Chapter 151

unedited

Before, those words,【Happy New Year】were his retaliation against the【Merry Christmas】greeting from Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s side.

However now, he genuinely, truly felt happy from the bottom of his heart. To only use those words as a means of retaliation would only diminish their real importance.

Just as Five said, “The main point is for us to once again create a great audio drama together. Taking the opportunity to slap Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s face along the way to avenge Seven should just be an amusing bonus—there’s no reason to get so invested in playing along with someone like him.”

Indeed.

Retaliating against Bronze Sparrow Terrace shouldn’t be the reason for their reuniting, but voice acting.

In the wee hours of the first day of new year, their group of seven laughed and chatted, almost going through the entire night together. Only when dawn was fast approaching they were finally all overcome by sleepiness and surrendered to their beds. He, too, nestled into Shen Yan’s embrace, rubbing his weary eyes, and drowsily cocooning them both with the covers. They drifted into a deep sleep as the first rays of the morning light filtered in, marking the beginning of new year.

On the afternoon of the first day of new year, the production team of the new ⟪Trap⟫ audio drama welcomed several new members. Guided by the oversight of producer Ninth Lady and director Knives cutting in from four sides as the chief evaluator, each member was assigned tasks based on their individual strengths and qualifications.

On the afternoon of the first day of new year, the teaser for the new ⟪Trap⟫ audio drama officially began collecting the recordings—

“Since their Christmast gift was a teaser, then how about we also release one as a New Year’s gift?” Tu Xiaotu, the sound designer, was the first one to suggest this idea. “If we keep it under five minutes, our scriptwriter girl can draft a trailer-style script today. Each of you guys would contribute a couple of lines and if I work really hard and rush for a few days, we could have the final product ready in about a week.”

This idea received unanimous support from everyone in the team.

During the end of the lunar year everyone would be busy, and the long lines for the actual audio drama episodes would require going through the slow PIA-ing process. Meanwhile, a trailer-style teaser would only have so many short lines, and it was easy to showcase their strengths with them, so this way of making a big splash first was very promising.

“Exactly, exactly! After securing the adaptation rights, we need to produce something quick and of high quality to show them the spirit of our team!”

“Mn, if it’s just a trailer, then Five can still pull off acting with some difficulty, but during the actual recording of the first episode you guys need to give him a thorough training, otherwise he might ruin the whole project.”

“Two, you…! You’re being too much! I’ve been practising so hard, you know…”

“Hahahaha, let’s not talk about Five acting anything else, cause he’s an absolute master of acting pitiful!”

“Hahahaha, Lord Sleek Horses is playing cute again!”

“Hahahaha…”

Qi Jing laughed along as he stole a glance at the desktop calendar, then another glance at the person by his side. He didn’t say anything, keeping his little ploy a secret for now.

The first day of the new year was filled with excitement and laughter. However, once the excitement subsided, it was like people at a cinema scattering after a movie—with most of its scenes still vivid in their minds, the emotions they experienced nevertheless started mellowing out, bringing them back to the tranquillity, to reality.

The second day of the new year went as usual.

The third day of the new year went as usual.

The fourth day of the new year went as usual…

Every day of the new year went as usual. The mundane, everyday life wouldn’t change just because of a new calendar on the wall, and their real life obligations too wouldn’t change just because of the fast approaching online release of their teaser.

Their days were just like in the past, ordinary and simple.

Qi Jing lowered his head, making a line across the line of days in January in the desktop calendar with a pen, starting at the square for 1st January and ending at the one for 6th January—that is, the present day. He circled this date, the corner of his eyes crinkling up in a thoughtful smile. After a while, he set down the pen and lazily watched as the hand of the clock approached the twelfth mark.

During the three-days holidays for Lunar New Year, the TV station was still busy with overtime work as usual. He had managed to exchange half a day during the holiday with someone else, and today, he only had to go to work in the morning. He finished his tasks early, so by noon, he finally grabbed his bag and left the office.

