You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 33 Part 1

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 33 Part 1

Ruan Yu turned her head to look at the top of the car and started murmuring: “It’s not me who spilled out internal information, it’s not me who spilled out the internal information……”

Her expression seemed to say that Xu Huaisong had guessed it himself and it had nothing to do with her.

Xu Huaisong was speechless and quickly realized that his reaction was somewhat overboard.

If he was only the person who helped save the story from being accused of plagiarism, he shouldn’t have such a strong reaction to the pick of the male lead of the story.

Yet Ruan Yu didn’t question his overreaction and judging from her reaction, it seemed that she had also tacitly admitted: He had the right to be angry.

Therefore, she knew about his reason for such an reaction.

That was why she would compare him to a fox, out of the millions of animals in the world.

Xu Huaisong slowly released his hands on the steering wheel and turned to size her up. He had a questioning look in his eyes: Then how much does she know and how long has she known about it? What’s her purpose of pretending not to know about it, to get even with him?

Ruan Yu sensed that he might have found out something from the scrutiny in his eyes. She shrank her neck and slowly turned her head away. But on second thought, she straightened her back: Why could he keep it a secret and she couldn’t?

As Ruan Yu started to feel justified in her actions, Xu Huaisong moved his eyes away, probably because he was in the wrong first.

Ruan Yu placed her elbow on top of the console in between the driver and passenger seats to support her chin and tilted her body to indicate her confusion: “Isn’t it like acting when you go to the court for a case?”

Xu Huaisong didn’t know what to say. He lowered his head and saw her tiny face was right under his eyes, looking rather complacent and trusting. He suddenly reached over with his hand to pinch her chin.

The act surprised Ruan Yu and she quickly realized what the gesture might mean. The moment his index finger was about to lift her chin, she quickly pulled her body back. 

The elastic force of the seat belt sprang her back into her seat, her back hit the back of the seat hard.

Xu Huaisong chuckled: “What are you doing?”

Ruan Yu covered her chin and made an effort to appear composed: “Then what were you doing?”

Xu Huaisong thought for a moment: “I was going to pinch a mosquito. There was a mosquito on your chin.”

“I was also pinching a mosquito.” Ruan Yu turned her head back to take a look: “There was a mosquito on my back as well. I, I crushed it to death……”

Xu Huaisong held his laughter and restarted the car. After driving for some distance, he couldn’t help but ask again: “You don’t have veto power?”

It took a while for Ruan Yu to realize what he was asking about; he still hadn’t gotten over Li Shican playing the male lead.

Ruan Yu took a glance at him: “They’re already flattering me for letting me participate in their script writing sessions. How could I have any say about the casting? Aren’t you asking too much of me?”

Xu Huaisong didn’t continue with the topic and instead changed to another subject: “It’ll be the Dragon Boat Festival in a few days.”

“So what about the Dragon Boat Festival?”

“Aren’t you going back to the suburbs?”

“I’m self-employed, I don’t have to go home during the holidays. Usually I’ll leave those holidays to my parents’ ex-students. There are always a bunch of well accomplished alumni of First High School coming to visit my parents during various holidays. I can’t fit in there.”

Xu Huaisong laughed: “Then does someone like me count as an accomplished alumnus from the First High School?”

Ruan Yu knew that he had tricked her again and it seemed hard to turn him down now.

He had indicated that he would be going as an ex-student to visit his teachers and simply giving her a ride home. How could she refuse him?

Besides, since he seemed to be hurt by the fact that Li Shican would be playing the male lead in the movie, Ruan Yu felt that she simply couldn’t cold-heartedly turn down his request at the moment.

Therefore, come Friday night, when Xu Huaisong came to pick her up to go shopping for gifts, she was unable to say no.

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 32 Part 3

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 32 Part 3

It was twelve noon when the meeting was done. Zheng Shan seemed quite busy. She left the room in a hurry for another appointment without seeing everyone off but had asked her secretary to arrange lunch and a place to take a break.

Ruan Yu however didn’t think she would need such arrangements because she had received a message from Xu Huaisong more than an hour ago on her cell phone: [I’m here near Global Filming. Let me know when the meeting’s over.]

