Just in Time Chapter 106
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 106 Text Message
Yi Chenliang grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and sat in front of the TV, watching a replay of last night's Spring Festival Gala.
A comedy skit was playing on TV. Last night they had been busy drinking and hadn't paid much attention.
Suddenly, Yun Fang's phone on the table vibrated. Yi Chenliang glanced down and called out to the bedroom, "You have a text message!"
"10086?" Yun Fang was sweeping the floor. He said to Yi Chenliang, "Help me check it."
Yi Chenliang picked up the phone and opened the message. Suddenly, he paused.
"What's wrong?" Yun Fang noticed his strange expression and looked down at the message on the phone.
At that moment, laughter erupted from the TV.
The message was from Su Qingbai.
The gist was that Su Qingbai's grandfather had passed away. Chu Xia was emotionally distraught now and wanted to see Yi Chenliang. He hoped Yun Fang could help relay the message.
Yun Fang's lips were pressed into a flat line, showing no emotion. "What do you think?"
Yi Chenliang turned off the phone and looked back up at the comedy skit. "Not going."
The skit reached its ending, forcing an emotional moment. Several actors held hands, their faces wearing happy smiles, shouting together, "Happy New Year! Family reunion!"
The screen immediately switched to a lively dance tune, very festive.
Yi Chenliang sat and Yun Fang stood, both watching the TV.
"Have you ever met her?" Yi Chenliang suddenly asked.
"No," Yun Fang said. "When I returned to the country, she had already passed away."
"Do you want to meet her?" Yi Chenliang asked again.
"There's no need," Yun Fang answered.
He was a cold-hearted person, unable to generate much feeling for someone he had never met. But Yi Chenliang had lived with Chu Xia for over a year.
"If you want to go—" Yun Fang started to say, but was interrupted by arms wrapping around his waist.
"I don't want to go," Yi Chenliang buried his face in Yun Fang's chest, his voice muffled. "You're my only family."
If it came down to intimacy, no one could compare to Yun Fang.
Beyond flesh and blood, even their souls were the same.
Yun Fang stroked his head. "Then we won't go."
He picked up his phone, "But we should still let Qi Huo know."
Yi Chenliang looked up confused, "Why tell Qi Huo?"
"Su Qingbai and Chang Ziqi are cousins. Chang Ziqi's grandfather passed away," Yun Fang recalled Qi Huo mentioning an "accidental breakup". "At least to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings between them."
Perhaps back then, Chang Ziqi was preoccupied with his grandfather's passing, while Qi Huo was unaware of the situation, leading to their so-called accidental breakup.
Remembering what Qi Huo had said before his death, Yun Fang composed a message to send to him.
Qi Huo had told him, [If only I could have been by his side then.]
It was probably around this time.
**
Qi Huo was lying on the bed sleeping when his phone under the pillow buzzed twice.
Half-asleep, Qi Huo thought it was probably spam.
But for some reason, as if possessed, he reached under his pillow and pulled out his phone, squinting as he opened the message.
It was a text from Yun Fang.
—
Qi Huo found Chang Ziqi outside the funeral home.
He was sitting on a secluded step, wearing a black shirt, his eyes red as he looked at Qi Huo.
In that moment, all the jumbled thoughts in Qi Huo's mind vanished. He only wanted to go over and hug him.
So he strode forward and crouched down in front of him.
Chang Ziqi's voice was hoarse, "Why did you come?"
"To find you," Qi Huo reached out and hugged him.
The grief Chang Ziqi had been holding back finally burst forth again. He hugged Qi Huo tightly and cried silently.
"Qi Huo, my grandfather is gone. He was waiting for me until the end."
"I couldn't see him one last time."
Qi Huo's eyes reddened.
He suddenly felt like a bit of a jerk.
Not long ago, he had wanted to break up with this person, to part ways completely. But as soon as he received the text, he came to find him. Seeing Chang Ziqi cry in front of him, his heart ached with sadness.
He still loved this person.
Qi Huo thought, 'If I broke up with Chang Ziqi now, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.'
Having released his emotions, Chang Ziqi became much calmer.
Qi Huo opened the water bottle in his hand and passed it to him.
Chang Ziqi took it, drank a couple of sips, and sat silently on the steps for a while before saying, "Didn't you want to break up?"
