?” he asked.
Li Erqin took a step backwards, and the hesitation was clear in her eyes. “No.”
(Minodayz : babygirl…what are you saying!! TT^TT )
Rong Si stopped smiling.
(Kira: feels constipatedshakes head)
Li Erqin looked down and said, “I never thought of us being together.”
Rong Si turned his head to stare at the empty pond in the distance. “Got it.”
Li Erqin didn’t say anything.
“I’m going to wash my face. You go on ahead to the class area.”
When he had finished speaking, he turned and walked away.
Li Erqin grabbed his arm.
He looked at her inquisitively.
“Do you know what it means when families are well-matched?” she asked abruptly.
“What?”
“Well-matched families.”
(T/N 门当户对 (men dang hu dui) – when families are well-matched in terms of social status, an appropriate match in a marriage contract)
Li Erqin was still holding tightly onto Rong Si’s wrist.
Li Erqin believed that, if she did not let go, her intentions would become blindingly obvious.
She wanted physical contact.
She wanted to walk by Rong Si’s side, to hold his wrist, to know the warmth of his palm.
However, she still lacked courage.
From the time she first wanted to see him, to the time when she wanted to approach and get close to him, to this time, now, when she wanted to touch him.
(Minodayz : an old show but I feel that it expressives their individual look of both RS and LEQ! Plus I had a soft spot for Jung Yong-Hwa!)
She knew very clearly the progressive stages of longing in her mind.
This was liking that had no rival. It was unique and one of a kind.
It was not friendship. It was not even affection.
This feeling of liking was so strong that there was no way to ignore or dismiss it.
But why had she never thought of them being together?
(Minodayz : Tell me about it LEQ!!! All the readers are about to dive off the cliff!!! AHHHHHHH….what are you even thinking!!!! TT^TT)
Li Erqin raised her head to explain. “Some people are so perfect, you can only admire them from afar, but can never be with them.”
She felt she deserved a little praise for having come up with such a *flattering statement. She looked at him eagerly, hoping to recover the smile on his face.
(TN: the Chinese phrase for brown-nosing is 拍马屁 pai ma pi, or hitting a horse’s backside. The author rearranged the phrase so it was something like “the horse’s backside was hit so well, i.e. her nose was so brown, that she felt she deserved a pat on the back for it.” Lol.)
However, Rong Si said, “Bulls**t.”
(T/N 狗屁 (gou pi) – literally, dog fart)
(Minodayz : I love to agree wholeheartedly but we both know that LEQ would find herself here!!!)
What?
Li Erqin was dumbfounded.
Bulls**t?
Rong Si glanced at her coolly, then turned and left.
During the following three days, Rong Si did not once take the initiative to speak to Li Erqin. Everyone still went to class together, ate together and studied together. However, he did not spare her even a single glance.
Li Erqin was in such low spirits that she poked desultorily at her physics practice question book. She was so vexed that she stared at the questions without even taking them in. These days, due to Rong Si’s unhappiness, even her physics tutoring sessions had stopped.
It was unclear if it was because they normally had too few interactions, but after three days of this, even close friends like Peng Zige and Su Zi could not tell that there was something highly abnormal about their current relationship!
One of their evening self-study sessions was in progress.
Due to a sudden heatwave, the classroom fans had been turned on, and they whirred quietly above the students’ heads. The page that Li Erqin was struggling to keep flat kept being blown upwards by the resultant wind. In a moment of inattention, she had inadvertently folded a page corner and pressed it hard against the table.
It was driving her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) up the wall (and winning).
Li Erqin flattened the page, unfolded the corner and rubbed fiercely at the folding line. She took a deep breath, picked up her physics practice question book and turned around. “Rong Si . . .”
Rong Si looked up at her.
“This physics question . . .”
Rong Si interrupted her.
In his customary flat and unemotional voice, he said, “It’s a math question.”
Li Erqin took a closer look at the book. “Ah, wrong book.”
There was no discernible emotion in Rong Si’s eyes as he looked at her quietly. It was exactly the same as when he interacted with others.
