Chapter 160
On the way to the medical building, Su Bin was still thinking about his conversation with Jin Fei, mentally preparing himself… What if Allen still gets angry even if he follows Jin Fei’s advice?
The car slowly passed through the city center. Su Bin’s eyes skimmed across a row of shops when suddenly, he stopped. A lightbulb went off in his head. He had an idea—but it was a bit too bold. Su Bin cursed himself inwardly and slammed the gas pedal.
Ten minutes later, the black and red Plymouth slowly backed up. Su Bin stopped the car, his face turning red as he stood in front of a glass wall. The frosted glass displayed the bold English letters—Tiffany.
Su Bin paused for a second, pushed open the door, and walked straight to a counter. Unfortunately, in the two years since his last visit, the store layout had changed several times, and he couldn’t find the ring that Allen liked in its original spot.
“Hello, sir. Can I assist you with something?”
“Yes, I’m looking for a ring. It has an ‘X’ shaped letter and is set with a sapphire…” Su Bin recalled the details, his heart pounding in worry. What if this ring had been discontinued?
“Oh! Please follow me.” The salesperson led Su Bin to another counter. “Is this the one you’re referring to? A Jean Schlumberger ring, with 18k gold, platinum, diamonds, and sapphire?”
“Yes, yes!” Su Bin nodded excitedly. “That’s it!”
The salesperson explained, “The ‘X’ symbol represents love, and this ring is one of Tiffany’s classic designs. We’ve been carrying it in-store for years.”
Su Bin gazed at the ring intently. “I’ll take it.”
The salesperson smiled. “Is this for yourself?”
“No, I’m buying it as a gift.”
“Alright. May I ask what ring size you need?”
Su Bin: “…”
(⊙⊙) Ring size?… Oh no! He didn’t know Allen’s ring size! (⊙皿⊙)
Had he acted too impulsively? Su Bin felt deflated. “Sorry, I’ll have to ask him and come back later.”
“Wait, sir!” The salesperson stopped him. “Many men come in here wanting to surprise their partners but aren’t sure of the size. We offer a 30-day return policy on all our products. You could estimate the size and purchase the ring, and if it doesn’t fit, you can return it later.”
Su Bin perked up. “Really?”
“Yes! We even have hand models in different sizes for you to try on. Most men can guess the right size.”
“Great!”
The salesperson pulled out a selection of women’s hand models. Su Bin looked at them and asked, “Do you have any larger sizes?”
“Uh… do you need a bigger one?”
Su Bin stretched out his hand to compare: “Something a bit bigger than mine.”
Seeing the salesperson’s surprised expression, Su Bin awkwardly asked, “Is this ring… a women’s design?”
The salesperson blushed and quickly shook her head. “No, no, it’s suitable for men too.” She then brought out a collection of male hand models.
Su Bin tried on a few, picking ones that seemed to resemble Allen’s fingers. In fact, Allen often liked to hold his hands in a locked finger position, so Su Bin was quite familiar with his finger size. “This one.”
The salesperson checked the size and asked, “Is it size T? I’d recommend going a size up to T1/2—there’s not much difference, but it’ll prevent the ring from being too tight.”
Su Bin thought for a moment and said, “No, just size T. I trust my judgment.”
“Alright.” The salesperson retrieved the ring, let Su Bin check the size, and then packed it up. “You can pay at the counter ahead.”
Su Bin reached into his pocket to grab the card Allen had given him but froze. If he spent more than 100 pounds on the card, Allen would receive a text message with the transaction details. He definitely couldn’t use that card for such a large purchase…
Quickly, he took out his phone and texted Qin Chao: “Bro, how much cash do you have right now?”
Qin Chao replied, confused: “Why do you need to know?”
Su Bin: “Can you lend me six thousand? I’ll pay you back over six months, with 1,000 a month, plus 10% interest.”
Qin Chao: “10%? Damn! When do you need it?”
Su Bin: “Right now!”
Qin Chao: “…”
Su Bin: “Come to Tiffany in the city center… yes, the one near HSBC, take a cab here.”
…
After hanging up, Su Bin sheepishly told the salesperson, “Sorry, I forgot my card. I called a friend to come help me pay. It should be about ten minutes.”
“Okay…”
The salesperson had encountered impulsive customers before, but this was the first time she’d seen someone so impulsive they forgot to bring their money while buying a ring!
A flustered Qin Chao arrived at the store and looked at the box on the counter. “What are you buying?”
Su Bin shouted, “Don’t look!”
“What? You have me come here to pay but won’t let me see what it is?” As he spoke, Qin Chao opened the box. “Holy crap! A ring?”
Su Bin snatched the box from his hands, flushed red, and stuffed it into a gift bag.
“When were you keeping this a secret? Are you planning to propose and didn’t tell me? Not cool, man!” Qin Chao grinned. “So, you’re sure she’s the one?”
Su Bin: “…” (=_=) A “true love” sounds more like it.
Qin Chao: “You still haven’t changed, huh? Always so impulsive with your ring purchases. Don’t let this end up like last time…”
Qin Chao had heard about the time Su Bin bought a ring for Chen Xiaotian while working illegally. Later, Su Bin got dumped, and Qin Chao had never let him live it down, still teasing him about it.
