Spring is the Plan of Life-Chapter 21 - Moving

Chapter 21 – Moving

Novel Title: 一生之计在于春 (Spring is the Plan of Life)

Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 姚锦夕 (Yao Jinxi -MC), 吴洋 (Wu Yang -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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As usual, Yao Jinxi brought tea to Yan Zhaowen. Today wasn’t the weekend. So there were fewer people coming for medical check-ups. They chatted a bit more. By the time they finished, it was already noon.

He bought instant noodles and rode back home. When he arrived, he saw Wu Yang smoking in front of his door. He was obviously waiting for him.

“Ah? You’re here so early?” Yao Jinxi quickly parked the bicycle and rushed over to open the door for him. “Did you buy the car already?”

“Yeah, didn’t we choose one earlier? I just went to the dealership to pay. I didn’t want to deal with all the paperwork, so I bought their top-of-the-line model. I’ve asked a friend to help with the registration.” Wu Yang followed him inside and noticed the discounted instant noodles in Yao Jinxi’s hand. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet,” Yao Jinxi carried the instant noodles to the kitchen. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Not too long,” Wu Yang followed him into the kitchen. He watched Yao Jinxi unpack the instant noodles and then put water in a pot. He then chopped some green onions and small chilli peppers.

Wu Yang said dryly, “I haven’t eaten either.”

Yao Jinxi: “…”

He turned around silently and unpacked another pack of instant noodles. He took two eggs and some baby bok choy. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come back earlier.”

“I was afraid you might have some business to do so I might be bothering you.” 

Such a reply with a touch of understanding leaving Yao Jinxi with a sense of guilt. Wu Yang immediately noticed it and said, “I should have told you I’d come over for lunch yesterday. But I forgot.”

Yao Jinxi didn’t know how to respond to such thoughtfulness. He had his doubts. Nevertheless, he continued efficiently preparing the baby bok choy, washing it in water, tearing a few pieces to put in the pot and stir-frying the rest in vinegar.

Finally, a big pot of fragrant noodles was ready. Yao Jinxi divided it into two large bowls, each with a poached egg. Their tastes were quite similar. Therefore, Yao Jinxi’s cooking always matched Wu Yang’s preferences. With the sweet and sour side vegetables, Wu Yang, who had once tried almost every flavour of instant noodles in the market, exclaimed, “I didn’t know instant noodles could taste this delicious.”

“It depends on who’s making them,” Yao Jinxi laughed and then asked after a pause, “Will you be staying here with me during this time?”

Wu Yang, holding his bowl, seemed a bit surprised by the question. “What else would I do?”

It had become second nature to them. Yao Jinxi hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with him being around all the time. After some thought, he made a decision, though it felt a bit abrupt, “Then I’ll give you a spare key later. You can use it for the time being. Sometimes I need to go out too. So it might be convenient for you to have a key… to help me watch the shop?”

As Yao Jinxi said this, he started feeling uncomfortable himself. He realised that giving someone the keys to his own shop and house was quite unusual. But looking at Wu Yang, who had been standing alone by the rolling shutter door while smoking and waiting, Yao Jinxi couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the situation.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. He wondered if it was because they could both be considered fellow patients of the same illness that he felt such empathy.

Wu Yang set down his bowl and fell silent for a moment. “Aren’t you worried if I might steal your things?”

Yao Jinxi made a thoughtful expression and then said seriously, “I am worried… so maybe I shouldn’t give you the key after all.”

“Don’t be like that,” Wu Yang lowered his gaze and chuckled softly. He then added, “What if I leave my ID card here as collateral? Can I have your key in exchange?”

He looked up at Yao Jinxi. His deep eyes filled with indescribable emotions. That strange kind of understanding once again surged within them, as if their complicated feelings needed no words and their lifelong hopes were now within reach.

