Chapter 36 – No Need to Rush
Novel Title: 一生之计在于春 (Spring is the Plan of Life)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 姚锦夕 (Yao Jinxi -MC), 吴洋 (Wu Yang -ML)
*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Yao Jinxi has lived as a homosexual man for so long. But apart from idolising a male celebrity during his student days, he has never had feelings for anyone. Initially, he wasn’t interested in girls. And later, before he could develop feelings beyond friendship for any boy, the incident with Yao Jinchen happened. So he didn’t want to deal with these things at all. Whether he liked someone or not, it would only make things more complicated.
So, in reality, he has never been in love.
On the other hand, someone like Wu Yang, with his temperament and personality, is keen on analysing people’s emotions. All his actions are calculated. It’s even less likely for him to experience such feelings as well.
So, even though both of them are men approaching their thirties, they are experiencing such feelings for the first time.
Love is a very mysterious thing. It was like lifting the veil that was covering your eyes. The scenery you see is different from before. After sharing a kiss, both of them felt a kind of breathless affection.
In the end, it was Wu Yang who appeared more composed. He pretended to be a serious person as he playfully smiled at the obviously dazed Yao Jinxi. He then said, “It’s not very convenient here. Let’s go back first.”
Yao Jinxi snapped back to reality and thought, “Why are you smiling like that?” He casually replied, “Oh… Then let’s hurry back, shall we?”
The car was filled with a hint of ambiguity as Wu Yang started the engine and hit the road.
The two of them didn’t spend much time returning to City C. As long as it wasn’t during rush hours, the city’s traffic was quite smooth. They had plenty of time left to spend together when they arrived around noon. So they naturally decided to cook a meal.
Yao Jinxi, back to his normal self, chatted casually, “The ingredients aren’t that fresh anymore.”
Before Wu Yang could say anything, a middle-aged lady was not pleased, “Young man, even if you want to negotiate the price, don’t make random comments. How are my ingredients not fresh? Just look at them. They snap right off, crispy and fresh. Put a little salt while stir-frying and they’ll taste amazing.”
Yao Jinxi didn’t mind being scolded by the middle-aged lady and happily said, “Alright. We’ll take some of these, then.”
He smiled casually but radiated genuine pleasure and contentment from within. Even the middle-aged lady, at her age, couldn’t help but give him a couple of extra scallions as she sent them off with a few more glances.
After going around the vegetable market, Yao Jinxi carried the ginger, scallions, and garlic that had been generously given by various vendors and couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Today, the market owners were all so generous.
Wu Yang followed behind and asked, “What kind of interior design do you like?”
This question seemed to come out of nowhere. Yao Jinxi didn’t understand the relevance at first, “Huh? What design?”
“I mean… Do you prefer a more modern style of design with a strong sense of modernity? Or something more traditional like the Chinese style?” Wu Yang asked while looking at Yao Jinxi, who was unlocking the door. He mumbled to himself, “I think you might lean more towards the Chinese style, right?”
“What are you talking about?” Yao Jinxi, with one hand carrying the vegetables, walked straight into the kitchen. Wu Yang, with a heavier load, sorted and placed each item into the refrigerator. “I want to renovate the house,” he clarified.
The unclear reference in his previous question suddenly became apparent to Yao Jinxi. Wu Yang was talking about his unrented small house that he first bought. Yao Jinxi was well aware of what that place meant to Wu Yang.
Yao Jinxi, while putting on an apron, paused for a moment. His excited mood from earlier began to calm down.
After placing the groceries, Wu Yang turned around and skillfully helped Yao Jinxi fasten the apron’s strings. With a knowing look, he asked, “What’s wrong? What’s with the hesitation?”
“…That’s your house. So how you design it is your business,” Yao Jinxi replied. His gaze was complex as he looked at Wu Yang, who was standing so close to him. “You don’t need to consider my opinion.”
They both knew that this wasn’t just about renovating a house.
“Just tell me,” Wu Yang leaned in closer and asked with a smile, “What are you afraid of? Do I seem unreliable to you?”
“It’s not that,” Yao Jinxi shook his head, with a hint of confusion on his face that even he hadn’t realised, “It’s just… don’t you think this is too fast?”
They hadn’t known each other for even a year yet. Rather than saying they had been nurturing their feelings, it felt more like they were simply spending time together. Even when they went through some difficult experiences, they were far from enjoyable. Up until a moment ago, Yao Jinxi didn’t see their relationship as anything romantic.
Well, it’s not that he didn’t see it that way. But he was afraid of putting up hope.
To the outside world, Yao Jinxi always appeared nonchalant and carefree. It wasn’t because he had seen through the complexities of life through experience. But it was a compromise to deal with the unpredictable nature of life. Deep down, he was a person who felt too deeply. It was to the extent that he could easily neglect and sacrifice himself for it.
So, in the midst of this rapid change in their relationship, Yao Jinxi couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. He understood that he was being led by Wu Yang into a deeper relationship.
What he feared even more was that he didn’t want to refuse this. And he was willing to go deeper.
His expression, akin to someone being pushed off a cliff, was almost pitiful. Wu Yang sighed softly and turned his head. He planted a gentle and polite kiss on Yao Jinxi’s lips. He then pulled back, saying, “Don’t overthink it. I was just asking for your opinion. Although I really do want to move in with you now, there’s no need to rush.”
Yao Jinxi, who had breathed a sigh of relief, let his shoulders relax a little, “Thank you… I’m sorry though.”
“It’s okay. Dealing with you is just like making tea,” Wu Yang said with a smile, crossing his arms and leaning against the kitchen counter, “After all, we have plenty of time.”
Yao Jinxi pursed his lips and managed a faint smile.
