Chapter 2
Ji Ting held the door handle and observed him for a moment before entering. She retrieved a light-colored thin blanket from the sofa, and walked back to him. She shook it open, and draped it over him. He was sleeping soundly, and Ji Ting’s gaze fell on his lips and nose.
They say men with thin lips are the least affectionate.
He seemed to fit, yet not.
After a quick glance, Ji Ting discreetly straightened up, turned, and left the lounge, closing the door behind her. She heard Yu Xi’s voice from the store, “Tingting, I’m back!”
“Xiao Wan, can you make me a cup of mocha?”
“Sure thing, Sister Xi.”
Ji Ting stepped out from behind the counter and saw Yu Xi pushing two large suitcases in. As soon as Yu Xi saw her, she flashed a bright smile, wanting to hug her. Ji Ting smiled back and took Yu Xi’s suitcases, pushing them to a nearby seat near the counter.
She found two spots to place the suitcases and Yu Xi tossed her bag on top, sighing in relief, “There were so many people on the high-speed train. I almost couldn’t push these two suitcases by myself.”
“Why didn’t you call me to pick you up?”
“My phone is dead, right, it’s charging.” Yu Xi swiped a power bank and plugged it in to charge. The coffee was ready just in time, and Ji Ting brought it over for her, with Xiao Wan having also cut a slice of cheesecake on the tray.
Ji Ting sat beside Yu Xi.
Yu Xi lifted the coffee and took a sip, “I was craving this taste at home. Other places just don’t make it as good as you do.”
Ji Ting smiled and teased her, “But I didn’t make it.”
“At ‘Sunset’! It’s only the best at the ‘Sunset’ store.” Yu Xi quickly corrected herself, and Ji Ting chuckled and winked at her. Yu Xi thought for a moment, then took out her phone, and held Ji Ting’s hand, then said, “Let me show you the blind date candidates during this time I’ve been home.”
Ji Ting was a bit interested and leaned in.
Yu Xi opened WeChat.
The photos were sent to her WeChat by her mother. There were a total of five men, surprisingly, all looking quite decent and dressed decently too. Yu Xi remarked, “Actually, the men in Rong City are not bad-looking at all. My mom knows I’m picky about looks, so she didn’t dare to pick any weird ones. But most of them are developed in Rong City and don’t plan to leave.”
Ji Ting could tell immediately that this contradicted Yu Xi’s desire to leave.
“I actually understand why my mom chose them. She just wants me to come back and accompany her.”
Ji Ting nodded.
“Yeah, Auntie is quite lonely by herself.”
Yu Xi immediately exclaimed indignantly, “But you know what? This guy, I heard he already has a girlfriend he’s talking about marriage with, but his parents don’t like her, so they’re asked him to look around more, and I’m one of the ones he’s considering.”
Ji Ting was slightly stunned.
“What a guy.”
“And then there’s this one, they hope I’ll come home and be a good wife and mother, preferably with the first one being a boy.”
Ji Ting chuckled.
“And another one, he finds me a bit old, saying I’m already twenty-eight…. I just don’t get it, how am I old? I’m only twenty-eight, in my prime years.”
Ji Ting nodded.
“As for the other two, one of them is okay, still observing, and the other one, I can tell he’s also one of those conservative thinkers.” Yu Xi put down her phone and shrugged. “That’s the bizarre experience I’ve had during my vacation.”
Ji Ting looked at Yu Xi’s shrugged shoulders and knew that she actually wanted to try getting to know them, but they just weren’t satisfactory.
She reached out and hugged Yu Xi, who glanced at her. “Oh, by the way, didn’t Aunt Dan also introduce someone to you? How about showing me the photos?”
Ji Ting was slightly stunned, then glanced at her phone. She took it over and opened it, saying, “Actually, just started contacting…”
As the photos opened up, Yu Xi leaned in, widened her eyes, and studied the man.
“He looks quite decent…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a figure loomed behind her, casting a shadow over Ji Ting’s head. Tan Yucheng’s low lazy voice came, “Indeed, quite decent.”
Ji Ting’s fingertips paused, and she lifted her head.
Tan Yucheng casually draped both hands on the back of her chair, causing him to envelop her entirely. Ji Ting’s gaze met his for a few seconds. “Awake?”
“Hey, you’re actually here with Tingting. When did you arrive?” Yu Xi was momentarily stunned, then she snapped out of it and asked.
Tan Yucheng released Ji Ting’s chair, then walked to the side, pulled out the chair opposite, and lazily leaned against it.
With a casual tone, he replied, “Came earlier than you, I just took a nap.”
“Where did you sleep? Oh, in Tingting’s lounge, are the lounge chairs there comfortable?” Yu Xi stared at his unmistakably handsome face and inquired.
“Yeah.”
He nodded, took out his phone, and replied to a message.
