TWSITAOCP Chapter 66

The New Year’s Eve dinner was finally set at Fu Lai.

In previous years, Fu Lai wouldn’t close even after the New Year holiday, because business was booming at that time, and employees who didn’t go home were happy to receive triple pay.

They reserved a private room, and the chefs rolled up their sleeves and went into the kitchen to prepare the dishes themselves.

This was Yu Jingyuan’s idea, and he was the one who hosted it.

In the early days of the Yu family business, they didn’t have many capable chefs, and many dishes were home-style dishes that the Yu family had brought back from their ancestral home. Yu Jingyuan often cooked in those years. Now, several decades have passed, and his skills have become quite rusty.

He cooked three dishes: fish with black bean sauce, braised fish, and boiled fish fillets, subtly mocking his youngest son in a way that seemed to be a case of “killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of his own.”

The New Year’s Eve dinner table was particularly crowded, and Yu Sui wouldn’t have understood the meaning behind this dish if he hadn’t seen his father’s expression.

He took a bite of fish, somewhat amused and exasperated, and his brows furrowed.

This wouldn’t be this salty if they hadn’t used half a jar of sauce.

That boss probably didn’t even taste it after eating it, otherwise he wouldn’t have had the nerve to serve it to him.

Yu Sui glanced at Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu also picked up a piece of food from the plate, then calmly took a sip of tea.

Yu Sui laughed and slumped onto the table.

This meal was nothing like the last one. There were more people than before. Four tables were occupied in the large private room, with a small table covered in red cloth directly opposite the wall-mounted television.

Logically, since everyone was familiar with each other, the atmosphere should have been lively. However, the Yu family was incredibly tense, as if they didn’t glance at Yu Sui, he would be snuggling up to Yan Xiu.

Fortunately, Yu Jingyuan, accustomed to the business world, didn’t let the tension last too long. The latter half of the New Year’s Eve dinner was relatively pleasant.

Afterwards, Yu Jingyuan, citing his age and desire to enjoy life in familiar surroundings, transferred his work focus back to Yandu. He had largely finished up his work at the other branch and handed it over to Yu Liao.

The Yu family returned to their ancestral home, visiting all their extended family members, and also paid a visit to Yu Sui’s maternal grandparents, making up for all the time they had missed over the years.

The trip was packed. Upon returning to Yandu, Yu Liao immediately flew off on a business trip.

Yu Zhen and Yu Si didn’t leave. They were busy with work, sometimes staying at their company, sometimes sleeping at the Yu family.

With everyone gone, the big house felt empty, making the young master stand out.

Whenever Yu Sui showed any sign of going out, the two elders couldn’t help but look over.

Anyone who didn’t know better might think they were preventing him from dating too early.

Yu Sui leaned against the railing, thinking, although Yan Xiu was indeed the person, his puppy love.

The day Yu Sui was really going out, he didn’t hide it: “I’m going to see Yan Xiu.”

“…” Yuan Yu glanced at the sofa, “Be careful.”

Yu Jingyuan put down his newspaper, turned and went upstairs, his back furious.

Yu Sui stood by the door, watching him go upstairs before leaving himself.

This year, with the long holiday, most of the students in Class 3 Arts went back to Yandu.

Back then, stepping out of the school gate was just a matter of a few exam papers and a punishment. Some people were so stressed that they took off their school uniform shirts and stuffed them into the trash can on the spot.

Who made them so stuck at sixteen or seventeen? Not quite children, not quite adults, too embarrassed to say they knew nothing, and too embarrassed to say they knew everything? Even reading explicit literature had to be done secretly.

But now that they’ve actually passed that age, they often find themselves reminiscing about those days of sneaking around and hiding from teachers.

Someone recalled the incident at No. 26 High School when the power went out—a group of people going over the wall, rushing halfway, and then turning back to school—and messaged in the class group chat.

