{"id":14760,"date":"2021-06-05T12:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-06-05T16:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=14760"},"modified":"2021-06-26T12:16:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-26T16:16:21","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-40-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-40-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 40.2"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"14760\" class=\"elementor elementor-14760\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f035568 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f035568\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 40.2<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67aa1986 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"67aa1986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32971be7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32971be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is Jiang Qiaqia, my wife and also the general manager of Qiqing Real Estate,\u201d Qi Qing said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He whispered in his wife\u2019s ear: \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you? You\u2019ve been quiet since a few minutes ago. Those people are big bosses and very important, so don\u2019t be absent-minded!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jiang Qiaqia opened her mouth but didn\u2019t know how to explain herself. Ever since seeing Lin Jingzhe, she felt very strange, especially after hearing the young man\u2019s name.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It threw her mind into confusion, to the point that she even considered a completely ridiculous possibility, and she almost panicked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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. \u201c\u2018Qiaqia\u2019 from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Du_Fu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Fu<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s poem? <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Unrestrained, the lovely orioles cry.\u2019<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your parents must have loved you very much since they took so much care in finding a beautiful name for you, Ms. Jiang.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jiang Qiaqia forced herself to smile. \u201cMy father was a little bookish.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should just be the same name, right? And from what he said, he seems to have never been to Qunnan<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>.<\/em> After Jiang Qiaqia thought it through, she felt that the vague suspicion that had appeared in her heart was completely absurd.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A warm smile again appeared on her face, and she took the bottle and refilled Lin Jingzhe\u2019s glass. \u201cMr. Lin\u2019s name is also very nice. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E9%A9%9A%E8%9F%84#Chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Jingzhe<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u2019 the third solar term when nature reawakens after the winter sleep. Your family must have high expectations for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cReally?\u201d Lin Jingzhe asked softly, eyes trained on her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWithout a doubt!\u201d Jiang Qiaqia said with an ingratiating smile. \u201cIn honor of your name, Mr. Lin, let me toast you!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mother didn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drinking this cup of wine will shorten my life, right?<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> he thought <\/span>self-deprecatingly<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The glass barely touched his lips before he put it aside on the table, apathetic.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He hadn\u2019t 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 <\/span>avoiding the issue<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but couldn\u2019t he be allowed to be a coward for once? In his previous life, Jiang Qiaqia and Qi Qing shattered his life, his world, his <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">everything<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He\u2019d been a loser crushed under their feet, suffering a complete defeat at their hands.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe hardly dared to recall the scene of his confrontation with Jiang Qiaqia, when he went to find her after he\u2019d learned the truth after his father\u2019s death. It had become a permanent fixture in his dreamworld, a recurring nightmare haunting his nights ever since.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was around \u201898, approaching the new millennium. Qunnan was experiencing an economic boom, and Qiqing Real Estate had become the largest real estate company in Qunnan Province.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to the backing bought by the \u201cgift\u201d of antiques, local policies tended to favor the company, allowing it to develop with <\/span>dizzying speed<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It had even already become a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">publicly listed company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 didn\u2019t dare to <\/span>take his anger out<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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 <\/span>individual<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shareholders, she could easily oust Qi Qing from his position as chairman of the board.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of that, the \u201cfruit of their love\u201d had already been born, making their family structure a solid and unbreakable triangle.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was only to give him money, like paying off a blackmailer that kept harassing her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe threw the money back in her face, but this made him completely disheartened, and his foul temper flared up. He didn\u2019t 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 \u201cfruit of love,\u201d though he would never do that.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But no amount of retaliation could turn back time nor change the facts.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jiang Qiaqia didn\u2019t love him\u2014rather, she despised him and avoided him like a venomous viper. All her previous affection was just so she could make use of him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 didn\u2019t finish the glass of alcohol she poured him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He probably should\u2019ve been feeling exultant but in fact, he just didn\u2019t want to concern himself with this person anymore.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25b4a2b elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"25b4a2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45b7275 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"45b7275\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that bottle of Maotai, Wang Quan changed himself <\/span>from an outsider to an insider<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Perhaps there had been some kind of discussion but anyway, Wang Quan didn\u2019t go back after toasting everyone; as the dinner was about finished at the time, he volunteered to <\/span>arrange the next event<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What kind of activities could old bosses do in the evening? Lin Jingzhe really didn\u2019t 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 wouldn\u2019t be good for him to come off as unsociable, so he had no choice but to come along.