When he passed by the mailroom, the supervisor hurriedly called out to him, “Xiao Qi, today’s deliveries have already been received! Do you want to take a look if the thing you’re waiting for is here?”

These days, Qi Jing would visit the mailroom multiple times a day, at least four times, but once he received a package, he would just leave with a smile, nowhere to be seen again. However, every time the supervisor of the mailroom saw him passing by, he couldn’t resist asking him.

“Oh, I don’t have any more packages. Thank you!” Qi Jing waved his hand, saying goodbye with a smile, “I’m heading out now, have a good day.”

“Oh, so early? Do you have an interview?”

“No, I don’t, I’m just going back home.”

The mailroom supervisor just scratched his head in bewilderment, watching him leave while thinking.

Going back home?

For someone who used to lack enthusiasm about this ‘going back home’, he now appeared quite enthusiastic. Strange… Very strange.

Qi Jing left the station, but didn’t take the tube, just hailing a cab instead.

The taxi driver was also a patient fellow. Along their way, Qi Jing asked him to stop three times, each time asking him to stay for a few minutes on the roadside, yet he didn’t mind the multiple stops. And each time, Qi Jing would quickly go to the store, then come back with shopping bags in hand, placing them carefully one after another, as if afraid of breaking something.

The driver scratched his head, perplexed, but didn’t inquire.

It was only around 2PM by the time he was back to the northern part of the city. Qi Jing placed the things in his hands on the coffee table. He made sure to fill the bellies of the two whining little fellows before picking up the already prepared grocery list and going on a walk to the nearby food market. With the help of a few aunties, he managed to gather all the items he needed and returned home, satisfied.

“It’s so rare to see such a young man doing groceries himself…”

“I’m guessing that it’s because his wife made a ruckus.”

“I’m guessing that his wife is staying at home for her postpartum confinement.”

“No matter what, his wife is very lucky~”

The aunties all scratched their heads, somewhat jealous.

He unlocked the door, lined up the ingredients, opened the recipe, then once again read the text he had secretly studied for the past few days.

He rolled up his sleeves, tied his apron, and finally put this knowledge into practice.

Before Shen Yan got off work, he received a message from Qi Jing:【No need to buy groceries, just come straight home】

He thought that maybe Qi Jing planned to eat outside.

It was only when he opened the door and was greeted by the rich aroma of food filling the apartment that he realised what was going on. He stood still for a few seconds, processing the scene before him, then stepped forward and slowly made his way towards the kitchen. There, he saw a man standing in the soft glow of the setting sun, his head lowered over the pot among the whirls of rising steam. He spooned up a bit of soup to taste it, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. His finger tapped a playful tune on the bowl in his hand, creating a rhythmic sound.

Shen Yan stared, dumbfounded.

“You came back?” At that time, Qi Jing turned his head and met Shen Yan’s gaze. His smile was just as pleased as the tone of his voice, “Wait a moment, the dinner will be ready in a minute.”

Shen Yan opened his mouth, but it was as if he opened an empty script, leaving him at a loss of how to find the right words to form a coherent sentence.

It took him a long while to ask in a low voice, “…Do you need help with something?”

“Nope,” Qi Jing smiled and didn’t leave any room for interruption, “You go rest a bit, just leave everything to me. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ve personally tasted all of these dishes. While I might not be as skilled as you, I’m pretty confident in my ability to learn and replicate.”

Shen Yan made a soft noise in response, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he remained by the door, unable to peel his eyes off this sight.

As he watched Qi Jing, he couldn’t stop the memories of his childhood from flooding in.

In this moment, his present self overlapped with the tiny figure from years ago. Standing by the kitchen entrance, he watched his mother chop the ingredients meticulously on a cutting board. In those moments, he would feel the most content after the loneliness he felt whenever she left for work, at least not feeling lonely anymore. And in his youth, he would also always come here after getting back from school, silently watching his grandpa cooking, feeling… relieved.

