clay figurines
Lin Jingshang stared blankly at the wardrobe when Xie Dang walked in, carrying several storage bags.
"Changing seasons." Xie Dang began sorting and packing the light summer clothes into storage bags.
Lin Jingshang quickly joined in. The two worked together seamlessly, one sorting and the other packing.
"This is yours." Lin Jingshang picked up a black polo shirt.
"Um."
"These pants look like they're yours too?"
"Um."
Halfway through tidying up, Lin Jingshang picked up a shirt and hesitated for a moment: "Is this... mine or yours?" The two of them were close in size and both were basic styles, so it was easy to get them mixed up sometimes.
Xie Dang took it and glanced at the tag on the collar: "Yours."
Lin Jingshang leaned closer to look, then smiled a little embarrassedly: "You have a good memory."
Xie Dang carefully folded the shirt and placed it on the side of the autumn/winter clothing.
With all the summer clothes properly stored away, the two of them lined up in the closet with their autumn and winter clothes of different shades.
---
Late at night, Xie Dang was awakened by the uneasy mutterings of the person next to him.
He turned on the bedside lamp and saw Lin Jingshang with a furrowed brow, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and tightly gripping the corner of the blanket.
"No...don't go..." Lin Jingshang's voice was muffled.
Xie Dang paused for a moment, then gently patted his cheek: "Lin Jingshang? Wake up."
Lin Jingshang opened his eyes, his pupils dilated, and he was breathing rapidly. When he saw Xie Dang, he was stunned for several seconds. After confirming where he was, he relaxed.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Xie Dang asked in a low voice.
Lin Jingshang buried his face in the pillow and mumbled a soft "hmm," his voice trembling slightly.
He suddenly dreamed that the system had returned and forcibly took Xie Dang away from him. No matter how he called out or chased after it, the figure grew farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared.
Xie Dang got up, went to the living room, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to him.
Lin Jingshang took the cup, sipped it, and it slightly dispelled the chill in his heart. His fingers, gripping the cup, turned slightly white.
Seeing his still-shaken state, Xie Dang remained silent for a moment, then lay back down, pulled Lin Jingshang into his arms, and let him lean against him.
Lin Jingshang paused for a moment, then relaxed, resting his forehead against Xie Dang's shoulder, inhaling the reassuring scent. Xie Dang's heartbeat was steady and strong, transmitted through the thin nightgown.
"Go to sleep." Xie Dang's voice came from above his head, and his hand patted his back lightly.
Lin Jingshang closed his eyes, the clean scent of soap sachets lingering around Xie Dang's body, and the panic brought on by the nightmare gradually subsided.
He snuggled closer to that warm embrace, found a more comfortable position, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Dang silently watched Lin Jingshang's peaceful sleeping face in the dim light of the bedside lamp.
After a long while, he gently turned off the light.
---
Xie Dang went on another business trip, this time to a small town famous for its handicrafts. Before he left, Lin Jingshang jokingly clung to the car door and said, "Remember to bring gifts! Local specialties!"
On the evening Xie Dang arrived in the small town, around 9 p.m., Lin Jingshang had just dried his hair with a towel when his phone screen lit up. It was a video call request from Xie Dang, and he answered it with a smile.
"Hello?" He propped his phone up on the headboard.
On the other end of the video call, Xie Dang sat at his desk in the hotel, one button undone at the collar of his shirt.
"Still not asleep?"
"Just finished showering, about to blow-dry my hair." Lin Jingshang picked up the hairdryer and waved it around.
"What about you? Are you done with your work?"
"Yeah, it just ended."
Xie Dang's gaze fell on his dripping hair: "Your hair isn't dry, you'll easily catch a cold."
Lin Jingshang pouted and obediently plugged in the hair dryer: "Okay, okay."
After drying their hair, the two chatted casually. Lin Jingshang said that the cat downstairs had rubbed against his legs again today, and complained that the requirements for his new project had been revised three times. Xie Dang said that he was going to visit a local bamboo weaving workshop tomorrow.
"Bamboo weaving? You mean the kind used for weaving baskets?"
"Yes, it's a local intangible cultural heritage. We'll go investigate it tomorrow."
"Oh—" Lin Jingshang drawled out.
He suddenly leaned closer to the camera: "When you're done with your research, remember to bring me some local specialties."
"knew."
The night outside the window grew darker. Lin Jingshang yawned and rubbed his eyes: "I'm sleepy."
Xie Dang glanced at the time: "Go to sleep early."
"Good night." Lin Jingshang waved at the camera. "You should get some rest too, don't stay up late."
