Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 94 (Part 1)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 94.1 Extra [Why The Two Decided Not to Have Children]
Jingzhe had a soft spot for children, particularly those resembling Fang Zhuangzhuang from Fang Wenhao's family—plump and fair-skinned, feeling as soft as cotton clouds when cradled, with voices as melodious as oriole birds. Their gentle personalities, combined with their ability to eat and sleep, made them, in Lin Jingzhe's eyes, the most beautiful gifts bestowed upon humanity by the Heavens.
In contrast, Xiao Chi harbored a disdain for any creature that could capture Lin Jingzhe's attention.
This extended to all the relatives and friends in Lin Jingzhe's circle and even to the cats and dogs along the roadside. Whenever Lin Jingzhe expressed interest, Xiao Chi disapproved, for no other reasons.
As a result, after sharing a living space for numerous years, their lives continued with just the two of them. Despite residing in the Dongtai Community house for an extended period, not even old friends like Hu Shaofeng were granted unrestricted entry. The couple engrossed in their professional commitments, finding an opportunity to unwind was a rarity. Typically, they embarked on journeys together during longer vacations spanning over three days, but if the duration was less than three days—hehe.
In brief, they preferred staying at home and indulging in idleness.
Xiao Chi had numerous hobbies, including sculpting and painting. Their house featured a small attic situated atop the spire on the third floor of the villa. The spire, tall and roomy, had windows that, when opened, revealed the glistening waters of Dongtai Lake and the verdant weeping willows draping over the shore; the scenery was exceptionally beautiful.
Xiao Chi would often spend hours in the room, immersed in painting—depicting lakes, trees, or even Lin Jingzhe. However, he struggled with drawing figures, and the resulting graphics were always somewhat abstract. Fortunately, regardless of his artistic style, the other occupant of the house consistently offered positive feedback, saying, "So well done!"
Even when Lin Jingzhe was portrayed with a slightly askew face, overly vibrant skin, a mischievous smile, and a row of large teeth—a rather unconventional portrait—it, too, earned praise and found its place on the wall among the other paintings.
Lin Jingzhe stood a few steps away, carefully examining the scene, but his gaze was actually fixed on Xiao Chi. Each time Xiao Chi entered the studio, he would don his own apron. The flaxen-colored apron bore the marks of dried paints in various hues, clinging to his tall and robust frame without a hint of excess fat, rendering him indescribably handsome. Xiao Chi's usual demeanor exuded sharpness and profundity, but a distinct shift occurred when he pursued his personal interests. Having risen early that morning, Lin Jingzhe hadn't had the chance to style Mr. Xiao's hair, so Xiao Chi let his curly locks cascade loosely beside his sculpted face, adorned with light stubble grown out during last night's sleep.
So handsome; like an exquisite, decadent, and slightly eccentric artist.
Lin Jingzhe admired the scenic view for a moment using his peripheral vision, then stroked his chin and feigned comprehension. "Well, the choice of colors is truly well executed."
Given that this compliment was offered sincerely, there was genuinely nothing else praiseworthy. If the painting had been created by a random stranger on the street, Lin Jingzhe might have considered giving them a beating, especially because of the exaggerated portrayal of the two rabbit-like buck teeth.
Xiao Chi, on the other hand, showed no signs of being embarrassed by his lover's insincere compliments. He was genuinely satisfied with his artwork. In his opinion, this painting could proudly grace the exhibition at the art gallery across the street from Absolute Edifice on 2nd Middle Road!
The voice of the morning news anchor resonated clearly from the speakers. Lin Jingzhe nudged Xiao Chi's arms and back. "Quickly go upstairs, wash your face, and brush your teeth. I'll head to the drying room to collect our clothes."
Household chores were typically divided in this manner. Xiao Chi handled sweeping and mopping the floor, washing and hanging clothes, and tidying up the study and living room, along with the rest of the rooms. While Lin Jingzhe's main responsibility was collecting the cleaned clothes.
Once Xiao Chi changed into fresh clothes and emerged from the cloakroom, he purposefully took a seat on the sofa and raised a small scrunchy in his hand.
Lin Jingzhe, who was in the midst of folding clothes, promptly set aside his task and moved forward to comb Xiao Chi's hair with his fingers. Not to boast, but after more than ten years of tying his lover's hair, he had become well-acquainted with the hairstyles that suited Xiao Chi best. He didn't even need to view it from the front—just a swift tie, and it would be perfect.
As Xiao Chi waited for his hair to be tied, he glanced to the side and noticed a disheveled stack of T-shirts beside the bed. Despite more than a decade of experience in housework, Lin Jingzhe's folding skills hadn't improved at all. In reality, there might be individuals in the world not adept at organizing things, moreover, those T-shirts were stowed away without even undergoing the ironing process.
Furthermore, T-shirts were meant to be hung up...
Although this occurred to Xiao Chi, he promptly commended, "The clothes are folded very well."
"Really?" Lin Jingzhe hadn't considered it anything remarkable before, but after receiving praise for his domestic skills, the same stack of clothes suddenly appeared extraordinary. He felt quite pleased. After tying Xiao Chi's hair, he located a tie to complement Xiao Chi's shirt. "Does this color look good? Does it match?"