Ruan Yu thanked the secretary and sent a message to Xu Huaisong before taking the elevator to go down. As she was about to get out of the elevator, she overheard two of the writers from the meeting, standing right in front of her, discussing the male lead selection in a hushed voice.

One of the two said: “A star with a huge fan base is a good thing, but didn’t Li Shican get embroiled in some suicide scandal not too long ago? I’ve heard from my friend in the business that the incident has caused quite some problems for him. His company isn’t happy that he made the public statement without their consent first and will probably cut down his engagements and endorsements……”

“You don’t understand, that is called……”

Ruan Yu didn’t get to hear the rest of the conversation.

She frowned and took out her cell phone to check Li Shican’s Weibo. Except for the fact that there hadn’t been any new posts recently, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual. The last message they exchanged was the one he left for her saying “All resolved, not that many bad consequences.”

Xu Huaisong happened to send his reply at this time: [Come to the front.]

There was no parking space in front of the Global Filming building, Ruan Yu had to walk out of the building in a hurry.

After she fastened the seatbelt, Xu Huaisong stepped on the gas pedal as he spoke: “This meeting lasted much longer than the meetings that I usually have.”

Ruan Yu was still thinking about the male lead and absent mindedly said: “En. I heard script  writing meetings will usually last at least 10 hours. Today was the first meeting and should be the shortest one.”

Xu Huaisong keenly noticed that Ruan Yu’s mind was elsewhere. He turned his head to take a look at her.

Ruan Yu was pondering whether it was a good idea to tell him about the choice of the male lead since it was still just internal information. But if she didn’t tell him, would Xu Huaisong be so angry at it that he would join the entertainment business himself?

Ruan Yu cleared her throat and asked in a roundabout way: “Do you have any opinion about the choice of actors for the male lead?”

Xu Huaisong looked straight to the front while driving the car to a nearby restaurant: “Should I have any opinion about it?”

Ruan Yu: “Hehe, you’ve read my story and I’m just asking what you think about it. Who do you feel would be a good choice for the male and female leads among the actors in our entertainment business?”

Xu Huaisong was silent for a moment: “I don’t know much about them. Can’t think of anyone.”

Ruan Yu thought it looked like he really was thinking of taking the role of the male lead himself?

The corner of her mouth twitched: “They have to choose someone from the entertainment business after all. It’s impractical to get an accountant or a doctor or a lawyer to play the role.”

Her tone of voice sounded to Xu Huaisong that she was having something else in mind. He stepped on the brake to slow down the car and turned to give her a look.

Ruan Yu straightened her back: “Did I say something wrong?’

“No.” Xu Huaisong frowned and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, as if he was pondering something.

Ruan Yu took a peek at him, then continued: “If the production team chooses a male actor whom you dislike to play the male lead……you, as the……as the person who helped save the story from being accused of plagiarism, would you regret encouraging me to sell the IP?”

Xu Huaisong pulled up along the roadside and completely stopped the car. He fixed his eyes on her: “Are you telling me now that Li Shican is going to play the male lead of your story?” 

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 32 Part 2

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 32 Part 2

Ruan Yu got out of bed and sent a reply to Global Filming thanking them for the invitation and to notify them that she’ll be attending the meeting next Tuesday. When she laid back down on bed, she received a WeChat message from Xu Huaisong.

He said: [Then the fox just has to chase the rabbit harder.]

Ruan Yu looked at the screen and the smile on her face became wider and wider.

On Tuesday, Ruan Yu arrived at Global Filming on time.

The meeting was scheduled quite early in the morning, Ruan Yu didn’t ask Xu Huaisong to rise early to drive her there. She took the bus which had a stop right near Global Filming.

Global Filming occupied one single building in the most expensive section of the city.

Ruan Yu identified herself at the front desk on the first floor and immediately was greeted by someone who looked like a secretary. The secretary briefly introduced to Ruan Yu the departments on each of the floors and then led her to go to the conference room on the 7th floor.

Most of the participants of the meeting had already arrived. There were table cards with black characters on a red background placed on the table. The host was the investor and the producer was next to him, followed by all the screenwriters and editors.

Ruan Yu’s table card was placed towards the back and the title was “script consultant.”

After Ruan Yu sent her reply email out, the producer Zheng Shan happily arranged the title for her.

