Epiphanies of Rebirth 40.2
Chapter 40.2
βThis is Jiang Qiaqia, my wife and also the general manager of Qiqing Real Estate,β Qi Qing said.
He whispered in his wifeβs ear: βWhatβs the matter with you? Youβve been quiet since a few minutes ago. Those people are big bosses and very important, so donβt be absent-minded!β
Jiang Qiaqia opened her mouth but didnβt know how to explain herself. Ever since seeing Lin Jingzhe, she felt very strange, especially after hearing the young manβs name.
It threw her mind into confusion, to the point that she even considered a completely ridiculous possibility, and she almost panicked.
She faced Lin Jingzhe, scrutinizing him discreetly. Lin Jingzhe looked at her as well, but his attitude was no different than when talking with the others. ββQiaqiaβ from Du Fuβs poem? βUnrestrained, the lovely orioles cry.β Your parents must have loved you very much since they took so much care in finding a beautiful name for you, Ms. Jiang.β
Jiang Qiaqia forced herself to smile. βMy father was a little bookish.β
There was no way. It was impossible, right? Because how could it be possible? Although he had the same name and was about the same age, and his appearance inexplicably felt familiar, how could the Lin Jingzhe in front of her be the Lin Jingzhe she was thinking of? That Lin Jingzhe should still be in school now.
It should just be the same name, right? And from what he said, he seems to have never been to Qunnan. After Jiang Qiaqia thought it through, she felt that the vague suspicion that had appeared in her heart was completely absurd.
Jiang Qiaqia cut all ties with her father after her divorce. Since then, she had never returned to her family home in Liyun Town nor visited her son. She broke off all relationships as if with the slash of the sword, mercilessly and definitively severing herself from the past. Not to mention visiting Lin Jingzhe, she didnβt even have any pictures of him. The last time she saw her son was more than a decade ago; what she remembered of him had been vague to begin with, and the passage of years had long blurred the appearance of the childish face in her memory.Β
Thinking of this, Jiang Qiaqia calmed down. Mr. Lin possessed such outstanding confidence and poise at such a young age and already had such amazing achievements. This person, coming from the rural Liyun Town? Obviously, someone like him could only be cultivated by those great families in Yan City. Inwardly, she mocked herself for overthinking the situation.
A warm smile again appeared on her face, and she took the bottle and refilled Lin Jingzheβs glass. βMr. Linβs name is also very nice. βJingzhe,β the third solar term when nature reawakens after the winter sleep. Your family must have high expectations for you.β
βReally?β Lin Jingzhe asked softly, eyes trained on her.
βWithout a doubt!β Jiang Qiaqia said with an ingratiating smile. βIn honor of your name, Mr. Lin, let me toast you!β
The mother didnβt recognize her own son and was even respectfully pouring alcohol for him. Lin Jingzhe looked at her smiling face in a daze, unable to describe his feelings.
Drinking this cup of wine will shorten my life, right? he thought self-deprecatingly. The glass barely touched his lips before he put it aside on the table, apathetic.
He hadnβt expected to run into these two people here. He would have preferred not to develop a relationship with them for the rest of his life if he could. Maybe it was avoiding the issue, but couldnβt he be allowed to be a coward for once? In his previous life, Jiang Qiaqia and Qi Qing shattered his life, his world, his everything. Heβd been a loser crushed under their feet, suffering a complete defeat at their hands.
Lin Jingzhe hardly dared to recall the scene of his confrontation with Jiang Qiaqia, when he went to find her after heβd learned the truth after his fatherβs death. It had become a permanent fixture in his dreamworld, a recurring nightmare haunting his nights ever since.
It was around β98, approaching the new millennium. Qunnan was experiencing an economic boom, and Qiqing Real Estate had become the largest real estate company in Qunnan Province.
Thanks to the backing bought by the βgiftβ of antiques, local policies tended to favor the company, allowing it to develop with dizzying speed. It had even already become a publicly listed company.
By then, Qi Qing had become incredibly wealthy and successful. He barely deigned to look at Lin Jingzhe, and his eyes were full of disdain and disgust, almost like he was watching a maggot. Even so, he didnβt dare to take his anger out on Jiang Qiaqia, because at that time, Jiang Qiaqia held nearly 20% of the initial shares of Qiqing Real Estate. She was the largest shareholder in this business empire except for Qi Qing, and if she joined forces with other individual shareholders, she could easily oust Qi Qing from his position as chairman of the board.
