Pink Bubbles

Shi Jin woke up to silence. He forced his eyes open, feeling as if they were full of sand, and tried to move, but found his limbs soft and without any strength.

Instead of disinfectant, he smelled the faint fragrance of shower gel.

He blinked and waited for his eyes to adapt to the darkness, wanting to look at his surroundings to determine where he was. He barely turned his head, however, and a face he couldn’t be more familiar with appeared before him.

Lian Jun?!

He froze, eyes wide. It took him a while to digest the fact he and Lian Jun were lying in the same bed. Keeping an eye on the man to see if he moved, he nudged Xiao Si, “What’s going on? Why is Lian Jun sleeping next to me? Where are we?”

Xiao Si gushed happily, <You’re on the ship, in Darling’s cabin—don’t you recognize it? You were asleep for a night and day, and Darling took care of you the whole time. JinJin, you have to get better soon, or he will keep worrying~>

The system’s sugary tone disgusted Shi Jin so much his body regained a bit of strength. He looked at Lian Jun’s face again and noticed faint shadows under his eyes. Remembering the man’s insistence on climbing down to pick him up personally despite sweating from the pain, his heart fluttered. He gingerly turned his limp body to lie on his side and gazed at Lian Jun. His eyes wandered over the handsome face. Somehow, he felt incredibly satisfied.

“Your Darling really is good-looking…” He couldn’t help but sigh with feeling.

Xiao Si corrected him solemnly, <He’s not my Darling, he’s our Darling!>

Our Darling…

Shi Jin chewed this over, a smile unconsciously creeping over his face. When he realized it, his expression froze, and he raised a hand to touch the corner of his mouth. His feelings became rather complicated. He looked at Lian Jun’s sleeping face a moment longer, then closed his eyes and pulled the comforter over his head.

<What’s wrong, JinJin? Are you in pain?> Xiao Si’s floating mood instantly crashed back to earth and became concern.

Shi Jin shook his head and pulled the comforter down. He kept silent for a while then said, “Tell me, Xiao Si: if that time I didn’t save Long Shi, would I have become a murderer? It was me who goaded Zuo Yang into throwing him into the sea, after all.”

This question stumped the system. It thought for a long time then replied, without confidence, <But didn’t you save him? Don’t think too much, JinJin, you’re not a bad guy—if Long Shi stayed in Zuo Yang’s hands, his fate would’ve surely been worse.>

“The end result might be the same, but Long Shi being killed by Zuo Yang and him dying because of my instigation are two entirely different things.” Shi Jin sighed heavily, looked at his hands, and continued, “I didn’t think about it when I provoked Zuo Yang, I just wanted the opportunity to grab Long Shi. At the time, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I could save him, but I did it anyway because I had a hunch that if we left then, without him, we would’ve lost our only chance to obtain the poison formula.”

<JinJin…> Xiao Si couldn’t help but call out, wanting to stop him from continuing.

Shi Jin, however, wouldn’t let it go—he refused to deceive himself. His downcast eyes were clear and full of self-reflection. “While I attended the police academy, my instructor told me although I had the skills, my personality was unsuitable for this line of work. I retorted that the police were just a group of ordinary people and he couldn’t expect every one of them to have the personality he considered right. Later, when I began working, out of all the policemen in the district, I still seemed the least like one. My colleagues and supervisors kept saying I chose the wrong profession, but I wasn’t convinced. I was sure I was doing quite a good job… But now I have no choice but to admit they were right—I did enter the wrong line of work; I should’ve never been allowed to take the Oath of Honor, I’m not worthy. Long Shi is the scum of the earth, that’s true, but I shouldn’t have staked his life on a plan which success I wasn’t sure of. Xiao Si, the last thing a police officer should do is treat someone’s life with contempt—this line can’t be crossed, ever. And yet, this is exactly what I did.”

Xiao Si sniffled, trying hard not to cry. <But no one can blame you for that, JinJin…> It said weakly.