Ji Ting glanced at him, then turned to call Xiao Wan to make a latte. Yu Xi leaned against the table, enviously saying, “You’re lucky, no pressure from home to go on blind dates.”
Tan Yucheng didn’t lift his eyes, tapping on his phone, “Looks like you’re enjoying it.”
“Hey, I have no choice.” Yu Xi chuckled, “Just like Tingting, we have no choice.”
She winked at Ji Ting.
Ji Ting smiled.
Tan Yucheng put down his phone, raised his head, and asked Ji Ting, “What does that person do?”
He asked casually.
Ji Ting hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Interior design.”
“Okay.” He ended his sentence with another monosyllable.
At this moment, Xiao Wan brought the coffee, placed it on the table, and Tan Yucheng raised his cup. There was a faint scent of perfume at the cuff of his sleeve.
It wasn’t his, it was from Ji Ting’s thin blanket.
“I brought those thermos flasks for you.” He took a sip of his coffee and spoke to her while still holding his phone.
Ji Ting replied, “I saw them.”
“What thermos flasks? Oh, Tingting brought you the thermos flask for the food.” Yu Xi’s thoughts lagged a bit behind their conversation.
Counting back, Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng were desk mates in their junior and senior years of high school. Later, their parents unexpectedly got acquainted, leading to more interaction between them.
After graduating, Tan Yucheng and Fu Yan returned to Li City to start their own business.
Ji Ting’s parents expanded their supermarket business here, and she also returned to Li City, where she opened a coffee shop and settled down. So, they were quite familiar with each other.
Yu Xi was also their classmate in high school, just in a different class. However, everyone in school knew about Tan Yucheng’s affairs. It’s just that not everyone knew as much as Ji Ting did.
After finishing his coffee, Tan Yucheng, looking a bit tired, got up. “I’m off. You two continue chatting.”
He pushed back his chair, looking a bit drowsy even after the coffee, and left with his phone. After he left, Yu Xi pulled Ji Ting’s arm closer. “Does he still keep in touch with Shu Xiao?”
“I’m not sure.” Ji Ting hesitated at the mention of that name.
“Could he be waiting for Shu Xiao?” Yu Xi’s tone was uncertain, but Ji Ting blinked.
She knew best that their breakup was quite painful, fraught with countless regrets.
If he was waiting, it would be quite normal.
“Although he’s quite flirtatious now and has many rumored girlfriends, I think they’ll probably get back together sooner or later.” Yu Xi supported her face with her hand, drawing a conclusion. “Right, Tingting, don’t you think so?”
Ji Ting came back to her senses and looked at Yu Xi, nodding. “Yes.”
After dinner with Yu Xi and dropping her off at her place, Ji Ting had to go home to put the thermos flasks and chopsticks Tan Yucheng had brought back into the cupboard.
Qiu Dan was not home, and there was no one there. Ji Ting took advantage of the situation and drove to her own supermarket. The supermarket was bustling with people in the summer. She caught sight of Ji Lindong who was looking at the goods and Qiu Dan helping out at the cash register.
Qiu Dan spotted her and shouted.
Ji Ting stuck out her tongue playfully, turned around, and walked away. Qiu Dan wanted to chase after her, but there was a long line at the cash register. Although there were self-checkout machines, some older people didn’t know how to use them, so Qiu Dan didn’t catch her.
Ji Ting got back in her car and drove to the store, she stayed there until closing time, and then returned to her apartment upstairs.
To facilitate the management of “Sunset,” Ji Ting rented this apartment. After taking a shower, Ji Ting threw herself onto the soft couch, bent her legs, and grabbed the remote to turn on the projector.
In the dim living room, an old movie was projected onto the screen.
“The Beautiful Legend of Xixili.”
As the movie played, Ji Ting picked up her phone and casually scrolled through her friends’ moments.
Soon enough, she came across a post from Shu Xiao, having afternoon tea, wearing sunglasses, and a white suspender dress with thin straps, exposing her collarbone. Her slightly curled hair framed her face, smiling beautifully at the camera.
In the past, she was already a pretty girl with her bare face and high ponytail. Tan Yucheng would sometimes curl the ends of her hair with his fingertips and then give it a little tug, causing her to immediately turn around and glare at him.
Ji Ting saw some classmates giving her likes in the comments.
Ji Ting thought for a moment, then clicked on Tan Yucheng’s profile picture and entered his profile. There was only one notification about the opening of a new store.
Below his profile picture were the words: “The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains.”
Ji Ting knew he had Shu Xiao’s WeChat. She had happened to see his moments in her WeChat feed before.
He wasn’t completely unaware of Shu Xiao’s updates.
And Shu Xiao might not be completely ignorant of his affairs either.
Even separated by thousands of miles, WeChat laid bare everything.
Just like Yu Xi said, she felt that they would eventually get back together.