[Translation] Chapter 1(2) of Sealed with a Kiss Novel

【第一部分】 第一章（2） 【Part 1】 Chapter 1(2)

刚陪悦莹走进试衣间，我的手机就响起来了。很独特的旋律，是《三大纪律八项注意》，革命歌曲铿锵有力地回荡在装潢奢豪的旗舰店里，简直有一种不伦不类的滑稽。我慌慌张张在包里掏手机，越着急越掏不出来，那手机越唱越大声。但名店就是名店，Jack和另一位帅哥店员屈膝半蹲，专心替悦莹扣好最后一颗扣子，仿佛对我包包里稀奇古怪的铃声充耳未闻。
My cell phone's ringtone sounded just when I’m about to step into the fitting room with Yueying, playing a famous People’s Liberation Army’s theme song, “Three Major Rules and Eight Directives [3].”  In the resplendently ornate interior of this high fashion boutique shop, the sonorous music echoes loudly. A communist revolutionary theme song resonating in every corner of this luxury shop, the quintessence of material extravagance and capitalism, is just ironically comical.

[3] It's really interesting that Tong Xue chose such a ringtone for Mo Shaoqian. It subconsciously implies that Tong Xue sees him as her military commander, a man of high authority that provokes fear. In his presence, she must constantly remind herself to carefully tread his path and not accidentally cross him. To hear this song on youtube, click here

As I dig through my purse in a fluster to find my cell phone, my urgency to pick it up causes it slip out of my hand even more. The ringtone sounds increasingly louder as I fail answer the call. But this high-end designer store really befits its name. Jack and another hot-looking sales representative are half kneeling to help Yueying fasten the last button on her outfit, seemingly oblivious of the strange music resonating from my cell phone.

终于把手机找着了，我都出汗了：“喂！”

Finally, I’m able to grab on to the cellphone in sweat and say “Hello!”

莫绍谦大约刚从机场出来，一贯低沉的声音里难得有丝倦意：“在哪儿？”

Mo Shaoqian probably just got out of the airport. In his usual low tone of voice but this time with a rare touch of fatigue, he asks, “Where are you?”

我老老实实告诉他：“在外边跟朋友买衣服。”

I frankly reply, “Outside shopping for clothes with a friend. “

“回家。”

 “Go home.”

电话嗒一声就挂断了，悦莹还转来转去顾盼着落地大玻璃镜中的自己，衣服颜色红得非常正，仿佛夏季烈日下的虞美人，浓艳得几乎要透出光芒璀璨。她问我：“好看吗？”

He then just abruptly hangs up in a “beep.”  Yueying is still turning back and forth to exam herself in the large wall mirror.  The red color is absolutely stunning, resembling the brilliance of the corn poppy under the summer sunshine, and its flamboyant beauty seems to emit a glittering luster.  She asks me, “Does it look good?”

我点头，价格昂贵的华衣，能不好看吗？

I nod in approval. An exclusive piece of garment with a ridiculously expensive price tag, how can it not look good?

悦莹说：“这颜色你穿才好看，你皮肤白，穿这个肤若凝脂。”

Yueying says, “You should look better in this color since you have whiter skin. If you wear this, it’ll make your skin look flawlessly smooth [4].”

[4] Yueying actually uses a famous Chinese proverb to describe Tong Xue’s skin "fu ruo ning zhi” 肤若凝脂, which literally translates as “skin like frozen oil.” It implies that she has flawless white skin as smooth as frozen oil/fat. Okay, the proverb sounds much more poetic in Chinese than my literal translation in English.

刘悦莹小言看多了，一出口就成串的形容词。一提到说女的都是肤若凝脂，翦水双眸, 楚楚动人；一提到男的就是星眸朗目，嘴角微勾，邪肆狷狂……

Liu Yueying has really read too many romance novels. Every time she opens her mouth, a poetic phase pops out. Whenever she describes a girl, she uses “flawlessly smooth white skin (fu ruo ning zhi), “a pair of watery eyes” (jian shui shuang mou), “delicate beauty that evokes the heart” (chu chu dong ren); for a guy, she uses “pupils sharply brilliant as the stars” (xing mou lang mu), “his mouth curves in slight arch” (zui jiao wei gou), “demonically prideful to the max” (she si juan kuang)…

Jack转过身来对我绽开迷人的微笑：“这个红色确实不错，但您穿的码号，我们还有紫色与黑色，款式上有略微的不同，也非常漂亮。要不要拿来让您试试？”

Jack turns around to face me and throws me one of his enchantingly captivating smiles. “This shade of red does quite suit you, but in the size that you wear, we also have it in purple and black. The design is slightly different, but still very beautiful nonetheless. Would you like me to bring it out for you to try?”

