Mistaken Canary Chapter 72
Chapter 72
The cold wind howled, blowing and blowing, carrying away his pride and recklessness.
With a deeply emotional gaze fixed on Ying Tongchen, Zhuo Shu quietly reached for the car door. “So… something might’ve gone wrong. Heh heh, but seriously, I don’t know how they ended up in there.”
Ying Tongchen lifted his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly curled, but there was no amusement in his gaze. His tone was icy. “This is the special present you prepared… for Friday?”
“N–No, not this. What I wanted to give you is this—” Zhuo Shu shook his head frantically and reached into the inner pocket of his coat. His fingers just brushed the ring box before he paused. It wasn’t time yet.
He slowly stretched out his hand, thumb and index finger crossing to form a heart. “This is a piece of my true heart (feelings). Do you like it?”
“…Heh.” Ying Tongchen walked straight past him without stopping, brushing shoulders as he headed to his own car.
Just as he got into the driver’s seat, the passenger door suddenly opened. Zhuo Shu slipped in without a hint of shame and quickly buckled his seatbelt. “To West restaurant—I made a reservation.”
When Ying Tongchen made no move to start the car for a long while, Zhuo Shu prompted him enthusiastically: “Shall we go?”
Ying Tongchen glanced sideways at him. “What kind of stunt are you pulling now?”
“I just wanted to take you out for a meal. I heard the food there’s pretty good. You’ve been working so hard—I thought I’d treat you to something nice. How is that a ‘stunt’? How heartless of you,” Zhuo Shu said earnestly, with a pitiful look on his face. Then, recalling Master Zhen’s go-to tactic for winning people’s affection, he quickly added, “Boohoohoo.”
Ying Tongchen nearly gagged on the spot and, in a fit of irritation, started the car.
Zhuo Shu was stunned—Master Zhen’s really a life coach!
West restaurant had a romantic ambiance. Soft classical music played in the background, and the waiter pulled out chairs for them with practiced elegance.
As soon as Ying Tongchen sat down, he picked up his phone and started checking his work group chats, totally swamped.
Once most of the food had been served, Zhuo Shu gently reminded him, “Let’s eat first.”
Ying Tongchen set the phone down, though even while eating, he asked a few work-related questions, which Zhuo Shu answered one by one.
In the end, the waiter brought out dessert—a small piece of cake.
Ying Tongchen was already full and not much into sweets. He pushed the cake in front of Zhuo Shu.
But Zhuo Shu pushed it right back, urging him, “Come on, try it. I heard this is one of the restaurant’s signature desserts.”
Ying Tongchen stared at him for a while, noticing the way Zhuo Shu seemed evasive, yet kept urging him to eat the cake. Recalling the ‘bouquet’ from earlier, Ying Tongchen glanced down at the cake and asked, “You’re not having any?”
“No,” Zhuo Shu replied with a gentle smile. “I ordered it just for you. Go on, try it.”
Ying Tongchen: “……”
Zhuo Shu then placed the fork into his hand. “Want me to feed you?”
“No need.” Ying Tongchen gripped the fork, took a deep breath, as if bracing himself—and dug in for a bite.
The rich nauseating sweetness bloomed in his mouth, so sweet he couldn’t even bring himself to speak. He simply stared intently at the remaining piece of cake, then scooped up another small forkful.
After slowly chewing for a while, Ying Tongchen realized—there wasn’t anything strange in it. He looked at the last bite of cake, then up at Zhuo Shu’s encouraging expression. Gritting his teeth, he popped the whole thing into his mouth.
Even after finishing it, nothing unexpected happened.
Noticing Zhuo Shu’s satisfied expression, Ying Tongchen began to suspect he’d been played. He asked, “What did you have me eat?”
“The cake, of course. Was it good?” Zhuo Shu smiled tenderly. “People online say the cake here is especially amazing—definitely a must-try for couples.”
“……”
Ying Tongchen pressed one hand against his forehead, trying to hold back tears. He lifted his wine glass and took a hard gulp, barely suppressing the cloying sweetness in his mouth.
His stomach felt uncomfortably full, and when he stood up, dizziness hit him.
