translator: Eve

editor: xiin

After Song Xuanhe was discharged, Xiao Yuanmu’s workplace shifted from the hospital to the apartment.

Louis had teased him several times before over this but Xiao Yuanmu had remained unmoved from beginning to end. Even when it came to the Xiao Family, unless it was really urgent, he wouldn’t leave the apartment. One time, when Louis had once again come to complain about his suffering, he had told Song Xuanhe:

“Dr. Nathan’s already said that you’re fine, that you can take care of yourself now. But Xiao still isn’t willing to come to the company to work. I bet it isn’t 100% because he’s worried about your body. I think he thinks you’ll abandon him and go on another trip.”

Song Xuanhe had been drawing at the time. When he had heard what Louis said, he paused. At that moment, he suddenly recalled the System’s reminder two nights ago. Your last scene is fifteen days away. There are forty six days until your departure from this world.

“But I don’t think he has to worry.” Louis casually found a place to sit down. “There aren’t that many countries as dangerous as X Country in this world. You only went there because you didn’t know how dire the situation really was. Obviously, there isn’t going to be a second time. I really don’t know what he’s worried about.”

Louis’ eyes suddenly widened as he said this. He looked like he had suddenly seen the truth. He turned to speak to Yang Jie furiously, “Yang, do you think that this is because I took those days off for my hand injury? Is he using Song’s injury as an excuse to work from home? And if I ask him about it, do you think he’s going to use the excuse I used against me? And then he’ll shift most of the work onto me so that I won’t be able to rest even on the weekends!”

Not even Louis believed himself.

“Song.” Louis said to Song Xuanhe in a grave tone. “I sincerely wish to extend to you an invitation to come visit RE. If possible, please stay there for several days. I think that the architecture of our building will provide you with inspiration. I forgot to tell you this before, but our company’s building….”

“What are you guys talking about?”

Xiao Yuanmu came in with a bowl of noodles in his hand. He made a beeline to Song Xuanhe and placed the bowl down in front of him. In a fluid motion, he pulled the other’s pen out of his hand and handed him a pair of chopsticks instead. “The noodles you wanted to eat.”

Song Xuanhe had gotten used to how Xiao Yuanmu would do anything he asked at once over the last few days.

Therefore, he wasn’t upset over having his pen confiscated. He simply grabbed the chopsticks and began to eat.

Louis watched their seamless and familiar interaction with shock. He then asked Yang Jie, “Do you think Xiao knows that we’re still sitting right here?”

Yang Jie was looking at Song Xuanhe, who was quietly eating his noodles on the bed, with a complicated gaze. He also looked at Xiao Yuanmu, who was standing beside him, looking at Song Xuanhe’s sketch. He then looked away and quietly said, “He just asked us what we were talking about.”

Louis recalled hearing that. “Oh yeah. He wouldn’t ask us that if he didn’t know we were here. But why did he only bring one bowl over even though he knows we’re here?”

Xiao Yuanmu’s gaze was still on the sketch. He didn’t look up as he said mildly, “There’s more in the kitchen. If you want to eat, get it yourself.”

Louis raised his chin, intending to say that he didn’t want to eat. But the image of Song Xuanhe eating made him hungry. The delicious aroma of food that wafted over also made him gulp.

But Xiao Yuanmu ignoring him like this even though they were business partners really did hurt his self-esteem.

Louis wanted to find someone to back him up. He turned to ask Yang Jie: “Yang, we’re not going to…Yang?”

The place where Yang Jie had been standing was empty.

Song Xuanhe kindly informed him: “When Xiao Yuanmu said that there was more in the kitchen, Yang Jie left.”

Louis opened the door, stewing in his grief and indignation. He slunk away to the kitchen.

A minute later, they heard Louis’s voice from downstairs: “Yang, you rogue!”

Song Xuanhe suppressed the smile on his lips and continued to eat his noodles. Xiao Yuanmu also hid his own grin. He asked Song Xuanhe, “Why didn’t you draw me today?”

“Because Xiao Huang really seems to like my drawings.” Song Xuanhe finished the rest of his noodles and placed his chopsticks down. “So I decided to draw him one.”

Xiao Yuanmu raised a brow and carefully examined the drawing. “Didn’t you make him a little too fat?”

“No.” Song Xuanhe pulled the sketchbook towards him and took a look. “I even modified his body a bit so that he wouldn’t feel so self-conscious when looking at the portrait.”

Xiao Yuanmu looked at the chubby dog with short legs that looked like a ball. “What did you change?”

“His fur.” Song Xuanhe said, “But to make sure that it was still realistic, I only made him look more groomed.”

Xiao Yuanmu: ….

“Are you insinuating that Xiao Huang isn’t going to like my drawing?” Song Xuanhe raised a brow towards Xiao Yuanmu.

“He’ll like it.” Xiao Yuanmu returned the sketchbook and said, “I’m going to visit the Xiao residence today. Yang Jie will stay here with you. Zhou Nan and them will be coming over in the afternoon. I’ll come back to make dinner.”

“It’s okay,” Song Xuanhe said, “They can eat out.”

Xiao Yuanmu chuckled. “Okay.”

After lunch, Xiao Yuanmu spoke to Yang Jie a bit before leaving with Louis.

Now, there was only Song Xuanhe and Yang Jie left in the apartment. Things were really awkward for a moment.

“You…” Yang Jie stiffly averted his gaze, “How’s your injuries?”

