Chapter 56
A Strange atmosphere
Ji Ting had a bit of a temper. As she thought about this, she continued to manipulate her character into a new mission. This hidden mission was a gladiator arena, where the competitors weren’t animals but people. Once inside, it was a win-or-lose situation: winning could lead to substantial rewards, while losing meant everything could be lost, including all equipment.
Ji Ting had trained her character for a long time and, of course, didn’t want to lose everything.
Tan Yucheng opened her phone’s map, saw that she had entered the arena, and decided to pay for a live stream, focusing on her match.
He placed his phone on the coffee table, his hair still wet. Grabbing a nearby towel, he dried his damp hair. His long fingers and the veins on his hand, extending to his arm, were very handsome.
While Ji Ting was controlling her character and leaning against the sofa armrest, she was unaware that he was watching her live stream. When she looked up, she happened to see him casually drying his hair.
The living room was brightly lit. He had one hand resting on his thigh and the other holding the towel on his head.
He appeared relaxed and nonchalant, with a handsome profile and prominent brow bones.
After watching for a few seconds, Ji Ting’s heart skipped a beat. She shifted her gaze and focused on controlling her character.
There were so many people awake late at night. Young people flocked to the game, and the gladiator arena had set up a New Year’s stage tonight. Many female characters seductively wandered around the arena’s edge. This hidden mission was like a meteor shower—randomly falling on someone without any pattern, and Ji Ting was one of tonight’s “lucky” ones.
Previously, Tan Yucheng had played a match, and his character’s score was still displayed on the wall.
Ji Ting drew a number card at random: 3.
There was no need to wait long; the results for numbers 1 and 2 quickly came out. Ji Ting was up against number 2, her gear removed, fighting bare-handed. This round was all about skill and agility.
Ji Ting was quite good in this regard.
With several sweeping moves and a tendency to target opponents’ eyes, she quickly defeated several opponents, and her score soared.
Shu Xiao was controlling her character next to Tan Yucheng but was unsure what he was doing, as his character was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, seemingly asleep.
She sent a few messages but got no response, although he was still online.
After a match was over, Ji Ting felt satisfied but couldn’t help yawning, with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She looked at the man beside her and said, “I’m going to sleep.”
Tan Yucheng took off the towel from his head, turned off his phone, and turned to look at her. He responded with a simple “Mm.” As Ji Ting and he locked eyes for a moment, she put on her slippers and said softly, “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Tan Yucheng’s voice was flat.
Ji Ting’s satin pajamas were a style his mother often wore, though with different patterns and colors. On a younger woman, they had a different charm and a sense of languor, with her heart-shaped necklace visible at the neckline.
Yawning, Ji Ting walked into the hallway.
Tan Yucheng also stood up, turned off the living room lights, and walked further inside while checking his phone. The spacious apartment was extremely quiet at this hour. As Ji Ting reached halfway, she remembered she needed to get a glass of water. She turned around abruptly, almost bumping into Tan Yucheng. She stopped, looked up at him, and he, with an unchanged expression, looked down at her eyes.
The hallway was long and quiet.
The two were not far apart, and after a few seconds of eye contact, Tan Yucheng silently stepped aside. Ji Ting passed by him, and as they brushed past each other, a faint scent of cherry blossom bath products from her pajamas mixed with the cool and crisp scent of Tan Yucheng. Ji Ting walked to the living room, picked up a water glass, and filled it using the automatic sensor light.
In the meantime, Tan Yucheng’s tall figure entered the bedroom door in the middle of the hallway.
A few seconds later, the door closed.
As Ji Ting’s water finished dripping and the sensor light dimmed, she looked down, watching the last drop fall in the darkness. She then carried the glass of water to the master bedroom.
The hallway light was on, but it went out as she entered the room.
She sat down on the single sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, drank half the glass of water, then put it aside and climbed into bed. The soft pillow had a faint hint of ebony fragrance, though it was subtle and hard to detect.
Since he didn’t often stay here, his scent wouldn’t linger for long. Feeling somewhat fuzzy and uncertain about her thoughts, Ji Ting soon fell asleep.