Then everyone remembered the chaos of that time. They’d sweated, written apologies, and still hadn’t visited the haunted house they’d been longing to see.

The haunted house really did have ghosts, though they were all played by people.

They heard that the haunted house, hidden in a place like Fucun, hadn’t been neglected all these years. Because it’s close to several schools, business has remained quite good.

Feiwen: [Trending]

Feiwen: [Too bad we’ve never been]

Feiwen: [Damn]

Don’t Call Me Class Monitor: [I want to go]

Liang Wen: [I’ve been. It’s pretty good—]

Shu Yi: [Pretty good?]

Feiwen: [I really want to go]

Fish Can: [Go]

And just like that, the trip was decided. Fucun and No. 26 High School were on the same main road, so after visiting the haunted house, they can conveniently visit No. 26 High School. The Class 3 Arts thought this itinerary couldn’t be more perfect.

 

Yu Sui got a huge order for Boss Yan with just one word, then immediately went to someone to claim credit.

After finishing his performance, the young master thought for a moment and said to Yan Xiu on the other end of the video, “Boss Yan. I don’t lack money. What should I do?”

Yan Xiu raised his eyebrow, mentally noting someone’s flirtatious behavior through the screen. Then he heard the lazy voice on the other end say, “Are you livestreaming yourself showering?”

Taking advantage of the screen, Young Master Yu didn’t even bother with the pretense of politeness. By the time he shifted his position holding the phone, Yan Xiu had already flipped it over, facing the bed, and rustled away to shower.

There was no livestream, but a driver was an option.

They both got their driver’s licenses early during their free time in freshman year, but when it came to this, they were both incredibly lazy, neither wanting to touch the steering wheel.

Uncle Doli lost his chance to chat the whole way and could only watch Yu Sui leave.

Yan Xiu parked the car on the side of the road and had just dialed a number when Yu Sui knocked twice on the passenger window.

He let Yu Sui in: “You sneaked out?”

Those in the know could see that although Yu Jingyuan had attended that New Year’s Eve dinner, half of it was out of consideration for the long-standing friendship between the two families. Two-thirds of the reason was partly due to Yan Xiu and partly due to Yu Sui, and the final third was uncertain.

After all, time was short, and Yu Jingyuan was still struggling with his thoughts.

“It’s not that bad,” Yu Sui said, his tone somewhat ambiguous, recalling the starkly different attitudes of Tang Ying and Lao Yan. He mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

The older generation’s concept was kind of solidified, and there was no need to argue just to unite.

The younger generation liked to criticize the older generation, saying that good men do not mention the bravery of the past. The two eras had different opportunities and different growing environments. They don’t have to use their own standards to demand their children.

The same in turn.

Forcing elders to recognize one’s own thinking was also mean.

 

Yu Sui had been lazy his whole life. With a little innate talent, he’d seen through the future early on and spent a few years barely molding himself into something resembling a functional person, just enough to keep this path from ever reaching the point of real damage.

He managed every step carefully, but he did not think of forcing anyone’s approval. It was simply a matter of acceptance or rejection, used as a basis for adjusting the direction of his future life.

Yan Xiu tilted his head and lightly tapped the tip of Yu Sui’s nose. He asked suspiciously, “What did you hide from me?”

“……” Yu Sui straightened up a bit. “No, I’m completely honest with you.”

Yan Xiu scoffed.

He held the steering wheel in his hand, then looked at the rearview mirror as the car cleared the intersection, and suddenly said, “No hurry.”

This was not the first time Yan Xiu has said it, but it was the first time Yu Sui actually took it in.

Yu Sui was anxious for a long time, but he couldn’t stop the unexpected from happening. They ended their secret relationship before the plan called for it anyway.

Perhaps it would take a long time before the family accepted it—a year, two years, or forever.

At least for the moment, everything was going for the better.

 

The haunted house allowed Class 3 Arts to book the venue. They were crowded and had to play in batches, and several rooms were occupied.

