Qian Xiaoke had known from the start that Jiang Tongyan would leave, but because they met almost every day and talked nonsense every time they met, he had come to see Jiang Tongyan as a colleague, a neighbor, a random somebody—a constant presence in his life. So he had automatically ignored that this person would actually leave, and leave far away.
He had even overlooked that Jiang Tongyan wasn’t from here at all. This man’s home was in distant New York, America—a place he had never been to and might never go in his lifetime.
What was New York to Qian Xiaoke?
To him, it was a place that only existed on a globe or in the news. Before meeting Jiang Tongyan, he had never thought he would have any connection to someone living there. If he had to force a link, it’d be something like ‘we all live in the global village’.
“To…tomorrow?” Qian Xiaoke was completely unprepared, hit with a feeling of ‘you think there’s plenty of time ahead, but in a flash, it’s goodbye forever’.
His grip on Jiang Tongyan’s hand tightened unconsciously.
Jiang Tongyan noticed the change and was secretly pleased. He suddenly felt that Qian Xiaoke might not want him to go.
“Well,” Jiang Tongyan said, “what’s wrong?”
Qian Xiaoke’s eyes were dull and lifeless, his head slightly lowered as he looked at their clasped hands, his face full of disappointment.
“It’s so sudden,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I thought it would be a long time.”
Jiang Tongyan saw the fluffy bunny’s ears droop. It was cute, but a little heartbreaking. He wanted to comfort him, but then he suddenly glanced at Qian Xiaoke’s pot. “Hey, hey, hey! Water, water, water!”
Qian Xiaoke hurriedly turned back, lowering the heat.
His wontons were almost done. This might be the last meal he would eat with Jiang Tongyan.
Qian Xiaoke couldn’t quite describe how he felt—a sour ache at the tip of his heart.
He carefully stirred the wontons in the pot with a spoon while thinking it over.
“Jiang Tongyan,” Qian Xiaoke muttered, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“…Are you unhappy?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I thought you knew.”
He really thought Qian Xiaoke knew, since the hotel he stayed at was arranged by Cheng Sen’s company. He had assumed an employee like Qian Xiaoke would have his whereabouts very well.
“I didn’t know,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I’m in the administrative department. They only tell me things when they need me to run errands.”
His position was important in a way, but not really—there was a lot about the company he didn’t actually know.
Qian Xiaoke felt his current mood might be because Jiang Tongyan’s departure was so sudden, leaving him no time to prepare.
What kind of person was he?
The type who, once he got close to someone, quickly bared his heart to them.
Truth be told, Qian Xiaoke had been pretty lonely since starting work. His old close friends were in different cities. Here, his colleagues had their own lives and friends—he hadn’t met anyone he really clicked with. The only person he had stayed decently close to, Zhou Mo, was busier, caught up with career and love, leaving him all alone.
Qian Xiaoke was someone who liked liveliness, being forced to be alone like this was tough.
Jiang Tongyan’s appearance had cheered Qian Xiaoke up a lot. Sure, their meeting was a bit indescribable, and every encounter since had been awkward, but Qian Xiaoke really liked hanging out with Jiang Tongyan.
Taking a clueless rich guy to eat snacks and drink beer had suddenly made his after-work hours way more fun.
With Jiang Tongyan leaving out of the blue, Qian Xiaoke would be alone again, and it was hard not to feel down.
Jiang Tongyan stood diagonally behind him, watching him fiddle with the wontons.
Qian Xiaoke was a simple guy—his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all showed right on his face. Jiang Tongyan wasn’t truly heartless; he could see Qian Xiaoke didn’t want him to go.
He poked Qian Xiaoke’s shoulder with a finger. “Just say it if you’ll miss me.”
“A little,” Qian Xiaoke said honestly, at least more honest than Jiang Tongyan. “When you’re gone, I won’t have anyone to hang out with after work.”
Jiang Tongyan thought: Well, damn, so in your mind I’m just a playmate!
But fine, a playmate then—Jiang Tongyan accepted it.
Mainly because he had no choice; it wasn’t up to him.
But thinking it over seriously, Jiang Tongyan actually felt he could be happy about this. At least Qian Xiaoke had him in his heart.
“I didn’t expect that,” Jiang Tongyan said, his mouth incapable of sweet words. “You’ve actually got a heart and would miss me.”
Qian Xiaoke sighed, pouring the cooked wontons into a big bowl. “Chairman Jiang, is this dinner tonight our farewell dinner?”
“…Can’t you say something lucky? Farewell what? It’s not like I’m never coming back.” But then it would be months before he could return.
Jiang Tongyan calculated with his fingers—at least over two months.
It was only late September now. The soonest he could be back was late November or early December. By then, this city might even be snowy.
Two months.
Jiang Tongyan suddenly worried—after two months, would Qian Xiaoke forget him?
“You’ll come back?” Qian Xiaoke was surprised. “I heard Chairman Cheng say your home’s in New York!”
Jiang Tongyan eagerly carried the big bowl of wontons to the table, nearly burning his hands into roasted pig hooves.
“Who says living in New York before means I can’t come back later?” Jiang Tongyan said, twisting his words eight hundred ways. “I didn’t sell myself to America.”
Qian Xiaoke laughed, grabbing chopsticks and a spoon as he walked to the table, asking weakly, “So when will you come back?”
