Secretly Captivated: Chapter 14

THE WORLD IN SUCCESSION
DEEP PASSION IS RARE

After eating a sumptuous reunion lunch with her family on the third day of Chinese New Year, Mo Lan rode the bullet train back to Nanjing.

She sat relaxed in the train with her eyes closed, her headphones was right in the middle of playing that little piece of《Immortal》which Secretly Captivated sang from the last time on YY.

Suddenly, her phone rang, which gave her a fright.

Mo Lan picked the phone up and glanced at it, discovered it was Rong Xiaxia.

She pressed the answer button a little puzzledly, lifted the phone to her ears, Rong Xiaxia was very excited: “Momo, where are you now? Have you returned to Nanjing?”

“On the way back right now, what’s the matter?” Mo Lan replied softly, a little surprised as to why Rong Xiaxia also went back so early.

She heard Rong Xiaxia sigh instead, her voice apparently very solemn: “Tonight we’re having a classmate gathering at 7:30pm, a hot pot restaurant near Confucius Temple, called Proud Of Taste, we’ve been there together before.”

“Tonight?” Mo Lan couldn’t help but asked.

Even though she had thought there would be a classmate gathering again towards the end of CNY, but the time was also too tight isn’t it, tonight… wouldn’t it meant that she would have to immediately rushed over as soon as she arrived in Nanjing? And to be honest, Mo Lan wasn’t that enthusiastic towards the classmate gathering, most of the time it was Rong Xiaxia who would forced her to go.

“The timing might be a bit too tight*…” Mo Lan was gloomy, in her heart she already subtly knew she no longer wanted to go.

(The actual word is rush. I’m not sure.)

“No rush ah, you go home and change your clothes then rest for a bit before coming over, then the timing would be just right ma. The main thing is it so happened that everyone is in Nanjing today, so we planned to have a smaller gathering first. After this gathering, we don’t have to go to the bigger gathering with more people, it’s very worthwhile.”

In the end, under Rong Xiaxia’s coaxing and pestering, Mo Lan who had always been good at talking still grudgingly agreed to join the senior high school gathering together with her.

After hanging up the phone, Mo Lan suddenly sighed unconsciously. She turned her head and looked out of the train window, her train of thought could not help but to be pulled back to the days of senior high school. Actually… for a person to be so vigorously enthusiastic towards the matter of a classmate gathering, it must be because, they wanted to see a certain someone at the classmate gathering.

For instance, Rong Xiaxia.

Mo Lan and Rong Xiaxia were in the same class in senior high, later because they lived in the same neighbourhood, they went home together everyday after school, much later, they automatically became more familiar with each other day after day, ultimately they had developed into today’s inseparable besties.

As a result, as a bestie, the fact that Rong Xiaxia liked their class monitor in senior high, only Mo Lan knew.

Although Rong Xiaxia normally always had the kind of happy go lucky simple-minded appearance, however she silently and secretly fell in love with Ji Ziyang for three years, until their last year of high school graduation party, she drank three glasses of baijiu* to countlessly strengthened her guts, but also daren’t say the words “I like you”.

(a clear spirit from China with a significantly higher alcohol content)

Afterwards, in her fourth year of university, Rong Xiaxia started dating, that guy was very good to her, he would obediently give in to practically all of her unreasonable requests, only it was a pity, they broke up after three months of being together.

The night Rong Xiaxia broke up, she pulled Mo Lan into a bar, sat in front of her with her head lowered and silently drank a lot of alcohol. Later, she finally got drunk, and started crying, while she cried she ambiguously called out Ji Ziyang’s name.

At that time, Mo Lan looked at Rong Xiaxia cried until her eyes were very red, it was the first time she realised, the important significance of a girl’s first love.

For the next two years Rong Xiaxia never had a boyfriend, and she began to look forward to their annual classmate gathering.

Last year, Ji Ziyang had something else on and didn’t attend.

Not sure for this year… what would happen.

As she was entranced in her thoughts, in her ears she already heard the annoucement that they’ve reached the station. Hence Mo Lan calmed her mind down, packed her things up and prepared to get off.

In her headphones, Secretly Captivated’s voice rang low, forbearing, tender, and bleak.

“Your presence, warms up the heavens, lightly rippling the cup of joy…”

It was the last sentence from《A Cup of Joy》.