Before Yan Xiu and Yu Sui arrived, they were playing table cards outside, and the noise spread all the way to the entrance of the village. Wherever this group of people went, they took Class 3 Arts noise with them.

Yu Sui and Yan Xiu appeared at the door one after another, suddenly evoking the memories, and tacitly whistling the door and calling them.

A boy saluted with a wink: “Minister, be merciful!”

Immediately, someone nearby shouted, “Sui’er, help—”

Everyone clutched their waists, laughing so hard they bent over.

“You’re crazy,” Yi Tian chuckled, shaking her head helplessly.

Back then, because of this, no one knew when these two got together. Many people were still in the dark.

It’s true.

This CP is real.

Still making a fuss? What’s there to make a fuss about?

Yi Tian and Yang Feiwen exchanged glances.

The haunted house’s escape room had a touch of horror, and several girls trembled, trying to cling to Yan Xiu’s leg, who seemed quite brave.

Yu Sui was also afraid of ghosts and glanced at Yan Xiu.

The receptionist had changed to a more expressionless one, because that would be scarier.

She handed out blindfolds to the boss and his group of classmates without any emotion, letting them stand at the door dawdle and form groups without urging them on.

Yan Xiu was the first to choose.

Just as the crowd behind him was raising their hands to form teams, they saw Yan Xiu pull Yu Sui inside, waiting for the rest of them at the door.

Everyone: “…”

They glanced at the two of them, then looked down, and their lips twitched in unison.

How familiar this scene was.

The once-popular post had sunk to the bottom of the sea at No. 26 High School, only occasionally being dug up by bored younger students who would then compare it to the school’s honor wall.

Their same batches of class, however, often remembered it and would frequently go back to look at it.

Given that these two hadn’t restrained themselves back in No. 26 High School, some people tried to smooth things over for them: “They’ve even become addicted to acting.”

“Come on, it’s real.” Yang Feiwen swiftly snatched the sign. “I’m afraid of ghosts, but Yan-ge isn’t. I’ll accept being fed dog food.”

“Damn it! You’re cheating!”

“Real? They’re actually together?”

“I told you it’s real! I knew it all along!”

After the haunted house went into operation, Yan Xiu went back to school. He participated less in updates since then, choosing the ones he hadn’t played before.

The escape room industry had flourished in recent years, with updates every year. Now the venues were larger, and the NPCs were becoming increasingly realistic.

When Yu Sui crouched down to pick up the ball that could just fit into the wall, the NPC crawling out from under the table almost made him fall to the ground in fright.

Yang Feiwen screamed, but the people behind him didn’t see anything and rushed back to the room they had just come from. Yan Xiu tried to drag one person at a time, but couldn’t stop Yang Feiwen or the rapidly fleeing Yu Sui.

He turned his head silently and saw Yu Sui, sleeves rolled up, come out of the room, walking towards him with a slightly bewildered yet suppressed laugh.

“I think I’m not afraid anymore,” Yu Sui said, trying to hold back a laugh.

Yang Feiwen was still calling.

“A sudden realization?” Yan Xiu let go, finding Yang Feiwen far more frightening than the NPC.

“No, I’m out of character.” Yu Sui pointed under the table. “I just remembered you painted that mask too. You brought over the original, didn’t you? I accidentally touched your paint and gave him a mole. I thought you fixed it.”

It was very dark inside, and Yan Xiu couldn’t see clearly.

He bent down to look, and it was indeed there.

The boss arrived, and the NPC numbly shrank back under the table, covering his beauty mark.

This game had turned into a race.

 

After leaving Fucun, they rushed back to No. 26 High School.

They ran into the school bell just as it rang and dashed inside.

Only the senior students were at school at this time, but the teachers arrived a little earlier. Lao Gu’s group of teachers were all there.

The students from Class 3 Arts appeared, sweating profusely, peering out the office window and winking. For a moment, it felt like a few years had truly passed, back to when these kids hadn’t graduated yet, and were being late, fooling around at the door.

