Chapter 40
(NSFW warning)After Lu Qi'an finished speaking, he got up and went to the living room to retrieve the paper bag he earlier placed on the coffee table. Fu Jia remained frozen in place, his blood surged, and he almost had a nosebleed. He tilted his head upward and patted his chest, but before he could recover his breath, Lu Qi'an came back.Lu Qi'an didn't turn off the light, he lowered his eyes and gazed at Fu Jia, then kissed him with a searing breath.Both of them were inexperienced, everything was messily done without much setup. Lu Qi'an pressed Fu Jia under him, pulled open his bathrobe somewhat roughly, and found his erect nipples. The engorged nipples grew harder and harder under the touch of his fingers. He didn't control his strength, but fortunately, Fu Jia didn't feel any pain. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Lu Qi’an’s neck and kissed the sides of it several times, his lingering lips were unwilling to part, and he panted next to his ears. Lu Qi'an kissed Fu Jia’s forehead, but didn't notice how much sweat moistened his own temples. At a certain moment, his sweat dripped down and left a trail on Fu Jia's face. Only then did he realize that he was excited beyond restraint, hovering in a state that was completely opposite of calm, a state he didn’t even know how to describe.# He desperately tried to pacify his guilty conscience. He controlled the strength of his hands, then held Fu Jia's ankles and pinned his legs upwards, while his other hand dipped in lubricant, then explored Fu Jia’s backside. Fu Jia was very submissive, and even raised his butt willingly.Lu Qi'an's fingers were coated with smooth and thick lubricant, and he pressed against that small hole, inserting bit by bit. His finger thrusted in and out, making Fu Jia feel tender and bloated, as well as an intense foreign sensation. But Lu Qi'an moved gently, so Fu Jia didn't feel any pain at all.Time suddenly stretched long and slow, as if one second was stretched into ten seconds. There were countless times that Fu Jia thought it was enough, that he was ready, but Lu Qi’an would only add more lubricant, and continued to expand with his fingers. When the third finger could freely move in and out, Fu Jia gave Lu Qi’an a fierce bite and urged: “Hurry up and come inside…”Lu Qi’an kissed him on the lips, pressed down on his waist, and entered his body. The scalding penis stretched out his insides, grinding against the inner walls while pumping in and out. Even though he was stretched for such a long period of time, Fu Jia still felt pain. He couldn’t clearly make out the Lu Qi’an in front of his eyes, as if all of his body’s perceptions had been transferred to his lower body. He could only see the dim light and Lu Qi’an’s sweat falling down on him drop by drop. After dozens of thrusts, Fu Jia finally stopped feeling pain, and even felt pleasure that made his eyes see white. He curled up his toes and sucked Lu Qi'an tightly with his hot inner walls."Too tight," Lu Qi'an didn't dare to thrust hard and bitterly endured without moving. His whole body was sweating profusely. “Relax a little…”“You comfort me, comfort me and I’ll be okay…Call me Jia Jia, okay?”# Fu Jia hugged Lu Qi’an’s neck tightly and trembled as he said: “Call me Jia Jia…”Call him Jia Jia. Calling him with double characters would be how Lu Qi’an called a certain someone for ten years, only now, it seemed like the certain someone that Lu Qi’an called out in those days was him.# It was as if Lu Qi'an had never adored anyone else and only doted on him, only loved him.
