Exactly one year ago, I made my first post on this blog. This update also marks my 99th post here. Thanks to all the readers who have followed along, be it with Really, Really Miss You, My Sunshine recaps, or here with Beautiful Bones and allowing me to share my favourites with you. 🙂 And of course, my thanks to my favourite Peanuts and our missing landlord, Hui3r for sharing their blog with me.
Speaking of favourites, my Really, Really Miss You books (yes, it is “books” plural… I bought 2 because I love it so much!) arrived! WAAAAAAAAH! Unfortunately, I will have to post the epilogue translation much later (timing is approximately October) because it has a spoiler for Beautiful Bones’s ending in there, so for now, all I’ll say is, “OMG OMG OMG, I love the epilogue!! It’s too cute!!! <3”
And now… if you haven’t gotten the hint yet, things are not as they seem when it comes to Zhousheng Chen’s family.
Chapter 7.1 – Eighteen Prayer Beads (1)
This story was translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. All forms of reproduction, redistribution, or re-posting are not authorized. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the copy is unauthorized and has been taken without consent of the translator.
Please do not re-post this anywhere.
These ancient library towers inevitably contained many stories.
This one that was before her now, she did not know how many people had come and gone through it or how many love stories it kept hidden inside. But this place was Jiangnan and that ancient library tower of the past that was held in her memory had once stood far away in the northwest regions. It had long ago returned to the dust.
The Xiao Nanchen Prince’s manor had been located in Chang’an, which is present day Xi’an (red). The Zhou family manor is in Zhenjiang, relatively close to Shanghai (green) where Shi Yi resides. (Image credit)
Zhou Wenxing pulled out an old, long copper key and opened the lock.
Perhaps out of worry that Shi Yi was someone who had a need for cleanliness, as she pushed open the door, she explained to her that everyday this place was cleaned by a dedicated person so there would not be any dust. “Oh right, are you allergic to dust or any flowers or plants?”
Shi Yi shook her head.
“My big brother has allergies to dust as well as flowers and plants.” Zhou Wenxing gave a low chuckle.
Shi Yi nodded. “Noted. Our home in the future will be completely dust free and we will not grow any plants.”
Zhou Wenxing laughed, “His allergies aren’t really that serious.” She suddenly dropped her voice and whispered, as if she was siding with Shi Yi, “If you ever get in a fight with him, just make him smell some flowers and then small red bumps will pop up on his body. Not a lot of them, but it’s especially comical to see.”
Shi Yi seriously had doubts whether this girl in front of her was truly studying medicine. Even she knew that allergies were not something to be ignored, and although most allergic reactions were not severe, when they actually were, they could be very scary.
Inside, there indeed was not a speck of dust to be found.
All along the way, from the first floor to the third, it was as if Shi Yi was admiring ancient artifacts. From the decorative accents in every corner to the engravings in the wood that could be seen when she lifted her head, everything was fascinating to her. Zhou Wenxing did not appear to have much interest in ancient Chinese literature and could not provide any explanations or backgrounds of anything, so she simply let Shi Yi walk to the top level. Because it was an ancient building, the tower soared tall at a height of ten zhang [approximately 32 metres][1].
The east and south sides of the tower had top hung windows that opened outward. Books and manuscripts of every description filled the dozen or more rows of shelves. There were scrolls as well as bound books. It was fortunate there were no scrolls of bamboo slips[2], otherwise she truly would have started to suspect which era she was in.
Zhou Wenxing answered a phone call, but because the mobile reception was not very good, she hastily ran downstairs.
Shi Yi was standing by the bookshelves and had randomly picked up a book when she heard footsteps.
Soon, Zhousheng Chen appeared at the top of the stairs, his hand resting on the end of the carved, wooden handrail. Through the gaps of a three metre high bookshelf, he quickly saw her. “Are there any books that you like?”
“I just arrived not long ago.” She set down her book. “Didn’t you say there were some family matters you needed to take care of?”
“They are finished now.” He smiled faintly, “The remaining issues between the various wives of the cousins and cousin-brothers should not require my involvement.”
His expression was composed, but his voice still carried hints of awkwardness
These issues were, after all, simply conflicts in the family and indeed did not require him to provide the resolution.
