{"id":12564,"date":"2020-08-10T12:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T16:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=12564"},"modified":"2025-09-08T18:33:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T22:33:24","slug":"death-progress-bar-97","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/death-progress-bar-97\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Progress Bar 97"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The\u00a0 mountain trails were all carefully constructed with a gentle incline, perfect for taking a walk. Now and then, there were also pavilions along the path, both large and small, no two the same. Packaged food and water were left thoughtfully on the stone tables inside.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin and Lian Jun walked slowly, holding hands, chatting about everyday things. In order not to put too much strain on Lian Jun\u2019s legs, Shi Jin asked for a break every time they passed a pavilion. By the third one, he finally noticed something wasn\u2019t right\u2014the food left in each pavilion was different. The first two pavilions held some ready-made snacks, nothing out of the ordinary, but when they arrived at the third one, what waited inside was a food box.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin could no longer deceive himself and pretend that this was something the resort provided for the guests. He looked at Lian Jun. \u201cDid you prepare all of these?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYeah, I was afraid you\u2019d get hungry. We\u2019re climbing up a mountain, after all, it\u2019s physical work,\u201d Lian Jun replied, taking a plate of <\/span>sweet-scented osmanthus cake<\/span><\/a> from the insulated food box on the table and putting it in front of Shi Jin. \u201cThis was made from the first batch of <\/span>osmanthus<\/span><\/a> flowers blooming this year, have a taste.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The mountain breeze caressed their faces, bringing with it the refreshing touch of the early morning, and a burst of the light fragrance of rice wine.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin eyed the food box with a keen gaze.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou really have a dog\u2019s nose, you sniffed it out.\u201d Lian Jun smiled and took out a bowl of glutinous rice dumplings in sweet fermented rice soup<\/a>, saying, \u201cYou\u2019re only allowed to drink a little\u2014eating too much during exercise will give you a stomach ache.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThen why did you prepare so much food\u2026\u201d Shi Jin muttered, but obediently restrained himself to two pieces of osmanthus cake and a few mouthfuls of the soup. Once he was done, he patted his belly and sighed with satisfaction. \u201c…<\/span>Ah<\/span><\/em>, it was delicious!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The smile on Lian Jun\u2019s face deepened, and he reached out to pinch the younger man\u2019s face. \u201cYour acting is too exaggerated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhat acting? I really do think this is delicious. Did a cook at the resort make these? When we leave, can I get some packed to take away?\u201d Shi Jin asked, dead earnest, pulling his hand down and holding it.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun returned his hold<\/span> and nodded. \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin leaned over and gave him a thank-you kiss, then got up. They continued up the mountain, still holding each other\u2019s hands.<\/span><\/p>

Since they kept a slow pace and took frequent breaks, they didn\u2019t reach the top of the mountain until after 10 o\u2019clock. At that hour, the sun was already quite high in the sky, but fortunately, they were at a high enough altitude that they didn\u2019t feel the heat.<\/span><\/p>

There was also a pavilion on the terrace at the top of the mountain. As usual, there was a food box inside.<\/span><\/p>

This time, Shi Jin didn\u2019t rush to see what delicious things awaited him inside the box. Instead, as soon as they arrived, he helped Lian Jun to sit on the bench and squatted down to touch his legs.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, it really doesn\u2019t hurt.\u201d Lian Jun bent down to grab his hands.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin looked at him with a frown. \u201cYour forehead is covered with sweat, I don\u2019t believe you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m hot,\u201d Lian Jun justified himself.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe temperature up here isn\u2019t that high\u2014I\u2019m not hot so why would you be <\/span>this<\/span><\/em> hot?\u201d Shi Jin wasn\u2019t that easy to fool. He rolled up his lover\u2019s trouser legs and began to carefully knead his calves and knees. When he found that they were trembling, his expression instantly turned ugly.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s just normal trembling after exercise, nothing more. It will be fine after a while,\u201d Lian Jun hastily explained.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI know,\u201d Shi Jin replied, getting up and sitting on a stool next to Lian Jun. He put one of his legs on his lap and massaged it as he continued, \u201cIn the beginning, your whole leg used to tremble, but now it\u2019s only your lower legs. It\u2019s much better than before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun looked at his lowered head and reached out to give it a gentle touch, calling out, \u201cShi Jin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI was negligent, I shouldn\u2019t have let you walk so far. This is a bit too much of a workout for one day.\u201d Shi Jin adjusted his mood and raised his head to look at him. \u201cYou\u2019re not allowed to do this in the future, no more bravado. If you\u2019re uncomfortable, tell me right away\u2014our goal is to make your body strong enough for treatment. We mustn\u2019t be careless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

