You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 60 Part 3

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 60 Part 3

It was already dark after Xu Huaisong and Ruan Yu took Jiang Yi home. They then found a restaurant to eat dinner. Afterwards, Xu Huaisong planned to drive back to Hang City but Ruan Yu suggested: “Let’s go visit your mother?”

Xu Huaisong knew what Ruan Yu meant between the lines. He should let Tao Rong know about the new development of the old case.

Xu Huaisong cast his eyes down: “Wait a couple of days. I haven’t figured out how to tell her.”

Too many years had passed. Once the truth revealed itself, as one of the people who was entangled in it, he didn’t know at the moment how to untie the encased knot.

It was relatively easy to explain the truth. But what about the aftermath? Could a family which had been split for ten years be patched up again? And how would it be patched up?

Xu Huaisong was digesting the turn of events himself right now and wasn’t in a position to talk to Tao Rong yet.

Ruan Yu pondered a bit: “It’s fine not to let her know now. But it’s dark, let’s not drive back.”

Xu Huaisong turned his head to look at her: “Then, a hotel?”

She shook her head and put her arms around his: “Let’s just go stay at your home. Your grandma invited us last time.”

Xu Huaisong laughed: “I’ve seen people trick their girlfriends into going home with them, but I’ve never seen someone who gets tricked by his girlfriend to go to his own home.”

Ruan Yu gave him a glance: “Then, will you be tricked?”

“I will.”

Xu Huaisong called his home, then Ruan Yu dragged him to go shopping. After the shopping spree, he carried big and small bags back home with her.

Tao Rong and his grandma happily let them into the living room.

Since it was the weekend, Xu Huaishi was also at home doing homework. Seeing all the packages, she ran to the living room and pointed at all the bags: “Is there anything for me?”

Xu Huaisong said: “Yes.” He picked up a set of 48 practice tests to give her.

Xu Huaishi: “......”

Ruan Yu whispered in her ear: “This has nothing to do with me. It’s your brother who wanted to buy them for you.”

Xu Huaishi said with a pursed mouth: “Jiejie, even you can’t control him.”

“There’s nothing to be controlled.” Xu Huaisong pushed her towards the study: “Go do your homework.”

“Doesn’t a high school senior have any human rights?” Xu Huaishi talked back but shrunk her neck before her brother gave her a cold stare: “Alright, alright, no human rights, no human rights!” Then she rushed back to the study. Before she closed the door, she mouthed to Ruan Yu– –don’t marry him, don’t marry him!

Ruan Yu laughed and waved at her, telling her not to worry.

Tao Rong and Grandma led them to sit on the couch. This time both sides had time to prepare for the meeting and the atmosphere was cordial.

When Tao Rong asked why they were both at Su City, Xu Huaisong was about to say “taking care of business” when Ruan Yu replied: “Huaisong just flew back from the US today. Since the airport is closer to here, we came over.”

Grandma: “Hrm, it’s so tiring flying back and forth. Does Huaisong have any plans?”

Xu Huaisong was silent for a moment before answering truthfully: “I do. After taking care of the rest of my work in the US, I basically don’t need to go there anymore.”

Something flashed in Tao Rong’s eyes.

Grandma laughed and referred to Ruan Yu in a more intimate way: “I’ve told your mother that you care about Yuyu so much that you must have plans. It’s good that you have plans, it’s good……”

Tao Rong was quiet for a while before asking: “Then what about your father?”

Xu Huaisong paused before replying: “At his current situation, it’s impossible to leave him in the US all by himself for any long period of time.”

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 60 Part 2

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 60 Part 2

Ruan Yu understood how frightened Jiang Yi must be when the whole world was saying “you’re guilty.”

She had gone through that kind of despair when she couldn’t give any convincing explanation to defend herself.

Ruan Yu sighed and watched the sun gradually setting in the west. After about an hour, Xu Huaisong walked out of the station by himself.

When he opened the car door, Ruan Yu’s heart abruptly tugged. She turned her body sideways to check his facial expression first.

He had a relieved expression on his face. Ruan Yu couldn’t wait to ask: “There’s still no conclusion?”