So, to insist that Rong Si was angry would be incorrect.
“Then, this math question . . .”
Rong Si spared her a glance, then carried on with what he was doing while answering, “Blue math revision book, chapter four, third question – exactly the question you’re asking about.”
“Uhm.”
Li Erqin had nothing left to say.
She returned to her seat and placed the practice book to one side. Then she took out her politics exam paper. She had only written two words when her cell phone suddenly vibrated.
Li Erqin immediately grabbed her phone for a look.
The notification at the top of the screen read: [Zigege has sent you a text message]
Disappointment.
Li Erqin unlocked the screen. Peng Zige asked: [Do you think Ah Si has adolescent depression?]
Li Erqin typed: [?]
Peng Zige: [He hasn’t spoken to me for several days. Looks like he’s in a bad mood. I noticed that his attitude towards you earlier was rather strange.]
Li Erqin: [yup.]
Peng Zige: [Should we talk to him?]
Li Erqin: [Ok].
Nary a few seconds had passed, when Peng Zige’s whispered voice could be heard from the table behind. “Ah Si, I’d like a word with you . . .”
“No time.”
“. . .”
Peng Zige wasted a few seconds before replying, “Oh.”
Her phone vibrated once more. Peng Zige texted: [Fail]
Li Erqin sighed and put her cell phone back in her table.
Translator: shl
TL Checker: maripaz
Proofreader: librismuse, Miss Bookie, kira
After the sports meet, both teachers and students quickly resumed their usual classroom routine of monthly tests, mid-terms and finals, as well as the imminent decision of whether to select the liberal arts or science stream.
(T/N: In the second year of high school in China, students choose to be in either the humanities or science (STEM) stream)
Li Erqin’s Physics grade had greatly improved. Occasionally, when the topic of choosing subjects came up, she would tentatively seek the opinions of others. “Should I . . . also choose science?” she’d ask.
No one raised an objection. This kind of biased question, whereupon the person had already made up his or her mind so that it was a foregone conclusion, could not be refuted by anyone else.
Including Rong Si.
The excitement that comes from a ‘one of a kind’ love continued to throb ceaselessly and showed no signs of letting up.
It was just that in the end, the four words ‘let us be together’ were never uttered.
This was because Li Erqin had very quickly tacked on another phrase right after, which served as a wet blanket: ‘It’s a ‘like’ that’s different from the way I like Peng Zige and Su Zi’.
Rong Si had kept his expression as light and pleasant as a spring breeze. It was just a shade too remote as he asked, “Then, what kind of ‘like’ is it?”
Li Erqin blurted out, “It’s the kind of like where I think everything about you is great.”
Rong Si’s smile faded perceptibly, and his demeanor became even more distant.
“You mean the kind of like where we’re a couple?” he asked.
Li Erqin took a step backwards, and the hesitation was clear in her eyes. “No.”
(Minodayz : babygirl…what are you saying!! TT^TT )
Rong Si stopped smiling.
(Kira: feels constipatedshakes head)
Li Erqin looked down and said, “I never thought of us being together.”
Rong Si turned his head to stare at the empty pond in the distance. “Got it.”
Li Erqin didn’t say anything.
“I’m going to wash my face. You go on ahead to the class area.”
When he had finished speaking, he turned and walked away.
Li Erqin grabbed his arm.
He looked at her inquisitively.
“Do you know what it means when families are well-matched?” she asked abruptly.
“What?”
“Well-matched families.”
(T/N 门当户对 (men dang hu dui) – when families are well-matched in terms of social status, an appropriate match in a marriage contract)
Li Erqin was still holding tightly onto Rong Si’s wrist.
Li Erqin believed that, if she did not let go, her intentions would become blindingly obvious.
She wanted physical contact.
She wanted to walk by Rong Si’s side, to hold his wrist, to know the warmth of his palm.
However, she still lacked courage.
From the time she first wanted to see him, to the time when she wanted to approach and get close to him, to this time, now, when she wanted to touch him.
(Minodayz : an old show but I feel that it expressives their individual look of both RS and LEQ! Plus I had a soft spot for Jung Yong-Hwa!)
