TL: Etude Translations
At the end of August, during the peak of sumr, the dayti temperatures remained high. The evening breeze, nearing night, still carried a hint of dryness. Walking along the college road, the campus in the evening was filled with banners welcoming new students, stretching across the entire road.
So banners were set up by the school, indicating registration points, paynt counters, directions to various college buildings, and to the dormitory areas.
Others were put up by campus rchants like Jiang Zhihua’s college supermarket. Banners in front of her store advertised offers like “free laundry detergent with a purchase of fifty, a free lamp with a hundred”, creating a festive atmosphere, as if it were a holiday.
In fact, this wasn’t far from the truth, as the arrival of new students each year was indeed a celebration for a campus accustod to the rhythms of the academic calendar.
To avoid the next day’s crowd, most returning students chose to arrive early. As a result, the university, even before the official start of the term, buzzed with activity.
Jiang Qin originally thought that with everyone just arriving, they would be busy settling into their dorms, and the maple forest would be quiet. However, upon entering, he realized he had underestimated the situation.
The dark forest wasn’t exactly crowded, but there was certainly a presence every ten steps or so.
These couples really couldn’t wait, even for a mont.
As Jiang Qin observed his surroundings, he pulled Feng Nanshu into his arms, letting her straddle his lap. His arms gently encircled his good friend’s soft, fragrant body, feeling her full buttocks press against his phone. He felt their friendship strengthen.
“You’re a sophomore now. Shouldn’t you be setting an example for the juniors instead of being so clingy?” he teased.
Feng Nanshu, nestled in his embrace, swinging her legs, replied, “Jiang Qin, I’ll stick to you even in my third year.”
“And in your senior year?”
“I’ll still stick to you.”
“What about after graduation?”
The little rich lady looked up at him, and after a mont of silence, said, “If you don’t want anymore, then I won’t stick to you.”
Jiang Qin wrapped his arm around her slender waist. “You’re not using the guise of friendship to secretly treat like a boyfriend, are you? I’m pretty smart, you know. You can’t fool .”
“No, I don’t want a boyfriend at all.”
“Really?”
“Really. I would never lie to you.” Feng Nanshu assured him earnestly.
Their faces were close enough to feel each other’s breath. Even in the dim light, Jiang Qin could see her beautiful face, naive and easy to deceive, as if she was living in the illusion of pure friendship.
Her eyes were truly beautiful – clear and enticing, like a little fairy impossible to resist, especially with her cute, confused expression contrasting with her otherwise aloof deanor.
A lively girl like her, who loves to cling, was like a dream.
Feeling shy, Feng Nanshu snuggled back into her friend’s embrace. “Jiang Qin, I just want to be your good friend for life. I don’t have any other thoughts. Friends should trust each other more.”
“What exactly do you an by ‘friends for life’?” Jiang Qin asked curiously.
“Living in the sa house, seeing each other every day, sleeping together, eating together, cuddling while watching TV, holding hands when going out.” Feng Nanshu’s eyes sparkled.
The more Jiang Qin listened, the more sothing seed off. This was exactly what a boyfriend would do.
No, this was even beyond what boyfriends typically do.
Usually, only couples about to marry consider moving in together and sharing such a life. So, what Feng Nanshu wanted in a “friend for life” was clearly a husband.
Good friend equals husband?
Jiang Qin was startled by his own thought.
Fortunately, Feng Nanshu was blissfully unaware of her true feelings, deceived into thinking theirs was a pure friendship.
Holding Feng Nanshu, Jiang Qin felt his heart race uncontrollably, his expression growing serious.
He was certain that his heart had softened, but his pride still stood firm, keeping their relationship strictly within the bounds of friendship.
This was not sothing an ordinary man could achieve, only a true gentleman of strong character.
“Jiang Qin, what is that girl doing over there?”
Jiang Qin followed her gaze. “Looks like she’s eating her phone. Dirty stuff. Let’s not look.”
Feng Nanshu: “?”
After sitting in the maple forest for an hour, as night fell, more mosquitoes appeared, buzzing around their ears.
Though she didn’t say it, the little rich lady kept trying to swat them away, sotis on her slender legs, sotis on her fair arms. Her movents caused Jiang Qin to react involuntarily, leaving her confused and unaware of what was happening.
This was the reality of rebirth, Jiang Qin mused. Even with a soul of forty, a young body had its challenges.
Jiang Qin helped his best friend off his lap, wrapped her in a “specially brought” coat, and took her hand to leave the morally challenging maple forest.
On the eve of the official start of the term, the university’s main square bustled with activity, filled with a vibrant, festive atmosphere. The Sweet Tea Shop had already opened for business, its promotional banners for the new students fluttering in the wind.