Xu Huaisong shook his head. He sat in the car but didn’t start the car, instead he sighed deeply while leaning against the back of the seat: “There should be a conclusion, though we have to wait for the trail. But it’s pretty much certain now.”

“Was it really……Wei Jin?”

“The police have investigated Wei Jin’s cash flows in recent years because of his possible involvement in drugs. They have discovered a suspicious account. Wei Jin has been wiring money into this account for ten years, big sums of money. The money transfers through many hands and eventually reaches a real estate tycoon in Hong Kong.”

“This real estate tycoon was once a medical examiner in Su City.”

Ruan Yu’s throat tightened; she had guessed what had happened back then.

Xu Huaisong swallowed with some difficulty: “The police found out that Wei Jin had asked this medical examiner to tamper with the victim’s body, causing the autopsy to determine that the time of death to be much earlier than the actual time. Because of this, Jiang Yi’s alibi couldn’t hold out and Wei Jin could provide a reasonable alibi.”

“In reality, when Jiang Yi and the victim were having sex in the men’s restroom, Wei Jin happened to be in the stall at the corner.”

Xu Huaisong didn’t continue, probably not wanting to give Ruan Yu too many details.

But Ruan Yu could pretty much figure out what had happened in the restroom.

Jiang Yi and all his friends were just having a wild party that evening. Wei Jin must have had much to drink as well. He happened to overhear Jiang Yi and the victim in the restroom. After Jiang Yi left the restroom in a hurry, he must have been so aroused that he wanted to do the same with the victim. 

Wei Jin probably accidentally killed the girl during a physical scuffle.

Facing the choices of turning himself in or using a fake alibi to get away, Wei Jin chose the latter. From then on, under his glamorous appearance, he had a twisted soul, taking drugs and raping women.

“Why didn’t Wei Jin try to silence this medical examiner for all those years?”

“One is that there's a risk trying to silence him. The other is that the medical examiner must be a smart person. He must have preserved some evidence so Wei Jin wouldn’t dare trying to kill him. If he accidentally dies, that evidence will be given to the police.”

Ruan Yu closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Jiang Yi walking out of the police station by himself, he was staggering. After walking out of the glass door, he crumpled onto the step outside.

Then, he started wailing.

A thirtyish man, like a child, howling with an open mouth. He cried so hard that he was out of breath, making a strange squealing sound.

Ten years later, on this day against a bleeding red sunset glow, Jiang Yi uttered cries of anguish. He wanted to use a voice which could be heard by the whole world to shout again: “I didn’t kill anyone! I didn’t kill anyone……”

He cried and shouted, laughing as he cried. But his laugh was very gloomy, very desperate.

Ruan Yu watched through the car window how passersby looked at Jiang Yi in surprise and confusion. The way they looked at him was like they were seeing a horrible mad man.

Xu Huaisong opened the car door.

He walked over and squatted down in front of Jiang Yi, gently patted his back and said: “It’s all over. It’s alright now.”

Jiang Yi stopped shouting and used his hands which were covered with calluses to cover his face.

Tears streamed down between his fingers. Xu Huaisong gently smiled at him: “Let me take you home, alright?”

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 60 Part 1

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 60 Part 1

After hanging up the phone, Ruan Yu sat on the couch lost in thought.

It wasn’t because of the news she had just heard. It was rather because Fang Zhen said that Xu Huaisong had mentioned the old case to him in private.

Xu Huaisong wasn’t someone who would easily jump to conclusions. When they first found that group picture, Xu Huaisong was quite objective and rational. Even after Wei Jin was arrested for drug-related charges, he still didn’t accuse Wei Jin of anything for which he didn’t have any proof of. After he flew to the US, he never mentioned anything about it when video chatting with Ruan Yu.

But being a normal human being, he couldn’t remain emotionally impartial about Wei Jin’s case.

He was deeply concerned about it and had asked the police to watch how Wei Jin’s case progressed.

It was a matter which only Xu Huaisong could take care of. There was little that Ruan Yu could do to help him with it. The only thing she could do was to buy a high speed train ticket to go to Su City. She would give him the information the first moment he got off the plane and let him know that she would meet him at Su City.

The airport was much closer to Su City than Hang City.

It was late afternoon when Ruan Yu arrived at the train station of Su City. A few minutes later, Xu Huaisong also arrived at the station.

