Your Distance

71 - Growth . 3

“I feel like how I did when I was studying my original major, cramming before an exam.” Ting Shuang said while taking notes with his laptop, “I actually studied ‘Economic Management’ and also took ‘International Business Law’ as an elective. At that time, I thought I would be able to use it in the future, but what I learnt was so superficial, I don’t even remember anything now…”

His voice gradually grew softer, and after staring at the computer screen for a long time, he suddenly said, “Fuck.”

Bai Changyi: “What’s wrong.”

In shock, Ting Shuang looked at the words on the screen, “… My mother is still RoboRun‘s shareholder now, and owns 15% of the shares. After their divorce, my mother stopped participating in the company’s affairs, and even stopped meeting my father. I thought she’d sold all the shares to other shareholders at that time… I’ll have to ask her.”

He picked up the phone and saw that it was already two o’clock in the morning, “She must be asleep now, so I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

“You should sleep too.” Bai Changyi said, “Adjust to the timezone here.”

“Yeah.” Ting Shuang closed the computer, walked to the back of Bai Changyi’s chair, then bent over and hugged his neck. Half flirting and half acting like a supervisor, he asked, “Dear, how’s your project proposal going?”

Bai Changyi said, “If you were to become a boss, you’d be one who best knows how to wring his employees dry.”

“I am… a juicer.” Ting Shuang said in Bai Changyi’s ear, “That only you can use.”

After that, he walked around to the front of Bai Changyi and straddled his lap.

The two of them embraced, shared a long kiss, and then went to bed together.

They didn’t do anything else.

There was a thread hanging in Ting Shuang’s heart, and the other end of the thread was tied onto Zhu Ao in the hospital. Of course Bai Changyi understood that.

When Ting Shuang woke up the next morning, he realised that Bai Changyi was already working.

He didn’t speak, just sat on the bed and watched Bai Changyi.

“Come over and eat breakfast.” Bai Changyi glanced at him, then turned his gaze back to the computer screen, “There’s xiao long bao, shao mai, you tiao, and soy milk(1). They are all warm. If you don’t want to eat those, there’s more downstairs.”

Ting Shuang walked over. Before even brushing his teeth, he picked up a xiao long bao and stuffed it into his mouth. The fragrant juices immediately overflowed.

The taste of food and happiness were one and the same.

“Why is it that when I’m with you, I always feel like… Just… Every day I wake up looking forward to starting the day.” He kissed Bai Changyi with his greasy mouth after eating the xiao long bao. He picked up another you tiao and went to draw the curtains, “Do you understand that feeling?”

Morning light gushed in, shining on his arms, chest, legs and bare feet.

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The room was bright and clear.

He sat on the window sill and gnawed on the you tiao, looking at the pedestrians and vehicles downstairs. Then he turned to look at Bai Changyi who was working, “I just feel so… alive.”

Just like sunlight, just like summer, just like endless weeds, flourishing year after year.

Bai Changyi raised his eyes to look at Ting Shuang, “I understand.”