Old Otaku-3

After that, Qiao Xuyang stopped looking for Song Fuzhi for a while, instead, it was Wang Huiling who was looking for him.

When Wang Huiling called him, the first sentence she said was, “How’s your relationship with Xuyang? I heard he was really satisfied with you.”

Song Fuzhi called out “Mom” and then calmly reported back, “Not suitable, we don’t get along.”

Mrs. Wang was silent for a few seconds, then her tone of voice became flat and heard quite icy, “Have you ever got along with anyone? Can you judge getting along well or not just after eating a meal once?”

“I know both of us wouldn’t work out the moment the second dish was served.” Song Fuzhi said, “There’s no need to waste our time.”

“Hah! Alright ah, you are like this when you have a meal with others. Arrogant, aren’t you? No one can match up to you! Wait until both your father and I die, then you will be all alone in this world.”

Song Fuzhi frowned. The words he didn’t like to hear the most were precisely those.

“Ai ya, what’s with the talk about dying!”

The phone was seized away by his father and then Lao Song’s panicky voice squeezed in, “Fuzhi ah, Your mom was just worried for you, so her words might be a bit unpleasant ah.”

“I know,” Song Fuzhi said.

Lao Song huffed out a breath and asked, “Are you free this weekend? Are you coming back to eat later?”

Song Fuzhi replied with a yes.

*

When he returned to his parents’ house, Lao Song was still in the middle of trimming the vegetables. He came out still with a dripping-wet cabbage in his hands, his smile warm and gentle, “You arrived ah.”

While Wang Huiling was busy in the kitchen, so much so that she didn’t even call out to greet him.

Song Fuzhi put down those things he brought such as milk, fruits, and cake on the side, then he took the cabbage from his father’s hands and entered the kitchen in silence.

The mother and son prepared the vegetables for stir frying together, the sounds of oil bubbling and bursting filled the room, no one had opened their mouths first.

If one wanted to talk about Song Fuzhi having a cold and thorny aura around his person, 80% of that was actually inherited from his good ol’ mother.

Mrs. Wang has been a teacher her whole life and has been exposed to more chalk dust than soot¹Means she has been dedicating more time for teaching than taking care of her household (because she wasn’t exposed to the “soot” (from cooking with charcoal back in the day) much). She went from elementary school teacher and then climbed all the way until high school teacher. She was the typical strict teacher in the eyes of her students, her intimidating aura was quite strong.

There were two icicles in the family, one young and one old, Father Song always had to play mediator between them, persuading on one side and patting the other side. When the dishes had been brought to the table, the mother and son finally spoke their first sentence between each other.

Song Fuzhi said, “Too much salt on the eggplant.”

Mrs. Wang extended her chopsticks and blocked the bowl, “Don’t eat it then.”

Lao Song on the other hand, smiled happily and said, “Ai, that’s right!”

Father Song was a doctor and had just retired last year. The banner²This kind of banner (锦旗), basically the patients gave him that as appreciation for his help and showed that he has treated a lot of people. his patients gave him couldn’t even be hung just on one side of the wall, so Teacher Wang stored it in a small box for him.

“I’m also retiring this year.” Mrs. Wang glanced at Song Fuzhi, her tone was still a bit flat.

What they imply was obvious. Both of them were old and retired/retiring, but he still has yet to even date. There’s no one to accompany him, how could both mother and father not be anxious?

Actually, both husband and wife used to be extremely busy. One attended to students while the other attended to patients, they practically didn’t take much care of young Song Fuzhi.

From pursuing higher education, choosing a university major, to looking for a job, both of them supported all of Song Fuzhi’s decisions. Only in regards to marriage that those two were unyielding, they wouldn’t allow Song Fuzhi to spend all his life being single.

It’s not that marriage is a must, they just want him to have someone by his side, taking care of each other in this life. Otherwise, both parents really couldn’t be at ease at their old age.

But Song Fuzhi also really wore people down. He would go to blind dates if he were told to, he would also go meet whoever it was his parents arranged for a meeting with. But, there has never been any follow up after the first meeting, never.

He started going on blind dates at the age of 28 and then went on every now and then until he was 32. He has met a truck-load full of people and seen men of any category imaginable, but none of them ever succeeded in being a couple with him.

Everytime he came back, the things he said were practically the same: “Not suitable,” “Don’t have feelings for them,” “Can’t be together.”³The last line was 成不了 basically means that being a couple with the other is “impossible”, not because of red flags or anything, just that they won’t get far in progressing their relationship

No wonder his elderly mother was anxious, anyone in her position would feel the same.

“Let us talk then. So what exactly are you planning?” Teacher Wang asked.

