Chapter 94 Spend Time Together
At 6:30 in the morning, Si Yankai was woken up by his biological clock on time.
He stood up very quietly, tucked the quilt on Tang Xi's side, and then went into the bathroom. The water temperature was turned down to dispel the last bit of sleepiness.
The person in the mirror was wearing a neatly ironed white shirt and had his hair combed meticulously, looking like a typical business elite - only a tiny scratch on the side of his neck vaguely revealed some of last night's passion.
He had been in charge of the family company for half a year. His unintentional words had indeed come true.
While the phrase "living off one's parents" may sound easy, it's actually a tough battle. With veteran officials watching and rivals surrounding him, he needs to be both more resolute and more innovative than his predecessor.
The light in the study is always on until late at night, and the curves and data of the global market form a dense web in his mind.
But he was happy with it, because it was the cornerstone for building a beautiful future for him and Tang Ximian.
At exactly seven o'clock, when he put the warm milk and perfectly fried sunny-side-up eggs on the table, painful howls came from the master bedroom.
“Um… don’t… go away…” Tang Ximian buried his face deeply in the pillow, trying to block out the incessant ringing of the alarm clock. His legs kicked the quilt wildly, like a small animal that had vowed to hibernate but had a hole dug out of it forcibly.
Si Yankai walked in, sat down beside the bed, and pulled herself up with the quilt. "Mianmian, it's 7:05. Remember your 8am class?"
Tang Ximian couldn't even open her eyes, and leaned on his shoulder like a soft bone, her voice unclear: "Yan Kai... let's discuss this... I'll abandon my tutor and take him home to be your mascot, okay? I promise it's very auspicious..."
Si Yankai chuckled softly and kissed his sleep-tangled hair. "Professor Li is a national treasure-level scholar. Many people want to be his disciple, but they don't have the means. You also put in a lot of effort to be selected. Are you sure you want to let him go?"
These words hit Tang Ximian's soft spot.
He sighed and struggled to open his eyes, his eyes filled with physiological moisture and despair: "But early eight... inhumane..."
He complained, but still let Si Yankai carry him to wash up, sticking to him like a human pendant.
While eating breakfast, Tang Ximian was still making a final struggle, stabbing the egg with a fork: "Tell me, is it too late for me to pretend to be sick now? Just say I have a headache, stomachache, and pain all over my body?"
Si Yankai sipped his coffee leisurely and glanced at his watch. "Seven twenty. You have thirty-five minutes to get to the classroom. As far as I know, if you're late for Professor Li's class three times, you'll fail the semester." He paused and added, "Besides, your acting is terrible, Mianmian."
Tang Ximian swallowed the egg in anger and said tearfully, "Capitalism exploits labor, and academia exploits sleep! Si Yankai, you need to take care of this!"
"I care." Si Yankai picked up a napkin and wiped the milk stain from the corner of his mouth, with a playful smile in his eyes, "I'll make you some nourishing soup tonight with your favorite bamboo fungus. Now, Mr. Si, it's time for your fighter jet to take off."
In the end, Tang Ximian still carried his backpack and was stuffed into the car by Si Yankai as if he was going to the execution ground.
Si Yankai personally drove him there, and when they were waiting at a red light, he would reach out and hold his hand on his leg: "There are two early-morning classes this semester. I'll help you with course selection next semester."
Tang Ximian hummed weakly, then clasped his fingers with his backhand to draw strength from them.
The car stopped at the school gate. When Tang Ximian unbuckled his seat belt, Si Yankai suddenly leaned over, straightened his collar, and then gave him a short but gentle kiss with the aroma of coffee.
"Go ahead. I'll pick you up after class."
After watching Tang Ximian walk into the campus, looking back every few steps, and her figure disappearing in the crowd rushing to class, Si Yankai slowly raised the car window.
The gentleness on his face gradually faded, and he picked up the Bluetooth headset and put it on.
"Please organize what you need to deal with today and send it to my email." His voice was steady and calm, completely different from what he had just said.