When Lian Jun saw him like that, he couldn\u2019t say anything other than, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I was wrong. I\u2019ll make it up to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cEmpty talk,\u201d Shi Jin snorted coldly, motioning for him to change legs.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun complied, obedient, then leaned over to take the food box from the table. \u201cIt\u2019s not empty talk, I am prepared.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m not hungry at all, trying to coax me with food is useless,\u201d Shi Jin firmly refused to be bribed.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun smiled and reached into the food box. He took something out of it and offered it to his lover.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin reluctantly shifted his gaze to glance over.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations<\/a>. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Resting on the palm of Lian Jun\u2019s outspread hand, there lay a beautifully cut, dark blue diamond, scattering a brilliant pale blue halo in the sunlight.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin\u2019s hands paused in their kneading of Lian Jun\u2019s leg, and he looked up at Lian Jun in a daze.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis diamond was supposed to be set in the engagement ring I gave you.\u201d Lian Jun rolled the small stone around the hollow of his hand, and he poked a dimple in Shi Jin\u2019s face with a smile. \u201cBut then I hesitated, thinking what if you don\u2019t like this color, or what if you don\u2019t like diamonds? So I asked you in a roundabout way, and you said that gold looks best.\u201d He gave Shi Jin a helpless look.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin was immediately embarrassed as he remembered the moment Lian Jun made his oblique inquiry, and he also remembered the way he answered.<\/span><\/p>

At the time, he and Lian Jun were playing mahjong together. Out of the blue, Lian Jun asked him what kind of accessory Shi Jin would like on the hands of their avatars in-game, because he wanted to change their couple\u2019s skin. Back then, he didn\u2019t make the connection and wasn\u2019t even a little bit suspicious\u2014in the game, the hands were particularly visible because they appeared on the screen touching tiles when the player made a move, so it was normal to ask something like that.<\/span><\/p>

And so, he gave a straightforward reply: Naturally, a big gold ring<\/a> was the best! Gold was better than diamonds and jade because it straight out represented wealth! The auspicious symbol for the win!<\/span><\/p>

…It turned out that that was Lian Jun feeling out his preference for rings.<\/span><\/p>

He looked at the food box in Lian Jun\u2019s hand in silence, his heart giving rise to a sudden ominous premonition.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun glanced at him with a smile, stuffed the blue diamond into his hand, and pulled something else out of the food box, presenting it to him.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin swallowed his saliva stiffly.<\/span><\/p>

This time, it was a large gold ring lying on that pale palm, meticulously customized to look like the one that the character in the mahjong game wore. It looked very expensive and ostentatious, enough to make people cringe at the break through the fourth wall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou, you actually really\u2026\u201d Shi Jin took a breath, then gritted his teeth and reached for the ring. \u201cIt\u2019s very good, I like it. And, my answer is yes.\u201d He chose this engagement ring himself, so he would own up to it and wear it!<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun had a rare moment of being stunned, then chuckled. He put down the leg that had been resting on Shi Jin\u2019s lap and reached out to pull him into a hug, sighing through his smile, \u201cDidn\u2019t you agree too easily?\u201d There were no flowers, no candlelight dinner, no beautiful ring, and even the wedding proposal was like a casual interlude during their walk. How could this man be unbothered by all of that and just agree so simply?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin looked at him, his eyes serious. \u201cWhat do you mean, too easily? I was just being frank and honest. With the kind of relationship that we have, why would I put on any kind of act?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes, frank and honest, my mistake.\u201d Lian Jun smiled contentedly and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Pulling back all of a sudden, he took the big gold ring from his hand. With a slight twist, it clicked and split into two, a delicate chain tumbling from the inside\u2014it turned out to be hollow. Lian Jun grabbed the chain and pulled, and a simple, elegant, platinum ring set with yellow diamonds fell out.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin\u2019s eyes widened.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cThis is the actual engagement ring. I was just trying to tease you with that first one, but who could have known you would agree so easily; it didn\u2019t even faze you.\u201d Lian Jun took the ring off the chain and slipped it onto Shi Jin\u2019s finger, finding it a perfect fit. He admired it for a moment, unable to resist pressing a kiss to his lover\u2019s fingers. \u201cDo you like it?\u201d he asked. \u201cIt\u2019s not gold, but when the diamonds are set in a circle like this, it looks like gold from a distance. It was made according to my instructions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Where did it look like gold? It was much more beautiful than that!<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s real engagement ring was simple and slim. It was inlaid with small, flawless diamonds, superbly cut\u2014despite being bright yellow, once they were set next to each other, the halo reflecting off the diamonds made the ring seem much softer, completely different from the shine of gold.<\/span><\/p>

