IF Extra ăENDă
After realizing this, Wen Ran became even more depressed. Jiang Yan had a partner, and he likely saw Wen Ran as only a friend or a younger brother. For him, it was better to keep his feelings buried deep in his heart.
Jiang Yan quickly noticed that Wen Ran seemed to be distancing himself. Even when Jiang Yan teased him, Wen Ran wouldn’t bicker with him like before, and he purposefully avoided Jiang Yanâs touch.
That day, Jiang Yan finished tutoring late. It was already past eleven at night. The student’s parents offered to let him stay the night, but Jiang Yan, thinking of Wen Ran, politely declined.
When he arrived home, the living room lights were off. However, the door to Wen Ranâs room was slightly ajar, a sliver of dim light spilling out. From within, there came the sound of painful groans.
“Ran Ran?”
Jiang Yan pushed the door open and went inside to find Wen Ran curled into a ball in agony, his hands clutching his abdomen.
The air in the room was thick with the scent of alcohol.
“Whatâs wrong?”
“Jiang Yan… my stomach hurts,” Wen Ran gasped, the pain so intense it felt like a thousand ants were biting his stomach. He winced with every word. “It hurts so much.”
Jiang Yan was heartbroken. This little bratâhow could he be so careless with his own body!
He immediately bent down and scooped Wen Ran up. “Hold on. Iâm taking you to the hospital.”
Jiang Yanâs embrace was warm, but the pain-stricken Wen Ran was in no state to enjoy it. He curled into Jiang Yanâs arms and dizzily closed his eyes.
When he woke again, he was met with a blinding whiteness.
“Ran Ran, youâre awake?”
Jiang Yanâs voice was right by his ear. Wen Ran asked with difficulty, “Where am I?”
“The hospital, you little brat,” Jiang Yan said, his tone carrying a hint of anger, though his movements as he handed over a cup of water were extremely gentle. “Are you thirsty? Have some warm water.”
Wen Ran held the cup and took small sips, looking quite well-behaved.
“Acute gastritis,” Jiang Yan said, flicking Wen Ranâs forehead. “Youâre quite something, aren’t you? Learning how to drink.”
Wen Ran clutched the cup and whispered, “I…”
His classmates had organized a gathering the night before. Thinking about Jiang Yan, Wen Ran had accidentally overindulged.
“Have you considered the consequences if I hadn’t come home last night?”
Wen Ran felt incredibly guilty and kept his head down, not daring to speak.
Jiang Yan sighed and pulled him into an embrace.
“Wen Ran, if anything happened to you… what would I do?”
The words were spoken with such suggestive weight that Wen Ran felt a brief moment of daze.
And yet, he clearly had a partner. Why was he still flirting like this?
His heart ached even more.
Wen Ran forcefully pushed him away. “What does it have to do with you?! Why do you care so much?!”
He sounded fierce and wild, like a cornered little beast.
Jiang Yan finally realized what was happening. He lowered his gaze. “Do you really want to know?”
Then, before Wen Ran could react, Jiang Yan cupped his face and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.
Wen Ran was completely stunned. Jiang Yan just kissed me?
A blush surged uncontrollably from his face all the way down to his neck. How could Jiang Yan be so unpredictable?
He felt so embarrassed he didn’t know what to do with himself.
In a flash of realization, Wen Ran thought of the person Jiang Yan supposedly liked. He reached out and punched him. “You have someone you like and youâre still flirting with me?! Get the hell away from me, you scumbag!”
Jiang Yan: “…”
“At this point, I suppose I have to confess something to you.”
Jiang Yan said, “Ran Ran, Iâm actually not from this timeline. I don’t know why, but I traveled here.”
“In my world, weâre already married.”
“Mar… mar… married?”
Wen Ran was so shocked he began to stutter. “Me… and you?”
How was that possible? He and Jiang Yan… married…
Even in his wildest dreams, Wen Ran had never dared to imagine such a scene.
Wait, did that mean Jiang Yan liked him?
Wen Ran felt a mixture of shame and joy. So his one-sided crush was actually mutual?
But he still found it hard to believe. After all, someone coming from the future sounded far too magical.
However, if it were true, it would explain why Jiang Yan was so good to him.