Such a nice voice, you’ll not be tired of it regardless of how many times you’ve listened to it.

The singing voice echoed in her ear, Mo Lan’s brain instantly crashed for a moment, her original movement of taking her luggage became sluggish, and the luggage on luggage rack nearly banged into her.

She flusteredly brought her luggage down, and Mo Lan breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn’t help but started thinking, Gu Ye Mi… where was he now?

Should she have let him know, that she had already returned?

But what position did she hold to be able to tell him?

Sigh… so distressed.

A bit after seven that evening, among the vast crowd, by the lanterns, Mo Lan arrived by the Confucius Temple tourist spot.

If she were to say, the only place in Nanjing where Mo Lan could somewhat experienced the ambience of CNY, it was probably the area of Confucius Temple by QinHuai River.

The reflection and noise of the lanterns stretched for ten miles*, the female singer acted out the drama in the boat.

(The modern Chinese mile = ⅓ English mile = 500 metres. Henceforth, all miles = Chinese miles)
(It’s a famous line from a poem used to describe QinHuai River)
(I’m pretty sure I got the second sentence wrong.)

QinHuai River could be regarded as a flourishing area of ​​Nanjing City, from the Six Dynasties (220-589) till the Ming (1268-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, many rich and powerful families, sons of nobilities and dignitaries all have lived on both shores of Huai Water, prospered and flourished, golden pink multi-storied houses, row after row. Wuyi Alley, Jiangnan Examination Hall, Mingyuan Building, the screen wall… beautifully decorated windows with hanging scrolls, ten miles of bead curtains, magnificent illuminated boats, the first in the world. Since ancient times, many historical sites and scenic spots, classic history, romance and passion, all occured here.

A simple spirit screen

Today was the third day of Chinese New Year, there were many peple visiting and sightseeing at Confucius Temple, even the whole of QinHuai River would be impassable, not only that but later, it seemed that there would also be a Lantern Festival.

But Mo Lan currently had no intention to join the fun, she merely worried whether if she would be late, after all… so many people were here, it wouldn’t be good to be late.

At about 7:40pm, Mo Lan who was gasping for breathe finally found Proud Of Taste Hot Pot restaurant.

She looked for the room by following all the way to the private room number that Rong Xiaxia had told her before, Mo Lan stood outside the door and before she entered, she could already hear the conversation and laughter from the private room.

The corner of her lips bended and revealed a gentle polite smile, Mo Lan softly pushed the door and went in.

She walked in, stood still, and at first glance she saw an obvious demure smile, Rong Xiaxia’s eyes somewhat dodged. Then, following her gaze, she saw Ji Ziyang.

So it turned out, she came because of him.

The large group of people turned around as they were instantly attracted to the sound of Mo Lan opening the door, looking at the familiar faces, Mo Lan’s heart also followed and a faint surge emerged.

The literature and art committee member who most preferred to read novels during class, the unshakeable top student of the monthly tests, the troublemaker who often rebut the teachers, and also there was always the first girl who started perming her hair and painting her nails every class…

These people, who had been together with her for three years of her life, they have witnessed her most young and inexperienced, pure and unadulterated youth together.

“Mo Lan, you’re late, penalty penalty!”

“That’s right how could you have just arrived, hurry up and first punish yourself with three cups!”

On this side Mo Lan had just walked over, and she was already confused and was poured three to four glasses of beer. Mo Lan, who always did not know how to drink drank her three glasses of beer, her fair, delicate and pretty cheeks had already started to somewhat turned red.

After chatting amusingly and noisily with the group of classmates for a long time, with great difficulty Mo Lan finally extricated herself, and walked to Rong Xiaxia holding a glass, but saw that the other person was unusually sitting silently in the corner, she was right in the middle of frivolously drowning her sorrows.

Mo Lan sat next to her, raised and bumped her glass against hers, then asked in a low voice, “It wasn’t easy for somebody to come, and you don’t want go over and chat? Be careful that once you past this village, you won’t be able to find the shop.”

Rong Xiaxia lowered her head and did not speak, after a while then quietly spoke, the tone vaguely bitter: “I don’t know what I should say to him… I reckon, I haven’t seen him for five years already. Momo, I’m scared.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of, haven’t you always feared nothing in heaven or earth? And also… chances like today are extremely rare, if you missed it I’m afraid you might undoubtedly regret it to death.” Mo Lan gulped the left over liquid in her glass, and filled her glass once again.