Lu Qi’an touched the corners of Fu Jia’s reddened eyes and felt that no matter how much he doted on him, it still wasn’t enough. He softly said: “Jia Jia.”Fu Jia's waist numbed, and he suddenly melted into a puddle of water both inside and outside. Years of longing were fulfilled all at once, and he was so excited that he couldn't stop crying, as if he couldn't bear such great joy.He fiercely thought that from this moment on, no one could steal Lu Qi’an away from his side. If there was, he’ll send them to hell. They did it twice in one night. During the first time, Lu Qi’an couldn’t control himself and came inside Fu Jia’s body. He was about to pull out, but Fu Jia hooked his legs around his waist and said: “Keep it in, I don’t want your things to flow out…”So they ended up doing it a second time. This time Lu Qi’an controlled himself and pulled his cock out before ejaculating. But Fu Jia wasn’t willing, he cried with tears streaming down his face while ceaselessly repeating that he wanted him to cum inside, to the point that his words began to slur. Lu Qi’an was so crazily stimulated by him that both his hands shook and he ejaculated inside as Fu Jia wished. Fu Jia was convulsing all over and used his hand to stroke his own member, cumming at the same time. The bedsheets were completely trashed by them, it was smeared with the two’s sweat and cum, as well as Fu Jia’s snot and tears. Fu Jia didn't have the strength to stand straight in the shower, and sitting in the bathtub to wash would hurt his butt, so Lu Qi'an let him lie on the edge of the bathtub. He supported him with his hands and raised his lower body, then used his fingers to scrape the semen out of his hole.Because he was properly expanded, Fu Jia didn’t get injured. After cleaning up, there wasn’t any discomfort except for a lingering sore and stretched sensation.By the time the two of them changed the bedsheets, it was already past midnight, and Fu Jia fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow. Before he lost consciousness, he suddenly thought of something and grabbed Lu Qi’an’s collar. He said: “Say goodnight to me.”Lu Qi'an patted him on the back and cooperatively said: "Good night, Jia Jia.”Fu Jia fell asleep with a heart filled with contentment.From this day on, when the two of them were alone, Lu Qi'an would call Fu Jia by Jia Jia. Also from this day forward, Fu Jia's reputation among teachers and classmates grew more and more positive— hard working, stable grades, cheerful personality, and easy to get along with.Fu Jia didn't actually notice this change until the week before New Year's, when the class had to choose five people to perform a recitation program together and represent the class in the school's New Year's gala. Fu Jia was forced to sign up by Big Head, and when the votes came in, his votes were surprisingly high, sitting just below Big Head’s. “See? I told you that you could do it,” Datou said quite proudly. Fu Jia was very afraid that he’d mess up the class program, so he refused repeatedly: "I can’t, I’ve never recited before.”Big Head raised his eyebrows: "I haven't recited before either. You’re so tall and handsome, and your Mandarin pronunciation is very precise. If you don’t do it, who would? Look at our class, besides me, who else is more handsome than you? You were voted in by our classmates, and it’s not like I rigged it either. Stop worrying, it’ll definitely work out.”Big Head handed over the list of names to their homeroom teacher and literature teacher to be reviewed and finalized the selection for candidates. The five of them were called to the office by the teacher. The homeroom teacher glanced over them from head to toe, then patted Fu Jia on the shoulder and said: "You can be the team leader."Fu Jia and Datou were both startled. Big Head glanced at Fu Jia in a daze, and suddenly found that Fu Jia was much taller and sturdier than when he had first transferred in. He quickly realized that he might not be the most handsome in the class anymore…For the entire week leading up to New Year’s, Fu Jia couldn’t go home with Lu Qi’an for lunch and dinner.# He was the captain of this small recitation team, and he had to practice with the members every lunch and evening. In turn, he could only eat together with his team members during mealtimes. In regards to this, Lu Qi’an “seemed” to have no objections and cooperated with Fu Jia every night by listening to him recite for half an hour, acting as his audience and helping him adjust his posture.
