Chapter 20 His Affairs

Novel t.i.tle: (Spring is the Plan of Life)

Author (Yu Xiaofan)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: (Yao Jinxi -MC), (Wu Yang -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.s.p.a.ce, the original site of translation. TQ*

Wu Yang called Xia Ruonan and then went to pick her up.

Xia Ruonan was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, had put on light makeup, and appeared relatively composed, But her smile seemed quite weak. She had initially intended to sit in the front pa.s.senger seat but noticed a paper bag placed there. So she took a seat in the back instead. Thanks. Oh youre not wearing gla.s.ses anymore?

I switched to contact lenses. Wu Yang didnt feel like explaining anything to her, especially given her absent-minded expression. He asked, Have you been in contact with w.a.n.g Peng?

Xia Ruonans expression changed. He called.

Wu Yang nodded. Thinking about reconciling?

The situation was not as simple as that. But Xia Ruonan didnt want to say more. Even if she did, she didnt know how to express it. This matter had left her mentally exhausted and had essentially overturned her previous life. The future she had planned had vanished.

She was feeling very lost.

Wu Yang asked again, What do you think about all of this? Whether you want to break up or reconcile, the most important thing is to know what you want. Having a clear goal is essential before deciding on your course of action.

His words were logically sound and devoid of personal emotions. He maintained a professional tone. But Xia Ruonan was somewhat slow to pick up on nuances as she was still trapped in her own confusion. She replied, Do you think breaking up with him would be too impulsive?

Its up to you. But dont hesitate and vacillate. Going back and forth is too exhausting.

The phrase too exhausting could be applied to both of them, though she wasnt aware of it.

Xia Ruonan fell silent.

Betrayal once indicated the possibility of it happening again. This time, w.a.n.g Peng had an affair with a client who had brought significant importance to his business. w.a.n.g Peng argued that there were some things he couldnt refuse and their interactions had become somewhat ambiguous. He had no choice in the matter.

Where theres one. There may come others.

She sighed and rested her head against the window. I think we should break up. I cant take it anymore.

She had carefully guarded a relations.h.i.+p. But when it developed cracks, she lacked the courage to mend it because she didnt know if it might shatter completely one day.

Wu Yang didnt pa.s.s judgement on this kind of weakness. Jinxi is very worried about you.

Xia Ruonan responded with a faint hmm. Her distracted demeanour caused Wu Yang to furrow his eyebrows. Xia Ruonan was usually polite and cautious in her interactions with people. But when it came to Yao Jinxi, she had no reservations. They both did things for each other without hesitation.

Wu Yang was aware of how jealous he felt about this. It was as if something he wanted had been claimed by someone else. As a result, he couldnt help but develop some aversion toward Xia Ruonan.

Yao Jinxi was gay. And Xia Ruonan was interested in other people. They couldnt progress into a more intimate relations.h.i.+p.

That fact was enough to alleviate some of Wu Yangs restlessness. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel twice. You and Jinxi have a very close relations.h.i.+p.

Yes, its been so many years, Xia Ruonan replied honestly despite not understanding why Wu Yang had brought up this topic.

They happened to stop at a red light. Wu Yang turned to her with a smile. I used to think you both attended the same university because Jinxi mentioned you were close. But he then told me he didnt go to college.

Xia Ruonan looked surprised. He told you?

Yeah. Jinxi seems quite knowledgeable, Wu Yang expressed some curiosity. He doesnt seem like he neveryou know so I was quite surprised.

He actually got accepted into a prestigious university! Xia Ruonan became suddenly animated as she discussed this topic. Her previous lackl.u.s.tre mood vanished as if it had been a joke. That guy was so disappointing back then It really infuriated me.

Then she crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows as if some unpleasant memories had come to mind, directed at a certain someone.

There were hidden nuances. Wu Yang had some inkling of it. He was also quite interested in Yao Jinxis past.

There were many ways to find out, such as hiring a professional like he did with Jin Xiaoxiao. With that approach, he could easily uncover Yao Jinxis life history.

However, regarding Yao Jinxis affairs, Wu Yang wasnt inclined to do so.

He wanted Yao Jinxi to tell him himself.

It might require some effort. But Wu Yang was more than willing because Yao Jinxi was worth it.

It was like having an intriguing puzzle before him. One that could only be unravelled step by step to reveal a grand prize.

By the way, youre moving out, right? Have you found a place? With this thought in mind, Wu Yang lost interest in pleasantries and decided not to bring up Yao Jinxis past anymore. In fact, discussing this person with Xia Ruonan also left him feeling dissatisfied because this girl knew far more than he did.

Xia Ruonan looked troubled. Um I searched online today. But I havent found anything suitable yet.

Wu Yang mentioned that he had a place to rent and quoted a rental fee that was a bargain considering the location and quality of the house. Xia Ruonan felt a bit embarra.s.sed.

Dont worry about it. Im not expecting to make money from this, Wu Yang casually said. Plus, youre Jinxis friend.

Xia Ruonan raised an eyebrow in confusion. ?

Why did this statement sound so strange?

The car hadnt even returned to the hotel when Yao Jinxis call came. Wu Yang turned around to pick up Yao Jinxi. Since it was rush hour, the traffic was congested. When they arrived, Yao Jinxi had already been waiting at the entrance for a while.