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that time, the places of night entertainment still had a name that for Lin Jingzhe felt very dated\u2014nightclubs.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changqing abounded with factories and mines, which were very lucrative businesses. <\/span><em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nouveau_riche\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nouveau riche<\/span><\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meant <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Conspicuous_consumption\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conspicuous consumption<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; consequently, the nightclubs in Changqing City were no less luxurious than most of the well-known clubs in Yan City.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wang Quan was clearly a regular here. When he appeared, bringing a group of people with him, the nightclub\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Jingzhe glanced towards Qi Qing\u2019s side. Jiang Qiaqia didn\u2019t seem to mind the situation at all. Why did she marry Qi Qing? Qi Qing didn\u2019t seem to respect her at all, and even eagerly had a drink with the girl who poured him alcohol.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>This<\/em> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was the marriage for which she<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gave up everything?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe waved off the girl who sat next to him. He poured a glass for himself, then tossed the drink down.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe was in a bad mood. He drank pretty much every toast raised to him, draining the glass almost every time.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this life, he hadn\u2019t 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 couldn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 didn\u2019t participate in the ridiculous games proposed by Hu Shaofeng, such as <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cwho rolls the highest number on the dice has to kiss the girl.<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201d<\/em> Sitting there, chaste and abstinent like a Buddhist monk who just hadn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 girls\u2019 perfumes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He only watched Lin Jingzhe. He didn\u2019t know the reason for Lin Jingzhe\u2019s sudden low mood, but he knew that the other man was probably drinking too much right now.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than half of the bottle of liquor in front of him ended up in Lin Jingzhe\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hey! You there, you\u2019re overdoing it! Your chest is almost stuck to his arm!<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing that this tasty morsel with no sense of self-protection was about to be devoured by a pack of wolves, Xiao Chi couldn\u2019t endure any longer. Abandoning the girls who were still peeling the melon seeds that he didn\u2019t eat, he walked to Lin Jingzhe\u2019s side and patted the shoulder of the girl whose actions were getting too bold, motioning for her to change positions with him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The girl complied, joining the melon-seeds-peeling team with a bemused look on her face.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi grabbed Lin Jingzhe\u2019s hand holding the glass. \u201cDon\u2019t drink anymore,\u201d he said in a low voice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe squinted at him muzzily. After a moment, he recognized the other man and waved his free hand: \u201cI\u2019m fine\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2fef132 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2fef132\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <\/span>pursued him so aggressively<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He sighed, pinched the young man\u2019s chin, and looked into the big, liquid eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re drunk.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe swatted his hand away.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi picked out a big slice of golden <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hami_melon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hami melon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He would bite off a piece with his <\/span>front teeth<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 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!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi watched the youth eat the last piece and lick clean his juice-stained fingers, and couldn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And totally enjoyed it!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the time Deng Mai finally managed to extricate himself from the bosses\u2019 clutches, Lin Jingzhe\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During that time, he ate all the remaining fruits on the fruit plate under Dai Gaofeng\u2019s stunned gaze!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/plaster.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adhesive plaster<\/a> stuck to the red key tag, he found his room, 608.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 Gaofeng\u2019s 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, \u201cWould you like to come in?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dai Gaofeng stopped, glanced at his calm expression, and thought for a second. \u201cNo, it\u2019s so late already, you should rest.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This investigation trip might\u2019ve 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 it\u2019s hot, but upon Dai Gaofeng\u2019s words, he could only give up. \u201cYes, Mr. Xiao, you must be tired after the long journey. Let\u2019s adjourn our discussion until tomorrow, shall we?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d210a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d210a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi took a bath and brushed his teeth, thinking back on the day\u2019s work and whether he had made any careless mistakes. He wanted a piece of Changqing\u2019s big cake, and several favorably situated plots of land caught his eye. When Dai Gaofeng had asked about his intentions, he wasn\u2019t exactly noncommittal, but he also wasn\u2019t 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 didn\u2019t necessarily know all his plans and preparations.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe and he seemed to be complete opposites. The other man was always smiling. At the times when he didn\u2019t smile, he looked just as unfathomable as Xiao Chi, but even then, he gave off the impression he was easy to get along with.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 house\u2019s management seemed quite slack\u2014the water glasses on the table weren\u2019t 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 Chi\u2019s foibles.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it wasn\u2019t for him being too sleepy, Xiao Chi would definitely walk out and find another hotel. The guest house staff didn\u2019t even make the bed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He climbed into bed and turned off the lights. Taking a whiff of what wasn\u2019t exactly the fresh scent of clean sheets, he closed his eyes, displeased.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next moment, his outstretched leg touched something, and he jolted up in shock.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amitabha!