Not speaking, not mentioning, not trusting

The next morning, before the alarm clock went off at 5:30, Jonathan woke up naturally.

There was no one behind him; Jiang Songhe had gotten up even earlier than him.

Last night, Jiang Songhe took a shower downstairs and went back to the bedroom. The two did not interact with each other again, standing back to back at opposite ends of an invisible dividing line, remaining silent until dawn.

The work email said I had to arrive at a recording studio at 7:00 AM. After arriving, I would get my hair and makeup done, and then go into the studio at 9:00 AM to record the theme song. Yunhe's staff would be there to film the whole process.

Jonathan curled up to wake up. His alarm rang at 5:30. He got out of bed, drew back the curtains, and went into the bathroom to wash up.

The bathtub was still at the same water level as last night, but all the bubbles had disappeared, and the water temperature had lowered the overall temperature of the bathroom. Jonathan stood there blankly staring at the water for a while, then lifted the sleeves of his robe and emptied the bathtub.

He then got up and went to the sink, brushing his teeth while frowning.

My dark circles are really bad, and my eyelids are so swollen.

The two bruises didn't lessen even after being splashed with cold water for several minutes; instead, they became even more prominent due to her increasingly pale complexion. She wanted coffee, but Jonathan didn't recall having a coffee machine in the kitchen, and had almost never seen Jiang Songhe drink coffee before. It seemed the swelling wouldn't go away.

To make matters worse, he still needed to get his hair and makeup done at the recording studio, so he couldn't even use concealer. He didn't know how to order takeout in China, and even if he did, there probably weren't any coffee shops open at 5:30.

I suddenly felt really bad, but I wasn't sure if I would feel better after going downstairs and seeing Jiang Songhe.

Alcohol can amplify feelings; perhaps Jiang Songhe was really tired last night.

Perhaps if you go downstairs now and have dinner with someone, and you brush off the memory of your drunken indiscretion with a joke, Jiang Songhe might be a little annoyed at first. But if you ask for a good morning kiss as compensation, he would still do it no matter what.

Jonathan quickly changed into an outfit that looked better on camera, then left the room, opened the railing at the bottom of the stairs, and went downstairs.

In the kitchen, and even on the entire first floor, only Wasin was waiting.

When Jonathan walked over, the big guy was facing away from a corner of the counter, fiddling with something. On the counter, which wasn't obscured, were the keys to Jiang Songhe's Luman car, clearly visible.

"Where is he?" Jonathan's mood worsened even before he asked the question and heard the answer.

Vasin turned around at the sound, and a mechanical noise came from in front of him, so Jonah couldn't hear what the other person said, but judging from the lip movements, it should be "company, he's busy."

But I don't want to hear it clearly again.

So Jiang Songhe left first, without a good morning kiss, without eating at the same table, and without even planning to accompany her to the unfamiliar recording studio... Jiang Songhe is definitely acting strangely, but why?

Is watching the movie not going well? Or is there something you're doing wrong?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the car keys on the table. The keys… Jonathan’s nerves suddenly tightened. How could she have forgotten that the next room was the memorial room for Jiang Songhe’s parents?!

That's why he had to hide from himself, this utterly absurd and lecherous man.

In these last three days before leaving, let alone complete possession, if he were determined to escape, Jingting was not like Man'er; he himself did not know where to catch him or how to catch him.

Jiang Songhe probably doesn't know that he will be leaving soon. In the remaining three days, we won't even see each other more than a few times, right?

Oh no, I messed up again.

Jonathan's already not-so-sharp mind this morning became even more muddled due to his wandering thoughts. He took out his phone from his pocket, pulled up a number he had saved earlier, and hovered his finger over the dial button.

I eventually moved to the side and pressed the lock screen button.

He felt like a controlling, twisted person, a trait that would only scare away anyone he liked. He was also afraid that if he made the call, the other person would know he was leaving soon and react with indifference, or even anticipation.

Jonathan hates this version of himself; it's not cool at all.

Just then, a cup slid to his side. He smelled the familiar aroma, habitually curled his finger to pick it up, and took a sip.

"Oh, time to eat." A plate then slid in front of her, with a tuna sandwich, a peeled hard-boiled egg, and fried bacon on it.

