Shen Ji didn’t open his eyes. In a tone that sounded like he was dismissing a kitten or puppy, he said, “Just arrange a room somewhere in the north side.”

“Isn’t the north a bit unsuitable?” Jiang Yan said with utmost sincerity. “It would be best for him to stay in a room in the south, where the sunlight is particularly bright. He can bask in the sun for most of the day while lying in bed, which will be beneficial for his health.”

Shen Ji replied, “He has dermatitis.”

He didn’t seem to realise his being able to remember this small detail was something unusual.

The living room was instantly engulfed by a strange atmosphere.

The assistant’s heartbeat nearly stopped.

Jiang Yan felt like he had eaten a delicious melon[1]. He glanced at the melon farmer in disbelief, and then recalled the taste of the melon, still finding it inconceivable.

Moments later, Jiang Yan moved from behind the sofa to the front and sat on his sponsor’s lap. He wrapped his arms around him and smiled like a seductive fox-spirit. “He has dermatitis so he can’t stay in the south-side where the sun is strong. Mr. Shen, you’ve really thought of everything. “

Shen Ji held Jiang Yan’s swinging legs still and suddenly asked the assistant, “Did you call?”

The assistant understood. “I’ll make the call right now.”

It was late at night, but the doctor came very quickly and he didn’t come alone. He brought a team and the necessary equipment. As for why, it was because life wasn’t easy.

After a thorough examination, he determined that the patient was fine, but needed to go to the hospital for imaging and a follow up in a few days. The doctor listed a few precautions, emphasizing that the patient must not get chilled. He didn’t address anyone in particular while speaking, as everyone present was listening anyway.

.

Jiao Bai woke up in the early hours of the morning, surrounded by darkness so thick he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. There was an unfamiliar floral scent in the air. He felt his body and pinched the fabric between his fingers. His pyjamas had been changed. His body had also been wiped down and felt clean and fresh.

Fortunately, the flower[2] at home hadn’t been stolen

Jiao Bai’s stomach was growling. During dinner, he had been too preoccupied with watching Shen Er’an eat, so now he was so hungry he felt nauseous.

Let it pass, just swallow some saliva to tide over the hunger.

Three to five minutes later, Jiao Bai was so weak he couldn’t hold on any longer. He wanted food—he wanted to eat lots of food. Pig’s trotters, prawns, etc... Forget those. He didn’t care what it was, as long as it was edible.

Jiao Bai tried to get up, but failed once, and then twice. He began to miss the nurse aide uncle of the day and Shen Er’an of the night. When a person was sick, they urgently needed the warmth of companionship.

The rhythm of his bones rising and falling synchronized with his breathing, and the pain was indescribable. Jiao Bai spent several minutes shifting through various positions in bed, propping himself up bit by bit. He wiped away the cold sweat that covered his face and sighed, “In three months, Laozi will be a new man[3].”

Jiao Bai took a moment to recuperate, then slowly felt around for the lamp on the bedside table and turned it on. The sudden brightness made him close his eyes in discomfort. When he opened them again, he could finally clearly see the furniture and furnishings of the room.

Forgive Jiao Bai for his limited vocabulary. The only words he could think of were “grand” and “luxurious.”

And also ginormous.

Jiao Bai saw a pile of medications on the table, including antibiotic spray and other items. He went closer and rifled through them. The batch that Shen Er’an got for him included dosage instructions, but these didn’t have any labels and were clearly newly prescribed.

“Old azrszqc.” Jiao Bai chuckled cynically. He endured the pulling pain on the right side of his back and slowly made his way to the door. His face turned green as soon as he opened the door.

The sound proofing here wasn’t as good as Diye’s. The noise from the room diagonally opposite came straight into Jiao Bai’s ears. It was extremely loud, comparable to Nezha[4] wreaking havoc in the sea, with billows dashing against the sky.

Jiao Bai listened and recognized the voice’s owner, Little Hot Pepper Jiang.

Jiang Yan was truly dedicated, putting in ten times the effort for every penny he earned. Even this late, he continued to work, never slacking off.

Moreover, his voice was quite special. Even when he yelled exaggeratedly, it didn’t sound unpleasant or trashy. Its sound quality was very high-grade.

These flamboyant yells didn’t induce any reaction in Jiao Bai. He preferred suppressed, restrained fqnzmr. Images of Qi Zizhi’s sweaty back during workouts flashed through his mind, and he pressed his lips together, feeling guilty.

It was all the fault of the author of Broken Wings for insisting on making Qi Zizhi so rdwx.

In the entire comic, only Qi Zizhi was known for his physique. The others barely exposed anything at all. Even old dog Shen, the most oqnlhrbtntr, would only leave his shirt unbuttoned or loosen his belt at most.

