Beta Chapter 7: Bring Me Here Often in the Future

Chapter 7: Bring Me Here Often in the Future

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

This opera was a comedy, not a tragedy, and both of them tacitly pretended not to know. When they left the opera house, the sky was just tinted with dusk, perfect timing for dinner.

They stood in front of the long steps outside the opera house. Luo Songran felt that since it was a date, they should continue smoothly. So, he turned to Duan Yizhou and said, “Professor Duan, are you hungry?”  If he could have a kiss in a romantic Western restaurant while listening to beautiful music, then today would be perfect. 

Duan Yizhou glanced at his wristwatch, it was already seven o’clock. “Hmm, it’s dinner time. What would you like to eat?”

“Professor Duan, what would you like to eat?” Luo Songran thought he should start from Duan Yizhou’s preferences. Taking the initiative is key. “Do you like Western food?”

When Duan Yizhou heard that Luo Songran wanted to eat Western food, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows. There are too many high-protein foods in Western cuisine, and his doctor must have told him to avoid them during this time. “How about something light instead?”

Luo Songran gazed at Duan Yizhou with a hint of mystery in his eyes. Duan Yizhou felt a chill down his spine and looked at Luo Songran.

Seeing Duan Yizhou looking at him, Luo Songran immediately smiled. “Alright, I’ll go with your choice. How about we go for congee?” Enduring a little for the sake of a meal with a man is nothing. Sometimes, compromise is necessary.

Duan Yizhou thought the suggestion was good. Congee is light, and a light diet is more conducive to the integration of the chip with the body. He smiled, “Hmm, okay.”

This kid was quite obedient. Saying he wanted something light and sticking to it. As the saying goes, “The hero is troubled by the beauty.” When Luo Songran saw the smile on this man’s face, he felt as though his soul believed that eating Western food was wrong and that having congee was the right choice.

Being so particular about looks was sometimes unreasonable.

So on this beautiful Saturday, he never thought that his life would be so ordinary. He had never been one to follow the rules and liked to play some exciting games. And he never thought he would be so tempted by a man’s face and figure, pretending, compromising, just to have some meat and go on a date with this man to a roadside stall.

The night market’s roadside stalls were shrouded in smoke and firecrackers.

Luo Songran had never been to such a place before. For a moment, he didn’t know where to place his feet amidst the somewhat greasy tables and chairs. Before he could say anything, he saw Duan Yizhou take some tissue papers from the table and carefully wipe the table clean around the edges, then take a few more tissues to wipe the plastic chairs they were going to sit on. Finally, he threw the dirty tissues into the nearby trash can. “Take a seat, I’ve cleaned it up.” 

Duan Yizhou sat down first. The table wasn’t large, and with Duan Yizhou’s tall stature, it seemed even smaller. His long legs under the table seemed to have nowhere to rest, but the man didn’t seem to mind, as if he often came here to eat.

Luo Songran glanced at the light bulb hanging from the tent pole above Duan Yizhou’s head, swaying in the wind, which also caused the tent to sway. The environment was simple and smoky, which made his mood somewhat delicate. Eating here was not romantic at all.

Western restaurant ×, candlelit dinner ×, piano accompaniment ×, kissing × 

Roadside stall √, overhead light bulb √, ambient noise √, kissing?

He hesitated before sitting down on the chair, poking the table with his finger. The table was clean, no oil stains. Then he carefully glanced at Duan Yizhou, “Professor Duan, do you come here to eat often?”

“Yeah,” Duan Yizhou turned to look at the brightly lit teaching building not far away in the night, “I studied here. I went to elementary, middle, and high school here. I used to be a day student. Whenever class was over, I would come here to eat and then walk home.”

Luo Songran had no concept of public schools or any impression of this old city area. He could only see the traces of time in the bricks and tiles around him.

“Oh, I’ve never been here.” He followed Duan Yizhou’s gaze to the bright campus not far away.

And there were so many delicious foods outside the campus. Just now, when he entered this night market, he saw all kinds of delicacies that he had never encountered before. It was not that he didn’t like to eat, but no one told him that there were delicious foods here.

Duan Yizhou met the confused and curious expression of the youth in front of him. Under the light of the tent bulb, this well-dressed little rich kid seemed to shine brighter than the crude light bulb above, completely out of place here.

He was like a rose that had been carefully nurtured in a greenhouse, having never experienced any setbacks, not needing to worry about anything, and being indulged and capricious. As CEO Luo said, this kid had a bad temper. The more you ask him to do something, the less willing he is. But he grew up under the protection of his family, essentially a flower that looked bright but was ignorant of the world.

So CEO Luo said that regardless of how much effort and money it took, he hoped he could develop this chip and implant it into Luo Songran’s body, to put his mind at ease.

For him, he didn’t need CEO Luo to emphasize it; he would do it anyway. The consecutive failures of the chip in Luo Songran had somewhat affected him, but he accepted setbacks and tried to salvage the situation.

“You’re the one who brought me here,” Luo Songran withdrew his gaze. He felt a sense of freshness, different from the moment he stepped in. But no one dared to take him to eat at roadside stalls.

Duan Yizhou picked up a glass jar containing plum juice and poured a glass for Luo Songran. “There are a lot of delicious foods here.”

“Then can you bring me here often in the future?” Luo Songran placed his hands on the table, resting his chin on them as he stared at Duan Yizhou.

“Oh, Xiao Duan, long time no see. Still the same?”  At this moment, the boss lady, wiping her apron with her hands, walked over. She was plump and smiled very kindly as she approached Duan Yizhou. She curiously looked at the handsome young man in front of Duan Yizhou and immediately smiled. “Who’s this little kid?”

When Duan Yizhou heard the familiar auntie ask, he couldn’t think of a suitable relationship to introduce. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Luo Songran across the table say, “I’m his nephew.”

Duan Yizhou was speechless. It seems quite reasonable.

The boss lady still thought the boy in front of her was very handsome. She teased Duan Yizhou, “Xiao Duan, you said you didn’t have a boyfriend to bring, but now you’re bringing your nephew to eat.”

“As usual,” Duan Yizhou felt that this topic was not his strong suit, so he had to change the subject. After speaking, he looked at Luo Songran. “You can’t eat seafood, but can you have claypot lean meat porridge?”

Luo Songran was suddenly stunned. How did this man know he couldn’t eat seafood? “Sure.”

The boss lady said ‘okay’ and turned away to prepare.

Duan Yizhou took two pairs of bamboo chopsticks and, after opening them, rubbed one pair against the other to remove any debris. Feeling Luo Songran’s gaze on him, he said, “If you’re free in the future, you can come here to eat, although I don’t recommend coming often.”

“Can I come with you next time?” Luo Songran started gazing affectionately again.

“If you’re free,” Duan Yizhou handed the prepared chopsticks to Luo Songran.

Luo Songran took the chopsticks. “By the way, Professor Duan, I haven’t asked you where you teach.”

Duan Yizhou was speechless. His hand paused in rubbing the chopsticks, and he fell silent for two seconds before saying, “Actually, I’m still taking the exam. I haven’t passed yet.”

Perhaps it was the right atmosphere, the right place, this sentence seemed particularly poignant. Luo Songran suddenly looked at Duan Yizhou with a changed expression, as if feeling sorry for him. “You don’t have a job?”

Ah, no wonder he brought him to eat at roadside stalls. Without a job, he wouldn’t have any money.

Duan Yizhou didn’t answer. He took a tissue and wiped off the bamboo chopstick debris from his table, giving himself some time to think.

“Do you want to teach at Yan Cheng First High School?” Luo Songran thought his silence meant agreement, so he pointed to the nearby high school. “How about I get you in as the principal?”

Duan Yizhou was speechless. Thanks for the favor.

After saying it, Luo Songran quickly slapped his own mouth. “Sorry, sorry, I speak without thinking. How can I waste your efforts like this? So, you were actually studying while holding a tablet at the nightclub?”

Duan Yizhou thought that he had never thought that this logical chain would be so reasonable in Luo Songran’s mouth. “Something like that.”

Maybe this kid just found it fun. After he went on a business trip for a while, maybe he would forget that he ever met this “Duan Feizhou.”

“Don’t be angry, I didn’t mean that.” Luo Songran held Duan Yizhou’s hand, fearing that this man’s pride might be hurt, and quickly comforted him, “I believe you can achieve what you want to do.”

“What do you mean?” Duan Yizhou was touched by this sentence.

Seeing that Duan Yizhou didn’t pull his hand away, Luo Songran thought there might be hope! Isn’t this how it goes in TV dramas? When an alpha encounters setbacks in his career, he needs a gentle and soft omega to comfort and encourage him. Although he’s not an omega, he can be gentle.

So he held Duan Yizhou’s large hand with both hands, looking at him with determination. “Professor Duan, I should call you ‘professor,’ right? It’s okay, keep going. You’ll definitely become a teacher soon!”

Luo Songran’s voice, somewhere between youth and adulthood, sounded clear. The light fell on his naturally rosy face, and the light from the crude light bulb above was already bright, but the bright eyes of the boy in front of him, so clear and determined, were brighter than the light bulb above.

And very serious.

He really looked quite good, not like CEO Luo said. If he openly told Luo Songran that he wanted to observe the situation of his chip implantation, this guy would definitely not agree, and might even resist.

Duan Yizhou suddenly felt guilty for using such means to deceive a child at his age. This step to genuine feelings was truly unexpected. Even more unexpected was that this kid was quite nice, even encouraging him to work hard to become a teacher.

He smiled knowingly. “Okay, I’ll take your good wishes.”

Well, maybe I’ll attend some classes at Yan University when I’m free?

 

 

 

 

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