Xiao Chi obediently lifted his head, baring his neck to facilitate his lover's movements. "It looks good. It matches well."
In the morning, Mr. Xiao had a short cross-country video conference, so he went to the study to turn on the computer when he would normally be making breakfast. Upon turning on the camera, Hu Shaofeng's image erupted into laughter. "Brother Xiao, you won't really go out like this today, will you?"
A pink tie paired to a dark blue suit, Lin Jingzhe’s 'straight man' aesthetics, which included pink dresses for his mother and sisters since he was a child, had become increasingly questionable as he got older.
Xiao Chi composedly organized the documents in his hand. "Let's get to the point."
The silver-tongued Mr. Xiao received a sweet reward. Uncharacteristically, Chairman Lin, who typically avoided the kitchen, personally prepared a bowl of egg noodles for him before heading out.
Lin Jingzhe rarely set foot in the kitchen unless there was a pressing reason. The primary cause stemmed from childhood mishaps that led to a ban imposed by his grandfather. In addition, Lin Jingzhe held no genuine interest in cooking and seldom handled pots and pans. In his youth, the culinary prowess of Mother Gao and Mother Zhou was more than sufficient to nourish him. Now, it was Xiao Chi's turn to take charge of the kitchen. As the saying goes, lazy people were blessed with lazy luck, and Xiao Chi’s cooking was surprisingly adept. Over the years, on occasions when Xiao Chi couldn't make it home to prepare dinner, the resort to the highest-rated takeout available would still taste bland to Lin Jingzhe.
Yet, here was a man with excellent cooking skills, savoring a bowl of egg noodles in clear soup with gusto. Lin Jingzhe, who had snacked on fruit while Xiao Chi painted upstairs, found his appetite whetted by the enticing sounds.
However, his partner finished every last drop of the soup in the end, denying him the opportunity to assess whether his skills had improved.
Once ready, they left in the same car. As Xiao Chi secured Lin Jingzhe's seat belt, a child's rendition of a nursery rhyme played on the radio.
The child's voice was sweet and tender, resembling the melody of nature. Both of them paused at the sound.
Lin Jingzhe couldn't help but recollect the recent discussions he had with his mothers.
The elderly tend to hold more conservative views. Despite Lin Jingzhe and Xiao Chi's family life remaining as sweet as honey, still reminiscent of newlyweds after so many years, the mothers felt that there was still a certain void. Recently, Xiao Miao and her boyfriend had finally set a wedding date, and due to their age, the anticipation of welcoming a new life shortly after marriage lingered in the air. This stirred emotions among the family members. After Yu Shuyuan and Shen Juanying retired, they frequently embarked on trips together. It was unclear if they conversed about anything specific, but not long after, they approached their sons, inquiring whether they would consider their daughter having a second child for them to adopt in the future.
As the car pulled out of their driveway, the little face of the neighbor's child, who was about to go to school in the car next door, peeked out from the open back seat window. Lin Jingzhe typically playfully teased the child and bid him farewell with a smile during the drive.
As the car navigated onto the congested road, Lin Jingzhe remained immersed in the child's tender and sweet greetings, remarking, "XXX from the house next door is so cute."
"Really?" Xiao Chi displayed no interest whatsoever. In comparison to that incomprehensible child, he deemed Lin Jingzhe, with his eyes smiling like crescents, much cuter.
"Tiantian and Miaomiao mentioned that if they have more children after getting married, they could give us one." Lin Jingzhe grew more enthusiastic. It amused him to think that in the future, there might be a bunch of chubby little children with curly hair and cheeky smiles chasing after Xiao Chi, addressing him as daddy and uncle. "Do you prefer boys or girls?"
After posing the question, Lin Jingzhe contemplated his own preference. "I prefer girls, much like Zhuangzhuang. They're fair, chubby, and have an appetite for eating and sleeping. It’s a delightful sight."
Xiao Chi calmly steered the car. "I prefer boys."
"What kind?" Lin Jingzhe pursued, inquiring further.
"Hmm—" Xiao Chi contemplated for a moment, taking advantage of the traffic jam to turn his head and glance at Lin Jingzhe. "They have to be fair."
"Fair in complexion, okay," Lin Jingzhe nodded. In his opinion, fair skin looked better on children.
"The chin should be pointed, the face should be plumper, the eyes should be bigger, and the body temperature shouldn't be high. Well, it would be perfect if they have two rabbit-like buck teeth!"
Xiao Chi expressed his preferences, and Lin Jingzhe nodded in agreement, forming a mental image based on the detailed description. As the description became more specific, a sense of unease crept in, culminating with the last sentence—
Lin Jingzhe rolled his eyes at Xiao Chi. "Get lost."
Xiao Chi chuckled softly and then reached out to tousle Lin Jingzhe's head before resuming his focus on driving. Nevermind children. Over the years, Lin Jingzhe had become increasingly childlike. Xiao Chi found it challenging to indulge Lin Jingzhe fully; how could he spare the time and thought to care for children?
As this crossed his mind, the mobile phone in the driver's seat compartment suddenly vibrated vigorously.