Outside, there were numerous firework sounds, but their source was unclear, and they continued late into the night. The next morning, Ji Ting woke up around nine. After freshening up, she opened the door and walked out, still a bit sleepy. The house was quiet. She reached the dining table and saw Tan Yucheng, dressed in black top and pants, standing there, using chopsticks to put noodles into a bowl. Ji Ting paused and met his gaze.
In a soft voice, she asked, “Where are Uncle and Auntie?”
Tan Yucheng glanced at her briefly, his expression indifferent. As he served the noodles, he replied, “They went out for a walk.”
Ji Ting responded with an “Oh.”
She had guessed as much.
Tan Yucheng finished serving the noodles, took another bowl, and looked at her. “Do you want noodles too, or something else? There’s food in the kitchen.”
Looking at the noodles, which seemed to be made by Qiu Dan, Ji Ting said, “I’ll have the noodles.”
Tan Yucheng nodded.
He served her a bowl of noodles and added soup with a ladle. He probably hadn’t been up long, as his hair was still slightly damp. After preparing her bowl, he set it aside and pushed the chopsticks toward her.
Ji Ting walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down, picking up the chopsticks to eat the noodles.
The steam blurred her vision.
Tan Yucheng sat down to eat as well. From this angle, his brows looked very stern. Ji Ting pursed her lips, sensing that his mood was still not good, with a strong “don’t bother me” aura.
Ji Ting wasn’t sure where to start guessing.
She continued eating her noodles.
By the time Ji Ting finished eating, the parents who had gone out for a walk had returned. Xiao Xi was on the phone, apparently with relatives coming over for a visit. Ji Lindong also had friends arriving. Ji Ting put the dishes into the dishwasher, wiped her hands, and came out to say goodbye to Xiao Xi and Tan Hui before heading to her room to tidy up a bit.
She put on her coat and grabbed a small bag, then linked arms with Qiu Dan.
The two families said their goodbyes at the door.
Xiao Xi was so reluctant to part. She clung to the door frame and said, “Let’s make plans for next time. Find a time to go out and have fun.”
Qiu Dan replied with a smile, “Sure, let Ji Lindong arrange it.”
Xiao Xi nodded, “Alright.”
At a certain age, having a good friend, a husband who gets along well, and children who play together is very rare. For Xiao Xi, this friendship was perfect and well-matched.
Qiu Dan said, “Let’s go.”
“Drive safely,” Tan Hui reminded Ji Lindong.
Ji Lindong nodded. Ji Ting linked arms with Qiu Dan and walked to the elevator, briefly glancing at the tall man leaning against the door frame with a neutral expression. She then turned her attention back and entered the elevator with her parents.
Ji Lindong drove the car over.
Ji Ting also had her own car, but Qiu Dan chose to ride with her instead of Ji Lindong. Ji Lindong reluctantly started his car and followed behind Ji Ting’s white car.
Although he was an experienced driver, he sometimes drove aggressively. He used to drive a truck and was very confident in his skills, but he often got scolded by Qiu Dan.
Ji Ting, of course, was much gentler than her father.
After living in Li City for many years, there were some friends and relatives to visit during the New Year. On the first, second, and third days of the New Year, friends and relatives would come by. Some cousins, cousins’ siblings, and distant relatives who didn’t go back to Nan’an for the New Year would come to visit. As soon as they got home, before they could even sit down, relatives would arrive. Young Ji Ting could chat with them, but older relatives like uncles and aunts often asked about her marriage and boyfriend.
To avoid this, Ji Ting would retreat to the kitchen to cut fruits and find some peace.
Since she was twenty-four, it had been like this every year, with relentless attention on her marriage and relationships. Even Qiu Dan didn’t worry as much.
By evening,
The house finally quieted down. Ji Ting took an early shower and came out, while Qiu Dan rubbed her neck. After a day of chatting, her mouth felt dry. She took a sip of water and asked, “Can we sleep in tomorrow? Don’t we need to go to Uncle’s place?”
Ji Lindong massaged her shoulders and replied, “We can go at ten, and we’ll have a meal there too.”
“Hey, there’s so much to do.”
Qiu Dan looked at Ji Ting, paused for a moment, and said, “After the New Year, let’s find a time to have a meal with the landlady.”
Ji Ting was momentarily surprised.