As a result, he had quickly departed, and even his pace had been somewhat brisk. He wanted only to find Shi Yi and see, when she saw this gift, what sort of reaction she would have. But now that he was looking at her, he realized her response was not important.
With her back facing the window, the tranquil, content, and traditional aura she carried seemed very much like those women of legends, the ones where a single glance at their beauty would bring about the ruin of a city.
<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. Please do not repost this anywhere, including, but not limited to, on Wattpad, on personal blogs, as distributable electronic files, etc.
“Why don’t you go over to the window and see?” He strolled over toward her.
Shi Yi stared blankly at him for a brief moment. Her eyes flickered over to glance at the half-open window, but her feet would not move. A deep-seated terror struck her, and even her fingers started to tremble and her breathing grew ragged. She did not have a fear of heights, and ten zhang was merely a height of ten storeys anyway. Why, then, was she so afraid? She gently inhaled a deep breath, worried that he might notice her abnormal behavior.
He, however, had already stepped over toward the window, opened it up fully, and engaged the hook that would keep it propped open.
In this way, her view opened up even wider.
A breeze blew in, and on the shelves nearest the window, some books rustled as their pages were turned.
Leaning against the window, he turned back toward her and invited, “Come. Look over here.”
Shi Yi did not dare move. Her entire body was aching, the sort of pain that seeped out from the cracks of one’s bones, and she clenched her fists tightly.
He was looking out the window and had not noticed her unusualness. “Standing here, you have a complete view of this entire old manor as well as the sunset.”
His voice was light, and in the refreshingly cool evening breeze, it seemed so familiar.
Shi Yi suppressed the fear she was feeling in the depths of her heart. Slowly, step by step, she walked over and offered her hand out to him. He gently took it in his own and led her over to the window. In that instant her hand touched the window frame, she saw nothing before her eyes except the red of blood. His voice should have been so close, yet it sounded indstinct, as if she was hearing it through a curtain of mist.
“Are you unwell?” Zhousheng Chen’s one arm was beside Shi Yi, its hand against the window sill supporting himself. Lowering his head, he saw her complexion had grown a little pale. “Shi Yi?”
He called her name. His breath was beside her ear, and there was the warmth of his body.
All the things of reality that stimulated her sense of touch gradually pulled her back from her nightmare until the sights before her became clear again.
The sheen of blood dissolved away.
Only the afterglow of the setting sun remained.
The unbroken stretch of white walls and black tile rooftops as well as dense layers of vibrant green seemed to be stretched out by the sunset’s remaining glow. It was indeed an ancient manor where the eyes were unable to see its bounds. Those walls that seemed to be fire separation walls[3] at the edge of the manor’s boundaries were hidden in the twilight.
Extremely beautiful.
She thought to herself, he wanted her to see the beautiful scenery.
There was a slight layer of perspiration on her forehead, and here, in the remnants of the sunlight that was about to disappear, he finally could clearly see it. “You have suddenly perspired so much. You really are not feeling well?” She shook her head, but before she had a chance to speak, Zhou Wenxing had already come back up the stairs.
Zhousheng Chen had originally wanted to help her wipe away the sweat on her forehead, but because of this, he retracted his hand that had already reached forward halfway and slipped it into his pant pocket. It seemed, in the presence of a third person, he was always very reserved, so reserved that he seemed like a monk who did not allow himself to be near a woman’s charms.
This action of his caused Shi Yi to break out in laughter.
<>The translator would sincerely appreciate it if you would read this translation only at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the actual site of posting. Thank you.
As a result, when Zhou Wenxing walked up, the scene before her was Shi Yi laughing amusedly while Big Brother was looking at Shi Yi with a prim and proper expression and not a trace of a smile on his face, yet his eyes contained a subtle hint of joy in them.
Zhou Wenxing found that she was starting to like this future sister-in-law more and more.
One must know, this scientist big brother of hers had never shown any interest in women before.
<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. Please do not repost this anywhere, including, but not limited to, on Wattpad, on personal blogs, as distributable electronic files, etc.
That evening, Zhousheng Chen brought her to see his maternal grandmother.
To her great puzzlement, his maternal grandmother was very elderly in age but she still did not live in the manor.