Xu Huaisong’s own car was in the mechanic’s shop and he had rented a car.

Ruan Yu got in the car and Xu Huaisong welcomed her by patting her head.

He leaned over to help Ruan Yu fasten the seatbelt and lightly pinched her nose to say: “I’ll be back in Hang City in a few hours after taking care of things over here. You don’t need to come all this way here.”

“I’m afraid that you won’t be able to finish tonight and have to spend the night here.”

They were apart for ten days and relied on video calls to keep in touch. Ruan Yu didn’t want to wait for an extra few hours more before seeing him.

Xu Huaisong laughed: “You know what my American colleagues called you?”

They had been video chatting much more frequently than the previous time when they were apart. Several of Xu Huaisong's American colleagues became familiar with her.  

Ruan Yu touched her nose: “What?”

Xu Huaisong started the car and turned the steering wheel to drive away from the train station. His lips curved upwards and said: “The clingy cat.”

Ruan Yu was speechless: “It was you who insisted on keeping video calls on while you go to sleep. Did you explain?”

“I did.”

“How did you clarify it?”

“I said, I probably couldn’t be counted as a person either.”

“......”

They had some small talk on their way to the police station, perhaps because they were excited to see each other again. However, it was more due to the fact that they were both anxious about what might come next and wanted to avoid the topic.

They were both uneasy about what they might learn at the police station, so they spoke of inconsequential things to ease the nervousness they both were experiencing at the moment.

Yet the deliberately created light-heartedness went out of the window when they saw Jiang Yi in front of the police station.

When Xu Huaisong was parking the car, Jiang Yi was following two policemen walking towards the station. It looked like he had been asked to come to the station for questioning.

Xu Huaisong frowned and parked the car. He then released the seat belt and was about to say something when he heard Ruan Yu saying: “Go, I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Xu Huaisong had some connection to the case but Ruan Yu was a total outsider. She felt she wasn’t in the position to go in.

She waited in the car and couldn’t get the image of Jiang Yi walking into the station off her head.

Jiang Yi was still wearing that same old, yellowing t-shirt with a stooping back. When he looked up at the police badge hanging on the doorway, both of his legs were trembling and he almost tripped while going up the steps.

Ruan Yu could even imagine that there must be fears filled in his eyes.

It wasn’t from a guilty conscience but from genuine fear.

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 59 Part 3

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 59 Part 3

Xu Huaisong continued to brush over her teeth a second time.

With the toothbrush in her mouth, Ruan Yu mumbled with a mouth full of foam: “Are you raising a daughter?”

Xu Huaisong lowered his head and laughed: “Don’t let your father hear this. It sounds like I’ve abducted his daughter.”

Ruan Yu rinsed her mouth clean and tilted her head to look at him: “Haven’t you?”

Ruan Yu’s question seemed to have reminded Xu Huaisong something. He put down the water cup and said: “At least I’m not abducting you to the US.”

Hearing it, Ruan Yu was a little taken aback and the smile on her face faded.

Xu Huaisong sighed and reached over with his hand to touch her face: “Do you know why I haven’t become a US citizen?”

She shook her head and frowned with confusion.

Come to think about it, he had been in the US for eight years and was quite accomplished. He should have met the requirements for applying for citizenship long ago.

“It’s because my father never mentioned this before he became sick. In the beginning, I thought he might have had other plans. But after he got sick and I went through some of his documents, I discovered that he had investments in China all along. Though we put down our roots in the US, he didn’t seem to have any plans on giving up his Chinese citizenship at all and didn’t plan to cut off all ties with what we have here. So I didn’t make any move on my own.”

“I have a mother and sister who have always hoped I would come back someday. I also have a father who doesn’t want to part with things here. But it’s you who offered me an opportunity to make a choice. I can be a lawyer in the US and in China as well. Eight years look like a long time, but in comparison to the decades ahead, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal, does it?”

Ruan Yu didn't know how true his words were.

But, just as she expected, he wasn’t going to bring her with him to the US.

Xu Huaisong smiled: “I’m truly happy that you’re willing to consider moving to the US for me. But just considering it is enough.”