Fu Jia really wanted to do a good job, so he was very nervous and equally as devoted. This is the first time that he was trusted by his classmates and entrusted with something by his teacher. It was inevitable that he felt some pride, and it was inevitable that he gained a sense of accomplishment. Maybe, he really could become someone outstanding. The day before the New Year's gala, Fu Jia was so nervous that he couldn't sleep. He repeatedly asked Lu Qi'an: Can I do it? Will you come watch me? Which row will you sit in? Is it possible that I won’t see you once I’m on stage?Lu Qi'an answered him: You’ll do well. I’ll come watch. I will try to sit in the front row. You may not see me, but I’ll always be watching you. Fu Jia asked repeatedly and Lu Qi'an answered repeatedly until Fu Jia fell asleep.December 31st wasn’t on a weekend this year, so No. 6 High School didn’t have a holiday for the occasion, and even evening self-study went on as usual. Fortunately, the school organized a New Year's Eve gala. Students could choose to continue their self-studies in the classroom, or they could choose to watch the gala in the auditorium. Except for a few studying-addicted top students, there wouldn’t be many people who didn’t go. As soon as classes were dismissed in the afternoon, many students went to the auditorium to reserve a seat, since judging by previous years, the auditorium would be filled to the brim every time, and latecomers could only stand outside the door and enjoy the cold wind. Fu Jia was taken away by the homeroom teacher before class dismissal, and he did the final rehearsal under the guidance of the literature teacher.Lu Qi'an didn't go home either but had dinner with Liu-laoshi instead. Lu Qi'an asked her to help reserve a seat in the front row, and she readily agreed.Before the gala started, snow suddenly began falling from the sky. The morning weather forecast predicted that there would be heavy snow tonight, but the students didn’t expect it to coincide with the gala and felt that it was very fitting for the occasion. Lu Qi'an walked into the auditorium and looked for Liu-laoshi within the crowds. Suddenly, someone called at him from a distance."Qi’an, here!" Li Qinhe stood on the seat and waved at him vigorously, "There’s a spot here!"Li Qinhe's spot was approximately in the middle-back row and there weren’t many people crowded there. There were a lot more people near the stage, packed like sardines,# and in turn, Lu Qi’an couldn’t find Liu-laoshi at all. He walked towards Li Qinhe, passed through a crowd of people, and sat down in the empty seat beside him. Li Qinhe smirked with a hehe and looked at him curiously: “Well, this is rare. You actually came to watch the gala.”Lu Qi’an didn’t conceal his intentions and told him the truth: “Fu Jia’s going to be on stage. After seeing him, I’m leaving.”Li Qinhe's face froze, and then snapped: "It’s such a good occasion, can’t you say something that’s nicer to hear?”Lu Qi'an frowned and glanced at him: "What part of what I said wasn’t nice?"Li Qinhe grew more irritated and sneered: "You’re so protective of him now. You usually don’t bother arguing with me, but what? You can’t stand hearing others talk badly about him now?” Lu Qi'an didn't meet his eyes and answered yes.Li Qinhe was so angry and shocked by his words that he was too suffocated to speak again. He gritted his teeth and ignored Lu Qi'an. They remained silent and maintained this stalemate until the host announced: "Next, please enjoy the recitation program from Year 2’s Class 5,《Answer》.”
Three male students and two female students stood on stage. The boys were all in white button-ups, suit pants, and red ties. The girls were in red dresses and their long hair covered their shoulders. Their attires must’ve been borrowed for a photo studio, as the clothes weren’t elegant nor well-fitting, but the students had a confident demeanour and straightened backs, managing to at least look the part.Fu Jia stood at the front of the formation and read out the first word while being accompanied by music.“Debasement is the password of the base, Nobility the epitaph of the noble.” #Li Qinhe felt that he should laugh at Fu Jia, laugh at his clothes, laugh at his seriousness, and laugh at everything about him, but in the end, he still didn't do it.He acknowledged his loss and said in a kindly manner: "Qi’an, you’ll have a hard time, a very, very hard time. Can't you stop messing around?"“The Ice Age is over now, Why is there ice everywhere?The Cape of Good Hope has been discovered,Why do a thousand sails contest the Dead Sea?”Lu Qi'an kept his eyes on the stage and said, "Don't worry for me, I've prepared myself."Li Qinhe said weakly: "What can you prepare? He’s a man, and he has a life-long grudge with your parents. Prepare what? Do you know how principled a person Uncle Lu is?”