CoP 33

Ji Ling was taken aback for a moment.

After a while, he shook his head and said to Sui Cannong, “It’s fine.”

But as he stared at the hole where the doorknob had been, Ji Ling felt something was still off. He sensed he was grasping at something, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong.

Ji Ling hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow Sui Cannong’s advice. He left the door slightly ajar and turned on the hot water.

Fortunately, there was a curtain by the bathtub, so Ji Ling pulled it closed.

Just as Ji Ling started his shower, he heard Sui Cannong’s voice faintly calling from outside the door, “Ji Ling?”

Ji Ling hadn’t heard the first call, but when Sui Cannong called again, he paused, turned down the water, and responded, “What is it?”

After a moment, he heard Sui Cannong say, “…Nothing.”

“I just remembered that we’re running low on shampoo,” Sui Cannong added. “Do you want me to get a new bottle for you?”

Ji Ling glanced at the shampoo bottle and saw it was still about half full. “No, there’s still some left,” he replied.

Sui Cannong acknowledged this from outside the bathroom.

After his shower, Ji Ling had just changed into fresh clothes when Sui Cannong appeared at the bathroom door with a hairdryer.

Ji Ling, still damp from the shower, looked at Sui Cannong with a misty gaze. Sui Cannong felt his heart rate quicken.

Sui Cannong cleared his throat. “Hair drying service, 20 RMB. Would you like to purchase it?”

Ji Ling slowly put down the towel in his hand. Sui Cannong noticed that he was actually considering it seriously.

He hesitated for a moment and said, “But my phone is outside.”

Sui Cannong was trying hard not to laugh. He kept a straight face and said, “No problem, we can pay after the service.”

So Ji Ling stood in front of the mirror, and Sui Cannong stood behind him, holding the hairdryer and patiently drying Ji Ling’s hair.

The noise of the hairdryer was loud, and the air was warm. Sui Cannong’s fingers gently combed through Ji Ling’s hair, and their gazes met in the mirror.

After Sui Cannong finished drying Ji Ling’s hair, Ji Ling hesitated for a moment, then turned his head, tilted his face, and kissed Sui Cannong on the lips.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Sui Cannong coughed, trying to cover up his embarrassment. “…Very clever. I’ll give you your first service for free today.”

Sui Cannong left the bathroom first. Ji Ling, however, remained in front of the mirror, slowly reaching out to touch his hair, which Sui Cannong had dried to a soft and dry texture.

Ji Ling felt that he wanted to formally confess his feelings to Sui Cannong.

Given their current relationship, a confession might seem unnecessary, but Ji Ling didn’t think so.

They were in a “let’s give it a try” phase, but Ji Ling wanted to ask Sui Cannong if he would be willing to become his partner without any time limit.

He also wanted to tell Sui Cannong that he had liked him for a long time.

Ji Ling knew that the success rate of any endeavor was about fifty percent, but he was mentally prepared to face failure with composure.

Perhaps because Sui Cannong had initiated the cohabitation, Ji Ling felt a bit more confident, so he thought the success rate was now sixty percent.

Not only to tell Sui Cannong, but also to give himself an answer, Ji Ling decided not to wait any longer.

Ji Ling checked the calendar and looked at the upcoming holidays, but the next one was the Spring Festival, which seemed inappropriate for a confession.

So Ji Ling decided to choose Sui Cannong’s birthday.

Ji Ling hadn’t specifically asked anyone about Sui Cannong’s birthday, but because the international school had a tradition of celebrating birthdays during lunch, he had noted it down a long time ago.

Sui Cannong’s birthday this year fell on a Saturday, and Ji Ling thought it would be a good opportunity.

The challenge now was that, given their current living situation, it wasn’t easy for Ji Ling to secretly prepare a birthday gift and a surprise confession.

They were cohabiting and working in the same place, so their schedules were almost perfectly synchronized, leaving little room for privacy.

However, Ji Ling enjoyed this lifestyle.

They went to work and came home together, cooked and prepared lessons together. It was a simple routine, but Ji Ling cherished these moments.

While cooking, Sui Cannong used a plastic knife to cut vegetables. Ji Ling noticed he was struggling and tentatively suggested getting a sharper set of knives.

Sui Cannong paused in his cutting.

After a moment, he said nonchalantly, “There’s no need. This knife is quite safe, isn’t it?”

Ji Ling hesitated but, seeing Sui Cannong’s determined expression, decided not to push the matter further.

Because the students came from diverse nationalities, Ji Ling liked to watch YouTube videos while preparing lessons.

After finishing his own work, Sui Cannong would often join Ji Ling, making fun of the Indian-accented English in the videos.

At first, Sui Cannong could manage a few comments, but the topic of photoelectric effects made his head spin, and soon his eyelids started to droop.

Ji Ling hesitated, feeling that these moments of intimacy after work were precious, so he quietly said to Sui Cannong, “I’m a bit thirsty.”

Sui Cannong immediately perked up. “I’ll get you some water.”

While Sui Cannong was getting the water, Ji Ling decided to switch to a different video.

Thinking about videos, Ji Ling remembered the positive and funny clips Sui Cannong had sent him on WeChat.

When Sui Cannong returned with the water, he saw that Ji Ling’s computer screen had switched to a video of three kittens chasing a toy.

He asked curiously, “Why are you watching this kind of video all of a sudden?”

Ji Ling was taken aback. “Don’t you like watching them?”

Sui Cannong looked puzzled. “Do I?”

Ji Ling hesitated before speaking. “Didn’t you often send me videos like this, like… dog ball collections?”

Sui Cannong suddenly remembered.

“Oh, right.” Sui Cannong coughed. “Yes, I do like watching these cute animals. Look how adorable these kittens are…”

So before going to bed, they watched five more pet videos. By the end, Sui Cannong’s head was spinning, and he felt he would rather watch an hour of electron transitions.

The first week of cohabitation passed quickly, and it was indeed a happy one. However, Ji Ling’s confession plan had been set many times but never implemented.

Looking at the grayed-out tasks in his planning app, Ji Ling felt he couldn’t delay any longer.

After school one day, Sui Cannong, as usual, waited for Ji Ling in his classroom.

“Are you going back to your place?” Sui Cannong frowned.

Ji Ling looked directly into Sui Cannong’s eyes. He had prepared his explanation and answered smoothly, “I have a couple of books I like that I haven’t brought over, and I need to pay the property fee there.”

Sui Cannong said, “Alright, I can give you a ride.”

Ji Ling replied, “But you said you were going to make beef and potato stew today, and the beef needs to simmer for a long time. If you give me a ride, the beef won’t be ready when I get home. I want to eat your beef and potato stew as soon as I arrive.”

His response was logical and well-structured. Sui Cannong was taken aback. “…That’s true.”

“So I’ll take a taxi and go back myself,” Ji Ling said. “It shouldn’t take long. I should be home by seven.”

Although something felt off, Sui Cannong couldn’t argue with Ji Ling’s reasoning.

Sui Cannong went home alone and, once inside, started simmering the beef.

When cutting the meat, Sui Cannong used all his strength. The plastic knife was incredibly difficult to use, and the blade almost bent to a ninety-degree angle before the meat was even cut.

In the two days before Ji Ling moved in, Sui Cannong had been extremely cautious.

He had hidden all sharp and potentially dangerous objects and replaced the home decor with items that had a light and bright appearance.

As for the doorknob, it had been broken for a while.

When the repairman came to Sui Cannong’s place, he had just removed the old doorknob and was about to install the new one when Sui Cannong suddenly stopped him.

Before leaving, the repairman gave Sui Cannong a strange look, but Sui Cannong, staring at the hole in the door, felt a silent relief.

Sui Cannong wondered if he was overreacting.

But the bathroom was a high-risk area, and recalling Ji Ling’s to-do list and the note “can’t delay any longer,” he felt that being overly cautious was justified.

Sui Cannong looked at the plastic knife in the sink and sighed.

The beef still needed some time to simmer, and Sui Cannong had nothing else to do. His gaze fell on the small potted plants on the coffee table.

Oh, right, he hadn’t watered the plants yet.

These plants seemed ordinary, but before buying them, Sui Cannong had done his research and chosen varieties known for their calming effects.

After watering his plants, Sui Cannong remembered that Ji Ling had brought a potted plant when he moved in, which he kept on the balcony.

Sui Cannong hadn’t paid much attention to the plant at first, but he remembered that Ji Ling would water it every night before bed, taking great care of it.

So Sui Cannong took the watering can to the balcony and watered the plant.

Having taught biology for so long, Sui Cannong had a good understanding of plants. He recognized that the leaves of this plant were compound leaves, likely belonging to the citrus family.

Sui Cannong suddenly remembered that about two years ago, he had received so many plants and fruits from students that there was no space left in the classroom.

At the time, Sui Cannong had to give away the plants. Almost every teacher received a gift from nature and Sui Cannong, such as Thomas, who received a pot of onions but couldn’t keep it alive for more than a few weeks.

Ji Ling had just started working at the school around that time.

Sui Cannong frowned, though they weren’t close then, he remembered giving Ji Ling a plant. What was it again?

Sui Cannong suddenly looked up.

He remembered that the plant he had given Ji Ling was… a lemon plant.