IRWTBWY Chapter 3.2

 Translator: Coral

Editor: Alam

Proofreader: Diya

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Qi Nian sat back while Professor Shen and Shao Zui continued to talk about the day’s lecture. 

Qi Nian couldn’t keep up with the conversation, so she joined Liu Xia and Li Yue, who were both immersed in the food. 

The moment she took her mind off of the conversation and focused on eating, the presence of the person next to her became much more prominent. 

He took the container and poured half a cup of coconut juice into his glass, then picked up the freshly-served beef and dipped it into the black pepper sauce next to the plate. 

As he heaped vegetables onto Professor Shen’s plate, he gave a reminder to not eat too much meat. [t/n: In China, it is custom to add dishes to people’s plates when you are close to them. Also, since Professor Shen is older, and probably has high blood pressure and cholesterol, they would not be able to eat much meat.]

Quietly turning her head to look at him, Qi Nian took a bite of her corn, the broken kernels releasing a rich and sweet juice, and thought of a topic to talk to him about.

Right! Qi Bao! She could talk about Qi Bao!

Qi Nian cleared her throat, and, in a small voice, she said, “Mr. Ji, this morning...”

Ji Yanxin didn’t speak, just turned his head to look at her. 

Qi Nian felt a bit nervous from his intense gaze. Pretending to be nonchalant, she lowered her eyes and, intensely looking at the coconut juice in the cup, she asked, “Do you often go to that restaurant to buy breakfast?”

“It’s close by.” Ji Yanxin put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands with a moist towel. “However, I usually make breakfast by myself.”

His willingness to respond reassured Qi Nian, causing her confidence to rise, and asked more courageously, “Then, does Qi Bao...does he really like to eat xiao long bao?”

At the topic of Qi Bao, Ji Yanxin’s usual expressionless face eased up a bit, “He likes everything.”

When he finished speaking, he pushed his chair aside and stood up. He nodded his head towards the others and turned around to leave. 

The small balloon that inflated in Qi Nian’s heart just a moment ago suddenly popped. 

‘But I haven't even said three sentences...’

Ji Yanxin went to pay the bill, and when he had come back, everyone had almost finished.

Ji Yanxin was assigned to send Professor Shen back, Shao Zui had someone picking him up, and Li Yue and Liu Xia could take a short walk back, since the restaurant was near the school. 

