Translator: Vian
Editors: celes, namio
No one would have thought that Madame Qin had been waiting at the door of Qin Cheng's apartment for more than half an hour already.
And Madame Qin also didn't expect that while she was just coming to check how it was going, she actually heard such terrible news.
Pay! Rent!!!
Rongrong is already living with you, but you actually want him to pay rent?! What do you think your relationship is, Rongrong is her lovely darling but he still needs to pay rent?
Simply indifferent, simply heartless, simply unreasonable!
As soon as the three people entered the apartment, Madame Qin took Rong Xu's hand and marched to the living room without bothering to give her own family's son a glance. While walking, Madame Qin carefully examined the youth's delicate and beautiful face and said with distress: "You've gotten thinner, Rongrong. Look at your cheeks, they're almost sunken in! Look at your hand, how come you also have a wound? Where did you get this, does it hurt ah, it must be painful."
Rong Xu smiled helplessly: "It doesn't hurt, thank you for worrying about me, Auntie."
This wound was made a few days ago when filming "Black Clouds". Rong Xu tripped on a prop and fell, and his hand scraped the floor as he supported himself. It was just the outer skin that was slightly scratched, it didn't even bleed, much less hurt.
Hearing this, Auntie Qin's face was taut as she grimly said: "The skin is rubbed off and you're still saying it doesn't hurt? And why aren't you putting a band-aid on it?" Auntie Qin immediately turned around and stared at her son.
Qin Cheng placed his coat back in the closet. His expression was calm, as if the person who was just reprimanded wasn't him at all.
Seeing him like this, Madame Qin's face turned cold and snorted: "Qin Cheng!"
The handsome and noble man slightly turned his head, a deep, unknown light flashing through the pair of phoenix eyes as he looked at his mother: "En?"
Madame Qin: "..."
Her imposing grandeur suddenly collapsed. Madame Qin coughed and calmed down before still loudly saying: "Is there a band-aid? Bring over your first-aid kit, the skin on Rongrong's fingers is split. Why didn't you watch him carefully, what if… what if he gets tetanus? Can you afford it?"
When he heard "tetanus", Qin Cheng stopped and looked at his mother with a complicated gaze before turning around to get the first-aid kit.
Seeing her son obediently go and get it, Madame Qin couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Rong Xu, smiling as she spoke: "This child always makes people feel like hitting him. Rongrong, don't be afraid, your Auntie Qin is here. He wouldn't dare treat you badly."
Rong Xu just continued to smile: "..."
Let's not mention how this kind of small wound could even lead to tetanus; instead, let's talk about your attitude towards your son just now Auntie… no matter how one looks at it, it doesn't look like you can defeat your son ah.
Soon, Qin Cheng found the first-aid kit, however, he didn't give the band-aid to his mother.
This kind of small wound actually didn't need a band-aid. There wasn't any bleeding or pus; it would've been fine to leave the skin to heal by itself. However, since Madame Qin strongly insisted, Qin Cheng didn't refuse. He sat on the sofa, holding the bandage in one hand while the other was stretched out in front of Rong Xu.
Rong Xu was surprised. Auntie Qin also looked at her son strangely.
She saw her family's usually indifferent son calmly say: "Give me your hand, I will help put it on."
Not thinking much of it, Rong Xu extended his right hand and placed it on Qin Cheng's palm. The moment their skin touched, Qin Cheng's hand trembled, but his expression still remained the same. He tore off the thin backing on the bandage and placed the breathable layer over Rong Xu's wound, the two men's fingers slightly touching as he did.
Rong Xu only thought that Qin Cheng's hand seemed to be a bit hot, even hotter than his own hand. But he naturally didn't know that if he looked up right now, he would find that a certain man's ears were a little red… no, not a 'little' bit at all.
When all of this was done, Auntie Qin carefully looked up and down her little darling. After confirming that nothing else was wrong with his body, her face turned serious as she looked towards her son and brought up the topic: "Why does my darling need to pay rent!"