Jonathan snapped out of his daze and looked at his hand. It was an espresso?! And it tasted exactly like the blend of beans he usually drank in Mann.

"Coffee, where did you get it?" he asked Wasin. "Did you bring the beans and the pot?"

This is the only thing to be thankful for since last night.

Jonah thought to himself with a wry smile, "This idiot isn't entirely useless after all. Since I have no appetite right now, I'll let Vashin have the food on my plate instead of punishing him by making him eat compressed biscuits."

Vasin moved two steps to the side, clearing the view behind him.

A coffee machine stood prominently in the corner of the counter, almost identical to the model provided on the roof of the Tang Dynasty Hotel. It looked like a brand new machine that had just been unpacked, and because of its haphazard placement, there were still a few pieces of shock-absorbing foam stuck to the panel.

"It, it." Vasin gestured with his hand towards the coffee machine and the bean packaging, then bent down and picked up a large empty box. "Ginger, here it comes."

Jonathan withdrew his index finger, held the cup with both hands, took a sip, and asked, "When? It wasn't here yesterday."

Vasin put down the empty box and went to get the car keys that were not far away: "Tonight, in the car."

These beans come from a workshop in Mann that is run by a barista who refuses to disclose the blending ratios and origins of the beans; they are only available in Mann.

Coffee machines, while not as hard to buy as coffee beans, are still quite difficult to get a man from China who hardly ever drinks coffee to remember the brands and models in a less common language.

Jiang Songhe not only remembered, but also estimated that he should have asked someone to buy it a long time ago, yet he never mentioned it.

As always, talk less and do more.

Jonah had a bit of an appetite and began to eat slowly and carefully, preparing to punish Vasin with another meal before lifting the ban at lunchtime.

The feeling of being moved had barely lasted a few minutes when some unkind and illogical angles flashed into my mind at an inopportune moment.

Caring indicates liking; if you like someone, why hide from them? Caring is one-way, while liking is mutual. Only when one-way caring is seen can it foster mutual liking. To gain more and stronger liking, wouldn't you want your caring to be seen...?

Jiang Songhe is not like that.

The coffee, the necklace, and all those little details were things Jonathan noticed but didn't discover. What if he hadn't had the chance to notice? Wouldn't he worry about disappointing or hurting the other person, and causing them to drift apart?

Saying nothing or mentioning nothing might actually be a sign of distrust.

The stark reality left Jonathan feeling conflicted and powerless; he understood Jiang Songhe less and less. And this precarious situation of being in different places, which he hadn't yet been able to discover, would inevitably unfold precisely three days later…

-

Over the next day and a half, the sense of disconnect and the resulting feelings of helplessness continued to grow.

Jonathan had hoped to have a serious face-to-face talk when neither he nor Jiang Songhe had any work to do, but he couldn't find anyone to talk to, so naturally he couldn't find an opportunity.

Just as Jonathan had feared, it was difficult to even meet Jiang Songhe, but every day, whether at work or in the villa, her three meals a day would still be delivered to Jonathan through someone else without fail.

As time went by, Jonathan was driven almost crazy by Jiang Songhe's aloofness.

Maintaining the image of a top idol as a healthy and dedicated professional, on the second night, after seeing off Lin Duole and Feng Siyu, who were assisting with reshoots of the reaction video in the living room of the Jiang family villa, Jonathan finally took out his phone and called the boss of the two Yunhe employees, whom he couldn't get any information out of.

The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.

Jonah suddenly felt exhausted. He wondered if it was normal for a relationship to have turned out this way. At this moment, he not only couldn't understand the elusive Jiang Songhe, but even he himself, who had been so anxious and insecure, began to feel annoyed and unfamiliar.

If one day, Janus's true self can no longer be hidden by his appearance, what will break Jonah's heart will not only be the question of "whether Jiang Songhe likes him or not", but the question of "whether anyone will like him or not".

Jonah is terrified by this idea; stripped of his perfect idol identity, he doesn't know who he will be anymore.

Just as he was about to hang up on the Nth call, Jiang Songhe answered.

"Hello, who is this?" The voice on the other end of the line was hoarse and viscous, and the ambient noise of the dance music was deafening.

The two characters' personalities were completely reversed.

