‘You’re still alive?’
Note: PLEASE DO NOT link any translations on this site to anywhere on Novel Updates, whether it’s the updates list or reading lists.
© 12 and
theresanother.wordpress.com 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the translation without express and written permission from 12 is strictly prohibited.
Ch. 58 | Yu Huan
‘It’s me,’ Yu Huan replied softly.
Dandan took a step forward, then took a hesitant step back. He was really afraid that this was a dream which would shatter at the slightest touch.
‘It’s been so long, yet you’re just going to stand so far away?’ Yu Huan asked.
‘You’re… real?’ Dandan reached out tentatively to touch his sleeve. The fabric felt silky smooth, exactly the same as before.
‘Yes, I’m real.’ Yu Huan spread his hands. ‘Do you want to pinch me and see for yourself?’
‘You’re still alive?’
‘Yes, I am.’ Yu Huan’s expression was very calm, as if being alive was not a matter worth rejoicing over.
Dandan stood still for a very long time, as if he was finding it very hard to accept the truth that this person was standing before him.
Suddenly, he went forward and grabbed his collar, roaring angrily, ‘You were alive… you were alive so why didn’t you come look for me?!’ This question came like a sudden clap of thunder and his voice cracked on the last few words.
Yu Huan had not expected him to be so upset and his long lashes quivered slightly. He removed Dandan’s tightly clenched fist and straightened his Chinese jacket as he pointed out, ‘You’re leading quite a good life here and I’m leading a good life myself. As long as we each lead our own lives happily, it’s enough, isn’t it? Why do I have to come and look for you? I don’t understand.’
After hearing this, Dandan was in low spirits for a long while. ‘I kept searching for you for such a long time — have you any idea how I spent all these years? You just brush me off by saying “as long as we each lead our own lives happily” — well, who wants to lead separate lives happily?! WHO WANTS TO DO THAT?!’
Isn’t it obvious that I want… to lead my life with you…
Yu Huan was so taken aback by his furious shouting that it was some time before he finally asked, ‘You’re angry?’
‘…’ Dandan was so angry that he couldn’t speak.
‘Hey, hey… are you serious?’ Yu Huan rubbed his nose briefly. ‘It’s only a matter of not having seen each other for a hundred years. There’s no need to get so worked up.’
Only a matter of not having seen each other for a few hundred years?
He really said it so casually.
‘You just don’t get it at all… you heartless fellow…’ Dandan choked out.
Yu Huan gazed at him and was silent for a long time, then his expression gentled and he sighed before raising a hand to stroke Dandan’s head briefly. ‘Okay, it’s my fault, all right?’
It was the way he had always coaxed his spirit beasts.
‘I’m sorry, all these years have been hard on you, haven’t they?’ Yu Huan’s eyes were glistening; they were very clear and very gentle.
That familiar touch rested on Dandan’s forehead, just like that afternoon a long time ago when they had sat side by side near the city wall, and he had given him his name —
‘How about calling you Dandan?’
‘Sounds just awful; I don’t need a name. Anyway, I’ve always been alone.’
‘From now on, you’re no longer alone, you have me.’
Dandan curled his fists tightly, the nails digging into his palms.
This… This damn… green-eyed fellow! Always so irresponsibly warm and gentle.
Dandan couldn’t stand it at last and began wailing like a child¹. ‘I really… hate you so much still!’ He had not cried so uncontrollably for a very long time.
¹ 嚎啕大哭. If you’re not reading this chapter at hiding in plain sight, it has been stolen and reproduced by novelscraping sites.
Not knowing what else to do, Yu Huan reached out and patted him on the back. ‘All right, all right, you’re already a few hundred years old yet you’re still carrying on like this. Don’t you feel ashamed?’
Upon hearing this, Dandan further disgraced himself by snivelling.
‘…’ A disgusted Yu Huan plucked a leaf from nearby and offered it to him, saying, ‘Blow your nose?’
Dandan shook his head and blubbered, ‘Can’t, can’t anyhow pick the flowers otherwise Styx will scold me.’
‘… Oh… is that Styx fellow very fierce?’
‘Quite fierce.’
Yu Huan hesitated, then tucked the leaf back into the flowering shrub, even rearranging some of the flowers around it so that they looked more natural and there was no sign that it had been plucked before asking, ‘Can’t tell now, right?’
‘Mm.’
Yu Huan gazed at him. ‘Does this family bully you?’
‘If they do, will you beat them up?’
‘Nope,’ Yu Huan answered smilingly and heartlessly, ‘what business is it of mine?’
‘…’ As expected… still that same old poisonous tongue…
Dandan sniffled, trying to inhale his snot but failed, so the snot kept dribbling down… Glancing at the leaf which Yu Huan had just put back, he reached out and took it to blow his nose.
‘Eh, didn’t you say Styx won’t allow anything in the garden to be touched?’
‘All of you can’t but I can.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Because I’m a darling.’
‘…’ Yu Huan had nothing to say in reply at that moment. Fine, you’re a darling.
