CoP 18

Ji Ling hadn’t felt this sense of responsibility for a long time.

He did some serious research online and found that the success rate of growing mushrooms from these spore bags was actually quite high, but they still required certain conditions regarding air, humidity, and temperature.

Ji Ling also looked at some user reviews and noticed that the number of mushrooms that grew varied. Some poorly cared-for spore bags produced only a few shriveled little mushrooms, but with good care, a large and beautiful cluster of mushrooms could grow.

Ji Ling hoped he could help Sui Cannong grow beautiful mushrooms.

Half an hour after the school bell rang, Ji Ling arrived at the door of Sui Cannong’s classroom.

On the walls of Sui Cannong’s classroom were pictures of Darwin and the 23 pairs of human chromosomes, along with a poster depicting a food chain, which appeared to be made by a student.

At first glance, the poster seemed normal, but Ji Ling noticed that the top of the food chain wasn’t a tiger or a lion, but a cartoon image of Sui Cannong.

Inside the classroom, Sui Cannong was negotiating with a student over exam scores.

Seeing Ji Ling standing at the door, Sui Cannong waved at him and pointed to the back of the classroom, saying, “I’ve put the spore bags there. I’ll be right over.”

Ten minutes later, Sui Cannong finally finished his conversation with the student.

He stood up and noticed that Ji Ling had already neatly arranged the spore bags. Ji Ling was sitting at a desk in the back, copying something onto a notepad from his phone screen.

Sui Cannong, curious, asked, “What are you writing?”

Ji Ling paused, looked up at Sui Cannong, and said, “I’m looking up the scientific names of these mushrooms.”

“Because you said we’ll be showing them to the students in two weeks,” he explained. “I thought it would be more convenient for them to observe if we label them with their scientific names, and they can learn something too.”

Sui Cannong felt a strange warmth in his heart. He nodded and said, “Thanks for the trouble.”

Ji Ling shook his head. “No trouble at all.”

Sui Cannong pondered for a moment, moved the pot of roses to the table, and sat opposite Ji Ling, trimming the branches of the rose.

When he looked up, he noticed Ji Ling watching him.

“Teacher Sui, can I borrow your scissors?” Ji Ling asked. “The tutorial says we need to cut open the plastic film on top of the spore bags.”

Sui Cannong hesitated, then handed the scissors to Ji Ling.

The plastic film was quite stiff and tightly wrapped, making it difficult for Ji Ling to cut.

Sui Cannong’s eyes were fixed on Ji Ling’s hands and the scissors. He felt anxious watching from the side and finally couldn’t resist standing up and taking the scissors from Ji Ling, saying, “Let me help you cut it.”

Ji Ling paused, then softly nodded.

“Actually, it’s already after work hours,” Sui Cannong said as he cut. “We’re pretty close now, so you don’t have to keep calling me ‘Teacher.’ Just call me by my name.”

Sui Cannong heard Ji Ling say, “Okay.”

Sui Cannong helped Ji Ling cut an opening in each spore bag. Ji Ling lowered his head and began to spray water evenly with a small spray bottle.

As Sui Cannong cleaned up the trimmed rose branches and threw them into the trash, he heard Ji Ling call his name seriously: “Sui Cannong.”

Sui Cannong turned around.

Ji Ling asked, “Would you like to have dinner together tonight?”

So they went to a new steakhouse near the school.

Ji Ling sat opposite Sui Cannong. Sui Cannong noticed that instead of cutting and eating one piece at a time, Ji Ling methodically cut the steak on his plate into very uniform portions.

Apart from the occasional shocking words or actions, most of the time Sui Cannong felt a strange, indescribable sensation when he was with Ji Ling.

He found himself enjoying observing Ji Ling’s small gestures.

He always felt an inexplicable desire to spend more time with Ji Ling, to talk more, or even just to sit quietly together. Sui Cannong felt very comfortable and relaxed.

At the same time, the more time he spent with Ji Ling, the more uneasy Sui Cannong felt. He couldn’t understand why someone like Ji Ling would…

The steak was cooked to perfection, and Ji Ling ate until he was full.

It was a pleasant evening. They talked about the progress of the science fair and some of the students who had graduated last year.

Ji Ling felt that he wasn’t as awkward when talking to Sui Cannong.

Ji Ling was a bit thirsty, but the water on the table was already finished. The only drink left was the red wine, but Ji Ling wasn’t quite comfortable drinking more while with Sui Cannong.

Ji Ling cut another piece of beef, planning to eat two more pieces and then stop. Suddenly, he heard Sui Cannong call his name.

Ji Ling looked up and saw that Sui Cannong seemed hesitant.

“Nothing, just keep eating,” Sui Cannong smiled. “I’ve been feeling really comfortable around you lately. How about we stop talking about school and students and talk about ourselves for a change?”

Ji Ling paused, holding the knife, and said, “Okay.”

“Let’s take turns asking questions,” Sui Cannong thought for a moment and added, “And we have to tell the truth.”

Ji Ling said, “Sure.”

Sui Cannong nodded and said, “I’ll go first.”

Ji Ling saw Sui Cannong sit up straight, fold his arms on the table, and look at him intently.

He asked, “So far, good or bad, what major events have you experienced in your life?”

It was a very personal question, but Ji Ling didn’t mind answering.

Realizing that Sui Cannong wanted to understand his past, Ji Ling thought for a long time and decided to be humble in his tone.

