Rebirth on the Doors to the Civil Affairs Bureau

***

When Shao Yifan returned to the hospital, he seriously thought that Xia Feng married an unusual wife. He didn’t understand what Yu Dong was planning, and started to worry for his good brother.

“Why are you shaking your head, Did you see Yu Dong?” When Xia Feng came back to the office after talking with the Director, he saw Shao Yifan shaking his head and asked this.

“I saw her.” Shao Yifan looked at Xia Feng as if he wanted to say more, but didn’t.

“What’s with your face?” Xia Feng thought he looked like there was something stuck in his throat.

“It’s possible!” Shao Yifan saw the displeasure in Yu Dong’s eyes when he met her and now felt that his IQ had been beaten down.

“Weren’t you just going to observe in the sidelines?” Xia Feng wondered, “What’s with this sudden enlightenment.”

Ha ha, It’s just that I saw your wife’s true colors. It’s inevitable, sooner or later you’ll end up in her hands.

“By the way did the Director talk to you about the exchange program in America?” Shao Yifan changed the topic.

Xia Feng nodded and said, “The Director said that the 2 American experts were very interested in my new treatment plan, so they invited me to the States.”

By the time Xia Feng came home, it was already 1:00 a.m. and the room was empty, with only the small lamp on the desk still on.

“Now let’s see what this listener friend wrote.” When Yu Dong opened the envelope, she found a 100 dollar bill along with the letter.

Yu Dong became a little embarrassed. “It seems that we’ll have to be little indulgent today. This is a love letter written by Frank, from France, to a Chinese girl who he has a crush on. The letter says that they’ve been pen pals for more than 10 years. In order to pursue his beloved girl, Frank applied to a university in China and is now studying Chinese in a language school.”

“Frank tried to translate his letter using Baidu but I can approximate his words and can see his intentions.” Yu Dong continues, “But I’d like to remind this foreign friend, our radio station doesn’t accept money, so next time you don’t need to shove a 100 dollar bill with your letters.”

As Yu Dong continues to speak, her computer started to display messages from other listeners.

“It seems that our foreign friend knows some Chinese customs, our red envelopes seems to be famous abroad, ah! This host has just quickly skimmed through the love letter, and don’t they say all French men are romantic? It seems to be true!”

As usual, Yu Dong ignored the messages flooding in and continued with a teasing tone: “Tomorrow I’ll help you donate this money to the Red Cross. Thank you for donating your help to the children.”

Je n’ai envie que de t’aimer

Un orage emplit la vallée

Un poisson la rivière

Je t’ai faite à la taille de ma solitude.

Le monde entier pour se cacher

Des jours des nuits pour se comprendre

Pour ne plus rien voir dans tes yeux

Que ce que je pense de toi

Et d’un monde à ton image

Et des jours et des nuits réglés par tes paupières

A fish filled the river

I made you as big as my loneliness

The whole world makes us hide

Day and night so that we can understand each other

To only see my image of you

To only see the world in your image 𝒇𝐫ℯ𝑒𝒘ℯ𝑏n𝑜ѵ𝐞l.c𝗼𝗺

And the days and nights your eyes control

Before her rebirth Yu Dong, there had been a time in her life where had been obsessed with French movies. She learned some French but wasn’t very good at it, only learning proper pronunciation.

So Yu Dong was able to read the poem naturally, and shocked everyone person at the other end of the radio who had been listening to Midnight Phantom. Even if they didn’t understand the meaning of the poem, they were sucked in by Yu Dong’s hypnotizing voice.

When Yu Dong started reading out the Chinese version of the poem, the computer blew up again with many messages popping up.

“What a beautiful voice!”

” ‘I’m waiting for someone who can put a stop to my loneliness.?So that when I listen to sad love songs with them, it won’t make me want to cry.’ ”

“If you meet such a person, please don’t let them go! You’ve probably fallen for them already!” Yu Dong said with a smile, “OK, that’s where Midnight Phantom will end for today. Fish Jelly will talk to you same time, tomorrow!”