After processing this for a while, Wen Ran asked hesitantly, “Jiang Yan… can I ask you a question?”
Having revealed the secret he had been keeping, Jiang Yan had fewer reservations. He gently scraped Wen Ranâs nose. “Of course.”
Wen Ran turned beet red again before stammering out his question. “You said weâre married… so who pursued who?”
Jiang Yan: “…”
He was nearly made to laugh by the boy. He teased him deliberately, “You were the one who pursued Gege, of course. Back then, you threw yourself at me without a care for anything else, claiming I was your boyfriend and even calling me ‘Husband’.”
He added with a sigh, “I was such an innocent young man. How could I withstand such seduction and coercion? I had no choice but to give myself to you.”
“Youâre lying!” Wen Ranâs shoulders were trembling. “Thereâs no way I would do such a thing.”
“Oh? Are you trying to deny it now?”
“Iâm not!”
Wen Ran grabbed the blanket and pulled it over his head. He was dying of embarrassment!
Jiang Yan curled his lips. The little brat was adorable no matter what.
Since making things clear, Jiang Yan began to flirt with Wen Ran whenever and wherever he could. After all, he had always been an expert at teasing the boy and knew exactly how to coax him.
He could practically write a Wen Ran User Manual.
If Wen Ran had been skeptical at first, after a few days, he fully believed that Jiang Yan was from the future.
Because Jiang Yan knew so many little details that only Wen Ran himself knewâhe even knew everything about Wen Ranâs childhood.
He knew his preferences, which heroes he liked to play, and even his mechanical habits.
Wen Ran couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation for his future life. Jiang Yan told him that he would excel in the field he loved, have a group of fans who adored him, and many lively, like-minded friends.
He would even have a little cat.
The only downside was that Jiang Yan, that old rogue, was constantly teasing him. He would even pull Wen Ran onto his lap to help him with his homework, occasionally pinching his waist or kissing his cheek.
Wen Ran was flustered and red-faced every time he was bullied, yet his heart felt sweet.
On the day the College Entrance Exam ended, Wen Ran ran out of the testing center and spotted Jiang Yan in the crowd immediately.
The feeling of having someone waiting for him made Wen Ran feel incredibly at peace. He ran over and jumped straight onto Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan caught him effortlessly. Holding him by the thighs, he hoisted him up a bit. “What do you want to do? Gege will take you.”
Wen Ran felt soft inside. He acted spoiled with Jiang Yan. “I want hotpot first.”
“And then weâre going to the arcade!”
The seatmate had told him that several new games had opened at the arcade recently and that they were very fun, with small prizes for challenges.
Jiang Yan smiled. “Whatever you want.”
Usually, when they had hotpot, they would have a clear broth to accommodate Wen Ranâs stomach. But Wen Ran was too greedy for spice, so Jiang Yan compromised and ordered a split pot. However, Jiang Yan would rinse every piece of food in the clear broth before placing it in Wen Ranâs bowl. He remembered every single vegetable Wen Ran liked to eat; he was exceptionally good at looking after Wen Ranâs emotions.
The arcade challenges included many two-player games. It was only then that Wen Ran discovered Jiang Yan was also an expert gamer; his skill level was not at all inferior to Wen Ranâs.
Several of the games required them to enter names. Wen Ran put his secret little thoughts into his ID, choosing “wrxhjy.”
It looked like just a string of letters; Jiang Yan surely wouldn’t be able to figure it out, right?
While thinking this, Wen Ran glanced at Jiang Yan and saw that the ID he had chosen was: wrsxhd.
Wen Ran racked his brain for a long time but couldn’t decode it.
Ultimately, his curiosity got the better of him. He poked Jiang Yanâs arm. “Jiang Yan, what does your ID mean?”
“What about yours?” Jiang Yan glanced at the screen, turning the tables. “You tell me first, then Iâll tell you.”
“I…” Wen Ran wasn’t about to tell him. If he was the one who pursued Jiang Yan in the future, wouldn’t showing his feelings now make Jiang Yan laugh at him for eternity?
“If you won’t tell me, then forget it. Iâll guess myself!”
“Mm-hmm. Our Ran Ran is so smart; Iâm sure youâll figure it out soon.”
