My stand-in (The original story)

Chapter 92 - Don't Give Up On Me

ZhouXiang gently pushed YanMingXiu away. He flopped softly down on the sofa as his legs grew weak and stared blankly at the TV set that should’ve been disposed of long ago.

YanMingXiu stood still for a while. He wiped his face and heaved a sigh to calm down his emotions, then turned and went into the kitchen.

ZhouXiang heard the sound of the microwave oven working in the kitchen and dazedly glanced toward the kitchen. He didn’t know what YanMingXiu is doing.

After a while, YanMingXiu came out holding two bone china bowls .

The small porcelain bowls were as white as jade, printed with pale pink camellia flowers. They were bought when he and YanMingXiu were leisurely strolling the streets. The two practically spotted it at the same time. ZhouXiang wanted to leave after seeing the price but YanMingXiu just went and brought the set.

T/N: Bone china is a type of porcelain that is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin and is the strongest of the porcelain or china ceramics, having very high mechanical and physical strength and chip resistance, and is known for its high levels of whiteness and translucency.(The real translator not me)

In the second half year of their cohabitation, they used it all the time. He could even imagine the camellia flower set being placed at the table at home. The pale pink camellia flowers on the white porcelain lined with whitewashed red and white plaid tablecloths is so gentle and elegant, full of homely atmosphere.

ZhouXiang just stared blankly at YanMingXiu as he put the porcelain bowls on the coffee table. In the porcelain bowls are white fungus soup(T/N).

whitefungusoup

T/N: White fungus has been appraised for its medicinal benefits, namely anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor. In Chinese families, it is commonly used in soups cooked for soothing purposes like nourishing the bodies, healing dry coughs and clearing heat in the lungs.

“I made it before I left today. I knew there was going to be liquor involved.” YanMingXiu’s voice still tinged with a slight snuffling sound. He softly added, “It may not be as good as the way you make it. Try it.” He picked up a bowl of white fungus soup and handed it to ZhouXiang.

ZhouXiang stretched out his hands to take it. He led out a sigh and took a sip.

YanMingXiu asked with bit of eagerness, “Is it good?”

“President Yan, you don’t have to do this.” ZhouXiang put the bowl down and look quietly at YanMingXiu.

YanMingXiu gnawed his teeth, “You’re not allowed to call me President Yan again.”

YanMingXiu can’t imagine what kind of mockery ZhouXiang had in his heart when he called him ‘President Yan.’ When the truth was revealed, YanMingXiu even had a trace of hatred toward ZhouXiang because he had hid this from him for a year.

The longer he was separated from ZhouXiang, the more his pain increased. No one could understand this. Only he knew what it felt like to have sleepless nights…what it felt like to wake up in the middle of a dream crying… and what it felt like to look all over the world in hoping to find someone and couldn’t. The most terrifying is lying to himself that this person is not dead but then seeing with his own eyes the skeletal bones in front of him. It was such devastating despair. If it wasn’t for the Great Master’s reminder, it’s likely he wouldn’t have walked out of the farmer’s house again. So when he realized that ZhouXiang was by his side, when he knew that all his speculations had a reasonable explanation, for a moment, he hated ZhouXiang …but he hated himself even more.

No one could stop him from getting ZhouXiang back because what it felt like to lose the person you love most, he knew it clearly himself.

ZhouXiang is silent for a while, “I’ll move back tomorrow but this is between us. Stop doing things in public that could lead to gossip.” When YanMingXiu took him onto the stage today, it already made him feel unsettled.