…….

“Hey, you just got back too?” Yu Dong was surprised when she came through the door and saw Xia Feng still sitting on the sofa.

Xia Feng turned to look at Yu Dong and noticed that she was wearing clothes he had never seen before. So he asked, “Did you buy new clothes?”

“Like it?” Yu Dong changed her slippers and said, “I spent all my money on this dress, that’s why I asked you to help me with the restaurant bill”

“It was about me going to the United States in an exchange program.” Xia Feng explained, “Every year our hospital does a study exchange at Edward’s Hospital in the United States. I wouldn’t have qualified this year, but thanks to the files you translated for me last time, my presentation managed to pique the interest of some American experts, so I won a spot.”

Yu Dong rolled her eyes and said, “Then when you go to America, get me something.”

“OK!” Xia Feng didn’t even think about it, “What do you want?” 𝘧𝓇𝗲𝑒we𝙗noѵ𝑒l.𝐜o𝘮

“Some lotions, masks, lipsticks, perfumes…” Yu Dong realized that she wanted a lot of things so she simply said, “Wait a bit, I’ll make a list.”

“OK!” Xia Feng smiled, fully prepared to indulge her.

“Un! Good night!” Yu Dong headed towards her room in a daze.

“Good night!”

In fact, when Xia Feng came home from a tiring shift, he was already more than a little tired. Even he didn’t understand why he ended up on the sofa listening to Yu Dong’s broadcast.

Yu Dong was a mystery. Instead of being ignorant in the ways of the world, she instead hides a kind of grace and wisdom a young graduate could only hope to have.

Thinking of Yu Dong’s closing words in her broadcast tonight, Xia Feng couldn’t help but wonder if he and Yu Dong could have that sort of relationship someday?

The next day at noon in the hospital canteen.

Shao Yifan and Xia Feng were sitting together eating and talking about some of their patients. After a while, Shao Yifan changed the subject, “I listened to Yu Dong’s broadcast last night, she’s quite versatile. You said she translated your documents into English the other day. Then she goes ahead and reads a French love poem fluently during a live broadcast.”

“Why were you awake in the middle of the night listening to my wife’s broadcast instead of being asleep?”

“Hey, you’re talking as if I’m Mr. Wang from next door.” Shao Yifan felt a sudden urge to heave at the thought. Suddenly, he realized what Xia Feng just said, “Wait, your wife? You call her your…”

(T/N Mr. Wang from next door is apparently like a saying or a meme? referring to a neighbor who is supposedly sleeping with someone else’s wife.)

“My wife? what’s wrong with me calling my wife ‘my wife’ ?” Xia Feng calmly said.

“Alas…I thought you might’ve been able to resist for a little longer, but I didn’t expect that my dear friend had already fallen into enemy hands.” Shao Yifan shook his head and sighed.

“What the hell are you saying? You sound so shady.”

“Nothing.” Shao Yifan was a little sad as he said this, “Where do you think my destined girl is? Am I going to stay lonely and alone forever?”

Shao Yifan didn’t want to keep eating dog food for the rest of his life!

Ring.

Xia Feng picked up his phone and when he saw that it was Yu Dong calling, he quickly answered.

“I have a friend who’s not feeling well, she’s in terrible pain. Can you help me find a place for her to rest for a while?”

“Where are you?” Xia Feng stands up.

“I’m at the outpatient ward!”

“Wait for me, I’m heading out now!” Xia Feng talked as he walked away.

“Where are you going? You’re haven’t finished your food!” Shao Yifan yelled at Xia Feng’s rapidly retreating back.

***

I had such a hard time structuring some lines in this chapter because they were meaningful, but the translations ruined the atmosphere. I had to find a way to make them flowery without going too overboard because technically, YD and XF aren’t even in love with each other yet. Gah.