<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 back\u2014<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi, still in a state of shock, subconsciously tugged the comforter back over the youth and patted it apologetically.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was going on? Wasn\u2019t this supposed to be a single room? He hadn\u2019t made a mistake, this was definitely room no. 608! Why was Lin Jingzhe here? Was there some mix-up with rooms?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This sight was like a bolt of lightning that blasted through Xiao Chi\u2019s heart, giving him such a fright that he almost jumped up in shock.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bodhisattva! What\u2019s going on?! What should I do?!<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Xiao Chi\u2019s 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 \u201chuggie-huggie.\u201d 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 Jingzhe\u2019s tears.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As he cried, he murmured something in his sleep, but Xiao Chi couldn\u2019t hear it clearly. He shook the youth a few times but didn\u2019t dare to use any force so of course, he failed to wake him up.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What should I do?!<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He gripped the tissue, his heart aching with distress, his mind completely blank.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mr. Xiao Chi encountered the direst crisis he had ever faced in his 23-year-old life!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58f813c elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"58f813c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d7f5229 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d7f5229\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/h4><ol><li><em><strong>&#8220;\u2018Qiaqia\u2019 from Du Fu<\/strong><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>\u2019s poem?&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; \u6070\u6070 [<em>qi\u00e0 qi\u00e0<\/em>] in the poem is onomatopoeia for orioles singing.<\/span><\/li><li><em><span style=\"font-weight: 700 !important;\">\u2018Unrestrained, the lovely orioles cry&#8217; <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; a line from the poem (or rather, a series of seven four-line poems) \u6c5f\u7554\u72ec\u6b65\u5bfb\u82b1 &#8211; <em>Alone, Looking For Blossoms Along The River<\/em>. It comes from the sixth one, which is the most well-known. I borrowed this line from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chinese-poems.com\/d34.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this translation<\/a>, but there are many, many other, professional and amateur.<br \/><\/span><\/li><li><strong><em>&#8220;Drinking this cup of wine will <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">shorten my life<\/span>, right?&#8221;<\/em><\/strong><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u6298\u58fd] &#8211; to have one&#8217;s allotted portion of life reduced (by having and getting more than one deserves, by adopting bad habits, etc.). You know, because it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Filial_piety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unfilial<\/a>.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>&#8220;At that time, the places of night entertainment still had a name that for Lin Jingzhe felt very dated\u2014<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">nightclub<\/span>&#8220;<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; try as I might, I didn&#8217;t find a way to translate this that would make sense without an explanation. The word Lin Jingzhe used is \u591c\u603b\u4f1a, which apparently feels &#8220;old.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinese-forums.com\/forums\/topic\/24777-how-to-say-i-went-to-a-nightclub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A poster on one forum<\/a> wrote, <em>&#8220;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.&#8221;<\/em> I was a bit tempted to use &#8220;disco,&#8221; which similarly is a dated term in English, but they&#8217;re quite different establishments. (Btw, it&#8217;s about modern nightclubs, but you can check this post out: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hutong-school.com\/7-ways-china-does-nightlife-differently\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 Ways China Does Nightlife Differently<\/a>.)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>&#8220;Like a Buddhist monk who hadn&#8217;t shaved his head yet&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; 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 monk\u2019s freedom from the awful grip of worldly desires. (<a href=\"https:\/\/buddhismzone.org\/why-do-buddhist-monks-shave-their-heads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a>)<br \/><\/span><\/li><li><em><strong>&#8220;Xiao Chi picked out a big slice of golden <\/strong><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Hami melon<\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; in Mandarin, \u54c8\u5bc6\u74dc means both Hami melon and cantaloupe. I went with Hami melon.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3d76eae5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3d76eae5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-38674ce8\" data-id=\"38674ce8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50b5930 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50b5930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd91a0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd91a0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Eques<\/em><br \/><em>Editor: Austera<br \/>Consultant: Austera<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9dffd33 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"9dffd33\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1f737a4a\" data-id=\"1f737a4a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339fa6f elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"339fa6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f12f416\" data-id=\"4f12f416\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70cf5ebc elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"70cf5ebc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-41\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c545038 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c545038\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b58f857\" data-id=\"b58f857\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eaf06e0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"eaf06e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Eques:<\/h4><p>My favorite translation of the sixth poem is this one, I think:<br \/><br \/><em>At Madame Huang&#8217;s house, blossoms fill the paths:<\/em><br \/><em>Thousands, tens of thousands haul the branches down.<\/em><br \/><em>And butterflies linger playfully \u2014 an unbroken<\/em><br \/><em>Dance floating to songs orioles sing at their ease.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: right;\">(Translated by David Hinton. <a href=\"https:\/\/allpoetry.com\/Alone,-Looking-For-Blossoms-Along-The-River\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a>)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":11243,"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":[28],"tags":[35,39,68,41],"class_list":["post-14760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eor","tag-bl","tag-modern","tag-power-couple","tag-second-chance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/EoR-e1584633810703.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14760","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=14760"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14947,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14760\/revisions\/14947"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}