Ruan Yu cast her eyes down and nodded. After a while, she asked: “Then, how about your father?”

“When his health is more stable, I’ll consult the doctors in the US to see when he would be able to ride on an airplane and whether he would be able to adjust to a new life in a new environment.”

Ruan Yu nodded: “Then, when are we going to the US this time?”

Xu Huaisong reached over to scrape Ruan Yu’s nose with his finger: “Just like what I said yesterday, I’ll go back by myself. The lawyer exam is coming up pretty soon, I won’t be gone for long this time. It’ll be too tiring for you to go with me and have to deal with jet lag.”

Ruan Yu disagreed and tried to persuade him to take her. She poked at his waist and hinted: “Are you willing to part with me……”

Xu Huaisong was a little stunned, then he realized what she was implying. He lowered his head and said: “Aren’t you going to have your period tomorrow? I’ll be gone just this week or so.”

“......”

Ruan Yu recalled Xu Huaishi’s advice: See how shrewd and calculating my brother is? For this kind of person, dating him is alright but absolutely don’t marry him!

Ruan Yu pushed him: “Go, go, go!”

Xu Huaisong took the flight that night to the US and would be back in less than half a month.

Ruan Yu’s screenplay project had been put on hold after the arrest of the investor. She was idle at home waiting for Xu Huaisong to come back. Then, she received a phone call from Fang Zhen.

It was from Fang Zhen’s personal number. Ruan Yu figured it shouldn’t be about anything official.

Ruan Yu picked up the phone and heard Fang Zhen ask: “Ms. Ruan, may I ask whether you can get in touch with Lawyer Xu? I can’t get hold of him neither with his US number nor the number here.”

Ruan Yu was surprised: “He’s on the plane now. You can get in touch with him with his number in an hour.” She frowned and guessed what might have happened: “Why are you looking for  him? Is there some news about Wei Jin’s case?”

Fang Zhen: “En. Lawyer Xu had mentioned to me privately before about a case his father handled about ten years ago.”

Ruan Yu’s heart suddenly started to beat faster: “Any progress with that case?”

“There’s a major discovery and it has been handed over to the Su City police already.”

“What discovery?”

“It’s not convenient for me to disclose it. If Lawyer Xu is concerned about it, he may contact the Su City police. I’m calling to let him know about this.”

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 59 Part 2

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 59 Part 2

Last night, their first time together didn’t last very long but because of their nervousness beforehand, they were both drenched in sweat afterwards. After the deed was finished, Xu Huaisong wanted to carry Ruan Yu to the bathroom but she had refused.

She thought about the purpose of that mirror in the love hotel and wouldn’t go with him.

Xu Huaisong had no choice but to bring water in a basin over to help Ruan Yu wipe herself clean.

In the darkness of the room, the wiping motion ignited the fire between them again. This time, the two of them chose not to resist and went with their passion for a second round.

The second round was much more passionate than the first round.

When they were finished, Ruan Yu was exhausted. When Xu Huaisong tried again to carry her to the bathroom, she was like a dead fish without the energy to struggle against it and by that point no longer cared enough to be embarrassed.

Now, Ruan Yu laid on bed recalling what happened last night, she blushed again while snickering.

As the corners of Ruan Yu’s lips curved upwards, the door to the bathroom suddenly opened.

Ruan Yu instantly wiped the smile from her face and subconsciously shut her eyes, pretending to still be sleeping.

Xu Huaisong had a silent smile on his face. He knelt down next to the bed and slowly got closer to peck on Ruan Yu’s lips: “It’s almost ten already.”

Ruan Yu forgot that she was pretending to be asleep. She opened her eyes abruptly and asked in surprise: “Is it that late?” Then she realized that she was supposed to take care of Xu Huaisong’s three meals. She climbed up: “Then, have you had your breakfast yet?”

Xu Huaisong didn’t have his eyeglasses on and there were still beads of water on his eyelashes. He looked very innocent and shook his head understandingly: “I don’t have the heart to eat.”

“......”

Normally when a man talks dirty, it isn’t scary at all because one could immediately give the man a sharp look to scare him back.

But in Xu Huaisong’s case, one had to digest the dirty talk coming out of his mouth before grasping it and by that time, the best timing for a response had already passed.