“You drank too much, too quickly," Zhuo Shu said, steadying him as they went downstairs and helped Ying Tongchen into the passenger seat of the car.
Knowing he would become the designated driver, Zhuo Shu hadn’t touched any alcohol. He got into the driver seat and slowly started the engine. “Let’s go to my place and rest for the night.”
Ying Tongchen didn’t want to say anything. He turned his face to the window, when he suddenly saw something that made him urgently call out, “Stop!” and unbuckle his seatbelt.
“What’s wrong?” Zhuo Shu pulled the car to the side and got out, watching as Ying Tongchen hurriedly dashed into a nearby shopping mall.
Though Ying Tongchen hadn’t drunk much, Zhuo Shu was worried seeing his anxious, hurried state—fearing he might do something foolish like last time with the ‘Wetlander’ incident. So, he followed him inside.
However, the mall was crowded and Zhuo Shu couldn’t find him anywhere. Phone calls went unanswered, so he started searching through the crowd.
After an unknown stretch of time, a staff announcement rang out through the mall:
— “Would lost boy Ying Tongchen please come to the first-floor service desk? Your friend is waiting for you.”
Shoppers smiled knowingly, commenting on how cute these two little boys were. But when they passed the service desk, there was no little boy to be seen—only one big boy who looked like he was about to climb the walls in frustration.
The service desk announced again, “Would lost boy Ying Tongchen—”
Zhuo Shu stood nearby, scanning the crowd anxiously. Finally, his phone rang. Ying Tongchen’s succinct message came through, “I’m at the entrance. Come out now.”
“Why’d you run to the entrance?” Zhuo Shu asked.
“This is too embarrassing. Hurry up.”
Zhuo Shu quickly acknowledged, then thanked the staff member, who smiled warmly, “Found the boy?”
“Yeah, found him.”
Zhuo Shu quickly made his way to the entrance. Seeing Ying Tongchen perfectly clear-headed, he relaxed a little and took his hand. “Where have you been?”
“The restroom,” Ying Tongchen said with an evasive glance, his other hand casually shoved deep into his pocket.
Zhuo Shu kept walking without noticing, lecturing, “Don’t run off like that after drinking.”
Ying Tongchen nodded absentmindedly, agreeing to whatever was said.
When the two reached the car, Zhuo Shu noticed a parking ticket stuck on the windshield and sighed.
Ying Tongchen rubbed his nose, aware he was at fault, and simply said, “Let’s just go home.”
The two set off again. As Zhuo Shu thought about the surprise waiting ahead, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Ying Tongchen’s expression. The latter sat upright, eyes fixed straight ahead, lost in thought—seemingly even more nervous than himself.
Could the secret have leaked? Was there a mole?
No, that couldn’t be it. Zhuo Zi would never spill the beans; she had enough professional integrity for that.
Lost in thought, they soon arrived beneath the apartment building.
Once inside the elevator, Zhuo Shu instinctively reached for Ying Tongchen’s hand and was not surprised to find them ice-cold. He rubbed both hands together, warming them up a little.
Zhuo Shu then remarked, “Next time, I’ll take you for a full spa treatment.”
Ying Tongchen quietly gave him a side eye. “Are you a regular there, Chairman Zhuo?”
“...” Zhuo Shu looked up at the ceiling. “Well uh, you’d better get used to it, Director Ying. There’ll be plenty more spa treatments in the future. We’re talking legit health care—massage and therapy. Stop with the dirty thoughts.”
Ying Tongchen: "Heh."
The elevator doors opened. Ying Tongchen pulled his hand back and strode forward.
Zhuo Shu secretly smacked his own mouth—stupid mouth!
The two stood before the apartment door. Zhuo Shu, with great ceremony, scanned his fingerprint to unlock it. Then he leaned close to Ying Tongchen’s ear and whispered solemnly, like a devil’s whisper, “Brace yourself. What’s coming next might just blow your mind.”
Ying Tongchen shot him a pointed glance, then stepped inside. At the doorway, he looked down at the haphazardly placed, already extinguished candles and the scraps of balloon pieces littering the floor. He said softly, “If you called me here just to clean up, I swear I’ll kill you.”
“What’s going on here?” Zhuo Shu asked, unease prickling at him.
