Male God Chapter 17.1

Minodayz : ok we were once 3, then 4, then 3, then 4 and then 3 – are you all keeping up!  Promise it won’t drag out!! The title couldn’t be more apt: strange! However, that’s how it is with friendships. Our group just needs time to navigate friendship and impressions of first love. And so the saga of milk tea : LEQ + Milk Tea =……..

Translated by Minodayz

Edited by maripaz & Librismuse

Chapter 17.1 : Strange

That night, the four of them didn’t have dinner together.  When Li Erqin and Peng Zige returned to the broadcasting studio, Rong Si was there by himself.

“Where’s Su Zi?” Peng Zige asked anxiously.

“She said she had something to do this evening.”

Peng Zige was pensive.

“You rejected her?” Peng Zige continued on asking.

“Yup.”

Peng Zige raked his hair in frustration and stole a look at the similarly quiet Li Erqin. She was secretly glad and yet at the same time felt a sense of loss.

Hey, I think I like you.  These words became taboo, best kept as a secret.

(Minodayz: she was secretly glad..Really!!! Oooooooo!!! Planning to make your own confessions???)

Not long after the start of the evening remedial class, Li Erqin received a text from Su Zi, [Erqin, can you come to the sports field to keep me company?]

Li Erqin kept her phone, stood up and left the broadcasting studio.

Rong Si, as usual, continued working on his workbooks with his head down.

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Peng Zige looked uncertainly at the door and then at Rong Si. He opened his mouth wanting to ask something but then had a sudden moment of clarity. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to continue digging into his English vocabulary list instead. He was the spitting image of a live PENG monkey!

Li Erqin was worried that Su Zi would have cried until her nose ran so she went especially to buy two cups of hot milk tea.  When she met up with Su Zi, Su Zi was rubbing her hands together and jumping up and down by the podium rails.  Upon seeing Li Erqin, she rushed forward gratefully welcoming her, “Erqin! Hot milk tea? Perfect timing! It’s freezing!”

Li Erqin took a sip of milk tea, “Yup, cold blast incoming.”

Su Zi snuffled her nose, “Too cold. My nose is beginning to drip.  Do you have a tissue?”

“You didn’t remind me,” Li Erqin was startled. “I didn’t think your nose would be running.  Then again,” trying to explain herself, “I was worried that you’d be crying and all so I went and got us some milk tea.”

Crying and milk tea?

(minodayz: ummm yah – LEQ how did crying = milk tea! Lol I’m dying here!!! I think I can start a Dummies guide to LEQ ~ ROFL!!! I’m about to start crying too! )

“If I were crying, then wouldn’t it have been even more imperative to bring some tissues?” Su Zi looked at her strangely. “I can’t wipe my tears with milk tea.”

Li Erqin was suddenly enlightened!

“Let’s go. Let’s go and get some tissues first. Otherwise I may have to use my sleeve to wipe my dripping nose.”

Li Erqin gave her a look of disapproval.

Su Zi couldn’t help but laugh then.

_{© 2017 Meraki
tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All translations on this blog are for non-commercial purposes. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, except linking and excerpts with due credit to the translators and tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom, is strictly prohibited.}

Both of them walked in silence for awhile until Su Zi asked, “Erqin, you’re not going to ask me?”

“Ask what?”

“What Rong Si said to me.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Li Erqin asked in return.

“It’s ok.” Su Zi took a big mouthful of milk tea.  “It’s not like there’s much to say.”

Li Erqin just kept silent.

As Su Zi quietly held onto her cup of milk tea, she flashed back to the afternoon and the transparent look in Rong Si’s eyes. They were clear and sincere and showed no intention of alienating or pushing her away. “I’ve always considered you a very special friend and classmate and hope that we will continue to remain friends. I hope for us four to work hard and improve together, to face the future together and to not allow any situation to break us apart. If you have any problems or difficulties (in the future), I would, without any reservation, be willing to help you.

Here, he had paused and carefully observed Su Zi’s face. Then he continued, “I greatly value our friendship.”

Thinking up to this point, Su Zi snuffled her nose again. “Hey, Li Erqin, that time when you decided not to hang out with us, what was it like being on your own?”

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tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All translations on this blog are for non-commercial purposes. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, except linking and excerpts with due credit to the translators and tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom, is strictly prohibited.}

Li Erqin shrugged, “I don’t recommend that you try it. It was just miserable.”

Su Zi chuckled.

“I also hope that you won’t leave us.” Li Erqin took the initiative to take Su Zi’s hand. “Please think about it.”

Su Zi broke free from Li Erqin’s hold.

Li Erqin was momentarily stunned.

She immediately grabbed onto Li Erqin’s arm in an intimate way and playfully leaned close. “I had never thought to leave you guys at all! It’s just that I’m worried things will be awkward with Rong Si.”

Li Erqin immediately replied, “Well then, just ignore him and it’ll be fine. At any rate, he is just naturally emotionally deficient (can also be said to be deficient in his interpersonal skills).”

Rong Si? Emotionally deficient?

Su Zi was totally flabbergasted. Li Erqin would possibly be the only person to ever describe the Male God/Idol Rong Si as being emotionally deficient.

(Minodayz : Ya think? I mean it’s LEQ and her observations! LOL)

Then again, Li Erqin’s statement carried a grain of truth.  If one were to take away Rong Si’s innate physical attractiveness, he really was a tad emotionally deficient.  Li Erqin felt that one would hardly hear him speak more than a few sentences in a single day.  If he could use his eyes to express his opinion on any situation, then his eyes would be all that he would utilise to express himself.

That night, Su Zi and Li Erqin had their first ever girls’ night of bonding and sharing of their heart’s secrets before returning to the hostel.  Thus, the next time Rong Si and Peng Zige were able to meet up with Su Zi was the following morning at breakfast.

Su Zi was a little ill at ease as she walked behind Li Erqin. When she spotted Peng Zige and Rong Si approaching from afar, she instinctively reached out and tugged on Li Erqin’s clothes. “He’s heading over here.”

_{© 2017 Meraki
tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All translations on this blog are for non-commercial purposes. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, except linking and excerpts with due credit to the translators and tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom, is strictly prohibited.}

Li Erqin : “I know.”

Su Zi: “……”

Just when Su Zi was trying to decide where she should cast her eyes, Rong Si appeared in front of them and in his usual manner said, “Let’s go then.”

“The big cafeteria or the smaller cafeteria?” Li Erqin asked.

“Small cafeteria.” Peng Zige piped in as per usual. “The soy milk tastes better at the smaller cafeteria.”

It was just like their everyday routine; nothing had changed.  Su Zi had a brief moment of awkwardness before forgetting about the matter entirely. By the time breakfast was over and they had returned to class for lessons, she was back to ribbing Peng Zige.

In truth, was there really any difference?

Minodayz : Have I mentioned lately how much I adore this foursome!!! Well…. I do!  Really glad that SZ didn’t play out the angst and the group is just that awesome to move past the moment. Girl bonding time was just what our girls needed to really seal SZ into the group, along with dotty PZG.  RS..what can I say – I think he did so well with CJ and then with SZ, yet I think he handled SZ well. I guess we can just await more adventures with our awesome foursome! A tad concern that our LEQ will be ‘confession shy’ now when it comes to RS…hmmm…..

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