WTIETWOQT Chapter 45

Lu Anlan’s soul was white with a slight pinkish tinge, it tasted as sweet as his colour, like the wind of a warm spring bloom, with an intoxicating fragrant sweetness.

–‘Love.’ You Ning thought, ‘This is the taste of Lu Anlan’s love.’

You Ning didn’t participate nor pay attention to what happened to Lu Anlan in his later life, but the person who accompanied him through his life must be his big fool. So when his body died, his soul retained all the emotions Xiang Yang had given him.

On top of that, You Ning also ate up Lu Anlan’s gratitude to him. He had a pure affection for You Ning, without any resentment or hatred, which made the taste of his soul extra delicate. You Ning couldn’t help but relish it over and over again and again. The most surprising thing was that Lu Anlan’s soul actually helped him increase his power.

This was undoubtedly a very good deal.

“It’s delicious.” You Ning sank into the sofa with his eyes closed and his body relaxed, the satisfied expression on his entire face showed that he was not just getting the approval of his taste buds when he said it was delicious.

Jiang Chi, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner, heard You Ning’s comment and glanced in You Ning’s direction. He saw his strange expression but didn’t ask what was delicious.

Originally, You Ning had planned to follow the ending Jiang Chi had prepared for himself— after all, he didn’t like to trouble himself— but he changed his mind after eating Lu Anlan’s soul.

Jiang Chi might look calm, as if he could walk away with no regrets, but You Ning knew what this man actually wanted most.

He wanted a home. A home with Jiang Yingying and also Chen Yao. If he could, he would like to accompany Jiang Yingying to famous amusement parks around the world; if he could, he would like to start afresh with Chen Yao. Maybe he could find his brother and have a lively New Year’s Eve dinner with his family every year.

Jiang Chi’s dinner was ready, and after eating, You Ning said, “Enjoy the rest of your life, I’m leaving.”

Jiang Chi paused as he washed the glasses, then nodded to show that he understood.

It was only when the door closed that he put down the glass in his hand and stared at the detergent foam on it in disbelief.

The rest of his life …… the demon seemed to have agreed to the previous request then.

He would be able to enjoy himself for seven more years.

You Ning left Jiang Chi’s house and went to Su Fu’s house as planned. As soon as he entered, You Ning was amused by the scene in Su Fu’s house.

“I said I’m having dinner before coming over, what are you doing?” You Ning lifted his chin, pointing it at the candlelit dinner that Su Fu had set on the dining table.

Su Fu looked a little embarrassed and he coughed lightly, “I heard that it’s not rude to prepare like this.”

You Ning immediately laughed out loud, “Could it be that you looked up this strategy on the internet?”

Su Fu choked back his words and didn’t say anything.

You Ning was probably in a good mood because of the extremely delicious soul he had eaten. He walked straight to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down, saying to Su Fu, “Have you not eaten yet? I’ll eat with you.”

Su Fu looked at You Ning, who winked at him and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hold you back. It’s you who should be worried, you should eat more or you won’t have enough energy later.”

Soo Fu: “……” He was always at his wit’s end with his teasing.

The night was bright and starry, and You Ning reached out and drew the curtains in the bedroom, blocking out the beautiful starry sky. He turned back and crashed into Su Fu’s arms, he neither struggled nor escaped, submissively leaning on Su Fu with a seductive smile, “No one is watching, don’t you want to do something to me? Hmm?”

Su Fu lost the last bit of patience and picked him up in his arms. He had been busy for the past two months, and when he had free time, he had spent it missing the person in his arms, he had a lot to discuss now that they were finally alone.

Unfortunately, he was a man of few words, so he had to prove it by his actions.

—-

The next day, the morning light was just about to hit the window outside the apartment when Su Fu opened his eyes. It was still very early and the person in his arms was still sleeping peacefully.

He looked at the face of the person in his arms carefully and almost greedily, brushing a few strands of hair away from his forehead with his hand, then lowering his head to kiss the fair forehead.

Each time they met, he was a little more sure of how much he liked this person.

He moved gently, keeping an eye on You Ning. Upon seeing that he was still asleep and unaffected, he resumed his movements and quickly got something from the bedside table and unconsciously tightened the arm that was holding You Ning.

He put the thing he got under the pillow, then covetously embraced You Ning for a few more moments before getting up to prepare breakfast.