He flipped on the lights and took a look. The entrance was a mess—crumbs and debris everywhere. Following the trail forward, they reached the living room, which looked like a disaster zone.
On the wall hung letter balloons that should have spelled out “MARRY ME”, hung crooked and incomplete, with several letters missing. Now all that remained was “M A R Y”—
Who the hell was Mary!?
Besides that, a trio of lively, mischievous seniors were wreaking havoc in the living room.
They wore pointy party hats; one tossed confetti while another merrily blew a party horn, creating quite a ruckus.
—the deafening blare of “The boundless horizon is my love; at the foot of the continuous green hills flowers are blossoming*”—
(TLN: Omfg, this song is a blast from the past. From the 2006 hit, ‘Most Dazzling Folk Style’ (aka Coolest Ethic; 最炫民族风) by the famous duo ‘Phoenix Legend’. Will link the song below as footnote[1].)
Zhuo Shu stepped forward and switched off the music.
Immediate silence…
Several people simultaneously swiveled around, all eyes fixed on him.
Mu Qing’s cheeks were flushed red as she hiccupped drunkenly, “What’re you doing? Turn the music back on! Let me keep you here with my heart*!”
(TLN: Continuation of song above[1].)
The old man chimed in, “Keep you here!”
(TLN: Ditto[1])
“Teacher, what are you doing here?” Ying Tongchen stepped forward to ask.
Tei Cher gave a drunken laugh, “They called me and told me Zhuo Shu’s gonna propose to you, so I came. Hehe, cheers! You want a drink?”
Ying Tongchen: “……”
Zhuo Shu: “……” So loose-lipped!
Zhuo Shu felt utterly heartbroken—there was only shock without joy.
“Where’s Zhuo Zi?”
No sooner had Zhuo Shu finished speaking than a girl came running down from upstairs, covering her ears. She threw herself at him, clutching his leg as she sobbed, “Boohoohoo, da ge, you’re finally back! If you didn’t come, you wouldn’t get to see your adorable little sister again! Their noise is killing my ears!”
“What exactly happened here?” Zhuo Shu pressed.
Zhuo Zi wiped her nose and tears on him, saying, “Didn’t I tell you on the call? I told you Mom and Dad were starving, so I ordered takeout for them. They thought it was too desolate with just the three of us eating, and they also didn’t want our Venerable to miss out on this event, so they called him over too.”
Up to here, there hadn’t been a single misstep.
“And then?” Zhuo Shu asked.
“Well, they waited and waited, got bored, so Mom pulled out your stash of fine wine.”
Zhuo Shu’s breath caught as he crouched down to touch the empty bottles on the floor. The precious vintage he had brought back from a French vineyard, now plundered!
Your unexpected departure has brought me pain.
Zhuo Shu picked up the littered rose petals and scattered them over the bottles — a rose petal funeral for the ravaged wine.
“And on top of that, they fought!” Zhuo Zi tattled.
Ying Tongchen looked at the three elders now singing, throwing confetti, and blowing party horns, confused: “They’re having this much fun—why did they begin fighting?”
Zhuo Zi got up, hesitating before glancing at him. “I didn’t expect Venerable to be a fan of ‘cut sleeves’.”
(TLN: Another term for gay stuff.)
Ying Tongchen: “You all found out?”
Zhuo Zi nodded. “After they finished the wine, because Venerable and Mom kept showing such amazing chemistry—whether talking about how to decorate the place or picking songs to sing—they perfectly matched each other’s words, which made Dad jealous. So he grabbed Venerable and started a fight.”
Ying Tongchen: “…”
Zhuo Zi: “Then Mom joined in too.”
Zhuo Shu sighed. “Two against one is seriously unfair.”
“Exactly,” Zhuo Zi said, “so Dad got badly beaten.”
Zhuo Shu: “.”
“While Venerable and Mom won the fight, the guilt caused him to explain to Dad, ‘No need to fret, I like men.’ While saying this, Venerable went over to help Dad up, but because he was inebriated, he didn’t notice a wine bottle on the floor and slipped, falling right onto Dad.” Zhuo Zi suddenly perked up. “It was a very rainbow scene.”