Qiu Dan added with a hint of resignation, “We need to meet and talk. The landlady is quite nice…”
Ji Ting understood.
She nodded, “Okay.”
In the following days, with friends and relatives coming and going, the family was extremely busy. Ji Ting frequently received WeChat messages from Long Kong, who had returned to Nan’an for the New Year. He also met up with some classmates and visited his teacher, sending her many photos: Nan’an Alley, internet cafes, convenience stores, and Nan’an barbecue joints.
He also sent pictures of the two-story house where Ji Ting lived, and the neighboring house of Shu Xiao.
The two houses, weathered by the elements, showed some wear, but the dark-colored tiles revealed the passage of time. Ji Ting’s green window still had some of her favorite singer’s stickers visible.
After seeing the high-rise buildings in Li City, the architecture in Nan’an, viewed after many years, had a different charm. They had grown up in this place.
Long Kong joked, “I just noticed your small courtyard is quite large and suitable for outdoor barbecues. Let’s plan for a barbecue when we come back next year.”
Ji Ting replied, “Sounds good.”
Long Kong sent an eager expression in response.
On the fifth day of the New Year, the Sunset store opened. Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wan hadn’t returned yet, leaving only Zhang Yang at work. At the branch store, only the manager was present, but they had hired two university students for part-time work.
The large-scale office operations would start on the eighth or ninth day of the New Year.
Therefore, from the fifth to the seventh day of the New Year, the store was open but only lightly frequented. There were not many people eating on-site, but takeaway orders were quite numerous. Some residents who had bought homes in Li City didn’t return for the New Year, leading to more orders from the local area.
On the seventh day, Long Kong returned from Nan’an, bringing some New Year specialties to visit Tan Yucheng and Fu Yan. Fu Yan managed to find some time and went to Tan Yucheng’s “market” bar for drinks.
Tan Yucheng, wearing a black jacket, opened a beer bottle and poured the beer into a glass.
Fu Yan, while monitoring his home on his phone, kept an eye on his wife and child. Wen Nanxi was in the living room soothing the child, and a nanny was in the kitchen. Fu Yan glanced at the remaining gifts in Long Kong’s car trunk and asked, “Who are those for?”
Long Kong closed the trunk with a grin and said, “Guess.”
Fu Yan raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further.
The gifts in the trunk seemed more suitable for women rather than men.
Tan Yucheng gave a brief glance at Long Kong’s trunk and continued to pour the beer without saying a word.
The next day, the eighth day of the New Year.
Xiao Zhou returned to work, and Ji Ting noticed that there were more people coming in compared to the previous days. She gave Xiao Zhou a New Year red envelope, and as she opened the door, a car stopped outside. Long Kong, wearing a dark brown coat and carrying a lot of bags, pushed open the store door with big strides.
Ji Ting turned around, momentarily surprised, and greeted him with a smile, “Happy New Year.”
“What are you doing?” She saw what he was carrying.
Long Kong cheerfully replied, “Happy New Year! I bought these from Nan’an—things we used to enjoy.”
He then placed the pile of items on a table by the bookshelf. Ji Ting walked over, took a look, and said helplessly, “You bought way too much.”
Long Kong had a bit of sweat on his forehead. He wiped it off and said with a smile, “It’s not too much. With this crowd in your store, you can’t say it’s excessive.”
Ji Ting handed him a tissue.
He wiped away the sweat.
Ji Ting turned to Xiao Zhou and asked him to make a cup of coffee for Long Kong.
Long Kong chuckled, “And now I’m getting a free cup of coffee.”
Ji Ting looked at him and asked, “Are you back at work today?”
“Yeah, I just need to be at the office by 10:30.”
Ji Ting nodded, took the coffee from Xiao Zhou, and handed it to Long Kong. Long Kong took a sip of the iced Americano and looked very content. His eyes were bright, and Ji Ting felt a bit of warmth from his gaze, though she thought it was probably her own illusion.
Fortunately, Long Kong only stayed for a while and had to leave after finishing half of his coffee.
Ji Ting sent him to the door.
Just then, Yu Xi got out of a ride-share car with her suitcase. Yu Xi glanced back at Long Kong’s departing car every few steps. She shrugged her shoulder bag and linked arms with Ji Ting. “Why is he leaving so early?”