Once he left the bedroom, You Ning, who was sleeping soundly, opened his eyes. He snorted and took out what Su Fu had hidden under his pillow.

It was a black velvet box, and You Ning could guess what was inside without opening it. A slightly disdainful smile hung at the corners of his mouth as he opened the box and said, “It’s really cliché ……”

The contents of the box were not surprising, it was a platinum ring, simple in style and not You Ning’s type. He preferred something elaborate, dazzling and ornate.

You Ning pouted and put the item back in its place with disinterest. He was not Jiang Chi, and had no expectation of a family or marriage.

Not long after, the scent of breakfast wafted into the bedroom, and You Ning twitched his nose and looked at the box under the pillow again.

When Su Fu saw You Ning come out, he almost poured the fragrant omelette in the pan onto the floor.

You Ning was wearing only a shirt, and that shirt was his. Because of the size, the shirt was a little big and could just cover the top of his thighs. He could imagine how You Ning was too lazy to dress properly, so he casually took a shirt from his wardrobe and put it on. What unsettled Su Fu the most was the ring You Ning had put on his hand.

He watched You Ning walk towards him, unable to say a word, and could only hear the thud of his heart in his chest.

“It’s not very pretty, I don’t really like it, but it’s the right size, so I’ll live with it.” You Ning sat at the cooking table, holding his hand up so that Su Fu could see it more clearly.

Su Fu tried to keep his breathing as steady as possible, and said in a casual tone, “Then I’ll buy you a prettier one next time and change it.”

“Okay!” You Ning smiled as he glanced towards the pot, “Is the food ready? I’m hungry.”

Soo Fu finally couldn’t help but smile, “It’s ready.”

You Ning looked at the joy that could not be hidden in Su Fu’s eyes, he propped his chin on his hand as he lazily said, “Don’t think that you can bind me just because I put it on, even if we get a marriage license, I will leave without hesitation the moment I feel bored.” Marriage could not bind him, an incubus.

Su Fu put away his smile and said solemnly, “If that day comes, I will let you go and not hold you back. But until then, I will do all that I can to make you happy.”

It was this seriousness again. You Ning hurriedly ended the topic and urged Su Fu to join him for breakfast.

……

On the first day of school in September, Jiang Chi sent Jiang Yingying to her new school. It just so happened that Chen Yao was free that day so he also saw off Chen Xiaoxing.

The two met in front of the school again, it was no longer the same scene where one was unaware and the other was afraid to face things. The children walked ahead and they walked behind, one blathering on about some strange case they had recently encountered, the other listening quietly and saying a few words of his own every now and then.

No matter who looked at them, they would think they were close friends, not knowing they were apart for more than ten years.

Jiang Yingying was a girl, so Jiang Chi only helped put her luggage in the dormitory and then left. The little girl had grown this summer, she had even learned how to set the quilt, arranging the folds and sides neatly. She felt a sense of achievement and pride as she watched the other students need help from their parents to complete the task.

It was only after a long time that her classmates discovered that Jiang Yingying, the independent, all-rounded, cute and soft-looking girl with a sometimes cute and sometimes cold temperament, was actually a rich girl. She was so different from the rich girls who were always showing off their wealth. In comparison, no matter how she acted or how she got along with her classmates, she beat those girls who liked to show off their wealth by several blocks, and was at the top of the list of girls that the boys in junior high wanted to date the most. With the addition of the halo top student, she truly deserved being called school beauty of X Middle School.

When Jiang Chi and Chen Yao came out of school, Jiang Chi invited Chen Yao to his house. They were at the entrance of the school and there was a rush of pedestrians around, but Chen Yao couldn’t control his mouth and said with a smirk, “Mr Jiang, I think you are hinting something to me. Inviting another man into your home when your daughter is no longer at home? Did I understand you correctly this time?”

Jiang Chi made a rare chuckle and simply asked, “Are you coming?”

“Come on, of course I have to come.” Chen Yao smirked again, “But, I have to buy something in advance, otherwise …… it’s not easy to do things.”

No matter how indifferent Jiang Chi was, his face got slightly hot at those words. He coughed twice and didn’t talk to Chen Yao again, only getting into the car and driving in the direction of home.

