sixteen
The next day, the weather cleared up. When Lin Jingshang got off work, he saw Xie Dang standing by his car, holding the long-handled umbrella, about to put it back in the trunk.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Lin Jingshang called out to him, walked over and took the umbrella. "Give it to me."
Xie Dang raised an eyebrow at him.
Lin Jingshang shook the umbrella in his hand and said with a grin, "I'll keep one in my office. If the probability model goes wrong someday, I can just run back myself. No need for you to come all this way."
Xie Dang looked at him, said nothing, and let go of his hand.
So, a long-handled black umbrella appeared next to Lin Jingshang's workstation.
It may seem a bit unnecessary, but the extra preparations are precisely what give them the most reassurance.
---
In Xie Dang's study, besides professional books and tools, there's recently been a new addition: a brand-new gaming console. Lin Jingshang had to pester him for several days to finally get it.
On a weekend afternoon, the two sat cross-legged on the living room carpet, playing a fighting game in front of the TV screen.
Lin Jingshang, who considered himself a gaming expert, was eager to show off his skills and chose a high-speed character that he was good at.
"Xie Dang, you won't hold back!"
“Hmm.” Xie Dang chose a character who looked clumsy and had balanced stats.
At the start of the first round, Lin Jingshang displayed dazzling skills, unleashing a series of combos and seemingly cornering Xie Dang's character. Just as he was about to unleash his ultimate move, Xie Dang's character suddenly blocked at a tricky angle, delivering a simple yet powerful combo that instantly reduced Lin Jingshang's character's health bar to zero.
"KO!" The electronic notification sounded.
Lin Jingshang stared in disbelief: "You... how did you do that?"
Xie Dang put down the controller and said calmly, "Analyzing the frame rate and predicting commands, your attack pattern is predictable."
Lin Jingshang refused to accept defeat: "Again!"
In the second game, he changed his strategy, using more complex feints to confuse his opponent, but was defeated again in less than two minutes.
The third set, the fourth set...
Lin Jingshang tried various roles and tactics, but without exception, all of them ended in crushing defeat.
He collapsed onto the carpet, utterly dejected: "I'm not playing anymore! What's wrong with you? Playing games is like doing math problems!"
Xie Dang picked up the water next to him and took a sip: "The essence of a game is a collection of data and logic."
Lin Jingshang was so angry he wanted to scratch him.
After a while, still unwilling to give up, he moved closer to Xie Dang and said, "How about we play something else, a two-player cooperative game?"
He chose an adventure game that required a high degree of teamwork.
Xie Dang became a reliable teammate. He always arrived at the location ahead of time, solved the mechanisms, and lent a helping hand in time when Lin Jingshang made a mistake and was about to fall off the cliff.
"Left! There's a platform on the left!"
"Um."
"Quick, quick, help me block that monster!"
"good."
The two worked together seamlessly, overcoming all obstacles along the way. When the final screen lit up, Lin Jingshang was so excited he almost jumped up and instinctively hugged Xie Dang next to him.
"We made it! We made it!"
Xie Dang was taken aback, then relaxed and gently patted his back: "Mm."
Lin Jingshang belatedly realized he had been too excited, so he quickly let go, his ears burning. He pointed at the screen, trying to cover up his mistake.
"This game is actually quite fun..."
Xie Dang looked at the protagonists standing side by side on the screen, then glanced at Lin Jingshang beside him, whose eyes were wandering, and a smile flashed in his eyes.
“Hmm,” he replied. “Next time we can try something more difficult.”
---
Xie Dang had a multinational video conference that ended close to 1 a.m. He rubbed his temples, walked out of the study, and saw a floor lamp still on in the living room. Lin Jingshang was curled up on the sofa, his head nodding off, his hand still loosely holding a game controller, the game screen still showing the paused game.
Hearing footsteps, Lin Jingshang groggily opened his eyes: "Finished?"
"Hmm." Xie Dang walked over. "Why didn't you go to sleep first?"
"I'll wait for you." Lin Jingshang yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Are you hungry? I'm a little hungry."
Xie Dang glanced at the time: "At this hour, the takeout options are limited."
"Let's cook some noodles, quick." Lin Jingshang said, getting up to walk towards the kitchen.
Xie Dang stopped him, saying, "I'll go."
A slight noise came from the kitchen. After a while, Xie Dang came out carrying a bowl and placed it on the coffee table in front of Lin Jingshang.
The broth was clear, the noodles were thin and white, and a golden-fried egg, a few green vegetables, and a few drops of oil and scallions floated on top, making it look quite appealing.
Lin Jingshang picked up his chopsticks in surprise: "You can make this?"
“I’ve seen the recipe.” Xie Dang sat down next to him. “Try it.”