He took Ruan Yu’s lack of response as acceptance of his dirty talk and started to bring up the next topic. He said with a laugh: “Get up. I’ve already made breakfast.”

Ruan Yu touched her nose and flipped over the cover to get out of the bed. Once her feet touched the floor, she felt soreness all over her legs.

Noticing that Ruan Yu had paused, Xu Huaisong stopped her: “I’ll bring over the washbasin. You can wash up in bed?”

Ruan Yu hesitated: “I’m just……” She had just gone through two rounds of intimacy last night, not having given birth to a child.

“The fitness examination back in college was even worse. The next day everyone in the dorm was groaning and moaning when they got off the bed.” Ruan Yu mumbled to indicate that it wasn’t a big deal and turned to go into the bathroom.

Xu Huaisong flatly said: “Oh.” After a little while, he followed her to the bathroom: “Then, you mean I’m not as good as your college fitness exam?”

Ruan Yu paused in the middle of squeezing out the toothpaste.

Were the two…… comparable?

Ruan Yu avoided giving a direct answer: “It was the leapfrog which hurt too much.”

Xu Huaisong took the toothbrush in Ruan Yu’s hand and helped her squeeze some toothpaste on the brush. He also filled up water in the cup and handed it over to her. Then, after a short silence, he said: “There’s a way to do it like a leapfrog.”

Ruan Yu wondered whether there was a switch on him that had been turned on last night. Now it seemed like he couldn’t stop from talking about sex.

Ruan Yu stopped the motion of the toothbrush in her mouth and slowly looked up at him. The bluish white foam flowed out of the corner of her mouth.

Xu Huaisong looked at Ruan Yu in the mirror and smiled. He used one arm to circle around her from her back and used the other hand to take her toothbrush while saying: “Open your mouth.”

Ruan Yu blinked and slightly opened her mouth. Xu Huaisong then started to brush her teeth for her.

The brush gently brushed over every one of her teeth, then, a cup of water was brought up to her mouth.

Ruan Yu sneaked a peek at Xu Huaisong in the mirror.

He was very focused, looking down at her. There was tenderness in his eyes. Seeing that Ruan Yu wasn’t moving, he urged her in a soft voice: “Rinse.”

Ruan Yu could feel a kind of intimacy between them which she had never experienced before.

She began to believe what she had heard before: a keen observer could tell just by one look whether a man and a woman already had an “intimate relationship”.

Ruan Yu lowered her head to sip some water from the cup in his hand, rinsed her mouth, then spat the water back out.

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 59 Part 1

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 59 Part 1

Xu Huaisong lifted his hands and when his kiss landed on Ruan Yu’s lips, his burning palms also landed on her back.

Ruan Yu shivered from the sensation.

Xu Huaisong moved his hands up and down on her with closed eyes.

Ruan Yu was somewhat startled by the sudden movement and wondered to herself if all men probably instinctively knew how to do this thing?

She moved her hands to hold his head.

Xu Huaisong paused and breathlessly asked: “......Where’s your bubble gum?”

“In the third drawer of the TV cabinet……”

Xu Huaisong turned to get out of the bed.

The bed sheet was already gathered in the corner. The disheveled Ruan Yu buried her face in the pillow. Her heart was restless.

She longed for what was going to happen but was nervous about it.

She buried her face even deeper into the pillow and refused to look up when she heard the rustling sound next to the bed.

Then she heard a husky voice from above her head: “There’s no turning back. It’s too late to regret it.”

Ruan Yu jumped: “Wait, wait a moment……”

Xu Huaisong took a deep breath and continued to coax her patiently and gently.

Ruan Yu felt like a lone boat drifting on the ocean. Surrounded by ferocious waves, there was no way for her to escape.

Ruan Yu was as tense as a cooked shrimp: “You, how would you know how……”

Xu Huaisong climbed up and used his nose tip to touch hers: “Because I’ve drilled it many times in my head.”

He touched her sweaty forehead and asked: “Is it ok now?”

Ruan Yu bit her lips and didn’t say anything. Xu Huaisong realized that she had given her consent in silence.

When it finally happened, both of them groaned at the same time.

Xu Huaisong paused and asked her: “Does it hurt?”

