take care of
Lin Jingshang touched the exquisitely crafted scarf, feeling a warm glow in his heart. He carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck; the soft cashmere clung to his skin, warding off the chill that even the air conditioning couldn't dispel.
The next day, Lin Jingshang came to work wearing that beige scarf.
He encountered Xie Dang in the elevator, whose gaze fell on his neck, as if to confirm that he was properly kept warm.
During their lunch break, the two of them were on the small terrace. It was windy and a bit chilly today, but the sun was shining brightly.
Lin Jingshang was wearing that scarf, only half of his face was visible.
Looking at him wrapped in the scarf, Xie Dang suddenly said, "The color suits you."
Lin Jingshang was stunned for a moment, and his ears felt a little hot.
"Thank you," he said softly, burying the lower half of his face in his scarf.
Xie Dang looked into the distance and added, "It will get warmer tomorrow, but there will be a big temperature difference between day and night."
Lin Jingshang understood that this was a reminder not to rush to put the scarf away.
"Understood," he replied.
Xie Dang would always send him the weather information a day in advance, sometimes just a simple temperature number, and sometimes with a message like "It's going to rain, bring an umbrella" or "It's windy, keep warm."
Based on the reminder, Lin Jingshang will decide whether to wear the beige scarf or use the transparent umbrella given to him by the system the next day.
The system occasionally pops up with tips on gift-giving for couples, or how to show thoughtfulness by checking the weather.
These were tacitly ignored by the two of them.
---
Xie Dang is sick.
Lin Jingshang learned this news indirectly from Xiao Chen, the president's assistant. Apparently, he had caught a severe cold due to working late into the night on overseas mergers and acquisitions, coupled with the recent drastic temperature changes that had lowered his immunity, and was now resting at home.
Lin Jingshang looked at the chat box on his phone. Xie Dang had sent him the weather forecast for the next day last night, and he felt a little uneasy.
How come Xie Dang is so calm even when he's sick?
He thought for a moment, then opened a food delivery app, selected a health-preserving soup shop, ordered a stewed pear with fritillaria cirrhosa and a few light side dishes, and filled in Xie Dang's apartment as the address.
After placing the order, he sent a message to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: I heard you were sick? I ordered you some food, it will be here in about half an hour.
After a while, Xie Dang replied.
[Xie Dang]: Yes, thank you.
His tone sounded no different from usual.
After work, Lin Jingshang hesitated for a long time before finally taking a detour to Xie Dang's apartment. He stood at the door, rang the doorbell, feeling a little uneasy, wondering if it was convenient for Xie Dang, or if he would think he was being nosy.
The door was opened quickly.
Xie Dang stood inside the door wearing dark gray pajamas, his face paler than usual, with faint dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were a little dry.
He saw Lin Jingshang, seemingly unsurprised, and stepped aside, saying, "Come in."
His voice had a distinct nasal quality.
Lin Jingshang walked in. The apartment was quiet, unchanged from when he last left, with a faint smell of medicine in the air.
"Are you feeling better?" Lin Jingshang asked with some concern as he placed the fruit he had bought on the way on the table.
"It's alright." Xie Dang walked to the sofa, sat down, picked up the remote and turned up the air conditioner temperature. "Just a minor cold."
Looking at his obviously weak yet stubborn appearance, Lin Jingshang felt that inexplicable emotion welling up inside him again.
He went to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Xie Dang: "Did you take your medicine?"
"Mm." Xie Dang took the water glass and took a sip.
The two fell silent for a moment.
Xie Dang, who was ill, seemed more silent than usual. He leaned against the sofa, closed his eyes, and frowned slightly, as if he was enduring discomfort.
Looking at him like this, Lin Jingshang suddenly remembered when he was sick, Xie Dang stayed by his side, taking his temperature and changing his towel.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Should I... cook you some porridge? The soup from the takeout might not be warm enough."
Xie Dang opened his eyes and looked at him, his gaze unusually hazy.
He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Thank you for your help."
Lin Jingshang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator; there weren't many ingredients inside, but there was rice and some simple seasonings.
He tied on his apron and began rinsing the rice and slicing the ginger...
Xie Dang sat on the sofa in the living room and could hear faint sounds coming from the kitchen.
The porridge was bubbling away in the pot, and the aroma of rice filled the air.
When Lin Jingshang came out carrying the cooked ginger porridge, he found that Xie Dang had fallen asleep at some point, his head slightly tilted to one side.