That night, the three opened up a small meeting. The meeting place was Qin CHeng's dining room, and the meeting topic was "Shameless Rent Collecting". The organizer, speaker, and judge of the entire meeting was Auntie Qin.
Auntie Qin sat at the head of the table and patiently and earnestly advised Rong Xu: "Rongrong's life is already so bitter; his uncle and aunt treat him harshly and even deliberately starve him by not giving him anything to eat. Qin Cheng, you also saw it. Rongrong's parents passed away early; I'm his only close relative left, making you his big brother. Is this how you treat your little brother? Even making your little brother pay rent?"
Qin Cheng raised an eyebrow and held on the key part: "Not my little brother."
Auntie Qin glared at him: "So you think you can make him pay rent because of that?!"
Qin Cheng closed his mouth and didn't speak. It seemed that he was faintly aware that as long as he took advantage of the situation, he wouldn't need to accept rent anymore.
However, Rong Xu raised his hand, wanting to defend Qin Cheng: "Auntie, it was me who wanted to pay Qin Cheng rent. After all, I am disturbing his life like this and I feel bad. Rent is just a show of my good intentions since I feel very guilty for always troubling Qin Cheng."
A warm and bright smile blossomed on the youth's fair face, and his voice was soft and gentle like the spring breeze. Auntie Qin's heart went soft, but after listening to his words, she suddenly coldly looked at her son and scowled hatefully: "Rongrong is so considerate, how could you want him to pay rent? Starting today, paying rent is not allowed! I won't bother with any rent that was received before, but if you dare do it again in the future… Qin Cheng, I dare you to try."
These kind of 'threats' didn't seem to be the kind that would be taken seriously by Qin Cheng. Rong Xu just shook his head, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. But he didn't expect Qin Cheng to actually nod and rather casually say: "Then there is no need for rent from now on."
Rong Xu quickly turned to look at the other, only to see that the man was also looking back at him. Many emotions were condensed in his deep and profound eyes, but one was unable to clearly make them out and know what he was thinking.
And so, the meeting ended successfully just like that.
Auntie Qin had actually gotten the news from Xu Jin in the morning and knew that Qin Cheng would be returning today. However, as she made some subtle inquiries, she found that Xu Jin didn't pay much attention to Rong Xu's situation and didn't even know if Rong Xu was living in Qin Cheng's apartment, so she decided to come for a surprise inspection.
It just so happened that Auntie Qin was recently working nearby in Korea, so when she arrived in B-City, it was still evening.
But Auntie Qin didn't expect that no one would be home. She waited for a while, but no one came back so she called Xu Jin, then Qin Cheng, and then finally Rong Xu, but all three of them had their phones turned off! She was puzzled, but what she didn't know was that all three of them had just gotten off the plane and forgot to restart their phones.
It was precisely because of this coincidence that Auntie Qin managed to hear about this "paying rent".
It was already late into the night, Auntie Qin's flight was due for tomorrow morning so she was staying here for the night. The apartment originally had three bedrooms, but one was being used as a movie room by Qin Cheng. It was equipped with the most advanced home movie theater equipment, but there was no bed.
So Auntie Qin could only sleep in Qin Cheng's room.
Seeing this, Rong Xu thought for a moment then said: "I can sleep on the sofa. The sofa is very spacious, it's good enough for sleeping."
Auntie Qin's eyes widened: "How can this be okay? Rongrong, you're still in the development stage; you're still growing. What if you stopped growing from sleeping on the sofa?" Pausing, she then turned to her son: "Qin Cheng, you're already twenty-seven, you go sleep on the sofa."
Qin Cheng: "..."
Rong Xu: "..."
In the very end, it was still impossible for Rong Xu to let Qin Cheng sleep on the sofa. This was Qin Cheng's house. How could the owner only sleep on the sofa while he, the "tenant", slept on the bed? Thus, both of them went to Rong Xu's room and decided to temporarily squeeze in together for the night.