“No? I don’t even dare imagine in what kind of mental state I would be in right now if Long Shi hadn’t survived.” Shi Jin wiped his face with his hand. His eyes were filled with fatigue. “To tell the truth, I don’t regret a single thing I did yesterday. But, when I recall it now, I think I was crazy at the time… I’m not saying all this because I can’t get over what I’ve done, or to make you accompany me for a pity party, and I do admit that my actions weren’t right… I just suddenly realized that in my heart, Lian Jun’s life and death have become more important than my principles or scruples… Xiao Si, is this world really just a book?”

The system remained silent. Like every previous time he’d asked about this matter, it didn’t reply.

Shi Jin smiled wryly and looked at Lian Jun’s sleeping face. He couldn’t help but lean closer, raise a hand, and touch his cheek, confirming that the man lying next to him was indeed a living person, warm and breathing. He changed his question: “Then at least tell me if Lian Jun is real—is he really nothing more than a character in a book? No, that’s not right either, there’s no mention of him in the original novel… Xiao Si, is Lian Jun real?”

<He’s real.> This time, Xiao Si answered, and its tone was firm. <He’s real, and both of you will survive and keep living on, together. I promise you, JinJin.>

“…It’s enough.” Shi Jin let out a sigh and touched Lian Jun’s face again. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, the other man suddenly opened his eyes.

It took Lian Jun only a few seconds to go from confusion to clarity. He blinked, his long eyelashes resembling velvet fans, and murmured in a voice husky from sleep, “Shi Jin?”

Shi Jin froze, and his rare melancholy mood flew away at once. He glanced at his hand, still on Lian Jun’s cheek, and the almost nonexistent distance between them, remembered moving closer by himself, and his brain short-circuited.

There were not many things more embarrassing than copping a feel and being caught red-handed.

“Um, I was…” He tried to explain, but found that in reality, talking wasn’t as easy as in his mind: his throat hurt and his voice was scratchy, grating like the sound of stone scraping on cement. Startled, he shut his mouth and tried to take his hand back.

But Lian Jun quickly caught it and pressed it back to his cheek. Then he leaned forward to touch his forehead to Shi Jin’s.

Shi Jin stiffened even more. Unconsciously holding his breath, he looked at Lian Jun’s face so close to his, felt his breath, and the conclusion he’d just reached flashed through his mind once again: the life and death of the person in front of him was more important than anything.

For this man, he did something he would never have done. Though realizing it made him feel guilty and engage in soul-searching, he didn’t regret his actions—if he were to go back in time and do it all over again, most likely, he would still choose to gamble Long Shi’s life on a chance for Lian Jun’s recovery.

I’m a selfish, despicable bastard, he thought, yet at the same time, he couldn’t help but drag his other arm from under his body and, fumbling, got his arms around the other man’s waist. He hugged him as tightly as he could, burying his face in his chest.

Something was definitely wrong. Yesterday, though his body was cold and hurting, it was but a mere annoyance compared to the pain he felt while listening to Long Shi’s narrative. Hearing about everything Lian Jun had suffered in the past, all he wanted was to hug and comfort him. Something had changed, and things would never go back to how they were.

Lian Jun froze for a second, shocked, then hugged him too as if it was the most natural thing to do. Rubbing his back, he asked, “Does it hurt very much? Uncle Long said that although your fever went down, most of the muscles in your body have been strained to varying degrees and will need time to heal. You need to take it easy for a while.”

He’s really gentle. He didn’t push me away even though I grabbed him so rudely all of a sudden.

Shi Jin felt he was probably already doomed. He shook his head, tightened his hug, and forced himself to fall asleep in Lian Jun’s embrace, just like yesterday.

Think of it as a dream.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, tasting the sweet tang of self-deception on his tongue.

Lian Jun stroked his back one last time. He looked down at the head buried in his chest, rubbed his chin against the dark hair, and whispered warmly, “Goodnight… Get well soon.”

If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

After the beautiful dream, it was time to face cruel reality. Shi Jin laid in bed, thirsty, hungry, and urgently needing to visit the bathroom, yet unable to move. On top of that, his whole body hurt; today, he bore absolutely no affection for the world.

“Your Darling is so cruel—he actually left the patient alone,” he complained tearfully, aggrieved.