But Song Fuzhi still replied to her with a “I will get married once I meet someone suitable.”

Blind dates is a work occurring within stages. The project ‘Qiao Xuyang’ has come to an end and Song parents won’t bring it up again. They knew being a teacher is a lot of work and usually wouldn’t bother him with calls, they would rather their son go home early and rest.

*

There were numerous complicated things to do at the end of the semester. All kinds of things have to be sorted out for the semester to finish, from sorting out reviewing plans, coordinating exams, to giving feedback to all parties involved.

Everyday, when Song Fuzhi came to the class to take a look at their situation, someone would stop and ask him questions, he was really busy.

Although the students were afraid of Song Fuzhi, when it comes to having problems with the subjects, they would gather their courage and ask for his explanation. Because Song Fuzhi has never reprimanded them for not understanding something, on the contrary he was extremely patient with them.

But when Song Fuzhi was invigilating exams, he had once caught someone cheating, it was a student from another class. He sentenced them with a 0 on the spot, no mercy. After that scene, everyone present went silent for the rest of the exam session.

Perhaps every school has their own “Four Great Constables,”⁴四大名捕 or “The Four” (I TL-ed it to The four great constables because ”the four” is too vague) is a movie series based on a Wuxia novel. Basically it tells of 4 investigators: Emotionless (Sheng Yayu), Iron fist (Tie Youxia), Life Snatcher (Cui Lueshang), and Cold Blood (Leng Linqi) in upholding justice. (Their rank came in that order). The Great Constable they are referring here is the Emotionless Sheng Yayu and Song Fuzhi was their school’s most terrifying First Constable that left others quaking on his feet. Playing tricks under his eyes was just a death-seeking behaviour, even the Phantom Thief Kidd won’t be able to cheat him.

The children were finally free after the exam has finished. They put on an English movie, ate some snacks and tea, and chatted amongst themselves in the class. Their hearts have flown far to winter vacation.

But the teachers couldn’t relax yet. They still have to speed up correcting the exam papers and assess their grades, explain the exam question answers, have a chat with the students that needed help, assign homeworks, training, and then there’s also a bunch of miscellaneous things to do. That’s all.

On the first day of winter break, Song Fuzhi was knocked unconscious at home and slept for 15 hours straight.

The sky was already dusky when he woke up. Song Fuzhi felt around for his phone to look at the time only to be astonished at the jam-packed messages filling his phone screen, all of them of course came from Luo Liuli, yours truly.

——I know you are on vacation hahaha! Don’t F-ing pretend to sleep, get up and see this recommendation of mine! I’m telling you, you will definitely like this one, you see an episode first! Just see a minute of it is fine!

Luo Liuli sent him a long list of website links. Song Fuzhi patiently looked at them one by one from top to bottom, then clicked on the ones he was interested in to bookmark them.

Song Fuzhi gave her a reply and then went to eat after bookmarking the links.

Luo Liuli replied with a laughing emoji, but the second sentence she sent started to be a little inappropriate: Are you really not interested in that sunny little puppy? From what I see in his photos, he really wasn’t that bad ah, let me have a go at him⁵as in sex.

Song Fuzhi has long been used to her explicit and very forward words, he replied back with a “You go ask him yourself.”

Luo Liuli was also just talking nonsense, she has no interest in gays whatsoever.

“But in all fairness I really have to say, Auntie really doesn’t understand her own son. Qiao Xuyang type really doesn’t seem to be your type.”

Song Fuzhi asked her, “Then what type do I like?”

“The kinds like Teacher Octopus of course.”

Luo Liuli opened her mouth and sent out: “Ripped, big dick, good in suits, feral thug behaviour, domineering, cold and fierce kind of ultimate Gong.”

Those buffs were stacked over so tall that one can’t see the top. Song Fuzhi laughingly told her she was talking nonsense.

Luo Liuli was a famous expert at Gundam model building when Song Fuzhi had just started to know and get into Gundam. Her works had made it to the finals of regional GBWC⁶GBWC stands for Gunpla Builder World Cup, basically Gundam competition and ranked at the top three.

If he were to name a friend he has opened his heart to after all these years, it was definitely Luo Liuli.

Her real name is Luo Lilang⁷罗立朗, her 立朗 basically means to be bright and clear, but the 立 (Li4, to be) sounds exactly the same as 力 (Li4, strength) and the 朗 (Lang3, bright and clear) sounds similar to 郎 (Lang2, male/son/man). So instead of to be bright and clear it could be heard as “to be or become a man/minister” or “strength and man”), a particularly firm-and-unyielding and unisex kind of name. So with her very young-lady-like heart at the time, young miss Luo gave herself a beautiful retro⁸洛琉璃 (Luo Liuli) is a pretty “poetic” name. This surname Luo is basically an old word for river (the same Luo with Luo Binghe) while Liuli is a kind of colored glass for chinese tradition art, like this online ID name. Now that they thought about it, it was very Chuuni⁹Refers to when someone think they are the protagonist of the world. The closest word in english for it I suppose is “cringe”.