“I am too,” Lu Qi’an replied, “I also have my principles.”“I came into this worldBringing only paper, rope, a shadow,To proclaim before the judgmentThe voice that has been judgedLet me tell you, world,I—do—not—believe!If a thousand challengers lie beneath your feet,Count me as number thousand and one.”Li Qinhe had a pained expression: “I’ve been observing everything in the last two months, you’ve been glued to Fu Jia every day, and even moved him into your apartment. Have you never thought of Feng Feng? Did you know that I visited Feng Feng a month ago, and he asked me all hurt, why doesn’t Qi’an-ge visit him anymore? I didn’t know how to answer, so I used your busy study schedule as an excuse to gloss over it. You don’t know that he’s disappointed, that he’s been holding back on calling you this whole time.”Lu Qi'an clenched his hands and said firmly: “Feng Feng and I are relatives, as well as brothers, this will never change. But if some things are meant to be let go of, then they should be let go of as soon as possible, whether it is me or him.”Li Qinhe was a little desperate, "Then what about home? Have you never thought about going home? You’d go to Wanqing-jie’s place this time every year and eat together as one family. Have you never thought about going back?"“I don't believe the sky is blue;
I don't believe in thunder's echoes;I don't believe that dreams are false;I don't believe that death has no revenge.”Lu Qi’an has a home. The place he lived at changed from an apartment to a home, from a temporary residence to a home to return to, and it’s strictly because there was an addition of Fu Jia, that’s all. On future snowy nights, he doesn’t want to be anyone’s guest, he wants to go home. “Over the holidays, I will go see them. What should be made clear, I will make clear with my dad.”“Qi’an…” Li Qinhe’s voice was hoarse."Okay, we’ve discussed enough," Lu Qi'an interrupted him, "I'm ready to face all of this."“If the sea is destined to breach the dikesLet all the brackish water pour into my heart;If the land is destined to riseLet humanity choose a peak for existence again.”-Author’s note: The poem quoted in this chapter is Mr. Bei Dao's《Answer》and the poem isn’t fully quoted, only sections of it. 冰山埋火: Fire buried within an icy mountain Wasn’t very sure of how to translate this, but the original was: 他真是神志不清了，在看了A片女优诱人的情态后，不甘心地去调动自己身体里的情欲，试图证明他情动时不会比女人差。 Vinegar is a common way to refer to jealousy Technically known as a parterre, but I used a descriptive term instead since parterre sounds like some snobby jargon that no one would even know. If you’re wondering why there’s such a graphic visual description of his crotch despite the author emphasizing earlier that they’re in a completely dark room and the only visible things are each other’s eyes, this is the answer: all body parts glow in the dark during smut scenes. It’s perfectly scientifical. ◉‿◉ Idiom alluding to a self-deceptive act. An English parallel would be “burying one’s head in sand” This chapter is very censored on Changpei, so the author’s just letting readers know where to find the good stuff Assuming he’s swaggering, original text is: 每天在学校里都是横着走横着走的. The direct translation would be: Every day at school, Fu Jia was walking horizontally. Idiom for small and inconsequential past matters. Basically he’s accusing Lu Qi’an of hoeing around, and even getting hard when he saw the class flower. This is what a sticky rice wrap/zongzi looks like. He’s doing a meme pose that looks something like this. Original is: 某一刻，他的汗滴落下来，在傅嘉脸上流下一道水痕，他才发现他激动得难以自抑，处在与冷静完全相反的状态里，他甚至不知如何形容. I don’t think I captured the tone of this right, but I didn’t know how else to translate to make it flow well. (The meaning should be right though)Original: “你哄哄我，哄哄就好了……你叫叫我嘉嘉……” I did not do this line justice. I can’t emphasize how coquettish it is in the original, I died inside. This part was really awkward to translate because of its structure, but for anyone confused, basically using double characters as someone’s nickname is reserved for someone you’re very intimate with and have typically known since childhood, so usually a family member but childhood friends work as well. Lu Qi’an had been calling Lin Fengxun by Feng Feng, which Fu Jia has a complex about. And in this scene, he yearns to be compensated by having Lu Qi’an call him Jia Jia. The raws says “傅嘉中餐午餐都不能和陆齐安一起回家吃饭了”, but I think there’s a typo because otherwise it’d translate to “Fu Jia couldn’t go home with Lu Qi’an for Chinese food or lunch.” Original idiom was 里三层外三层, but it was too awkward-sounding in English so a parallel idiom was used instead Disclaimer: I am 100% ripping off this poetry recital translation from the Poetry Foundation. Someone named Bonnie McDougall translated it.
