An hour is actually quite a long time. When Shan Yu usually hid in his office on the fourth floor of Dayin, watching the staff bustling below, they could get a lot done in an hour.
They could sweep the courtyard and the path outside the gate, wipe down the tables and chairs, go on a grocery run, take two or three smoke breaks at the pavilion, and let Mushroom chew a newly bought squeaky ball to pieces…
But in a different context, an hour wasn’t even enough for a couple who hadn’t seen each other in days to finish walking through a tiny public park.
Of course, this also had to do with the fact that they were so busy chatting while they walked that they weren’t watching the path and ended up circling the same spot four times.
“Has that little kid been following us the whole time?” Chen Jian glanced back at a child crouching by a trash can, blowing bubbles. “How come he’s next to every trash can?”
Shan Yu didn’t say anything.
Chen Jian thought for a few seconds. “We’ve just been walking in circles here, haven’t we?”
“No way. He’s definitely carrying the trash can and running after us. The moment you turn around, he puts it down and starts blowing bubbles,” Shan Yu said. “What kind of world is this? They can’t even afford one more NPC.”
Chen Jian grinned at the child for a long time.
The child, terrified, clutched his bubble machine and ran away.
“Is it time to go to the station?” Chen Jian rubbed his face after he finished laughing.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu replied.
“Then I’ll have Nana bring the car over to take you…” Chen Jian took out his phone.
“No need, I’ll just call a cab,” Shan Yu said. “You can go shopping with her later.”
“You don’t need me to see you off at the station?” Chen Jian asked.
“I’ll be back in a couple of days,” Shan Yu said. “Let’s not do the station send-off. It’s so depressing. I’ll have to say goodbye to my parents when I come back in a couple of days, too. These few days have been nothing but goodbyes.”
Chen Jian laughed. “Alright, then.”
Shan Yu called a car, and they sat on the edge of a flowerbed on the sidewalk, waiting.
“You should buy a couple more outfits later. Let Nana pick them out for you, she has good taste,” Shan Yu said.
“You think my clothes are too plain and will embarrass you in front of your parents, don’t you,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu took a breath and turned to look at him. “Don’t let your imagination run wild. The car will be here in six minutes, and I’m afraid that’s not enough time to coax you out of it.”
“I know,” Chen Jian smiled and looked down at his clothes. “This one’s yours. Does it look plain too when I wear it?”
“It was bought in the old town, they’re all like that,” Shan Yu said. “I’m telling you to buy clothes not because of my parents, but purely because it’s almost the New Year. I’m afraid we won’t have time to come out and shop before then. Since Nana is here, let her pick for you. She has good taste.”
“Buying new clothes for the New Year,” Chen Jian thought for a moment. “That’s something little kids do, right? Kids like Xiao Dou’er.”
“I still do that now,” Shan Yu said.
“Well, you two are the same age,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu smiled. “I’m still a year older than her.”
Chen Jian rested his arms on his knees and turned his head to look in the direction the car was coming from.
Shan Yu’s fingertips tapped lightly, probably estimating the time. Their separation was imminent, yet they had suddenly run out of things to say. The urgency to squeeze in a few more words was gone, replaced by a tense wait for the car’s arrival.
Sometimes, waiting for a separation is like waiting for death, hoping the blade falls quickly.
“It’s the silver-grey car, right?” Chen Jian asked.
“Yeah, that should be it,” Shan Yu glanced at his phone. The car was a hundred meters away. He also propped his arms on his knees, then leaned forward and kissed Chen Jian’s cheek.
Chen Jian didn’t move, still looking in the direction of the car.
He didn’t even glance his way.
After a second or two, he turned his head to look around. “Are you crazy, on the street…”
“No one’s here,” Shan Yu said.
“Good thing no one’s here…” Chen Jian propped himself up again. “Then do it again.”
Shan Yu was taken aback. “What?”
“The car’s coming, I see it… never mind,” Chen Jian quickly straightened up, using the momentum to lean towards him and plant a kiss on his temple.
It was quite a loud smack.
Almost like he was taking a bite.
The driver stopped the car in front of them. Shan Yu wrapped an arm around Chen Jian’s shoulder. “I’ll message you when I get home.”
“Are you going directly to dinner with your great-aunt and the others?” Chen Jian asked.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu nodded. “After this meal, I don’t have much else to do before the New Year. I’ll probably be back on Wednesday or Thursday.”
“Are you two getting in?” the driver shouted at them from inside the car. “Get in, you can’t park here for long!”
Shan Yu patted Chen Jian’s back a couple more times, then went to open the car door and got in. “Just me.”
As soon as he said it, the car started moving forward, leaving them no time for any further exchange. Shan Yu turned his head to wave goodbye to Chen Jian, but the car swished and turned the corner in the next second.
Sometimes, waiting for a separation is like waiting for death, hoping the blade falls quickly.
But once the blade falls, regret immediately sets in.
The journey was smooth, but Shan Yu hadn’t left himself any extra time. He had told Chen Jian 3:30, but his train was actually at 3:10. By the time he got to the station, the lines were already gone.
