“It’s almost time to get off work,” Han Yang looked at the two of them, “What are you two teachers having for dinner tonight?”
“I’ll eat at home,” Qin Cheng said.
“The doctor at Teacher Qin’s house has five-star cooking skills,” Tan Qi said bitterly. The homeroom teacher had to stay with the students until ten at night before they could leave, and he had to squeeze in dates whenever he could. “After all these years, Teacher Qin has become so picky that he can only drink dew. In other words, to use the words that the kids always say nowadays, Teacher Qin is an old fairy man who only drinks dew[mfn]只喝露水的老仙男 (zhǐ hē lù shuǐ de lǎo xiān nán): T/N: from the phrase 喝露水的小仙女 (hē lù shuǐ de xiǎo xiānnǚ), lit. the fairy who drinks dew; this phrase often used in online contexts to express that girls want to lose weight or maintain a noble image. The fairy is generally used to describe those girls with very high appearance. There are also many girls who often joke and call themselves fairies. Then boys will tease them after hearing that you are a fairy, so just drink dew and don’t eat.[/mfn]!”
Qin Cheng kicked him: “Starve, then. I was going to bring you some braised pork trotters[mfn]燉豬蹄 (dùn zhū tí): Braised Pork Trotters. 
[/mfn] tomorrow, but now it’s gone. You can gnaw on your own.”
Tan Qi’s expression changed in an instant. He’s able to bend and stretch, he put down his phone and grabbed Qin Cheng’s arm, saying: “Oh my god, pork trotters! The pork trotters from the shop downstairs of your house! Ge, I was wrong! You’re the beautiful and young fairy boy!”
“Don’t try to make amends,” Qin Cheng took the cup of water from his desk and took a sip, “Last time you said the beer near the school was good. Pick out a few of the best ones and list them for me. I’ll buy a few bottles to stock up after work.”
“Aren’t you driving?” Tan Qi tore off a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and started writing, “Jian Heng didn’t stop you from drinking.”
“A little electric scooter is making such a fuss,” Qin Cheng waved his hand nonchalantly, “Just write your own, can he manage everything under the sky and even control whether I drink or not?”
His family has two cars, and since the hospital is a bit far from the neighborhood, Jian Heng bought a low-key Volkswagen. He originally wanted to buy one for him too, but Qin Cheng refused.
First, their neighborhood is quite close to the school, and second, he really can’t bear to spend the money.
When buying the house, Jian Heng paid the money. To prevent the house from becoming a dowry, Qin Cheng now has to transfer money to Jian Heng every month, under the pretext of paying the mortgage.
Of course, Jian Heng is saving the money for him, but Qin Cheng feels comfortable with this arrangement.
After paying the monthly mortgage, and with expenses for smoking and food, he hardly has anything left at the end of the month. If he quits smoking, he can save a bit of money, and after a year, he could afford a second-hand car.
Tan Qi once expressed curiosity about their cohabitation life despite the vast wealth gap[mfn]貧富差距 (pín fù chā jù): gap between the rich and the poor; economic disparity; disparity between rich and poor.[/mfn] between them, and Qin Cheng couldn’t explain it either. Perhaps it was Jian Heng’s infinite tolerance for him; he could say anything and do anything.
Few words: well-off and willful.
Another few words: deeply in love.
Let him mess around; they can cover any expenses that come up later.
“That’s all. It’s really delicious,” Tan Qi pushed the paper, sliding it in front of Qin Cheng. “Even if you buy it, it won’t do you any good since you can’t drink it.”
“Why can’t I drink?” Qin Cheng folded the paper into a small square and put it in his pocket. It just happened that the class bell rang, he stood up and walked out, his back looking carefree. “What misunderstanding do you have about your Ge’s family status?”
Tan Qi clapped his hands and didn’t dare to bleep anymore.
As soon as he stepped out, our Teacher Qin, who has a ‘misunderstanding about family status’, sent a text message to Doctor Jian.
Doctor Jian’s fiancé: Dear Heng Heng, Cheng Cheng wants to have a little drink tonight.
The passing students greeted him: “Goodbye, Teacher Qin!”
Qin Cheng put down his phone, a smile on his lips, and waved his hand kindly, saying: “Goodbye to you too.”
The students who passed by would never have thought that the mature and handsome Teacher Qin, who was calmly greeting them at this moment, actually called himself ‘Cheng Cheng’ on his mobile phone.
The other side must be busy; he only replied after he went down to the first floor.
Teacher Qin’s fiancé: It’s not safe to drive; let’s drink on the weekend.
Qin Cheng stared at these words for a long while, then sighed.
He used to think he was a happy henpecked husband, but in the end, he didn’t get the wife and ended up being fucking henpecked anyway.