It was rather quiet in the room, where only occasional muttered voices could be heard. Ruan Yu sat down at her seat, trying not to stir any attention from the others.

Not long afterwards, the others also arrived at the room one after another. The last one to enter the room was the producer and almost half of the people in the room stood up.

Zheng Shan looked rather easy going. She gestured and said: “Please sit, everyone. Apologies, Mr. Wei got held up by something else. We’ll go ahead with the meeting.”

Mr. Wei was the investor of the movie and also a director on the board of directors of Global Filming.

All the participants expressed their understanding of Mr. Wei’s absence.

Ruan Yu was the last one to join the group and remained quiet. Zheng Shan seemed to notice Ruan Yu’s uneasiness and introduced her to everyone in the beginning of the meeting: “This is the original author, Wenxiang. From now on, she’ll join our screenwriters group as our script consultant.”

Ruan Yu stood up to nod at everyone as a greeting. Some exclaimed “so young,” but soon the room became quiet again.

Zheng Shan jokingly said: “You’re all too quiet! Our writers are all quite young with an average age of less than 30. Do you all look like young people?” She gestured to her secretary to play a powerpoint as she continued: “Since you’re all so quiet, let me show you something first.”

The projector showed a high definition stage photo on the screen.

Ruan Yu looked up and was a little surprised.

The person in the photo was sitting in front of a grand piano, wearing a white shirt and a pair of thin rimmed glasses while playing the piano with his head looking downwards.

Before Ruan Yu realized who this person was, Zheng Shan asked first: “You might not recognize him since he looks quite different now. This is Li Shican before he became an actor. This was in his freshman year when he performed on campus. Have you all figured out who he looks like?”

“Aiyo.” Finally, someone broke the silence: “Isn’t this our male lead in the story!”

Ruan Yu was shocked.

Zheng Shan laughed: “Look at this, only a young, handsome man can attract your attention.”

Someone else asked: “Producer Zheng, have we decided on Li Shican to play the male lead?”

“Hush.” Zheng Shan gestured: “It has basically been finalized, but let’s just keep it internally for now. Alright, let’s begin our meeting.” 

Ruan Yu’s cell phone vibrated as Zheng Shan finished talking, it was a message from Xu Huaisong.

Ruan Yu couldn’t check it at the moment and put her cell phone into her pocket. Her mind wandered off as she held the meeting program in hand.

My goodness, Li Shican was going to be the male lead.

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 32 Part 1

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 32 Part 1

It was like someone had lightly pushed the first of a row of dominoes. Immediately afterwards, a long, winding row of dominoes fell down one after another until the last one.

Xu Huaisong’s reply: “what do you think” happened to have exactly the same effect on Ruan Yu.

Ruan Yu’s heart happened to be that one last domino.

Sometimes, it wasn’t the most intense and straightforward sweet talking that was the most touching.

The scenery which was hiding at the end of a winding mountain road could be much more gorgeous and startling than that on a straight road.

The two of them kept still for quite some time.

It was so long that it was quite possible that, if neither of them spoke, they would keep the same posture till one of them was too exhausted to carry on.

Then, Xu Huaisong chuckled.

Ruan Yu stammered: “What, what’s going on?”

“You know, your heart’s beating so fast, it’s pounding into my back?”

“......”

Why did he have to be so straightforward? Ruan Yu hurriedly got off his back, took out the key to open her door, scurried into her home, and quickly shut the door. Then she leaned against the door, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Ruan Yu felt disappointed at herself; she was planning to give this old fox some hard time early today but had backed down so easily from a simple reply from him.

It wouldn’t do.

Ruan Yu took a deep breath and turned around to open the door. As she expected, Xu Huaisong was still standing outside the door.

Ruan Yu stretched her head out while holding onto the door frame and said: “Then, do you know that among the ten fastest moving animals on the earth, the hare is one of them?”

Xu Huaisong frowned; it seemed that he was quite confused by the random question. But he answered in earnest: “I don’t know. I have no knowledge of it.”

Ruan Yu then purposefully said: “The hare looks timid and easily bullied, but it can run up to 50 miles an hour, about the same as the lion. In addition, among the ten animals, the fox isn’t on the list.”

Xu Huaisong frowned again: “So?”

“So, good night!”