Yao Jinxi felt his throat go dry and his heart rate increased slightly. At this moment, he wasn’t sure how to react. So he quickly changed the subject to break the subtle atmosphere. “Okay, okay. There’s a key-making shop just across the street.”

They lived in a residential area where key-making services were readily available. It was right on the street diagonally opposite the tea shop. After finishing their meal, Wu Yang offered to do the dishes while Yao Jinxi went out to get the key made.

It was a quick process. Yao Jinxi waited for the key to be made, paid for it, and returned to the tea shop with the new key. Wu Yang was busy selling tea leaves to another customer. It was someone who had been a regular and left after buying their usual tea. When he turned to see Yao Jinxi, he remarked, “Boss, you’ve hired a new worker here, haven’t you? Seems like a good person.”

Yao Jinxi: “…”

Wu Yang was struggling to hold back his laughter but he played along quite cheerfully. “Have a safe trip and come back again.”

Yao Jinxi couldn’t believe it and walked over to hand him the key. “Why are you enjoying being mistaken for a labourer?”

“Being a labourer is quite nice, you know. Besides, if you’re the only one running this place all day long and can’t guarantee opening every day, you’ll lose a lot of customers,” Wu Yang reasoned as he held the key for a while before tucking it into his pocket. “So, how about hiring me?”

Yao Jinxi was well aware that what Wu Yang said was true. He had indeed lost some business because of it. However, after running his shop for so many years, he had managed to get by with a modest income. Plus, if it weren’t for recent events, he would have kept regular shop hours. He jokingly replied, “Forget it. I can’t afford to hire an elite like you.”

Wu Yang spoke earnestly, “Being an elite is just me being pretentious. Besides, as long as you provide food and accommodation, everything else is negotiable.”

“Providing food is alright. But if you want to stay here, are you planning to sleep on the floor?” Yao Jinxi joked absentmindedly. Wu Yang didn’t necessarily need a job to earn money. He had a well-established network and many connections. However, considering Wu Yang’s mental state back when he had nothing to do every day, Yao Jinxi suspected that having a job, especially one with a regular schedule, would be better for him. It would provide structure to his life and allow him to interact with others regularly, which aligned with his doctor’s advice.

“To be honest,” Wu Yang stroked his chin, “I’m thinking of quitting my current job.”

Yao Jinxi asked, “Why?”

Wu Yang smiled gently at him and said, “I have too little personal time.”

Personal time…

Yao Jinxi was quite surprised to hear him say something like that. After all, he had been concerned about Wu Yang being alone all the time before. However, this indicated that Wu Yang’s situation had improved. So Yao Jinxi was genuinely happy for him. “If you want to quit, go ahead. But you need to give a few months’ notice, right?”

“About three months,” Wu Yang explained. In their company, employees earning over a certain amount had a portion of their salary deducted, which was then paid out as a year-end bonus. If they wanted to quit before the year-end, they had to follow the proper procedure to get back this money.

Wu Yang wasn’t too concerned about the money. But he also didn’t want things to get too contentious with the company. “So, I’ll quit after I finish my leave. And then we can go on a trip after three months.”

Yao Jinxi was taken aback.

Wu Yang continued, “How about a road trip?”

Yao Jinxi stared at him blankly for a long time, almost forgetting what he wanted to say. It was Wu Yang who broke the silence. “Um… Let’s see if you can get time off. Are you okay with that?”

Wu Yang then chuckled, “If you can’t continue with your business, I can help you bring in a lot of customers. So then you can enjoy your time off.”

There was a clear sense of care in his words. In fact, Wu Yang had been looking out for Yao Jinxi for quite some time now. It was something Yao Jinxi rarely experienced, as he had been accustomed to taking care of others for a long time.

This feeling was unfamiliar but not unpleasant. In fact, it was quite nice. So nice that Yao Jinxi was a bit afraid.

He pursed his lips and smiled with mixed emotions. He then gave a vague reply, “Let’s talk about it when the time comes.”