Where can he go to seek justice?
***
Qin Cheng sped on his little electric scooter to the market first, outsmarting the DaMa to buy green peppers and tomatoes, and even got a cucumber in the end.
Bargaining is something that gets easier with practice; the first time is awkward, the second time you get the hang of it, and by the third or fourth time, it becomes second nature.
Pushing open the door, the room is eerily quiet.
“Working overtime again.” Qin Cheng changed his shoes, took off his clothes, and walked to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Jian Heng’s department is probably the busiest in the entire hospital. During his internship, he always had to work overtime, often until midnight, and there were several times he had to stay up all night on night shifts, leaving Qin Cheng, who was in the prime of his life, to guard an empty house alone. He was almost driven to resentment.
Qin Cheng hummed a song while chopping vegetables: “One misstep leads to a lifetime of regret. Married Heng Heng for love, but Qin-ge is also a human being. Who can he tell the loneliness in his heart?”
After a long day of hustle and bustle, Qin Cheng finally found a moment to rest. Just as he sat down on the sofa, his phone lit up.
Teacher Qin’s fiancé: Working overtime today, eat first. I’ll bring back some milk tea. Love you.jpg.
Qin Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. At this age, still bringing milk tea?
So romantic.
Doctor Jian’s fiancé: Drive back slowly, I’ve made some delicious food, waiting for you. Mwah.jpg.
Qin Cheng first had a quick meal to fill his stomach, then sat on the sofa with his laptop, waiting for Jian Heng while checking information.
At almost eleven o’clock, there was a sound of the door unlocking.
Qin Cheng put down the mouse, stretched his stiff and sore shoulders a couple of times, and looked at the door.
When Jian Heng pushed the door open and walked in, he instinctively glanced at the sofa. Upon seeing the person, he smiled and said: “Not sleeping, huh?”
“Waiting for you,” Qin Cheng put down his laptop, jumped off the sofa, and in a few quick steps, bounced in front of him, opened his arms to hug him, and rubbed his head in the crook of his neck: “Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much. I haven’t seen you all day. Come on, give me a couple of kisses, hurry.”
Jian Heng hadn’t even put down the things in his hands before obediently lowered his head.
Over the years, Qin Cheng has transformed from a skillfully inexperienced young freshie into a skillfully inexperienced big freshie.
Before long, he felt a bit out of breath. To save face, he quickly bit his lip lightly. Ah, still as soft as it was back then.
Jian Heng bit back, and the two of them were once again locked in an inseparable kiss.
Jian Heng’s body was still carrying the cool air from outside, which mixed with the dampness from the burning incense and gradually merged with the damp wood. The smell of the burning wood gradually raised the temperature in the room.
…..
“You have no idea how foolish I was back then,” Qin Cheng said as he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks at the dinner table. Remembering what happened during the day made him both angry and amused. “I was all alone, waiting on an empty playground for a group of students who would never show up. Ah, that scene, they should really make a movie about it called ‘The Loneliness of a Physical Education Teacher’.”
“That’s too much,” Jian Heng said, “next time, don’t let him come to our house for free meals.”
“There’s a discount for rubbing the dog’s leg again[mfn]再蹭狗腿打折了 (zài cèng gǒu tuǐ dǎ zhé le): T/N: I don’t actually know what this means. Perhaps TQ was forgiven because he’s currying QC again? If anyone knows what this means, please drop a comment or contact me at discord. Thank you.[/mfn],” Qin Cheng said with a laugh, “Who would have thought that Tan Qi’er, the student who didn’t even know how to use idioms properly back then, would end up becoming a Chinese teacher? Life’s twists and turns really can’t be guessed at randomly.”
“How about going home for New Year’s Day?” Jian Heng said, looking at him.
“……Ah,” Qin Cheng paused for a few seconds, then nodded, “Sure, my mom mentioned in a video call a few days ago that she wanted to buy some jewelry. We can go with her to take a look.”
“I took on a critical case, so I’ve been working overtime for the past two weeks,” Jian Heng said. “New Year’s Day just happens to be my turn to take a break.”
“Doctor Jian, you’ve worked hard,” Qin Cheng poured him a glass of water and handed it over, smiling as he said: “Now that I’m a doctor’s family member, I’ll definitely do a good job with the logistics!”
Jian Heng smiled and clinked glasses with him.
After dinner, Qin Cheng lay on the bed and suffered from insomnia, which was rare.
Just now, Jian Heng said he wanted to go home, but he actually didn’t want to go back.
Last year, his mother married the man upstairs. Actually, he had noticed it when he was in the second year of high school, but his mother never admitted it. It wasn’t until he went to college that she told him they were dating.