That only left Qi Nian, who had to go to the bus stop in order to get home by afternoon. [t/n: Her family home where her parents live, not her apartment.]

~~~

Ji Yanxin drove with Professor Shen out of the restaurant’s underground parking lot. As soon as he entered into the traffic, he ran into a red light at the intersection. 

Professor Shen wiped his glasses with a lens cloth. Short-sighted as he was, his vision was severely limited when he took his glasses off. 

Ji Yanxin watched him clean his glasses and helped him put the cloth back into the lens case. “Have you been to the optometrist this year?

“I haven't yet,” Professor Shen put his glasses back on, “but it doesn't matter if I go to see an optometrist or not. It’s just with my age, my eyesight will inevitably get worse, even if...”

Soon his voice fell, and pointing to the bus stop not far away, he said, “Hey, isn’t that Qi Nian?”

Ji Yanxin looked at the direction he was pointing at, raising his eyebrows, he states, “Didn’t you just say your eyesight was getting worse?”

Professor Shen didn't hold back his laugh, happily saying, “Why don’t you go over and ask if she needs a ride?”

At that moment, the traffic light turned green. Ji Yanxin released the brakes and without saying a word, followed the vehicle in front. 

Ji Yanxin was quiet even as a child, and Professor Shen was accustomed to it by this point. When they arrived at the bus stop, Professor Shen lowered the window, “Student Qi, where are you going?”

When Qi Nian’s name was called, she looked at the black Audi and stepped forward. “Professor Shen.”

Professor Shen answered, “Where are you going? If you’d like, Teacher Ji can take you.” 

Qi Nian hesitated for a while before answering, “I am going to Yimeng Community, but it’s a bit far...” [t/n: In China, the houses are like apartments since they tend to build up. So when they refer to the place they live, they all have a “community” since they are in a complex.]

“He knows where that is. Come, get in the back quickly.”

Ji Yanxin switched the hand holding on the steering wheel, “Get in.”

After eating at the same table in a daze, she was now entering his car in a daze. 

The air conditioner was turned on to accompany the wind rushing through the window. Despite it being autumn, the temperature was still a bit hot. 

Qi Nian sat in the back seat, diagonally from where Ji Yanxin sat. 

She glanced at him quietly and felt her ears warm up again. 

Ji Yanxin’s driving posture was very casual, with one hand on the arm rest by the window and the other holding the steering wheel. It was not anything strange, but it was unexpectedly seductive.  

Qi Nian’s gaze fell to the buttons on his cuffs, then further down to his well defined hands. 

In the past, before she had met Ji Yanxin, Liu Xia would often swipe pictures on her phone, stating, “Qi Nian, our Professor’s fingers are so good looking that he could have been a hand model. But out of all things, he just had to become a professor at Z university’s biochemical department.” 

“Qi Nian, try to imagine the scene. White, slender, and well defined hands of the male lead, holding onto a test tube intently and observing...would your heart not explode?”

Qi Nian really could imagine it...

Qi Nian touched her ears. Lowering her head, she couldn’t help but smile at the fact that in the future, she would be able to see Ji Yanxin wearing a lab coat and personally doing an experiment. 

The inside of the car was too quiet.


Professor Shen remained silent, unable to help himself. He turned to look at Ji Yanxin, who was keeping his eyes on the road. Then he looked at Qi Nian, who had remained quiet in the backseat, and decided to start a conversation with her to relieve his boredom. 

Professor Shen cleared his throat and asked, “Xiao Qi, where are you from?”

Qi Nian, who was still in a daze, realised “Xiao Qi” was referring to her and not someone else. 

“I’m a local in City Z, and I’ve never left since I was a child except to attend college.”

Professor Shen squinted his eyes and asked curiously, “Earlier, didn’t you say you were studying ancient literature?”

Qi Nian nodded, “Yeah, I came to Z University for graduate studies.”

“Where did you go to university before?”

“J University in J Province.” Qi Nian scratched her head, a little embarrassed. “My first choice was Z University. However, my dad was reluctant for me to go to a university outside the province, but during my third year of high school...” [t/n: School in China: high school is 3 years, so her being in her third year would mean she is a Senior, or a 12th grader.]

Qi Nian paused. 

The car had already joined the highway. 

Qi Nian rubbed her arms, a chilliness overtaking her as she recalled her past. 

She concealed the depressed emotions in her eyes, “When everyone was preparing hard for the college entrance exams, I became obsessed with painting and neglected my studies. Thus, I could only go to J University.”

Ji Yanxin retracted his gaze, his one arm still resting by the window as his right hand went to turn off the air conditioner. 

“That’s still good.” Professor laughed twice and comforted Qi Nian, “There is nothing regrettable about being a graduate student at Z University.”

Qi Nian nodded her head, “No, no regrets!”

After getting off the highway and driving on the main street, they reached Professor Shen’s home. 

The car drove into the community and stopped in front of a housing unit. 

After sending Professor Shen off, Ji Yanxin did not immediately leave. While holding onto the steering wheel, he asked, “Sit here.”

Qi Nian let out a “huh?” sound, wondering if she had heard correctly.

Ji Yanxin paused for a few seconds before repeating, “Sit in the front, I don’t know the way.”

“Oh.” 

After changing her seat, Qi Nian became more resigned. Should she put her hands in front of her, or on her knees? Or put it casually on her lap?

On her fifth attempt to smooth her skirt, Ji Yanxin, who had been staring at the road ahead, turned to grab his phone. He swiped the screen, unlocked it, and handed it to her. 

“Turn on Bluetooth and connect.” 

Qi Nian didn’t expect his actions, as her hand trembled a little while reaching for the phone. Holding it in her hands, she turned on Bluetooth, following what Ji Yanxin had said.. 

There was only one device detected in the Bluetooth connection bar. 

She clicked on the connection, and a few seconds later, a clear ping was heard and Bluetooth was successfully connected to the car. 

At the red light ahead, Ji Yanxin slowed down, and turned to stare at her seriously for the first time. 

Z City was in the south, and it was difficult to predict when autumn would begin. 

Although it never reached the summer levels of heat, one day could be stifling, and the next would bring a thunderstorm to relieve the heat. 

However, most of the time, the sun would always be smothered in clouds after a few rays shone through. 

Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun. The glow of the sun just happened to peek out behind the clouds. 

Qi Nian watched the sunlight pass by Ji Yanxin’s face. His eyes gradually brightened, as if something intruded into his heart without warning. 

She kept her eyes open, but they were unable to meet him. 

Her heart was like a small deer, jumping around frantically, driving her a little crazy. 

“You can listen to songs if you’re bored.” His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, and the red light in front of him entered countdown mode. 

Qi Nian watched as the numbers slowly counted down, and acknowledged, “Oh.”

The hand holding his cell phone was still stiff, but her mind surged with fantasies. 

Ji Yanxin was afraid that she would be bored, so he gave her his phone to listen to music on the car’s stereo. 

Qi Nian bit her lower lip, the sweetness almost melting her heart. 

