Chapter 166 Deep feelings have nothing to do with distance
Pan Lei smoked a cigarette and glanced at his sweetheart as he discussed his situation there. Everything appeared to be fine, at least in terms of his living arrangements. It wasn't that bad living in this kind of place.
It wasn't just 'not bad,' it was quite good, okay Pan Lei? What else do you want?!
He laughed as he watched Tian Yuan's last grimace on a loop.
As long as you allow me to be a part of your life, I will be around you all day long. I’ll be your babysitter, driver, bodyguard, and chef. We'll be together forever so long as you let me hold you in my arms at night and kiss you enough.
He was reluctant to delete any text messages sent to him by Tian Yuan. In fact, he had always felt that text messages were slower than phone calls. Tian Yuan did not bombard him with text messages. He retained it even though it was simply a one-word 'Mn' response. These were the things he longed for.
It is said that behind every successful man there is a strong woman.
He imagined himself as that strong woman, honest and responsible, who silently supported him, endured the agony of longing, and bore all the grievances and hardships alone in order to let him spread his wings and soar, to let him fly higher and higher, to be the wind beneath his wings, and to help him fly better. What grand sentiments I have! He had the impression that he was blindingly radiant.
Sigh, his beloved was also obstinate, which was a good thing. He opened a drawer and took out the testament he wrote when he first joined as a special forces soldier. There were a few words scrawled beneath his farewell, and each one of them made his heart wring, bringing him pain. Tian Yuan had faith in him so much that he had bound the rest of their life together. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other person's hand in the middle.
He had Tian Yuan's life or death in his hands to do with as he pleased. If he chose to be reckless and rush into danger, he would be letting two people to die.
Before meeting Tian Yuan, he imagined himself as a martyr if the worst came to the worst, with two brothers to assist care for his parents. So when he went on missions, he didn't worry too much and acted fearlessly.
But after seeing this last letter and reading these few lines, he realized he now had a family and a spouse, and he was responsible for one more life. Even if it wasn't for his parents, he'd look after himself for Tian Yuan.
If he wanted Tian Yuan to be happy, he had to return from his missions safely. This was Tian Yuan's greatest wish.
This was a simple wish. He couldn't be with Tian'er all the time, but he could provide him an absolutely safe and sound outcome to reassure him.
Pan Lei touched those few words, which were essentially Tian Yuan's hope and dream entrusted to him.
Living up to his trust meant being true to himself. I will be with Tian’er forever; I will never let go of his hand.
How could he possibly be willing to abandon him? He couldn't stomach letting go even a tiny bit now, let alone dying and being separated forever, with no sense of him. Just the current short separation was enough to break his heart.
He couldn't be in danger; he had to protect himself for the sake of his lover.
He would never discuss death and being alive again since it was unlucky. Everything would be OK, and they would go about their lives smoothly. They'd live as long as his grandfather and grandmother, two terrible old men who went on to instruct succeeding generations. This would also be really lovely.
This piece of paper is merely paper right now, and it will be waste paper in the future. Pan Lei threw the paper into the bottom of the drawer to avoid seeing it, which affected his mood, despite the fact that it carried the weight of two lives.
His phone's screen saver was an image of his sweetheart sleeping, lying on his side, wrapped with a quilt, arms and shoulders outside, the quilt orange. He had sneaked a photo of Tian Yuan while he was sleeping, when he believed he was most charming. He didn't reveal it to anyone; it was only for his own enjoyment. He stroked the man's face in the photo for a moment before kissing it.
Pan Lei counted his fingers and discovered that Tian Yuan had been away for five days. He missed him terribly, the emotions building up until they were as heavy as a mountain.
Pan Lei phoned Tian Yuan at least five times a day, urging him to wake up and eat breakfast, conversing with him at recess, making him go to lunch at noon and ensuring he rested for a bit, figuring he was out of class in the afternoon and then asking him about his dinner plans. He'd ask him what he'd eaten at supper. Before going to bed, he would call him and sing "green flowers in the army" to him.
Despite the time difference, whether it was midnight or another time, he always contacted Tian Yuan according to Tian Yuan's rest time. He was concerned that he would not be able to sleep or eat properly.
"Take proper care of my man, hear me?" he especially called He Lian. "Laozi will invite you to dinner and introduce you to a lover when you visit China. You can choose between men and women, buddy. I'll make sure you have a good selection of candidates."
He Lian was a lovely person who kept saying "all right." Pan Lei was so devoted to his sweetheart, and the entire Pan family was as well, that he knew how tremendously loved Tian Yuan was.
Tian Yuan impressed He Lian once they became acquainted. He was nice and didn't curse or shout. Their auras were similar, therefore it was easy for them to be close friends.
Tian Yuan had to spend a long time unpacking his stuff. All he had to do was hold the very detailed piece of paper and arrange everything one by one.
Pan Lei was worried he wouldn't be able to find it while he was looking for something, so he labeled what was in the first suitcase and what was in the second bag, all the way up to the fifth suitcase. Everything was clearly written and organized into categories.
Don't think of him as a typical man, a particularly gruff and crazy man at that. Tian Yuan was occasionally inferior to him when he was attentive.
Tian Yuan was exhausted after tidying up all the unpacked items. Pan Lei assisted him with everything. He missed Pan Lei horribly now that he had to clean the house, mop the floor, and eat particularly inauthentic Chinese food. Pan Lei prepared spare ribs to perfection, with the meat slightly charred, making the bite exceptionally chewy and a little spicy and numbing. The more you ate, the more you enjoyed it. However, the braised spareribs here were overly sweet and completely unappetizing.