“End of the year, probably,” Jiang Tongyan said, glancing at him sideways. “What? Have you secretly fallen for me, counting the days ‘til I’m back?”
“No,” Qian Xiaoke answered flatly. “I just think you’re pretty fun, and there’s still lots of good food I haven’t taken you to eat.”
What to say? Jiang Tongyan should’ve rolled his eyes at that ‘no’, but the follow-up sentence somehow moved him a little.
Liking someone meant wanting to take them to eat all the world’s best food.
Of course, Qian Xiaoke might not have the money or brains for that—he just saw Jiang Tongyan as a ‘food buddy’.
“And our treatment’s not done yet,” Qian Xiaoke said, most concerned about this. “If you’re not better, I won’t rest easy.”
That made Jiang Tongyan awkward.
He coughed lightly, rubbing his hot ears.
“Let’s try again later—maybe it’ll work,” Jiang Tongyan said, coming over today with his sneaky little thoughts.
A bit sleazy, a bit crude, a bit shameless.
But he really wanted to try—give himself something to hold onto for the next two months. He was leaving soon, gone for two months—couldn’t he snag a little sweetness before going?
“En,” Qian Xiaoke sat down to eat, saying seriously to Jiang Tongyan, “I checked today—impotence means you should eat more kidney-tonifying, essence-boosting foods, like bull’s pen-s, sheep’s pen-s, ginseng, or deer antler.”
Qian Xiaoke ate a big wonton, not seeing Jiang Tongyan’s expression, chewed, swallowed, then continued, “The good stuff’s too expensive. I’ll save up to buy some for you—don’t rush.”
“…Cough, no need,” Jiang Tongyan said, torn between laughter and tears. How did this guy manage to be both maddening and cute?
Jiang Tongyan took a deep breath to calm down, then mumbled, “Just touch me—that’s fine.”
Though it was probably useless.
Jiang Tongyan felt Qian Xiaoke’s touches didn’t actually do anything. He kept coming every day, honestly, because he was sleazy, crude, and shameless. He was just taking advantage.
He had reflected and decided he couldn’t keep this up. It wasn’t something a gentleman would do.
Jiang Tongyan had resolved—today was the last time. After this, he would wash his hands of it, go back to New York, and see a doctor properly.
Truly, the righteous path was the hard road.
Qian Xiaoke sighed. “Well, touching is a must, but you’ve got to have some supplement too.”
He was worried—worried about everything. So worried he could only eat more wontons to ease the gloom.
Qian Xiaoke was a little out of shape that night.
After dinner with Jiang Tongyan, they both showered. They were clean and comfy, then went to the bedroom together.
The bed was cozy, and after a shower, he should’ve felt good, but Qian Xiaoke couldn’t perk up.
Jiang Tongyan leaned on the bed while Qian Xiaoke petted him, his touch lifeless.
Jiang Tongyan asked, “What’re you thinking about?”
Qian Xiaoke snapped back, muttering, “Nothing, just anxious.”
Jiang Tongyan licked his lips and said, “I saw a science fact today.”
“Hm? What fact?”
“It said… kissing boosts blood circulation,” Jiang Tongyan started setting his trap. “When kissing, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, triggering lots of adrenaline.”
Qian Xiaoke said, “Just say it straight.”
“Though it’s a bit embarrassing, wanna try kissing?” Jiang Tongyan’s ears were not the only ones red at this time; his whole body turned red. “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything else—just treating a dead horse like it’s alive. What if it works?”
Qian Xiaoke knelt on the bed, looking at him. His blinking eyes seemed to see everything but were really full of question marks.
Seeing no response, Jiang Tongyan thought he would refuse, so he quickly explained, “If you don’t want to, it’s fine—I won’t force you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not—”
“Let’s try then. It’s not like we haven’t kissed,” Qian Xiaoke said. After all, the day they met, they had done this and that. Without the later mishap, their relationship might’ve gone a whole different way.
Qian Xiaoke licked his lips. He was serious, like he was doing research, and asked, “How do we kiss? Does it need to be one of those sticky French kisses?”
Jiang Tongyan was shocked. “You know French kissing?”
“Read it in novels, but never tried.”
“…What novels do you read?”
“Various,” Qian Xiaoke answered solemnly. “After we’re done, I’ll recommend some I’ve liked lately. Remember to download a reading app for the legal versions—if you like them, toss the authors some votes.”
Jiang Tongyan had no interest in those novels and didn’t get the reading app or thunder stuff—he’d just sighed casually.
“Shall we start now?” Qian Xiaoke said. “Should I chew gum first?”
Jiang Tongyan was annoyed—this guy was too talkative. It was just a kiss, yet he had so many questions.
While Qian Xiaoke wondered if he had brought gum when he moved, Jiang Tongyan pulled him into his arms, flipped him over, and pinned him to the bed.
Qian Xiaoke sank into the soft bed, blinking innocently up at Jiang Tongyan.
“You got a bit of that domineering CEO vibe,” Qian Xiaoke said, wrapping his arms around Jiang Tongyan’s neck. “Let’s start, I… mmph…”
Shut up, Qian Xiaoke!
To stop him from talking, Jiang Tongyan had no choice but to reluctantly block his mouth with his own.
T/N:
Lmao author is subtly saying to not read in non legal site (ᵔ́∀ᵔ̀)
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