Chapter 8: Is This Called Nothing at All?

Shen Jintai had said countless more excessive things than this in the past. It’s just that this time, it was bit different. The tone was subtle, less colorful, but more roguish.

Yan Qiuchi was silent.

Shen Jintai waited for Xiao Ai to come online and give me extra points. However, even after a long time, he didn’t hear anything from it. When he looked at Yan Qiuchi again, he had already taken a step back and staring at him coldly.

……

“You two…” Mrs. Yan stood at the door blankly staring at them: “It’s okay. It’s okay! You guys continue.”

Mrs. Yan quickly retreated to her room.

……

Shen Jintai fastened up his collar and rushed towards Mrs. Yan: “Auntie…” After a couple steps, he was forcibly dragged back by Yan Qiuchi.

Although he claimed to be a 1*, he was trapped by Yan Qiuchi, who was more 1 than himself. Looking at that handsome and terrible face, Shen Jintai shuddered.

*A reference to being a top/gong

Whether if it was height, appearance, or masculinity, he was ruthlessly crushed.

What could he rely on to snatch Bai Qingquan from Yan Qiuchi’s hands? That is of course by getting sexier and prettier!

Thinking of this, he immediately became more arrogant and stared back at Yan Qiuchi.

Wrong. Yan Qiuchi looked at Shen Jintai. The eyes are wrong. The former Shen Jintai didn’t look at him like this.His eyes should be wretched, hungry, with unabashed desire. Not like they are now, lucid and provocative.

While changing his appearance couldn’t be considered unusual, he felt a strangeness from Shen Jintai. It was like he was a completely different person. Yan Qiuchi released Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai’s clothes were all wrinkled. He pulled his neckline and asked, “Do you still want to bite? If not, I’m leaving.”

Yan Qiuchi said: “No matter how many tricks you play, it’s useless. I won’t love you.” Shen Jintai deliberately said to him that Bai Qingquan was better than him. He deliberately got close to his brother, Yan Yaoxuan. The reason? To anger him. To make him jealous. How unamusing.

When Shen Jintai heard this, he became angry: “You can rest assure*. I am not interested in you at all now. I have someone else I like.”

*Original was 一百二十个心. It’s an idiom that translate to “have one hundred and twenty hearts” which means to be reassured. However, in an English context this would sound awkward and wouldn’t make the dialogue flow well, so I use the meaning of the idiom instead.

Yan Qiuchi asked coldly: “Who?”

Shen Jintai gave a smile. A tiny malicious slyness suddenly appeared on his face. Without answering him, he walked directly towards Mrs. Yan’s room.

Shen Jintai: “Hello, Xiao Ai. Was there any fluctuation at all?!”

Xiao Ai: “The fluctuation value detected just now was not high. I’ll reluctantly give you one point. You have accumulated a total of six points.”

Shen Jintai: “…Is this something you could give at your discretion? If so, can I please have you open a back door?”

Xiao Ai: “Ah?! What back door! How despicable!”

Shen Jintai: “…”

Shen Jintai knocked on the door, and heard Mrs. Yan say excitedly behind the door: “Come in.”

When he entered, he saw Mrs. Yan smiling at a flower more brilliant than the one on her head. “…Auntie, let me explain…”

Mrs. Yan: “No need to explain. Auntie understands.”

No, you don’t understand, Mrs. Yan!

Mrs. Yan: “The thing about Quichi is he’s cold on the outside, hot on the inside. Even if he likes something, he doesn’t like to show it. You two grew up together so there must at least be some affection. Auntie can’t say whether it’s love or not, but as the saying goes, after seeing people’s hearts for a long time the iron rod will be grounded into a needle*.”

*Proverb (The iron rod will be grounded into a needle) that means if you have determination and is willing to work hard, you can accomplish it. AKA perseverance will prevail.

Auntie, aren’t you using that idiom incorrectly?

Shen Jintai hurriedly said, “No, auntie. I really don’t like him anymore. I am now chasing the male lead in my next drama.”

Mrs. Yan was taken aback and asked, “Who?”

Shen Jintai: “An extraordinary, beautiful man, Bai Qingquan.” The moment he said it, Shen Jintai suddenly realized his mistake.

Sure enough, Mrs. Yan’s complexion changed when she heard it: “That little fairy! Don’t you hate him the most?!”

Shen Jintai remembered that the original body had spoken ill of Bai Qingquan in front of Mrs. Yan. He was thinking about how to explain his change of heart when Mrs. Yan suddenly showed a look of sudden enlightenment: “Ah, I understand…”

Looking at her expression… No, Mrs. Yan, you still don’t understand!

Mrs. Yan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, no matter what you do, Auntie will support you!”

…Shen Jintai was ready to leave. “I have to go back and read my script.”

“Boys should have a career. I used to always advise you not to focus on Qiuchi. Only men with ambition are the most charming.” Mrs. Yan said as she dialed her phone: “Xiao Jin is returning home. Please send him back for me.”

Shen Jintai thought she called the driver of the Yan family, but to his surprise when he walked outside, he found that it was Yan Qiuchi who was sending him home.

“Let Qiuchi send you.” Mrs. Yan face had the expression of “I will always support you” on it.

How dare he bother the male protagonist to be his own driver?! Shen Jintai was about to speak, when he heard Yan Qiuchi said lightly: “Get in the car.”

Shen Jintai got in under Mrs. Yan’s satisfied gaze.

The car passed through the garden of the manor. It was filled with colorful flowers on both sides of the road. Green grass dotted the ground. The trees gave ample shade to the path. Yan Yaoxuan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the third floor staring coldly at the car driving away.