Their vehicle drove out of the mountain areas and turned into a nearby little town that could not be considered prosperous. There, they saw the elderly lady who lived alone in a small, two-level home. Her age was approaching one century and her vision was blurry from age, but her mind was clear.
While Shi Yi sat beside the rocking chair, talking with and keeping Grandmother company, Zhousheng Chen spent the entire time patiently inspecting all the appliances and various installations. He even needed to personally check the shower head to determine if any of the spray holes had become clogged.
“Even the most patient person, when attending to an elderly person of no blood relation, will lose their patience. No matter how many people are assigned to this place, it is unavoidable that there will be times of inattentiveness, so it is best to personally inspect everything,” he explained lightly to Shi Yi, who had come over to observe him performing manual labour.
Shi Yi nodded in agreement. “There will always be lax moments by the caregivers if they are not that person’s own children.”
He smiled, “Are you empathizing?”
She told him, “There was a time when my mom and my [maternal] uncles all took turns caring for my [maternal] grandmother because they found out that the caregiver would never chat with Grandma and did not give her adequate time out in the sunshine. Those are all little things, but as a son or a daughter, they’re things you would consider.”
As she watched him, she could not help wondering, was he also this patient when he was in the laboratory?
When Zhousheng Chen had finished his inspection of the bathroom, he turned on the faucet and washed his hands.
Her eyes were fixed keenly upon him, and she discovered that his palm seemed to have a scar on it. “Your hand, was it injured before?”
With an “mm”, he answered, “It’s very normal.”
By “normal,” he, of course, was referring to the small risks that were always present when one was working in a laboratory. Shi Yi pressed her lips together. Her heart twinged slightly, but at the same time, she felt that that was his occupation and there really was not much she should say.
Seeing that his inspection work was nearly complete, she left the bathroom and went back to continue chatting with Grandmother.
Zhousheng Chen’s head was lowered as he carried on meticulously washing his hands, but he could not hold back a smile as he shook his head slightly.
<>Please support this translation by only reading it at its actual site of posting, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Thank you very much.
When Shi Yi had returned to Grandmother’s side, the elderly lady fumbled and felt for her hand and slipped a strand of jadeite beads onto it.
Grandmother clasped her hand and gently patted it with her own. Before she could take a closer look, she heard Grandmother start to speak.
“I bore a daughter who forever shall carry the fault of having done an injustice to the Zhousheng family.” Grandmother’s enunciation was somewhat unclear, so Shi Yi bent over at the waist to be closer and listened with some difficulty. “Eldest Young Master, ah, he should not have taken her as his wife. If he had known about her and Second Young Master, then he should not have taken her as his wife.”
Shi Yi listened in bewilderment and surmised that the “Eldest Young Master” Grandmother was referring to was not Zhousheng Chen but rather, his father.
Grandmother heaved a heavy sigh.
Then, with her hand holding a circle of 108 jadeite prayer beads, she quietly began reciting Buddhist sutras.
Zhousheng Chen happened to step out at that moment, and when he saw the circle of eighteen jadeite prayer beads on her wrist, surprise flashed briefly in his eyes before quickly disappearing. During the return journey, he told her the origin of those eighteen prayer beads. “It has a circumference of twenty-eight centimetres. There are eighteen jadeite beads in total.” His hand slid down the length of the string beneath the coral guru bead. “Rose-colored tourmaline was used for the carving, and there are also beads of coral and pearl.[4]”
18 jadeite beads in total. Spacer and guru beads (the one from which the string is hanging) are made of coral. Decoration on bottom of the string is rose-colored tourmaline. Tiny pearls are on the string. Image credit
She lifted up her wrist. “It’s very exquisite.”
“This is an item from the late Ming, early Qing dynasties.”
Suddenly realizing its significance, Shi Yi could not restrain a laugh. “Zhousheng Chen, can you give me a safe as a gift? I’m going to lock these up.”
“These are prayer beads. There have been many generations of people who have used them when reciting sutras and chanting mantras. Wear it,” he smiled. “Buddha will bless you.”
“That I do know.” Using her index finger, she fiddled with the individual beads. “This is the smallest type. There are also ones that have 27, 54, and 108 beads – all prayer beads used when reciting sutras.”
The car drove through the forested mountain area. This road that wound around the mountain was very serene so that even the air seemed fresher.