Qi Huo sat beside him, "Break up my ass. If we broke up now, you'd cry yourself to death."
Chang Ziqi: "...So you mean we'll break up later?"
Qi Huo used his sleeve to wipe the tears on Chang Ziqi's face, "We won't break up later either."
Chang Ziqi clearly didn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, "Did I do something wrong?"
Qi Huo choked up, seeing Chang Ziqi's pale face and red eyes made his heart ache. He wished he could turn back time and slap himself, "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the f*cking jerk."
He had always known he was quite a jerk.
Perhaps inheriting genes from his bastard father, he had been dating since middle school, changing girlfriends more often than he changed clothes. Sweet talk and player tactics came naturally to him, and he even enjoyed it. He never had a stable relationship, and as soon as he sensed the other person wanted something long-term, he'd run faster than a rabbit.
He never lacked dating partners, and he absolutely wouldn't be like his mother, hanging onto one crooked tree. He could tell his partners "I like you" and "I love you" a thousand times, but he would never talk about the future.
To hell with the future, he thought only idiots talked about the future.
He always thought this way, even after meeting Chang Ziqi.
He had never dated a guy before. He categorized Chang Ziqi as a handsome idiot. After all, their start was just a drunken, impulsive mutual masturbation session. He found it exciting and fun. When Chang Ziqi cornered him in the KTV, he was just annoyed with his bastard father, and somehow agreed to play along.
As for Chang Ziqi's talk of dating, to him, it basically meant having fun until they got bored and split up.
But this ridiculous relationship turned out to be full of twists and turns, even including a kidnapping scene where Chang Ziqi took a bullet for him. Then, in a moment of impulse, he ended up dating this person all the way through high school, sleeping together countless times, until the idiot suddenly left for abroad.
He figured it was about time, that he probably didn't like Chang Ziqi that much anymore, so he casually suggested breaking up. But in the end, he was the one who ended up unhappy.
Seeing Chang Ziqi cry, even though the reason had nothing to do with him, still made his heart ache terribly.
Qi Huo realized he had probably fallen hard.
Chang Ziqi's eyes were a bit swollen. Qi Huo used his cold water bottle to soothe them, telling him, "I was drunk when I sent you that message."
"Drunk words are sober thoughts," Chang Ziqi tilted his head away from the cold, but Qi Huo held his chin to keep him still.
"That was drunk nonsense," Qi Huo paused. "Sometimes I don't even know what I'm thinking. I'm actually quite a mess... I don't deserve you."
Chang Ziqi was practically synonymous with excellence and being a golden child - prestigious family, outstanding grades, handsome looks. Apart from being a bit cold, he had no other flaws. If there was any flaw, it was probably his poor judgment in dating a player like Qi Huo.
Chang Ziqi opened his eyes to look at him.
"But—" Qi Huo gritted his teeth, speaking with difficulty, as if going against his long-held life principles, "It's just waiting for you for four years, right? I'll wait for you. In the future, if you stop liking me, just tell me. I'll leave quickly and cleanly! Damn it!"
Chang Ziqi had never seen someone get so worked up confessing their feelings. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, "I won't not want you. I'll always like you."
Qi Huo didn't quite believe it. He had said such words to at least eight girls before. To him, "always" was the cheapest word.
But being looked at by Chang Ziqi like this, he suddenly felt that maybe Chang Ziqi was telling the truth.
Qi Huo reached out to wipe the water off his cheek, crouching in front of him to ask, "Are you feeling better now?"
Chang Ziqi nodded, but his eyes were still red.
"My grandfather raised me. I spent more time with him than with my parents," Chang Ziqi said. "In middle school, when I realized I liked boys, I was very panicked and scared. I didn't dare tell anyone."
"Grandfather asked me what was wrong, so I told him."
"He didn't scold me or despise me. He went to read books about homosexuality, then came back and told me there were many people like me in the world, and I shouldn't be afraid."
"He also told me that if one day I liked a boy, I should bravely pursue him, not fear failure."
"That day when I went to catch late students climbing over the wall, you were crouching on top of the wall. I liked you from the first moment I saw you."
"Grandfather said, if you like someone, you should strive for it, otherwise you'll only regret it later."
Chang Ziqi looked at Qi Huo with red eyes.
"Grandfather also told me that truly liking someone is a lifelong commitment, you can't change your mind halfway."
"Qi Huo, I truly like you."