Ruan Yu’s eyes curved upwards and closed the door again. Xu Huaisong was left outside to mull over the question.

Ruan Yu took a shower and comfortably laid on her bed. Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated.

She thought it was Xu Huaisong sending a message to let her know that he was back at the hotel. But it was an email from Global Filming.

To be more exact, it was an invitation. Global Filming had invited her to attend the script writing meeting for <Really Want to Whisper in Your Ear> next Tuesday.

Next Tuesday was three days away..

Ruan Yu started pondering with her face propped on her hand.

She had already given the rights of the script adaptation to Global Filming back in early June. Her original idea of selling the IP of the story was mainly to open up a new career for herself so she could move from internet writer to a broader platform. Since the prototype of the male lead in the story was right around her, she felt that it would be hard for her to create the script nonchalantly. Therefore, she had informed Global Filming from the beginning that she wouldn’t be participating in script writing.

She figured that the invitation from Global Filming probably was only a symbolic gesture to see whether she had changed her mind or not.

She wouldn’t have changed her mind if not for something she happened to find out today. She remembered that she had asked Xu Huaisong before whether she should sell the IP to Global Filming. His answer at the time was “is there any reason you shouldn't? ''

She had found out today that he knew she was writing about him at the time and was still willing to let the story be told in a movie to let more people know about it.

Then, why should she be fainthearted about it? 

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 31 Part 4

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 31 Part 4

“Eh, twe…..twelve floors.”

“Too tired to walk up?”

Ruan Yu paused, then said: “Uh, I can walk up.” With pursed mouth, Ruan Yu walked towards the staircase. When she passed by Xu Huaisong, Xu Huaisong unexpectedly squatted down.

Startled, she heard him say: “Get on, I’ll carry you.” Seeing her standing there in confusion, he said again: “Hurry, I need to go back to prepare for a video conference.”

Why would he act so domineering even when offering to carry her? Couldn’t he speak nicely?

Ruan Yu irritately climbed up his back and decided to make him exhausted.

But once he stood up, Ruan Yu regretted her decision.

It seemed too intimate with the position of her chest pasting to his back……

She slightly raised her upper body: “It’s better if I get down……”

“Don’t move around.” Xu Huaisong turned his head to glance at her: “It’s very tiring with you raising your body like that.”

Listening to his tone of voice, Ruan Yu firmed up her determination to make him exhausted. When he turned his face back, she made a face quietly.

Xu Huaisong seemed to have sensed it and turned his face back again. Ruan Yu was startled and cautioned him: “Why do you keep turning your head back. You…… you watch the stairs!”

Xu Huaisong lowered his head and smiled. Then he started to climb the stairs steadily. It seemed rather easy for him.

Ruan Yu gradually overcame the discomfort of bodily contact and lowered her head to say next to his ear: “You’re quite good at this, you must have carried a lot of girls on your back.”

Xu Huaisong turned his head to give her a glance: “I’ve only just carried my dad.”

Ruan Yu was originally joking to pry into his past romances. She didn’t expect an answer like this. She didn’t know what to say and was quiet for some time before asking: “Is your father doing alright right now?”

Xu Huaisong walked up step by step while answering: “The same. He has caretakers to look after him in the US, but it would be hard for him to recover his intelligence. As long as he doesn’t have a stroke again, there won’t be any major problems.”

Ruan Yu frowned and asked the question which she had wanted to ask for a long time: “I’ll ask you a question, it’s alright if you don’t want to answer……”

“They’re divorced, my parents, ten years ago.” Without Ruan Yu asking the question, Xu Huaisong had already answered it in one breath.

Ruan Yu said “en” in a low voice. Then she heard him start panting after answering her.

They had reached the tenth floor.

Ruan Yu very slowly pressed down her body and tightened little by little of her hands around his neck.

The movement felt like a comforting move.

Xu Huaisong looked down to take a glance at her hands and curved the corner of his lips up, but didn’t say anything.

Finally, they had reached the twelfth floor.

They walked out of the door of the staircase and immediately saw the elevator doors slowly open up. Ruan Yu’s landlord couple walked out of the elevator.

Ruan Yu was surprised and asked without thinking: “Gee, didn’t we have a power outage?”

