Hi everyone. Anyone missing Xiao Bei and Yi Fan? I know I do.

Tinkerbellsan has been feeling under the weather recently, hence had not been able to bring Yi Fan and Xiao Bei next chapter to us. So I had volunteered over the long New Year weekend to a.s.sist to translate the next 2 chapters (Chapter 34 & 35). So this means that these post are pre-set in advance. So please excuse us as my style of translation are not as fun as tinkerbellsan. 

Never the less, hope that everyone antic.i.p.ating this novel will enjoy my translation over the next chapter while tinkerbellsan recover fully and come back with her translation work.

Have a great weekend ahead. And enjoy the read!

Chapter 34.1: 

Friday March 29 Weather: Cloudy to sunny

In the late afternoon, I arrived at the restaurant where I am to meet with Lan Si Yang. In the simple and romantic British style small restaurant, there is a s.p.a.ce-time like with a layer of cla.s.sical extravagance. Upon arriving inside, I saw a woman sitting by the window while silently watching the darkening landscape outside. She had her hair up while wearing a black unlined garment. The silhouette of the lady is refined. It seems that she is elegant with a youthful grace.

I sigh. If I am a man, I will fall in love with such a woman. Ambiguous light, do not need to speak, it is already a beautiful scenery.

I walked over and asked: 'h.e.l.lo, are you Miss Lan Si Yang? I am Guan Xiao Bei.'

She laughed while pointing to the chair across her and said: 'Please sit. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Si Yang. I can call you Xiao Bei?'

I nodded and sit down.

The waiter came over and ask what we would like to drink. Lan Si Yang said: 'Give me a cup of tea. There is a lot of opportunities to drink coffee abroad. Coming back into the country and not drinking tea, is not authentic. For this lady….. a cup of cocoa.' Then she turned and ask: 'Xiao Bei, you drink cocoa?'

I was a little surprised but still nodded.

The waiter said: 'Please wait' turned around and left. We were caught in the silence while waiting. Lan Si Yang looked at the lights of the city. I saw her playing with the diamond ring that reflected in the bright fireworks in her hand.

Great, beautiful and perfect cut piece. Timeless love.

Lan Si Yang seems to feel my gaze. She put her hand with the ring in front of me. Her fingers are slender like a work of art.

'Isn't it beautiful?' She smiled and said: 'I am getting married to someone whom I have been in love for ten years.'

I feel like everything has been glued, astringent and dry. I tried to squeeze a smile and said: 'Congratulations!'

She looked at me carefully for a moment and said: 'Xiao Bei, are you bothered hearing this? I heard that you like to laugh. But now, why you look so tense?'

What is this? First, the horn of war and then the challenge of confrontation? But…. I gave myself a dismal smile. What am I to win this so-called war? Already in love for ten years and a priceless wedding ring is her weapon while I, empty-handed.

'What is Ms Lan looking for?' I asked coldly.

Lan Si Yang showed a crafty smile: 'I said, you can call me Sister Yang. I am looking for you to tell you a story about someone that we both know.'

The drinks arrived. I took a sip. Lan Si Yang drank her tea and then exaggeratedly said: 'This is good. The foreign tea will never be able to match this.'

Slowly sipping the tea, she said: 'I and Xiao Yi, both of us are from the same world. A surprisingly similar family background. Both came from family of business generations starting from civil servants' ancestors but more business people. When it comes to our parents' generation, it is more business partner and lifetime friends. Xiao Yi and I….. maybe people say we are childhood sweetheart. When we reached the age of ten, we were sent to study abroad. Parents in the country, only both of us, our dependent were on each other…..'

'Childhood sweethearts?' I cannot help but interject. But the word 'dependent on each other' is too serious.

'Growing up together, two like a family. If in ancient times, will be fostered into marriage.' Lan Si Yang laughed: 'However, although both rich at home, following the 'poor education', saying that the next generation cannot be contaminated by the two children. Living in a foreign land, without adult care, not much money, life is actually very difficult.'

'Do not look at Xiao Yi now running the shopping malls with ease with strategist look like. You do not know that he was a sticky child. Cry because of homesick. Come New Year, cry. Bullied in school, cry. The most exaggerated is when there is thunder, holding the fat cat that we keep, hiding in my bed to cry. Oh, can you imagine a boy crying because of thunder? But why the place we stayed is often thunderstruck…..'