Dandan asked, ‘Do you want to accompany me in the sunshine for a while?’
‘No, I’ll be leaving now.’
‘Leaving?!’ Dandan’s eyes were full of consternation as he exclaimed, ‘You’re leaving again!’ The tears that he had stifled earlier came surging to his eyes in an instant.
‘Yes, I was just passing by today and thought I would look in on you.’
‘How did you know I was here?’
‘I’ve always been following your exploits with interest. I was watching you when you fought the tiger-crocodile, and also during the Guardians’ Tournament when you took on the Vampire Beast.’
Dandan’s eyes were wide with wonder.
² 不可思議. Translation belongs to theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com.
Yu Huan continued to say calmly, ‘You were great, just as I had expected of my Dandan. You didn’t disgrace me.’
Dandan tugged at him. ‘Don’t go, please?’
‘Silly, I can’t stay here. Yu Huan is already dead — this is something all of Ridge City knows. If I’m discovered, imagine the shock waves it’ll cause? I don’t like to have trouble, you know that.’
‘Then, have you been to the Priest’s Manor? Does Feng Chulian know you’re still alive?’
‘No, you’re the only person I’ve seen.’
‘Take me with you,’ Dandan said suddenly. ‘Let’s go back to Dragon Ridge, I’ll go look for Phantom and Scythe and the four of us can return to Dragon Ridge together.’
‘Dragon Ridge is already an abandoned place and we can’t go back.’ Yu Huan removed the hand which was clutching his sleeve.
What this ‘and we can’t go back’ was actually referring to was not clear, but it sounded especially bleak. ‘Besides, what will happen to your current owner if you leave with me?’
Dandan paused and it was some time before he murmured, ‘You’re right… Song Lin… what about Song Lin…’
‘Just continue to stay on nicely here with the Song family. They treat you well, so I can also set my mind at rest.’
With a light step, Yu Huan vaulted easily to the top of the wall.
‘Can I see you again?’ Dandan asked hurriedly. ‘Where can I look for you?’
‘Look for me?’ Yu Huan stroked his lower lip. ‘It’s enough to have met once. Life being what it is, being together forever is impossible. Don’t forget, I’m not your owner now.’
Dandan ran anxiously to the foot of the wall, stubbornly tilting his head and asking, ‘We’ll never see each other again? For good?’
‘Tsk tsk, such a pitiful face, I can’t bear it.’ Yu Huan gave a little wave of his hand. ‘Maybe I’ll come and see you again.’
‘When?!’ Dandan gazed up at him, heart beating fast, just like a child waiting for sweets.
‘When you need me.’ Yu Huan gave a little smile, then leapt off the wall and vanished.
Dandan stood alone in the middle of the garden, unable to get over his shock for the longest time.
Had it all been a dream just now? He felt rather dazed.
He turned his head and saw the leaf which had been plucked — ah, no, it hadn’t been a dream.
He sat back down on the chair, hugging his knees and burying his head in the crook of his arm, fighting back tears as he said, ‘You never showed up during any of the times I needed you most… you big liar… always like that…’
— The Bai residence —
Styx walked out of Madam Bai’s room and the moment Bai Yini saw him, she asked, ‘How is my mother?’
‘In another seven days, her face will be completely recovered. Make sure she rests these few days and doesn’t tire herself out,’ Styx replied.
Bai Yini looked from him to Song Lin who nodded and told her, ‘You can rest assured with Styx’s healing skills.’
Only then did Bai Yini heave a sigh of relief; close up, one could see that her eyes were faintly red. She lowered her head and said, ‘Thank you.’
Song Lin said, ‘Now can you tell me about the Crone?’
Bai Yini and Bijou exchanged glances before saying, ‘This way please, Second Master Song.’
Bai Yini led him and Styx to one of the farthest side rooms in the residence. ‘This was where she stayed.’
Noticing that it was a big room which could house many people, Song Lin asked, ‘The servants’ quarters?’
‘Yes, when the Crone entered our residence, she disguised herself as a servant girl.’
‘Servant girl?’ Song Lin was wholly astonished. Given the Crone’s age, trying to pass herself off as a servant girl was surely too tall an order. ‘Isn’t she an old woman?’
Bai Yini was also taken aback. ‘W-who told you she was an old woman?’
Song Lin and Styx stared at her in amazement.
Bai Yini shook her head helplessly. ‘That’s why you men are fools.’
Just then, Song Lin recalled the Crone’s incongruously fair and slender hands and asked with a frown, ‘Don’t tell me it was that servant girl we met that day at Yuanlin Guild Hall?’
‘The very same,’ Bai Yini confirmed.
Styx mused aloud, ‘No wonder she immediately looked at me alertly when I glanced at her in the private room that day. That’s not the kind of alertness a normal servant girl would have.’
Song Lin snorted coldly. ‘So from the very first meeting with me, you had already brought your spirit beast and backer along, Miss Bai.’
‘Ahem…’ Bai Yini took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth, ‘well, about that… you have quite the reputation in Ridge City, Second Master Song. I was afraid that I might be killed by you if I weren’t careful so of course I brought my helpers along.’