The wife of the landlord couple was also surprised and explained: “Power outage was from 6:30 to 7:30 this morning. A lot of people are at home in the evening, they wouldn’t work on the power system at this hour.” She continued while smiling: “Isn’t the lights in the lobby downstairs on? So are the lights in the hallways.”

“......” Oh, right. Then it must be that she was too tired and misread the time on the notice?

The landlord couple entered their home while laughing.

Ruan Yu was frozen on Xu Huaisong’s back: “You……you also misread it?”

Xu Huaisong turned his head and asked in reply while laughing: “What do you think?”

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 31 Part 3

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 31 Part 3

Ruan Yu felt pleased that she had finally gotten back at Xu Huaisong. She walked back with Xu Huaisong while saying: “Have you noticed that my father enjoys looking for potential boyfriends for me?”

Xu Huaisong nodded. Ruan Yu continued: “It was he who introduced Mr. Liu to me before.”

“I know.”

“Then do you know why my father liked Mr. Liu?”

Xu Huaisong thought about it, then said: “Because he’s a lawyer?”

Ruan Yu purposefully shook her head: “It’s because he’s trustworthy and well-behaved, has a kind heart, never plays any tricks nor is he showy and wouldn’t take advantage of others. His actions speak louder than his words.”

“......”

Xu Huaisong lightly coughed once and lowered his head to look at Ruan Yu as if he wanted to find any clues on her face to determine the hidden meaning in her words.

But Ruan Yu looked like she was simply stating the facts and didn't seem to be making oblique accusations.

Once they were back at their table, Xu Huaisong changed his aggressive attitude. Except being asked directly, he seldom opened his mouth on his own.

Ruan Yu, however, noticed that whenever a new dish was served, if she took a couple of extra looks at the dish, that particular dish would rotate and stop in front of her again and again.

One time, she made sure that she looked sideways to the right the moment when the plate of Longjing shrimp was about to reach her and saw Xu Huaisong’s bony hand just happened to move away from the lazy susan.

Ruan Yu’s parents who were sitting in between her and Xu Huaisong exchanged a look with each other.

– –It looks like these two kids weren’t exactly happy with each other?

– –Looks like it. Looks like our Yuyu hasn’t agreed to be Xiao Xu’s girlfriend yet.

After the birthday party was over, He Chong invited Ruan Chengru and Qu Lan to have afternoon tea.

Xu Huaisong planned to go home to see Tao Rong and asked Ruan Yu whether she wanted to go along with him.

Ruan Yu thought it would be too easy for him to get her to go home with him just by turning the lazy susan a few times for her. Ruan Yu shook her head and said “next time.” She instead went to the afternoon tea with her parents. They didn’t meet up with Xu Huaisong again until 3:30 in the afternoon to go back to Hang City in his car.

Ruan Chengru and Qu Lan were still talking with He Chong in front of the tea house. Ruan Yu walked a few steps away from them and waved at Xu Huaisong to come over and lower his head.

Xu Huaisong didn’t know what she was up to but bent over anyway. Ruan Yu then whispered next to his ear: “Do you know why I care so much about traffic rules?”

“Why?”

“My dad taught me.”

On their way back, Xu Huaisong fixed his eyes to the front with his full attention, without interjecting in any of the conversation between Ruan Yu and her parents.

Her parents at the back seat exchanged a look again.

– –Looks like they haven’t resolved the issue yet?

– –Then, this time we won’t ask Xiao Xu to stay for dinner?

Xu Huaisong didn’t realize that Ruan Yu had tricked him into losing an important dinner invitation. After sending Ruan Yu’s parents back home, he took Ruan Yu home after having a simple dinner back in town.

It was already 7 o’clock at night. Ruan Yu, wearing the 7 cm high stilettos for the whole day, was tired and sleepy and didn’t have any more energy to play more tricks on Xu Huaisong. She covered her mouth as she yawned and drowsily waved goodbye to him before opening the car door.

Xu Huaisong took a look at her and was about to get out of the car as well. Ruan Yu raised her hand to stop him: “I was just joking at lunch. You don’t have to see me upstairs.” She closed the door and turned to walk towards the well lit apartment building.

Xu Huaisong paused a bit but still got out of the car. When he entered the lobby, he saw Raun Yu dumbfoundedly standing in front of the elevator and tilting her head looking at something.

