Just in Time Chapter 73
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 73 Narcissism
This was the first time Yun Fang and Yi Chenliang were alone together after Yun Fang had been resuscitated.
Yi Chenliang sat next to Yun Fang, their shoulders touching as they sat on the not-so-spacious hospital bed.
The weather had turned to May. Yi Chenliang wore a thin olive-green jacket over a white T-shirt. His hair hadn’t been cut for a long time, and his bangs were starting to get in his eyes. He sat on the bed with his knees bent, his head slightly lowered, helping Yun Fang sort out the test papers that had piled up during this time.
With a turn of his head, Yun Fang could see Yi Chenliang’s smooth jawline and the corners of his mouth that were tight because he wasn’t very happy.
Yun Fang reached out to brush his bangs aside, “Xiao Yi, stop sorting. Talk to me.”
Yi Chenliang didn’t look at him, “What should I say?”
Yun Fang took the left hand that was holding the test papers, interlaced his fingers with Yi Chenliang’s, and placed his lips and nose on the back of his hand. It seemed like a kiss, but it also seemed like simple intimacy.
“Tell me how I should coax you so you’ll stop being angry.” Yun Fang tilted his head to look at him and gave him a gentle smile. “Help the older Yi Chenliang think of a way.”
Yi Chenliang turned his head to stare at him, his jaw tight, his face devoid of any extra expression, and his voice was even a bit sharp because he was still angry, “I don’t know, I’m scared.”
Just this one sentence made Yun Fang’s throat feel sour.
Yi Chenliang pursed his lips, stretched out his arm to wrap around Yun Fang’s waist, and curled up into his arms.
Yun Fang wrapped his arm around his shoulder to hold him, lowered his head to kiss his hair, and said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
“I dreamed that I couldn’t find you.” Yi Chenliang said in a low voice, “You’re twenty years in the future, and I’m twenty years in the past. I can’t find you, no matter how hard I try.”
Yun Fang felt as if his heart was being pricked by a long, thin needle, the pain making it hard for him to breathe.
“I have to wait twenty years to become you.” Yi Chenliang held his hand, his head resting on his shoulder, his voice choked with emotion, “But even if I wait another twenty years, I can’t become you.”
Another Yi Chenliang had appeared in his world, and in the world of this other Yi Chenliang, there was only him.
From the moment this other Yi Chenliang appeared in his world, it meant that he could no longer become the other Yi Chenliang.
“If I lose you, where should I go to find you?” Yi Chenliang lifted his head from his chest, tears swirling in his eyes, but he just looked at Yun Fang and asked him with gritted teeth, “Big Yi, where should I go to find you?”
Yun Fang’s eyes were red, he held onto Yi Chenliang’s hand tightly, he wanted to tell Yi Chenliang, he didn’t know.
He didn’t know why he would return to twenty years ago after his death, he also didn’t know why he would wake up from another person’s body, he didn’t know how long he would exist in this world, and he didn’t know where Yi Chenliang should go to find him if he disappeared one day.
Even though he had lived twenty years longer than Yi Chenliang, he still didn’t know.
When he made that call with Yi Chenliang, Yun Fang realized for the first time that he was not fearless.
He had always thought he was invincible, used to running around and being alone, crossing the line between life and death was either good luck or fate.
But this time, he finally learned to be afraid.
Yun Fang couldn’t answer Yi Chenliang’s question, he lowered his head and kissed Yi Chenliang.
Perhaps a kiss was the most comforting thing he could give to Yi Chenliang. Yi Chenliang was careful about the injuries on his body, even the kiss was not too forceful, he only dared to rest his hand on his shoulder, the fingers that had counted the test papers slightly curled up, causing his hospital gown to wrinkle a bit.
“I’m right here.” Yun Fang kissed the corner of his eye, using his gasping to hide the bitterness in his voice, “No need to search.”
****
After a long and lingering kiss, Yi Chenliang’s mood seemed to have improved a lot. He nestled in Yun Fang’s arms and continued to help him sort out the test papers - the papers that had been sorted out were scattered again by the two of them.
Looking at those test papers, Yun Fang only felt a sting in his eyes. As a patient who had not yet recovered from serious injuries, why did he have to spend such precious alone time watching the person he cared about sort out test papers?
Completely forgetting that this was an order he had given, Yun Fang threw the stack of test papers onto the cabinet and calmly asked, “Have you had dinner?”
“I have.” Yi Chenliang touched his nose, his hand stiffening in hindsight, and said dryly, “I have a pimple on my nose.”
“Where? Let me see.” Yun Fang pinched his nose, his face serious, “Such a big pimple, I can’t see it at all.”
“Hey——” Yi Chenliang took his hand away and bit him, “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat even if you’re not hungry.” Yun Fang looked at his face, which had lost some weight, and frowned, “It’s not easy to gain a little weight.”
“Looks good when thin.” Yi Chenliang returned the words he had said before.
“If you don’t eat, you won’t grow tall.” Yun Fang ruffled his hair and added seriously, “And you’ll lose hair.”
“You said I would be a tall guy of 1.88 meters in the future.” Yi Chenliang remained unmoved, turning the tables, “Were you bald when you were in your thirties?”
Yun Fang choked, “Of course not.”
“Then I can rest assured.” Yi Chenliang glanced at him with some worry, “But I see Uncle Yun has a tendency to go bald, you have to be careful in the future.”
Yun Fang suddenly wanted him to sort out the test papers again.
Yi Chenliang asked him curiously, “What will I look like in the future? Am I handsome?”
“You look just like you do now, only more mature as you grow up.” Yun Fang complimented himself while looking at Yi Chenliang’s handsome face, “Indeed very handsome.”
“Such a narcissist.” Yi Chenliang grabbed his hand and bit his tiger’s mouth mischievously. (TL: the area between the thumb and index finger)
Yun Fang laughed helplessly, “That’s why I said if you’re hungry, go eat. Why are you gnawing on my hand? It can’t satisfy your hunger.”
Yi Chenliang gnawed on his hand, “I just think you’re very fragrant.”
Yun Fang looked at him with a puzzled face.
Yi Chenliang also looked puzzled, “I can’t describe the feeling, but I think you’re like cotton candy, sweet and fragrant, making people want to take a lick.”
Yun Fang was shocked by his ignorant and straightforward description, he moved his eyes away uncomfortably, and after a long time, he finally squeezed out three words, “Little rascal.”
Yi Chenliang was not ashamed but proud, leaving a circle of teeth marks on Yun Fang’s tiger’s mouth.
Perhaps after making a fuss, Yi Chenliang was still haunted by that dream, but he also confirmed that the person in front of him would not suddenly disappear, his whole body visibly relaxed, and at some point, he fell asleep with his arms around Yun Fang’s waist.
Yun Fang didn’t blame Tang Yi for rushing him back to sleep, looking at the heavy dark circles under his eyes and his furrowed brows, he sighed softly.
He was indeed scared.
He reached out to smooth Yi Chenliang’s furrowed brows, probably sensing his movement, Yi Chenliang moved a bit, but he was too sleepy to open his eyes, he could only hum unclearly and wrinkle his nose.
Yun Fang silently laughed, and couldn’t help but kiss the tip of his nose.