A light breeze blew in through the half-lowered window, tousling the stray hairs beside her cheek. Her smiling expression as well as that bit of pride that could be seen in this very small but obvious moment of showing off her learnedness caused Shi Yi to appear… rather cute.
He looked at her for a while, not speaking.
She, on the other hand, was slightly embarrassed by his gaze, so she smiled and did not say more.
A fixed distance was maintained between his sedan and the four vehicles that were following behind as they drove in a line toward the old manor.
However, when they were nearly there, several police vehicles could be seen off in the distance stopped outside of the manor gates.
Those police vehicles were quiet, but the headlights were all on. The stark, white light of those four or five vehicles crossed and interwove, clearly illuminating the roadway and stone carvings in front of the manor house. Uncle Lin quickly put on his headset and in a low voice, instructed the trailing vehicles to not follow them and leave, instead, by a side road.
Shi Yi did not understand what this was about and quickly turned to glance at Zhousheng Chen.
He did not show any surprise.
He merely pulled down his sleeves that had previously been rolled up and fastened the cuff links. “Uncle Lin, pass Shi Yi’s passports over to me.”
Uncle Lin left hand grasped the steering and he continued to drive the sedan steadily toward the old manor while his right hand reached into the glove compartment, pulled out four passports, and handed them back to Zhousheng Chen.
“Shi Yi, remember what I tell you now.” Zhousheng Chen took her handbag and placed the four passports into it. “You now hold the citizenship of four countries. I possess diplomatic immunity. On paper, you are technically my wife and therefore, you also have that same immunity.”
His voice when he spoke was level and cool. Shi Yi was having some difficulties comprehending.
“Simply put,” he told her calmly, “regardless of what may happen, you do not need to pay heed to any of it.”
Their vehicle slowly came to a halt.
Uncle Lin pulled off his gloves, carefully folded them and placed them on the driver’s seat, straightened his suit, and then got out of the car first. In a state of astonishment, Shi Yi watched everything that was happening right there before her. Two policemen approached, very politely shook Uncle Lin’s hand, and spoke in low tones with him.
Uncle Lin very quicky shook his head. He leaned over to glance inside the car and explained something to them.
A silent picture was playing before her eyes. She could not hear any of the conversation, but she could still sense the graveness of the situation.
<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. Please do not repost this anywhere, including, but not limited to, on Wattpad, on personal blogs, as distributable electronic files, etc.
[1] As opposed to modern times where a typical storey is approximately 3.3 metres, so a 3 storey/level building would be around 10 metres tall. This ancient, three level library tower is about three times taller than that.
[2] In ancient China, prior to the widespread use of paper, the material used for writing was strips of bamboo, called slips. Scrolls were formed by binding the slips together using thread.
[3] 风火墙 “feng huo qiang.” Literally “wind-fire wall.” In traditional Chinese architecture, a gabled end wall that rises above the pitch of the roofline to prevent fire from spreading between buildings.
[4] Buddhist prayer beads, or mala, are used in Buddhism to count mantras, prayers, chants, etc. Shi Yi’s was gifted one with 18 prayer beads, all in jadeite. The picture I included, above, seems to fit Zhousheng Chen’s description very closely. In addition to those 18 jadeite beads, there is a guru bead (seen in the picture with a string hanging directly below it) and additional spacer beads of coral. This is a particularly fancy string of prayer beads, obviously. The carved decoration on the bottom of the string is carved from rose-colored tourmaline and if you look closely, on the string, there are many tiny pearls. This particular set of prayer beads also dates from the late Ming to Qing dynasty and is found in the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing It would have been considered a treasure even in the imperial palace of the Qing dynasty.
This story was translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. All forms of reproduction, redistribution, or re-posting are not authorized. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the copy is unauthorized and has been taken without consent of the translator.
Additional Comments:
Tehe, a little bit of a cliffhanger. What’s going on? We’ll save that for my 100th post on this blog. :p Haha!
Questions for you all: Did you understand what was happening to Shi Yi inside the library tower when she broke out in cold sweat? What are your thoughts on Zhousheng Chen’s grandmother’s cryptic talk with Shi Yi? (I’m trying to gauge how well I translated those passages.)