Him from before didn’t know how to express his &#k2018;presence’. Or maybe, he was afraid to express it, dreading that what he saw was just a reflection on the water’s surface. He feared that he might become a stone sending it into ripples, destroying and disturbing its warmth. That’s why, he would only ever watch it in silence.

But now—

Now, he believed that even if he were to be a stone dropping into the waters, this scene wouldn’t shatter like the reflections on its surface. It wouldn’t vanish from his side.

Subconsciously, he took a few steps forward, then paused for a deep breath before walking behind Qi Jing. He instinctively embraced him from behind, holding Qi Jing’s waist and burying his head in his hair, greedily breathing his smell in. Its mixture with the subtle fragrance of cooked rice wafting over from the pot felt warm and comfortable—for him, who had just got back from the winter streets, there was nothing he could yearn for more than this sensation.

—As if his actions were saying, “I’m here, I’m with you.”

—As if his actions were making sure, “You’re here, you’re with me.”

Silently giving a voice to how he loved and was loved.

Qi Jing smiled faintly, letting Shen Yan hug him as his movements never stopped, finishing preparing all of the dishes.

Before the meal, Qi Jing urged him to go take a shower first and get back for the dinner clean and fresh. Shen Yan couldn’t convince Qi Jing otherwise, so he could only comply.

As he walked out of the shower, he found that Qi Jing had managed to set up the meal during his absence. Not only that, but a few new glass candle holders had appeared in the centre of the black walnut table. The candle flames swayed inside them, their pale gold light refracted through the glass, creating a pattern, a golden openwork on the black surface of the table. With the dimly lit room without the main lights on, it looked especially atmospheric. And on the table, right in front of where he always sat, there was a single red rose.

Only a single one, neither grand nor extravagant, but it was wrapped with utmost care, looking very unique and lovely.

Qi Jing was standing by the table, looking like a genteel waiter as he smiled and pulled back the chair for him, inviting him with a gesture, “Please sit down, Mr Shen.”

Shen Yan looked at him, a bit dazzled, looked back at the chair, then finally walked over.

To be fair, everything else aside, when he sat in front of that rose, he couldn’t contain a small sputter of laughter.

“Why am I getting a rose?”

He asked as he picked it up. His movements were gentle, loath to leave it there yet also loath to hold it in fear of damage it could cause. However, the sincerity of Qi Jing sending him this rose made him chuckle.

“Do I need a reason to send flowers to the person I like?” Qi Jing raised his eyebrows slightly, then asked in return, “Aren’t you going to compliment me? Where else would you find such a romantic boyfriend like me?”

To compliment himself so boastfully, this was also a side of himself Qi Jing would only show to Shen Yan. When he thought of this, he couldn’t help but smile even more.

“Mn, thank you.”

Qi Jing didn’t say anything, a small smile curving his lips as they both sat down to enjoy the meal together.

Qi Jing’s culinary skills weren’t really exceptional, but for a workaholic who rarely ever entered his kitchen when he used to live alone, it was already an achievement to cook this many dishes.

However, Shen Yan was unable to provide a comment on their taste. No matter what he ate, it all tasted delicious and overwhelmed him with happiness… So it was impossible to offer a fair appraisal.

At that moment, the only words he could muster were, “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Qi Jing chuckled, “I won’t ask you how it tasted, so just let me deceive myself for a moment to satisfy my vanity.”

Just as Shen Yan was about to say “I think it was delicious”, Qi Jing suddenly stood up. He looked around and swiftly moved some chairs against the wall, clearing the space in the middle of the dining room. Shen Yan was puzzled by this sudden action, but before he could ask, Qi Jing returned with a smile and reached out to take his hand, guiding him to the newly cleared floor.

“You received your flower, ate the meal, so how about you dance with me to return the favour?”

Qi Jing cocked his head and asked with a smile.

Shen Yan was stumped by this question, then replied with a wry smile after a moment, “I don’t know how to dance.”

Qi Jing wasn’t at all surprised with his reply, and offered with a chuckle, “I’ll teach you.”