Ruan Yu shook her head: “It’s, it’s alright……but I……”

Xu Huaisong patiently asked her: “But what?”

“But I feel like crying……”

Xu Huaisong kissed her forehead: “Silly.”

But Ruan Yu really started crying, tears began to well up in her eyes.

Ruan Yu said while sniffling: “Xu Huaisong, I……”

“I love you.” He interrupted her: “I should be the one who says it first.”

Ruan Yu tightly embraced his back and nodded, then nodded again: “I love you too, probably even more so than you’ve imagined.”

Xu Huaisong’s heart trembled and he continued moving.

Ruan Yu felt that it was a very, very long night. It was so long that she could even see to the end of her whole life.

When Ruan Yu woke up the next morning, she wasn’t in Xu Huaisong’s arms like in those dramas.

She was woken up by the noise of running water.

She opened her eyes and discovered that there was no one next to her but the sheet was still warm.

Xu Huaisong was washing up in the bathroom, probably having just gotten up not too long ago.

In a daze, Ruan Yu blinked her eyes and saw the daylight shine through the gap between the curtains. She slowly woke up and the events of last night also became clearer and clearer in her head.

She and Xu Huaisong had finally taken that step.

From 16 to 18 years old, they held hands once. From May to September when she was 26 years old, they took that step.

It was quite fast yet slow at the same time.

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 58 Part 2

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 58 Part 2

Xu Huaisong at 18 years old wouldn’t say “I like you” to her because he couldn’t decide his own future. At 26 years old, he wouldn’t say “I love you” to her because he couldn’t be sure about the future of their relationship.

He wouldn’t do so even though his love for her was already strong enough for him to turn the steering wheel at that critical moment.

Ruan Yu felt a lump in her throat but tried to hold back her tears while staring at the ceiling light.

How could Xu Huaisong be so foolish.

She couldn’t even get angry at his foolishness.

Xu Huaisong was about to lie down but saw Ruan Yu’s expression as if she had been deeply moved by something while staring at the ceiling. He paused: “What’s up there?”

Ruan Yu sniffled her nose and almost cried: “The lamp is so beautiful……”

“......”

Xu Huaisong was silent for a moment: “Should I turn it on for you?”

Ruan Yu shook her head: “It’s still quite beautiful when it’s dark……”

He blinked: “Then you keep sitting there and look at it for a while longer?”

She nodded.

Xu Huaisong lied down on the bed.

Ruan Yu held onto her knees and continued watching the ceiling light to calm herself. Yet, the emotion surging inside of her was getting stronger and stronger.

Xu Huaisong was very quiet when he was sad.

Xu Huaisong was also very quiet when he was in love.

This man wasn’t iridescent fireworks nor an earth-shattering thunderbolt. He was the ever-flowing stream, flowing through rocks and ditches, which sent the most wonderful love to her along the way little by little.

It flowed in a trickle yet it could flow to eternity.

Ruan Yu pulled on the cover and slowly laid herself down. She turned sideways to face him and said: “Xu Huaisong, will you be tired of me one day and leave me?”

Xu Huaisong, who was lying flat, immediately frowned when he heard her and turned his head over to say: “I won’t.” He asked: “What are you thinking……”

“I won’t leave you either.” She interrupted him: “I really won’t.”

His knitted brows relaxed. Ruan Yu got closer to him: “Therefore, there isn’t any uncertain future between us.”

“En.” He sighed with a smile: “No need to comfort me. I know I’ve misunderstood you before.”

Ruan Yu shook her head to indicate that she wasn’t trying to comfort him. She stammered: “What I meant is that since that’s the case, why couldn’t we…… be together now?”

Xu Huaisong was surprised: “We’ve already been together for two……”

“I mean.” She hurriedly interrupted him but hesitated to say what she wanted to say: “I mean……”

Xu Huaisong figured out what Ruan Yu meant from her ashamed expression and slowly blinked his eyes.

Something flashed in his eyes as if a star had fallen into the bottom of his eyes.

He was silent for a long moment before opening his mouth to confirm it: “You serious about it?”

Ruan Yu was afraid that if she showed any hesitation, he would continue to draw back. She forcefully nodded: “It has nothing to do with the fact you saved my life or whether you felt bad or not. It’s me who wants…...”