Qin Cheng would be lying if he said he wasn’t upset. After so many years of relying on each other, a stranger suddenly barged into their peaceful life, and this person wanted to snatch his mother from him.
Qin Cheng didn’t feel that he lacked love, but that time he truly felt abandoned.
This feeling was wrong, he knew it, so just like countless times before, he covered it up with a flawless smile and sincerely wished the two of them well.
University is also particularly busy, he doesn’t have much time to go home, and when he does, that person will also avoid them, giving the mother and son some alone time, so he doesn’t feel much of an impact.
But when his mom called to officially tell him that they were getting married, Qin Cheng was still stunned.
Unprepared, never thought about it in advance, or rather, he didn’t want to think about it at all.
Although his father had long passed away, Qin Cheng’s feelings for his father remained. He loved his parents, his home, but now this home had changed.
Qin Cheng only remembers that he said with a smile at the time: “So fast.”
Song Yingmei’s voice also carried a hint of apprehension, fearing he might be displeased: “It’s been several years, and we’re not young anymore, I…”
“Hey mom, I’m just teasing you, what’s fast? If you don’t get married soon, I might as well get married myself!”
…..
He couldn’t remember the rest of the conversation, but he probably covered it up pretty well.
From the preparations before the wedding to the wedding day itself, and finally to the holidays spent at home, he showed no signs of abnormal behavior. Like every other child who supported their mother’s remarriage, all he offered was blessings.
Until one night, he suddenly couldn’t take it anymore, and sat on the living room sofa alone, crying while holding a photo of his dad.
No sound, just staring at the ceiling and shedding tears, feeling an emptiness inside that can’t be filled no matter what.
Jian Heng woke up, and they sat together until dawn. During that time, they talked a lot, but what he remembered most deeply was: “We will all have our own lives, and many things will change, but as long as we know that the other person is doing well, that’s enough. That’s what we want the most.”
Qin Cheng leaned in his arms and cried until he was dizzy. He couldn’t even utter a complete sentence in the end. But after that night, a part of the knot in his heart was untied.
The rest can only be left to time.
“Can’t sleep?” Jian Heng reached out and touched his forehead.
“A little,” Qin Cheng opened his eyes, and the two of them lay face to face. “You go ahead and sleep first. You have to work overtime tomorrow. I will fall asleep in a while.”
Jian Heng hugged him, the distance between the two of them shrank infinitely, and their noses rubbed against each other.
“It’s getting cold again lately, let’s buy a car,” Jian Heng said.
“No money,” Qin Cheng said, his hand resting on his waist, unable to resist giving it a squeeze. The touch felt really good. “A few days ago, Shao Ze said his friend needs a trainer at his gym. It’s for private sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. I’m free on weekends anyway, so I asked him to check for me today.”
“How?” Jian Heng said.
“My conditions are definitely not a problem,” Qin Cheng looked at him, couldn’t help but lean in and give him a kiss, “I just wanted to ask you, after all, living together as a couple, I have to report to the leader.”
“You can give it a try first, and if you get tired, don’t go,” Jian Heng said with a smile, “It’s not like I don’t have the money.”
“I still owe a mortgage,” Qin Cheng said, “how could I possibly be so extravagant? I have to make money.”
“Didn’t we already settle it with your body?” Jian Heng said.
“If you put it that way,” Qin Cheng laughed, “after all these years, you should actually owe me money now, right?”
“Yeah,” Jian Heng laughed, “I’ll pay with my body too.”
“Granted.” Qin Cheng laughed as he wrapped his arms around him.
The author has something to say:
Teacher Qin and Doctor Jian! Ao~wu! Thank you to the little angels who cast their votes or watered the nutrient solution during this period!
Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
LMAO, QC is such a drama queen. The song he sings is called 舞女泪 (wǔ nǚ lèi), Dancer’s Tears. Here are the original translated lyrics and official MV.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Extra 4.2″]
能屈能伸 (néng qū néng shēn): can bow and submit, or can stand tall (idiom, from Book of Changes); ready to give and take; flexible; able to bow or rise as the occasion requires; adaptable to circumstances; can bend or unbend—able to stoop or to stand; Refers to a person who can endure when frustrated and can do a lot when he is successful.美其名曰 (měi qí míng yuē): to call it by the fine-sounding name of; to call by the glorified name of (idiom); euphemistically called; gloriously named; given the grand name of; under the pretext of; with the fancy name of.
鋪張浪費 (pū zhāng làng fèi): extravagance and waste; extravagant; prodigal of expenditure; extravagant and wasteful; conspicuous consumption; to waste manpower and material resources for the sake of a good show.
[/dropdown]Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
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