Completed:
1 of 1 Prologue
22 of 56 Main story segments
0 of 3 Epilogues
Fanatical 
May 30, 2015 at 8:26 am
Thanks for the update!
did shi yi break out in cold sweat because in her previous life she died from jumping off the library tower?
and based on the grandmother’s broken fragments, i am guessing, zhousheng chen’s mother has an affair with the second uncle?
Thanks for the lovely update! The zhousheng chen at the end of the update seems rather cold and not his usual self…
May 30, 2015 at 12:15 pm
oh my god i have never thought of that before. I thought someone drugged her or sth, but now that you mention it. It’s much more likely to be the case!
June 3, 2015 at 5:02 am
I’m tending to agree with your first speculation.
We are used to seeing Zhousheng Chen with Shi Yi, but remember how he was back in Xi’an’s lab that made Shi Yi so discouraged? He is always gentlemanly but distant, so people do not feel comfortable getting close to him. Faced with a police block in front of my ancestral home, I’d be rather cold and distant, as well…
May 30, 2015 at 8:56 am
Thanks Hoju! You’re posting earlier and earlier! Always looking forward to my Friday nights. Ahh.. I should’ve remembered that former Zhousheng Chen was from Chang’an and current Zhousheng Chen is Zhenjiang since I’ve commented how wonderful it was for them to meet in Xi’an, same city as Chang’an where their ancient story took place.
As for her vision, I’m also thinking it was a vision of her hanging from a rafter in a ten zhang tall tower and this library also seem to be ten zhang high, so maybe that was the vision she saw? She probably hang herself on the third story of the library tower in the Prince’s manor, which is where she wrote her poetry writings and where she and Zhousheng Chen spent most of their time together.
As for the grandmother’s cryptic talk.. It seems like Zhousheng Chen’s mother was with the younger uncle who is also now the person overseeing the family business until Zhousheng Chen is of age. I can’t remember, is Zhousheng Chen’s current mother his real mother or was she the second wife of his father and Zhousheng Chen was the first wife’s son? I cannot remember if I read something along those lines or am I creating drama in my own head. LOL. If that’s the case, then there is more danger to Zhousheng Chen’s position because if the mother died, uncle probably hates ZSC’s father and him or if his current mother had loved the uncle, then they could plot for uncle to take over the family since mother never loved his father.
Citizenships of four countries?! Wow Zhousheng Chen! But.. when did they ever register their marriage? Did he forge it without her knowing? I DO NOT remember them going to register their marriage.
May 30, 2015 at 9:06 am
Oh and in addition to the vision, Shi Yi probably hang herself near the window because they loved having that window open and having the breeze blow in. I could picture them admiring whatever view they had from there since it was probably the tallest tower at the Prince’s manor and she was not allowed to leave the Prince’s manor unless to go home. Also, there was that time when she was watching him looking out of the window as well. That was what I was picturing at first when he approached them window to open it and thought that the vision of him being at the window was coming back to her, however, when she visualized the blood part, I knew it couldn’t be Zhousheng Chen since he died by being deboned 😦 and it was not at his manor.
June 3, 2015 at 5:12 am
Wow, I didn’t think anyone really caught my schedule shift. My kids’ bedtime routine has changed to be later (noooo!) so I’ve been trying to prepare my postings before they go to bed, otherwise it’d be really late.
In the history books, it said, “rumours” had it that she had jumped from the city gates or hung herself in the library tower, but nothing was confirmed. The way I interpret this is, she died by throwing herself out of the third floor of the library tower, probably out those windows that were so significant to her. The description of the sheen of blood before her eyes makes me think of death by impact instead of asphyxiation (hanging) because the latter should not cause her to see the red of blood. And the pain she felt said it was coming from within her bones… sounds like impact.
Regarding Zhousheng Chen’s mother, nothing has been stated about her.
You’re not supposed to remember them registering their marriage. 😉
Deboned… 😦 Have you ever deboned something for cooking purposes? You will never look at it the same way. 😦
May 30, 2015 at 10:45 am
I also thought Shi Yi was having visions of her prior death and that there was some sort of scandal with ZC’s parents and uncle-the exact nature of which will be disclosed later 🙂
I really love the progression of SY and ZC’s relationship, though I am starting to wonder if and when lust is going to take over…
June 3, 2015 at 5:13 am
*thumbs up*
Isn’t the development beautiful? Zhousheng Chen, as gentlemanly as he always is, is a normal man. 😉
May 30, 2015 at 10:59 am
Hmm, she does not remember that she commited suicide by hanging but she subconciously fears it. What is the commotion all about?