Wen Ran snorted, thinking to himself that heâd better not let Jiang Yan decode that string of letters!
Because both of them had top-tier skills, they completed all the arcade challenges and earned a polaroid photo.
The shop owner enthusiastically took a photo for them.
They were meant to be standing side-by-side with Jiang Yanâs arm around his shoulder, but the moment the shutter clicked, Jiang Yan suddenly turned his head and planted a firm kiss on Wen Ranâs cheek.
The owner was startled for a moment, then gave a mysterious smile as he handed them the photo. “I wish you two eternal happiness.”
Wen Ran was so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but Jiang Yan proactively took his hand. “Thank you.”
Wen Ran didn’t even know how he managed to walk out of the arcade. He followed Jiang Yan with stiff legs until they were outside, then he remembered to shake off the manâs hand.
“You… why did you say that in front of someone else!”
“I didn’t say anything,” Jiang Yan said, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Wen Ranâs flustered state. “Wasn’t she just stating a fact?”
“You’re my wife, after all.”
Wen Ran felt as though he were about to steam with embarrassment. He didn’t answer Jiang Yan and instead changed the subject abruptly. “I want to play Lingxiao. Letâs go, letâs go to the internet cafe.”
Jiang Yanâs voice was filled with nothing but indulgence. “Alright, alright. Weâll do whatever our Ran-bao wants.”
As they walked along the familiar route, Jiang Yan felt his body growing noticeably lighter.
He spoke Wen Ranâs name. “Ran Ranâ”
“Hm?”
“I think itâs time for me to go.”
“Go?” Wen Ran didn’t realize what he meant. “Where are you going?”
Jiang Yan leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. “To the future, to wait for you.”
“You…”
Wen Ran wanted to say something more, but as the internet cafe grew closer, he realized he could no longer see Jiang Yan clearly.
Then, bit by bit, the man vanished completely before his eyes.
He pulled out the polaroid. In the photo, there was now only one person remaining.
There was no longer any information about him in his phone either.
Jiang Yan had simply vanished from his world.
It was as if he had never been there.
Wen Ranâs eyes welled with tears, but before he could even begin to grieve, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
“Wen Ran, how much longer are you going to hide from me?”
Wen Ran: “?”
He turned around. Jiang Yan was standing there. He stepped forward and grabbed Wen Ranâs hand.
“If Zhao Dou hadn’t called me to the internet cafe today, would I have never found you?”
Then he pulled the boy into a tender embrace. “You little brat, don’t even think about running this time.”
Wen Ran picked up the little cat by the scruff of her neck. “Xiao Hua, youâre bothering me again. Believe it or not, your father will stew you in a bit!”
Wen Xiao Hua gave a couple of “meows,” acting cute to beg for mercy.
Hearing the cat, Jiang Yan finally stirred and woke up. He dizzily reached for Wen Ranâs waist and buried his face against him. “Ran Ran… why aren’t you sleeping a bit longer?”
“Xiao Hua stepped on me.” Wen Ran was a bit grumpy. “Iâm not letting her in anymore!”
“Why get angry at a cat?” Jiang Yan pulled Wen Ran down and held him firmly in his arms, kissing his temple. “Good. I can still kiss you.”
Wen Ran gave him an elbow to the ribs. “What are you acting crazy for this early in the morning?”
Jiang Yanâs voice was thick and lazy. “Itâs a long story. To put it simply… I had a dream.”
Wen Ran: “What dream?”
Jiang Yan said softly, “A beautiful dream.”
Wen Ran turned over and snuggled into his arms. “What a coincidence. I had a beautiful dream too.”
During yesterdayâs All-Star exhibition match, there was a “You Say, I Write” segment. The host would ask a question, and the pro players would write their answers on a piece of paper. One or two would be randomly selected to be revealed as a little “leak.”
One of the questions was: “If you had one chance to travel through time, where would you most want to go?”
Two pieces of paper that were never revealed lay quietly together.
[To meet Ran Ran earlier, when he needed me most. –WK.Wind]
[Season 9, before Wind debuted, to stay with him through those hardest days. –WK.Dawn]
Translator’s Note:
Thank you so much for following along with Wen Ran and Jiang Yanâs journey! Itâs been fun translating this! See you in the next novel! Please support the author if you can~
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