Aunt Fu used to say Tan Sizhe would always “whoosh—” off to conferences abroad.
Now Ye Mingxuan had also “whoosh—” flown off to Italy.
Tan Sizhe watched the planes buzzing past the sky through the floor-to-ceiling windows and sighed.
Bai Yu sat on the sofa, legs crossed, sipping coffee: “It’s only five days. You’d think it was five years. Is it really that big a deal?”
Tan Sizhe stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the contrails streaking across the azure sky for a long moment before turning back. “He doesn’t seem to miss a thing.”
He just left in such a hurry.
Bai Yu: “He must be sick of seeing you. Finally gets a few days without you, and he’s off like a shot.”
Tan Sizhe shot him a cold glance before walking back to his desk. “You’re just jealous.”
“Me? Jealous of you?” Bai Yu gasped. “What exactly am I jealous of?”
Tan Sizhe sat down. “Jealous that I have a wife, and we live together every single day.”
“…” Bai Yu clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, grinding his teeth. “Fine, I won’t bother arguing with you. At least I don’t have to deal with the loneliness of an empty bed.”
Seeing his opponent hit a sore spot, Bai Yu felt a surge of satisfaction. Finally, he’d gotten one back. Tan Sizhe laid the bracelet on the table and pulled out his phone to take a photo. Bai Yu curled his lip, too lazy to care, and went back to sipping his coffee and scrolling through his phone.
The next second, he saw Tan Sizhe post a WeChat Moment.
Mr. Tan: “The front of the bracelet Mrs. Tan gave me (happy emoji)” with the photo.
Hundreds of likes poured in instantly: Mr. Zhang, Mr. Wang, Mr. Li, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Fu, Mr. Gu, Mr. Ye, Mr. Peng, Mr. Hu, Mr. Yang…
“Pfft!” Bai Yu sprayed coffee all over his lap. He jumped up like a startled bird, frantically wiping his pants.
Then Tan Sizhe posted another WeChat Moment: “Side view of the bracelet Mrs. Tan gifted (smirking)” with a photo.
Bai Yu had barely dried his pants when, a minute later, Tan Sizhe posted: “The back of the bracelet given by my wife (grinning)” with a photo.
Comments poured in from general managers of various companies:
“Mr. Tan and his wife are so devoted to each other.”
“Mr. Tan is married? Congratulations!”
“Wishing Mr. Tan and his wife a lifetime of happiness! May they be blessed with children soon!”
Tan Sizhe browsed their comments with satisfaction, then carefully slipped the bracelet back on. Looking up, he saw Bai Yu clutching his chest, slumped sideways on the sofa, gasping for breath.
“What’s wrong?” Tan Sizhe asked innocently.
Bai Yu tremblingly extended a hand: “I… I hate you!”…
After a full day of travel, Ye Mingxuan finally arrived at his Florence hotel to rest. The room was luxurious, reminiscent of an ancient castle. After the attendant left, Ye Mingxuan unpacked his luggage alone.
With only five days here, he hadn’t packed much—Tan Sizhe had helped him prepare everything before departure.
Calculating the time difference, it was 3 PM here while China was at 9 PM. Tan Sizhe should be asleep.
Ye Mingxuan sent Tan Sizhe a message to confirm he’d arrived safely. Unexpectedly, the reply came instantly: 【Once you arrive, rest first. Don’t rush out to explore.】
Was the gentleman awake?
Ye Mingxuan immediately called: “Sir? Are you awake?”
Tan Sizhe leaned against the headboard, the warm glow of the bedside lamp falling beside him: “I’ll sleep soon after you arrive.”
A warm glow spread through Ye Mingxuan’s stomach, like he’d just had dessert and hot milk. Closing the wardrobe, he walked toward the bed: “Then I’ll rest right away. You should get some sleep too, Sir!”
“Don’t hang up.” Tan Sizhe turned off the bedside lamp, placed his phone on speaker by his pillow, and turned up the volume. “Let me hear your breathing.”
Ye Mingxuan pulled the soft blanket over himself, lay down, and stared at the angel on the ceiling.
“Sir, good night.”
“Good night.”
Ten minutes later.
“Sir, are you asleep?”
“Asleep.”
“…”
Not long after, Tan Sizhe surrendered: “I can’t sleep without you beside me.”
“…” Ye Mingxuan flushed, burying half his face in the quilt, leaving only a pair of moist eyes visible. “Actually, I can’t sleep either.”
Tan Sizhe stared at the phone, his eyes brightening. “Really?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Mhm.”
Tan Sizhe felt a surge of happiness. So he wasn’t the only one feeling lonely.
“I’m thinking about what to wear to the expo tomorrow.”
“…” Tan Sizhe looked up. “What?”
“That’s why you can’t sleep?”
“Yep.”
Tan Sizhe was silent for a long time. Ye Mingxuan grew puzzled. “Sir, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m going to sleep.” Tan Sizhe rolled over, turning his back to the phone. “No talking while eating or sleeping.”
Ye Mingxuan blinked. “Oh.”
Though he’d slept on the plane earlier, the exhaustion of traveling in a foreign land caught up with him. The angel before Ye Mingxuan’s eyes grew increasingly blurry until he finally drifted off.
A smile touched his lips, his eyes softening. “Good night.”…
Ye Mingxuan seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself in Florence, sending Tan Sizhe numerous messages while he was at work.
“Sir, this pasta is so delicious!”
Tan Sizhe tapped on the photo of lobster pasta he’d sent—vibrant colors, yet a smear of sauce clung to the rim of the bowl.
The little glutton had to sneak a bite before taking the picture. Tan Sizhe chuckled softly.
“Sir, is that a message from Mr. Mingxuan?” Aunt Fu asked.
Tan Sizhe nodded. “Yes, he’s already arrived in Florence.”