Without waiting for Shen Yan’s response, Qi Jing took out his phone and selected the first song from the list—he was obviously well-prepared.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a speaker at home, so we have to make do with my phone. Come on, it’s starting.”

And sure enough, a quick-paced rhythm started playing from the phone—and for some reason, it was Latin dance music.

Shen Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I already forgot how to dance, and you still chose such a fast-paced song… No, I can’t do it…” He chuckled and shook his head, but Qi Jing didn’t let him continue, grabbing his hands and dancing to the music.

“Come on, after me!”

Shen Yan laughed, somewhat helpless, and followed his lead, having no other choice. Initially, he kept messing the steps up with no elegance at all, looking especially clumsy. They stumbled on quite a few occasions, and he nearly tripped Qi Jing. Each time, he tried to step back, but Qi Jing held onto him firmly, never letting go. From the beginning to the end, he held Shen Yan’s hands and showed him steps repeatedly, guiding their chaotic movements until gradually, their rhythm started aligning, eventually merging into a harmonious dance.

Shen Yan didn’t know how he got the gist of it, but by the time he noticed that he couldn’t differentiate the sound of their steps on the floor, he realised that at some point, his and Qi Jing’s tempo had already reached a unity. A peculiar carefree spirit flowed between their moves.

“How about it? Don’t you think it feels great?”

At that time, the sky was already completely dark, and the candles became their last source of light. Despite this, Shen Yan could still perceive a sheen of sweat on Qi Jing’s temples illuminated by the candlelight, and how each step they took painted a glimmer at the bottom of his eyes.

“Mn.” He replied softly, his hands suddenly shifting from passive submission to being actively in charge as he gently pulled Qi Jing closer.

And that man seemed to read his thoughts, leaning forward with a smile and resting against his chest.

The first track ended exactly there, and the phone automatically played the next song in the playlist. This time, it was a slow-paced and relaxed tune, a complete opposite of the first one.

It was when they slowed down that they felt how tiring it was to keep up with the previous fast pace. They were both gasping slightly, laughing childishly while nuzzling their noses. They also released their tightly grasped hands to interlock their fingers tenderly.

Qi Jing’s face rested against him in silence for quite some time, as if gathering his thoughts and occasionally grazing against his lips.

And at that time, Shen Yan released his grip, letting his palm trace a leisurely path down Qi Jing’s back. As it reached the small of his waist and pulled him slightly closer, Qi Jing naturally shifted half of his weight onto Shen Yan. With his hands resting near the collar of Shen Yan’s shirt, they swayed to the unhurried cadence of the music, like in a scene in a movie captured with slow-motion in its languidness.

“A-Jing.” Shen Yan called him softly.

In response to his call, Qi Jing replied by opening his eyes and lifting his head. The light streamed through the narrow seam between their faces, shimmering vividly until a kiss closed that slender divide, intercepting it. In that moment, their surroundings seemed to sink beneath the water surface, only letting the muffled sound of their breaths trickling in. The sensation of reaching their feet, leaving the texture below feeling so unreal, as if it could give way at any moment.

“Ngh…” So he whimpered softly, his fingers instinctively clutching at Shen Yan’s collar to bring him lower, closer to himself.

Shen Yan held his shoulders and gently pushed Qi Jing forward, making him take a few steps back, his back hitting the wall. And at that time, Shen Yan pressed against him, caressing his flexing back through the fabric of the shirt, his fingers crumpling the material into one big mess to secure Qi Jing in place, exerting as much restraint as he could while indulging in kisses.

Once the second song neared its end, Qi Jing leaned his head back, his moist lips parting from Shen Yan’s as he panted slightly just a sliver away from them.

“A-Yan.” He called that name softly, the aftertone of his voice a bit hoarse, like a lingering note of a violin.

“…Happy Birthday—”

Throughout one’s life, how often can one discover their whole self reflected in another’s eyes? Without anything else, just their true self?

Perhaps this was exactly that very moment for him.