Rong Xiaxia also drank, after finished drinking, she raised her head, frowned and looked at Mo Lan, her lips opened and closed, ultimately also merely somewhat uncertainly replied: “Scared… that he’s already not the type I like anymore, scared… that he has already forgotten there’s such a person as me. “

Mo Lan was stumped for words and drank, her throat straightaway felt a scorching sting.

Not waiting for her reply, Rong Xiaxia had already begun to speak minding her own business, “When I first saw him just now, I suddenly especially regretted why I didn’t have the courage to confess to him that year. If… if I did say it then, even if he rejected me, in any case it would also have made me give up. Now, I won’t also go so far as to hold on to these memories and not let go, to be confined within the circle on the ground* for so many years.”

(畫地為牢 huà dì wéi láo – idiom – lit. to be confined within a circle drawn on the ground – fig. to confine oneself to a restricted range of activities)

“Xiaxia…” Mo Lan somewhat didn’t have the heart to look at her, her mouth opened and closed, yet she didn’t know what to say. At this time, apart from being able to sympathised and comfort, for the rest it seemed that regardless of what she said, it would not be in the least bit useful.

Rong Xiaxia suddenly smiled, continued as always to brightly and beautifully illuminate people: “That’s why I say, if you like somebody, it’s still better to say it earlier.” She flung back her head, her expression somewhat reluctant, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this, Momo, have a few drinks with me, I guarantee, this will be the last time.”

“Okay.” Mo Lan nodded, prepared to risked her life tonight to keep this noble person company.

The memories of tonight, basically was already all very fuzzy. The last clip left in her mind,was how she kept Rong Xiaxia company drinking glass after glass, she drank until her brain was finally dizzy and blanked, much later, she actually couldn’t stand it, and bewilderedly climbed onto the table and fell asleep.

As for Rong Xiaxia who wouldn’t fall under a thousand cups, she saw Mo Lan fell asleep, and pushed her a little worriedly: “Momo, Momo, wake up, we’ll go home to sleep.”

However, Mo Lan had already been sleeping deeply at this moment, with not even the slightest desire to wake up.

On this side Rong Xiaxia was busy trying to wake Mo Lan up, over there, Peng Fei had already walked over.

Rong Xiaxia lifted her eyes and looked at him, en… if she remembered correctly, Peng Fei during his second year of high school, had once pursued Mo Lan for a period of time, but Mo Lan just did not like him.

“Um… I saw that Mo Lan seemed to have drunk too much, I drove here today, it’s also quite late now, why don’t I send her back?” Peng Fei said, his expression slightly embarrassed, but his tone was firm, he seemed very certain, that Rong Xiaxia would surely agree.

Hand Mo Lan over to someone who had an ulterior motive towards her?

Thinking like that, it felt as if it wasn’t that safe.

But… if she didn’t allow him to send her, how was she suppose to take Mo Lan home all by herself?

Rong Xiaxia frowned and racked her brains for a while, but still had no clue. At this moment, suddenly, Mo Lan’s mobile on the table rang.

She didn’t really mind and picked up the phone, she took a quick look and found the caller ID had the name “Gu Ye Mi”.

Who is Gu Ye Mi?

Rong Xiaxia frowned, and answered the phone with some doubt.

“Hello?”

As soon as this word was spoken, she acutely felt that the voice on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, after about two to three seconds, his low voice echoed through, awfully serened, just like the moonlight enveloped the clear crystalline lake with it’s gleaming reflection in the waves, nothing more beautiful could be imagined: “Hi, may I ask if this is Mo Lan’s mobile phone?”

The voice was very gentle, awfully polite, very… pleasant.

So pleasant that it made Rong Xiaxia thought she was listening to an anchor of a broadcast programme.

Beforehand, she really did not believe that there would be such a person in this world, that just by the voice alone could she be so bewildered until she was dazzled and delirious, of course, that was before. Rong Xiaxia who just drank three to four bottles of beer in one go, now suddenly felt her mouth and tongue a little dry, her heartbeat also started to speed up.