He placed the porridge on the coffee table and covered it with a lid to keep it warm.
Then, he sat down on the single sofa next to him, picked up the book he had been reading and quietly kept him company.
A short while later, Xie Dang woke up.
He rubbed his temples and saw Lin Jingshang sitting to the side reading a book, and the bowl of steaming porridge on the coffee table. His eyes glazed over for a moment.
"You're awake? The porridge is still warm, have some." Lin Jingshang put down his book and brought the porridge to him.
Xie Dang took the bowl, scooped a spoonful, and put it in his mouth. The porridge was cooked to a perfect softness, warming him from his throat all the way to his stomach.
“It tastes very good,” he said softly.
Lin Jingshang smiled and said, "That's good."
Xie Dang ate his porridge quietly, while Lin Jingshang sat beside him.
Xie Dang was in good health, and thanks to Lin Jingshang's bowl of ginger porridge and the subsequent takeout meals, his cold quickly healed.
---
As the year draws to a close, the atmosphere in the company is filled with excitement.
Manager Zhang has reduced the frequency of making empty promises; he's all smiles now, planning where to travel during his annual leave.
Lin Jingshang also began to organize his work and prepare for the Spring Festival holiday. His hometown is a small city in the south that is not far away, only three hours away by high-speed rail, and he had already booked his ticket home.
During their lunch break that day, the two of them were sunbathing on the small terrace.
The winter sun may not be very warm, but it still feels cozy on your skin.
"What are your plans for the Spring Festival?" Lin Jingshang asked Xie Dang casually.
He remembered that Xie Dang's parents had lived abroad for many years.
"On duty." Xie Dang took a sip of coffee, his tone flat. "There are a few overseas projects to wrap up before the holiday."
Lin Jingshang was stunned for a moment. On duty on New Year's Eve?
"Are you alone?"
Xie Dang looked at the office building in the distance: "Yeah, I'm used to it."
Hearing this, Lin Jingshang felt a strange pang of sadness in his heart.
He imagined New Year's Eve, with only Xie Dang's office light on in the entire building, surrounded by the lights of countless homes and the sound of firecrackers, while he was the only one inside staring at his computer screen...
This scene is so desolate.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, like "Would you like to come to my house for the New Year?", but the invitation lingered on his tongue for a while before he finally couldn't bring himself to say it.
This seems a bit too much.
He looked down at his shoes and changed the subject: "I have a train ticket home the day after tomorrow."
"Okay," Xie Dang replied. "Be careful on the road."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
After a while, Xie Dang suddenly spoke up: "That pot of money plants on your windowsill."
Lin Jingshang looked up: "Hmm?"
"No one will water the plants during the holidays," Xie Dang said. "Just leave them in my office."
Lin Jingshang's heart skipped a beat. Could this be considered a form of disguised trusteeship?
"Okay." He nodded. "Thank you."
"Also, is your hometown, that small town, famous for its hot springs?"
Lin Jingshang's heart skipped a beat: "Yes...yes, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Xie Dang withdrew his gaze, looked at him calmly, and said, "Just asking casually."
Just asking casually?
Lin Jingshang didn't believe it. He immediately thought of the double hot spring resort voucher in the drawer.
So what is Xie Dang implying? Is he implying that he can use the lottery tickets in his hometown?
He looked at Xie Dang's expressionless face, trying to find some clue, but he couldn't see anything.
Xie Dang can be so calm it's infuriating.
"Oh," Lin Jingshang replied, feigning calmness.
---
Two days later, Lin Jingshang dragged his suitcase to the high-speed rail station. Before leaving, he carefully delivered the potted string of pearls to Xie Dang's office.
On Xie Dang's desk, his string of pearls succulent had indeed grown even more robustly, with the two succulents placed side by side.
"It's up to you," Lin Jingshang said.
"Okay." Xie Dang nodded, his gaze sweeping over him and the suitcase. "Message me when you arrive."
"good."
Lin Jingshang pulled his suitcase to the door, then stopped. He turned around and looked at Xie Dang behind the desk.
"Thank you, Dang." Lin Jingshang took a deep breath.
"On New Year's Eve... if you're done with your work, would you like to video chat with me? Just like... staying up together to welcome the New Year?"
After he finished speaking, he felt his cheeks getting hot. He didn't dare to look Xie Dang in the eye and hurriedly added, "It's okay if it doesn't work out! I was just saying it offhand!"
The office was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he heard Xie Dang's familiar voice: "Okay."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com