Song Xuanhe: “A lot better.”

“That’s good.” Yang Jie coughed. When he noticed Song Xuanhe’s gaze on him, he pursed his lips. He thought about it, and then asked, “Why did you go to X Country? It’s really dangerous there.”

“I was looking for Hashemi.”

Yang Jie nodded. He had heard a bit of what happened from Louis. Compared to Xiao Yuanmu’s anger and Louis’ shock, Yang Jie had accepted this reason comparatively easily.

From what he knew, Song Xuanhe had always done as he wished, to the point where he would disregard his own safety and the opinions of others. It had been like this when the two of them had been in the same country, and the same when Song Xuanhe had gone to meet with Zhou Rong. Even on their first meeting, he had noticed this fact about the other man.

It was precisely because of this that he had never approved of Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu’s relationship.

Although he didn’t know Xiao Yuanmu before he started dating Song Xuanhe, he inexplicably felt like he had known Xiao Yuanmu for a really long time despite only knowing him for a few days back then. In his time of need, he had thought that Xiao Yuanmu would definitely help him out. And that if that did happen, he would pledge his loyalty to this man for the rest of his life. Reality had eventually proven that true.

As time passed and many things occurred, he realized that he really did understand Xiao Yuanmu. Understanding someone was not always a matter of time.

Back then, he had thought that Song Xuanhe didn’t understand Xiao Yuanmu at all.

He hadn’t known what Xiao Yuanmu had been doing at home after he had quit his job. He hadn’t known how Xiao Yuanmu wouldn’t cherish his own body, how he skipped meals. He hadn’t known what Xiao Yuanmu had been doing for his sake. He hadn’t known how much Xiao Yuanmu loved him….

Yang Jie had thought that Song Xuanhe didn’t deserve Xiao Yuanmu.

Aside from his good background and his good looks, there was nothing about him that made him worthy of being with Xiao Yuanmu. If he were to really get into it, Song Xuanhe’s looks didn’t live up to Xiao Yuanmu’s either. But then again, since there were so few people that could match Xiao Yuanmu looks wise, Yang Jie had begrudgingly given Song Xuanhe that.

But on Xiao Yuanmu’s birthday, after Song Xuanhe had gone to Xiao Yuanmu’s apartment to see him off, Xiao Yuanmu had been in a good mood. At that moment, Yang Jie realized that perhaps Song Xuanhe wasn’t as bad as he had thought. This was because, in Yang Jie’s eyes, Xiao Yuanmu was perfect in every aspect.

That meant that there must be a reason for why such a good person like Xiao Yuanmu fell for Song Xuanhe.

After that, he had followed Xiao Yuanmu to America. He had seen how Xiao Yuanmu had become increasingly cold due to Song Xuanhe’s infrequent calls. He had also seen how Xiao Yuanmu would occasionally be in high spirits when Song Xuanhe did call. He had seen how Xiao Yuanmu had become increasingly silent and expressionless. He had seen how Song Xuanhe only needed to give Xiao Yuanmu a single expression or word and he would be able to affect Xiao Yuanmu’s words. He had seen how Song Xuanhe had sternly rebuked Xiao Yuanmu for not cherishing his body….

Yang Jie had suddenly realized that, as a bystander, he had no right to criticize Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu’s relationship.

At that moment, Yang Jie had thought that Xiao Yuanmu had made a good choice. Perhaps Song Xuanhe was the only person in the world that was well-suited for him.

Moreover, he had always thought that Song Xuanhe didn’t love Xiao Yuanmu. But actually, he had been wrong. After inadvertently seeing Song Xuanhe’s portrait of Xiao Yuanmu, he had realized that Song Xuanhe loved Xiao Yuanmu just as much as Xiao Yuanmu loved Song Xuanhe.

The two of them were made for each other. They would certainly grow old together.

It was just that Song Xuanhe’s daredevil personality was not suitable for Xiao Yuanmu’s current situation. He didn’t want any accidents to occur.

“Cough…are you into thrill-seeking?”

Song Xuanhe had been about to continue his drawing when he suddenly heard Yang Jie speak up after a long moment of silence. It took his two seconds to react. “Not really. Once in a while I might be carried away by a whim.”

“Have you ever thought about what would happen to your family, friends, and Xiao ge if anything were to happen to you?”

Song Xuanhe’s expression changed slightly. He smiled, propping his chin up on one hand. “The world will not stop turning just because one person dies. People are the same.”

Yang Jie frowned and said, “But they will be heartbroken and aggrieved.”

Song Xuanhe nodded and then quietly said, “Having to say goodbye to anyone will hurt.”

“Then are you still going to do those things in the future?” Yang Jie got straight to the point when he noticed that Song Xuanhe didn’t seem to understand what he was saying.

“Do what?”

“Parachuting, bungee jumping, going to X Country for dyes.”

Song Xuanhe couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know.”

Yang Jie’s lips were pulled into a straight line. “I hope that you can make up your mind. Xiao ge doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Have you ever heard of this saying?” Song Xuanhe smiled. “Tomorrow’s light or an unexpected accident—who knows which will come first?”

“Yes.” Yang Jie looked away, his tone heavy. “But I also know that even without you, your parents still have another son. Your friends have other friends. But if Xiao ge were to lose you, he would have no one left.”

Eve: Ouch Yang Jie, that last line hit me right in the feels.

xiin: i hope you guys enjoyed the fluff while it lasted…