The noise from the room diagonally opposite continued. Jiao Bai walked slowly along the wall. The comic didn’t mention Jiang Yan’s profession, only that he was a cross-dresser who loved red and dresses, and was quite popular among the shou crowd.

When he appeared, he was either ‘exercising’ or looking gorgeous and stunning in a red dress. He was a very memorable character.

When Jiao Bai walked to the living room, there was nothing left in his mind except four words.

—Single-floor villa apartment[5].

“Single-floor villa apartment... etbj... a single-floor villa apartment...” Even viewing it under the dim moonlight made Jiao Bai’s eyes pop. It was simply so spacious.

For Jiao Bai, the four-story standalone villa with a large garden at Qinxin Estate paled in comparison to level of enjoyment this place offered.

He was speaking as if he could choose whichever he liked.

But if he really could, he wouldn’t be picky. He was an adult. Why should he have to choose??? Nope, he wasn’t going to choose!

Jiao Bai shed tears of worship for money. His ten million or so could probably only buy a balcony.

When he stood on the balcony overlooking the sleeping city, he was so dazzled by the beautiful view that he forgot to breathe. Czlm, he took back his earlier thought. That amount of money probably wouldn’t even be enough to buy this balcony.

And this was just one of old dog Shen’s many properties. It wasn’t even his residence, and was only used to house little birds.

Almost forty, holding the lifeline of South City’s business world, with a tall, broad-shouldered frame and long legs—no disabilities, no gold teeth, and not bald or fat. His breakup fee started at the price of a house. Etbj, no wonder a stream of handsome men and beautiful women were constantly flocking to him.

After brewing in envy for a while, Jiao Bai found the light switch and turned it on. He looked around and spotted a few bags of snacks, some carbonated drinks, and a red camisole dress.

The dress also had blotchy stains on it.

Jiao Bai reached for a bag of mini mantou biscuits, opened it, and tossed a few into his mouth. Instead of munching down on them, he let them slowly dissolve. He liked eating them this way.

The three ribs had been broken for about a week and had already healed quite a bit, but after what old dog Shen did tonight, it was hurting like hell again.

This score still needed to be settled but there was no rush.

Jiao Bai’s eyes were slightly bloodshot. The dermatitis was actually only an inconvenience to his daily life. The most troublesome issue was his old tailbone injury.

Also, his back ribs needed to properly heal. If old dog Shen continued to mess with him like he did tonight, coming at him every now and then, he would be done for. He’d be facing some serious aftereffects.

Etbjhmf czlm it.

Jiao Bai took a shallow breath. After finishing the bag of mini mantou biscuits, he didn’t go back to bed. There was no one beside him so he didn’t dare lie down. He was afraid of the pain.

Without a pair of hands to assist him, he didn’t feel it was safe to attempt it.

The European-style grandfather clock on the wall ticked away. Jiao Bai stayed in the living room. He decided to wait for the two people in that room to finish what they were doing, and then, when one of them came out for a drink or something, they would see him and lend him a hand.

Who knew that he would stay there until dawn.

Jiao Bai had only one thought, This truly is a world straight out of a comic. Look at this exaggerated scenario—an elderly man worked hard all night long yet somehow didn’t cqno cdzc from overwork.

Jiao Bai’s eyes turned at the sound of the door opening. Would it be the ploughing bull or its field?

Steady and powerful footsteps emerged from the room.

Jiao Bai clicked his tongue. It was the bull.

An old bull.


[1] 瓜 (guā) literal meaning is ‘melon’ but can also mean ‘gossip’ or ‘juicy news’ – implies something intriguing or scandalous that people are eager to discuss.

[2] Referring to his chrysanthemum (zmtr).

[3] Modified version of the saying (十八年后又是一条好汉) “Eighteen years later one will become a hero again.” Jiao Bai changed 18 years to 3 months. The saying comes from the belief that people immediately reincarnate after dying, and become a man again 18 years later (after growing up), and is an expression said when one is about to die or get killed to convey their fearlessness or lack of fear towards death.

[4] Nezha - patron god of children and filial piety.

[5] 大平层 (dà píng céng) 大 means big. 平 means flat. 层 means floor/story. Literally “Large Flat Floor”

A 平层 (Flat Floor) describes a residence that is only one floor and everything is on that one floor: living room, bathroom, kitchen, bedrooms etc.

大平层 (Large Flat Floor) is a step up from that and describes a high-end apartment with a floor area of over 130 square meters. Like 平层 (flat floor), it is only one floor, but the floor area is really big and it has comprehensive luxurious facilities and usually panoramic views. Because of its spaciousness and facilities, it’s like living in a villa – so I’ve chosen to translate it as ‘single-floor villa apartment.’