June 3, 2015 at 5:14 am
Definitely subconsciously fears something. Like I wrote back to chang’er, I think her death was by jumping from the tower.
You’ll find out in a few hours…
May 30, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Thank you for another fun chapter. 🙂 It has definitely become my most favorite novel (before this was My Sunshine haha).
June 3, 2015 at 5:14 am
You’re welcome. 🙂 My Sunshine the novel (i.e. Silent Separation) or the drama?
May 30, 2015 at 1:52 pm
uuh…. Trouble?
June 3, 2015 at 5:16 am
Haha. Likely. I have not heard of a situation where four or five police vehicles are blocking the way into a house and it’s not trouble. :p
May 30, 2015 at 3:20 pm
Thank you!
June 3, 2015 at 5:16 am
You’re welcome!
May 30, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Just like LPP, this has also become a favorite after Come Eat Shan Shan and Silent Separation! There are lots of scenes where I can imagine their actions and marvel at the growing chemistry between them. I’m really hoping that theirs is a happy ending. Still, I do welcome the side stories that make this book so interesting and whet my appetite to read more and fires me up to pray that the next installment will be quickly translated. Hahaha… Thank you for your hard work and for opening my life to the beauty and wonder of Chinese novels!
June 3, 2015 at 5:21 am
A little about me: I only translate stories with *happy endings*. 🙂 New updates are posted every Tues and Friday evenings, N. American time, so Wednesday and Saturday mornings over in the Phiippines.
Yup, the love story definitely is centre stage, but the mysteries happening in the background with Zhousheng Chen’s family are so compelling. Tehe, glad this is keeping you excited, and thank you so much for reading and faithfully commenting. 🙂
May 30, 2015 at 6:58 pm
Thanks for the chapter!
June 3, 2015 at 5:21 am
You’re welcome! 🙂
May 30, 2015 at 9:01 pm
Beautiful translation. i dying for the next chapter.
June 3, 2015 at 5:22 am
Thank you. 🙂 Coming up in soon!
May 30, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Intrigues upon intrigues! The revelations given out by the author are just like the jadeite beads; threaded through the text one by one and each needs to be contemplated and understood before moving to the next.
From the grandmother’s cryptic words, I’m beginning to understand the tangled relationships in ZC’s family – particularly those to do with inheritance. I wonder if the grandmother herself is playing a game of intrigue in what she seemingly revealed as the rambling of an old person to Shi Yi…
On a lighter note, I really loved ZC’s reaction to first seeing Shi Yi in the library! And how very practical of him to have already registered their marriage (and obtained 4 passports!). I feel like he is quite prepared for the storm that is coming.
June 3, 2015 at 5:29 am
I like that. Yes, the author slowly gives us little bits of information. From Shi Yi’s perspective, some of these seem almost inconsequential (who really takes to heart the random chatter of someone who is approaching one century?), but we as readers and spectators looking in from the outside, mull over them.
The Zhou/Zhousheng family is much more complicated than even the melodrama of the rich and large families in TVB dramas. Just think about the naming conventions, the requirement of “coming of age by marriage”, etc.
Such a change in Zhousheng Chen from the scientist version of him we saw in Xi’an. I loved that the visit to the library tower was a gift from him to Shi Yi and he was eager to see her reaction. And then, while I don’t think he would show an outward reaction, it’s like his breath was caught away, inwardly when he saw her and nothing else mattered.
While Zhousheng Chen’s desire is probably the simple, routine life of a scientist, don’t forget he grew up as the heir to the Zhousheng family. Even though I don’t know what that specifically means in terms of his childhood and what he was taught, I’m sure preparedness was definitely one of them. 🙂
May 31, 2015 at 1:36 am
May I know where you order your books from? 🙂
June 3, 2015 at 5:32 am
I generally order from overseas.jd.com. Their site is mostly in English, though once you start searching novel, everything becomes Chinese, but at least the ordering and payment parts are in English. I bought RRMY from dangdang.com, which is targeted for China and transactions are in RMB. Shipping was ridiculously fast (like, 4 days) but also ridiculously expensive, so while the book itself was cheap, I paid 7x the cost of the book to ship it. (Shows you how much I love RRMY.)