“My life has always been quite ordinary,” Ji Ling said. “My personality has determined that my life won’t have many ups and downs. My parents divorced when I was in high school, I studied abroad, and then decided to return to China a few years ago… These are the few turning points in my life.”

“I’m not very good at socializing, so I’ve always had a relatively smooth life without any major storms,” he paused, “But sometimes… it feels a bit too ordinary.”

Ji Ling shared many personal details with Sui Cannong, speaking calmly and matter-of-factly.

But Sui Cannong sensed something was off. When people talk about their past, they often mention their high points.

Sui Cannong didn’t know much, but he remembered that Thomas had mentioned that Ji Ling graduated from a prestigious British university, yet he hadn’t mentioned it to Sui Cannong.

Ji Ling used the word “ordinary” to describe the first twenty years of his life.

“Think positively, you’re very talented,” Sui Cannong said. “And sometimes, being ordinary is a kind of beauty, something many people can’t achieve.”

Ji Ling looked at Sui Cannong and softly nodded.

Sui Cannong felt a bit uneasy but could only exhale and say, “Your turn to ask.”

Ji Ling pursed his lips, and Sui Cannong saw him hesitate.

He heard Ji Ling ask, “Sui Cannong, what kind of girls do you like?”

The topic suddenly shifted from personal history to romantic preferences, which was a bit abrupt, but Sui Cannong understood that everyone has curiosity.

“Kind-hearted, good conversationalist, and someone who shares some of my interests,” Sui Cannong thought for a moment and said, “But I’ve never been in a relationship, so I can’t really describe exactly what I like.”

Ji Ling was silent for a moment and nodded slightly.

“Also, it doesn’t have to be a girl,” Sui Cannong added, being very open. “As long as we share similar values and can be comfortable together, I think we can try dating.”

Sui Cannong felt no discomfort in revealing his single status, as he trusted Ji Ling.

After a long pause, Sui Cannong heard Ji Ling softly say, “That’s good.”

Sui Cannong nodded, not noticing Ji Ling’s expression, as he realized it was his turn to ask a question.

Sui Cannong was determined to ask a more pointed question. Growing mushrooms wasn’t a long-term solution, and he felt he needed to understand what was truly bothering Ji Ling to help him effectively.

Sui Cannong asked, “Ji Ling, is there anything you’re dissatisfied with in your current life?”

Realizing the question might be inappropriate, Sui Cannong rephrased it: “Is there anything that has been bothering you? Or what kind of event would make you suddenly very happy?”

Sui Cannong saw Ji Ling pause for a moment.

After a while, Ji Ling slowly said, “This week, I’ve been very tired preparing for the science fair. If the science fair could be postponed to next month, or if another teacher could help me, that would be great.”

Sui Cannong laughed, “I answered your question so seriously, you can’t just brush me off like that.”

Ji Ling looked at Sui Cannong, feeling a bit confused.

He couldn’t answer because he didn’t feel particularly troubled by anything. Ji Ling was actually quite content with his current life.

“Next month, Lin invited me to the market to sell the carved pumpkins made by the students,” Ji Ling thought for a moment and added, “But Louis is pursuing Lin and hopes I’ll decline her invitation. I’m caught in the middle.”

“So I hope the Halloween event next month can be canceled,” Ji Ling said seriously.

This was a sudden twist, and if it weren’t for his “mission,” Sui Cannong would have been very interested in continuing the conversation.

But this wasn’t what Sui Cannong wanted to hear. He paused, put on a disappointed look, and shook his head, saying, “But that seems more like Louis’s problem, doesn’t it?”

Sui Cannong saw Ji Ling pause.

He was silent for a long time, then lowered his eyes, picked up his glass, and took a large sip of wine.

Sui Cannong realized the atmosphere had suddenly changed and felt he might have been too pushy. He quickly added, “It’s okay, actually—”

“If I have to mention another issue, there is one,” Ji Ling suddenly spoke.

Before Sui Cannong could react, Ji Ling continued, “In recent years, I only contact my parents during holidays.”

“Although I have some friends I can talk to, I always have to maintain a certain level of social distance,” he said.

“For example, I can’t accept Lin’s invitation, and I can’t directly tell Louis that Lin doesn’t like him,” Ji Ling said. “I also can’t tell them that I’m the one who is most troubled.”

Sui Cannong pondered for a moment and said, “I understand, socializing can be exhausting.”

Ji Ling nodded and added after a while, “Sometimes I feel like I’m always alone.”

“Being alone isn’t necessarily bad, but every day feels like a copy-paste of the previous one,” Ji Ling said. “I think that in ten years, any given day will be the same as today, with the only changes being my own aging and the weather outside.”

Ji Ling saw Sui Cannong suddenly freeze.

Every word Ji Ling said was true. What he didn’t tell Sui Cannong was that this was how he felt before meeting him.

Now, every day for Ji Ling was different because he had something to look forward to.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Ji Ling suddenly felt a surge of courage.

“So… I really want to fall in love,” he said to Sui Cannong.

“Like you, I don’t care if the person is male or female, as long as they are warm and kind and willing to listen to me,” he said. “I want someone to be a variable in my life.”

“I want to experience the feeling of opening up to someone.”

Ji Ling looked at Sui Cannong, his voice soft but clear: “And the feeling of falling in love, holding hands, hugging, and kissing.”