First Frost
Home
Disclaimer : This is strictly a fan-translation. The writer of this blog does not own this story, or profit from any part of this translation.
Please support the author by purchasing the official novel as and when you are able to.
Chapter 42
Test the Waters
Wen Yifan stopped breathing.
Like a cord snapped, her brain was blank and her ears were ringing. The place where he’d just touched was burning hot.
To the max.
“Oh,” Wen Yifan acted like it didn’t affect her and ignored his actions, bringing the focus back to the topic. “I’ll get it checked at the hospital and follow the treatment given.”
Sang Yan’s gaze was still on her while he was lost in thought as he muttered a “hm”. He seemed to not have listened to a word she said and was not on the same wavelength as she was.
“Why is your face red?”
“The weather’s too hot,” Wen Yifan looked away and tossed out an excuse. “It’s close to 40 degrees nowadays.”
“Huh,” Sang Yan leaned back and gestured towards the air conditioner with his eyes. “Isn’t the air conditioner switched on?”
“…”
“Your face wasn’t red when you got back,” he laughed and didn’t let her off the hook with his teasing tone of voice. “You came into an air conditioned space and your face got red.”
Wen Yifan was helpless in the face of his unrelenting behaviour. She truthfully said, “Sang Yan, I’ve not seen a guy’s ** before.”
Sang Yan raised his brows.
She tried to make him understand that this matter was entirely on him. It was reasonable for her to be blushing and she had absolutely no other intentions.
“Before we started sharing the unit, I’ve mentioned not to be too revealing in your dressing. You agreed to it at the time and you even said, ‘in your dreams’.”
“I did say that,” said Sang Yan. “But I’m in a good mood today.”
“?”
“I’m willing to provide you with some dessert.”
Wen Yifan almost choked.
She’s never met, such a, shameless, person.
Staring at his arrogant expression, she decided not to negotiate with him and swallowed it in. “That’s all there is. I’ll try my best not to let this happen again. You should also take precautions on your side, please.”
Sang Yan pointed out, “Your method of handling the matter is exactly the same each time.”
“…”
“You just changed the phrasing and sequence,” said Sang Yan. “But you continue to commit the same crime after that.”
Wen Yifan was silent for a few second before saying patiently, “You can voice out your opinions. If it’s within my capabilities to cooperate, I will.”
“I only have a single request,” Sang Yan leaned against the sofa and casually said, “Before you come up with a solid way to solve the matter, I’d prefer if you, keep a distance from other men.”
Wen Yifan paused.
“Don’t be all comfy and cosy on that side, then come over to this side. At the end of the day, the one who’ll be toyed around by you will be-” Sang Yan intentionally paused for two seconds before saying, “Poor, little, me.”
After he finished, Wen Yifan returned to her room.
She went to the dressing table and looked in the mirror to see that her face was indeed tinted red. Wen Yifan subconsciously raised her hand to touch the spot where Sang Yan had just been. She pursed her lips and let out a sharp breath.
She recalled Mu Chengyun’s actions earlier today when he tried to touch her face. Wen Yifan was clear that if she’d felt uncomfortable, if she didn’t like it and if she wanted to dodge it, she had ample time to do so.
But this time, Wen Yifan didn’t avoid it.
She didn’t seem to mind Sang Yan’s touch at all.
It was completely different from others.
Yet she didn’t know if Sang Yan would notice anything.
Wen Yifan picked up the remote control to switch on the air conditioner, trying to lower the temperature of her face. She sat on the carpet beside her bed and brought out her phone, mindlessly swiping through its contents.
She distractedly recalled what Sang Yan said to ‘keep a distance from other men’.
It felt like his words were weird and had some hidden meaning behind it.
Or maybe she was reading too much into it.
Wen Yifan opened the Weibo app and scrolled through its homepage. She happened to swipe into the forum. The passage she had drafted previously had been shared.
And at this time, had already received hundreds of comments.
Wen Yifan mentally prepared herself and tapped in.
The first comment made her expression fall.
【I’m curious, did the he get a boner?】
…
She exited the app immediately.
