The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

Chapter Seventy

Su Yuyang had caught Ling Miao off guard. They stared at each other for almost half a minute before they hurriedly averted their gazes. Self-effacement shot across Su Yuyang’s eyes. He nestled his face into Ling Miao’s shoulder and put his cheek against Ling Miao’s neck, feeling the beat of Ling Miao’s heart.

Su Yuyang’s soft hair swept across Ling Miao’s neck, tickling him. Ling Miao reflexively reached out to scratch it, and as he lowered his hand he touched Su Yuyang’s head. Su Yuyang raised his head to look at Ling Miao but Ling Miao didn’t seem to notice and kept looking out the window.

The car window was covered in a layer of water droplets. The rain hadn’t stopped since this morning.

The weather was just strange this year. It had rained almost every day, and the one sunny day had reached almost 40°C (104°F). Like Su Yuyang’s attitude to Ling Miao and Ling Miao’s response, it seemed mostly predictable, but the one time Su Yuyang had been gentle to Ling Miao, it had suddenly terrified Ling Miao.

Su Yuyang had seen Ling Miao trying to escape and remembered it well. He moved his head from Ling Miao’s shoulder and shifted his body in the other direction. He watched the landscape outside the window flashing by. The raindrops lengthened into slender threads as they were blown by the wind, wrapping him like a cocoon and making him feel suffocated.

As they neared the stadium, the traffic on the roads grew heavier. Ji Linxi slowed the car and occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the situation behind him.

The silence between Ling Miao and Su Yuyang was within his expectations, though he thought it a pity. From a different perspective, maybe one day in the future when they both realized each other’s feelings and remembered this day, they would treasure each other even more.

The strains of Yan Li’s music drifted in the car. Su Yuyang’s phone began to ring in harmony with the music.

The call was from Feng Ji.

Feng Ji had gotten a ticket from Yan Li and was currently waiting at the stadium for the three of them to arrive.

“On the way. Traffic jam,” Su Yuyang rumpled his hair and said with frustration.

Feng Ji said, lightly mocking, “Ah, I’m already inside. You left earlier than me, but you’re still on the road?” Feng Ji’s words were tinged with the flavour of enjoying their difficulties.

Su Yuyang played along with Feng Ji: “I don’t know why this happened either. Ah, if I’d known earlier I would have gone with you.”

Ling Miao’s heart clenched when he head Su Yuyang’s words. His shoulders shook, but Su Yuyang had his back to Ling Miao so he didn’t see.

Feng Ji laughed. “With me? Forget it. You’d have a terrible time.” Feng Ji’s voice suddenly dropped and he said softly: “Xiao Li’s here. Talk later.”

“Hey…” Su Yuyang still had things to say to Feng Ji, but Feng Ji ignored him completely and hung up.

Xiao Li’s here, so we’ll talk later? What logic is this?

Su Yuyang huffily put his phone back in his pocket, shifted his position, and went back to sleep.

Ji Linxi yawned and thought morosely: Don’t sleep! Don’t you know sleepiness is infectious?

The car in front finally moved. Ji Linxi started the car and followed.

Several minutes later the three reached the stadium. The line for admission was already very long, but the three of them didn’t need to stand in line.