“I, I’m Mo Lan’s friend, she drank too much at the moment… are you looking for her for something?” Rong Xiaxia took a deep breath, strived to calm her ‘putong putong*’ heartbeat, and replied in a steady voice as much as possible.

(Or you might prefer thump-thump-thump)

The next second, she was somewhat startled to hear a hint of worry in the other person’s tone: “Drank too much? Where is she now?”

It was as if the lake that was undisturbed and serene just a moment ago had a tiny ripple emerged abruptly… his voice was undoubtedly light as water, each word each line yet once again couldn’t help but enraptured people, listening to him, was truly like a type of unparalleled pleasure, so enjoyed until Rong Xiaxia didn’t even have the heart to breathe.

This person… shouldn’t be that Secretly Captivated right?

As soon as this thought appeared, Rong Xiaxia instantly felt that her whole person became not too well.

If she were to say, for this voice Mo Lan had always preserved her integrity and kept a pure heart with few desires… she seemed to, truly be able to possibly understand.

If it was him, why don’t…

As this thought just floated into Rong Xiaxia’s mind, the next second, she already spoke out uncontrollably: “Why don’t you come and pick her up, it’s currently quite late now, she drank so much, it’s not good to take the taxi back.”

After Rong Xiaxia hung up the phone, she looked up, and straight away saw Peng Fei who was still standing in front of her, with a puzzled expression on his face.

“Just now… who were you talking to?” He spoke, his voice inexplicably somewhat stiffed.

Rong Xiaxia suddenly found it very fascinating, she thought about it, then with an exceptionally natural expression her voice replied incomparably fluently: “Momo’s boyfriend, I’ve let him pick her up, then don’t need to trouble you.”

“Mo Lan she… has a boyfriend?” Peng Fei frowned, unresignedly continued to seek confirmation, but in his eyes, it was already distinctly clear that he was a bit disappointed.

Rong Xiaxia laughed: “Yup, Momo likes him very much.”

En… claiming that Gu Ye Mi was Mo Lan’s boyfriend, it shouldn’t matter too much? After all, just now when she asked him on the phone if he wanted to pick Mo Lan up, the other party agreed without the least bit of hesitation.

Would an ordinary friend, be willing, in the biting cold winter night on the third day of CNY, to pick her up and send her home like it was nothing*?

(不辞辛苦 bù cí xīn kǔ – to make nothing of hardships)

There must be something.

However, she just didn’t know how he looked like. Although his voice was very nice that it startled the heavens and earth while ghosts and spirits would sob, but just in case if he was very sorry looking*, if he was seen by Peng Fei, it would be hard to avoid that disdained bit of provocation.

(長得很抱歉 zhǎng dé hěn bào qiàn – grew to be very sorry looking)

On this side, while Rong Xiaxia looked at Mo Lan who slept peacefully on the table, on the other side in her heart she silently imagined Gu Ye Mi’s looks, her mood which from the beginning was continously under a dense black cloud slowly became a bit better.

With her eyes hanged down indulging in flights of fancy for quite a while, she looked up, her line of sight still involuntarily traversed through the crowd, and fell on Ji Ziyang.

Five years have gone by, his hair had grown, he was taller, and he had also matured, only his face silhouette had not changed at all. Still in her memory, was those years in school that high-spirited boy whom she dearly loved.

Didn’t know if he… still remembered her?

Roughly about twenty minutes later, just when everybody cheered and the atmosphere was lively in the private room, the door suddenly was pushed open by someone, the strength was neither light nor heavy, it was polite as well as calm.

Practically in that split second, everybody uniformly looked back towards the direction of the door, except for Mo Lan who still lay sound asleep on the table.

Rong Xiaxia also turned back, at first she wasn’t really paying any attention, as a result her line of sight was spellbound in that split second when she saw that person.

The man wore a white down jacket, dark blue jeans, with fair and exquisite facial features. His figure was slim, tall and straight, with a pair of evidently black and white eyes, no waves were startled, his manner distinct, aloof and neat.

For a moment, Rong Xiaxia nearly thought she had travelled across. The person standing right in front of her, looked like a foreign prince who walked out from a painting, every frown and every smile, as magnificent as if it were made by the heavens, unrivaled.

So stunning that people couldn’t totally look away.