Wu Yang parked the car in front of him and said, Sorry. We got stuck in traffic.

He removed the paper bag that had been occupying the pa.s.senger seat just as Yao Jinxi opened the car door and sat down. Wu Yang casually placed the bag on Yao Jinxis lap.

Yao Jinxi was filled with question marks, thinking that Wu Yang had asked him to hold onto it for a moment.

However, Wu Yang smiled and said, I was visiting a friend earlier. He insisted on giving me something. I dont need these things myself, but I thought you might like it. So I took it for you.

If someone else had said this, Yao Jinxi might not have believed it. But coming from Wu Yang, it was highly convincing. He seemed to have graduated from the University of Social Relations.h.i.+ps, always able to connect people and build bridges between different individuals.

Oh? What is it? Yao Jinxi took a box out of the paper bag. The wooden box was square and looked very high-end.

He opened it. To his surprise, the large box contained only a string of Buddha beads. The wooden beads had intricate patterns carved into them, resembling cursive script. But Yao Jinxi couldnt discern what scripture it was.

Yao Jinxi frowned. Is it ivory? Its too expensive. I cant accept it

How could it be ivory? Dont think so highly of it. Wu Yang laughed. He told me its carnelian and a few agate beads. Its a gift. So dont make me the one who wears it, okay?

Carnelian and agate were both considered one of the seven treasures in Buddhism, making them suitable materials for prayer beads. This string of pure white carnelian beads adorned with a few bright red agate stones was indeed quite beautiful.

Yao Jinxi looked at it and liked it. Besides his wrist.w.a.tch, Wu Yang didnt wear anything else on his hands. He hesitated for a moment and said, Well, you can consider it as something you sold me. I dont feel like picking something else. How much is it?

Understanding Yao Jinxis personality, Wu Yang didnt want to force the gift on him as it might make him uncomfortable. After some thought, he suggested, How about a months worth of your menu?

Yao Jinxi didnt react immediately. Menu?

Come to think of it, I dont even know what dishes you can cook. How about you make a list of the dishes you can cook? It will make it easier for me to order, Wu Yang continued to smile. What do you think?

Yao Jinxi chuckled at the situation. What was this all about? He wasnt naive. He knew that Wu Yang was basically saying that the item was free. He estimated that the string of beads was worth a few hundred yuan at most. Considering their relations.h.i.+p, it wasnt worth haggling over. He could treat it as a birthday gift.

Well, that wont do. A whole month? How about half a month? Yao Jinxi decided to play along and negotiate with Wu Yang. The two of them bantered back and forth, leaving Xia Ruonan in the backseat with a puzzled look.

When did these two become such good friends?

With the limited time before dinner, the three of them had a quick meal at a nearby fast-food restaurant. Since Xia Ruonan had decided to move and Wu Yangs place was brand new, it was almost certain that they needed quite a few things. Wu Yang took them to see the place. It was clean but lacked any personal touch. It had all the basic furnis.h.i.+ngs but no household items.

Taking advantage of having a car, Xia Ruonan and Yao Jinxi went to a nearby supermarket to buy various miscellaneous items. However, they were uncertain about what they would ultimately take with them when moving, so they only bought essentials like bedsheets and pillows. Wu Yang diligently pushed the shopping cart behind them, observing Yao Jinxi enthusiastically discussing what they needed with Xia Ruonan.

In the end, both of them carried large bags of items. They knew they would probably need to come back and buy more later.

Have you talked to w.a.n.g Peng about it? Moving your stuff on Sunday? Yao Jinxi asked.

Facing Yao Jinxis question, Xia Ruonan could only force a bitter smile. The sadness and pain that had started to fade came back in full force. Im thinking of taking a day off on Thursday.

She really didnt want to face w.a.n.g Peng. Imagining w.a.n.g Peng coldly watching her pack up her belongings, Xia Ruonan felt that the scene would definitely drive her to tears.

Yao Jinxi nodded at Xia Ruonans agreement. Alright, well go help you. Tonight, take a hot bath. Dont let your thoughts wander and get a good nights sleep.

Xia Ruonan nodded in response.

Tonight, Yao Jinxi decided not to sleep with Wu Yang. Since Xia Ruonan seemed to be in better spirits today, he would stay at his own place. Normally, Wu Yang would have stayed a while longer at the teahouse. But with Xia Ruonan around, it wasnt an option. Drinking tea without her presence just didnt feel right to him. Wu Yang found the evening somewhat dull and given that Yao Jinxi was constantly worried about Xia Ruonan, he felt a bit irritated. He thought it was best to take Xia Ruonan home earlier.

Will you accompany me tomorrow to buy a car? Wu Yang asked. He still needed to purchase a car. The one he was driving wasnt really his. He felt strange driving it.

Yao Jinxi hesitated for a moment. I cant tomorrow. I need to deliver tea to an old customer.

Wu Yang was disappointed but didnt insist. Alright. Ill buy the car first and then come over.

Xia Ruonan, sitting in the back, was filled with question marks once again.

It seems like Wu Yang didnt go anywhere else at all after taking leaves and just stayed at Yao Jinxis place?

*Authors Note: The girl is feeling quite puzzled.-YXF

*Translators Note: If Im Xia Ruonan, Ill already be s.h.i.+pping themlike aggressively -K

?That Buddha beads should look like this.

Next update: 2023.10.21