The bed was one and a half meters wide. Although it wasn't small, it would still be a bit crowded with two big men sleeping together.
Rong Xu brought over a clean pillow and made the bed. He looked up towards Qin Cheng as he asked: "Is there really no extra quilt?"
Qin Cheng decisively answered: "No."
Rong Xu withdrew his gaze and said regretfully: "That's a bit troublesome."
Qin Cheng nodded in agreement: "It is a bit troublesome." Why is there an extra pillow? Really troublesome.
Quickly, it was time for Rong Xu to take a shower.
Both his and Qin Cheng's bedroom had a separate bathroom. The heater was also on, so no matter how cold it was outside the windows, the cold winds couldn't enter the warm house. The sound of rushing water rang in the silent room. Qin Cheng sat on the sofa as he opened his phone.
The cold, handsome face was like a knife, and his contours were sharp and clean with sword-like brows and thin lips. Qin Cheng kept on staring at his phone screen, but the sound of the rushing water didn't ease up one bit and thundered in his ears from all sides.
Everything seemed to have returned to half a year ago when Rong Xu was filming "Ambush" and Qin Cheng suddenly came to see him. At that time, the hotel gave them a narrow camp bed. The youth insisted that he would sleep on the camp bed and let Qin Cheng have the bed instead.
In the middle of the night, he quietly carried the other and gently placed him on the bed.
The youth wasn't on guard as he slept and lied docilely in his arms. Earlier that day, he had seen a firm, unyielding Rong Xu as he was oppressed by an actor in the same crew, but he stubbornly resisted and finally won. But now at night, this same person was gentle like a warm sun, soft and delicate, elegant and graceful, with a sincere heart despite his silence.
That night, Qin Cheng sat on the camp bed as he gazed at the youth. It was only when it was five in the morning that he left to catch his flight. He didn't sleep, only gazing at the youth through the moonlight.
Which one was the real Rong Xu?
Was it the frivolous rich second generation with colorfully dyed hair and would always swear that he coincidently saw three years ago? Or was it the gentle youth in white that seemed to shine he saw half a year ago at the Rong Family's mansion?
Qin Cheng's brows knitted slightly and he fell into contemplation.
At this time, the bathroom door was pushed open by a slender, fair hand. Rong Xu was wearing some thin pajamas and wiping his hair as he walked out. After his hair got wet and clustered together, it was all pushed to the back, revealing the youth's full forehead.
Perhaps it was because he was at home, but Rong Xu seemed to have relaxed a lot. He smiled as he told Qin Cheng, "You can take a shower now," and picked up the blow dryer to dry his hair.
Qin Cheng subconsciously said: "I'll help you dry your hair."
Rong Xu was surprised, and a confused light flashed through his eyes, but he didn't refuse and handed the blow dryer over.
The scene was as beautiful as a dream. A tall, handsome man softly caressed the youth's soft hair and blow-dried it with his gentlest actions. In front of him sat a beautiful youth only wearing thin white pajamas. Because he just got out of the shower, his face was fair, his cheeks were rosy, and his eyes bright.
Just like this, one person blow-dried while the other quietly sat.
No one spoke, only the sound of the continuous blowing of the blow dryer could be heard. When he blow-dried the hair on the other side, Qin Cheng moved a little closer to that side when he suddenly saw Rong Xu raise his head. His brows gently curved, and he smiled as he spoke: "I will help you dry your hair later, okay?"
His slender and clear eyes shone with a beautiful light. When the youth looked up, his neck and clavicle created a beautiful curve, revealing a hint of spring scenery that was hidden inside his pajamas. The scenery was blocked by the shadows casted by the pajamas and was hard for one to see clearly, but Qin Cheng abruptly slammed the blow dryer down, got up, turned around, and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Rong Xu: "...?"
After a while, the man's low voice spoke up: "Okay, you can help me dry my hair in a bit."
