Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 73 (Part 3)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 73.3 You two can't live like this without a proper title or distinction. This is the most basic requirement for my son's marriage.
Xiao Chi didn’t hold back when he threw Xiao Miao off of Lin Jingzhe. She was thrown into the air, but luckily fell onto the bed. It took a while before she awoke from her daze, but when she did, Xiao Miao jumped up angrily. The touched feeling she had been immersed in completely forgotten as she glared angrily at the grown man in front of her hugging Lin Jingzhe as if he was a baby needing to be spoiled——
What kind of brother was this?!
The more she looked, the more fake his whole persona seemed!
After getting out of the bed, Xiao Miao walked towards the couple and tugged on Xiao Chi's sleeve, but she couldn't pull him off.
Fuming, Xiao Miao kicked her brother's heel, but there was still no response. However, after a few seconds, Xiao Chi's cold voice came from Lin Jingzhe's neck, "I dare you to kick me again. "
Lin Jingzhe, whose sight was blocked: "???"
Xiao Chi straightened up from Lin Jingzhe's embrace, his gloomy mood had improved immensely. Without blinking an eye, he tattled to Lin Jingzhe, "She kicked me just now."
Lin Jingzhe looked at Xiao Miao in disbelief. The latter was standing beside him with a blushing face, still her aloof and well-behaved self.
Wow? He actually tattled on her! How shameless of him! Old and new grudges welled up in her heart, Xiao Miao threw herself on her brother's back and kicked up a fuss, "Stupid brother!! You are heartless!!!"
"Dare to repeat that?!" Xiao Chi's expression changed, and he immediately turned around, grabbed Xiao Miao's neck, and pressed her into the soft bed; this move rendered Xiao Miao powerless. With his free hand, he ripped off the scrunchy of her tied ponytail and messed up her hair. "Come on! If you are that brave, I dare you to say it again!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" Xiao Miao screamed and tilted her head to bite her brother's hand.
Lin Jingzhe was dumbstruck. "..."
He stood motionless for a while before suddenly returning to his senses, Lin Jingzhe rushed to grab Xiao Chi's hand, still completely in debrief at his lover’s sudden childish behavior. This was a completely new side to the usual mature and stable he’s known Xiao Chi as. "You you you you...you are so big and tall. As her older brother, how could you bully Miaomiao?..."
Xiao Chi narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to pinch Xiao Miao's cheeks together, Xiao Miao's good features immediately distorted into a pig-like face. He bobbed his head, studying the specimen infront of him, his body remained unmoving at Lin Jingzhe's persuasion, as if he was a formidable grown man!
He humphed coldly, "I do what I want!"
Lin Jingzhe: "..."
After exhausting a bit of effort, Lin Jingzhe finally pried Xiao Chi's hand open. Xiao Miao jumped out of the bed with a groan and hid behind Lin Jingzhe.
Xiao Chi shouted, "Come over here!"
Xiao Miao's widened eyes were filled with hatred, "No! You are not my real brother!"
Xiao Chi calmly raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Xiao Miao's messy hair looked like a chicken coop, seeing his current expression made her whole body tremble with fright, so she yelled, "Brother Jingzhe!!!"
Lin Jingzhe immediately protected Xiao Miao behind his back, and looked at Xiao Chi disapprovingly, "No more, okay?"
With him standing in between, Xiao Chi really didn't make another move. At Lin Jingzhe's blindspot was his sister’s smug expression that was completely contradicting her pitiful voice. Xiao Chi folded his arms and watched for a moment, then suddenly reached out to Lin Jingzhe, "Ok, no more. I'll take you to my study and show you some comics."
"..." Xiao Miao's expression froze, and she couldn't say a word at Lin Jingzhe’s suspicious gaze when he turned his head to look back at her.
Seeing Lin Jingzhe holding Xiao Chi's hand and was about to leave, her lips parted. When the two figures were about to approach the door, she bursted into tears.
"Dad! Brother is bullying me!!!" Xiao Miao wiped her tears and ran out to complain. Xiao Shenxing, who heard the noise, came out of his study room to investigate. When he reached the ‘crime scene’, he stood by the door with a helpless expression. He looked from her daughter's messy hair and then his gaze landed on Lin Jingzhe and Xiao Chi's intertwined hands.
He felt an incoming headache, but the pressure in his heart about Qi Kai, a child from their compound that he had watched grow up, was gradually dispelled by the chaotic scene in front of him. The heavy reality, that child’s worrying decision to go astray transformed into a normal obstacle in life that needed to be overcomed. It has become a trivial life that is more sweet than worrying. Xiao Chi and Xiao Miao had often gotten into disputes since young, this was not an uncommon occurrence. When Xiao Miao couldn’t outdo her brother, she out out Xiao Chi to him or her mother. Hence, Xiao Shenxing routinely went through the motions and scolded his son, "How outrageous! You’re already at this age yet you still dare to bully your younger sister?”
Xiao Chi turned his face away as if he was only a bystander. Father Xiao quickly moved his sight away from the tightly held hands of the two boys in the room, and let out a complicated sigh as he watched Xiao Miao pouting at Lin Jingzhe and complaining like a spoiled child.