‘So how much do you know about this Crone?’
‘Not very much actually. She comes from outside Ridge City.’
‘As we suspected, she’s not a Guardian of Ridge City.’
‘To be honest, I still have my doubts³ about whether she’s a Guardian or a spirit beast,’ Bai Yini confessed gravely.
³ 打個問號. Please consider reading from theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com rather than from novelscraping sites.
‘Spirit beast? You’re saying the Crone is a spirit beast? How is that even possible?’
‘Have you ever met any Guardian like her in Ridge City? We may cultivate spiritual power, but we are still human: we rely on magic weapons when fighting and if injured, we can bleed and we can die. But not her. She doesn’t need the aid of any magic weapon, she doesn’t bleed even if she’s injured, I even suspect that she’s immortal. No one knows just how long she’s been alive, perhaps she already existed from the time of my great-grandfather.’
Song Lin listened to this, frowning deeply. ‘Did she ever tell you why she came to Ridge City?’
Bai Yini’s fingers twisted her handkerchief as she recalled, ‘On this point, she was not very forthcoming. All she said was that… she came from the other side of the sea, her hometown was very different from Ridge City: spirit beasts had never needed so-called owners, every spirit beast was free and there was no such thing as the pact we have here. The rest of it were some words I didn’t understand.’
Song Lin nodded. ‘If she comes back to look for you again, let me know immediately.’
‘I will,’ Bai Yini replied. ‘By the way, there’s something I must warn you about. Since she was able to gang up with Chen Yang, then she’ll definitely also have ganged up with other factions in the League. Do put your brother on his guard.’
Song Lin glanced at her and observed pensively, ‘You seem… quite concerned for my brother.’
Bai Yini was startled, her earlobes turning a faint pink. ‘I was just… mentioning it in passing…’
‘Mm hm, got it, I’ll warn my brother. You should be careful too and protect your mother well.’
‘Don’t worry, I have Bijou.’ Bai Yini patted the silver-haired youth beside her. The tall fellow merely yawned.
After they had left the Bai residence, Song Lin asked Styx, ‘Any news from my brother?’
Styx shook his head and said with a hint of worry, ‘He hasn’t written to me for many days.’
Song Lin shot him a sidelong glance. ‘When needed, you can go to the League to see how he is.’
Styx thought about this but then shook his head. ‘He told me that I must protect you, that’s my mission.’
Song Lin patted him on the shoulder but did not say anything else.
When he got back to the Song Manor, he saw Dandan sitting alone in the garden, hugging his knees and thinking about something so he walked over and asked, ‘You were basking in the sun the whole afternoon?’
Hearing his voice, Dandan lifted his head and that was when Song Lin noticed that his eyes were as puffy as walnuts. Stepping forward hurriedly, he pulled him up from the chair while questioning, ‘What’s the matter with you? You’ve been crying?’
Dandan was utterly dejected and could not even stand properly, swaying on his feet.
Song Lin pulled him into a hug, supporting him so that he wouldn’t fall and asked, ‘What happened?’
It was a very long time before Dandan blurted out, ‘I saw Yu Huan.’
When Song Lin heard this, his entire body tensed up…
(Approx. 2396 words)
12’s notes:
Aaaaah, their romance is like a little boat which has barely started its journey but is now in danger of capsizing!
ヘ（。□°）ヘ
☆ Please show moral support by reading the original and free translations from hiding in plain sight. © 12 and theresanother.wordpress.com 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the above material without express and written permission from 12 is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to 12 and theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Example here.
©
Translated and edited by 12
hiding in plain sight 
Dandan stop breaking my heart!!! He wanted to lead his life with Yu Huan! That blockhead!!! Even if it’s a fake Yu Huan that’s just not cool!!! Ugh, ughhh, I can totally see why Song Lin gets jealous of Yu Huan though. Dandan just… totally lays it out there. Poor rabbit. ;O;
“‘Because I’m a darling.’”
I’M DYING. YES. YES YOU ARE DANDAN.
Oh no, Dandan, don’t just forget all about Song Lin… Though now I’m confused. How could that be Yu Huan? I don’t believe it! You can’t tell me that Yu Huan basically just waltzed his way into Dandan’s life after all that angst. If that was the case I’d rather the man stay dead, omfg. It’s got to be a trick of some sort! Besides, Song Lin was supposed to be Yu Huan’s reincarnation so… yeah, it’s definitely a trick. THOSE MOTHERF******!!! PLAYING WITH DANDAN’S HEART!!!
More Crone info! Of course she was that random maid I very vaguely remember… :’)
Oh boy, Song Lin interrogation in 3, 2, 1….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cackle! But it sounds like a very Yu Huan thing to do, doesn’t it? Appear without any warning and act like it’s no big deal.
Dandan calling himself a darling was a line which had me scratching my head for a while about how best to translate it so yay!💃🏻 for it catching your eye hehe!
Aww, but he was such a little kid at the end when Yu Huan was leaving. So innocent! 💘
LikeLike