<He just went outside to speak with Uncle Long, it was less than a minute ago,> Xiao Si protested.

Shi Jin hit the pillow with the back of his head, wailing, “I want to go to the bathroom!”

The system wanted to cry. <Then go, who’s stopping you?>

“I can’t sit up! There’s no strength in my body!” Shi Jin continued to hit the pillow with his head.

<Then call Darling, he’ll help!> Xiao Si suggested helpfully.

“How could I!” Shi Jin let out a heartbreaking cry, his voice resembling that of a chicken being strangled. “Just look at your Darling! That face, those white hands—do you have the heart to ask him to help me go to the bathroom?! Do you?! Can you bear to let his beautiful eyes see my… That place!”

Xiao Si felt both vexed and delighted, its mood quite complicated. It retorted, voice breaking, <I can! Ask Darling to help you, call him right now! Darling likes you very much, something like this won’t make him hate you!> In fact, he’d probably be happy to see the little JinJin!

“You can, but I can’t!” Shi Jin retorted. Then, he caught the sound of the closing door and rolling wheelchair and instantly forgot to squabble with Xiao Si. He fixed his gaze on the ceiling, putting the expression of ‘everything’s fine, I don’t need to pee at all, nope, I’m cool’ on his face.

Lian Jun moved his wheelchair next to the bed and watched Shi Jin in silence.

Shi Jin’s eyes began to trundle. He wanted to see Lian Jun, but at the same time felt too shy to look at him. Add to that his urgent physical need, and his face slowly contorted.

Really ugly.

Lian Jun admired Shi Jin’s expression for a moment, supported himself on the wheelchair armrest, and stood up. He pulled down the comforter, leaned forward, and reached into the gap between Shi Jin’s neck and the pillow to lay his hand under the teenager’s shoulders. The other went to below his knees.

Shocked, Shi Jin grabbed his hand to stop him. “No, don’t princess-carry me!” That’s way too humiliating!

“You’re too heavy for me to carry,” Lian Jun replied bluntly. He helped the teenager sit up as he spoke and gestured to the wheelchair: “We’ll use this.”

Shi Jin’s expression froze—it turned out Lian Jun wasn’t going to carry him… Suddenly, he was a little disappointed.

Lian Jun pushed the wheelchair to the bathroom, lifted the toilet lid, and helped Shi Jin stand in front of the toilet.

At this point, all Shi Jin wanted was to urinate, but he gritted his teeth and didn’t move.

Lian Jun gently touched his back and coaxed, “Come on, pee, don’t hold it in. I promise I won’t look.” After that, he really turned his head away, facing the door.

Shi Jin never imagined one day he would hear the word “pee” from Lian Jun’s mouth, and his heart surged with mixed emotions. He raised a last desperate struggle to save his dignity: “Can you go out, please? I can manage by myself.”

“You can’t stand alone,” Lian Jun ruthlessly refused.

Shi Jin tried to put strength into his muscles and found out that sadly, the other man told the truth. He put a hand on his waistband, hesitated, and couldn’t help pleading, “Then can you at least cover your ears?”

“It was me who changed you into pajamas. Including your underwear,” Lian Jun retorted, mercilessly exposing the truth Shi Jin had suspected but desperately tried not to think about.

Dear Lord.

Unable to hold on any longer, Shi Jin clenched his jaw, untied the pajama pants’ drawstring, and pulled them down in one determined move.

Tinkle-tinkle-plink, splooshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

The time spent in the bathroom seemed extraordinarily long. When Shi Jin finished what he needed to do, washed his hands, and was pushed out of the bathroom, he felt as if at least ten years had passed. He just wanted to die.

“Later, Uncle Long will come give you a check-up. You can’t eat anything before then—you have to endure.” Lian Jun helped Shi Jin lie down again. After that, instead of returning to his wheelchair, he sat on the bed and reached out to smooth the younger man’s hair. “This evening, we’ll make landfall in M country. Your body’s condition is strange, it’s best you have a detailed examination in a hospital as soon as possible. You grew up in M country, right? If you want, when you are well, I can accompany you to your old home.”