It wasn’t until the other party walked neither urgently nor slowly to Mo Lan’s side, that Rong Xiaxia finally recovered, looked at him, and asked tentatively: “Gu Ye Mi?”

“That’s me.” Gu Ye Mi replied, his voice was very light, like a feather, light as a feather smashing into your heart, then bit by bit, it teased you until you wanted to stop but couldn’t.

Rong Xiaxia looked at him, suddenly she felt a little bewildered, she opened her mouth, inexplicably somewhat stuttered: “Then, then I’ll trouble you with Momo.”

It was really strange, after seeing him, she believed, he surely must be a good person.

Mo Lan’s vision… was indeed very good.

Hearing her say that, Gu Ye Mi suddenly smiled softly, instantly made Rong Xiaxia thought that in front of her stood an elegant prince with a light and fluttering folding fan.

He looked down at Mo Lan’s side profile, his expression suddenly became very gentle, his originally slightly conspicuous distinct and cold eyebrows also became vivid and gentle. He spoke, his voice somewhat indolent, somewhat tender, so pleasant that it made people somewhat absent-minded: “Not troublesome. Speaking of it, still want to thank you for letting me come to pick her up.”

It’s over……

Rong Xia Xia blankly looked at him, all kinds of turbulence simply surged into her heart.

Obviously this person gave the impression that he was just definitely somewhat distinct and aloof, but once he opened his mouth, his voice contrarily was once again certainly indolent certainly tender, very evil.

This voice… if it continued saying a few more words to her, she would probably die of excessive blood loss. It turned out that what Mo Lan said perviously was all true, this kind of person who used sound as a weapon, did truly existed in real life.

She turned her head and looked at the expression of the people around her, they were all like her so unfathomable that they were incapable of believing.

The private room unexpectedly sunk into a somewhat weird silence.

Right at this moment, as if she telepathly heard Gu Ye Mi’s voice, Mo Lan suddenly just opened her eyes in a dazed. She lifted her head, rubbed her eyes with her hands, and groggily asked: “Xiaxia… just a moment ago I seemed to have heard Secretly Captivated’s voice, it couldn’t be that I hallucinated right?”

Mo Lan frowned, on one side she spoke ambiguously, on the other side she tried hard to open her eyes, yet saw Rong Xiaxia stared at her without blinking, her face with a complicated “you don’t say” expression.

With her brain still in a crashed mode Mo Lan bewilderedly followed the other’s person gaze and lifted up her head, the next second, she explicitly ran into Gu Ye Mi’s line of sight.

It was exactly the same as the first time she saw him at Nanjing Impressions, he still stood there, and calmly looked at her, his obvious black and white eyes showed a bit of a smile, warm as well as vivid.

It really… was him.

Mo Lan who was still in a drunk stupor froze for a few seconds, then couldn’t help but opened her eyes, completely unable to react as to why Gu Ye Mi would have appeared here at this time.

But seeing the other person extended his hand out towards her, the side of his lips bubbled over with a smile, an opaque peach blossom* colour gradually appeared in his eyes.

(just in case you need a reminder it’s figuratively for a love affair)

Then, he opened his mouth, his low voice fell into the stillness of the room, like the snow thawing from a candlelight on a winter’s day, unfathomably tender: “Momo, let’s go home.”

Go home?

Mo Lan already couldn’t remembered how she uncommonly and muddledly left the private room with Gu Ye Mi, she only remembered that when she got up, she heard the people around her whispered, discussing where did she get the luck to find such a quality man.

But… this man didn’t seem to be hers.

As she thought, she suddenly felt somewhat sad once again.

Because of the Lantern Festival at Qinhuai River parking was restricted, thus Gu Ye Mi parked his car outside of Confucius Temple’s scenic spot. This also meant, they still had to walk together for a distance.

It felt very similiar to the last time he sent her home, but, it was also a little different.

Mo Lan lowered her head and walked quietly beside him, her mind was already in a turmoil just like paste. Because the power of the alcohol haven’t dissipated, just a moment ago because of the little excessive shock and soberness her consciousness now once again started to get dizzy, her feet almost couldn’t walk in a straight line.

She felt the footsteps of the person beside her suddenly stopped, Mo Lan raised her head somewhat apprehensively, fearing that she might have been too troublesome for the other party. Yet the next second, she heard Gu Ye Mi spoke softly, his tone without a thread or a hair of impatience: “I’ll carry you ba, otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll fall.”