On top of that, the βfruit of their loveβ had already been born, making their family structure a solid and unbreakable triangle.
But Jiang Qiaqia, despite no longer having to worry about losing her position in the Qi family, was not pleased to see her son at all. She only came out to meet Lin Jingzhe once, and even then, it was only to give him money, like paying off a blackmailer that kept harassing her.
Lin Jingzhe threw the money back in her face, but this made him completely disheartened, and his foul temper flared up. He didnβt know how much trouble he made for them afterward, to the point that they almost lost face, and even worried that Lin Jingzhe might harm their βfruit of love,β though he would never do that.
But no amount of retaliation could turn back time nor change the facts.
Jiang Qiaqia didnβt love himβrather, she despised him and avoided him like a venomous viper. All her previous affection was just so she could make use of him.
Lin Jingzhe had never imagined Jiang Qiaqia would treat him so respectfully and fawn over him like this, to the point of looking anxious simply because he didnβt finish the glass of alcohol she poured him.
He probably shouldβve been feeling exultant but in fact, he just didnβt want to concern himself with this person anymore.
With that bottle of Maotai, Wang Quan changed himself from an outsider to an insider. Perhaps there had been some kind of discussion but anyway, Wang Quan didnβt go back after toasting everyone; as the dinner was about finished at the time, he volunteered to arrange the next event.
What kind of activities could old bosses do in the evening? Lin Jingzhe really didnβt want to go. The Changqing welcome team was very enthusiastic, however, and there were quite a few people at the table who were eager to get a move on. It wouldnβt be good for him to come off as unsociable, so he had no choice but to come along.
At that time, the places of night entertainment still had a name that for Lin Jingzhe felt very datedβnightclubs.
Changqing abounded with factories and mines, which were very lucrative businesses. Nouveau riche meant conspicuous consumption; consequently, the nightclubs in Changqing City were no less luxurious than most of the well-known clubs in Yan City.
Wang Quan was clearly a regular here. When he appeared, bringing a group of people with him, the nightclubβs management had instantly been notified. The manager personally showed them to the VIP box with a table full of expensive imported alcohol. Not long after, a flock of beauties appeared and fell upon them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Jingzhe glanced towards Qi Qingβs side. Jiang Qiaqia didnβt seem to mind the situation at all. Why did she marry Qi Qing? Qi Qing didnβt seem to respect her at all, and even eagerly had a drink with the girl who poured him alcohol.
This was the marriage for which she gave up everything?
Lin Jingzhe waved off the girl who sat next to him. He poured a glass for himself, then tossed the drink down.
Deng Mai kept an eye on him and was a little worried by the way he was drinking. Just as he wanted to go over to Lin Jingzhe and persuade him to go easy on the alcohol, the bosses he was friendly with dragged him away to play dice with them.
Lin Jingzhe was in a bad mood. He drank pretty much every toast raised to him, draining the glass almost every time.
In this life, he hadnβt been spending his time indulging in debauchery, and his ability to hold his liquor was naturally far worse. Not long after, his mind became confused, and he couldnβt tell who was around him and what he was doing. The girl who poured him alcohol tried to slide her hand up his leg now and then, but he did nothing more than wrinkle his eyebrows and feebly push it away.
Xiao Chi, sitting next to him, frowned as he watched this scene. He only had a few drinks with the people he had business relations with and didnβt participate in the ridiculous games proposed by Hu Shaofeng, such as βwho rolls the highest number on the dice has to kiss the girl.β Sitting there, chaste and abstinent like a Buddhist monk who just hadnβt shaved his head yet, he looked very out of place yet all the more attractive because of it. Due to his good looks, it had been quite lively around him for a while.
His aloofness quickly drove most of the girls away, though. The few who remained did not dare to be presumptuous and sat there well-behaved, peeling melon seeds for him. However, Xiao Chi refused to eat them, disliking the heavy smell of the girlsβ perfumes.
He only watched Lin Jingzhe. He didnβt know the reason for Lin Jingzheβs sudden low mood, but he knew that the other man was probably drinking too much right now.
More than half of the bottle of liquor in front of him ended up in Lin Jingzheβs stomach, which caused his face to flush, making even his eyes slightly red. He was very good-looking, svelte and with fair, porcelain-like skin. Usually, his serious expression and imposing manner kept people at distance, but now, drunk, with an aggrieved and pitiful look on his face as if someone bullied him, he made others want to comfort him desperately.