Lin Jingshang picked up a mouthful of noodles, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. The noodles were soft yet firm, and the soup had a rich aroma of lard.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed sincerely, taking another sip of soup, his stomach instantly feeling warm and cozy.
Xie Dang watched him eat more than half a bowl in one go and said, "Eat slowly."
"Aren't you going to eat?" Lin Jingshang asked, his mouth full of noodles.
I'm not hungry.
Lin Jingshang pushed the bowl towards him: "Shall I share half with you?"
Xie Dang shook his head.
Lin Jingshang stopped being polite, buried his head and finished the whole bowl of noodles, even drinking the soup clean. He sighed with satisfaction, "You've come back to life. I didn't expect you to have this skill."
“Basic skills.” Xie Dang’s gaze softened as he looked at the empty bowl.
---
The mint plant, having survived the ordeal, has fully recovered and is growing even more lushly than before, with thick leaves and a rich aroma. The two string of pearls next to it have also thrived, overflowing their pots, layer upon layer, vibrant green.
On a whim, Lin Jingshang got a small notebook and started writing a plant observation diary, keeping very simple records.
[Date: Sunny. Three new mint leaves, growing well. No noticeable change in the string of pearls. Watered with 200ml.]
[Date: Cloudy. The mint seems a bit wilted. Seeking advice from Dr. Xie. Reply: Insufficient sunlight. It has been moved.]
[Date: Rainy. Money String seems to have gotten even fatter!]
Occasionally, he would draw cute and ugly sketches on the side, draw smiley faces on the mint leaves, and draw the string of pearls as a little god of wealth with a protruding belly.
That day, Xie Dang was looking for information on the bookshelf in his study when he inadvertently came across this open notebook. He picked it up and flipped through a few pages, his gaze lingering for a moment on the handwriting and childlike sketches, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He picked up his pen and added a sentence in the blank space of one of the pages: [Soil pH monitoring: 6.8, suitable. It is recommended to supplement with a small amount of slow-release fertilizer next week.]
Lin Jingshang later discovered it, and upon seeing the professional annotation, couldn't help but laugh. He then took the notebook to Xie Dang.
"Dr. Xie, is this considered an annotation?"
Xie Dang glanced at it: "Add the necessary data."
From then on, this plant diary became a record maintained jointly by the two of them. Lin Jingshang was responsible for recording the growth status and daily complaints, while Xie Dang was responsible for providing professional data and optimization suggestions.
A few days later, Lin Jingshang brought back a new pot of cherry tomato seedlings from the flower market, saying he wanted to try out balcony farming. He excitedly planted the seedlings and then began to struggle with what to name them.
"How about calling her Xiao Hong? Simple and straightforward!"
"It lacks distinctiveness," Xie Dang rejected.
"Then... Harvest No. 1?"
"Too pragmatic."
Lin Jingshang thought of several names, but they were all rejected. He was a little discouraged: "Then what do you suggest?"
Xie Dang looked at the tender seedling, thought for a moment, and then said, "Sixteen."
"Sixteen?" Lin Jingshang asked in confusion, "Why?"
"Today is the sixteenth," Xie Dang said casually.
Lin Jingshang paused for a moment, then understood. Xie Dang had named his pet in the game Zhou Er (Earth) in a casual yet meaningful way, just like he had casually named it before.
"Okay! Let's call him Sixteen!" He was very satisfied with the name.
A new tomato seedling named Sixteen has joined the plant family on the balcony.
---
Xie Dang needed to go on a short business trip for three days. This was the first time the two had been separated for more than 24 hours since the system went silent.
The night before departure, Lin Jingshang helped Xie Dang pack his luggage, muttering to himself, "It's colder over there than here, have you brought enough warm clothes?"
"The charger and adapter are placed in this compartment."
"Bring some stomach medicine and cold medicine, just in case."
Xie Dang stood to the side, watching him bustle around like a little housekeeper, occasionally responding with an "uh-huh".
After packing his luggage, Lin Jingshang was still a little worried, so he took out his phone and said, "Send me your hotel address and itinerary."
Xie Dang glanced at him and sent the message directly.
The next day, when Lin Jingshang took Xie Dang to the airport, he said "Have a safe trip" but there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
Xie Dang gently touched his hair: "Let's go."
On his first night on his business trip, Lin Jingshang was at home, and the apartment felt unusually empty and quiet. He watered the plants on the balcony, took pictures, and sent them over.
[Lin Jingshang]: Plant Status Report! Everything is normal! (Attached photo: Balcony plants)
[Xie Dang]: Received. The right leaf of the sixteenth leaf is slightly curled. Please observe carefully to see if it is a disease or pest.
Lin Jingshang carefully observed the tomato seedlings and, sure enough, the edges of the leaves were curled up a bit. He quickly replied.
[Lin Jingshang]: I saw it! Dr. Xie has sharp eyes! He's already in quarantine for observation!
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