Shen Yan swallowed, about to say something, but at that moment, the track number on the phone playlist jumped from “2” to “3”, playing the third MP3 file.

“Happy Birthday, Six!”

Multiple voices erupted in the MP3 player, momentarily baffling him. Meanwhile, Qi Jing watched his expression change with his eyes crinkling from a smile, but he remained silent.

One after another, a succession of well-wishes followed the suit.

“Six, as the last one to know about you coming back, I will use this opportunity to say this once again: I’m so happy to have you back with us. Mn, Happy Birthday.”

“Six, I’m definitely happier about it than First, definitely. Saying it like this sounds really awkward… But, but I just want you to know it, so Happy Birthday—”

“Happy Birthday Six! Even though we’ve stayed in touch, I never anticipated you’d return to voice acting, let alone working at the same audio drama, I’m so thrilled! Being the only non-VA among us, I’ll put in my best effort with the ending song—I won’t be dragging you guys down!”

“Six, I not only want your birthday to by happy, but also for you to be happy everyday, along with Seven~”

There was a short pause between Four and Five, as he probably hesitated with his words.

However, he still mustered the courage to slowly voice his heartfelt wishes.

“Originally… Given my position, it might not be appropriate for me to speak on this day. However, I want to tell you one thing. Perhaps in the past, you didn’t look forward or find much happiness on this day, but I genuinely hope that now, you can anticipate and take joy in it. Not only today, but also in the future to come—Happy Birthday, Six.”

And that was it.

Shen Yan listened to it silently, and light glimmered in his eyes as he smiled without a word.

Next was the fourth MP3 file, coming from ⟪Trap⟫ Production team.

“Kitty’s Papa, it’s Ninth Lady here, the producer of the new ⟪Trap⟫~ I have an honour to participate in this production, as well as wish you Happy Birthday on behalf of the entire team!”

“Uncle Yan, Uncle Yan, it’s Knives here~”

“And Puppet~”

“We’re also honoured to work together with this team, and to wish Uncle Yan Happy Birthday! We wish you plenty of good audio drama offers in the future, for your popularity to soar, and the success in both your private and professional life!”

“En, it’s Bumpy here, Happy Birthday. I hope that this rushed teaser will be a satisfactory birthday gift… Oh, and my husband is also wishing you a Happy Birthday.”

“Eh? Your husband is actually listening to audio dramas?!”

“Eh?? And your husband also knows Uncle Yan?!!”

Since they were recording this together, the voices in the background also got recorded. Hearing their surprised comments, Shen Yan couldn’t help a soft chuckle.

After that, a couple of other staff members also sent him their wishes.

Finally, Ninth Lady cleared her throat and proceeded with the concluding remarks.

“Ahem, thank you everyone for your hard work. Despite the tight schedule to make our teaser ready, we managed to finish the trailer in time for us to send it as a gift for Kitty’s Papa on this auspicious day! Since Return Date told us that you prefer to stay low-profile, our team decided to not explicitly label it as a ‘birthday gift’ when releasing it to the public, to avoid the negative attention it could bring you from our haters. Therefore, we all recorded our birthday wishes to you in private, to express our gratitude for you taking on the lead role in the new edition of ⟪Trap⟫ and your continuous support for Return Date! Thank you so much, Kitty’s Papa, and once again, a heartfelt Happy Birthday!”

And with that, the fifth MP3 file started playing. It was none other than the trailer for the new ⟪Trap⟫—

“Do you want to see everyone’s thoughts on it? Hm?”