"Okay, goodnight," Xie Dang replied.
---
A few days later, Xie Dang returned from his business trip.
That evening, Lin Jingshang sat cross-legged on the living room carpet, unpacking the various beautifully packaged local pastries he had brought back, and looked at him expectantly: "Where are my gifts?"
Xie Dang took out a very simple-looking wooden box and handed it to him.
Lin Jingshang was a little curious, so he opened the box. Inside was a pair of small clay figurines, shaped like two chubby little figures holding hands. The glaze was uneven, and the details were crooked and crooked. They were obviously handmade and had a very childlike feel.
"What is this?" Lin Jingshang picked up the little figure. It felt rough to the touch, but it was quite heavy.
"Made by local artisans, it is said to symbolize harmony between partners."
Looking at the adorably ugly little figure in his hand, Lin Jingshang couldn't help but laugh: "Your aesthetic sense... is quite unique."
This thing is completely out of place with Xie Dang's understated luxury items.
"You can throw it away if you don't like it," Xie Dang said, reaching for the box back.
"Who says I don't like it!"
Lin Jingshang quickly clutched the box to his chest: "I want this one!"
The more he looked at them, the cuter they seemed, and he found them rather endearing, especially their tightly clasped hands. He placed the two chubby little ones side by side in the most prominent spot on the TV cabinet, making them neighbors with the Hello Kitty wearing a bow tie.
A few days later, Lin Jingshang happened to see a report about that small town on a financial news website. It mentioned a local handmade pottery technique that was on the verge of being lost, and an old craftsman who insisted on firing the pottery using the ancient method. The picture next to the report was of a small pottery figure in his hand.
He belatedly realized that these seemingly crude little gadgets might not be cheap at all, and were of great significance.
He ran over to Xie Dang and asked, "Are those little figurines very expensive? Or are they limited editions?"
Xie Dang was reading a book and didn't even look up: "The price is in line with its artistic value and the difficulty of its craftsmanship."
"So you went to find this old craftsman on purpose?" Lin Jingshang pressed.
"On the way." Xie Dang turned a page of his book.
Lin Jingshang didn't believe his claim of going the same way. Looking at Xie Dang's calm profile, he felt a warm glow in his heart, leaned over, and quickly kissed Xie Dang on the cheek.
"Thank you, I really like the gift."
After saying that, before Xie Dang could react, he ran back to the living room with his ears red and grinned foolishly at the pair of small ceramic figures.
Xie Dang touched the spot on his face where he had been kissed, paused for a few seconds, then looked back at the book, not turning the page for a long time.
---
Lin Jingshang likes to listen to loud music while driving. The music in his playlist has a strong rhythm. In Xie Dang's words, "the audio spectrum is too complicated, which can easily lead to distraction while driving."
That weekend, they drove together to a botanical garden in the suburbs.
Lin Jingshang connected his phone via Bluetooth, preparing to play music. Before pressing play, he suddenly asked, "What do you want to hear?"
Xie Dang was looking at the navigation: "Whatever."
Lin Jingshang pursed his lips, about to do it his own way, when he suddenly remembered the playlist called "Soul Resonance" that the system had forcibly synced earlier. On a whim, he opened the almost forgotten list and pressed shuffle.
It is a classical piece of music with a beautiful melody.
Lin Jingshang didn't know much about classical music, but he thought it wasn't unpleasant to listen to, so he focused on driving. After a while, he inadvertently noticed Xie Dang's fingers tapping out a rhythm on his knee in time with the rise and fall of a musical phrase.
He slowed down and listened carefully for a while: "Is this Bach?"
Xie Dang glanced at him: "Yes, 'Air on the G String'."
"How did you know I liked this piece?" Lin Jingshang was even more surprised. He did indeed like the piece; it was quiet yet powerful, but he hadn't mentioned it to Xie Dang.
Xie Dang was silent for a few seconds: "I played it on repeat when you were taking a nap at your apartment last time."
Lin Jingshang remembered that there was a time when he had a headache from writing code, so he found some instrumental music to relax. Later, he accidentally fell asleep while listening to it, and he didn't even notice which song he was listening to on repeat.
As the car drove along the mountain road, Lin Jingshang looked at the road ahead and a thought suddenly popped into his mind: perhaps there really was something hidden in that playlist that they themselves had not yet realized, and it would take time and opportunity to discover it.
On the way back from the botanical garden, Lin Jingshang didn't switch his playlist. They listened to the songs in "Soul Resonance" as they drove through the sunset towards the city.
Sharing a song can be so peaceful and beautiful.
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