~~~

Liu Xia was watching a petri dish when her phone vibrated. Surprised, she checked and saw that she had received two messages from Qi Nian. 

Qi Nian: Liu Xia, you can’t believe whose car I’m in right now. 

Qi Nian: Hey, my heart is about to burst, how do I calm it down?

The only person that could make Qi Nian’s heart explode would be Ji Yanxin. 

Liu Xia took off her gloves and told Li Yue she would be back. She went to the living quarters to send a text message to Qi Nian in order to ask what was going on. 

Qi Nian had arrived at her family home long ago. She was sitting in her mom’s arms eating cookies.

Mother Qi glanced at Liu Xia’s name flashing on the screen. Hooking a piece of Qi Nian’s hair behind her ear, she asked, “Liu Xia hasn’t come over in a long time. When will you invite her to come with Li Yue? Mom will make a good meal for them. They always eat in the cafeteria, and have become bean sprouts*. [t/n: Basically means they have gotten skinnier and not been eating well.]

“What’s wrong with being bean sprouts...” Qi Nian squeezed her stomach. Looking at the half-eaten cookies in her hand, she contemplated for a while before stuffing the last bite into her mouth. 

After going into her room, Qi Nian opened Liu Xia’s message. 

Liu Xia: What’s the situation? 

Qi Nian made a face and tried to cover her smile. 

Qi Nian: Yep, I was waiting for the bus when Teacher Ji was sending Professor Shen back and allowed me to catch a ride. Then Teacher Ji drove me to my community and I went home.

Liu Xia: …

Qi Nian: Okay, compared to how I was before, isn’t this a big breakthrough?

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xia reminded her,

Liu Xia: Don’t be too happy at home and forget the important matters. There’ll be class tomorrow morning and Professor Ji doesn’t like people being late.

Qi Nian smacked her forehead, as she had almost forgotten about that. 

Yi Meng District was a bit far away from Z university. She estimated that it’d take 45 minutes by bus, not including the waiting time and stops. 

Therefore, after having dinner with her family, she embarked on the last bus back to school, heading to her apartment to sleep. 

While traveling, she uploaded some drawings on Weibo. [t/n: for her new project, reminder that she is also a manhua artist.] 

Qi Nian wasn’t good at coming up with names. Her pen name, “Qi Zai,” was plain evidence of that fact*. After pondering for some time, she ended up posting it on Weibo to ask for help from her fans. [t/n: Meaning the name is not creative. Qi Zai is like a spinoff of her name, and it isn’t as creative when it comes to the pen names of other Chinese authors. For instance, the Chinese author called Grumpy Crab, who wrote the novel “My Husband with Scholar Syndrome.” ]

The suggestions for her book names ranged from “Comic Love Tea Set,” to “God Chasing Love,” and “The Long Waited Romance.” However, Qi Nian eventually decided to call it “Beauty Should be Repaired.”

How did she come up with this name? 

Well, recently, when she was flipping through a book, she read the sentence, “The beauty must be seen and repaired, and Pei Wu will take the Gui Zhou Boat.” [t/n: Okay, so this is a snippet from a poem and it's testing my IQ in Chinese. Basically (from my interpretation) it's a poem about a man courting a woman, and he followed her in order to see and court her. Original: 美要眇兮宜修，沛吾乘兮桂舟. Feel free to go on our discord and correct me in the mistakes/typos section.]

Um, the beauty in that story was Ji Yanxin and... she was the man courting the beauty…

With the title, a hole had been dug. 

The next step was to fill it up day by day. 

Everytime Qi Nian finished a manhua, she would take a long break before starting a new one. 

After all, selling cute drawings was much easier. 

Following this, the fans and readers, who were suddenly startled by their idol, flooded the site until it crashed. 

Qi Nian went to cook instant noodles, and when she came back, the support group had already responded. 

She was slurping the noodles with a warm feeling in her heart. Then, Qi Nian posted on Weibo in a youthful tone, causing readers to be unable to recover from their initial shock. 

“I didn’t encounter any surprise, I just met my male god.”