The hand stroking his head made his eyes narrow in comfort. He glanced sideways, and the tender look in Lian Jun’s eyes made his heart itch. He couldn’t help asking, “Why are you so good to me?”

Lian Jun returned his gaze. “You’re good to me, so shouldn’t I treat you good as well?” He replied, withdrawing his hand.

So it’s reciprocation? Shi Jin’s heart was suddenly sore and tired. He uttered weakly, “Where’s my tablet, Jun-shao? I want to play mahjong…” Only mahjong could soothe his fragile soul, so maltreated by reality.

Xiao Si groaned, weary with life—some people, though they seemed smart, were, in fact, complete idiots!

Lian Jun saw his pale, pitiful-looking face, and the corners of his lips pulled down. After a moment of silence, he said, “All right, but you can’t play for too long—you need to rest.”

Shi Jin nodded hurriedly, not noticing the other man’s expression. His mind was already occupied by mahjong.

Mahjong was addictive. Shi Jin was soon absorbed in playing, briefly forgetting about both his physical suffering and his oscillating emotions. He didn’t even know when they arrived at port.

On the gurney, he was moved off the ship and into the already waiting ambulance. Then, he was taken to the hospital and went through a comprehensive physical exam. By the time it ended, and he was safely tucked in the bed of a private ward, midnight had passed.

Lian Jun accompanied him the whole time. When Shi Jin settled down, he went to the bathroom and washed briefly. After coming out, he didn’t leave but went straight to the foldable bed someone who wanted to accompany the patient could use, and slowly and gingerly laid down.

Shi Jin was already dozing off, but the movement woke him up. “Jun-shao, you should go to the hotel and have a proper rest. I’m fine, you don’t need to keep watch,” he said, frowning.

“Sleep.” Lian Jun ignored his words. He was lying on his side, facing him, and his voice seemed exceptionally gentle against the darkness of the night. “Call me if you need anything. Goodnight.” And he closed his eyes.

Shi Jin stopped speaking. He studied Lian Jun’s face, which was even more pallid than usual due to tiredness. In a complex mood, he couldn’t help but sigh. “Xiao Si, your Darling is really a fine man,” he said in his mind.

<Oh?> The system’s voice was unnaturally stiff.

Shi Jin, preoccupied with his own thoughts, didn’t notice anything wrong. He felt a little shy, a little uneasy, as well as self-doubt and uncertainty at the same time. “I think I… Towards him…”

Xiao Si, who learned nothing from its previous experiences, couldn’t help but prompt him expectantly, <Yes?>

“Oh, I, it’s… “ It was the first time Shi Jin felt this way about someone, and his emotions fluctuated violently. Recently, Lian Jun has been acting a bit weird, hasn’t he? Do you really think it’s simply him “acting weird”? Just step up and tell him—you’re a big guy, what are you afraid of? …No, but what if it ruins our friendship? I don’t want him to distance himself from me. His thoughts kept going around in circles like a merry-go-round. This continued for quite a while until his eyes fell closed and he drifted off to sleep, never finishing his sentence.

Xiao Si: <……>

Ah! Aaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! — Sounded the scream of its heart.

After the examination results were out, the hospital’s doctor came to the same conclusion as Uncle Long: Shi Jin’s muscles had different degrees of strain, which was probably caused by irregular motion and overexertion. He’d recover, he just needed attentive care during convalescence.

Lian Jun frowned. He saw the doctor off, then approached the hospital bed.

Shi Jin’s nerves tightened as soon as he saw him coming—he was afraid the other man would ask just how his muscles became strained that way. He decided if Lian Jun really asked, he’d try to bluff his way out and pretend to have no idea.

“It should be caused by irregular swimming posture and sudden high-intensity exercise,” Lian Jun said unexpectedly, directly finding Shi Jin an excuse. He stroked the teenager’s forearm and asked, “Does your body hurt?”

It sure did, especially the waist and legs which the mermaid buff affected the most—enough that he wanted to cry. However, facing Lian Jun’s concerned gaze, Shi Jin’s body wasn’t painful but strangely itchy. He felt an urge to crawl into the other man’s arms and snuggle.