“Don’t be unhappy,” Wu Yang pecked his lips once again. It was done so naturally and intimately as if they had been in love for a long time. “I’m going to check on the shop outside.”
Yao Jinxi, who stayed in the kitchen, found himself pausing while cutting the carrots. He let out a soft sigh, feeling quite helpless about his own emotions.
Wasn’t he adapting well to this? Wu Yang wasn’t pressuring him. He was simply clear about his intentions and what he could offer. Like all the most sincere businesspeople, he wanted to trade ‘the future’ with Yao Jinxi.
Yao Jinxi didn’t doubt Wu Yang. People like Wu Yang, once they planned things out, wouldn’t easily give up when it came to execution.
After all, he was that determined.
And their relationship had naturally fallen into place, making it all seem perfectly normal.
Yao Jinxi continued to cut the vegetables, feeling somewhat lost and not sure what he was worried about. Perhaps it was just an emotional state. He thought dazedly that it should be like this. No. It was supposed to be like this.
As he made the final cut, Yao Jinxi stared at the neatly sliced carrot strips on the cutting board and chuckled at himself, “Why am I being so melodramatic?”
After dinner, Yao Jinxi answered a call from Xia Ruonan, who happened to bring up the matter of him going to see Yao Hong. Xia Ruonan was genuinely happy for Yao Jinxi and couldn’t stop laughing on the other end of the call.
Yao Jinxi hesitated for a moment and glanced back at the kitchen door, where the sound of running water could be heard.
“Oh. By the way, Ruonan, I have something to tell you,” Yao Jinxi deliberately used a calm tone to share the news about his relationship with Wu Yang.
It took the girl a good ten seconds to digest the information. Then, she excitedly shouted, “I knew it! That’s wonderful!”
She chattered on for a while like a mother discussing her daughter’s wedding plans and finally declared with determination, “We must go out for dinner tonight!”
Yao Jinxi looked up at the ceiling. “Is it really necessary?”
However, Xia Ruonan didn’t pick up on his hesitation. “Come on. It’s been a while since we went out for dinner.”
“Didn’t we have dinner together when I was discharged from the hospital?” Although he said this, Yao Jinxi still sighed and reluctantly agreed.
If they went out for dinner in the evening, wouldn’t that mean Yao Jinchen would be left out?
Unconsciously, Yao Jinxi glanced toward the door. At this time, Yao Jinchen hadn’t finished work yet and couldn’t have come to stand guard outside of his shop. He absentmindedly fiddled with his phone, where he had received over a hundred text messages from Yao Jinchen. He hadn’t had the chance to delete them.
“Wu Yang, how should I face him?” Even lost in thought, Yao Jinxi could still sense Wu Yang getting closer. “You weren’t here for the past few days. He’s been waiting at the opposite door.”
Yao Jinxi shook his head with a wry smile, “I’m at my wit’s end with him.”
“Don’t keep dwelling on it. Everything can be resolved. If you can’t, time can help you resolve it,” Wu Yang said as he wiped his hands with a tissue, looking unfazed. “So, just let it be. Your younger brother is still emotionally young. He needs to understand that there are some things he can’t force his way with.”
Yao Jinxi sighed and finally told Wu Yang about the dinner plans with Xia Ruonan. But he kept the real reason hidden. Celebrating it in such a grand manner felt a bit absurd.
Wu Yang had no objections. As his current schedule revolved around Yao Jinxi and aside from making a few calls to confirm some business matters, he was mostly occupied with helping Yao Jinxi sell tea leaves.
Before heading to the appointed place, Yao Jinxi sent a text to Yao Jinchen, letting him know he wouldn’t be home tonight and advising him not to come over. Yao Jinchen replied with a simple message: I got it.
Yao Jinxi was delaying their matter. And so was Yao Jinchen.
It was a matter of whose patience would hold out in the end.
As Wu Yang drove to the restaurant, he discussed with Yao Jinxi, “I have a business deal in Shanghai coming up. I think I might as well resign early.”
There was still over half a month left before the three-month mark. But in reality, he had already completed most of the handover. With his good relationships with the managers, leaving a bit earlier wasn’t a big deal. “While I have some free time during this period, how about we go on a trip?”
The discussion about the house was on hold. But when it came to the trip, there wasn’t much more to say. Yao Jinxi perked up, saying, “Sure. Where should we go?”
Without hesitation, Wu Yang, as if he had already planned it in his mind, suggested, “How about Yunnan? It’s a good distance. Besides, after October, it’s the off-peak travel season. The weather is also nice there. We can drive there.”
Yao Jinxi was genuinely excited this time. He had expected Wu Yang to mention places like Jiuzhaigou or Qingcheng Mountain. But going to Yunnan… and a road trip at that! That sounded incredibly interesting. “Great! I’ve been wanting to go to Yunnan for a while!”
Wu Yang smiled, saying, “I knew about it.”
“How did you know?” Yao Jinxi asked. He then chuckled at himself for asking. “Never mind. You seem to know everything anyway.”
“Remember your book?” Wu Yang explained, “It’s about Lijiang. So I thought you might be particularly interested in that place.”
“Oh…” Yao Jinxi suddenly realised, feeling somewhat impressed by Wu Yang’s memory and observation skills. “Your brain really works well.”
“It has nothing to do with intelligence,” Wu Yang said slowly. His deep voice flowed gently in the small car. “I know because I pay special attention to things about you. Everything about you I find interesting. So I want to understand them. That’s all.”
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*Author’s Note: Faced with Wu Yang, who can confess his feelings anytime, anywhere, Mr. Yao, are you feeling the pressure? Thank you for the king-sized vote from Cat Ball =3=
-YXF
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*Translator’s Note: I really can’t help smiling throughout my translation of this chapter… -K
Next update: 2023.11.16
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