Ji Ting glanced at her and asked, “Did you just get off the high-speed train?”
Yu Xi nodded, “I took the earliest ticket available and rushed back.”
“Has your mom set up any more matchmaking dates?”
“She has. I’ve only met two so far. Don’t even get me started—none of them seemed right.” She followed Ji Ting into the store, where Ji Ting asked Xiao Zhou to get Yu Xi a croissant and coffee.
Yu Xi glanced at the pile of gifts by the bookshelf and suddenly asked Ji Ting, “Are these from Long Kong?”
Ji Ting followed Yu Xi’s gaze and nodded, “Yes.”
Yu Xi looked at Ji Ting with a start and blinked, asking, “Ji Ting, how much do you remember about what happened on Long Kong’s birthday night?”
Ji Ting took the croissant and coffee and guided Yu Xi to sit down. Xiao Zhou helped push the suitcase into the lounge. Ji Ting handed the croissant and coffee to Yu Xi, paused for a moment, and then asked, “What time are you referring to?”
“After you drank that glass of wine.”
Ji Ting hesitated slightly.
The vivid image flashed in her mind, but she knew Yu Xi was referring to a different time period. She said, “A few minutes after that glass of wine, I don’t remember much.”
Yu Xi clapped her hands and said, “That’s the time period I’m talking about. Long Kong, after making a wish, was going to confess his feelings.”
Ji Ting was taken aback.
She vaguely remembered that when she looked into Long Kong’s eyes, they were shining.
A sense of disbelief surfaced in her heart.
Yu Xi leaned against the table and looked at Ji Ting. “At that time, he quoted, ‘I searched for her thousands of times. Suddenly, I turned around, and there she was, in the dim light…’ and the person he was looking at was you.”
“Everyone in the room followed his gaze and looked at you. If Tan Yucheng hadn’t noticed you were drunk and called out to you, Long Kong would have confessed right then and there.”
Ji Ting was completely stunned.
She looked at Yu Xi and said, “But nothing really happened after that day…”
She paused and remembered the champagne-colored roses. She had been puzzled and asked him what that was about.
But he quickly changed the subject, saying that the bouquet was just a small part of it.
Ji Ting pressed her lips together.
She glanced at the gifts behind her.
Yu Xi followed her gaze and said, “Aren’t there a lot of gifts here? Why didn’t I get any?”
Ji Ting looked at Yu Xi and said, “Take a few when you leave.”
Yu Xi looked at Ji Ting and asked, “You don’t believe me?”
Ji Ting replied, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, just that I’m doubtful.”
Yu Xi clicked her tongue and pinched Ji Ting’s face. “Then just wait and see!”
Ji Ting became quiet.
When friends have known each other for a long time, exchanging gifts is common. The value of the gifts doesn’t matter much; it’s about the gesture. Even when receiving many gifts, it’s still not something to be taken too seriously. Since Long Kong had been silent about it, Ji Ting couldn’t assume too much. She glanced at the gifts again and then looked away.
In the afternoon.
Yu Xi stayed in the store and had dinner before Ji Ting called a car for her. She wasn’t shy about taking a few of the gifts Long Kong had sent to Ji Ting. Yu Xi thought that Ji Ting was beautiful, kind-hearted, and had a good temperament. With a successful career, it was normal for her classmates and friends to be interested in her, whether suddenly or after careful consideration.
Looking back, there had been some signs before, such as when Ji Ting’s branch store opened and Long Kong gave her a limited-edition bear, which, although not as expensive as Tan Yucheng’s lucky cat, was still quite pricey. She had noticed it at the time. If that was the case, then Long Kong’s gift was likely well-considered.
After seeing Yu Xi off.
Ji Ting glanced at the gifts again and asked Xiao Zhou and the others to clean up, planning to close the store early that night. Since everyone was tired after the New Year, it was better to rest early.
During the preparation, she received a delivery order from Yanchun.
It was for a total of eight cups, to be delivered to the conference room on the fourth floor. Xiao Zhou gave a mischievous smile and said, “Brother Tan Yucheng is really busy right after the New Year.”
Ji Ting washed her hands and walked to the counter, saying, “Get to it, the delivery guy is here.”
“Got it.”