Gao Wenhui was busy making milk tea in the shop when she saw Jiang Qin and Feng Nanshu. Her spirits imdiately lifted. “Nanshu, long ti no see. Did you miss ?”
Feng Nanshu nodded obediently, “I did.”
Hearing this, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but laugh, “Then she definitely didn’t miss you. Because when she misses soone, she usually looks like she’s about to cry.”
“How do you know so well? Does she often miss you?”
Jiang Qin fell silent for a mont before giving a thumbs up, “Bravo, Wenhui. On the eve of the school opening, you’ve already spent all your part-ti salary for the third year. I’m really worried for you.”
Gao Wenhui, infuriated, retorted, “Go ahead, make my balance negative. I’ll end up so in debt after graduation that I’ll have to work as a maid in your house, tirelessly cleaning your ho and even taking care of your children!”
Feng Nanshu paled, “Jiang Qin, Wenhui is challenging you. She thinks you don’t dare.”
“Enough with your sches. I can hear them all the way from Jizhou. You just want to live in my house, eating and drinking at my expense, right? Think I’m foolish? I’m smarter than both of you.”
…
Gao Wenhui and Feng Nanshu exchanged glances, realizing their ruse had failed and feeling sowhat disinterested. “Nanshu, do I feel like you’ve gotten a bit chubbier?”
“Jiang Qin’s mom cooks delicious als.”
“You’re really eating at Jiang Qin’s house every day?”
Hearing this, Feng Nanshu felt a bit pleased, “Jiang Qin’s mom kind of likes , and I like her too.”
Upon hearing this, Gao Wenhui felt as if her hypoglycemia was cured and imdiately shared the news in the QQ group for ‘Sugar Enthusiasts’.
“This is crazy. Who brings a good friend ho to live with them? You’re just freshn, and you’ve already done what people do when they’re engaged. What will you do in your sophomore year? People without boyfriends can’t even imagine.”
Like Fan Shuling and Wang Haini, they thought this couple was progressing slowly, but Gao Wenhui, a top ‘Sugar Enthusiast,’ thought their relationship was moving at rocket speed.
Suddenly, Jiang Qin tapped the table, interrupting Gao Wenhui’s musings, “How’s your book coming along?”
“I’m saving drafts, up to chapter eighteen. But your people called , asking not to release it all at once. We need to update it chapter by chapter to build traffic before the school term. Then, we can gradually increase the update frequency to match your promotional activities.”
“You’ve only written eighteen chapters in half a month? Are you writing with your feet?”
“Eighteen chapters is a lot! I’m not a professional writer. Writing two to three hundred words a day is already hard. You want more updates? Not a chance!”
Jiang Qin pondered before speaking, “Your book has the potential to be a hit. It’s very helpful for our promotion plan, and updating regularly will increase user engagent. How about you spend less ti in the tea shop and focus more on writing?”
Gao Wenhui couldn’t help but smile ambiguously, “What’s the rush? Can’t wait to delve into Nanshu’s youthful heart?”
Feng Nanshu patted her stomach, “Wenhui, I’m not pregnant.”
“I ant ‘harboring’ as in ‘holding onto’, not ‘pregnant’.”
Jiang Qin glanced at her, “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m focused on work, everything I think about is for work.”
Gao Wenhui didn’t believe him, “Say what you want. But I’m actually having a bit of writer’s block. Also, forum readers aren’t optimistic about the story of a rich girl and a poor boy. They fear a bad ending and hesitate to follow updates.”
“Indeed, a poor boy dreaming of marrying a rich girl is unrealistic. It’s normal to worry about the ending. Even I think it won’t be happy.”
“So, I plan to write a side story first, about the protagonists’ life with a child, to reassure everyone. Can you help na the child?”
Feng Nanshu eagerly raised her hand, “Call him Jiang Fugui.”
Jiang Qin glanced at the little rich lady, “That na is too low. He’ll be laughed at in school.”
“But you said Fugui is a good na.”
“That was for a dog. You can’t na a child like that. Jiang Aotian would be better.”
Feng Nanshu looked up, “Then what should it be?”
Jiang Qin thought for a mont, “I had so ideas before. If it’s a boy, call him Jiang Cai. If it’s a girl, Jiang Cai. How about that?”
“I’ll listen to you.”
Gao Wenhui held her breath, watching them discuss seriously. She was astonished, “So much for being just friends, discussing the child’s na so earnestly. You’re fooling no one! Especially Jiang Qin. I just ntioned writing about raising a child, and you’re already thinking about the child’s schooling. You’re clearly using the novel as a cover to plan having children!”
…
If you guys recall, Potian Fugui is actually the transliterated na of their dog “Big Richie”.
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