The car merged smoothly into the morning rush hour traffic and headed towards the commercial center at the other end of the city.
In the evening, the setting sun cast a warm golden glow over the commercial district, which was lined with tall buildings. Si Yankai closed the last of his documents and raised his hand to pinch his brows, trying to relieve the fatigue brought on by prolonged concentration.
The time displayed in the lower right corner of the computer shows that I’m just in time.
He declined his secretary's invitation to the upcoming industry dinner, picked up his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair, and hurried toward the private elevator.
The car drove out of the garage and slowly merged into the somewhat congested traffic during the evening rush hour.
Si Yankai loosened his tie. Soothing classical music was playing on the car stereo, but the subtle movement of his fingertips tapping on the steering wheel occasionally revealed a hint of urgency that was not caused by the traffic jam.
As we approached the university campus, there were obviously more vehicles around, and the air was filled with the hustle and bustle of youth.
He skillfully parked the car under the huge ginkgo tree where they had agreed to park - it was close to Tang Ximian's teaching building, but not too conspicuous.
After turning off the engine, he didn't get out of the car, but just lowered the window.
The early summer evening breeze blew in with warmth and the scent of grass, slightly dispelling the coldness of the mall.
He tilted his head slightly and looked towards the familiar brick-red teaching building exit.
Soon, students began to pour out in groups of three or four.
Among the energetic figures, he caught sight of the person he was waiting for at a glance.
Tang Ximian was walking out with a few classmates, seemingly still discussing a question from class. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he clutched several thick books. But when he glanced up and caught sight of the familiar car and the people inside under the tree, his eyes, which had previously held a thoughtful expression, suddenly lit up, as if filled with stars.
He almost immediately ended his conversation with his classmates, put on a bright smile, and trotted over here.
"Dear!" He opened the car door and got in, smelling of sunshine and books. His voice was filled with unconcealed joy. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Just arrived." Si Yankai looked at him sideways, naturally reached out, took the heavy books in his arms, and put them on the back seat. "Are you tired?"
"It's okay, but Professor Li was too engrossed in his lecture and the class was delayed for another ten minutes..." Tang Ximian "complained" quietly while fastening his seatbelt, but his tone was more of admiration for his instructor than genuine dissatisfaction. "I feel like my brain is about to explode with all the knowledge."
Si Yankai leaned over and gently brushed his fingertips across the slightly red corners of his eyes - that was the subtle trace of overwork and lack of sleep: "Then let's not think about it for now. What do you want to eat tonight? Cook at home? Or do you want to eat out?"
The car drove smoothly away from the campus, gradually leaving the hustle and bustle of the campus behind.
Tang Ximian leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment, "Hmm... I want to eat the tomato beef brisket you make! The kind that's stewed until it's soft and mushy!" After saying that, he added a little embarrassedly, "But isn't it too much trouble? You're tired after a long day at work."
"No trouble." Si Yankai looked straight ahead, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, "There's beef brisket in the refrigerator. But it takes time to stew it. If you're hungry, can you eat something else first?"
"Well, I'll just have a piece of toast first." Tang Ximian said, his voice gradually taking on a lazy nasal tone.
The warm sunset shone through the car window onto my body. The soothing music in the car and the reassuring faint cedar scent on Si Yankai's body completely relaxed my nerves that had been tense all day.
While waiting for the red light, Si Yankai turned his head and found that Tang Ximian had fallen asleep with his head tilted against the car window.
Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, her breathing was even and shallow, and in her arms she was unconsciously holding the slightly old kitten-patterned pillow she brought from home - she didn't know when he had brought it over from the back seat.
Si Yankai's eyes were incredibly soft.
He gently turned off the radio, raised the car window a little, leaving only a gap for ventilation, and turned up the air conditioner temperature a little.
The driving speed became more stable, and the bumpy sections were deliberately avoided.
The journey home eventually turned into a warm yearning because of waiting and companionship.
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