Aunt Fu relaxed. “Glad he landed safely.”
All the way from home to the office, Ye Mingxuan kept messaging him.
“Sir, this building is so beautiful.”
“Sir, an old lady just gave me a bouquet of flowers.”
“Sir, I saw so many street artists—they’re all incredibly talented.”
Tan Sizhe scrolled through the chat history repeatedly, unaware of when Bai Yu had entered the room.
“Mr. Tan, Mr. Tan.”
Tan Sizhe looked up. “What is it?”
Bai Yu couldn’t hide his expression. He looked at Tan Sizhe, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Seeing this, Tan Sizhe put down his phone. “What’s going on?”
Bai Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. “I don’t know how Yu Sen found his way here, but he wants to see you.”
Tan Sizhe lowered his eyelids, silent. Bai Yu, mindful of his mood, offered, “If you don’t want to see him, I’ll turn him away right now.”
“No need. Have him come in.”
“You really want him here? I’m afraid he’ll upset you.”
“Yes, have him come up.”
Bai Yu nodded with concern and stepped outside. Soon, Yu Sen entered the president’s office under his guidance, then waited outside. He feared that if things got heated inside, he could rush in to help Tan Sizhe.
It was past noon, the sun’s fiercest hours having passed.
When Yu Sen entered, his gaze immediately fell upon Tan Sizhe, who was stroking the bracelet on his left wrist. The silver clasp gleamed, and Yu Sen felt a sharp pang in his heart.
“Mr. Yu?” Tan Sizhe looked up, gesturing with a raised hand. “Sit.”
“No need to sit.” Yu Sen straightened his collar, standing rigidly upright. “I’ve come to request something of you, Mr. Tan.”
Tan Sizhe leaned back in his chair, raising one eyebrow.
Yu Sen: “Mr. Tan, let’s be frank. I’m here to ask you to spare Mingxuan.”
Tan Sizhe’s lips curved into a smile. “How did you find out?”
“I happened to see your car following Ye Mingxuan. Looking around all of City A, only you have that license plate.”
“And?”
“And I’m here to ask you to leave Ye Mingxuan alone.”
Yu Sen pleaded earnestly, “Mingxuan is a pure and kind-hearted boy. He’s inexperienced and easily deceived. Please stop provoking him.”
“I’m curious—in what capacity are you speaking to me regarding Mingxuan?”
“I… I’m Mingxuan’s friend.”
Tan Sizhe chuckled, propping his chin on his hand.
“So just a friend?” He glanced at his bracelet. “But I’m the one Mingxuan likes.”
Yu Sen’s pupils flinched. Tan Sizhe continued, “He told me himself. He likes me.”
“Mingxuan is young. Maybe he can’t tell his own feelings apart…”
“Was the grilled fish good?”
“The day you and Mingxuan met at the fish restaurant, he stepped out for something. Do you know what he went to do?” Tan Sizhe stared intently at him.
Yu Sen’s face drained of color. He recalled the red marks on Ye Mingxuan’s neck that day. Could it be…
Tan Sizhe stood up and stepped in front of him. “Want me to tell you? What I did to Mingxuan?”
Yu Sen’s body trembled uncontrollably as he glared at him in fury. “You—!”
“I never imagined you’d be such a shameless person, doing this kind of sneaky, underhanded stuff!”
“Sneaky?” Tan Sizhe’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “Sorry, but I just love that thrill of doing things on the sly. It’s incredibly exciting.”
“He must have been seduced by you!”
“Why would he be seduced by me?” Tan Sizhe eyed him up and down. “You’re the one to blame for that.”
“My fault?”
“Who told you to be so useless, unable to keep Ye Mingxuan’s heart?”
“Tan Sizhe!”
Tan Sizhe couldn’t be bothered to pretend anymore, his words dripping with venom. “Look at yourself. Looks, wealth, family background, status—how do you compare to me? And you dare to yell at me?”
“Even if you fall in love with Ye Mingxuan, marry him, and he cheats on you—it’s only fair. You’ll just have to put up with it.”
“Besides, the one he chose now is me, not you.”
“Mr. Yu, I admire your courage, but you’re not qualified to compete with me for him.”
Tan Sizhe circled the stiffened Yu Sen, coming to a halt before him. He looked him straight in the eye, his gaze settling on Yu Sen’s hairline. “And besides—I’m taller than you.”…
Yu Sen left. Tan Sizhe’s words—“I’m taller than you”—had utterly defeated him. Completely crushed, he drifted away in a daze.
Bai Yu, who had eavesdropped the entire time outside, entered and gave a thumbs-up. “Tall. Really tall.”
Tan Sizhe returned to his seat. “I’m in a good mood today. Treat the entire company to afternoon tea. Have Xiao Wang handle it.”
Bai Yu: “Got it. To celebrate you defeating your romantic rival, I’ll go right now!”
As soon as the office door closed, Tan Sizhe picked up his phone and saw another message from Ye Mingxuan.
“Sir, are you about to finish work?”
“Mhm.”
“Oh, I’m about to have lunch. Teacher Qi is taking me to the expo this afternoon.”
“Mhm. Have fun.”
Tan Sizhe called him and asked, “So you won’t be able to sleep with me tonight?”
Ye Mingxuan held his phone as the sea breeze ruffled his bangs: “Probably not tonight… You’ll likely be asleep by the time I get back to the hotel.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Hmm…”
“Why don’t you tell me now instead?”
“Tell me what?”
“Say goodnight.”
Ye Mingxuan smiled, his eyes crinkling like crescent moons. “Goodnight, sir.”
Tan Sizhe curved his lips, gazing at the sunset outside the window. He knew clearly that though separated by time zones, he and Ye Mingxuan were watching the same sun.
“Good night, Mingxuan.”