Reflexively, he reached for Lian Jun’s hand on his forearm and squeezed it gently. A second later, he realized he’d just “molested his boss” and froze.

“The doctor says he needs to observe the situation—for the first two days, you’ll have to wear bandages. You’ll also apply a few hot compresses, and be given massages. It may be a little uncomfortable.” Lian Jun held his hand and pulled up the blanket with the other, his actions extremely natural. “Do you want to play mahjong again? I brought your tablet, it’s fully charged.”

Treated so gently, Shi Jin’s mind stirred again. He darted a look at their clasped hands, edged a bit closer to Lian Jun, and asked, “Jun-shao, um, do you have somebody you like?”

Lian Jun paused in the middle of tucking him in. He raised his head, stared at the teenager for a long time, and gave a slight nod.

Shi Jin felt as if his heart was thrown into an ice house. He gaped at him incredulously and stammered out, “You, you do? Really? Who is it? It’s not Long Shi, is it?!” Speaking of the traitor, his voice changed.

“Don’t be stupid.” Lian Jun frowned, pulled his hand from Shi Jin’s hold, and knocked on the young man’s forehead. “Think again.”

“Think again,” you say?!

Shi Jin struggled to stifle the pain in his heart and forced his mind to work. He asked with difficulty, “Is it Gua Two? He’s good-looking, capable, pretty funny too…” As he spoke, he became increasingly certain that the person Lian Jun liked had to be Gua Two and immediately grew despondent.

It’s hopeless—compared with Gua Two, I am…

Lian Jun caught all the changes of the teenager’s expression, and a bit of unhappiness caused by his wild guesses faded. “Shi Jin, you are really stupid,” he said.

Yeah, yeah, of course, I’m nowhere as smart as handsome, talented Gua Two… Shi Jin thought sullenly, about to indulge in self-loathing.

Finally, Lian Jun could endure watching his foolish, pitiful appearance no longer. He got up and leaned forward, cupped his face in both hands, and crushed his lips in a kiss, nipping at them to vent his anger.

Xiao Si: <…Ah ah ah ah ah aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Darling, I love you!>

Shi Jin’s eyes opened wide. He reflectively grabbed Lian Jun’s clothes.

Lian Jun pulled back a bit, gently pinched his stiff face, and uttered coldly, “Shi Jin, if you try to fool with me again at this point, we’ll fly back to B City tomorrow.”

Shi Jin felt dizzy. Eyes glued to the other man’s lips, he asked, “Back to B City? Why?”

“To register marriage in the Bureau of Civil Affairs, of course,” Lian Jun replied, rubbing his lips. He sat back in his wheelchair, picked up an apple from the bedside cabinet, and began to peel it slowly.

Shi Jin formidable brain circuitry made him focus, yet again, on the wrong issue. He touched his lips, a bit swollen from the kiss, and asked, eyebrows wrinkled, “Is same-sex marriage even allowed in China?”

Xiao Si: <……>

Ah, happiness is fleeting, and some people’s obtuseness is impossible to be cured.

Lian Jun’s hands paused. He looked up, took in Shi Jin’s confused, silly-looking face, and said, “For quite a long time.”

Really? This world’s China legalized same-sex marriage? And for a long time already?

Pleasantly surprised, Shi Jin felt as if his heart was filled with pink bubbles… which never managed to fly out. He continued, still missing the point, “Oh, but it’s impossible anyway—you have to be 22 to marry, and I’m not even nineteen yet. It’s useless even if you take me back to China, you know?”

Crunch.

Lian Jun’s hand slipped, and the peeling knife cut deep into the apple. After a long pause, he continued the move and sliced off a piece of pulp exactly the size of a bite. Expressionless, he stuffed it into Shi Jin’s mouth and said, “Shut up and finish eating, then sleep.”

“But…” Shi Jin swallowed the apple and opened his mouth, still wanting to speak.

Lian Jun reached out, grabbed his chin, and kissed him again.

And so, the world fell quiet, and the pink bubbles could finally dance in the air.