Once Xiao Chi proved to be unmoved by their charms, the attention of almost all the girls nearby focused on Lin Jingzhe. Just now, there was even a hidden but fierce struggle about who would be pouring wine for him. Lin Jingzhe was completely unaware of this, though, or maybe his attention was not on it at all.
Hey! You there, youβre overdoing it! Your chest is almost stuck to his arm!
Seeing that this tasty morsel with no sense of self-protection was about to be devoured by a pack of wolves, Xiao Chi couldnβt endure any longer. Abandoning the girls who were still peeling the melon seeds that he didnβt eat, he walked to Lin Jingzheβs side and patted the shoulder of the girl whose actions were getting too bold, motioning for her to change positions with him.
The girl complied, joining the melon-seeds-peeling team with a bemused look on her face.
Xiao Chi grabbed Lin Jingzheβs hand holding the glass. βDonβt drink anymore,β he said in a low voice.
Lin Jingzhe squinted at him muzzily. After a moment, he recognized the other man and waved his free hand: βIβm fineββ
Seeing his appearance up close, Xiao Chi well understood why the girls, rather than focus on the pot-bellied, middle-aged bosses, had flocked to Lin Jingzhe and pursued him so aggressively. He sighed, pinched the young manβs chin, and looked into the big, liquid eyes. βYouβre drunk.β
Lin Jingzhe swatted his hand away.
Xiao Chi picked out a big slice of golden Hami melon from the fruit plate and stuffed it into his mouth. Lin Jingzhe calmed down immediately, held the melon slice with both hands, and focused on eating it.
He would bite off a piece with his front teeth, then chew it slowly and carefully. With this serious attitude and his big, round eyes, he resembled a little squirrel squatting on a tree branch and nibbling on a fruit!
Xiao Chi watched the youth eat the last piece and lick clean his juice-stained fingers, and couldnβt look away for a moment. Lin Jingzhe fell in a short daze after he finished eating, then moved as if he wanted to reach for the alcohol glass. Sharp-eyed, Xiao Chi quickly picked up a piece of watermelon and put it in his hand.
The party was in full swing on both sides of the private box, but the small area in the middle was calm and quiet. Xiao Chi spent the whole evening doing nothing but feeding Lin Jingzhe fruit!
And totally enjoyed it!
By the time Deng Mai finally managed to extricate himself from the bossesβ clutches, Lin Jingzheβs belly was full and round and his burps smelled of fruit wine. Immediately feeling his head pounding, Deng Mai lost all intentions of having more fun. After checking the time, he suggested they call it a night since they would spend the next day investigating and it would be best to be rested for that.
After getting up very early and spending a long time on the road, everyone was indeed feeling rather spent, and this proposal gained unanimous approval. It would take a while for the party to completely break up, however, so Dai Gaofeng asked the Changqing welcome team members to drive the drunk people to the guest house first.
Xiao Chi could only disgruntledly watch Lin Jingzhe be carried away by Deng Mai, as he still had something to talk about with Dai Gaofeng. By the time their discussion on the predicted land development in Changqing City finished, an hour passed.
During that time, he ate all the remaining fruits on the fruit plate under Dai Gaofengβs stunned gaze!
Although the party committee guest house was slightly better than other hotels in Changqing City, it was still very dated. Xiao Chi strode down the dimly lit corridor; it was already 1 a.m. and he was very tired, but no trace of fatigue was visible on his face. Dai Gaofeng and Mayor Cao walked next to him. They said they happened to be going the same way, but it was obvious they planned to follow him to his room.
Hu Shaofeng had long gotten himself drunk as a skunk and was carried to his room by the reception team members. Following the number written on the adhesive plaster stuck to the red key tag, he found his room, 608.
He opened the door and looked back. The expression on his face made the two men who wanted to follow him inside to continue to talk about business hesitate. Despite all Dai Gaofengβs power and influence in the business world, he was still intimidated by this distant nephew of his, who was unfathomable and had an incredible background. Xiao Chi eyed them, and asked in a low voice, βWould you like to come in?β
Dai Gaofeng stopped, glanced at his calm expression, and thought for a second. βNo, itβs so late already, you should rest.β
This investigation trip mightβve been organized by him but in fact, it was up to Xiao Chi whether the cooperation would actually take place. Mayor Cao originally wanted to strike the iron while itβs hot, but upon Dai Gaofengβs words, he could only give up. βYes, Mr. Xiao, you must be tired after the long journey. Letβs adjourn our discussion until tomorrow, shall we?β
They politely bid each other goodnight and parted ways. Xiao Chi closed the door and turned on the light, then with a long sigh of relief, took off his clothes and went to wash. He was nauseated by the smell of alcohol and tobacco absorbed by his clothes.