Qi Jing picked up the phone with a chuckle, opening the forum page and tapping on the most popular post on top, showing it to him

【Modern mafia BL audio drama】⟪Trap⟫ teaser (new edition)

【STAFF】

Author & Supervisor: Blackbox

Producer: Ninth Lady【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

Scriptwriter: Puppet Show

Director: Knives cutting in from four sides

Sound design: Bumpy, Not Indented【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

Designer: Rolling Ball of Meows【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

Publicity: iCookie【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

【CAST】

Jiang Hui: Geese Fly North

Lin Qu: Don’t ask for my return date

Lin Yu: Sleek Horses Run Fast

Wen Wen: Crossing the Bridge Noodles

Wen Rou: Little Kapok

Brother Meng: Gimme a proper dub, dumbass

Sister Rong: Biluochun Tea

Investigation team leader: Longbow

British Smuggler: Headquarters

Subordinates: How long away is forever

Grandpa Jiang: Geese Fly North

【Ending Song】

⟪Losing Guard⟫

Vocal: Porcelain Bowl

Lyrics: Plainclothes with vermillion embroidery【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

Ending song post-production: I won’t survive if I don’t procrastinate【Senior Staff Retirement Club】

The teaser, though only a short couple of minutes long, quickly caused a stir on the forum upon its release. No one anticipated their production team to start off with a bam by making a trailer, and the fact it got released so soon after the New Year’s added to their surprise and delight. But apart from that, their fans soon bursted into excited shrieks seeing the names in their cast.

First of all, it was rare for the author to also appear as the supervisor of an adaptation. Even if it was just for show, this gesture was certainly a form of her recognition and support for the production team.

Apart from that, not only the staff, but also the voice actor cast made everyone so excited, they couldn’t stop talking about it for days.

【Comment 1】:

As the producer representing the entire staff, voice acting team and our sweetest author, I’m snatching! The! Sofa! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Thank you everyone for your support, and please look forward to the official release!

【Comment 2】:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, bench!! A teaser for the new ⟪Trap⟫!!

My Kitty’s Papa, aaaahh!!

My darling Return Date, ahhhhhh!

It’s their first CP audio drama, AHHHH!!

【Comment 3】:

I’m! The! Floor!

Holy crap, I actually get to witness such a historic moment with my own eyes! (I’m crying here, gaahhh…)

【Comment 4】:

What, did, I, just, perceive?!

In the cast, that’s actually… That’s actually “Sleek horses run fast”?? “Sleek horses run fast” is actually a part of this audio drama??

This production team actually managed to summon the great god from his four year seclusion, aaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhhh… (my heart is so done already)

【Comment 5】:

〒▽〒 Holy heck! I kept dreaming of Sleek horses running fast and Don’t ask for my return day to play brothers together one day!! And… And my dreams actually came true, and it’s even in an audio drama I enjoy agghhh!!

Big Sleek Horse and Small Sleek Horse, aaagghhh!!

My two Lin brothers!! I couldn’t love any production team more, aaaaggghhhh!!!!

The first tens of comments were basically drowned in ‘Aaaaggghhh!’s, so it was only around the hundredth comment that people slowly began to comment a bit more rationally.

Even if their rationale was still stunted from joy.

【Comment 102】:

〒▽〒 Brother! Meng! I dare you! To choose! A proper ID! (What’s up with this “Gimme a proper dub, dumbass”?! But fine, this ID actually makes me miss those shenanigans from the competition…)

【Comment 103】:

〒▽〒 The commenter above, let me join you in crying!

I didn’t expect the actor responsible for the main protagonist in ⟪Order to End The Heavens⟫ to actually play the main antagonist from ⟪Trap⟫… Awoooo! I’m so looking forward to hearing this scum!! (Oi)

【Comment 104】:

〒▽〒 Oh my goodness~ I can’t believe Teacher Longbow is actually in the cast~

Ever since the ⟪Order to End The Heavens⟫ voice acting competition, I really took liking to him. Who would have thought that a commercial voice actor like him would actually join our online circle, even take on a role in a BL audio drama! (cough, cough, cough)

But also! ALSO!

That Porcelain Bowl friend who sang the main theme, please wait a bit! Don’t leave yet!

I’m so into this kind of a versatile voice that can pull off both a top and a bottom!!! Your high notes are so beautiful that they bring me to tears… Is there a cover page for your singing? I’m begging for a collaboration, and please tell me that you’re open for the main themes requests!!