Chen Yao arrived ten minutes after him. This time, as soon as Chen Yao arrived, Jiang Chi opened the door with a sense of purpose. He stood inside the house, carefully tracing Chen Yao’s features with his eyes, before finally whispering, “Chen Yao, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long, and by the way, you’re welcome to come in.”

Chen Yao didn’t understand the first half of Jiang Chi’s words, he only heard the “welcome”, he had been holding back for so long, waited so long for this person to come back, and waited so long for this person to finally open the door for him.

Jiang Chi said it was his fault for not telling him the reason for his marriage; it was his fault for not telling him how he felt about him; it was his fault for letting Chen Yao spend all these years alone, and making him wait for so long.

Jiang Chi said that he was reborn because of the mistakes in his last life, so he was here to make up for those mistakes in this life ……

Chen Yao kissed Jiang Chi all the way to the bedroom, listening to him ramble on about everything from his previous life while feeling his heart twist like a knife, he just wanted to hold this man tighter and tighter. He didn’t doubt what his Captain Jiang said, after what had happened to Bai Xiaoshu, rebirth didn’t seem like much of a surprise. It could also explain the huge information that Jiang Chi had given him.

He was just a little angry that the Jiang Chi of his previous life had not come to him, leaving him completely alone. He was also angry that Jiang Chi didn’t have a life of happiness after leaving him.

At the same time, he was glad that they were now reunited.

‘It doesn’t matter, the wounds you suffered in your last life, I will help you heal in this life.’

Soon after, Chen Yao moved into Jiang Chi’s house. Jiang Yingying returned from her holiday and found it a bit strange, but Chen Yao lied to her and said that his family had kicked him out, so he begged Jiang Chi to take him in. Fortunately, Jiang Chi was so nice and kind that he was willing to let him have a floor in his bedroom. Jiang Yingying still had the impression that Chen Yao was a reliable police uncle so she did not suspect anything for a long time.

It wasn’t until her third year of junior high when she was preparing for the midterm exams and was under so much pressure that she came to a realization. A classmate convinced her into reading a novel— it was a danmei novel. Before that, she didn’t even know what a danmei novel was.

It just so happened that she came home that weekend, entered the code and entered the house, probably because the door was relatively quiet, the two people standing together intimately on the balcony didn’t notice her. She was about to say hello, but happened to see Chen Yao put his arm around her father’s waist and smooch him on the cheek. Jiang Yingying stood in the hallway, dumbfounded.

Then a conversation from the balcony faintly spread into the hallway.

“Mr Jiang, do you remember Su Fu from our bureau? He resigned a year ago but I heard that he went abroad to get a marriage license with that You Ning.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Tsk, Mr. Jiang, let’s be frank. Do you want it or not? I can quit my job for you and work as a security guard or bodyguard or whatever at your company. I can find another job if you don’t want me to be too close to you or feel you have no personal space.”

“……”

“I can tell what you’re thinking when I see you frown, Yingying, right? Yingying is so sensible, she’ll understand. We’ve been apart for thirteen years, do you want to wait another thirteen years? She’s so smart, she’s seen you smile more and more in the past two years, and she’ll slowly guess. We can’t hide it from her for the rest of her life…”

Jiang Yingying covered her frantic heart and went to her room without making any sound. Chen Yao on the balcony glanced at Jiang Chi, who was seriously thinking, and from the corner of his eyes, glanced at the corner of the sky-blue dress when Jiang Yingying entered the room, and hooked a conspiratorial smile.

He might have reached the diamond stage when it came to scheming against a child.

As expected, Jiang Yingying, who had been set up, returned to her bedroom and began to think back to her father’s mood ever since Chen Yao moved in. Then combined with Chen Yao’s words about being separated for thirteen years, she analyzed that the two of them might have been a couple at one time, and it was most likely because of her mother’s intervention that the two had to be separated.

Jiang Yingying was still young and ignorant about love, she wouldn’t want to see two people who are clearly in love being torn apart and forced to marry someone they don’t like. Whenever she saw such a drama or novel, she would complain about it with her best friend for half a day. Unexpectedly, the situation had actually happened in her family.

She remembered what her father had said, that he and her mother had no feelings for each other and that the divorce was because her mother had done something unforgivable. She was almost out of junior high school, and she was not an ignorant little girl anymore. She was not the fruit of her parents’ love, and her father had married her mother because of her.