Xiao Chi took a bath and brushed his teeth, thinking back on the dayβs work and whether he had made any careless mistakes. He wanted a piece of Changqingβs big cake, and several favorably situated plots of land caught his eye. When Dai Gaofeng had asked about his intentions, he wasnβt exactly noncommittal, but he also wasnβt forthcoming. Dai Gaofeng might be his uncle, but the business world was a battlefield where everyone was a competitor. Xiao Chi always kept his cards very close to his chest; even Hu Shaofeng didnβt necessarily know all his plans and preparations.
He looked at himself in the mirror. His hair, wet after the bath, stuck to his well-defined face. His eyes looked too sharp so that without him intentionally exposing happiness or a good mood, he tended to give off the impression he was annoyed. He had long become used to people getting the wrong idea and walking on eggs around him.
Lin Jingzhe and he seemed to be complete opposites. The other man was always smiling. At the times when he didnβt smile, he looked just as unfathomable as Xiao Chi, but even then, he gave off the impression he was easy to get along with.
Xiao Chi blew dry his hair, ending up with a mop of fluffy curls. He put the prayer beads, which he had taken off for the bath, back on his wrist, and exited the bathroom.
He hung the completely unsuitable for the weather leather jacket in the closet, carefully smoothing out the folds. More sleepy with every second, he plodded towards the bed, getting rather dissatisfied with the accommodation along the way. The guest houseβs management seemed quite slackβthe water glasses on the table werenβt tidied up, and at least one seemed to have been used as it was still half full of water. In the corridor, Mayor Cao told him that his room had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, but now it seemed it had been just a polite remark to accommodate Xiao Chiβs foibles.
If it wasnβt for him being too sleepy, Xiao Chi would definitely walk out and find another hotel. The guest house staff didnβt even make the bed.
He climbed into bed and turned off the lights. Taking a whiff of what wasnβt exactly the fresh scent of clean sheets, he closed his eyes, displeased.
The next moment, his outstretched leg touched something, and he jolted up in shock.
Amitabha!
He hastily turned on the light and got up, his sharp gaze falling on the indistinct bulge on the other side of the large bed. He grabbed one corner of the comforter and violently threw it backβ
And saw the back of a head with close-cropped hair, which exposed the elegant shape of the skull, followed by a long, slender neck and a thin body. It was Lin Jingzhe, pitifully curled up on his side and trapped in a restless sleep.
Because of the cool night air that rushed in as the comforter was pulled back, he shivered with cold and curled up a little tighter. The shoulder and the upper part of his arm that somehow slipped out of the bathrobe broke out in goosebumps.
Xiao Chi, still in a state of shock, subconsciously tugged the comforter back over the youth and patted it apologetically.
What was going on? Wasnβt this supposed to be a single room? He hadnβt made a mistake, this was definitely room no. 608! Why was Lin Jingzhe here? Was there some mix-up with rooms?
Oblivious of his consternation, Lin Jingzhe continued to sleep. Apparently dreaming of something, he pressed his lips into a thin line and curled up into a tight ball. Then, silently, tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes.
This sight was like a bolt of lightning that blasted through Xiao Chiβs heart, giving him such a fright that he almost jumped up in shock.
Bodhisattva! Whatβs going on?! What should I do?!
Both Xiao Chiβs sleepiness and his usual composure disappeared without a trace. He stood beside the bed, completely at a loss, then dazedly spread out his hands, intending to do a βhuggie-huggie.β When he thought about it, however, he felt that this was silly so instead, he crouched down, took out a tissue, and gently wiped Lin Jingzheβs tears.
Lin Jingzhe cried very hard. In the beginning, he made no sound at all, but he probably felt that there was someone next to him, comforting him, and began to whimper quietly, his huddled-up body shaking with sobs. He looked pitiful, like a little mouse nobody wanted, and his nose was red from crying.
As he cried, he murmured something in his sleep, but Xiao Chi couldnβt hear it clearly. He shook the youth a few times but didnβt dare to use any force so of course, he failed to wake him up.
