Chapter 35: When you miss me, you will come back.

After breakfast, Fei Cheng went to work.

Nan HuaiLin watched the swimming video at home all morning, took a nap after lunch, and left at two o’clock to go to the Beijing Gymnasium for swimming practice, a trip that took half an hour by bus.

He DuanYang was surprised to see him. Nan HuaiLin was already used to it, and after a brief chat, the training started.

There were twelve participants in the training. Six men and six women, all contracted by Ming Xi Media, and all the main actors of the web series, Swimming Beyond My Life. Because of the swimming theme, nudity was essential. How they looked was secondary, here their bodies had to be attractivegood. Nan HuaiLin was the most outstanding among the twelve people. No matter the body or the looks, he was like a luminous light that attracted everyone’s attention.

Since he was absent from the previous training, the coach asked Nan HuaiLin to swim a lap to see how he did.

When Nan HuaiLin came to the edge of the pool after the swim, the coach asked, “You’ve been practicing, right?”

Nan HuaiLin said, “I was on the school swim team in high school.”

The coach nodded. “No wonder you have such a solid foundation. I don’t think you even need to train.”

Of course, Nan HuaiLin still practiced.

Although it was just filming, he must strive to do his best.

When the training ended at five, He DuanYang asked him to go to dinner with him, but Nan HuaiLin declined on the grounds that he had a date.

Before he moved out, he wanted to cook for Fei Cheng every day. There was still a lot of food left from yesterday’s shopping, so Nan HuaiLin went straight home. When he arrived home, he took a shower, changed clothes and started cooking.

When Fei Cheng came home from work, the hot food and hot rice were already on the table. Nan HuaiLin told him to wash his hands and eat. Fei Cheng smiled and answered. He thought that this was the real life of a human being. His first two hundred years had been in vain.

The next few days were like this, busy and peaceful.

Nan HuaiLin read the script at home in the morning, went to the gym for swim training in the afternoon, then to the supermarket to buy groceries afterwards. He went home to cook, took the dog for a walk with Fei Cheng after the meal. When they came back from the dog walk, they watched a film together, or did their own things and finally went to bed.

During this time, Nan HuaiLin never mentioned that he was moving out.

On Thursday morning, Nan HuaiLin received a phone call from Man Tianzhu. She said that she had found a suitable apartment, and asked him to take a look at it before he decided whether to rent it.

Nan HuaiLin went to see the house. It was in a neighborhood in Baiziwan, not far from Dongdan. It was a one-bedroom apartment of about 5 square meters, completely furnished and very clean, for a monthly rent of 5,800, with a deposit of 3,000.

Nan HuaiLin was very satisfied. He signed the contract, paid the money directly, and received the key.

At noon, Nan HuaiLin invited Man Tianzhu to dinner.

Man Tianzhu asked, “We have two days before the shooting. How is the preparation going?”

Nan HuaiLin said, “It’s fine.”

Man Tianzhu heard a sullen note in his tone, and his expressions weren’t quite right, so she asked in concern, “What’s wrong? You don’t look happy.”

Nan HuaiLin smiled and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

He was just thinking about how to tell Fei Cheng that he was moving out.

Would Fei Cheng be angry? Would he be disappointed and upset?

All afternoon, Nan HuaiLin was thinking about this. He was a little distracted during training, and accidentally burned his hand while cooking dinner.

“I’m home!” Fei Cheng shouted as soon as he entered the door.

Nan HuaiLin came out of the kitchen with a spatula. “Dinner will be ready soon. Take a shower first.”

Fei Cheng smiled, said, “Okay,” and went to take a shower.

Ten minutes later, Fei Cheng walked into the dining room, refreshed, and was stunned. “Why is it so extravagant today? Is it some kind of holiday?”

Nan HuaiLin put two bowls of rice on the table and said, “Chinese Men’s Day.”

“Huh?” Fei Cheng sat down. “You made that up, didn’t you?”

“You can read it on Baidu.” Nan HuaiLin handed him the chopsticks.

Fei Cheng really did. “Holy shit, it’s true. We are both men, so we should celebrate the same. How about I list all the holidays in the year: New Year’s Day, National Day 1, Dragon Boat Festival2, Qingming3, Tanabata4… let’s celebrate them one by one. How about it?”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard someone say they want to celebrate Qingming,” Nan HuaiLin laughed. “Stop being weird and eat.”

Fei Cheng ate his food. “What did you do today?”

Nan HuaiLin was inexplicably weak. He lowered his head, and didn’t dare to look at him, “The same as everyday, read the script, swimming training, grocery shopping and cooking.”

Fei Cheng asked, “Is the web drama going to start shooting soon?”

“Mn,” Nan HuaiLin said, “it starts on the twelfth, three days away.”

Fei Cheng saw the band-aid on Nan HuaiLin’s finger and asked, “What happened to your hand?”