He hadn’t managed to get a business class seat for either trip, but the return journey was first class and an aisle seat. Aside from people occasionally bumping his leg as they passed, it was fine.
He couldn’t really fall asleep in this seat, so he could only close his eyes and feign sleep.
He listened to the young girl next to him gossiping with her friend across the aisle about their friends’ love lives, a plot full of drama and unbelievable twists.
His phone rang when the train stopped at a station. As Shan Yu took out his phone, preparing to take the call in the aisle, he didn’t forget to catch the girl’s concluding remark.
“I’ve already blocked them. If I say one more word about their business, I’ll admit I was raised on shit!” the girl said.
“You shouldn’t have anything to do with them anymore. If you don’t cut them off, you’re the one raised on shit,” her friend said.
“Right!” the girl said through gritted teeth.
“Director Lu,” Shan Yu said, satisfied with what he’d heard as he answered the phone. “Hello.”
“I was looking for you after lunch, but you guys ate pretty quickly and were already gone,” Lu Yun said.
“My train was at three today, I was in a hurry,” Shan Yu said. “Is there something you need, Director Lu?”
“You’re not in the town?” Lu Yun asked.
“I went home for a bit, I’ll be back in a couple of days,” Shan Yu said. “Please tell me what’s on your mind. Manager Chen is in town.”
“Okay, here’s the thing,” Lu Yun said. “The people in charge of route development from the travel agencies are planning to make a trip over there in the next couple of days. For the Red Leaf Town area, could Dayin host them? Find someone familiar with the local area to show them around… I’ll have them contact Manager Chen directly first.”
“Alright,” Shan Yu agreed. “I was thinking these things would probably be arranged after the New Year…”
“If there’s time before the New Year, let’s not delay. We need to seize the snow season. Once the routes are designed, we can arrange for trial groups,” Lu Yun said. “Any issues can be improved immediately. We’ll strive to have a mature route ready for next year’s snow season.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Director Lu,” Shan Yu said.
He originally thought there wouldn’t be much to do before the New Year, but he’d run into a workaholic director who, surprisingly, wasn’t slacking off just because the holiday was approaching…
A workaholic Chen Jian who never rested at the inn, a workaholic President Liu at home, and now another one here…
Although Chen Jian would have no problem hosting the travel agency people, these people were coming to inspect tourist routes and would be staying for several days. Chen Jian would definitely not be at ease letting other “locals” accompany them. If he went himself, he would certainly be worried about the inn.
To prevent Manager Chen from becoming overly anxious, Shan Yu, who had originally planned to return on Thursday, moved his trip up to Wednesday.
“Are you driving straight back?” his mom asked.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu stood in front of his closet, planning to take some of his old clothes with him. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
“What’s there to change my mind about?” his mom smiled. “It’s just an old car. If you were asking to buy a new one…”
Shan Yu immediately turned his head to look at her.
“I wouldn’t buy it for you anyway,” his mom said.
“Hey,” Shan Yu laughed.
“Is the money enough for operations?” his mom asked.
“It’s fine for now,” Shan Yu said. “Will you lend me some if it’s not enough?”
“Sure, I’ll give you a lower interest rate,” his mom said.
Shan Yu was taken aback. “Heartless capitalist.”
“If your area is going to be developed into a major tourist zone, you can look into projects other than guesthouses,” his mom said. “There should be a lot of new projects.”
“Are you going to invest?” Shan Yu asked.
“I’ll see after I visit during the New Year,” his mom said. “But I don’t have much energy right now. Spreading myself too thin is draining. If I do it, I’ll partner with you. We can set up a project company…”
Shan Yu didn’t speak.
“What,” his mom walked over and gently patted his shoulder. “You’re not willing?”
“No,” Shan Yu looked at her. “I’ve never dared to ask you… Fang Xu, he…”
“Are you talking about the time he came to the house?” his mom asked.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu’s voice was very low.
“His mother came with him,” his mom said. “She said they wanted to apologize.”
Shan Yu frowned.
“We didn’t let them in,” his mom said. “They said a few words at the door. Your father and I basically felt that an apology was meaningless. It didn’t matter if he came alone or with his mother. Even if he came carrying his ancestral graves, it wouldn’t change anything.”
Shan Yu suddenly felt a little like laughing.
“Then we told them to leave,” his mom said.
“About that matter…” Shan Yu said.
“You were not at fault in any way in that matter. Even your oversight was due to your trust in a friend,” his mom said. “That’s not a flaw, it’s a virtue.”
“You’re being so protective,” Shan Yu said.
“It feels good,” his mom said. “Give us more opportunities to be protective in the future.”
“Okay,” Shan Yu paused, then reached out and hugged his mom. “Alright.”
Early Wednesday morning, Shan Yu prepared to drive back to the town.
In addition to his luggage, his dad had packed a whole suitcase of New Year’s goods.
“You probably won’t have time to buy New Year’s goods,” his dad said. “So I’ve prepared them all for you.”
We’re a guesthouse, how could we not have someone to buy New Year’s goods?
…If Zhao Fangfang was too busy, it was actually possible.