Chapter 40
(NSFW warning)After Lu Qi'an finished speaking, he got up and went to the living room to retrieve the paper bag he earlier placed on the coffee table. Fu Jia remained frozen in place, his blood surged, and he almost had a nosebleed. He tilted his head upward and patted his chest, but before he could recover his breath, Lu Qi'an came back.Lu Qi'an didn't turn off the light, he lowered his eyes and gazed at Fu Jia, then kissed him with a searing breath.Both of them were inexperienced, everything was messily done without much setup. Lu Qi'an pressed Fu Jia under him, pulled open his bathrobe somewhat roughly, and found his erect nipples. The engorged nipples grew harder and harder under the touch of his fingers. He didn't control his strength, but fortunately, Fu Jia didn't feel any pain. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Lu Qi’an’s neck and kissed the sides of it several times, his lingering lips were unwilling to part, and he panted next to his ears. Lu Qi'an kissed Fu Jia’s forehead, but didn't notice how much sweat moistened his own temples. At a certain moment, his sweat dripped down and left a trail on Fu Jia's face. Only then did he realize that he was excited beyond restraint, hovering in a state that was completely opposite of calm, a state he didn’t even know how to describe.# He desperately tried to pacify his guilty conscience. He controlled the strength of his hands, then held Fu Jia's ankles and pinned his legs upwards, while his other hand dipped in lubricant, then explored Fu Jia’s backside. Fu Jia was very submissive, and even raised his butt willingly.Lu Qi'an's fingers were coated with smooth and thick lubricant, and he pressed against that small hole, inserting bit by bit. His finger thrusted in and out, making Fu Jia feel tender and bloated, as well as an intense foreign sensation. But Lu Qi'an moved gently, so Fu Jia didn't feel any pain at all.Time suddenly stretched long and slow, as if one second was stretched into ten seconds. There were countless times that Fu Jia thought it was enough, that he was ready, but Lu Qi’an would only add more lubricant, and continued to expand with his fingers. When the third finger could freely move in and out, Fu Jia gave Lu Qi’an a fierce bite and urged: “Hurry up and come inside…”Lu Qi’an kissed him on the lips, pressed down on his waist, and entered his body. The scalding penis stretched out his insides, grinding against the inner walls while pumping in and out. Even though he was stretched for such a long period of time, Fu Jia still felt pain. He couldn’t clearly make out the Lu Qi’an in front of his eyes, as if all of his body’s perceptions had been transferred to his lower body. He could only see the dim light and Lu Qi’an’s sweat falling down on him drop by drop. After dozens of thrusts, Fu Jia finally stopped feeling pain, and even felt pleasure that made his eyes see white. He curled up his toes and sucked Lu Qi'an tightly with his hot inner walls."Too tight," Lu Qi'an didn't dare to thrust hard and bitterly endured without moving. His whole body was sweating profusely. “Relax a little…”“You comfort me, comfort me and I’ll be okay…Call me Jia Jia, okay?”# Fu Jia hugged Lu Qi’an’s neck tightly and trembled as he said: “Call me Jia Jia…”Call him Jia Jia. Calling him with double characters would be how Lu Qi’an called a certain someone for ten years, only now, it seemed like the certain someone that Lu Qi’an called out in those days was him.# It was as if Lu Qi'an had never adored anyone else and only doted on him, only loved him.