【Comment 105】:

I heard that Geese Fly North is Kitty’s Papa from ⟪Order to End The Heavens⟫ competition—is that true?!

His chemistry with Don’t ask for my return date in ⟪Trap⟫ was so amazing… I already loved their duo when I first listened to that unofficial run-through version, and now knowing that I’ll be able to hear them in the official audio drama, I’m so happy I could jump from joy!

【Comment 106】:

This… Lineup…

For the main roles, I already had a hunch it would be Return Date and Kitty’s Papa, so the psychological impact wasn’t too bad…

But the moment I saw “Sleek horses run fast”, it shook me to the bone, and when I continued reading further and saw “Crossing the bridge noodles”, I got so shaken that I fell from my bed… (Yes, that’s right, I enjoy browsing the forum under my blankets on my phone~ Humph~)

Speaking of which, “Lin Yu” and “Wen Wen” are canon CP!!

From what I know, they’re featured as the main characters of the currently serialised sequel for ⟪Trap⟫, ⟪Entangled⟫!

Even though ⟪Trap⟫ audio drama still has yet to officially release, so it might be a bit early for that, but I really need to say this—I’m begging the production team to eventually adapt ⟪Entangled⟫ as well, and keep the original cast!

【Comment 107】:

Just as the commenter above had said! Awooooo! °。°·(((p（≧口≦）q)))·°。°

I’m telling you, I was already quietly shipping them since Lord Sleek Horse publicly took Lord Noodles’ side!

【Comment 108】:

Pfft—the staff team is a group of friends (This “Senior Staff Retirement Club” group couldn’t have a more evocative name hahahaha), while the cast team is full of fellow comrades from ⟪Order to End The Heavens⟫ competition! It really gives an impression of a big and happy family! ～(≧▽≦)/～

As someone with five years of experience in listening to audio dramas, I can vouch for the quality of the works produced by Ninth Lady, and even though the sound designer, Bumpy, rarely works on a project and isn’t very known, she does a solid job and has some real skills. Seeing those two names, I can already tell if the quality of this audio drama will be good, not to mention how VAs in the cast are all a skilled bunch (especially Kitty’s Papa and Gimme a proper dub, dumbass←speaking of which, buddy, you sure you don’t want to change this ID?)

In a word—I’m really looking forward to the release!

P.S.: Quietly joining the person from the comment above—does the production team also happen to acquire the adaptation rights for ⟪Entanglement⟫?

【Comment 109】:

After I listened to it, I rushed here to shout out—seeing how the person above is talking about the “skilled bunch”, I really have to praise those VAs for the supporting roles, whose names I might not be as familiar with.

“Biluochun Tea” with her delivery of a mature imperial sister voice really caught my attention! Her voice is so distinct and full of character! It’s a shame she didn’t have that many lines in the teaser, but the few I heard were all impressive. Speaking of which, “Sister Rong”’s character and background are also very intriguing, and I’m looking forward to hearing more of her voice acting in the official release!

“Little Kapok” and “How far away is forever” seem to have more involvement with the PG13 content, so listeners who primarily listen to BL might be unfamiliar with those names, but both of them are promising and skilled talents. On another note, I was kind of surprised to see Little Kapok play Little Noodles’… Ah, no, it’s Brother Noodles’ little sister (pfft, ever since I saw Noodles’ IRL picture, I just have to call him Brother Noodles ╮(￣▽￣”)╭). It’s also quite impressive how Far Away manages to voice numerous subordinates by himself~

And for the last, I want to ask if somebody knows if “Headquarters” is an actual foreigner… His enunciation is as standard as it can get, but when he speaks English, he sounds like a genuine Brit, it’s so eerie… ＿(:з」∠)＿

Later on, everyone started vigorously writing comments about the audio drama, words of thanks, and even the novel fans joined in to listen to it after Blackbox’s advertisement.

If there was one word that could sum up their current state, then ‘ecstatic’ would probably do the work.