“That’s a lot,” Shan Yu tried to lift the suitcase. He wasn’t mentally prepared and almost couldn’t lift it. It was a wonder how his dad had managed to get it into the car for him.
The fishing hadn’t been in vain. Even though he couldn’t catch fish, all that casting had built up his arm strength.
Then he should have been using a net…
“You’ll be busy all the way until the New Year once you get back, won’t you?” his mom asked.
“It should just be for these next few days. Once the people leave, there won’t be much to do,” Shan Yu said.
“I used to always want you to come back,” his mom hugged him gently. “But looking at the situation now, maybe… there’s more potential for development over there. Seize this opportunity.”
“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded. “President Liu is welcome to come and inspect for investment.”
“Are you on the road?” On the phone screen was Chen Jian’s face, still looking a little sleepy.
“About to get on the highway. It’s past eight, and you’re still not awake?” Shan Yu put on his earpiece and adjusted the phone mount while driving, pointing the camera at his face.
“I went to bed a bit late last night,” Chen Jian yawned. “Two guests on the second floor… came late at night, stayed for an hour, and then suddenly kicked up a fuss about checking out, saying the room wasn’t clean, that it was dirty.”
“What was the result?” Shan Yu asked.
“Panpan went to check. There was blood on the sheets and towels,” Chen Jian said. “In the sink, too. I swear, it was obvious one of them had a nosebleed! Got it on the bed first, then used a towel to wipe it, and then washed it in the sink…”
Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“In all this time, this is the first time I’ve encountered such unreasonable people,” Chen Jian said. “They even threatened to complain! To leave a bad review! To get a refund!”
“In their dreams,” Shan Yu said.
“I told them I’d call the police right now and use this towel for a paternity test,” Chen Jian was still furious as he recounted the story. “To see exactly…”
“Right, to see exactly who gave birth to whom,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian paused for a moment, then burst out laughing after a few seconds. “Holy crap, it should be a DNA test, right?”
“Yeah,” Shan Yu nodded with a smile.
“…I think I really did say paternity test,” Chen Jian said. “But they didn’t argue back. In the end, they didn’t check out. They got a new set of linens and stayed. I really wanted to kick them out, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to…”
“Did you charge a cleaning fee?” Shan Yu asked.
“They were making a scene mainly because they were afraid we’d make them pay. Sister Huang said it could be washed out, so we didn’t charge them,” Chen Jian said. “They woke up the other guests in the middle of the night. If the commotion continued, it would affect the others. Luckily, the people from the travel agency are only arriving today, otherwise it would have left such a bad impression.”
“Mm,” Shan Yu responded with a smile.
He really liked this feeling, listening to Chen Jian ramble on, whether complaining or angry, it was all very comforting to hear.
There was a very real feeling to it, the feeling of feet on the ground.
The feeling of bare feet on a riverbank warmed by the sun.
The signal was bad on the highway, so Shan Yu ended the video call.
The drive was honestly a bit tiring. He hadn’t driven for such a long time in a while. It wasn’t until he drove up to Tang Rui’s repair shop that he started to feel re-energized. He was almost there.
A person suddenly rushed out of the repair shop, waving at him.
Shan Yu hit the brakes, stopping about ten meters past the shop.
Chen Jian ran over from behind.
Shan Yu opened the car door and got out, a little surprised. “Why did you come here to wait?”
“To join in on the fun,” Chen Jian said. “To see the new car.”
“Old car,” Shan Yu said.
“To see the newly arrived old car,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu didn’t speak, but went over and hugged him. “How long have you been waiting here?”
“About half an hour,” Chen Jian said. “I calculated the time. I figured you wouldn’t spend too much time stopping for breaks on the road.”
Shan Yu smiled and patted the roof of the car. “Want to drive?”
“…No license,” Chen Jian walked around the car, looking at it. “Holy crap, this car is really impressive.”
“Isn’t there an abandoned road from Xincun to the quarry?” Shan Yu said. “Want to go for a spin there tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Chen Jian nodded with a smile.
“Get in,” Shan Yu tilted his head at him.
The car drove forward for a bit, then pulled over to the side of the road.
“Huh?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Hold on,” Shan Yu unbuckled his seatbelt and looked back at the road behind them.
“Need to pee?” Chen Jian asked. “We’re not that short on time, are we?”
Shan Yu didn’t answer. He looked ahead again, then suddenly rose, propped himself on the seatback, turned around, and swung one leg over to the passenger side.
Chen Jian watched him in shock.
Before he could speak, Shan Yu reached out, cupped his chin, and kissed him.
At the same time, his hand found the memory buttons on the car door and pressed one. He was still very familiar with this car; button number two was the one he used to use for sleeping.
The seatback slowly began to recline.
When the seat moved, Chen Jian subconsciously gave him a push, but in the next second, his hands snaked around from Shan Yu’s waist to his back, pulling him into a tight embrace.
The sound of their breathing, heavy with the longing of the past few days, instantly filled the small space inside the car.
It mingled with the warm air blowing from the heater, gently brushing over every inch of exposed skin.