What should I do?!
He gripped the tissue, his heart aching with distress, his mind completely blank.
Mr. Xiao Chi encountered the direst crisis he had ever faced in his 23-year-old life!
Translator’s Notes:
- “βQiaqiaβ from Du Fuβs poem?” – ζ°ζ° [qiΓ qiΓ ] in the poem is onomatopoeia for orioles singing.
- βUnrestrained, the lovely orioles cry’ – a line from the poem (or rather, a series of seven four-line poems) ζ±ηη¬ζ₯ε―»θ± – Alone, Looking For Blossoms Along The River. It comes from the sixth one, which is the most well-known. I borrowed this line from this translation, but there are many, many other, professional and amateur.
- “Drinking this cup of wine will shorten my life, right?”Β [ζε£½] – to have one’s allotted portion of life reduced (by having and getting more than one deserves, by adopting bad habits, etc.). You know, because it’s unfilial.
- “At that time, the places of night entertainment still had a name that for Lin Jingzhe felt very datedβnightclub“ – try as I might, I didn’t find a way to translate this that would make sense without an explanation. The word Lin Jingzhe used is ε€ζ»δΌ, which apparently feels “old.” A poster on one forum wrote, “for me, this word conjures up images of 1930s Shanghai, with everyone arriving in chauffeur-driven cars or rickshaws to sit down and watch the band, and perhaps waltz.” I was a bit tempted to use “disco,” which similarly is a dated term in English, but they’re quite different establishments. (Btw, it’s about modern nightclubs, but you can check this post out: 7 Ways China Does Nightlife Differently.)
- “Like a Buddhist monk who hadn’t shaved his head yet” – after an individual takes a vow to become a monk, he will have his head shaved. This activity serves as a symbol of renouncing worldly attachments. That is to say, shaving the head shows a monkβs freedom from the awful grip of worldly desires. (Source)
- “Xiao Chi picked out a big slice of golden Hami melon…” – in Mandarin, εε―η means both Hami melon and cantaloupe. I went with Hami melon.
Translator: Eques
Editor: Austera
Consultant: Austera
Eques:
My favorite translation of the sixth poem is this one, I think:
At Madame Huang’s house, blossoms fill the paths:
Thousands, tens of thousands haul the branches down.
And butterflies linger playfully β an unbroken
Dance floating to songs orioles sing at their ease.
(Translated by David Hinton. Source)
Ah! First! Thank you for the update!
Thank you so much for the update!
I hope that there won’t be a misunderstanding when Lin Jingzhe wakes up.
Pfft. Sorry, sorry, but our ML’s just too cute with his reactions at rhe sight of the sleeping MC. Hngg, though I feel so sad for him because he’s the one who got left behind by his father and mother for different circumstances. It sucks, that feeling of not fitting in and wondering why your parents even had you if they never loved you or choose you.
I look forward to what will happen in the morning hahahah.
Thank you so much for this update!
Thanks for the update! (β‘Β΄β½`β‘)β‘
Lin Jingzhe crying, oh noe π
Ahhh, what a terrible time to meet his mother. Is there ever a good time though? XC ε ζ²Ή (ΰΈ β’_β’)ΰΈ !!!!!! Thanks for the chapter <3
Well, dear “mother”…. that was indeed your son. And now he’s having bad dreams bc of you guys. But at least he has company out of nowhere.
I’m looking forward to the next morning xDD And it’s funny (sry) to see XC so frantic and helpless.
Thx for the ch (γ Λγ Λ)
Poor Jingzhe:(
Thank you so much! Looking towards next chapter <3
First of all, it’s heartbreaking to see the always smiling Lin Jingzhe suffer like this. The crying bit is tugging at my heartstrings π
And second of all — how come Xiao Chi is oh so smart, skilled in business and all that, but when it comes to Lin Jingzhe he sounds like his last brain cell struggling ππ he’s just too cute ^^
Thank you for the great translation! πΊπ
LOL.
I’m sorry, Lin Jingzhe, but thank you for making the young master flustered.
Hilarious πππ
Thank you for the update β€οΈ
Pitiful Lin Jingzhe πππ I just hope that the mother gets the karma she deserved for all the things she has done that hurt Jingzhe π π
Thanks for the translation! ππ
Oh dear. This could go either very well or very badly depending on how he handles it.