Stunned, Shi Jin touched the ring and asked, \u201cDid you design it yourself?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNot completely, I also consulted several master jewelers,\u201d Lian Jun replied, then asked again, \u201cDo you like it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

How could Shi Jin not like it? His beloved put so much thought into it, he would\u2019ve loved it no matter how it looked.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin answered with actions rather than words. Hugging Lian Jun, he pulled him into a kiss, closing his eyes. Lian Jun smiled as he returned the hold, and kissed back, full of tenderness.<\/span><\/p>

Out of nowhere, a small metal crate slid down a zipline and stopped over the pavilion, opening with a bang to release countless rose petals. By some lucky coincidence, the mountain breeze blew just at that moment, making them dance in the air and flutter into the pavilion.<\/span><\/p>

Startled by the sound, Shi Jin let go of Lian Jun and looked up, only to be shocked by the exaggerated scene of the petals floating everywhere. \u201cWhat the heck is this?\u201d he asked, utterly unromantic. There were so many petals they almost blotted out the sky, it looked odd and scary.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe flowers I\u2019m giving you\u2014how could there be a proposal without flowers? But it doesn\u2019t seem like you like them very much,\u201d Lian Jun explained, holding out a hand to catch a petal as it came fluttering down. He soon discovered that Shi Jin was not pleasantly surprised, but instead he had <\/span>\u2018so inside, you\u2019re actually\u2026 <\/span><\/em>this <\/span>kind of person\u2019<\/span><\/em> written all over his face. He looked like he wanted to say he liked them but just couldn\u2019t force himself to do so.<\/span><\/p>

Inside his mind, Lian Jun immediately put a big black mark next to Gua Two\u2019s name, the one to come up with the idea. He bent over to roll down his trouser legs, trying to ignore the omnipresent petals, then rose and took out a small fabric bag from the food box, putting it into Shi Jin\u2019s hand. \u201cIt\u2019s getting late, let\u2019s take the cable car down the mountain,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin was finally rescued from the awkwardness of wanting to praise the beauty of the petal rain but not being able to. He took the small bag and stuffed it straight into his pocket, asking, \u201cThere\u2019s a cable car here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes, it\u2019s for guests who don\u2019t want to climb the mountain but want to see the scenery. It\u2019s on the other side of the mountain\u2014we\u2019ll reach it if we follow this road for a short while.\u201d Lian Jun pointed to the right, where the path through the forest forked off.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin felt it was a bit of a pity. \u201cEh, and here I was going to carry you down the mountain, that would be so romantic\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun didn\u2019t think it would be romantic to be carried down the mountain by a lover eight years younger than him. He gave Shi Jin a deep look, took his hand, and decisively tugged him towards the fork in the path.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin refused to give up. \u201cThen why don\u2019t I at least carry you to the cable car, your legs\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m fine, I\u2019ve had enough rest and it\u2019s not far,\u201d Lian Jun hurried to interrupt him.<\/span><\/p>

Acknowledging his refusal, Shi Jin let himself be led to the side path, sighing with regret.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The cable car station was indeed close by\u2014they only needed to walk for a few minutes, and there was already a staff member waiting for them when they arrived. They bent down to get into a very spacious cable car\u2026 and a table filled with food appeared in front of Shi Jin.<\/span><\/p>

