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Don't Be a Kept Man - Chapter 123

Published at 8th of June 2022 04:33:45 AM


Chapter 123

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Their apartment was actually pretty empty, with no valuable possessions, as most of what they had were only waste materials Bai Yang collected. So by the time San-shen came around, most of them had already been sold off, and it was completely bare except for the suitcases and travel bags all put together in a corner. 

Wen Chuo was calculating the final rent along with the water and electricity bill while Bai Yang continued to be busy packing the last few miscellaneous items. For whatever reason, San-shen suddenly sighed, 

“Is it not better to say here? Why are you running so far away from your town, where no one can take care of you?”

To be honest, she was more worried about Bai Yang as what will happen when they arrive at an unknown city. What if Wen Chuo suddenly got tired and didn’t want to care anymore? How would Bai Yang live as someone who was mentally challenged and couldn’t fend for himself?

Wen Chuo had only mentioned to their neighbours that he would be venturing out to earn money with Bai Yang and nothing else, so he only smiled and said, 

“Sooner or later, men will have to venture out to see the world. I’ve contacted an old relative and they’ve said that they could help arrange some jobs for us. We’ll try it out first, and if nothing comes of it, we’ll be back.”

San-shen didn’t say anything more, only reducing the water and electricity bill before leaving with the key.

The elders in the family had pretty much set everything for Liu Meng Meng’s marriage. Apparently it was to that Qian Zhi Guo from last time, but as Wen Chuo already bought his bus tickets, it was unlikely for them to make it to their wedding.

“Don’t leave so quickly! I’ll pay for dinner as a farewell gift.” 

Liu Meng Meng felt a bit sad about their parting. Combined with her anxious feelings about being a newly wedded wife, her heart felt like it was tangled up like a bunch of wires.

Wen Chuo shook his head and said, 

“I’ve already bought the bus tickets, can’t change the time.”

After Bai Yang resigned, the restaurant hired a new helper, but he was not as hard working and as detailed of a worker as Bai Yang. Just the first day at work and he already broke two serving plates. When there was nothing to do, he’d also hide by the tables to take a nap; all of which has made Liu Meng Meng’s face in a perpetual frown.

Looking through the glass door, Liu Meng Meng could faintly see Qian Zhi Guo’s shadow, and she sighed quietly, 

“Alright, remember to come back often to see us.”

“We will, but we probably won’t make it for your wedding.” 

Wen Chuo put a red pocket on the counter and as they were parting ways, he had a rare, true smile on his face, 

“A little wish from the both of us. Don’t reject it. After all, we have to thank you for looking out for us for so many years. Take it as a gift.”

Feng-shu had always been generous to the both of them. He had the heart to care for Bai Yang, as otherwise why would he hire someone that was “dumb” and “mentally challenged” to the public’s eyes? When Wen Chuo had no money to eat, he had also allowed him to put up a tab, and he has never actually even asked for any of it back.

Right by the bus station was a commercial shopping mall, and in the center of the plaza in front was a street musician strumming on her guitar. The girl’s sweet voice was broadcasted very far through her speakers, and Wen Chuo turned to the side to listen more carefully before realizing that she was singing >1.

“If your pride and arrogance has not been coldly slapped down by the ocean of reality,

How could you ever understand how much effort it would take,

to go far away and beyond,

If your dream had not fallen down the cliff and to that point of desperation,

How could you know that those who persevere, would have an invisible pair of wings…..”

There were no street artists like her before in Lin Xian, so Bai Yang was entranced as he listened. At the same time, he was tightly grabbing onto Wen Chuo’s elbow, not moving an inch away from him. Wearing a fuzzy white sweater, with his undyed hair, in its most purest and natural black color, he looked quite a bit indifferent which seemed to be invisibly separating him from the midst of this crowd of humans on this bustling street.

Perhaps it was rare to see a young man looking so pure and clean that two cosplaying girls nearby were taking photos of him discreetly. Bai Yang sensed something however and quickly turned his body sideways, hiding behind Wen Chuo. Wen Chuo closed the map on his phone and reflexively looked over, 

“What’s wrong?”

The two girls taking photos of him suddenly found out that beside him was another handsome young man. Tall with long legs, handsome face comparable to that of a celebrity’s, and they almost screamed out loud.

Seeing this, Wen Chuo pulled Bai Yang’s hand to go to the nearest motel. He smiled as he explained, 

“Those two ladies found you good looking.”

Z City was too big, and with one look, you wouldn’t even be able to see the end of it. Standing here, in this kind of environment, humans will suddenly feel how small they are. Bai Yang glanced at the posters on the roadside detailing many stories of missing persons. For whatever reason, he suddenly zoned in on those and didn’t even hear anything Wen Chuo said.

Using his phone, Wen Chuo booked a nearby hotel, and took Bai Yang and their luggage there. He planned to take a look at the apartments tomorrow. Having lived in Lin Xian’s old and cramped tenement buildings, to suddenly stay at an elaborately decorated hotel room, the two of them had a bit of time adjusting.

Wen Chuo lay on the soft king sized bed and he was so comfortable that he didn’t want to leave it. After a long while, he finally and slowly moved his way to take a shower, but then he found that there were some free samples by the bedside tables and he couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.

Bai Yang thought those things looked familiar and he dazedly blinked his eyes. His dark black pupils seemed to have an unwaverable blank understanding.

Wen Chuo had booked a couple’s room, so on their white bedsheets, there was a big big heart made up of decorative rose petals. He shook the sheets a few times and the petals all fell onto the ground, swirling and fluttering.

Wen Chuo tore open the package and then suddenly reached out with his hand to drag Bai Yang from the bedside to the wall. He slightly tilted his head and the corners of his mouth slightly hooked up, tinted with a hidden seductive tone. He raised his eyebrows and asked, 

“Let’s do it then shower?”

“Don’t worry. The mother finds the daughter back later.”

As long as they’re back, everything was worth it.2

Notes:

*1 This is a song by Christine Fan (范玮琪) or FanFan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGAmgmZg-48&t=149s to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGAmgmZg-48&t=173s – 2:29 to 2:53 is what the girl sings. Technically these phrases also appear at the very beginning of the song (like most songs back then lol, they have very short unique lyrics, usually repeating a second time for the entire song), but given that Wen Chuo was listening for a bit, I assume it was in the middle) and apparently was a translation of Gin no Ryuu no Se ni Notte (銀の龍の背に乗って) by Miyuki Nakajima (中島 みゆき). Her version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YARVIC5Lgk.

The title’s not exactly the same on google (there’s Original Dream which is the title of the album, but when you search it up, First Dream comes up instead so :|, and there’s also Initial Dream, etc. etc.) and I can’t really find one with official records of the English title, so I took whatever seemed to be most common. The title of the song is to say the first beginning of your dream, the one that would have propelled you to desire/dream of like a starting point for your dream/desire for your future. I couldn’t find an exact English translation of the lyrics, so here’s another rough translation from yours truly that doesn’t really match the rhythm of the song.

*2  Chinese as language is very interesting and there’s a part of it where you don’t need to specify a subject and, depending on the sentence, it’s inferred or referenced. Here this phrase doesn’t actually specify a pronoun (but most of the time, it can be inferred so I usually add a pronoun). Here however, it’s very likely what’s inferred is not only “she” as in the daughter, so I’ve taken “they” mainly because Wen Chuo most likely didn’t mean only that the daughter was found, but talking about Bai Yang for him or him coming back to the past as well.




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