There was also a classmate in their grade whose parents didn’t love each other and got married because they had him, only that his parents didn’t love him and beat him up. His parents were later scolded by the police, and although he was not abused anymore, his parents still did not pay any attention to him and only gave him living expenses and paid tuition fees as stipulated by the law.

Compared to him, Jiang Yingying felt much luckier. Her mother didn’t love her, but her father did. Her father had already given up his happiness for her for over ten years, would he continue to live out his life in silence and loneliness for her? She didn’t want that. Her father looked good when he smiled, and she loved to see him smile.

After figuring it out, Jiang Yingying planned to talk to her father the next day, she didn’t want the two adults to remain in hiding because of her.

Over dinner, the observant Jiang Chi saw the problem at a glance. Early the next morning, Jiang Yingying saw Chen Yao kneeling on a keyboard in front of the cooking table as her father made breakfast.

Chen Yao kept begging for mercy, but Jiang Chi was unmoved, his face remained stern and indifferent.

Jiang Yingying laughed out loud at this scene. Chen Yao noticed her presence and he hurriedly changed the target of his plea, saying, “Yingying, your Uncle Chen was wrong, I shouldn’t have set you up yesterday, but for the sake of Uncle, who has been on his knees all night and all morning, please help me beg for mercy. Uncle promises that there will never be a next time!”

“A set-up?!” Jiang Yingying’s eyes widened with disbelief. She had only just accepted her father’s relationship with Chen Yao, and it turned out that all the worry and agitation of the night was because Chen Yao had set her up?!

Jiang Yingying wanted to roll her eyes at Chen Yao just like Chen Xiaoxing. This shameless bastard! All he knew was to lie to children! He even stole her father from her!

When Jiang Yingying was twenty years old, Jiang Chi met You Ning.

It was an encounter, he didn’t look for You Ning and the other party was not waiting for him.

It was Jiang Yingying’s twentieth birthday, and Jiang Chi was on holiday with his daughter and Chen Yao on an island, and it so happened that You Ning and Su Fu were also on the island.

You Ning’s reason for coming here was simple, the lobsters in the waters around here were very good and it just so happened that the island had been developed as a tourist island. Since there was a place to rest and relax, You Ning would of course come to the island with Su Fu and have some fun. If not, he would have taken a boat out and dove for lobsters, stopping for a short night’s rest on a deserted island before nightfall, or if he thought it would be fun, stay on the deserted island for a few days and let Su Fu accompany him for survival experience.

No matter what he did, Su Fu always indulged him and never said a word against it. He would not say that it was dangerous, that he was not allowed to do this or that for safety reasons. It doesn’t matter if there was danger, he’d stay with him and protect him.

He tolerated all of You Ning’s capriciousness. Just as he had said to You Ning, he did everything to make him happy.

The sun on the island was so warm that no matter how fair a person was, they would get a tan after a day there. But Jiang Chi looked at You Ning and saw that the years had not left any traces on his face, he still looked eighteen years old, and his glowing white skin and overly beautiful face caused the people around him to keep glancing at him.

Su Fu hugged You Ning’s waist calmly, blocking most of the admiring eyes and dissuading those with extra thoughts, “Is it hot? Why don’t we go and have some rest.”

Jiang Chi looked at them and said, “There’s an ice cream shop over there, would you like to join us?”

“Sure.” You Ning didn’t refuse. He broke away from Su Fu’s arm, went behind him and patted him on the shoulder. The other party bent his knees as he was usual, and You Ning jumped onto his back, putting all his weight on Su Fu.

Jiang Chi looked at the two of them and said to You Ning, “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

You Ning gave him a look that said “of course”.

Jiang Yingying and Chen Yao were getting ice cream when they saw You Ning and Su Fu behind Jiang Chi, and both paused at the same time.

Jiang Yingying, who had successfully evolved into a combination of a goddess and a femme fatale, put away her image of a femme fatale and turned into a goddess in seconds, calling You Ning sweetly, “Brother Ning, it’s been a long time.”

“Hello there, little princess.” You Ning leaned on Su Fu’s back and smiled at her.

Jiang Yingying blushed with shyness and swooned, what kind of god was this brother Ning, and why were his looks still so good.

Compared to Jiang Yingying’s excitement at seeing You Ning again, Chen Yao was the exact opposite. He felt that You Ning was just too strange, seven years had passed and he hadn’t changed at all. Jiang Chi had confessed everything to him, but didn’t say anything about this person.