Wen Yifan’s face heated up again and she distracted herself by swiping over to other apps on her phone to cleanse her mind. After a while, she calmed down and reopened Weibo.
Fortunately, all the other comments were normal except the first one.
【Maybe he thought you were his girlfriend or ex.】
【? He was probably trying to vex you.】
【Does he secretly have a crush on you? He probably dreamt about this for a couple hundred times over and thought this was the same dream.】
【For real though, no matter how unawake you are, if you see someone next to you, wouldn’t you get a shock? It’s either he has a partner and is used to sleeping with someone next to him, or he did it on purpose to try to take advantage of you.】
【??? Are you sure he was drunk?】
【One of the two of you must be pretending.】
The rest of the comments were saying similar things.
Wen Yifan scrolled for a bit more before she stopped.
Placing her phone down, Wen Yifan zoned out for a moment before she slowly pieced the recent incidents together.
All of a sudden, she felt that Sang Yan’s attitude towards her was a little… Different.
Even if her actions were out of her control, with Sang Yan’s personality, if he was disgusted and unable to accept it, he wouldn’t tolerate it and would’ve moved out pretty quickly.
Besides, it’s been such a long time, the construction at his unit should’ve been completed ages ago.
What Mu Chengyun had said earlier.
And how Sang Zhi described Sang Yan’s response when his sister’s entrance exam results were released.
Wen Yifan was unsure if she was a thorn in Sang Yan’s side, causing him to brood over it for years – and now that he’s met her again, he’d be trying to get rid of it once and for all.
Pinch on it, pull it out, then abandon it.
Her train of thought travelled back to senior high, when a female classmate complained about Sang Yan.
She didn’t remember the exact words the girl had used since it was such a long time ago.
She just roughly recalled her saying that Sang Yan’s arrogant demeanour was unpleasant, and that she hoped there’d be something he can’t achieve, that he would have something he want but can’t obtain which will inherently cause him frustration.
At that time, Wen Yifan had just listened and said nothing.
However, she’d thought otherwise.
Such a proud and dazzling young man.
Whatever he wished for, should be granted.
Everything he wanted, he should be given.
Even if he wanted the stars in the sky, it should be plucked down for him.
For him to hold on to, forever.
These feelings rekindled.
After that incident, both of them had to work overtime continuously and barely met each other at home. During this time, Wen Yifan only sleepwalked once. When she woke up, she found herself in Sang Yan’s room.
But Sang Yan came home late that night.
When she came out to the living room, she noticed that Sang Yan had slept in the living room the whole night.
At that moment, Wen Yifan realised she wasn’t suited to be sharing a place with someone else, given her situation.
She should look for a single-person unit and move out as soon as she’s able to.
For the past few months, Wen Yifan had been promoted to a permanent staff and her salary was now calculated according to the number of manuscripts she worked on. She’d done the math. As long as she worked hard, looking for a single-person unit shouldn’t be a big probelem.
But when she did find a suitable place, Wen Yifan couldn’t make up her mind.
Wen Yifan didn’t really want to move.
If she moved out and the two of them stopped living together, there would no longer be a situation where they’d be forced to meet everyday. Their paths wouldn’t ever cross again.
Even though it was bound to happen sooner or later.
However, Wen Yifan unconsciously procrastinated the matter and never mentioned anything about him moving out.
She just hoped a little more,
that the day would come a little later.
In mid-September, after an interview in the hospital, Wen Yifan visited the psychiatric department on the way. She underwent a series of tests at the request of the doctor.
Wen Yifan’s sleepwalking was hereditary. She’d visited the doctor’s a few times in Yihe, but there weren’t much improvement. In addition to that, her sleepwalking episodes weren’t frequent and she’d became too lazy to care about it over time.
It wasn’t too dissimilar this time.
The doctor prescribed some tranquilizers, advised her to pay attention to her diet and to get plenty of rest.
Wen Yifan thanked him, got the medications from the first floor and left the hospital soon.