He walked up and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Yu turned her head and pointed at a note pasted on the wall to say: “Power outage. Can’t use the elevator.”

Xu Huaisong took a glance at the “Power Outage Notice”, then another glance at the staircase at the other side: “Then, take the stairs.”

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 31 Part 2

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 31 Part 2

As expected, Ruan Chengru was surprised: “You and our Yuyu know each other?”

The question was directed at Xu Huaisong and it wasn’t polite for Ruan Yu to interject. She could only watch as Xu Huaisong nodded his head and replied: “Yes, but I didn’t know we were alumni otherwise I would have taken you all here.”

Ruan Chengru and Qu Lan exchanged a look with each other.

Ruan Yu held back her irritation and gulped half a glass of the orange juice in front of her.

He can go ahead with all the acting he wants, just keep acting.

Xu Huaisong continued to tell Ruan Chengru: “After the party’s over, I’ll accompany her and take you and Ms. Qu home.”

Under the circumstances, it would give the impression that he and Ruan Yu weren’t that close if he addressed her as “Ruan Yu”, which wouldn’t pass the message to her parents about his intentions. But if he addressed her as “Yuyu”, it would be a little overboard which would startle Ruan Yu.

Therefore a vague “her” would be just right to serve his purpose.

Ruan Yu, who couldn’t interject, drank the other half of the orange juice. She was secretly grinding her teeth.

Qu Lan picked up the conversation with a laugh: “That’ll be too much trouble for you. If it’s on your way back just take Yuyu with you. We live in the suburbs.”

Xu Huaisong replied with a smile: “It’s no trouble at all. The air in the suburbs is much fresher. I’ll go for a ride there.”

“Then you two will be back too late, it’s not safe!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll see her back at her door.”

Ruan Yu thought it was just too much for him to cozy up to her parents like this and couldn’t hold back her tongue anymore. She interjected: “Then why didn’t you see me back to my door the last time?”

Xu Huaisong slightly tilted his body to take a look at her and earnestly tried to recall: “En, I only saw you home downstairs a couple days ago.”

Qu Lan was a little startled and chuckled. She pinched Ruan Yu’s sleeve and said in a low voice: “You aren’t satisfied with Xiao Xu seeing you home downstairs?”

Ruan Yu replied in a small voice as well: “Downstairs isn’t to the door of my home. It’s possible to run into some danger while going upstairs.”

“You’re exaggerating!”

“No, I should’ve walked upstairs with her. I’ll remember that from now on.” Xu Huaisong took a look at Ruan Yu with a smile. Zhou Jun, who was sitting next to him, elbowed him .

Xu Huaisong turned to look at Zhou Jun. Zhou Jun had his thumb up towards him and whispered: “Brother, you’re good.”

Xu Huaisong didn’t say anything. When he looked up again, he saw Ruan Yu saying something next to Qu Lan’s ear and suddenly got up to leave the table.

Ruan Yu walked towards the restroom. Xu Huaisong nodded at Zhou Jun and also got up to leave the table.

Ruan Yu had drunk too much orange juice and had to go to the restroom. In addition, she wanted to go to the restroom to calm herself down as well.

She was now looking at Xu Huaisong with a bias and couldn’t stand him more and more. She couldn’t even tell which part was his true feelings and which part was only just an act.

Seeing how he pleased her parents, Ruan Yu thought maybe he had cozied up to many young ladies and their parents before.

She took a few deep breaths inside the stall. When she came out, she saw Xu Huaisong standing next to the washstand waiting for her.

“Ah, you……” Ruan Yu looked up at the ceiling and patted her chest: “You scared me to death……”

Xu Huaisong seemed to have a faint smile on his face: “Hiding in there to chew me down?”

Ruan Yu secretly rolled her eyes in her mind but shook her head instead: “Why do I want to chew you down? Have you done anything with a bad conscience?”

“No. Let’s go together to have a toast to Mr. He?”

“Aren’t you going to drive later on?”

“I’ll drink tea instead of wine.”

“Alright, then.” Ruan Yu said with a smile: “There are three of us former students at our table. Let’s get Zhou Jun to go with us.”

Xu Huaisong almost choked.