Shen Jintai: “Hello, Xiao Ai.”

With a “Ding Dong” Xiao Ai could not help but shout excitedly: “Dear!”

“I want to ask,” Shen Jintai paused: “Is he fluctuating?”

Xiao Ai: “No.”

Shen Jintai was bewildered. He was hell-bent on becoming beautiful. Nothing will get in his way from his goal. In his eyes, Yan Qiuchi was simply a steppingstone for him to reach the top. It was a godsend that they were currently both together, alone, in the car. The steppingstone was right before him. He’ll surely regret if he did not step on it.

He turned his head and looked at Yan Qiuchi. He was a very handsome man with a particularly charming side-face. The bridge of his nose wasn’t too high. He was tall and sturdy. Looking close at the shirt he wore, the buttons around the collar looked a bit tight. Was it such an unacceptable thing for a man to have skin hunger*? Is it so bad that he thirsts for bare skin?

*Skin hunger = the biological need for human touch.  

‘Sure enough.’ Yan Qiuchi thought secretly. He wanted to know now whether Shen Jintai truly changed or as Gao Qiao said, these changes was just to attract his attention and was just an act of playing hard to get.

Perceiving Shen Jintai’s eyes sweeping hotly on his face, Yan Qiuchi’s face became like a pool of unwavering water. Except for the road in front of him there was nothing within his line of sight.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in me anymore?” Yan Qiuchi said suddenly but didn’t look at Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai: “I was just thinking why on earth have I been obsessed with you… Have you ever unbuttoned your collar?”

His illogical* words finally made Yan Qiuchi turn his head.

*Idiom here: A bull’s head is wrong with horse’s mouth (牛头不对马嘴) = A metaphor for doing things too illogically. I used the translated meaning to make it flow better.

“I think, before, I wanted to unbutton your collar.” Shen Jintai said: “You buttoned it too tightly.”

Yan Qiuchi’s expression clouded. He was positive that Shen Jintai had not changed so he didn’t bother continuing the conversation.

Shen Jintai: “Are you still a virgin?”

Yan Qiuchi slammed on the brakes, parked the car on the side of the road, and then turned to look at Shen Jintai. He saw a seemingly innocent smile on the corner of Shen Jintai’s mouth.

Xiao Ai: “Dear, the male protagonist became very emotional. You’ve been rewarded with 4 points, accumulating 9 points total!”

Just one point short!

Shen Jintai’s face turned slightly red, as expected, he still had a task to finish!

“Shen Jintai,” Yan Qiuchi called his full name directly. He seemed to be holding back his anger: “Do you know that I can replace you at any time for the drama you’re in now.”

“I said I’m not interested in you anymore. Do you not believe me?” Shen Jintai felt as if that one point was dangling in front of it. Any second now that 9 would turn into a 10.

He stretched out his hand and unbuttoned his shirt. Yan Qiuchi’s face completely blackened: “What are you doing?!”

Shen Jintai tore open his shirt and said: “What do you see?”

See? What could he see? “Put your shirt back on.” Yan Qiuchi said: “Either that or get out.”

With a “Ding!”, Shen Jintai heard Xiao Ai screaming like a groundhog: “Congratulations, dear! Your ass reward has been sent!”

Shen Jintai only felt the heat all over his body, and his heartbeat was extremely fast.

Damn, he finally saved enough.

He breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Didn’t you see it? My determination.”

When Yan Qiuchi heard this, he looked at his chest and saw the washed-out tattoo. Clearer than the photo, on the fair and pale body was a smudged colorful tattoo on slightly red and swollen skin.

“All the things in the past were my fault. The twisted melons are not sweet*. I have seriously affected your life and caused you a lot of trouble, but don’t worry, it won’t happen in the future. Do you believe me…?” Shen Jintai felt that his heartfelt words were quite touching. If this was a drama scene, it’d be regarded as the highlight of the show. He said excitedly: “If you don’t believe me, you can touch it. I definitely don’t feel anything for you anymore.”

*This is referencing a love song by Lu Tong. The main idea the song expresses is that you can’t force feelings. Letting go is the best choice. Even if you barely get it (the feelings), you won’t be happy.

Yan Qiuchi: “…”

Shen Jintai straightened his chest, still immersed in the joy of receiving a reward for the first time. His eyes were gentle, with a look of encouragement.

Yan Qiuchi was puzzled. He almost believed Shen Jintai’s words just now until he said the latter half. It felt like he was being tricked again! He almost fell for it!

Yan Qiuchi sneered in his heart and stretched out his hand.

Shen Jintai watched Yan Qiuchi stretch out, his palms were wide, and his fingers were slender. He felt that one hand could cover his entire chest.

He really wanted to reach out. But it didn’t matter. He was truly not interested in Yan Qiuchi. He only acted this way to anger him so he could collect his reward. He felt a little guilty, so he wanted to repay him back. After all, from the perspective of the male protagonist, it wasn’t easy to be entangled with a dog skin ointment* like him for so many years. It wasn’t easy.

*Dog skin ointment (Gou pi gao) (狗皮膏) – it’s referencing this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gou_pi_gao. It’s basically saying he stuck to Yan Qiuchi like a plaster. Gou Pi Gao, translated word for word, literally means dog skin plaster, which is indicative of its history. You can read the wiki for more on it.

Touch his tattoo and feel the enmity!

Yan Qiuchi: “This is called having no feelings at all?” Yan Qiuchi stopped his fingers in the air and did not touch him. His tone was indifferent, with a little contempt.

Shen Jintai followed his gaze glancing down and became embarrassed.