The licence plate came quickly. The next day, Wu Yang got his new car. It was the one Yao Jinxi had encouraged him to buy. It was perfect for moving things.

Xia Ruonan took a day off. Considering that Wang Peng should be at work, the three of them drove to her apartment complex. The security guards at this complex were relatively lenient and since they recognized Xia Ruonan, they allowed them to enter without any issues.

When they got the keys, Xia Ruonan was a bit shaky. Upon opening the door, they found the apartment quite messy, as it had been Xia Ruonan who usually took care of the cleaning. With them living together for so long, it was hard to tell whose belongings were whose. Xia Ruonan only picked up her personal items, such as underwear and clothes, as Wang Peng didn’t need those.

Her mind was in turmoil as she hastily packed her things, taking only one suitcase and two cardboard boxes. Each of them held one thing in their hands. As they passed through the entrance, the security guard asked a symbolic question. Xia Ruonan simply said they were moving.

The car carried all of Xia Ruonan’s belongings to Wu Yang’s rental house. Fortunately, she didn’t have much luggage. So they finished moving in one trip. Her possessions were already quite minimal and once they were distributed around the house, it looked as if nothing had been added. However, there was a bit more life to the place now.

“You can try living here first and see if there’s anything you find unsuitable,” Wu Yang suggested. “If there’s anything you need, I can arrange it.”

Xia Ruonan quickly waved her hand. “No need, no need. I’m just staying for a while…”

As she spoke, her eyes dimmed again. She had come to realise that she could only stay somewhere for a limited time, no matter where she went.

Wu Yang spoke politely, as any landlord would, “You don’t need to rush. You can rent this place for as long as you want. Until you decide to move out.”

For Xia Ruonan, this was truly a blessing. This was especially considering the symbolic low rent. She sincerely said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Wu Yang replied casually. He then noticed Yao Jinxi by the window. “What are you looking at?”

“Oh, the view here is nice,” Yao Jinxi said. He had been sweating from helping with the cleaning earlier. So he had come to the balcony to catch some breeze. They were on the 17th floor and this spot was in the shade, offering a refreshing view of greenery below.

Wu Yang stood side by side with him, looking down. “The landscaping here is well done. Do you want to smoke?”

Yao Jinxi shook his head. “I’ve quit.”

Wu Yang didn’t light up either. He himself wasn’t much of a smoker. “You don’t plan to buy a house in City C?”

“I don’t need to,” Yao Jinxi shrugged. “Wherever I live is fine. I’m all by myself anyway.”

Wu Yang sighed, “True.”

“How many houses do you actually have? It feels like you’re collecting real estate,” Yao Jinxi turned to face him, leaning one elbow on the windowsill. “Are they all rented out?”

Wu Yang smiled and replied, “The first one I bought in the beginning is currently vacant.”

Yao Jinxi remembered the first property Wu Yang had bought. It was the one he had worked hard to save for. It had held his initial hopes for a home.

Wu Yang turned away, gazing absentmindedly at the emptiness beyond the balcony. His overly handsome profile betrayed a sense of melancholy and self-mockery. “I always hoped that one day, that place could become my home.”

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*Author’s Note: Ohhh!!!! Thank you, Miss Charlie’s hand Grenade! Oh my goodness, I’ve never received something like this before in my life. I can’t express how excited I am. Anyway, you know what I mean, right? [Being cute and rolling around]!

PS: Gagaga, in the next chapter, a new character is going to make an appearance. He says he can’t wait backstage anymore. 23333

-YXF

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*GLOSSARY: 

In Chinese internet slang, “23333” is often used to represent laughter or a laughing face. It is derived from the pronunciation of the number “2” (“èr” in Mandarin), which sounds similar to the sound of laughter. When repeated multiple times, such as “23333,” it signifies laughing or finding something amusing. It’s similar to how in English, “haha” or “lol” is used to indicate laughter in online conversations.

Next update: 2023.10.23

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