Chapter 50: Homesickness
The office's central air conditioning had switched to energy-saving mode at some point, and the cold wind blew intermittently with a mechanical hum.
The assistant rubbed his sore eyes and rubbed the dark spots under his eyes with his fingertips. The touch felt like a piece of rough sandpaper.
The time in the lower right corner of the computer screen jumped to 2:17 in the morning, and the red "pending approval" stamp on the document made his eyes hurt.
He opened the chat window for the umpteenth time. The two words "Wait a minute" sent by Ling's father that afternoon still lingered at the top of the dialog box, like a promise that would never be fulfilled. Three boxes of instant coffee were empty on his desk, and the brown powder at the bottom of the cup had formed a hard lump, just like his nerves, which were now too heavy to stretch.
The printer at the end of the corridor suddenly made a clicking sound, which startled him and made him sit up suddenly. After seeing that it had automatically entered the sleep mode, he slumped back into his chair in frustration.
"Mr. Ling, this isn't an approval document. It's clearly a test of my ability to stay up late." The assistant muttered to the empty office, his voice rippling in the silence.
He remembered Ling Shen's advice before he went abroad, "My dad is keeping an eye on the company recently, so please bear with it." He thought it was just a joke at the time, but now he understands how many sleepless nights were hidden behind these light-hearted words "be with it".
Last week, there was an urgent contract, and Ling's father insisted on drawing emoticons in the approval opinion, which forced him to explain to the legal department at three in the morning what those crooked stick figures meant.
The assistant slumped over the table, the bright light from the screen illuminating the dark circles under his eyes. He wailed more than once: "Boss Ling, please come back soon." Boss Ling is too willful.
The neon lights outside the window cast mottled shadows on the floor through the blinds, which was very similar to his chaotic schedule at the moment.
The phone screen lit up. It was a message from his mother, asking when he would be home. He stared at the text for a long time, his fingertip hovering over the input box, but in the end he only replied with an emoji saying "soon."
The fingerprints on the keyboard were increasingly blurred, and his eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. He buried his head in his arms, the smell of coffee and printer ink lingering at the tip of his nose, and his consciousness gradually faded.
In the dream, Ling Shen walked into the office wearing a neat suit, holding his favorite sandwich in his hand, and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, I'll take care of the rest." "Hehe..." An unconscious laugh escaped from his throat, startling him so much that he shivered.
When he woke up, the computer screen was still on and the document was still awaiting approval. Only the electronic clock on the corner of the table silently reminded him that the night was still long.
Ding Dong, Ding Dong!
The chime of his phone's notifications was remarkably clear amid the clamor of the terminal. Ling Shen stared at the string of frantic emojis his assistant had sent him on the screen. His fingertips rapidly tapped on the keyboard, typing three soothing cat-raising-paw emojis in a row. He then carefully added, "Hold on. I'll treat you to king crab when I get back."
When he put away his phone, his shoulders were still shaking slightly, and he finally couldn't hold back his laughter.
Su Nian was lowering his head to adjust the suitcase handle. When he heard the noise, he stood up, and confusion flashed in his amber eyes: "What's wrong?" The light gray scarf around his neck slipped down a little with the movement, revealing a faint red mark on his collarbone.
Ling Shen propped up his forehead with one hand, his eyelashes casting tiny shadows under his eyes. "Nothing's wrong, it's just that my assistant is going crazy because of my dad."
He forced a smile, his Adam's apple rolling under the light. "The old man insisted on installing a starry sky ceiling in the new study, and at three in the morning he dragged me to discuss Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'."
"I remember your assistant was quite steady, how come..." Su Nian thought of the man who had delivered the contract to him and whom he met several times afterwards. In his impression, he was a steady person.
Ling Shen put his arm around Su Nian's shoulders and said, "That's because you haven't met my dad. He... Well, you'll know when you meet him." Ling Shen's hesitant words aroused Su Nian's curiosity to the peak.
But at this moment he still thought Ling Shen was just joking. It was not until he actually met Ling's father that he understood why Ling Shen took over the company so early and why Ling Shen was willing to bow his head for him.
The plane flew towards the long-lost city, carrying the expectations of people from afar. Through the window, Su Nian looked at the city getting closer and closer, and could vaguely see the buildings under the sky. Somehow, he suddenly felt a little homesick.
"Don't be afraid, I'll accompany you. When we get there, I'll take you somewhere first." Ling Shen seemed to feel Su Nian's uneasiness, and smiled and held his hand tightly.
Su Nian suddenly leaned forward and brushed her fingertips across Ling Shen's high nose bridge. The moment the metal frame touched his skin, Ling Shen subconsciously closed his eyes.
"I still like you without glasses." Su Nian whispered softly. In the light and shadow reflected by the lenses, he saw the deep affection surging in Ling Shen's eyes.
Ling Shen let Su Nian do what he wanted, a low laugh coming from his throat. He passed his bony fingers through the other's fingers and pulled the person into his arms.
"Okay, if you don't like it, I won't take it." The warm breath swept across Su Nian's red ear tips, and he suddenly remembered the cinnabar mole behind the other's ear, which was faintly visible among the broken hair.
Su Nian's tense back slowly relaxed, his cheek pressed against Ling Shen's shirt with a cedar scent, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the corners of the metal frame.
He is not actually nearsighted. He used to wear glasses only because of Shen Ran. But now, he doesn't want Ling Shen to cover up his beautiful eyes because of him.
When he chose to let go of Chen Ran, he already understood that Ling Shen was Ling Shen. He and Chen Ran were two completely different people. He had been too persistent in the past, but when the fog that had covered his eyes dissipated, he understood that everyone was unique. Ling Shen was Ling Shen. He was no one's shadow, no one's substitute.
The roar of the plane's engines suddenly rose, and the fuselage trembled as it began to glide faster. Su Nian instinctively grasped his sleeve, and Ling Shen immediately grabbed his hand tightly in his own.
Su Nian let out a long sigh. He felt a sense of unprecedented relief. The bitterness in his chest suddenly transformed into a soft laugh. He turned to look at the person beside him. In the shadow cast by Ling's deep eyelashes, his amber pupils reflected the warm yellow ceiling light of the cabin. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes relaxed slightly in his smile.
Su Nian suddenly laughed, and the laughter made Ling Shen turn his head in confusion, but he only saw Su Nian's bright smile.
"This is my sense of security." Su Nian let Ling Shen hold him tighter in his arms, and heard the steady and strong heartbeat coming from the other's chest.
"Where are you taking me?" Su Nian curled up in the leather passenger seat, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the tassels of the cashmere scarf. With her blindfolded eyes, she could not see anything, so Su Nian could only helplessly ask Ling Shen who was driving.
Ling Shen took Su Nian into the car and even covered Su Nian's eyes with a scarf.
The vehicle was driving on a familiar road, but Ling Shen refused to tell Su Nian where they were going.
"You'll know when you get there." The mysterious tone made Su Nian slowly feel relieved. He believed Ling Shen, so he simply relaxed and leaned back in the chair.
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