Ying Tongchen: “…”
Zhuo Zi sighed. “Then Mom gave both of them a serious beating, shouting at them for being scums and scoundrels. The admonished trio cried so hard; like chattering monkeys on the cliffs, no end to their bawling.”
(TLN: The last line has two references. The first should be referring to the passing of the guitarist from ‘Wayne’s So Sad’ two days prior to the release party for 孝順一族‘s (The Admonished Trio) self-titled album. The second is a verse from Li Bai’s poem, ‘Leaving white Emperor City at Dawn’. Credits: https://resources.digmandarin.com/leaving-white-emperor-city-at-dawn/)
Zhuo Shu: “…”
Zhuo Zi added, “Of course, old folks’ friendships are simple like that. After the fight, they forge a revolutionary bond. Under my witness, they even became sworn siblings in the Peach Garden*.”
(TLN: Oath of the Peach Garden, sworn by Liu Bei (刘备), Zhang Fei (张飞) and Guan Yu (关羽) at the start of the Romance of Three Kingdoms.)
Zhuo Shu collapsed to his knees onto the floor, staring at the chaotic setting and the three drunken old rascals, overwhelmed with sorrow.
No, this wasn’t the memorable proposal he wanted!
Seeing her ge looking so weak, helpless, and pitiful, Zhuo Zi wiped a tear of schadenfreude and lifted a nearby glass to his brother’s lips, “Da ge, best to drown your sorrows away.”
Zhuo Shu forced himself up, took Ying Tongchen’s hand, moved away from the mess and those hopeless troublemakers.
With the noisy, disordered environment kept outside, in the calm of the bedroom, Zhuo Shu knelt on one knee.
He pulled out a ring and slowly slid it onto Ying Tongchen’s finger, speaking softly, “I’m not good with sweet words, but when we have time, let’s go abroad and get legally married.”
Ying Tongchen silently watched him, his serious profile reflected on the window. After a long moment, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly, his long lashes hiding the faint sparkle in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the ring.
Then—
There was a crisp, clear clang.
The ring slipped off his finger, sounding loudly against the floor.
Ying Tongchen: “...”
Zhuo Shu heard the sound of his shattered dream.
With trembling hands, he picked up the ring and again slid it onto Ying Tongchen’s finger—but unsurprisingly, it slipped off once more.
Awkward.
Zhuo Shu hurriedly explained, “Uh, don’t worry, we can get it resized tomorrow.”
Alright, he had to admit this was a failed proposal ceremony.
At that moment, Ying Tongchen crouched down, picked up the ring, inspected it for a moment, then casually slipped it into his own pocket.
Zhuo Shu froze, then joyfully asked, “You do?”
“Do what?” Ying Tongchen replied.
Zhuo Shu smiled, “There’s no point in considering. You're stuck with me for life.”
Ying Tongchen smiled helplessly, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a box. With a snap, he opened it to reveal a pair of exquisitely beautiful matching rings sparkling under the light.
“You’re putting on a magic show?” Zhuo Shu glanced around, “Where’s my ring?”
With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Ying Tongchen took out one ring from the box, took Zhuo Shu’s hand, slipped it onto his finger, and whispered, “Let’s just make do with this.”
Zhuo Shu was touched, about to say more, when suddenly a group of people rushed in and applauded in unison, shouting, “Marry him, marry him! Zhuo Shu, marry him!”
Zhuo Shu: “...”
Sober now, eh? Now you egg us on?
Wait a sec… something isn’t right here.
.
.
.
TL Note: AHHHH YING TONGCHEN DID THE PROPOSINGGG
—
Footnote:
[1] ‘Most Dazzling Folk Style’ (aka Coolest Ethic; 最炫民族风) is was a hit song sung by the duo ‘Phoenix Legend’. It’s so popular that there’s a Just Dance version. They are still kinda relevant now, but were basically BIG when I was a kid. They have super catchy songs. Please listen for yourself. I’ve listed the timestamps for the referenced lyrics below:
0:23 -“The boundless horizon is my love; at the foot of the continuous green hills flowers are blossoming,”
1:00 - “Let me keep you here with my heart*!”
1:03 - “Keep you here!”