After Entering a Book, He Just Wants to be a Flower Vase

T/N: Good news for all ABV fans out there!

Two of my translations (SMM, WMWG) are wrapping up this/next week, which means more time to work on ABV. I’ll be increasing releases to 1x weekly, with the goal of 2x weekly in the fall. So more Jiang Dao and Chu Yinlong for y’all!

Cheers!

-komorebi

 

A girl in love…?!

Holding the card, Jiang Dao froze in place.

Not to mention that this card requires him to play a female role, he’s never experienced the state of being “in love”… he’s never even seen it with his own eyes!

In the apocalyptic wasteland outside the book, no matter men or women, no one has the time and opportunity to fall in love slowly. When they meet someone who meets their eye and agrees, they will directly roll into bed after two or three interactions at most. After all, no one knows whether a disaster or battle will suddenly erupt in the next second, or how long the other party will survive.

Even Jiang Dao’s parents didn’t get together that often, and when they did they often went straight to the ‘topic’ after meeting…

Therefore, Jiang Dao’s impression of love, apart from what was described in the novel, is all from the movies and shows he’s watched.

It was a state he can’t comprehend at all.

“Don’t be in a daze, hurry up and act.” Qi Peng urged with a smile.

“…Oh.” Jiang Dao put the card on the table and stepped forward hesitantly.

What happened in those movies?

Love, um… Love should be a very happy state, so one will always smile, right? Oh yes, love needs an object, so he should virtualize a non-existent lover by his side, and express it with his eyes… and girls, girls… wear skirts? Long hair?

… how does this work?!

Jiang Dao was speechless.

Off the field, Cheng Zhiyi started to guess irresponsibly: “A very tangled man!”

Jiang Dao thought: It’s me, that’s right. But not my character.

Seeing Jiang Dao raising his skirt and pulling his hair, Cheng Zhiyi patted the table: “A man’s first time wearing women’s clothes!”

Jiang Dao: …

An Zhe, who is much more responsible, interrupted quickly: “He is performing, so he should be playing a woman.”

At the end, he hesitated to guess: “Is it a… confused woman?”

Fantastic, already three wrong guesses.

Jiang Dao patted his forehead and spread his hands to the crowd. “I don’t think I can play this.”

“Huh?” Mu Zhixing asked with a smile, “You’re giving up?”

“Yes, there’s no way.” Jiang Dao smiled bitterly. “I really can’t act this.”

“If you give up, you will be at the bottom this time.” Director Mu reminded him with a smile.

“I know, I accept the punishment.” Jiang Dao was really helpless. This punishment is just a game of truth or dare, there’s nothing unacceptable.

Seeing that Jiang Dao couldn’t act, Qi Peng became curious and reached out to open the card on the table.

“Good guy,” he was instantly amused when he saw the words on the card, “Girl in love! Xiao Dao, do you not want to cross the line1guessing he means to act like a girl, or have you never been in love?”

After Chu Yinlong glanced at the card, his eyes moved to Jiang Dao with a hidden smile.

Jiang Dao threw himself down on the table, picked up the small fork for eating watermelon, and swiped twice on the empty plate. “I won’t cross the line, and I’ve never been in love… I lost this round.”

Chu Yinlong smiled and said, “You were just unlucky.”

When he finished speaking, he stretched out his finger and tapped the card. “This card is relatively difficult, so it’s normal that you can’t act.”

Jiang Dao pouted unhappily.

The game continued, Cheng Zhiyi and An Zhe both drew relatively simple characters this time. Although the process was a bit tedious, they were both guessed in the end.

So, the result of the last round was that Chu Yinlong won again, and Jiang Dao would receive punishment.

“Since they chose the truth before,” Jiang Dao didn’t hesitate at all and said, “Then I’ll choose dare.”

Anyway, he didn’t believe that there was anything in the world that he doesn’t dare do in this book.

“Ah! A dare!” Cheng Zhiyi was immediately excited. “Mr. Chu, take advantage of the opportunity!”

After a whole day of getting along, he was obviously no longer so afraid of Chu Yinlong, and even dared to speak up boldly.

Chu Yinlong chuckled lightly and looked at Jiang Dao.

Jiang Dao raised his eyebrows at him and made a “I’m not afraid of anything” expression.

Chu Yinlong got up, walked to the open space in front of him, moved his wrists and ankles, and finally raised his chin towards Jiang Dao. “Let’s fight? Let me see if you have improved.”

Apart from Mu Zhixing, everyone else was shocked.

Qi Peng was surprised: “Xiao Chu, this dare, you…?”

Before Chu Yinlong spoke, Jiang Dao laughed.

“It’s alright, Dad Qi, I’ve fought with him before.” After speaking, he also got up and moved his joints. “Mr. Chu is measured.”

“You’ve fought with him?!” Cheng Zhiyi gasped. “Are you sure? Really fighting him, not being beaten by him?”

“Will it be dangerous?” Hai Tang was also worried. “Xiao Dao is still a child. Xiao Chu, take it easy…”

Hearing this, Jiang Dao and Chu Yinlong looked at Hai Tang at the same time, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Jiang Dao reassured them casually.

Once the camera was in place, Chu Yinlong and Jiang Dao quickly confronted each other in the courtyard.

“You attack or I attack?”2he’s asking who should attack first; kept ‘attack’ for the pun Jiang Dao asked. “Last time it seemed that it was you, so this time I’ll attack?”3the word for attack is the same as ‘gong’, so there’s a pun about who’s topping who.

After he finished, the expressions of everyone present became very strange.

Chu Yinlong hummed: “You did it on purpose, right?”

Of course Jiang Dao did it on purpose.