She knew very clearly the progressive stages of longing in her mind.
This was liking that had no rival. It was unique and one of a kind.
It was not friendship. It was not even affection.
This feeling of liking was so strong that there was no way to ignore or dismiss it.
But why had she never thought of them being together?
(Minodayz : Tell me about it LEQ!!! All the readers are about to dive off the cliff!!! AHHHHHHH….what are you even thinking!!!! TT^TT)
Li Erqin raised her head to explain. “Some people are so perfect, you can only admire them from afar, but can never be with them.”
She felt she deserved a little praise for having come up with such a *flattering statement. She looked at him eagerly, hoping to recover the smile on his face.
(TN: the Chinese phrase for brown-nosing is 拍马屁 pai ma pi, or hitting a horse’s backside. The author rearranged the phrase so it was something like “the horse’s backside was hit so well, i.e. her nose was so brown, that she felt she deserved a pat on the back for it.” Lol.)
However, Rong Si said, “Bulls**t.”
(T/N 狗屁 (gou pi) – literally, dog fart)
(Minodayz : I love to agree wholeheartedly but we both know that LEQ would find herself here!!!)
What?
Li Erqin was dumbfounded.
Bulls**t?
Rong Si glanced at her coolly, then turned and left.
During the following three days, Rong Si did not once take the initiative to speak to Li Erqin. Everyone still went to class together, ate together and studied together. However, he did not spare her even a single glance.
Li Erqin was in such low spirits that she poked desultorily at her physics practice question book. She was so vexed that she stared at the questions without even taking them in. These days, due to Rong Si’s unhappiness, even her physics tutoring sessions had stopped.
It was unclear if it was because they normally had too few interactions, but after three days of this, even close friends like Peng Zige and Su Zi could not tell that there was something highly abnormal about their current relationship!
One of their evening self-study sessions was in progress.
Due to a sudden heatwave, the classroom fans had been turned on, and they whirred quietly above the students’ heads. The page that Li Erqin was struggling to keep flat kept being blown upwards by the resultant wind. In a moment of inattention, she had inadvertently folded a page corner and pressed it hard against the table.
It was driving her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) up the wall (and winning).
Li Erqin flattened the page, unfolded the corner and rubbed fiercely at the folding line. She took a deep breath, picked up her physics practice question book and turned around. “Rong Si . . .”
Rong Si looked up at her.
“This physics question . . .”
Rong Si interrupted her.
In his customary flat and unemotional voice, he said, “It’s a math question.”
Li Erqin took a closer look at the book. “Ah, wrong book.”
There was no discernible emotion in Rong Si’s eyes as he looked at her quietly. It was exactly the same as when he interacted with others.
So, to insist that Rong Si was angry would be incorrect.
“Then, this math question . . .”
Rong Si spared her a glance, then carried on with what he was doing while answering, “Blue math revision book, chapter four, third question – exactly the question you’re asking about.”
“Uhm.”
Li Erqin had nothing left to say.
She returned to her seat and placed the practice book to one side. Then she took out her politics exam paper. She had only written two words when her cell phone suddenly vibrated.
Li Erqin immediately grabbed her phone for a look.
The notification at the top of the screen read: [Zigege has sent you a text message]
Disappointment.
Li Erqin unlocked the screen. Peng Zige asked: [Do you think Ah Si has adolescent depression?]
Li Erqin typed: [?]
Peng Zige: [He hasn’t spoken to me for several days. Looks like he’s in a bad mood. I noticed that his attitude towards you earlier was rather strange.]
Li Erqin: [yup.]
Peng Zige: [Should we talk to him?]
Li Erqin: [Ok].
Nary a few seconds had passed, when Peng Zige’s whispered voice could be heard from the table behind. “Ah Si, I’d like a word with you . . .”
“No time.”
“. . .”
Peng Zige wasted a few seconds before replying, “Oh.”
Her phone vibrated once more. Peng Zige texted: [Fail]
Li Erqin sighed and put her cell phone back in her table.