June 3, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Thanks! It’s really hard to find all the internationally non-famous Chinese books and even some of the famous ones in Sg… Thank you so much for the info! 🙂
May 31, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Thanks hoju!!!
The family issue gets more intense in this chapter. But their love story gets more lovely! Aaaahhh what a cute couple!!! When will they get married?? Im curious.. Is this story also about their life after marriage?
June 3, 2015 at 5:33 am
You’re welcome!
Didn’t you “hear” what Zhousheng Chen said? Shi Yi, on paper, is his wife already.
August 22, 2021 at 12:58 pm
But why did it not say in the previous chapters that they have already wedded or registered their marriage?
June 2, 2015 at 11:31 am
Hmm, . I am getting more curious with ZC’ family issue. Hope to find out in next chapter
Thanks you so much @hoju…😄😍
June 3, 2015 at 5:33 am
Hmm… more will be revealed next updated, but whether it is satisfactory to you or just makes you even more curious…
You’re welcome!!
June 2, 2015 at 11:37 am
Hi Hoju, a bit off topic but do you know whether the epilogue for really, really miss you is available anywhere online?
June 3, 2015 at 5:37 am
The published book for Really, Really Miss You (or officially now, “Miss You”) only hit the market less than 2 weeks ago. Etiquette has it that at least several months elapse before anyone posts it online, and tieba, 19lou and 91babymama, from what I have noticed, do patrol that. Even when Beautiful Bones was released last year, it took many months before a copy of the epilogues was released.
June 4, 2015 at 1:11 pm
Yes, I understand. How I wish I can read the book and support all the authors for their hard work.
June 2, 2015 at 2:04 pm
ZSC was so nonchalant about the injury on his palm when SY asked him about it … but he smiled and shake his head after she left to talk to granny without pursuing further the subject although her pursing of her lips probably showed she’s not happy at how nonchalant he was about that? Was that why ZSC smiled? Was he happy she noticed and was obviously concerned and not being naggy about it? LOL …
Pity the sister had to disrupt what would be another sweet moment between them if he had wiped her sweat away for her … but at least we got another fan for SY … on how ZSC has changed and the effect she had on him. Which is a plus anytime … =)
Can’t wait to find out what the whole police block is about … surely nothing to do with the female relatives conflict earlier on … life is certainly never dull in the ZS family. LOL … But I won’t be holding my breath we’ll find out the details so soon or ever … since Uncle Lin could have taken care of it by himself or if not … they will speak in bits and pieces and there’s no guarantee ZSC is going to give a thorough explanation to SY of what really happened short of there’s some trouble. *rolleyes* LOL
Thanks for another great chapter hoju!! ❤ ❤
June 3, 2015 at 5:42 am
Yes, I agree. I think Zhousheng Chen was amused at her mother hen-ing that she tried to suppress, but also touched that she would be concerned for him and what, to him, was such a small injury.
It would have been sweet, but I like that we have the assessment of someone else, someone close to Zhousheng Chen, that he has indeed changed because of Shi Yi. Anyways, I promise you will have many more sweet moments between the two…
No, not dull at all. And Zhousheng Chen really only wishes to have a dull, routine life. Haha, yes, your prediction of the amount of information you’ll get is probably very accurate, considering we still have more than half the novel to go. :p
❤ Thanks for reading and commenting!
August 14, 2015 at 4:52 am
Interesting family… So from his grandmother crypted mumbling, his mother was in a relationship with his uncle but somehow married his father instead. I wonder if this is the same uncle that took over the business when his dad passed away. Their family dynamic is the kind that I can’t stand when I watch drama. Hehehe… I usually avoid this kind of dysfunctional family dynamic in any drama. A good thing MBFB’s main point of this story is their beautiful relationship.