Rong Xu: "… Okay."
In the bedroom, Rong Xu slightly frowned, having absolutely no idea what just happened. And of course, he also had no idea that the moment a certain man walked into the bathroom, he immediately tilted his head up to prevent blood from flowing down his nose.
… Why don't you have even a little bit of vigilance!
Such… such temptation is simply a crime!
The tips of his ears were already red enough to drip blood, but the man still had a calm and unruffled appearance. He fixedly stared at himself through the mirror. After a long time, he slowly pulled out his phone. He opened up Xu Jin's name and was about to send a text, but after typing in a word, he suddenly stopped.
Five minutes later, a seemingly ordinary post appeared in Rong Xu's private fan forum.
[Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing: If you had to sleep together with Rongrong one day, and he's even wearing… very loose clothes. What would you do? Waiting online, very urgent!]
Not even within one minute, many comments appeared under the post.
[Sleeping together with Rongrong? You mean sleeping together in the same bed? Hahaha forget sleeping together, as long as Rongrong appears in front of me, I'll immediately tightly hug on to him and refuse to let go!]
[In the same bed? Obviously me and my husband would sleep together in the same bed, I sleep together with my husband on the same bed everyday hahaha 233333333]
[… How can one hold back? Obviously do it! My family's Rongrong is mine, he's my male ticket! Begging to sleep with Wanqi Yao!]
[Little sister LS, quickly wake up. I also want to sleep with Wanqi Yao, I want to sleep with Marshal Huo as well! LZ, you also quickly wake up, it's already dark, it's fine to sleep early but don't fantasize okay.]
[If I can sleep with Rongrong… my whole life would be worth it! Even if we can't sleep together, just let me touch his hand… ah *nosebleed*!]
Quickly, this post got over hundreds of replies, but everyone was joking around. There was even a talented sister who wrote a five hundred plus words, deadly serious paragraph on "How to Touch Rongrong's Hand Within Ten Years" that even seemed quite feasible.
Qin Cheng: "..."
Not long later——
[Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing: Wake up, Rongrong will only sleep with me! Only me!]
Not even a second passed before everyone openly laughed——
[And here I was kidding with you LZ, you actually took it seriously?]
[You can still sleep with Rongrong? I can't even see Rongrong's face and can only hold my phone to lick the screen everyday! I've already licked broken three screens!]
[LZ is quite deep into the roleplay, you also need to quickly wake up, a beautiful tomorrow is waiting for you XDDD]
Qin Cheng: "..." You're the one who's deep into the roleplay! You're the one who's kidding! You're…
"Qin Cheng, are you still not done yet?"
Qin Cheng: "… En, I'm about to take a shower right now."
The youth's voice had a hint of a smile: "En, then I'll wait for you."
The night was just beginning.
Translator's Corner:
Vian[deadpan]: He won't last through the actual night.
namio: I laughed through this entire chapter like I forgot how much of a gremlin Qin Cheng actually is… Rongrong do something about your man, he's losing too much bloodflow to his brain from how many nosebleeds he's having out of his ears
Tetanus – A serious disease caused by a bacterial toxin that affects your nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, particularly of your jaw and neck muscles. Commonly known as "lockjaw." Tetanus bacteria are commonly present in soil, dust, and manure. It can infect a person through a tiny scratch, but you're most likely get it through a deep cut.
Sword-like brows – [剑眉星目 – Jiànméi xīng mù]; I looked this up in bored curiosity and it said the disadvantages of men with sword-like brows is that they are easily excited lol
A sincere heart despite his silence – [潤物無聲 – Rùn wù wúshēng] ; A person who silently does good and doesn't vocalize what they do.
Came from Du Fu's poem during the Tang Dynasty:
"Welcome Rain on a Spring Night" – here
There's a bunch of other translation but this one came up first so.
LZ – [楼主 – lóuzhǔ] ; Creator of the thread