The ice cream shop was decorated as a wooden house, in addition to a bar, there were also seats inside. You Ning and Jiang Chi sat alone, and Chen Yao hooked his arm over Su Fu’s shoulders, asking where they had their wedding and what wedding anniversary gift he gave You Ning every year, very much in the manner of an open-minded man seeking advice, without any semblance of the gloom and doom from disliking his boss back then.

When Chen Yao had finished blathering, Su Fu glanced at him lightly and said, “So have you received your marriage license yet? Or are you about to?”

Chen Yao covered his heart with a pained expression of being pierced through.

It sounded like his former boss was asking: Why are making anniversary gift strategies if you’re not yet married?

If it was any other time, Jiang Yingying would have laughed at Chen Yao’s expression, but she glanced at her father who was talking to You Ning inside and wondered, ‘Why?’ She already knew about his relationship with Chen Yao for a long time, and Chen Yao had been living in their house for years, she could see that they were in love, so why haven’t they gotten married yet?

“Are you not getting married because you’re afraid it’ll leave a record after I erase their memories?” You Ning scooped up the ice cream, glanced at Jiang Chi’s expression and laughed, “I wouldn’t leave such a flaw if I were to erase their memories.”

Jiang Chi was silent, as if he didn’t know how to answer. Perhaps marriage was more than a ceremony in his eyes, it was a promise, a promise to stay together for this life and never betray each other.

“What? Are you ready to be eaten?” You Ning ate his spoonful of ice cream in one bite, but his eyes were on Jiang Chi.

Jiang Chi wasn’t afraid, but he was really not ready to let go. Once you have had it, once you have enjoyed it, you will never let go of it, and you will even become greedy and want more.

Jiang Chi closed his eyes and clenched his hand under the table into a fist, “I’m ready.”

You Ning withdrew his gaze on Jiang Chi and did not speak, but ate all the ice cream.

He put down his spoon and said, “I promised to give you a gift. What do you think about giving you sixty years? Is that enough of a surprise?”

Jiang Chi’s eyes snapped open and his hand under the table trembled slightly.

“What, don’t you believe me?” You Ning sighed hopelessly, “I said I’m different from the impression you humans have of the old demons, I don’t like tricking humans for a little pleasure.”

“You ……” Jiang Chi said one word, then he couldn’t continue, he didn’t know what to say.

You Ning stopped him, “Saying thank you is unnecessary, and I naturally have my reasons as to why I did it. But you don’t have to worry, I won’t take payment from you or from those around you. After all, the new version of the deal with the devil’s is completely open and transparent, and petty tricks aren’t allowed. Remember to give a good review when the time comes!”

“People often say that you only live once. It is also true that human memories can only be preserved for one life. Most of those who are reborn have paid the same price as you. But for us, a human lifetime is a pitifully short time, just a few decades.…”

You Ning’s last sentence was in a whisper, as if he was saying it to Jiang Chi, and also to himself.

Over there, Su Fu seemed to feel something and looked towards You Ning, just in time to collide eyes with him. You Ning glanced away in irritation, thinking to himself, ‘I just haven’t had enough of this human’s cooking yet, who made him a Level 10 cook no matter what the dish is?’

The two sides separated after eating the ice cream.

You Ning, who was following Su Fu to catch a big lobster, heard Jiang Chi’s voice as he walked away.

“Let’s get married when we go back.”

“Yeah, okay, I’m all …… what did you just say?”

“That’s enough, my dad wants to get married! How could my dad like someone like this …… ah, whatever, I’ll go first, you guys take your time.”

“Mr. Jiang, can you say it again? It was too windy just now and I didn’t hear you.”

“Okay, I’ll say it again. Are you willing to marry me?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll do whatever you want. Hahaha— damn, finally! I’ve been waiting! Mr Jiang, let’s have a son when we get back tonight, and try to get pregnant with twins.”

“…… What kind of nonsense have you been reading again?”

“Amateur novels as a pastime, I’m quitting today! I swear!”

……

The sea breeze was slightly salty, bringing a summer romance with a belated promise of companionship.

Aww, Jiang Chi and Chao Yan are so sweet!

We’ve come to the end of Arc 2, next is the third and last arc, “Moonlight and You”.