With such a reaction from the spectators below the scene, what the ones on stage felt was too much to sum up in one word, too much to summarise in a single sentence. All kinds of sentiments and feelings had intertwined, defying any complete description.

“Now, when you stand in the limelight—what do you feel?”

“I don’t know.”

Shen Yan didn’t know.

However, he understood that this wasn’t that freezing oppression he felt as a child when he tried to speak. It wasn’t fear, and he was no longer timid. Standing in front of everyone as the ‘main character’ for the first time, if there was someone to hold his hand, even if the overhead light above him were intense, as long as his shadow had a pair on the ground, there was nothing to be afraid of.

“I told you before about me feeling like I ‘escaped’,” He suddenly spoke softly, “But currently, I feel more like I am slowly feeling my way back from the escape, finally returning home.”

Hearing him say this, Qi Jing smiled faintly. He set aside his phone and walked to a paper bag on the coffee table. From within, he retrieved two items—both he had delivered, then boxed them, wrapped meticulously in silver paper and tied with a blue silk ribbon as a gift.

“The teaser for the audio drama is the production team’s gift for you. And as for me, I still have one thing that I want to give you myself.”

With that, he handed the gift box to Shen Yan, who was still a bit dumbfounded.

Shen Yan lowered his head to look at it in silence, and with a deep inhale, he finally slowly tore down the paper, opening the gift.

In the box, there was a book—a custom-made handcrafted book.

It was thick, with a cover the colour of copper. A couple of black squares were printed in the middle of it, each with a letter printed in white, forming a title.

—⟪Doctor Shen’s Diary⟫

His breath caught slightly, and it took him a moment to open one of its pages. Inside, he found a collection of medical records and the recovery diaries for every animal whose stories he had recorded since meeting Qi Jing. The words were typeset neatly on the paper to narrate the stories of healing. Some of the entries were accompanied by photographs, particularly those showcasing the contrast between the animals’ initial condition upon admission and their complete recovery, rousing a heartwarming feeling within him.

And below them, in a different font, were the replies Qi Jing wrote to him.

He still remembered the content of their communication at the beginning, but the later entries were all his handwritten notes. He would diligently write them purely out of a habit, handing them over to Qi Jing after filling each diary. Qi Jing accepted them all, but Shen Yan never inquired about when he would receive a response. He assumed that since Qi Jing was usually so busy with his job, he had no time to reply after reading—but he didn’t expect that…

“I told you, didn’t I?” Qi Jing watched him all this time, his eyes full of smiles, “As long as you wish to write, I will always reply to you, right?”

Shen Yan didn’t say anything, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he held the book.

Qi Jing tooke the diaries he had handwritten, and typed them all into the computer, polishing, typesetting and designing the text, finally making it into a book. Such a huge workload couldn’t possibly get done in one or two days, so Qi Jing had to somehow find time to do it all while keeping it a secret from him.

And in that moment, Qi jing suddenly raised his hand, caressing his face as he coaxed him gently, “My, my, don’t cry… What if you wet the pages?”

Only then he realised that his face was wet from tears, but he couldn’t stop crying.

He was really worried that he would end up wetting the book, so he could only listen to Qi Jing, and let him wipe the corners of his eyes.

While doing this, Qi Jing chuckled quietly, murmuring, “In the future… If you continue writing, then I will also continue replying, and then each year I will edit everything we wrote during the year for your birthday, then bind it into a new volume. Each year, you would have another one to place in our bookcase, until one day, we will fill it entirely, okay?”

No matter how many volumes.

No matter how many years.

They would record it all, until one of them could write no more, the other one could reply no more, leaving it there for eternity

A/N:

And then they fucked (.) ←Ten thousand words got omitted here on Kitty’s Papa request. #No.1OfHowToRuinTheAtmosphere#

T/N:

Lucilla: Guys… It’s happening. It was a long ride (three years, duh), but next week’s chapter is the last one… And I’m not ready for it QAQ