Ruan Yu blinked and pretended to be innocent: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 31 Part 1

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 31 Part 1

As Ruan Yu imagined the bloody scene of her heels penetrating Xu Huaisong’s shoes, Ruan Chengru’s voice came from behind her: “Yuyu, come sit over here.”

Xu Huaisong took a glance behind her and said: “You go ahead, let me go to say hi to Mr. He first.”

Go ahead? Did he mean that he would come by shortly and sit with her at the same table?

Hum, had he taken all this trouble to arrange the encounter here just so he could meet her parents?

Ruan Chengru called her again: “Yuyu.” Ruan Yu took a look at Xu Huaisong and Zhou Jun and said: “I’ll go over there then.” She sat down on the left side of Qu Lan.

He Chong sat at the table with his relatives and the table Ruan Yu at was occupied mostly by retired teachers from the school.

After sitting down, Ruan Yu greeted several teachers whom she knew. Not too long afterwards, Xu Huaisong and Zhou Jun walked over together.

The seat to the right hand side of Ruan Chengru was still not occupied.

Ruan Yu looked sideways and just as she had expected, when Zhou Jun was about to touch the empty chair, Xu Huaisong suddenly moved quickly to her father’s side.

Ruan Chengru naturally looked up.

Ruan Yu was waiting to see how Xu Huaisong would greet her father. What she didn’t expect was that the person who spoke first was her father: “Ou? This is…… Huaisong?”

Ruan Yu: “......”

She was so disappointed with her father. How could her father greet his student first? Besides, it had been eight years already, how could her father still remember this student?

Xu Huaisong slightly bent over and lowered his head to say: “Mr. Ruan?” He was perfectly showing modesty and respect and with a hint of  uncertainty.

“Come sit down, sit.” Ruan Chengru smiled with squinted eyes: “I haven’t seen you for so many years. I remember that you went to the US after graduation?”

Being reminded by Ruan Chengru, other teachers at the table also remembered Xu Huaisong. They started talking to him with smiles: “Huaisong? Ah, you were the one who played piano on stage at the school’s 40th anniversary celebration?”

“Aiyo, you’ve become much more handsome now!”

“Your grades were excellent at the time as well. You were ranked first in the libertal arts classes while also preparing to go abroad.”

Xu Huaisong was too popular among the teachers; Ruan Yu and Zhou Jun put together weren’t able to compete with him. All the teachers’ focus was on him; none of them were moving their chopsticks.

Xu Huaisong politely nodded to each of the teachers and answered their questions one by one.

Finally, it was Qu Lan’s turn: “What do you do for a living now, Huaisong?”

Xu Huaisong turned his body sideways to nod at her: “I’ve been a lawyer in the US, but, this year, I just planned to come back to work here.”

Ruan Chengru’s eyes sparked slightly when he heard the word “lawyer.”

Ruan Yu sensed something different in that familiar expression in her father’s eyes. Just as she expected, her father continued: “Xiao Xu is such an accomplished young man. Are you married?”

Though Ruan Yu knew that most teachers, when meeting their former students after many years, would care the most about the students’ careers and families, in the Ruan family, however, “Xiao So and So” was the standard way of addressing someone whom her father deemed suitable to be his son-in-law in the future.

Less than one minute after Xu Huaisong sat down, he had already ascended from being “Huaisong” to “Xiao Xu.”

Ruan Yu held her forehead and silently questioned whether her father had considered how “Xiao Liu” would feel about this?

Xu Huaisong noticed Ruan Yu’s movement. He gave her a glance, then answered: “Not yet, Mr. Ruan.”

Ruan Chengru nodded and kept chatting with him. While they were talking about his career, Ruan Chengru turned his head to take a look at Ruan Yu: “Yuyu, look at Xiao Xu, he was in the same year as you. See how much he has accomplished!”

It was actually simply a courteous way of praising “someone else’s child” among parents. But Xu Huaisong replied before Ruan Yu could open her mouth in a humble and sincere manner: “No, no, she has accomplished much more than I.”

Ruan Yu’s eyes slowly moved over and met Xu Huaisong’s eyes.

Zhou Jun also smelled something unusual about to happen. He stopped chatting with the teacher next to him and listened attentively.

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.