He shook his head and turned around, planning to head downstairs when he bumped into his wife. Yu Shuyuan looked over his shoulder and at the children in the room. After sharing a silent exchange, she showed a helpless smile.
Xiao Shenxing sighed defeatedly.
"That child." Yu Shuyuan didn’t specifically mention which one as she watched the lively scene for a moment and shouted into the corridor at the top of her voice, "Ok enough now! It’s time for dinner!"
Xiao Miao rolled her eyes at her brother and then combed her hair with her fingers. When her hair was tidied up, she took out the small crystal crown from her pocket, put it on, and went out in her usual upright and dignified appearance.
"See? Now you got scolded by your father." Lin Jingzhe also looked at Xiao Chi, but he couldn’t put himself to blame him, so he paused and asked about his abnormal condition just prior, "Are you okay now?"
Xiao Chi exhaled a long breath and smiled at him: "It's much better now."
What? He was reprimanded by his father after fighting with his sister, but he was in such a good mood after all of that?
Lin Jingzhe absolutely couldn't comprehend this, but after Xiao Chi’s mood lightened up, he became extremely clingy. When they went downstairs, Lin Jingzhe shook their clasp hands in embarrassment, "Tone it down, uncle and auntie are all downstairs."
After all, it was already a shocking matter for two men to be together. Considering the elderly’s feelings, Lin Jingzhe was rarely intimate with Xiao Chi in Xiao Family's house. Although Xiao Chi was dissatisfied with this, he always cooperated. However he was strangely stubborn today, instead of letting go, he hugged Lin Jingzhe directly on the stairs, and leaned in to kiss him.
Knowing that he may have encountered some trouble today, Lin Jingzhe hesitated but chose not to break free from his embrace. Xiao Chi's complex emotions poured into his body through his passionate tongue. Lin Jingzhe reciprocated the kiss as he patiently comforted him.
Mother Xiao, who came to remind them a second time, silently walked away from the stairs.
During dinner time, Xiao Family’s parents’ expressions looked extremely troubled. Xiao Chi, however, didn't seem to notice it, he was busy picking up food for Lin Jingzhe the whole time.
Xiao Miao was equally abnormal today, contrasting to her usual quiet appearance, she and her brother were in a fierce competition to fill in Lin Jingzhe’s bowl. For the same meatball, the sibling's chopsticks remained in a momentary standoff.
"..." Father Xiao was quietly drinking soup with his head lowered when he suddenly announced, "It's already March."
Mother Xiao exclaimed and echoed, "Yes, it's already March."
"What about March?" Grandma Xiao put down her chopsticks and counted, "Is the expiry date of the Swiss chocolate you took away from me approaching?"
"..." Xiao Shenxing held his forehead, "Mom, don't please..."
Knowing that her mother-in-law would most likely continue fighting for her chocolate, Yu Shuyuan hurriedly interrupted, "If your wedding date is in November this year, you can start preparing for it now. Your father and I also need time to call in for time off."
Once her announcement ended, the whole table was stunned for words, this included the old lady who was still thinking about her chocolate. Lin Jingzhe forgot to chew the food in his mouth as he swallowed hastily, and hesitantly put down his bowl.
Yu Shuyuan's words baffled him. Marriage? Same-sex marriage wasn’t allowed in China. Wasn’t it fine just for him and Xiao Chi to live together silently? When they mentioned the topic of marriage during their first meeting meal last year, he thought the Xiao Family was joking.
However, Xiao Chi unexpectedly agreed, "It’s about time we should. The invitations and the venue need to be booked in advance."
The elderly had an expectant smile on her face, "Can the wedding banquet be served at Yan City Restaurant? I recall their brown sugar cakes were quite delicious."
Father Xiao hardened his heart and ignored his gray-haired mother's request. He started solemnly discussing the banqueting guests with his wife.
Wait– wait a second……
Lin Jingzhe couldn't help interrupting in the heated discussion that Xiao Chi also started to join into, "No wait...what do you mean marriage?"
Mother Xiao froze and frowned with doubt. "Didn't you agree before? It was settled last year."
Lin Jingzhe was inexplicably confused, "But... Xiao Chi and I... we are..."
His words were somewhat muffled and incoherent, so everyone at the table looked at him in confusion.
Lin Jingzhe gritted his teeth and finally clearly expressed his point, "We are two men... it’s impossible to get a marriage certificate, no?"
"Of course not!" Mother Xiao exclaimed matter-of-factly, "It’s just hosting a banquet."
Lin Jingzhe felt his scalp go numb. "Does that mean we have to invite guests? We are both men...they won't..."
Father Xiao finally understood what he was insinuating and furrowed his brow, "They what? Xiao Chi isn’t in politics, so what's there to fear? I’d like to see who dares to talk nonsense, he’ll have to face my wrath... "
Mother Xiao hurriedly interrupted her husband's words, which were becoming more and more out of hand, and explained softly, "The marriage certificate is secondary, but the banquet must be served. You two can't live like this, without any name or distinction, this is the most basic requirement I have for my son's marriage."
The logic of this family seemed to be different from the social rules he had lived by.
Lin Jingzhe looked at Mother Xiao’s earnest and tenacious expression, and fell silent.
Xiao Miao put down her chopsticks and sighed——
What a waste.
Complete waste of a good man.