Nan HuaiLin said, “I accidentally got burned when I was frying.”

Fei Cheng put down his chopsticks, “Let me see.”

“It’s okay,” Nan HuaiLin said, “Let’s eat.”

Fei Cheng refused, dragged his hand over, removed the band-aid, took a look, and directly lowered his head to the burned finger.

“Hey…” Nan HuaiLin was shocked, “Dirty!”

He wanted to pull back his hand, but Fei Cheng held on to it and sucked on it, even licking it with his tongue.

Nan HuaiLin only felt his scalp tingling, like an electric shock, half of his body had become crisp.

Fei Cheng let go of his mouth after a while and looked up at him, seemingly a little embarrassed, “Saliva can disinfect.”

Nan HuaiLin pulled his hand back, “Come on, let’s eat.”

Fei Cheng “hmm”, silently picked up the chopsticks.

After eating, Nan HuaiLin wanted to wash the dishes, of course Fei Cheng wouldn’t let him do it, but he wouldn’t let him go either, “You stay here and watch me do it.”

Fei Cheng found that he had a particularly strong dependence on Nan HuaiLin. As long as Nan HuaiLin was around, all those tiresome chores would become interesting, while as long as Nan HuaiLin was out of his sight, he would feel inexplicably anxious, and he couldn’t get interested in anything fun. The company has been late and leaving early, running home after work, and refusing all invitations to eat, drink and play.

Nan HuaiLin stared at Fei Cheng’s back for a while and thought it was time to speak up.

“Fei Cheng,” he said jittery, “I want to talk to you.”

“Go ahead,” Fei Cheng said, “I’m listening.”

Nan HuaiLin said, after a brief moment of silence, “I… I’m moving out.”

Fei Cheng then turned off the tap and turned around to look at Nan HuaiLin with little expression on his face, “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Nan HuaiLin also looked at him and repeated, “I’m moving out.” After a two-second pause, he continued, “I’ve already found a house and will move tomorrow. I transferred 50,000 yuan to the card you gave me for those months’ rent, and I put the card in the drawer under the TV stand, and I haven’t touched the money inside.”

Fei Cheng approached him and smiled at the corners of his mouth, “So, that was a break-up dinner?”

Nan HuaiLin did not answer.

Fei Cheng pressed up and pinned Nan HuaiLin to the cooking table.

“Fei Cheng, don’t…”

The rest of the words were blocked by Fei Cheng’s lips.

Nan HuaiLin’s eyes widened abruptly and he pushed away Fei Cheng hard, but Fei Cheng’s arms tightened around his waist and kissed him fiercely, leaving him nowhere to escape and unable to breathe.

His heartbeat had never been so quick, so much that Nan HuaiLin was afraid. The severe lack of oxygen stopped his brain, and the torrent of love and lust slammed against the walls of reason, leaving him in a torment of ice and fire.

As he looked like he was about to collapse, Fei Cheng abruptly ended the kiss.

Oxygen poured in so hard that Nan HuaiLin coughed violently. Fei Cheng continued to hold him down, gently patting his back. Nan HuaiLin only calmed down after he coughed out his tears.

Fei Cheng picked up his chin and kissed away the tear stains at the corners of his eyes, saying in a soft, inaudible voice, “I know, I’m being selfish, aren’t I?” He put his hand over Nan HuaiLin’s heart, which was still beating violently, “It’s me in there, isn’t it?”

Nan HuaiLin couldn’t answer, he gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes, his eyes fell on the knot of Fei Cheng’s throat.

“If you want to leave, I won’t keep you.” Fei Cheng gently embraced him, smiled slightly and whispered in his ear, “Because I know that when you miss me, you will come back.”

 

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Egg12345: Dad, you are going to crush us! Go away go away!

 

Translator Notes:

National Day (Chinese: 国庆节; pinyin: guóqìng jié; lit. ‘national celebration day’), officially the National Day of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国庆节), is a public holiday in China celebrated annually on 1 October as the national day of the People’s Republic of China, commemorating the formal proclamation of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949.The Dragon Boat Festival (simplified Chinese: 端午节; traditional Chinese: 端午節) is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Boat_Festival#Origin In early April, millions of Chinese across the country visit the cemetery, cleaning ancestors’ graves, bringing food, flowers, and burnt incense and paper. They do this for the Qingming Festival, celebrated on either April 4th or 5th depending on the lunar calendar. Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, or Pure Brightness Festival, is a day to visit and remember family ancestors. Qingming translates to “clean” and “bright,” and it is also a day to celebrate the beginning of spring. People enjoy outdoor activities during this three-day public holiday. Tomb-sweeping Day is not only observed in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but also in other countries with large Chinese communities, like Malaysia and Singapore.Tanabata, or the Star Festival, involves a Japanese tradition in which people write their wishes on small, colorful strips of paper (tanzaku) and hang them on the branches of a small decorative bamboo tree.