But he was already used to calling her with her online ID and couldn’t change it after so many years, so even after her repeated refusal, Song Fuzhi still called her Luo Liuli out of habit.

And Luo Liuli, this straightforward and blunt girl, actually said, “Isn’t your type someone like Teacher Octopus? That’s easy ah, I know a few young cosplayers who might actually know Teacher Octopus. We can directly introduce you and arrange a blind date! I’m saving you the hassle of searching the entire world for his substitute only for you to fail.”

Song Fuzhi asked her to stop quickly. Not to mention whether the other was actually single or not, all of that is simply nonsense from start to finish.

To put it bluntly, for Song Fuzhi, Teacher Octopus couldn’t even be considered an idol. Song Fuzhi also never thought of himself as Teacher Octopus’ fans.

He was just an eye candy to satisfy his craving for beautiful things¹⁰Tbh instead of “eye candy” in the edited version, the first version of the chapter basically said “He was just a tool to provide him with the fantasy of a beautiful physical body” 🙂. Teacher Octopus was not that different from fictional characters. In short, Song Fuzhi just felt like they were in different dimensions and reality.

Moreover, can fictional fetishism be confused as a criteria to choose a spouse in real life?

He could, as he pleased, drown himself in the fantasy of being locked up by some fierce man and be done until he went dry¹¹Legit the RAWs says “压着干” basically means raped. The 干 here can mean “fuck” and also “dry”, hence I TL it as fucked until he went dry for… spicyness science, but if he were really to encounter this kind of control freak bastard in real life, he likely would directly sucker punch that guy and break his jaw.

Song Fuzhi was a realistic adult, he couldn’t have mistaken the difference between them.

*

The streets were filled with festivities, with red lanterns, decorations, and festoons all around in welcoming Chinese New Year. Song Fuzhi passed the New Year with his parents and then returned home with a pile of food, starting the New Year all alone. 

Winter break was about to end and the Affiliated High School was going to start soon, so Song Fuzhi really treasured those days of leisure.

Today Song Fuzhi got up early and prepared to go and eat a bowl of Wonton, only to find that the shop front had already changed when he arrived. The wonton shop has become a coffee shop.

Song Fuzhi stood in silence at the door for a while. Something in his heart seemed to be a bit empty.

The coffee shop’s decoration was refreshing and clean. White walls, wooden windows, and lush green vegetation crowding to the brim in the patio. There were many people inside, it seemed like the business was pretty good.

Song Fuzhi thought, he had already come here anyway, and the shop also looked pretty, why not try something new? 

The female attendant at the snack counter asked Song Fuzhi for his surname and then wrote a few strokes on the cup. She then gave him a smile and said, “Could you please wait a moment.”

There were many who were waiting for their coffee, mostly in pairs, and a lot of them held roses in their hands.

Only then did Song Fuzhi realise that today was Valentine’s day.

After he waited for a while, an employee held a cup of coffee and read aloud the label on the cup, “Mr. S…. Your coffee is ready.”

Song Fuzhi was puzzled for a second, then thought that it should be them calling him by his surname’s initials. Inwardly he thought, this shop sure is trendy.

But on second thought, it should be that the employee only wrote the customer’s initials for convenience purposes.

So he stretched out his hand to take it, only for his fingers, at the same time as it touched the paper cup, also bumped into another person’s hands.

“Apologies.”

“Sorry.”

Two people retracted their hands at the same time.

Song Fuzhi lifted his eyes and met with that stranger’s gaze.

It was as if time stopped for a second.

This person was a bit taller than Song Fuzhi, underneath his thin lens of glasses were a pair of indifferent light eyes. Like a scholar delicately drawn with fine brush coming straight out of ancient scrolls. His profile simple and neat.

The man’s lapel was tidy and impeccable, and his scholarly temperament was really strong, so Song Fuzhi’s gaze lingered over him for quite a while.

The other’s gaze also fell onto him, his eyes seemed quite austere——

Song Fuzhi only realized at that moment, that he could feel some tingling and numbing sensation running through his back.

“Excuse me ah, is it Mr. Song? This cup is yours.”

Song Fuzhi calmly turned his gaze back when he heard the attendant called him, then reached out to take the coffee.

“Xiao Xia, I have told you so many times already, don’t just write the customer’s front initials ah!” The attendant scolded in a low volume.