I wonder if SY will always call him his full name, ZSC all through out the novel. It feels awkward to keep calling him with his 3 characters name all the time. Can she pick a nickname for him??? Like Xiao Chen?? Hahaha…
So SY actually didn’t remember how ZSC in the past died. She just knew that she somehow owed him in their past life. When she was facing the window in the library tower, her memory on how she died suddenly came back. Something that is kind of bothering me. For those of you that believe in reincarnation, isn’t there a saying that if you commit suicide, then you can’t be reincarnated? I think I remember when I was reading the Hua Xu Yin’s novel, somebody had mentioned that Mu Yan didn’t want to commit suicide after Jun Fu died because of that reason. I’m just wondering… BB novel really makes me think deeper. 😊
Beautiful translation, Hoju!
August 15, 2015 at 6:17 am
I hate family feuds, infighting, etc. That’s not at all what the story is about.
When I first started reading c-novels, I found it so strange that you would address someone so close to you or even your friends by their full Chinese name. In HK Cantonese, it’s definitely not common. However, I’ve found out that it is actually quite common in China and it does not indicate a lack of closeness. Shi Yi can’t call him “Xiao Chen” though, because he’s older than her. A’Chen sounds gross, and just plain “Chen” sounds awkward to me. I’ve never liked calling a person by a single character name.
I am not well-informed at all about Buddhist beliefs on reincarnation and again, defer to anyone who is more knowledgeable. All I will throw in is, in stories, dramas, etc. that I have seen, I have seen varying beliefs regarding suicide and reincarnation.
August 15, 2015 at 6:40 am
Hahaha… A Chen does sound gross. I don’t like calling a single Chinese name either. I didn’t think that because he’s older that she can’t call her Xiao Chen. I know the Xiao is from 小 (small) but I thought it’s only a nick name so it doesn’t matter whether he’s older or younger. Interesting though… Actually, I remembered that ZSC in the past addressed himself as Chen in his written note before he died.
How about Chen Chen? Hehehe… In my family, even though we have 3 characters Chinese names, we only call ourselves (within the family) by our actual name (the single character) but we repeat it. Let’s say, my Chinese name is 旋珍. I will address myself as Sien Sien (the Xuan in pinyin is changed to Sien because we don’t use pinyin to write our name using the written alphabets). So essentially, I will call myself Xuan Xuan in pinyin. ☺️
August 15, 2015 at 11:14 am
Tehe… Chen Chen is definitely a cutesy sounding pet name, but sweet as this couple is, they’re not cutesy. I don’t mind calling him Chen Chen myself, though. :p
August 30, 2015 at 10:44 am
I love this novel and i love the way you translate. Also like all photos and end notes. Thank you so much.
September 2, 2015 at 10:33 am
Thank you! I’m glad you found this novel and are enjoying it, too. 🙂
October 1, 2015 at 9:32 am
Wait did she freak out because it reminded her of the past? In the insert, in the historical record of Shi Yi, it said she committed suicide possibly by jumping out of the library tower (if I remember correctly)? Was she remembering her death? Or Xiao Nan Chen Prince’s death?
October 5, 2015 at 11:07 am
Something in her is subconsciously remembering her own death in her past life. The blood that she saw and the pain that she felt seems to imply that. If it was Xiao Nanchen Prince’s death she was recalling, it probably would not have been so vivid since she never saw it in person, and of course, never would have understood the pain. I wrote my interpretation up above under chang’er’s comment in more detail.
February 10, 2016 at 2:50 am
How did grandma know she would need to pray hard? A timely gift.
February 13, 2016 at 7:25 am
Timely indeed. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Grandmother is obviously not clueless to the things that go on within this eerie family.
September 29, 2016 at 10:20 pm
Now we can correctly guess how and where ancient Shi Yi died.
I feel this book is about to get even more interesting XDD
October 21, 2016 at 7:49 am
Omg… the mystery is killing me.
Thank you, hoju~
November 13, 2017 at 5:10 am
I was like, “what’s happening?”
November 16, 2017 at 6:36 am
Hope you’ve figured it out. 😉
August 26, 2021 at 11:10 pm
Seems like she had a visceral memory of her death in her previous life. She probably jumped from a height, hence the blood. 😦
So his mother has a past with his uncle? Interesting. And his mother is not from an affluent family it seems. Even more interesting.
Diplomatic immunity? I thought his family was not in politics so how does he have that? Citizenship in four countries?? Wow.