Carry her…

The surrounding cold wind was biting cold, Mo Lan heard his words, couldn’t help but generated a very small shiver, then glanced up at him.

Probably because the alcohol have entered her brain and confused her mind, Mo Lan looked at the opposite party’s pair of jet-black eyes, she originally wanted to decline, but in the end the demons and gods were at work* and she nodded.

(鬼使神差 guǐ shǐ shén chāi – idiom – unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation/ curious coincidence)

At the Qinhuai Lantern Festival, there were a sea of tourists, thousands of lanterns simultaneously shimmered, the people around were noisy, brightly lit, bustled wholly with noise and excitement. However Mo Lan merely cautiously and solemnly leaned against his shoulder, so nervous that the atmosphere didn’t even dare to make a sound.

Gu Ye Mi appeared to be obviously very tall and slim, but his shoulders were much more comfortable than Mo Lan had imagined, and also awfully warm. Both of her hands were wrapped around the scarf around his neck, she could feel that the scarf was soft to touch, Mo Lan seemed to suddenly remembered something, and softly spoke: “Gu Ye Mi, I’ve almost finished knitting your scarf, it’s beige in colour, you like?”

A boiling cauldron of voices surrounded them, an endless hubbub, but Mo Lan clearly caught Gu Ye Mi’s answer, he said, “I like it very much.”

Slightly leaning her head against his left shoulder, she sniffed the faint hint of soap on his clothes, Mo Lan suddenly felt the rim of her eyes got a bit sour, she could not help but strived to close her eyes for a while.

Perhaps it was because of the effect of alcohol, perhaps it was because the evening breeze was too soft and gentle, Mo Lan lay on his back, and suddenly felt that something binded her until she was somewhat unable to breathe.

She lowered her eyes slightly, and sniffed, her lips opened and closed, eventually, she couldn’t help but whispered: “Gu Ye Mi…… why are you so good to me? Did you know, for these past four years, I have very much liked your voice, but I’ve never extravagantly hoped to have whatsover intersection with you in reality. But… why are you being so good to me? Shouldn’t an idol treat all fans equally favourably? Sometimes… I’m genuinely quite scared, scared that everything that happened since was simply just a dream, and when I awake from my dream, we would still be two strangers who had no intersection.”

Mo Lan lowered her head, she whispered word by word line by line. This kind of situation where the other party couldn’t see her facial expression, and where she also couldn’t see the other party’s appearance made her feel at ease. In fact Mo Lan wasn’t very clear on what she was going on about, she merely, really wanted to take her ongoing courage to speak out that’s all.

She felt the other party’s steps halted all of a sudden, Gu Ye Mi was silent for a few seconds, seemingly wanted to respond to her, however, for no reason Mo Lan suddenly had a frenzied burst of panic in her heart. She bit her lip and rushed to speak before the other party, her tone hurried and urgent: “Gu Ye Mi, you don’t speak, okay? Just listen to me, let me speak that’s enough.”

The wind, biting cold and bone-chilling, but behind his back it seemed to have become gentle and soft, the vast crowd beside them, the raucous hubbub by their ears, but all of that didn’t enter her eyes, nor entered her heart. Mo Lan leaned against his back, and spoke softly, her voice gentle and emotional:

“The first time I heard your voice, was in《Difficulty Loving Deeply》Lan Fang, the young marquis of Yushu Tibetan. You said, to yearn for a home
was to yearn for hardship. I really stumbled and stepped into the Internet Voice Circle, I sank into your voice the whole way, from then on had I ever experienced yearning for hardship. Then, it was《Cross Me》. You said, one’s desire to love, alike clutching a torch, going against the wind, certain to suffer burnt hands. Hence I begin to be baffled, I didn’t know how did I become so obsessed with an illusory voice, whether was it right or wrong, whether was it worth it. However, in those days and nights when I listened to your voice to fall asleep, I’ve never felt lonely.”

“Perhaps, your existence itself, as far as I’m concerned, was already a kind of happiness.”

“Thank you… Gu Ye Mi.”

The next morning, Mo Lan opened her eyes and the first person she saw, was An Xiaoluo.