The girl on the cashier counter raised her hands in acquiescence, “I’m sorry, I was too busy so I just did it quickly…..”

“Apologies, Mr. Shi. Here is your coffee, sorry for the long wait.”

The attendant quickly switched back to a smile and gave the other cup of coffee to the man behind Song Fuzhi

Is his surname the Shi from ‘rock’ or the Shi from ‘time’?¹²Both shi 石 (rock) and 时 (time) are pronounced the exact same way, with exactly the same tone This question flitted in his mind.

The seats in the coffee shop were full, as far as he could see, there was no seat available.

Just as Song Fuzhi was about to pack up and just made it a take-away trip, a couple of lovers got up and left, leaving a small round table seating empty.

He walked there and then found that Mr. Shi has also walked to the empty table’s side.

The two people’s eyes lightly met once again. Song Fuzhi then asked him politely, “Do you mind?”

Mr. Shi seemed to pause for a second before saying, “Don’t mind.” Both of them pulled the wooden chair out at the same time and then sat down across from each other at the table.

The small table was leaning against the wall, and on top of that wall was a rack with some books on it. It has been such a long time since Song Fuzhi was free and relaxed enough to read a book, so he casually pulled one out and looked at it. The book was still really new, it didn’t seem to have been flipped much.

The Mr. Shi across from him has his laptop open in front of him. Once in a while, he would write something on his notebook, probably dealing with work.

The sounds of people chattering with laughter could be heard from the other tables, the coffee machine also let out vibrating and spurting sounds, only their corner over there was very quiet. Each of them did their own things, one reading a book and other working, no one spoke between them.

With the sunlight shining from the windows and the dense mist of coffee lingering in the air, Song Fuzhi read up half of the book before he knew it. He was really enjoying such a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

“Fuzhi Ge.”

A young voice on his ear cut through the atmosphere, Song Fuzhi lifted his head, and found that it was Qiao Xuyang.

He didn’t know how he could find him here in this coffee shop.

In Qiao Xuyang’s hands was a bouquet of roses as he very-gentlemanly bowed with his waist,  his gaze zeroed in on Song Fuzhi with all his attention. His smile carried a hint of craftiness as he spoke, “Last time you told me you already have someone by your side, it was all just to deceive me, right? Otherwise you wouldn’t be alone on Valentine’s day.

Song Fuzhi’s expression immediately turned cold.

Qiao Xuyang then half-crouched beside him, like a fluffy golden retriever puppy. His head tilted up with twinkling round eyes, his smile was gentle and warm, his words were also very direct, “Ge, I have already been rejected by you so many times, but I still really like you. Can’t you give me one more chance to pursue you?”

Qiao Xuyang’s appearance was indeed handsome and also very charismatic, there has never been anyone he couldn’t get a hold of. Song Fuzhi was the only exception.

He didn’t believe such a thing could happen, he will definitely be able to gnaw on this piece of bone.¹³As in “trying” Song Fuzhi. It can be “trying” to become his lover (because “bone” also means stubborn character so basically it mean wearing down Song Fuzhi’s resolve) or “trying” to taste (have sex) Song Fuzhi (because I get some subtle nsfw implication, the RAW originally said “bite on this piece of bone until reaching his mouth” basically)

But Song Fuzhi’s face remained expressionless. He put the book back on the shelf, grabbed his coffee, got up and just walked away in large strides.

Qiao Xuyang let out a sigh and stood up, wanting to chase after him, but the corner of his clothes seemed to have knocked on something. And thus a hand came to stop him.

“You knocked down my notebook.”

Seated across was a gentleman whose tone of speech was serene and tranquil, his fingers pointing to the ground.

“Sorry sorry.”

Qiao Xuyang bent down to pick it up, but  it took some effort with the roses he was holding, so that gentleman’s movement was faster and ended up picking his own notebook up.

The gentleman then spoke in a courteous and refined way, “It’s fine.”

And thus he was delayed as such for a moment. When Qiao Xuyang finally stood up, Song Fuzhi’s figure had long disappeared amidst the crowded and bustling street.

---

Translator’s note:

Coffee shop AU! Love at first sight!

The author really edited out all kinds of “too explicit” mentions of NSFW things. In the paragraph where Song Fuzhi said he just considered Teacher Octopus as “eye candy” was actually a sentence “He was just a tool to provide him with the fantasy of a beautiful physical body”, but it got deleted. I also put this note in the TL footnote.

Anyway, now you know Song Fuzhi’s preferences now (yes including the big D and being locked up and r@pe play, stated by the author herself in an euphemistic way). The author really put their “first” encounter and SFZ’s fetish in the same chapter haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter!