CoP 32

If it weren’t for being truly desperate, Sui Cannong would never have said something like, “You need to take responsibility for me,” as if he were a blushing maiden.

Sui Cannong had always been clear about his feelings. At first, his interest in Ji Ling was mainly due to those heart-stopping actions and words.

But as time went on, his concern gradually transformed. Subtle emotions began to grow, and Sui Cannong found Ji Ling unique, always wanting to get closer, though he wasn’t sure why.

It wasn’t until Liang Juan pointed it out that Sui Cannong realized his desire to get closer wasn’t just about protecting him. He was also drawn to him.

Sui Cannong was a straightforward person, so he proposed they give a relationship a try.

At the time, Sui Cannong did have other motives. He was eager to know what troubled Ji Ling and wanted to help him.

But he also genuinely liked him, and after spending some time together, Sui Cannong found himself falling deeper than he had imagined.

Sui Cannong knew that moving in together was a sudden request, but he felt ready and patiently waited for Ji Ling’s answer.

Ji Ling’s eyelashes trembled, and his face was blank. Sui Cannong felt nervous, his throat tightening.

After a long while, Sui Cannong saw Ji Ling lower his head and hold the flowers in his arms a little tighter.

He heard Ji Ling say, “Okay.”

They stayed in London for many days.

During this time, Sui Cannong received Christmas greetings from Thomas. The British lad on the other end of the phone angrily questioned why Sui Cannong hadn’t told him about his trip to the UK.

Sui Cannong initially felt a bit apologetic, but the next moment, Thomas cheerfully said he was currently sunbathing in Sanya.

The day before they left London, Sui Cannong and Ji Ling walked a long distance to buy freshly made cinnamon rolls.

They stood by the roadside waiting for a ride back to the hotel. A small Christmas tree stood next to an old-fashioned mailbox, adorned with many colorful ornaments.

Sui Cannong, with nothing better to do, playfully nudged a couple of ornaments. When he lifted his hand, he found it covered in cheap, glittery confetti.

Sui Cannong clicked his tongue, shook his hand, and turned to see Ji Ling carefully examining a flyer.

Ji Ling wasn’t the type to easily refuse people. In the twenty minutes they had walked, he had collected a thick stack of flyers.

Ji Ling looked very focused while reading, so Sui Cannong didn’t disturb him.

When Ji Ling finally looked up, Sui Cannong asked, “What does it say?”

Ji Ling paused, then put the flyer away. “Nothing much, just some ads.”

Sui Cannong looked at him hesitantly. “What kind of ads?”

Ji Ling pressed his lips together.

He hesitated, then took out the flyer again. “It says there’s a strip club nearby, with half-price drinks tonight. Do you want to go?”

Sui Cannong: “…No, no, no.”

Ji Ling softly hummed, folded the flyer, and looked up at Sui Cannong’s face. “You have some confetti on your face.”

Sui Cannong exclaimed, “A lot?”

Ji Ling shook his head. “Not many, about three or four.”

Sui Cannong nodded.

The next moment, Sui Cannong suddenly took Ji Ling’s hand, pressed his face into Ji Ling’s palm, and rubbed it around.

Then Sui Cannong looked up and asked casually, “Did I rub off a lot? How about now?”

Sui Cannong’s actions and expression were casual, but Ji Ling’s heart still raced uncontrollably.

Ji Ling was quiet for a moment and said softly, “Gone.”

Sui Cannong said, “Good.”

Sui Cannong moved his face from Ji Ling’s palm, but their hands remained clasped.

“Tomorrow we’re going back,” Sui Cannong sighed. “In two days, we’ll be back to work. Why can’t there be two Christmases in a year?”

Ji Ling didn’t know how to comfort Sui Cannong because he didn’t like work either.

“Actually, time passes quickly,” Ji Ling thought for a moment and analyzed for Sui Cannong. “After Christmas, there’s the Spring Festival, the end-of-term break, and then Easter.”

Sui Cannong smiled lightly.

“You’re right,” Sui Cannong said. “But when we get back, little Teacher Ji will be able to come and keep me company every day. Thinking about that, going back to work doesn’t seem so bad.”

Ji Ling had originally planned to move in after a while, but from Sui Cannong’s words, it seemed he wanted him to move in immediately.

Moving in together seemed like just a change of place to live with a lover, but for Ji Ling, it was a significant step, symbolizing the integration of their lives.

Sometimes Ji Ling felt that everything had come too easily. It was as if everything had fallen into place suddenly, like a dream.

Later, Ji Ling carefully analyzed and realized he might have overestimated the difficulty of pursuing someone.

Ji Ling didn’t fully understand what Sui Cannong meant by “You need to take responsibility for me,” but he didn’t refuse the opportunity to become closer.

Ji Ling didn’t plan to bring much. He packed some clothes, some favorite books, and a lemon plant Sui Cannong had given him years ago.

Sui Cannong drove to Ji Ling’s place to pick him up.

When Sui Cannong took the lemon plant, Ji Ling observed his expression.

Perhaps because the lemon plant was a gift from years ago when they weren’t close, or because Ji Ling had changed the pot, Sui Cannong didn’t seem to recognize it.

Ji Ling returned to Sui Cannong’s place.

When he stepped inside, he paused, noticing the changes in Sui Cannong’s home.

The curtains, tablecloths, and sofa covers were no longer the same as before. They had been replaced with warm, bright colors.

The plants in the house seemed to have changed too. Instead of the few dull green ivy and monstera, there were now several pots of blooming flowers on the dining table and coffee table.

The entire house felt light and bright.

“I tidied up a bit over the past couple of days,” Sui Cannong said. “How does it look?”

Ji Ling said, “It’s beautiful, and it makes me feel good.”

Sui Cannong seemed pleased with the answer. He smiled, took the suitcase from Ji Ling, and said, “Leave it to me. You go rest and explore the place. I’ll clear some space in the closet for you.”

Ji Ling nodded.

Although they were now very close, Ji Ling still brought something. He had gone to an import supermarket the night before and bought a bag of delicious fruit.

Ji Ling was a bit hungry, so he went to the kitchen to cut an orange.

He found the pot, cutting board, a plate for the orange, and a small fork for eating fruit.

But he couldn’t find a knife in Sui Cannong’s kitchen.

In a normal kitchen, a set of knives would usually be placed in a visible spot, but Ji Ling couldn’t find either a chef’s knife or a smaller fruit knife.

Feeling that rummaging through the kitchen drawers might be impolite, Ji Ling hesitated, put down the orange, and walked to the room where Sui Cannong was.

Sui Cannong looked surprised when he saw Ji Ling standing at the door. “What’s up?”

Ji Ling asked, “Do you have a knife?”

Sui Cannong’s body seemed to stiffen.

He slowly straightened up, looked into Ji Ling’s eyes, and asked, “Why do you need a knife?”

Sui Cannong’s expression suddenly became very tense, and Ji Ling felt something was off.

Ji Ling explained, “I brought a bag of fruit and wanted to cut some to eat, but I can’t find your knife.”

Sui Cannong was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll help you find it.”

Ji Ling followed Sui Cannong back to the kitchen.

Sui Cannong opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small plastic knife.

—To be precise, a plastic knife with a cartoon bear pattern on the handle, almost completely blunt.

Sui Cannong placed the knife in Ji Ling’s hand and said cheerfully, “Cut away.”

Ji Ling was taken aback.

Would such a knife even cut anything? Ji Ling hesitated and looked down.

The plastic knife was light and dull, leaving no marks when dragged across the palm. It seemed to be a child’s knife.

Cutting fruit might be possible, but Ji Ling remembered Sui Cannong saying he cooked regularly. Did he not need to cut meat or bones?

Ji Ling was puzzled but thought everyone had different preferences. Plus, Sui Cannong was careful, so it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

Ji Ling cut the orange into six neat pieces, ate two, and found it very sweet and juicy.

He washed the knife and then carried a plate of orange slices to the bedroom to find Sui Cannong.

Hearing the noise, Sui Cannong turned around and saw the orange slices in Ji Ling’s hand.

Ji Ling held the plate out to Sui Cannong, but he shook his head and opened his mouth.

So, while Sui Cannong organized the clothes in the closet, Ji Ling stood beside him and fed him the remaining four pieces of orange.

After eating the oranges, his hands were a bit sticky, and after a busy day, Ji Ling had also broken a sweat.

Ji Ling picked up the plate and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Sui Cannong paused his actions and said, “Okay.”

Ji Ling washed his hands, found some clean clothes and a towel, and went into the bathroom.

As he was about to close the door, he stared at the doorknob in shock.

Sui Cannong happened to be passing by with two pieces of clothing. Ji Ling hesitated, then looked up and asked, “The bathroom door—”

“Oh, right, the bathroom lock is broken,” Sui Cannong said casually. “So the doorknob was removed, and it’ll take a while to fix.”

Ji Ling blinked slowly.

“So for now, the bathroom door won’t close,” Sui Cannong looked up and asked, “Can you manage for a while?”