As Ji Ting prepared the drinks and applied stickers, most were lattes, with only one being an iced Americano.
Soon, the eight cups were done, packed up, and handed over to the delivery guy. Ji Ting and Xiao Zhou then finished their work for the day. Zhang Yang left early to go on a date. Back at the apartment, Ji Ting took a shower, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and scrolled through her tablet.
On a whim, she checked Long Kong’s Moments.
Long Kong didn’t post often, but when he did, the quality was high. He took good photos and had posted a few during the New Year. At first glance, they seemed unremarkable, but as she scrolled down, Ji Ting saw a photo from their hiking trip. He had taken a picture of her from behind and placed it in the center of a grid. Further down was a photo of her making a wish on her birthday, also placed in the center of the grid.
There were no more posts after that.
He had set the visibility to six months.
Ji Ting finished looking through it and felt a bit unsettled.
She left Long Kong’s Moments, picked up the remote, watched a movie for a while, and then went to bed.
The next day, the ninth of the New Year, business exploded. The workers in the area needed coffee to keep going, so Ji Ting called two part-time college students in for help. There was also a company nearby that had a New Year’s tea party, and they ordered over a hundred croissants.
The store didn’t have enough stock, so Zhang Yang drove out to borrow some from a colleague.
Hongxiang also ordered three cakes and ten cups of coffee for Fang Yu’s company. Ji Ting arranged everything and had the delivery guy take it over. She was busy all day and didn’t get to eat until seven in the evening.
After seven-thirty, things calmed down, and everyone was exhausted. Ji Ting decided to let everyone leave early to rest. During the cleanup, the doorbell rang.
Ji Ting turned around to see Long Kong standing with a bouquet of flowers and smiling at her. “Oh, I saw Zhang Yang’s Moments today. It looks like the store is very busy.”
Seeing the pink roses in Long Kong’s hand, Ji Ting paused for a moment and then smiled, “Yes, it’s quite busy. Would you like some coffee?”
“No, I’m just passing by. How about we go out for a late-night snack later?” Long Kong asked.
Ji Ting was silent for a few seconds before smiling and replying, “Sure, wait for me a moment.”
“Okay.”
Long Kong stepped outside and waited.
Xiao Zhou glanced at Ji Ting and blinked. Ji Ting showed no particular expression. She called everyone to finish tidying up and was the last to leave. She locked the door, and the sky outside was darkening. Some lights in the office buildings were on, resembling a charming little house.
Long Kong watched as Ji Ting came out and quickly walked over, handing the flowers to her. “Here, I bought these on the way, pink roses. Aren’t they pretty?”
Ji Ting didn’t reach out to take them. She looked at Long Kong and asked, “What’s the occasion for this?”
Night fell.
Ji Ting’s eyes were bright and clear.
Long Kong met her gaze and paused, understanding her question about why he was giving flowers. He smiled wryly, pinching the flowers, and said, “I’ll be honest. I want to pursue you. Although it sounds a bit absurd, we’ve known each other for so long that it’s hard to distinguish feelings sometimes. But once feelings of affection arise, they’re hard to erase. I’ve thought about this for a long time before deciding to break this barrier.”
Ji Ting paused, looking at Long Kong.
Long Kong gave a goofy smile, looking somewhat nervous.
Ji Ting looked at the man in front of her, hesitated, and opened her mouth to speak.
But Long Kong spoke first, “Don’t rush to refuse. You’re single now, and I am too. Give me a chance, and try spending some time with me. What do you think?”
Ji Ting pressed her lips together.
She thought of Lu Hai.
She considered for a moment and said, “But I…”
Before she could finish, Long Kong placed the flowers in her arms, cleared his throat, and turned to leave. “Think about it—”
“You owe me a late-night snack. I’ll treat you next time.”
With that, he ran off.
Ji Ting watched him go and subconsciously look at the flowers in her arms. When she looked up again, she saw Tan Yucheng standing a short distance away, smoking and wearing a jacket. Chen Fei was next to him, suddenly coming to his senses and running off.
At the store entrance, it was just Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng left. His expression was cold as he took the cigarette out of his mouth, glanced at the roses in her arms, and said in a low, icy tone.
“You’re willing to give him a chance but have never considered what’s between us.”