Lu Qi’an touched the corners of Fu Jia’s reddened eyes and felt that no matter how much he doted on him, it still wasn’t enough. He softly said: “Jia Jia.”Fu Jia's waist numbed, and he suddenly melted into a puddle of water both inside and outside. Years of longing were fulfilled all at once, and he was so excited that he couldn't stop crying, as if he couldn't bear such great joy.He fiercely thought that from this moment on, no one could steal Lu Qi’an away from his side. If there was, he’ll send them to hell. They did it twice in one night. During the first time, Lu Qi’an couldn’t control himself and came inside Fu Jia’s body. He was about to pull out, but Fu Jia hooked his legs around his waist and said: “Keep it in, I don’t want your things to flow out…”So they ended up doing it a second time. This time Lu Qi’an controlled himself and pulled his cock out before ejaculating. But Fu Jia wasn’t willing, he cried with tears streaming down his face while ceaselessly repeating that he wanted him to cum inside, to the point that his words began to slur. Lu Qi’an was so crazily stimulated by him that both his hands shook and he ejaculated inside as Fu Jia wished. Fu Jia was convulsing all over and used his hand to stroke his own member, cumming at the same time. The bedsheets were completely trashed by them, it was smeared with the two’s sweat and cum, as well as Fu Jia’s snot and tears. Fu Jia didn't have the strength to stand straight in the shower, and sitting in the bathtub to wash would hurt his butt, so Lu Qi'an let him lie on the edge of the bathtub. He supported him with his hands and raised his lower body, then used his fingers to scrape the semen out of his hole.Because he was properly expanded, Fu Jia didn’t get injured. After cleaning up, there wasn’t any discomfort except for a lingering sore and stretched sensation.By the time the two of them changed the bedsheets, it was already past midnight, and Fu Jia fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow. Before he lost consciousness, he suddenly thought of something and grabbed Lu Qi’an’s collar. He said: “Say goodnight to me.”Lu Qi'an patted him on the back and cooperatively said: "Good night, Jia Jia.”Fu Jia fell asleep with a heart filled with contentment.From this day on, when the two of them were alone, Lu Qi'an would call Fu Jia by Jia Jia. Also from this day forward, Fu Jia's reputation among teachers and classmates grew more and more positive— hard working, stable grades, cheerful personality, and easy to get along with.Fu Jia didn't actually notice this change until the week before New Year's, when the class had to choose five people to perform a recitation program together and represent the class in the school's New Year's gala. Fu Jia was forced to sign up by Big Head, and when the votes came in, his votes were surprisingly high, sitting just below Big Head’s. “See? I told you that you could do it,” Datou said quite proudly. Fu Jia was very afraid that he’d mess up the class program, so he refused repeatedly: "I can’t, I’ve never recited before.”Big Head raised his eyebrows: "I haven't recited before either. You’re so tall and handsome, and your Mandarin pronunciation is very precise. If you don’t do it, who would? Look at our class, besides me, who else is more handsome than you? You were voted in by our classmates, and it’s not like I rigged it either. Stop worrying, it’ll definitely work out.”Big Head handed over the list of names to their homeroom teacher and literature teacher to be reviewed and finalized the selection for candidates. The five of them were called to the office by the teacher. The homeroom teacher glanced over them from head to toe, then patted Fu Jia on the shoulder and said: "You can be the team leader."Fu Jia and Datou were both startled. Big Head glanced at Fu Jia in a daze, and suddenly found that Fu Jia was much taller and sturdier than when he had first transferred in. He quickly realized that he might not be the most handsome in the class anymore…For the entire week leading up to New Year’s, Fu Jia couldn’t go home with Lu Qi’an for lunch and dinner.# He was the captain of this small recitation team, and he had to practice with the members every lunch and evening. In turn, he could only eat together with his team members during mealtimes. In regards to this, Lu Qi’an “seemed” to have no objections and cooperated with Fu Jia every night by listening to him recite for half an hour, acting as his audience and helping him adjust his posture.