An Xiaoluo held a half-eaten apple in her hand, and sat by her bedside with her chin in one hand, she stared at her without blinking, as if she was already deadlocked in this position for a very long time.

Mo Lan frowned and sat up in her bed, and as she tried to say something, once she opened her mouth, she found that her vocal cords was very hoarse, even swallowing her saliva was exceedingly painful.

When An Xiaoluo who sat next to her saw her woke up, her expression finally looked a bit more normal, she looked at Mo Lan up and down a few times, and again took another bite of the apple, only then did she unclearly asked: “Awake? How do you feel at the moment, are you still dizzy?”

If An Xiaoluo didn’t mentioned it Mo Lan wouldn’t have felt it, once she said it, Mo Lan shook her head, and realised instantly that her brain was really dizzy, it seemed like something heavy pressed down, the four limbs of her body was also floppy without strength.

Generally speaking… this kind of feeling would only appeared, it seemed like only possible after getting drunk.

Drunk?

Mo Lan was sluggishly right in the middle of massaging her temples.

What happened last night was like broken black-and-white images, lights flickered and shadows passed* in her mind flashing one after another.

(浮光掠影 fú guāng lüè yǐng – idiom – blurred scenery/ cursory/ superficial)

She attended the classmate gathering, at that time Rong Xiaxia was in a very bad mood, so she accompanied her to drink lots of liquor, continuously drank until she was fuzzily oblivious, afterwards, she fell asleep on the table.

Much later… Gu Ye Mi arrived.

He said, Momo, let’s go home. The voice was just so reasonable, overly tender.

She surrendered to his voice without any qualms, unaware of the time or day, and giddily followed after him.

Ten miles of Qinhuai, a turbulent tide of people, thousands of lanterns simultaneously shimmered, he carried her on his shoulders, walked slowly step by step among the multitude.

She lay on his back, both hands clasped around his neck, the hint of cool, fresh and clean soap on him sniffed by her.

Afterwards, what did she say?

Her gentle and pretty eyebrows couldn’t help but wrinkled, Mo Lan suddenly felt her head hurt quite a bit, she remembered at that time she prattled on for quite a long time, not only did she say a lot of things to him, but she also, willfuly refused to allow the other person to reply.

But, in regards to the specific content as to what she said, she already couldn’t remember clearly.

Mo Lan comforted herself*, it came as no surprise as she heard just at that time her own heart filthily throbbed even more frantically bit by bit. She bit her lower lip, and somewhat thought apprehensively, the her at that time, shouldn’t have said too much right?

(胸口 xiōng kǒu – pit of the stomach)

En… after that, she got into Gu Ye Mi’s car, he very carefully put her in the front passenger seat, and also leaned over to help fastened her seat belt. It sounded quite odd, Mo Lan had forgotten about 80 to 90% of last night’s events, yet she distinctly remembered, the moment when he leaned over to help fastened her seat belt, his long eyelashes calmly drooped down, under the reflection of the dim yellow car lights, the whole person so pleasing that it shook one to the core.

What happened afterwards, she really truly couldn’t remember even a tiny bit, because, she fell asleep in Gu Ye Mi’s car.

When she woke up, the sky was already bright, the person beside her already had also been replaced by An Xiaoluo.

An Xiaoluo who was beside her saw Mo Lan’s expression getting more and more confused, she lowered her head and took another bite of the apple, then said lazily: “I say, Xiaolan, your development with Secretly Captivated is moving a bit too fast isn’t it? Did you know when I went out to throw out the rubbish last night, as a result at a glance I saw a strange man walked over carrying you, did you know how shocked was I? At that time I still thought he was a human trafficker, in the end once he opened his mouth… I couldn’t even speak.”

Mo Lan listened to An Xiaoluo’s unclear blubbering words, a swish and the delicate and pretty face reddened widely. She was silent for a while, then a little embarrassed she carefully asked, “Then… what happened?”

Her voice was even more hoarse and unpleasant to hear than she thought.

An Xiaoluo didn’t really cared, she accurately and firmly threw the apple core into the rubbish bin, and continued: “He carried you all the way to the third floor, and you slept very soundly throughout the whole process, I tried and couldn’t even wake you up. Once we reached our door, I thought since he went to a lot of trouble to send you home, I must at least ask him to stay and drink some tea before leaving ba? So I let him in, then laid you down on the bed and settled you. As a result, when he turned around to leave, you continued holding on to somebody’s hand not letting go, that image, tsk tsk.”