She wanted to hand herself to him.

After speaking her mind, she cast her eyes down to look at her own nose tips and dared not to look at him again.

Xu Huaisong didn’t move for a while while looking at her.

Just as Ruan Yu had made up her mind to take the initiative, Xu Huaisong slightly pinched her chin and confirmed for the last time: “Then I won’t hold back……”

Ruan Yu slowly closed her eyes and nodded.

……

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 58 Part 1

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 58 Part 1

Ruan Yu sat on the carpet with both hands over her face.

Xu Huaisong stared at the two boxes, slowly pushed up his glasses, then turned his head to find Ruan Yu peeking through her fingers. Noticing that Xu Huaisong was looking her way, Ruan Yu quickly gathered her fingers.

Xu Huaisong turned his eyes back to the two boxes.

Ruan Yu buried her face between her knees.

It looked like she was waiting for help to save her from the embarrassment.

After a while, Xu Huaisong put up a “calm” front and moved closer to Ruan Yu. He squatted down beside her and said: “How old are you still eating bubble gum?”

“......”

Ruan Yu looked up, stunned.

“Hrm?” She subconsciously questioned.

So he didn’t recognize those boxes? Was it because of the cultural differences between China and the US?

Xu Huaisong acted naturally and turned his head to rummage through the other snacks in the shopping bag. He picked up one after another: “Jelly, shrimp crackers, gummies, how old are you?”

Xu Huaisong looked like he genuinely thought that Ruan Yu was embarrassed that all the snacks had been discovered. Ruan Yu’s blushing face gradually returned to a normal color: “I……I can’t?”

Xu Huaisong smiled and gave her a glance: “Whatever pleases you.” He reached over the two boxes, preparing to put them back into the bag.

Ruan Yu nimbly grabbed the two boxes into her arms: “These are mine. The rest, I can share with you……”

He touched her head: “I won’t fight with you.” Then he reached over to pull her up: “Get up.”

Ruan Yu used one hand to cradle the boxes and got up from the ground with help from Xu Huaisong. Then she watched him walk towards the bedroom and said: “I’ll read a bit then go to sleep.”

Ruan Yu nodded and tidied up the living room. She put the boxes into the drawer. When she walked into the bedroom, she saw Xu Huaisong leaning against the headboard of the bed and had a book in hand checking the questions he had missed. He looked very focused and didn’t seem to be bothered by the accident earlier at all.

He really didn’t recognize the boxes of condoms.

Ruan Yu didn’t know whether she should be crying or laughing. Ruan Yu walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She looked into the mirror and didn’t know how to describe how she felt now.

Was she glad or sad?

It took her ten minutes to brush her teeth, until her teeth were sore. She adjusted herself and opened the bathroom door to go out in a faux happy mood. She climbed onto the bed: “Today’s exhausting. Don’t read anymore, let’s sleep!”

Xu Huaisong answered “oh” and closed his notebook.

Ruan Yu looked at him with a smile. Her eyes glanced over the cover of the book in his hand and the smile froze on her lips.

Wasn’t….. his book upside down?

Xu Huaisong put the book down on the nightstand and shut the ceiling light, but left the light next to the door on to keep the hallway lit.

The bedroom became dark. Ruan Yu blinked her eyes and recalled the words she had seen on the book cover. She was sure that her eyes didn’t fail her.

Therefore, he had looked at an upside down book for ten minutes and didn’t even realize it?

Then, what was he thinking of?

“......”

Ruan Yu flipped open the cover and slowly sat down on the bed under it. She looked at the ceiling.

He recognized the condoms.

How could he not recognize the condoms?

He recognized them but pretended not to so as not to embarrass her.

He recognized them but pretended not because the so-called “wolf without his utensils” was only an excuse.

He would rather take cold showers and read upside down books than cross that line before he thought it was alright to do so.

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

You're My Belated Happiness - Chapter 57 Part 4

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

You’re My Belated Happiness

Chapter 57 Part 4

That day at Global Filming, Li Shican watched quietly in the lobby to make sure Ruan Yu got in Xu Huaisong’s car. Later on he sent a WeChat message over to Ruan Yu and right at that juncture, Ruan Yu happened to ask Xu Huaisong whether she was being too selfish.