Not entirely, Jonathan doesn't smoke or drink.

"Who is it? Hmph..." Jonathan found it a little funny for some reason, but he could only make such a small sound. His throat was blocked and his heart was blocked. He couldn't say anything for a long time.

"Oh, it's you." The person on the other end seemed to finally remember to look at the area code on the caller ID, but their speech was even less fluent than two days ago. "I'm in Hangzhou...on a business trip...don't...wait for me tonight, I'll...go to sleep early..."

"Whatever you want." Jonathan closed his eyes wearily and held the phone away from him.

"I...miss you...baby..."

An unexpected sentence came through the receiver, very soft and almost inaudible, and his narrow eyes snapped open.

"What did you say?" Jonathan immediately put the phone receiver to his ear, but the call had already ended.

Did I hallucinate because I watched martial arts dramas all day?

Or was he playing some kind of truth or dare game with someone else?

Could it be that he's drunk and using his relationship with you as a topic of conversation?

No, no, the sound was too soft, I couldn't hear it clearly through the receiver...

Jonathan couldn't help but start a new round of anxiety and overthinking.

...

A private karaoke room in a shopping mall in Hangzhou.

After three consecutive days of socializing, Jiang Songhe was feeling dizzy and lightheaded from drinking, but he was in a very good mood.

A major problem concerning both the project and his personal life is on the verge of being resolved. He received positive feedback from his partner that afternoon, and to show his sincerity and strike while the iron was hot, he did not refuse their invitation to host a gathering.

I left in a hurry for my business trip and didn't have time to tell Jonathan.

Before the game started, Jiang Songhe kept checking his phone, waiting for a call to come in, but he was caught red-handed by his partner. Not only could he not check his phone, but he was also punished with three drinks.

Thinking of Jonathan's transformative work, which would not require him to be associated with Shen Zongli's abusive and degenerate face just to accommodate himself, Jiang Songhe's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he drank several more rounds of drinks without refusing any invitations.

After days of hard work and mental exertion, even the largest drinker has reached their limit.

The alcohol amplified all sorts of emotions, the first of which was the exhilaration and satisfaction of solving a difficult problem. It was rare for Jiang Songhe to experience this feeling from a job he had been doing for over a decade, perhaps because he was too drunk.

Jiang Songhe's inner monologue: "Shen Zongli is not worthy, but I, Jiang Songhe, am."

I've had this phrase looping in my head countless times, and suddenly, for no reason, I feel wronged and ashamed, but I really, really want to hear Jonathan's voice.

Why hasn't the phone been called yet?

Is your work schedule too full and you're exhausted?

Or maybe I've been away from home for a few days and am throwing a tantrum like a child again...

While everyone else was still caught up in the festivities, Jiang Songhe finally managed to find his jacket in the private room after a lot of effort. He pulled his phone out of his pocket again, and his throat tightened instantly.

More than a dozen missed calls, Mann area code.

Before I could figure out how to explain or where to begin, the same number called again.

Holding her phone, Jiang Songhe swiftly made her way to the bathroom in the private room. After knocking on the door to confirm that no one was inside, she slipped inside and plugged in the door latch.

Jiang Songhe had no experience with reporting such matters. Surrounded by revelry, even though he wasn't there for pleasure, he still felt inexplicably guilty.

The call had been ringing for so long that if he didn't answer soon, he would miss it. On a whim, Jiang Songhe answered the call.

Before he could mentally prepare himself, his language system momentarily went haywire, and his mind went blank; he blurted out, "Hello, who is this?"

Then a sneer came from the other end: "Who is it?"

Oh no, I'm really angry.

Jiang Songhe zoomed in and out of the phone, simulating not noticing the caller ID, which was more likely to be understandable than simply ignoring the caller ID.

Then, try to speak clearly and prioritize stating the facts and expressing concern: "I'm on a business trip in Hangzhou. Don't wait for me tonight, go to sleep early."

Jiang Songhe had no experience in feigning ignorance. Her acting and lines were so bad that they couldn't fool the professional singers. The person on the other end, as if retaliating, also moved their phone away: "Whatever."

"..." There was no one else in the bathroom, but Jiang Songhe still blushed, turned to face the wall like a thief, and covered the microphone.

I miss you, baby.