Hearing this, Mo Lan couldn’t help but widened her eyes, and somewhat inconceivably looked at An Xiaoluo, she blanked for a long time before dazedly started to talk: “No way…”

Held on to his hand and not let go? If she was sober, Mo Lan was a hundred percent certained that she absolutely would never have done such a thing.

This was also too humiliating right T^T

“How can it not be? Anyway when I saw how much you didn’t want him to go, I was very understanding and went out to simmer some ginger soup for you to sober up, smoothly allowed him to take care of you in the room.” At this point, An Xiaoluo looked very pleased with herself, apparently as if she did an enormous good deed. Then she seemed to have briefly thought it through for a bit, only then did she continued making a show of being very much in earnest*, “I really don’t know what happened after that, cause all the while I didn’t go in. After about ten minutes the ginger soup finished simmering, I hesitated whether to bring it in or not, and he happened to just come out of your room, as he left he even told me to take good care of you, but when I heard his voice I was dazzled, so I just nodded, not much went in.”

(煞有介事 shà yǒu jiè shì – idiom – to act as if one is taking things very seriously)

Mo Lan bit her lower lip as she listened to An Xiaoluo’s explained continuously, there were a plethora of things to tackle in her mind, precisely because she couldn’t remember for that ten or so minutes last night, in her bedroom, what did he say to her.

However, she remembered, when she was bewilderedly conscious, he really did talk to her.

Whereas beside her, An Xiaoluo solemnly already begun to conclude: “But Secretly Captivated SAMA is really good-looking, in all my years, that instant when I saw him last night only then did I genuinely understood [Alike a startled swan, as graceful as a swimming dragon. The glorious chrysanthemums of autumn, the lush and magnificient pines of spring]. You don’t know but when he carried you on his back and wandered from the row of street lights, my heartbeat slowed down half a beat, there was truly a sense of a tableau. Xiao Lan, you must certainly and carefully hold on by all means.”

An Xiaoluo anyhow threw the last sentence down, finally got up and left perfectly contented.

Mo Lan who still remained amidst the clouds and mist*, stared at the down quilt that covered her own body spellbound and in a daze.

(云里雾里 yún lǐ wù lǐ – fig. mystified/ puzzled)

Her line of sight inadvertently shot a glance at the paper cup on top of the bedside drawer, Mo Lan’s heartbeat which had just returned to normal with great difficulty started scurrying once again.

Last night… he must have seen this paper cup.

It’s over, if he discovered that this paper cup was literally from the lemon tea he bought for her that day, her entire face could really be thrown aside T^T

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Additional Notes:
1. In case you wanted to research the poem about QinHuai River: 漿聲燈影連十裡，歌女花船戲濁波.
2. The poem about Gu Ye Mi: 翩若驚鴻，婉若游龍。榮曜秋菊，華茂春松.

Just a few thoughts from the translator:

1. School years in China are split into 5-6 years of primary school. 3 years in junior high school/middle school and another 3 years in senior high school. Just in case you were confused.
2. I just wanted to burst out laughing when I read An Xiaoluo was right beside her the next morning.
3. A good Chinese novel has a drunk scene, a hospital/sick scene and a carry me scene.
4. Once I start translating, my mind just can’t think of good English word replacements. It’s weird.
5. While AXL told the story, I couldn’t helped laughing. That would be really embarassing!
6. Why did the author threw in that last simile *cries*
7. The next chapter is the longest chapter with 13021 characters.
8. I was going to break this chapter into two but there wasn’t any good place to break it off so you benefited!
9. Five more chapters of the main story to go!
10. To make it to number 10, I just wanted to let you know most of the thoughts after the chapters were all written right after I finish translating. Thus it’s quite amusing at times to read them again myself.

So.. I’ve finished the basic translation for the rest of the chapters. I am currently going through the chapters from the start (boy my first few chapters were atrocious!) and once I’ve edited/proofread the last 6 chapters then I’ll publish them all at once – yayness! My aim is to finish them within two to three weeks. I think it should be doable. As usual, let me know if there are any mistakes – I always doubt myself somehow.