He was stunned once more.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNaturally, a proposal should be accompanied by a sumptuous meal,\u201d Lian Jun said, ushering him into a seat and buckling his seat belt. He sat opposite him, buckled himself in as well, and motioned to the staff member outside to start the cable car.<\/span><\/p>

Immediately, the cable car began to glide steadily along the ropeway, and soon rose over the mountain and hung in the mid-air. Outside, the stunning vista of the mountains, the sky, and the distant city came into view, the scenery enough to relax anybody in an instant.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin stared without even realizing it, mesmerized.<\/span><\/p>

In order to maintain stability, the cable car moved at a snail\u2019s pace. It took a long time to reach the place with the most spectacular view, where it came to a gentle stop.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun leaned forward and touched Shi Jin. \u201cAre you scared?\u201d he asked softly.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin returned to himself and shook his head, looking away from the scenery outside. \u201cNo!\u201d Eating while they were hanging between the green mountains and white clouds was a really exciting experience. He loved it!<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThen next time we come here, let\u2019s go stargazing like this.\u201d Lian Jun arranged the tableware for him, then poured him some wine and himself fruit juice. Raising his glass, he said, \u201cNext time, I\u2019ll drink with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin looked at his lover\u2019s tender smile full of affection, and his heart flooded with warmth. He picked up his glass with a smile and clinked it against Lian Jun\u2019s. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations<\/a>. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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It was past noon before they reached the lower station of the cable car. After they got off, Shi Jin, who had drunk a little, asked to borrow an electric sightseeing car<\/a> from the resort staff. Then he let Lian Jun sit next to him and took him for a drive around the resort.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou\u2019re drunk-driving,\u201d Lian Jun accused him, mock-serious.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin snorted with disdain. He put one arm around his lover\u2019s waist and held the steering wheel with only one hand, and said proudly, \u201cSo what? With a beauty in my arms, even if I die in the next second, I\u2019ll die without regrets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun slapped his hand off and gave him a warning look.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Realizing he\u2019d said the wrong thing, Shi Jin snatched back his hand and slapped his mouth, then gave Lian Jun a fawning smile. After that, he behaved and kept both of his hands on the steering wheel, happily driving towards their villa.<\/span><\/p>

From the side of the road, Gua Nine caught a glance of a wretched drunk cruising by with a beauty\u2014oops<\/em>, his boss in his arms. His eyebrows twitched, then he resolutely pretended he hadn\u2019t seen anything. Rubbing his eyes which seemed to hurt for some reason, he went down a side path, heading to his own residence.<\/span><\/p>

No one sleeps like a drunk does. When Shi Jin, who had only laid down to take a nap with Lian Jun, opened his eyes again, he found that it was already dark, and he was half-lying in a car heading back to the club, held in Lian Jun\u2019s arms.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhy are we going back? We haven\u2019t met up with Aunt Lu yet,\u201d he asked, confused. He didn\u2019t realize at all that seeing Lu Shan had just been an excuse.<\/span><\/p>

Gua Two, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and looked at him like he was an idiot.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun just smiled without replying, touching the ring on Shi Jin\u2019s finger with a contented expression.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Two days later, Lian Jun specially made time to accompany Shi Jin to the orphanage to meet Jian Chenghua. It was only then that Shi Jin had the belated realisation that the trip to the resort was actually a date Lian Jun had planned out\u2014or, to be more precise, a proposal date.<\/span><\/p>

He was so embarrassed that he wanted to kill his fool self, and madly poked Xiao Si in his mind: \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you remind me?! My reaction to the whole date was so dull, wasn\u2019t Lian Jun disappointed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Xiao Si stammered out, < Actually, I, I didn\u2019t realize it either\u2026 But never mind! Your reaction was perfect, Darling was very happy, he absolutely wasn\u2019t disappointed! Believe me! ><\/span><\/p>

Recalling that the system was abnormally silent throughout the course of Lian Jun\u2019s proposal, Shi Jin immediately became suspicious. \u201cYou knew about Lian Jun\u2019s plan already, didn\u2019t you?\u201d he asked. \u201cIt was weird for you to be so quiet back then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Xiao Si\u2019s voice instantly rose: < N-no, I didn\u2019t! I didn\u2019t eavesdrop on the phone call between Darling and Gua Two, and I haven\u2019t deliberately trained myself to hold back my voice because I wanted to watch! I\u2019m-I\u2019m being unjustly accused! ><\/span><\/p>

