Chapter 51 Visa
There was only one floor lamp on in the living room. Shi Yanchen was sitting on the sofa reading documents with a stern expression.
"Have you eaten?" Shi Yanchen asked without raising his head. His voice was very calm and no emotion could be heard.
"I've eaten." Pei Song lied subconsciously. In fact, he had no appetite all day and had just a quick lunch.
Shi Yanchen looked up at him, his gaze lingering on his dry lips for a second, but he said nothing, just continued to look through the documents in his hand.
Pei Song returned to the room, leaned against the door and took a deep breath.
This depressing atmosphere made him feel suffocated. Even when they had disagreements in the past, they had never been like this.
Shi Yanchen always tolerated his willfulness and indulged his temper.
But this time it was different, Shi Yanchen was really angry.
It was two o'clock in the morning and Pei Song still couldn't sleep.
His stomach growled, and he tiptoed into the kitchen to find something to eat.
There was a portion of pasta covered in plastic wrap in the fridge.
Pei Song recognized that this was the signature dish of the restaurant that Shi Yanchen often visited.
He hesitated for a moment, but still took it out and heated it up.
Just as I stuck my fork into the pasta, I heard footsteps behind me.
Shi Yanchen leaned against the kitchen door and looked at him mysteriously.
"I... am just a little hungry." Pei Song explained awkwardly.
Shi Yanchen came over and took out a jar of honey from the cupboard.
"Drink some warm honey water first. It's not good to eat food when your stomach is empty for too long."
His tone was still cold, but his movements were as meticulous as ever.
Pei Song felt a pang of sadness as he watched him skillfully mix the honey water.
For several days in a row, the two maintained this lukewarm distance.
When we meet occasionally, we just say hello.
Shi Yanchen was not in the hotel during the day, and he would go back to his room early to rest when he came back at night.
Only the food in the refrigerator is renewed on time every day.
The lunch box always contains Pei Song’s favorite dishes, and the thermos cup always contains his favorite coffee.
But this silent concern made Pei Song even more tormented.
He would rather Shi Yanchen got angry directly like he did that day than have such a lukewarm relationship like this.
On Friday night, Pei Song came back from overtime and found the suite in darkness.
There was a note on the coffee table: I have something to do and I have to go to City B for two days. There is food in the refrigerator.
It's a simple sentence, even the punctuation marks reveal a sense of alienation.
Pei Song felt a sense of loss in his heart, and he felt like he was really going to lose this person.
It was not because of the training in Country D, nor because Shi Yanchen was going back to Country D, but because of the sudden rift between them.
Pei Song locked himself in his room for both days of the weekend.
The heavy curtains were drawn tightly, as if this could hide all the worries.
He took out the report he had written before and tried to divert his attention with work, but he kept thinking of Shi Yanchen unconsciously.
I remember his occasional smile, his serious look when he taught me how to code, and how he reminded me to eat on time late at night...
Every time I make coffee, I take an extra cup. When I open the refrigerator and see the prepared lunch boxes, I close them silently.
In the dead of night, even the sound of the air conditioner is particularly harsh.
The entire suite seemed to have been paused, and even time was moving at an unusually slow pace.
Those repressed emotions fermented in the darkness, becoming heavier and heavier.
It was not until Sunday night that Shi Yanchen finally returned. He looked tired, with his suit jacket draped over his arm and his tie loosened.
"Did your business trip go well?" Pei Song asked tentatively.
Shi Yanchen said "hmm" and walked straight to his room.
The sound of the door closing was not loud, but it was like a dull hammer hitting Pei Song's heart.
In the meeting room on Monday, Zhou Feng was arranging work: "Regarding the Starlight Plaza project, we will report to the senior management next week. Pei Song, how are the materials prepared?"
"It's basically done." Pei Song opened his notebook, "There are still some data that need to be updated."
"Okay, you focus on it this week."
Zhou Feng glanced at him and said, "Come to me anytime if you have any questions."
Pei Song knew that he was not just referring to work. Ever since he agreed to go to Country D for training, Zhou Feng had obviously paid more attention to him.
But Pei Song had no time to care about these things at the moment.
He has been absent-minded these days. When he goes out in the morning, he will unconsciously slow down his pace, hoping to run into Shi Yanchen.
But every time there was silence in the hotel suite, and Shi Yanchen seemed to deliberately avoid the opportunity to meet him.
The next day, Zhou Feng ran into him in the corridor: "Have you prepared your visa materials for the training? I'll ask my secretary to get them for you."
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou." Pei Song forced a smile, "I'll sort it out today."
When he returned to his seat, he found an extra document on the table. It was a training manual sent from Country D, which listed the course schedule in detail.
Pei Song opened the file and found that the training was held at the SNK headquarters in City C, which was separated from City M where he and Shi Yanchen once lived by half of Country D.
Even if you take the ICE high-speed rail, a one-way trip will take more than three hours.
This discovery made him even more upset. Even if he really went to Country D, he probably wouldn't be able to see that person again.
After get off work, Zhou Feng asked him: "You look unhappy, do you want to go for a drink together?"
Pei Song shook his head: "No, I still have work to do."
When I opened the door, Shi Yanchen was on the balcony talking on the phone.
Hearing the sound, he looked back, his gaze lingering on Pei Song for a few seconds, then turned away as if nothing had happened.
Pei Song really wanted to ask him why he treated him like this, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.
Perhaps, this is the best way for them to get along.
Pei Song returned to his room with mixed feelings. It took him a lot of time to sort out the visa materials. His passport and various forms were neatly stacked in a file bag.
He was carefully checking the list of materials from the Embassy of Country D and did not notice Shi Yanchen coming in.
A form slipped out of the file bag and landed right at Shi Yanchen's feet.
Shi Yanchen stared at the visa application form, his eyes gradually turning colder.
He bent down to pick up the form, his movements were very slow, as if he was suppressing something.
"It seems you have made up your mind?" He spoke with a cold tone.
Pei Song was flustered for a moment, then said, "Well, Mr. Zhou has already arranged a time for me to submit my application."
Shi Yanchen slammed the form on the coffee table: "No matter what I say, it's useless. As long as it's Zhou Feng's arrangement, you must go?"
"What are you so angry about?" Pei Song was irritated by his attitude. "This is just an ordinary training program."
"Normal?" Shi Yanchen stood up suddenly. "You threw away the project at hand just to go to Country D for the so-called training?"
"It's not like I won't come back! And it's important for my career development."
"Is it so important that you don't even need to listen to my advice?" Shi Yanchen's voice became colder and harder.
Pei Song suddenly felt very tired: "Why do you always deny my choices? I also have my own judgment. I don't have to listen to you in everything."
"You have learned to make decisions now." Shi Yanchen sneered, "Then go ahead and pursue your 'career development'."