Fu Jia really wanted to do a good job, so he was very nervous and equally as devoted. This is the first time that he was trusted by his classmates and entrusted with something by his teacher. It was inevitable that he felt some pride, and it was inevitable that he gained a sense of accomplishment. Maybe, he really could become someone outstanding. The day before the New Year's gala, Fu Jia was so nervous that he couldn't sleep. He repeatedly asked Lu Qi'an: Can I do it? Will you come watch me? Which row will you sit in? Is it possible that I won’t see you once I’m on stage?Lu Qi'an answered him: You’ll do well. I’ll come watch. I will try to sit in the front row. You may not see me, but I’ll always be watching you. Fu Jia asked repeatedly and Lu Qi'an answered repeatedly until Fu Jia fell asleep.December 31st wasn’t on a weekend this year, so No. 6 High School didn’t have a holiday for the occasion, and even evening self-study went on as usual. Fortunately, the school organized a New Year's Eve gala. Students could choose to continue their self-studies in the classroom, or they could choose to watch the gala in the auditorium. Except for a few studying-addicted top students, there wouldn’t be many people who didn’t go. As soon as classes were dismissed in the afternoon, many students went to the auditorium to reserve a seat, since judging by previous years, the auditorium would be filled to the brim every time, and latecomers could only stand outside the door and enjoy the cold wind. Fu Jia was taken away by the homeroom teacher before class dismissal, and he did the final rehearsal under the guidance of the literature teacher.Lu Qi'an didn't go home either but had dinner with Liu-laoshi instead. Lu Qi'an asked her to help reserve a seat in the front row, and she readily agreed.Before the gala started, snow suddenly began falling from the sky. The morning weather forecast predicted that there would be heavy snow tonight, but the students didn’t expect it to coincide with the gala and felt that it was very fitting for the occasion. Lu Qi'an walked into the auditorium and looked for Liu-laoshi within the crowds. Suddenly, someone called at him from a distance."Qi’an, here!" Li Qinhe stood on the seat and waved at him vigorously, "There’s a spot here!"Li Qinhe's spot was approximately in the middle-back row and there weren’t many people crowded there. There were a lot more people near the stage, packed like sardines,# and in turn, Lu Qi’an couldn’t find Liu-laoshi at all. He walked towards Li Qinhe, passed through a crowd of people, and sat down in the empty seat beside him. Li Qinhe smirked with a hehe and looked at him curiously: “Well, this is rare. You actually came to watch the gala.”Lu Qi’an didn’t conceal his intentions and told him the truth: “Fu Jia’s going to be on stage. After seeing him, I’m leaving.”Li Qinhe's face froze, and then snapped: "It’s such a good occasion, can’t you say something that’s nicer to hear?”Lu Qi'an frowned and glanced at him: "What part of what I said wasn’t nice?"Li Qinhe grew more irritated and sneered: "You’re so protective of him now. You usually don’t bother arguing with me, but what? You can’t stand hearing others talk badly about him now?” Lu Qi'an didn't meet his eyes and answered yes.Li Qinhe was so angry and shocked by his words that he was too suffocated to speak again. He gritted his teeth and ignored Lu Qi'an. They remained silent and maintained this stalemate until the host announced: "Next, please enjoy the recitation program from Year 2’s Class 5,《Answer》.”
Three male students and two female students stood on stage. The boys were all in white button-ups, suit pants, and red ties. The girls were in red dresses and their long hair covered their shoulders. Their attires must’ve been borrowed for a photo studio, as the clothes weren’t elegant nor well-fitting, but the students had a confident demeanour and straightened backs, managing to at least look the part.Fu Jia stood at the front of the formation and read out the first word while being accompanied by music.“Debasement is the password of the base, Nobility the epitaph of the noble.” #Li Qinhe felt that he should laugh at Fu Jia, laugh at his clothes, laugh at his seriousness, and laugh at everything about him, but in the end, he still didn't do it.He acknowledged his loss and said in a kindly manner: "Qi’an, you’ll have a hard time, a very, very hard time. Can't you stop messing around?"“The Ice Age is over now, Why is there ice everywhere?The Cape of Good Hope has been discovered,Why do a thousand sails contest the Dead Sea?”Lu Qi'an kept his eyes on the stage and said, "Don't worry for me, I've prepared myself."Li Qinhe said weakly: "What can you prepare? He’s a man, and he has a life-long grudge with your parents. Prepare what? Do you know how principled a person Uncle Lu is?”