Lao Gu chuckled and pulled a box of cookies from his drawer, distributing a bag to each of them.

“Have all your chicks come back?” a teacher asked.

Lao Gu said, “Of course!”

The chicks in question: “…”

Yu Sui nudged Yan Xiu with his elbow: “Have you ever heard your boyfriend doing a crowing warm-up?”

Yes.

Yan Xiu readily crossed his arms: “Let’s hear it.”

Yang Feiwen, standing in front of them, felt a toothache and wanted to switch places, when suddenly a loud crowing erupted from behind him. The group reacted incredibly quickly, and instantly a chorus of crows filled the air.

Ji Jiangwu, who had come downstairs upon hearing the commotion, only caught the last sentence and said, his fingers trembling, “I didn’t teach you any of this!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

“Cluck cluck cluck!” The landlord’s roosters on the rooftop crowed precisely on time.

The student apartment buildings in the university town weren’t tall. Yu Sui and Yan Xiu’s place was near the rooftop, bearing the brunt of it.

 

After returning from the New Year holiday, three roosters had appeared on the rooftop. The landlord said every day he would slaughter them, but he never did.

Yan Xiu slammed the window shut, turned back to bed, and patted Yu Sui: “Get up. Aren’t you going to the welcome assembly?”

“I’m not going.” Yu Sui couldn’t even lift his eyelids.

Yan Xiu immediately took action.

Yu Sui’s pajamas were pushed up, and he was lightly bitten on the back. Boys were easily agitated in the morning. The young master immediately opened his eyes, clutching his waist and rolling to the corner.

My boyfriend’s way of waking me up is getting increasingly lewd.

Yan Xiu showed no sign of stopping: “Want me to help you?”

“Then am I still not going to school or not?” Yu Sui said hoarsely.

Yan Xiu’s knees were pressed against the bed: “Didn’t you say you weren’t going?”

Yu Sui: “……”

 

Yu Sui’s morning memories were always hazy. He didn’t quite remember how he was coaxed to brush his teeth, only the refreshing minty taste of Yan Xiu’s kiss.

He studied music, so his lung capacity was long. Their kisses always lasted a long time, but their breathing was never steady.

The mirror squarely reflected the two of them. Yu Sui’s hand, which was gripping the edge of the sink, suddenly slipped down, only to be caught by Yan Xiu and pulled back to the sink.

The sink was cold. The toothpaste was minty. Yan Xiu was warm.

They stumbled and changed their clothes, arriving at school looking presentable, just in time for the end of the orientation ceremony.

The applause was deafening. They sat in the back row whispering to each other.

Yan Xiu wasn’t supposed to be here, but he happened to be free and accompanied Yu Sui for a stroll around the school.

The former vice president’s incident, though kept secret, had considerable impact, even affecting several people. Yu Sui, resting his chin on his hand, analyzed that it was because Yan Xiu hadn’t come to the school with him.

Yu Sui’s disconnected thought process suddenly clicked, and he blurted out, “I’m going to kill that rooster when I get back today.”

“You can’t even slice a cucumber properly,” Yan Xiu laughed, turning his face away.

Yu Sui reached out to tickle him, when suddenly he heard playful noises from ahead.

Three girls were sitting in the front row. And instead of hiding after being discovered, they openly showed their phones.

It was a forum, and on the clean-cut page, there was a trending topic.

[Let’s talk about the amazing CP between the music department’s heartthrob and the art department’s]

The girl covered their lips and laughed: “You two know each other? I’ve been shipping you two for ages!”

 

The End 

 

Author’s Note: It’s over! What kind of extra chapters would you like to see?

Translator’s Note: OMGGG! IT’S FINALLY DONE. My first translated novel is finally done *crying noise*. We still have one chapter left for the extra! The next chapter will be the last chapter to post under our Yan Xiu and Yu Sui!