What she meant by selfish was that she had taken his love for granted without paying back equally.

But Xu Huaisong had mistakenly thought Ruan Yu meant that she had frequently accepted Li Shican’s help without paying him back anything.

He thought mistakenly that what Ruan Yu was struggling with was whether she should respond to Li Shican’s caring attention.

“......” After she had thought it through, Ruan Yu was speechless and felt like a fool.

Certainly though, Xu Huaisong was a much bigger fool than she.

Ruan Yu asked in amazement: “When I was at the store and wouldn’t let you come over, you wouldn’t think……”

Was he thinking that she wouldn’t let him go over to the store because it had something to do with Li Shican as well?

Xu Huaisong didn’t respond. It looked like he had admitted it in silence.

Ruan Yu didn't know whether she should laugh or get angry: “Xu Huaisong, you really are driving me mad!”

Xu Huaisong was stunned and blinked his eyes.

Ruan Yu turned to take her cell phone and opened the chat box with Lu Shenglan: “Come, take a good look at this to see what exactly was on my mind.”

Xu Huaisong read through the chats between Ruan Yu and Lu Shenglan then frowned: “What did she say to you?”

Ruan Yu had been hesitating about how to bring up this matter to Xu Huaisong. But now she didn’t have any hesitation and told him what they talked about in detail.

Xu Huaisong listened and pinched between his eyebrows.

Ruan Yu annoyingly asked: “What now, do you have a headache?”

Xu Huaisong shook his head: “Liver aches.”[1]

The liver hurts from being too upset.

“I’m the one who should have liver aches!” She sniffled: “You misunderstood me and sentenced me without even giving me a chance to explain…… Why can’t you speak your mind to make it clear? Do you think silence is gold?”

The more Ruan Yu spoke, the more upsetting she got. Finally, she got up from the couch and paced back and forth as if that was the only way to make her feel better.

Xu Huaisong also sat quietly to comb through his own thoughts. Then he got up to pull Ruan Yu back: “I’m wrong. I won’t keep anything bottled up from now on.”

Ruan Yu took a deep breath: “You better pray there’s still a from now on.”

 

“Don’t……” He pulled her into his arms: “I really know I’m wrong.”

Ruan Yu grinded her teeth and bit his chin.

Xu Huaisong hissed and cleared his throat: “Now, I’ll be straightforward and ask you a question?”

She gave him a glance: “Shoot.”

“Since it has nothing to do with Li Shican, then what had you been doing in the store? You said you were going to buy some good food to eat, but you didn’t eat much.”

“......”

Ruan Yu didn’t know how to reply.

It would not be a big deal to mention what she had done in the store if it was in an intimate moment.

But under the circumstances of now, would she still want to tell him what she had bought?

No, she wouldn’t want to.

She was still upset.

She shook her head: “For this matter, you can just bottle it up in your mind.”

Xu Huaisong frustratedly laughed: “You were just telling me to speak my mind clearly. Now I asked and you wouldn’t tell me.”

“I won’t tell you. So what?”

There was nothing Xu Huaisong could do about it. He adjusted his breathing and glanced over at the big bag of snacks which Ruan Yu had brought back from the store.

His glance made Ruan Yu nervous.

Xu Huaisong keenly noticed Ruan Yu’s uneasiness. He blinked his eyes and said: “Did you buy something?”

Ruan Yu cursed in her mind but shook her head: “No, it’s nothing……”

Xu Huaisong released her and went to check out the bag.

Ruan Yu hurriedly followed him, trying to pull him: “Huh, what are you doing? Don’t look into the bag, it’s my personal property!”

Xu Huaisong couldn’t hold back his curiosity and forgot all about how to be a gentleman. He picked up the bag.

Ruan Yu fought with him to get the bag back.

The two of them pushed and shoved and rolled around on the carpet. Finally, the bag broke in half and two colorful boxes fell out.

“......” He’d discovered a secret.

“......” A secret was discovered.

[1]: 肝疼 (gān téng), literally means 'liver aches'. This is commonly used in China, probably online, to mean that one's angry or upset. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that anger hurts one's liver.

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