The lady doth protest too much<\/span><\/em>. Angry, Shi Jin mercilessly closed Xiao Si in the \u201csmall black room\u201d for three minutes. Ignoring its crying, he looked at Lian Jun sitting beside him.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun was dressed more somber and low-key today, in a simple and elegant black robe without any patterns, a white brooch pinned to his chest. Shi Jin glanced at his own white shirt and black trousers, and his expression turned solemn.<\/span><\/p>

This time, the main purpose of the trip was to visit Jian Jinwen\u2019s grave. Before they left, he made a call to Jian Chenghua and briefly told him about his family and life experience, without concealing anything.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations<\/a>. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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They picked up Jian Chenghua, who\u2019d been waiting at the gate of the orphanage, and went to their destination together.<\/span><\/p>

After he\u2019d gotten in the car, Jian Chenghua kept looking at Shi Jin with a hesitant expression, letting out the occasional sigh.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin smiled at him and said comfortingly, \u201cThe past is the past. I don\u2019t resent my origins\u2014the future is more important. And I\u2019m doing very well now, and things will become even better in the future, so you don\u2019t have to worry about me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Since Shi Jin took the initiative to bring the subject up on his own, Jian Chenghua couldn\u2019t hold back any longer. Sighing, he said, \u201cI just think\u2026 No, never mind, it\u2019s good that you look at it like that. I was worried that you\u2019d have the same personality as Jinwen, too sensitive and considerate. Yes, people should look forward to the future. Since you\u2019re doing well, I can rest easy as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin nodded and smiled, offering a few more soothing words before he mentioned his studies, immediately drawing the old man\u2019s attention away from the previous topic.<\/span><\/p>

The atmosphere in the car relaxed. As Jian Chenghua let go of the weight on his mind, he regarded Lian Jun, who had kept silent beside Shi Jin the whole time, and said politely, \u201cI\u2019m sorry for my negligence, may I ask who\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cMy boyfriend,\u201d Shi Jin replied with pride. Gesturing towards his ring finger, he smiled and added, \u201cOr I should say, fianc\u00e9 now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s lips curled upon hearing this, and he greeted the old man politely.<\/span><\/p>

Jian Chenghua was stunned. He looked back and forth between the two of them and said a few words of congratulations in a daze.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin thanked him with a smile, then took Lian Jun\u2019s hand and squeezed it gently. He was a little excited\u2014this could be considered introducing Lian Jun to his family, right? It felt cool.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun turned his head to glance at him, squeezing his hand back.<\/span><\/p>

The interaction between the two was completely natural and almost too sweet. After recovering from his initial surprise, Jian Chenghua observed them carefully. When they looked at each other, their expressions would unconsciously soften and turn gentle\u2014it was apparent they were truly fond of each other, and it wasn\u2019t that Shi Jin was being coerced or anything like that. His poor Jinwen left too early and hadn\u2019t managed to meet the right person, but fortunately, Shi Jin had already found someone to spend his life with, good, good.<\/span><\/p>

The three arrived at the cemetery, each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts. When they got off and Jian Chenghua saw that Lian Jun needed to use a wheelchair, he was visibly shocked for a moment. Eyebrows wrinkling, he glanced at Shi Jin with distress.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun noticed the change in the old man\u2019s eyes and his hands, which were resting on the wheelchair\u2019s armrests, lowered to fold over his abdomen.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin pushed Lian Jun and followed Jian Chenghua to a grave under a tree.<\/span><\/p>

Jian Jinwen\u2019s tomb was very simple\u2014just a small, four-sided structure with a plain gravestone, without even a picture.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cJinwen said he wanted things to be kept simple after he died. I didn\u2019t want him to be unhappy in the afterlife because he didn\u2019t like his grave, so I did everything according to his wishes,\u201d Jiang Chenghua explained, crouching down to wipe the tombstone.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin hurried to help. Together with Jian Chenghua, he carefully swept the tomb, repainted the inscription on the tombstone, burned <\/span>joss paper<\/span><\/a>, and finally, solemnly lit a stick of incense.<\/span><\/p>