"Pan Lei, I miss you so much."
Tian Yuan took out his phone and made a direct call, entirely disregarding China's local time.
Pan Lei kissed the phone screen several times.
"I miss you too, baby."
"How are things going? What about the professor who mentors you? Did he compliment my family's darling on his dedication to his studies?"
Tian Yuan grinned. The physical distance between them had grown, but they were now more intimate than ever. He always thought they were too far away to talk on the phone on a daily basis, yet separation would not cause them to break up.
Instead, it would improve their relationship. Their separation was only temporary; they will grow closer and their days will be easier. As long as he picked up the phone and called, the other party would answer no matter what time it was, even if it was already midnight.
What about the seven or eight-hour time difference? That was not an issue for them.
"Can you believe he called me Tian gongzi[1] on the first day?! It really startled me. Why didn’t mom mention that this guy is an old China hand? He knows a lot more about Chinese history than I do. Tian gongzi? Where exactly does he perceive me as a gongzi, eh?"
Pan Lei chuckled. He was aware of it. On the first day, the professor addressed him as Tian gongzi, which Tian Yuan objected to. He was given a moniker that had been discarded for many years.
"Do you have a class this afternoon? Will the takeout be delivered to your house? Turn on the computer; let's make a video call. I want to see if my baby has lost weight. Can those half-cooked things fill you up?"
Tian Yuan worked out the time difference. Pan Lei should have been resting at this point, so the timing was perfect. He went excitedly to turn on the computer.
"Don't talk to me about takeout. Even the so-called authentic Chinese food tastes like a mouthful of MSG. It tastes awful."
"Tell them not to use MSG next time. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in water and then use the shiitake mushroom water. It will improve the flavor more than anything else."
The computer booted up, and the sound of the computer booting up came over on Pan Lei's side as well.
"I'm just wondering why he calls me Tian gongzi. He must have read a lot of Jin Yong's[2] novels."
Pan Lei grinned and opened the QQ app - a fantastic thing in his opinion. He could see Tian Yuan no matter how far away he was.
"Doesn't he address my mom as 'Madam'? He believes 'Madam' refers to a noble lady, similar to how we used to address an upper-class woman from an aristocratic family in ancient times. And the son of an aristocratic family is, naturally, a gongzi. I asked my mother, and she said that a gongzi and a baron have the same standing in your professor's mind. My baby's identity is unusual."
{Amy: TY's teacher calls Dang Hong "furen". lol}
"Oh fu*k me! What kind of crappy food do you eat, ah? Look at my baby’s face; there’s no meat anywhere. My poor baby, you've suffered. It's only been a few days yet you’ve lost so much weight that you hardly look human. Baby, have you eaten yet? Don’t wait for the wind over there to blow you away; you must eat properly when you’re away from home! Don't let the wind take you away; it kills me. Will I have to bring you back in a bird cage at the end of the year?"
Tian Yuan was torn between laughing and crying. Why was he being so dramatic? He hadn't yet adjusted to his new surroundings, but it wasn't as bad as he claimed. If you don't eat well when you're away from home, I'm afraid the wind will blow you away? What was he? A kite?
"Look, look! Where have I lost weight?"
Tian Yuan leaned in closer to the webcam, asking him to look closely and not make too much noise on the other end.
"Then raise your shirt and let me see."
Tian Yuan gave Pan Lei a frigid glance as Pan Lei rubbed his chin and chuckled. As if I'll believe your nonsense! He was an a$$hole who was continually thinking of new methods to fool him.
"The teacher is severe, but it's nothing compared to what you get up to. Perhaps it's a request from Mom. He always leaves me alone, thoroughly explains all of the courses to me, and continually asks if there is anything I don't understand. He Lian is also a schoolmate of mine. When he has free time, he always eats with me. When it comes to your older sister Pan Yue, I'm really inquisitive about the kind of lady she is. All of my neighbors are friendly. It's just been a few days, yet they greet me every time I walk out. You can rest assured."
"Pan Yue, my sister? That's one fantastic person, a true superwoman. She's a little insane. No man in this world would dare to marry her. She escaped from the army after a few years and traveled around the world. She's your classic heroine, traveling throughout the country and roaring in wrath when she encounters injustice. Her motto is that she will go wherever there is tyranny to combat it. I'll introduce you if there's an opportunity. Her whereabouts are probably unknown. He Lian is a great guy. He used to live at my aunt's house when we were kids. Aunt hadn't moved out at the time, so we are well acquainted. He should look after you. Who asked him to be our relative. You study hard. Although I do not want you to study all day without rest or sleep and without regard for your health, I do hope you can complete the course and return early. I miss you so much, baby. Bring your face close to the monitor and let me kiss you."
Tian Yuan grinned and moved closer to the computer. Pan Lei leaned in and kissed the monitor loudly.
They could only make out across the monitor at the moment. When is this damn separation going to end? Fu*k this! He couldn't handle it any longer, even if it had only been a few days.
Footnotes:
[1] By definition, gongzi is the son of an official; the son of nobility. It can also be used as a respectful term between strangers/acquaintances. Gongzi is an expression of respect for the other person's status, and it's usually used to address someone your age or younger.
[2] Jin Yong, or Louis Cha, is a well-known wuxia author who wrote the Condor Trilogy. Go to the Wikipedia page.
Translator:
I wonder what Uncle Roger will say about Tian Yuan's MSG comment😂
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