QT: LAC Chapter 22: Second World (8)

Chapter 22: Second World (8)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Sulo

 

Fu Shaohua followed Big Brother Bai to a very private cafe and then sat in a slightly awkward position opposite to each other after their initial greeting.

“You don’t have to be so nervous. I just want to chat with you today.”

Fu Shaohua nodded and looked down at the coffee cup in front of him, still alert, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Of course it’s about my brother.” Big Brother said, “I heard you and my brother get along well? Recently, his personality has been obviously much more open-minded and very pleasant— I should thank you for that.”

Fu Shaohua was speechless and did not know how to answer for a while, but Big Brother Bai did not seem to care about his response.

Taking a sip of coffee, Big Brother Bai’s voice was flat, “I think you should also be curious about why our family can so calmly face the love affair between Duan and a male artist without any obstruction?”

Fu Shaohua raised his head slightly, apparently quite concerned about it.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been sending people to observe your character and behavior for some time. I’m also learning about the progress between you and my brother.” Elder brother Bai slightly apologized, “I am deeply sorry for this kind of privacy snooping behavior, but please also understand my feelings of missing my brother as a brother.”

Fu Shaohua licked his lips and nodded to show that he didn’t mind.

“Through this period of observation and understanding, I can be sure that you are a good person, and Duan really likes you. I hope I can make an appointment with you later so we can chat a little…about my brother.” With a sigh, Big Brother Bai described Bai Duan’s character, which made the Bai family particularly worried; things that Fu Shaohua had never known before.

In front of him, although Bai Duan was independent and arrogant, he was still the simple and intimate lover he always knew. He had never spent much effort to understand what Bai Duan was like before he met him. Listening to Big Brother Bai’s words, Fu Shaohua felt flustered. He thought Bai Duan was spoiled and carefree in the Bai family, but he didn’t know that he was not happy and that even his smile was rare.

When Fu Shaohua heard about Bai Duan’s depression for nearly twenty years, he blamed himself for failing to find out about this as soon as possible. More importantly, he was apprehensive about it. Such a situation was really unusual.

This was only the second generation after Bai Duan’s memories were lost. It was reasonable to say that he did not leave deep enough traces in Bai Duan’s heart. He wanted to guide the other party to unconsciously find him, wait for him, without affecting his healthy life. In his understanding, this should belong to the symptoms in the middle and later stages, indicating that the soul had gradually expanded and solidified over the memory eliminator, and was breaking through the shackles on his memories.

In this way, in his first life, he only wanted to take a long look at Bai Duan to determine whether the other party was well, but Bai Duan noticed him at once and showed unusual enthusiasm for him.

At that time, he just rejoiced in his lover’s dependence and intimacy. He was curious about his lover’s childhood appearance, so he did not think deeply, and then they grew up together, their affection becoming a matter of course, which made him lower his vigilance.

But now, this abnormal silent memory was beginning to emerge.

Fu Shaohua was not sure whether this was good or bad. After all, the spiritual and physical transformation for Bai Duan had just begun. There was still a long way to go before the goal was achieved. Unknown changes may lead to quite serious consequences.

Of course, on the other hand, Fu Shaohua was not willing to live in the gloom before they met each other in the future. He wanted to ensure that they would fall in love quickly from the very first time they met, without any third-party involvement.

Fu Shaohua was so worried that he did not have the energy to deal with Big Brother Bai sitting opposite him for a while. He was immersed in his tangled thoughts. And his natural and unauthorized anxiety fell into the eyes of Big Brother Bai, entirely in line with his expectations.

Fu Shaohua was indeed worried about his brother and distressed for him, which meant that he had feelings for Bai Duan.

Elder brother Bai was gratified that his brother’s sincerity had not been fed to the dog and that he would get at least half of his feelings returned. On the other hand, there were some tangles; in case they were not looked at with the right eye, even if they liked each other, then should he admit he had such an inflexible ‘brother-in-law?’

However, in any case, no one could say for sure what the future will bring. Big Brother Bai just needed to make sure that his brother would not be disappointed and not be played around with by a small star.

Now that the goal had been achieved, the busy elder brother Bai naturally had no time to stay and soon left.

The upset Fu Shaohua sat in the cafe for a moment. After all, he was a little relieved that instead of returning to the film set, he left early and returned to the villa where Bai Duan was. After getting the news, Big Brother Bai was quite satisfied with Fu Shaohua, and his disapproval of his neglect due to his busy acting schedule subsided.

Inside the villa, Bai Duan was carving a new work. After the preliminary outline, the crooked roots already revealed their embryonic form, which seemed to be a mink climbing among the branches.

Hearing the door open, Bai Duan turned his head and looked over. His eyes lit up immediately, but he tried to hold himself back, so as not to appear too excited and let Fu Shaohua be proud of himself.

Putting down the carving knife in hand, Bai Duan patted the sawdust on his body, and his tone was calm, “Why did you come back so early today?”

Fu Shaohua gave a complicated glance at the root carving on the table, the focal point was the sight of a very familiar mink, and then leaned over and kissed Bai Duan on the forehead, “You’re not happy that I came back to be with you earlier?”

“… I have nothing to be happy about.” Bai Duan licked his lips, restrained the upward corners of the mouth, and bent his head awkwardly.

“Well, it’s my pleasure.” Fu Shaohua touched Bai Duan’s head and liked the pride and charm of his lover.

Bai Duan, “…”

He felt like he had been treated as an unreasonable child, good gods ah!

Seeing Bai Duan pick up the sculpture knife again, silently looking at the roots in front of him, Fu Shaohua sighed slightly. Although his proud and awkward lover was still budding, he even missed the once sticky and frank, sometimes delicate Bai Duan.

Sitting next to his lover, Fu Shaohua hesitated for a moment, but eventually slowly opened his mouth, “Today, your eldest brother came to the studio to find me.”

Bai Duan stared.

He had already come out of the closet in front of his family and thought he had their understanding and support, so he did not think they would embarrass themselves. But hearing this, Bai Duan still had some worries, “Big Brother found you? What did he say?”

“Said…when you were a kid,” Fu Shaohua’s voice was worried, “you were depressed and antisocial, and also went to see a psychologist. What’s the matter? Can you tell me something about it?”

Bai Duan frowned and looked helpless. “What did Big Brother tell you about this?” He turned his head to Fu Shaohua and was looking at him with worrying eyes. For the first time, he took the initiative to lean over, held his hand, and interlaced their ten fingers. “They’ve always been too worried. In fact, it’s not so serious. I don’t know what they are worried about, and the psychologist didn’t find any problems.” Bai Duan shook his head, and there was no false perplexity in his expression. “I also feel quite normal. There is nothing unhappy about me, but I don’t think there is anything to be happy about. It’s just common. Isn’t everyone like that? My eldest brother doesn’t laugh too much, but my parents and grandpa never really cared about him.”

Bai Duan really thought that his behavior was normal, just like how a drunk person believed they were not drunk. Most people with mental problems would not realize this because they had long been accustomed to it.

But Fu Shaohua had seen Bai Duan’s original appearance, and he knew that his mood was vibrant and he liked to laugh and play around. Although he was occasionally sad or mad, he could be quickly coaxed and was always optimistic and lively.

Compared with the past, Bai Duan had obviously changed a lot, and Fu Shaohua decided he must not let this change continue.

Now they were both in ordinary human society. Their whole life was barely a hundred years. And even if they waited, it wouldn’t be too hard. But in the future, they would experience more extended worlds. The depression that they had no way to solve for a long time would be easy to break down and change his mood.

This was by no means what Fu Shaohua would like to see.

Fu Shaohua frowned tightly and thought secretly about what method to take. Bai Duan looked at his lover whose face was still not improving, and bit his lip, “If there’s something wrong, it’s that I’ve always felt like I’ve lost something and I’m waiting for something.”

Fu Shaohua was attracted by his words, “What is that, do you know?”

“I didn’t know what it was before, but now I do.” Bai Duan’s cheeks were red, as he tried to restrain his awkwardness, while pouring out his words of love, “At the first sight of you, even though it was only a photo, I knew, I had been waiting for you.”

This sentence was really touching, and even if Fu Shaohua was worried, at this moment, he could not help but shake his head, reach out and grab his shy lover and kiss his sweet lips.

It was a rare thing to hear such sentiments from the mouth of Bai Duan in this life. Fu Shaohua knew that Bai Duan was trying very hard to comfort him. He had to keep his worries patiently to himself and show a relaxed and happy smile, “Yes, you were waiting for me, and now you have found me too. We’ll be together all our lives.”

So, even if he was worried about it, it was only this life, and he couldn’t let it affect the rest of their lives.

Seeing Fu Shaohua laughing, Bai Duan was relieved and happy at last.

Once upon a time, Bai Duan never felt that there was anything to be happy about in his everyday life. Each day was the same, dull and boring. But nowadays, even if he only saw Fu Shaohua’s smile, he couldn’t seem to restrain the joy overflowing from his heart. Every word and action of the other party made his life lively and colorful.

He must have liked Fu Shaohua too much, so everything changed when the other party appeared.

If that was so, then, he would never let go of holding Fu Shaohua’s hand tightly. In any case, he should tie the other side to him and forbid him to be away from him even by half a step.