Jian Chenghua kept on talking to the tombstone, just as if he was chatting with Jian Jinwen. He introduced Shi Jin and Lian Jun, and gave a general account of Shi Jin\u2019s life experience; he intentionally avoided talking about the issue with Shi Xingrui, for fear that hearing it would make Jian Jinwen upset.<\/span><\/p>

When the visit was almost finished, Shi Jin, under Jian Chenghua\u2019s hopeful but embarrassed gaze, faced the tombstone and called out \u201cUncle\u201d to Jian Jinwen. The old man\u2019s eyes went red at once; he wiped them and stuffed Shi Jin with a red envelope in Jian Jinwen\u2019s stead, saying it was a gift from an uncle to a nephew upon their first meeting.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin didn\u2019t refuse but accepted it solemnly, and asked if he could call Jian Chenghua \u201cgrandfather\u201d.<\/span><\/p>

Jian Chenghua was taken by surprise and couldn\u2019t hold back his tears any longer. He hugged Shi Jin and cried as he agreed, babbling in some native dialect that Shi Jin didn\u2019t understand. Shi Jin consoled the old man carefully, letting out a soft sigh in his heart.<\/span><\/p>

If this could bring some comfort to the old man who had been suffering for a lifetime, he was willing to shoulder the duty of the younger generation.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In the end, Shi Jin returned to the club with two red envelopes and an ancestral jade bracelet.<\/span><\/p>

Putting on a serious expression, Shi Jin held up the bracelet and said, \u201cGrandpa told me that this is an heirloom of the Jian family. Every generation, a son will receive this bracelet from his mother and put it on his wife\u2019s hand upon their marriage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun raised his head and eyed him, then continued to look through the documents.<\/span><\/p>

Refusing to give up on the mischief-making, Shi Jin leaned over and touched the hand that was turning the pages.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun let him do whatever he wanted.<\/span><\/p>

Overjoyed, Shi Jin proceeded to try to put the bracelet on his wrist. However, after trying for a while, he was shocked to find that the bracelet was too small for Lian Jun to wear, and wilted like a week-old lettuce leaf under the blow of this discovery.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis bracelet is obviously made to fit a girl. Although I\u2019m thin, I still have a man\u2019s frame.\u201d Lian Jun took back his hand and patted Shi Jin on the head, saying, \u201cStudy more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

You mean, I\u2019m stupid so I should study more?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Shi Jin gave him an expressionless look, shook his head to throw off his hand, and left with the bracelet.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun watched him leave. As he glanced at the calendar on the desk, his warm expression drew in a little and his lips tightened\u2014tomorrow, Shi Jin was leaving for school. He wouldn\u2019t be back for at least two months, until the military training finished.<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s too long. I don\u2019t want Shi Jin to leave.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Translator\u2019<\/span>s Notes:<\/h3>
  1. “The lady doth protest too much”<\/strong><\/span><\/em> – <\/span><\/i>lit. ‘No 300 taels of silver buried here’<\/em> [\u6b64\u5730\u7121\u9280\u4e09\u767e\u5169]. It’s an idiom commonly used to describe that a guilty person gives himself away by conspicuously protesting his innocence, or a very poor lie that instead reveals what one intends to hide. (The story behind the idiom<\/a>)<\/span><\/li>
  2. “The real engagement ring was simple and slim. It was inlaid with small, flawless diamonds, superbly cut…”<\/strong><\/em> – my guess is, it looks similar to an eternity ring. I searched for some photos of platinum and yellow diamonds men’s rings, and below are the two I liked the best. What do you guys think?<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>

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    Translator: Eques<\/em>
    Editor: Con
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    Eques:<\/h3>

    Sorry for missing the update last week, I was busy. I’ll work on making up for the missed chapters, but it won’t happen\u00a0 this month.<\/p>

    Also, this chapter THIS CHAPTER AAARGH<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":11238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[66,35,67,39,69,37],"class_list":["post-12564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dpb","tag-betrayal","tag-bl","tag-comedy","tag-modern","tag-system","tag-transmigration"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/cdv-e1584612887502.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12564"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15135,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12564\/revisions\/15135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}