As someone who’s read the novel, how can he not know the meaning of the word “attack”? To put it bluntly, he was verbally provoking Chu Yinlong.

“Come.” Chu Yinlong didn’t expose Jiang Dao, but turned his hand and hooked his finger at him. “I want to see how you attack.”

Jiang Dao smiled, suddenly, without warning, jumped forward. His legs were like whips as he kicked Chu Yinlong.

Chu Yinlong had a faint smile on his face as he easily blocked it. Instead of retreating, he advanced, reaching out to grab Jiang Dao’s shoulder.

Jiang Dao swiftly dodged, and this first tentative attack came to an end.

He’s been exercising his heart, lungs, and strength everyday. Although not much has changed on the outside, his training is actually quite effective. At least, he has a more accurate judgment of what this body can and cannot do.

It didn’t take too long as Jiang Dao quickly carried out two more rounds of probing attacks, all of which were resolved by Chu Yinlong without any trouble.

Chu Yinlong rubbed his wrists and looked at Jiang Dao with a smile. “You’ve improved a bit, and are more flexible than last time.”

Jiang Dao bared his teeth: “I won’t let you catch me.”

“So confident?” Chu Yinlong raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t gotten serious yet.”

Jiang Dao was not afraid. “Come on, why aren’t you serious yet?”

Hearing this, Chu Yinlong smiled: “This is what you said, don’t regret it.”

Raising his legs sideways, his hands very swiftly moved forward. In the blink of an eye, he buckled the legs that Jiang Dao had attacked again in his arms, trying to knock his opponent to the ground.

Jiang Dao flexibly twisted his waist and pulled his legs, freeing himself, and took two steps back.

“You didn’t hold back?” He asked with a smile. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Chu Yinlong replied with a smile at the corner of his eyes. “In terms of defense, my level is about the same. But I’m better at attacking.”4continuing the ‘gong’ pun from before

Jiang Dao: …

“Yes, this episode will be a good one.” Qi Peng was overjoyed off the court.

“I didn’t expect Xiao Dao to really fight.” Mu Zhixing looked at Jiang Dao with admiration. “His stance doesn’t look flowery and for show, but real skill. Tsk, he’s so suitable, really suitable… It’s just that his acting is still lacking, otherwise…”

Qi Peng said with a smile: “Isn’t this easy to train? Don’t you have two books in your hand? Just assign him two supporting roles as practice, and you can also give live guidance.”

Mu Zhixing took a sip from his insulated cup, shook his head, and sighed. “If he’s willing to act, of course I know how to do it. Unfortunately, this kid doesn’t want to act… Ah, such a good seedling, I have to get Xiao Chu to persuade him a little more.”

While talking, on the field, Jiang Dao and Chu Yinlong have been fighting for several rounds.

It is a pity that Jiang Dao’s rehabilitation time is too short. His skills and strength are there, but physical fitness cannot be acquired overnight. In the end, he was defeated by Chu Yinlong, crushed to the ground, and unable to turn over.

“I can’t win, no more!”

Jiang Dao conceded defeat simply, laying limply on the ground, panting. “I’ll challenge you again in a while. See if I don’t beat you someday.”

“Your progress is very fast, but unfortunately…” Chu Yinlong wiped his sweat with his hands and smiled. “It’s still too early to beat me. Why do you refuse to get up every time after a fight?”

“I was beaten so badly, and can’t be depressed for a while?” Jiang Dao complained from the ground.

Helpless, Chu Yinlong stretched out a hand towards him: “Get up.”

Jiang Dao sighed, grabbed Chu Yinlong’s hand and stood up, patting the dust on his body.

“Okay, that’s it for today’s activities.” Qi Peng announced. “Hai Tang went to boil water. Take turns washing, and then go to sleep.”

The busy day’s schedule ended.

After washing up, Jiang Dao returned to the room, but found that Chu Yinlong was not there.

No person, no cell phone.

Jiang Dao didn’t have the equipment to play human voices, so he couldn’t fall asleep and lay on the bed with his thoughts running wildly.

His mood was a little complicated thinking of how vivid Chu Yinlong’s performance was in the game just now.

Acting seems to be really different from the descriptions he read in books. Or perhaps, no matter how lifelike and emotional the words are, it is not as profound as seeing and feeling it with one’s own eyes.

He admits that after playing that game, it felt like… acting seems to be a very interesting thing.

It’s a pity that he wants freedom more than having fun.

…

At the same time, in Mu Zhixing’s room.

Chu Yinlong shook his head with a wry smile. “Even if we intend to train him, we must respect his ideas. I talked to him before. He intends to fade out of the entertainment industry, and doesn’t want to act. It’s not good to be too forceful.”

Mu Zhixing sighed deeply: “Let’s ask him again. If he doesn’t agree, there’s nothing we can do. It’s just a pity, he’s a good seedling.”

Chu Yinlong said helplessly, “If you want a talented seedling, go to an acting college. There’s many there.”

Director Mu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. “A lot of them? Then why can’t I choose the right little gray wolf? It’s temperament, understand? Temperament is a very mysterious thing. Relying on acting skills, lighting, and movement of mirrors is not as good as an actor with a suitable temperament…”

After a moment of silence, he sighed again. “That is the last story she left behind. I want to try my best. If it can’t be achieved, I’d rather it stay on paper forever.”

Chu Yinlong was silent.

After a long time, he got up and said, “Then I’ll try again.”

 

That acting charades game… *shudders*

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1guessing he means to act like a girl2he’s asking who should attack first; kept ‘attack’ for the pun3the word for attack is the same as ‘gong’, so there’s a pun about who’s topping who.4continuing the ‘gong’ pun from before