On the way out, Wen Yifan thought about it. Seems that her sleepwalking frequency increased after living with Sang Yan. But according to her calculations, it only happened less than five times after such a long time.
It just so happened that she’d come into contact with Sang Yan while sleepwalking every single time.
Urgh.
Wen Yifan felt helpless and worn out.
Why’d she have this illness.
Thinking about it, it was quite scary, but Wen Yifan didn’t want to move out. She could only do what she could.
Everything else was out of her control.
The temperature waned and Autumn came.
Because she took a sabbatical leave in conjunction with National Day, Wen Yifan rested for three days straight. She took a day to spend some time with Zhong Siqiao. They didn’t have a plan in mind and found a desserts shop to spend the whole afternoon.
They only came to meet up, so they caught up with each other.
After a while, Zhong Siqiao suddenly asked, “How’re things with Sang Yan lately?”
“Huh?” asked Wen Yifan.
“Is there really no possibility between the two of you?” asked Zhong Siqiao.
“What?”
Unsure of what caused her to arrive to that point, Wen Yifan laughed, “We’re just housemates, but we’re both busy with work, so we barely see each other at home.”
“I was just casually asking,” said Zhong Siqiao. “Xiang Lang has been hanging out with Su Haoan lately. He said that Sang Yan’s family has been arranging blind dates for him these days.”
Wen Yifan was hearing this for the first time and her expression showed it. The edges of her lips were unconsciously downturned.
“Blind dates?”
“Yeah, and it looks like he’s already went for a few? It’s quite curious. Why’s he going on blind dates with how eligible he is. But I’d thought about the both of you. The guy’s unmarried, the girl’s unmarried, and there were feelings involved before. After such a long time, I’d thought sparks would fly,” said Zhong Siqiao before sighing, “but nothing happened after such a long time.”
Wen Yifan lowered her head and drank her milk tea.
“But Sang Yan’s temper’s so bad. You probably dodged a bullet.”
The topic was short-lived and Zhong Siqiao moved on to another topic: “Oh, right. I met a guy during a group date during National Day. He’s quite handsome, I’m changing my target now.”
Wen Yifan was lost in thought and didn’t give a reply.
“Dian dian,” Zhong Siqiao called out.
Wen Yifan raised her head immediately. “Huh?”
Zhong Siqiao found it odd. “What’re you thinking about. Why’re you ignoring me, I said I’m changing my idol!”
“Oh,” smiled Wen Yifan. “What about the one before this?”
“The previous one was such a scumbag. He was talking to three or four women while he was talking to me,” pouted Zhong Siqiao. “I’m going to be more observant now.”
Wen Yifan nodded.
Zhong Siqiao rested her chin on her hand. “But I’m not sure if he’s interested in me. I’ll just test the waters. I’m too lazy to chase after someone else.”
“How would you test?” asked Wen Yifan.
Hearing this, Zhong Siqiao brightened. “Have you never flirted before?”
“…”
“Tell me, what’s the use of this face of yours? Isn’t it a waste?” said Zhong Siqiao. “Just be a little ambiguous. When he speaks, you can pick up little things and show that you care about what he says, but don’t be too obvious.”
Feeling like she didn’t quite make sense, Wen Yifan asked, “Can you give an example?”
“An example?” Zhong Siqiao thought about it and said in a serious manner. “Just casually talk, and when the conversations get deeper, you can ask what his zodiac sign is, then you can say that you like guys with that sign.”
Wen Yifan was at a loss. “Isn’t that quite obvious?”
Zhong Siqiao was silent for a while before saying, “Fine, I’m not quite good at it either.”
“…”
“Urgh, I’ve not flirted with a lot of people,” Zhong Siqiao said and took up her phone, flipped through her photo album for Wen Yifan. “This is the guy I met. He’s a year older, and I like everything about his personality.”
Wen Yifan glanced at the screen.
The man had a bold look, but his smile was gentle.
Zhong Siqiao took back her phone, glanced at it and mumbled, “Forget it, if he doesn’t care about me, I’ll just try chasing him. If I don’t, I think I might regret it a lot.”