“I am too,” Lu Qi’an replied, “I also have my principles.”“I came into this worldBringing only paper, rope, a shadow,To proclaim before the judgmentThe voice that has been judgedLet me tell you, world,I—do—not—believe!If a thousand challengers lie beneath your feet,Count me as number thousand and one.”Li Qinhe had a pained expression: “I’ve been observing everything in the last two months, you’ve been glued to Fu Jia every day, and even moved him into your apartment. Have you never thought of Feng Feng? Did you know that I visited Feng Feng a month ago, and he asked me all hurt, why doesn’t Qi’an-ge visit him anymore? I didn’t know how to answer, so I used your busy study schedule as an excuse to gloss over it. You don’t know that he’s disappointed, that he’s been holding back on calling you this whole time.”Lu Qi'an clenched his hands and said firmly: “Feng Feng and I are relatives, as well as brothers, this will never change. But if some things are meant to be let go of, then they should be let go of as soon as possible, whether it is me or him.”Li Qinhe was a little desperate, "Then what about home? Have you never thought about going home? You’d go to Wanqing-jie’s place this time every year and eat together as one family. Have you never thought about going back?"“I don't believe the sky is blue;
I don't believe in thunder's echoes;I don't believe that dreams are false;I don't believe that death has no revenge.”Lu Qi’an has a home. The place he lived at changed from an apartment to a home, from a temporary residence to a home to return to, and it’s strictly because there was an addition of Fu Jia, that’s all. On future snowy nights, he doesn’t want to be anyone’s guest, he wants to go home. “Over the holidays, I will go see them. What should be made clear, I will make clear with my dad.”“Qi’an…” Li Qinhe’s voice was hoarse."Okay, we’ve discussed enough," Lu Qi'an interrupted him, "I'm ready to face all of this."“If the sea is destined to breach the dikesLet all the brackish water pour into my heart;If the land is destined to riseLet humanity choose a peak for existence again.”-Author’s note: The poem quoted in this chapter is Mr. Bei Dao's《Answer》and the poem isn’t fully quoted, only sections of it. 冰山埋火: Fire buried within an icy mountain Wasn’t very sure of how to translate this, but the original was: 他真是神志不清了，在看了A片女优诱人的情态后，不甘心地去调动自己身体里的情欲，试图证明他情动时不会比女人差。 Vinegar is a common way to refer to jealousy Technically known as a parterre, but I used a descriptive term instead since parterre sounds like some snobby jargon that no one would even know. If you’re wondering why there’s such a graphic visual description of his crotch despite the author emphasizing earlier that they’re in a completely dark room and the only visible things are each other’s eyes, this is the answer: all body parts glow in the dark during smut scenes. It’s perfectly scientifical. ◉‿◉ Idiom alluding to a self-deceptive act. An English parallel would be “burying one’s head in sand” This chapter is very censored on Changpei, so the author’s just letting readers know where to find the good stuff Assuming he’s swaggering, original text is: 每天在学校里都是横着走横着走的. The direct translation would be: Every day at school, Fu Jia was walking horizontally. Idiom for small and inconsequential past matters. Basically he’s accusing Lu Qi’an of hoeing around, and even getting hard when he saw the class flower. This is what a sticky rice wrap/zongzi looks like. He’s doing a meme pose that looks something like this. Original is: 某一刻，他的汗滴落下来，在傅嘉脸上流下一道水痕，他才发现他激动得难以自抑，处在与冷静完全相反的状态里，他甚至不知如何形容. I don’t think I captured the tone of this right, but I didn’t know how else to translate to make it flow well. (The meaning should be right though)Original: “你哄哄我，哄哄就好了……你叫叫我嘉嘉……” I did not do this line justice. I can’t emphasize how coquettish it is in the original, I died inside. This part was really awkward to translate because of its structure, but for anyone confused, basically using double characters as someone’s nickname is reserved for someone you’re very intimate with and have typically known since childhood, so usually a family member but childhood friends work as well. Lu Qi’an had been calling Lin Fengxun by Feng Feng, which Fu Jia has a complex about. And in this scene, he yearns to be compensated by having Lu Qi’an call him Jia Jia. The raws says “傅嘉中餐午餐都不能和陆齐安一起回家吃饭了”, but I think there’s a typo because otherwise it’d translate to “Fu Jia couldn’t go home with Lu Qi’an for Chinese food or lunch.” Original idiom was 里三层外三层, but it was too awkward-sounding in English so a parallel idiom was used instead Disclaimer: I am 100% ripping off this poetry recital translation from the Poetry Foundation. Someone named Bonnie McDougall translated it.