名牌就是这点好，一个颜色亦只得一款。码号不对就得另寻他爱，多好啊，穿出去永远撞不了衫。我在包包里找钱夹：“不用了，把那两件都给我包起来吧。”

A top designer brand is really the top designer brand. Every item is exclusively unique and limited in only a single selection in color and design. If the size is not right, you’ll just have to search elsewhere for new love. Doesn’t it sound nice? You’ll never have to worry about running into another person with the same outfit as you.

As I search for my wallet in my purse, I reply “It’s okay. I’ll just take these two. You can wrap them up for me.”

悦莹从大玻璃镜子里瞅我：“怎么啦？”

Yueying takes a look at me through the mirror. “What’s wrong?”

我一边递给Jack信用卡，一边说：“我有点急事，得回去了。”

As I hand Jack my credit card, I say “I have something urgent, so I need to get back.”

悦莹很了解地问我：“你那男朋友来了？丫怎么跟皇帝似的，把你这儿当行宫了，爱来就来，不来就两三个月都不搭理。你还真惯着他，要是我，一脚就把他给踹了。”

Understanding my plight, Yueying asks, “Your boyfriend is back? What the heck! He acts like the emperor and treats you as his imperial majesty’s palatial resort. He comes visit you at his personal whims and can disappear for two to three months without a trace. You really spoil him. If I were you, I would kick his ass out of my sight.”

我要是能踹他，我也就出息了。

If I can really kick him, then my prospects would be outstandingly promising.

Jack已经拿了信用卡账单来，我大笔一挥就签上自己的名字“童雪”。Jack又绽开他那迷死人不偿命的微笑：“谢谢童小姐。今天您消费的总额还差一点就可以达到我们VIP的额度，下次您再来时，我们就可以向总部替您申请VIP。”

When Jack came back with my credit card and receipt, I sign my name “Tong Xue” with a big stroke of the pen. Jack once again throws me his irresistible smile. “Thank you Miss Tong. Your spending today is just slightly below the amount that qualifies you to become our VIP member. When you come back next time, we can send an application to our headquarters for your VIP membership.”

什么VIP，就是方便下次再宰肥羊。我跟悦莹说了先走，另外还有店员在替她参谋新衣，Jack亲自送我出门，替我拎着纸袋一直送到车上。

What’s VIP for? It’s to encourage one become the next fat goat to get slaughtered.

不是不殷情，对着衣食父母，谁敢不恭敬？

It’s not that I don’t suck up to him; who wouldn’t respectfully worship the spoon that feed you?

所以我以最快的速度赶回去，果然还比莫绍谦先到。听到大门处传来声响的时候，我早已经拿了莫绍谦的拖鞋，恭恭敬敬地欢迎他进门。

So I rushed back with lightning speed, and as expected, came back right before Mo Shaoqian. When the doorbell rang, I already have his slippers in my hand and greeted him with the greatest reverence.

莫绍谦一边换鞋一边伸手摸了摸我的脸：“长胖了。”

He extends his hand out to gently stroke my face as he changes into his slipper. “You’ve gotten chubbier.”

两个月没见，胖了没有我自己不知道，但他没有丝毫改变。刚从飞机上下来，发型仍旧一丝不乱，衣线更是笔挺如新。反正他不是人，从我认识他的那个时候起，他就仿佛永远活在玻璃罩子里，衣冠楚楚，倜傥风流。

We haven’t seen each other in two months. I’m not sure if I’ve gained weight or not, but he definitely hasn’t changed one bit. He has just come back from a flight, but as usual, his hair is still flawlessly combed in place without a single strand of loose hair, and his clothes are spotlessly straight and clean as new. Anyway, he’s not human. From the first moment I met him, he seems like he’s lived eternally in glass case display – immaculately dressed, ever so naturally refined and dashing.

脸上刚洗干净，白白的像新剥了壳的鸡蛋。今天因为陪悦莹去名店所以化过淡妆，而莫绍谦最讨厌摸到脂粉，所以我回来第一件事就是卸妆。好在底子好，又还年轻，不施脂粉也能有盈润光泽。我微仰着头，这男人太高，虽然我赤足也有1米73，身高在女人中算不错的了，但仍只得仰视他。出乎意料，他竟然伸手扶住我的头，很随性地吻下来：“唔，很干净。”

I had just washed my face, as impeccably clean as a polished egg shell. Today when I went with Yueying to shop at the high-end designer stores, I put on some light makeup. But Mo Shaoqian despises the touch of makeup on my face. So the first thing I did when I came home was makeup removal. Luckily, I’m blessed with good skin and youth, so even without makeup, my face emits a healthy glow.

I tilt my head slightly back to look at him. He’s really too tall. Even though I’m already 1.73 meters on bare feet, a decent height for a woman, but I still have to look upward to take face him. Without warning, he suddenly extends his hands out to hold my face and kisses me uninhibitedly.

“Umm, very clean.”

© 2011, JoleCole. All rights reserved.

CONTINUE