Hearing this, Wen Yifan’s hand which was stirring her drink paused.
“I think he must be quite popular.” Zhong Siqiao confidently said, “But I’m sure I’m the prettiest among the girls who’re going after him. If I don’t make the first move and he gets snatched up by someone else, wouldn’t I be at a loss?”
By the time they went their separate ways and Wen Yifan reached home, the sky was starting to get dark.
Coincidentally, it was Sang Yan’s day off and he was at home. He was on the phone when she entered the house. He looked like he was having a headache, like he was losing his patience.
“Again?”
“…”
When he saw her home, he only briefly glanced at her.
Wen Yifan changed into her house slippers and entered the kitchen. She could still hear Sang Yan’s retort, “No, Mum. Why’re you getting upset over this?”
“What’d you mean ‘waited a long time’? Since when did I agree to do this?” asked Sang Yan. “Fine, fine, fine. Let’s talk about it when I’m free.”
“I’m not sure, we’ll see.”
“I’m hanging up.”
Very quickly, the living room became quiet again.
Wen Yifan took out a cup of yoghurt drink from the refrigerator, stabbed it with a straw and drank. She stood in the kitchen, lost in thought and didn’t return to the living room or her own room.
The call must’ve been about his blind date. Her mind decided to come up with a picture of Sang Yan sitting and talking to another lady. Wen Yifan closed her eyes and stretched her lips. She was feeling stuffy for some reason.
Wen Yifan slowly finished up the drink, stood by for a while before going back to the living room.
Sang Yan was playing a game on his phone. He glanced up at her and asked, “Did you just come back from going on a date with that little fella*?”
“Huh?” asked Wen Yifan before she understood what he was referring to. “I wasn’t with Xiang Lang.”
“Oh.”
It was dead quiet.
Wen Yifan wanted to ask if he actually did go on a blind date, but she felt like it wasn’t her place to ask. She sat on the sofa and when she imagined someone else appearing by his side, her mood was filled with the so-called ‘regret’ that Zhong Siqiao had mentioned.
And a tinge of unease.
Zhong Siqiao’s words floated through her mind.
“I’ll just test the waters.”
“Just casually talk.”
Wen Yifan pondered over it before looking at Sang Yan.
Sang Yan was almost lying on the sofa. He had a loose t-shirt on, revealing most of his collarbone. She hesitated for a few second before calling out to him, “Sang Yan.”
“Hm.”
“When you’re hanging around the shared space,” Wen Yifan tried bringing up a topic, “Your clothes have been a little… Exposed.”
“What? You really have loads of opinions,” Sang Yan glanced up lazily. “Are you scared that you can’t restrain yourself?”
“…”
“Can’t you just hold yourself back a little? I know I have a very desirable face, enough to cause other to commit crimes,” Sang Yan looked away with a haughty tone of voice. “but since we’re already adults, shouldn’t you have some self-control?”
Wen Yifan was quiet for two seconds before she softly replied, “I don’t.”
It was an unexpected response.
Sang Yan raised his brows and looked back at her.
“You should dress more appropriately, or else,” Wen Yifan’s mind was completely occupied by the words ‘be ambiguous’. She came up with something to suit that theme and sincerely said, “Or else I’m afraid that I would commit a crime.”
TL/N: *The little fella actually directly translates to “bamboo horse”.
It is a reference to the poem 郎骑竹马来，绕床弄青梅 by Li Bai, a famous poet. It roughly translates to “The man/boy rides a bamboo horse over, reaching up for the green plums”. The second part of the poem describes how a girl tried to reach for the green plums over the fence, but it was too high for her to reach, while the boy comes over to get it for her. On the other hand, bamboo horses are toys that children play with. This poem is used to describe childhood sweethearts.
The reason why Sang Yan described Xiang Lang as a bamboo horse is because the first word of the poem is ‘朗‘ (láng), referring to the man/boy. He’s either just borrowing the poem to be cryptic, or he’s implying that Wen Yifan has a thing going on with Xiang Lang since they all knew each other from senior high.
Join our Discord for update notifications
Home 