After Qin Chao settled the bill, he glanced at the instant message on his phone and sighed sympathetically. “Big spender, huh? Nearly sixty to seventy thousand for a ring… and it’s on my card!”
Su Bin, feeling guilty, muttered, “I’ll pay you back.”
Qin Chao: “But I’m curious. Why is Su Bin still borrowing money from me?”
Su Bin scratched his head, unsure how to explain.
Qin Chao: “Did you hand over all your earnings to your future wife?”
Su Bin’s lips twitched. “Something like that,” he said with a slight chuckle. Allen… wife? He thought, feeling awkward.
Qin Chao: “Dude, 10% interest! You’re too generous. If your woman finds out, she’s probably going to regret letting you keep your allowance!”
Su Bin: “He won’t mind.”
Qin Chao: “Well, you’re asking for it. It’s a proposal, after all… Next time, come to me when you need more money!”
Su Bin: “…”
After saying goodbye to Qin Chao, Su Bin got into the driver’s seat, pulled out the gift bag, and took another look at the small box with the ring inside. It was so beautiful…
He had never saved up any private money because he knew that “Boss Su” was his main cash reserve. If he really needed money, it was easy to manipulate his own accounts.
Imagining placing the ring on Allen’s finger, Su Bin’s heart raced, feeling both shy and excited.
“Proposal,” huh? Qin Chao really has a wild imagination.
Jin Fei had said that Allen also had his insecurities, because Su Bin was a variable in his life. That reminded Su Bin of the night they spent at the Maricess resort last year. He had gone to the bathroom and caught a glimpse of Allen’s eyes… Was that unease?
If he told Allen that he had already fallen in love with him, would that make Allen feel more at ease?
Su Bin smiled softly, but there was a touch of bitterness behind the expression…
Allen, Allen, what am I supposed to do?
He folded the bag neatly and put it in the car’s storage compartment, slipping the elegant ring box into his pocket. If Allen still got upset after Su Bin confessed, he could always take out the ring.
Allen was in a great mood today. When they were in the tower, he held Su Bin and kissed him for a long time.
“Did something happen?” Su Bin didn’t want to ruin Allen’s good mood, so he decided to delay the conversation for now.
Allen said, “We had a fruitful discussion with experts from the Swiss Blood Disease Research Center. We’ve made some progress.”
Su Bin was overjoyed. “Does that mean your condition can be treated?”
Allen tapped his nose lightly. “You talk too much.”
Su Bin: “…”
Allen continued, “The treatment plan is theoretically feasible, but a lot more time is needed for experiments before it can be applied clinically.”
Su Bin: “How long will that take?”
Allen: “If progress is fast, three to five years. If things go slow, it could be ten or twenty years, or even longer. Many medical technologies still aren’t up to the task.”
Su Bin was alarmed. “That long!” It had almost been two years since Allen had told him that his life expectancy was at least guaranteed for another ten years. If they had to wait another ten years, what if Allen couldn’t hold on… QAQ
Allen gently patted Su Bin’s hair. “Don’t worry. Having hope is a good thing.”
Su Bin: “Hmm…”
As they drove home, Allen saw the new car parked downstairs and smiled. “Do you still like it?”
Su Bin grinned. “I do, but it’s too expensive! I showed it to Jin Fei today. He said this car is more expensive than a Maserati! He even wants to borrow it for a week, but I told him I need your permission first.”
Allen chuckled. “If you like it, that’s all that matters. It’s fine if Jin Fei borrows it; he can afford to replace it if anything happens.”
Su Bin: “…”
As they neared home, the dry autumn air greeted them, and the western sky was painted with vibrant sunset hues.
Su Bin stopped the car a little before their home and turned to Allen. “Can we watch the sunset?”
“Sure.” Allen lowered the window and looked outside.
The cool breeze brushed against their faces, and in the distance, the layers of pine trees stood tall and green, like a painting. The sky looked like a stunning watercolor, a breathtaking sight.
Su Bin stared blankly at the profile of Allen’s handsome face, his elbow lightly resting on the car window, his fingers dangling as he absentmindedly twirled them.
This peaceful moment… maybe this is what people mean by the calmness of life.
He quietly took out his phone, planning to snap a photo of Allen, but just as he pressed the shutter button, Allen turned to face him, and Su Bin ended up taking a perfect shot of Allen’s face.
Allen looked at him with a half-smile. “What are you doing? You see me every day, and you still can’t get enough?”
Su Bin quickly put his phone away. “No, I was trying to take a picture of the sunset.”
Allen laughed softly, not exposing him, and turned back to look outside, asking casually, “Do you really like sunsets that much?”
Su Bin rubbed his nose. “Well, it’s okay, I guess.”
Allen continued, “Do you remember two years ago, in October? One evening, you were sitting outside our door watching the sunset for almost half an hour.”
Su Bin was speechless. “I’m not you. I’ve probably forgotten something that old.”
Allen smiled softly. “You didn’t come inside until it was almost dark. I was sitting in the living room with the lights off, and you asked me why I hadn’t turned them on.”
Su Bin: “……Really?”
Allen: “Yes, at that time, you were still afraid of me.”
Su Bin: “Well, back then, I—I even suspected you were a vampire, of course I was scared!”
Allen chuckled and gave him another hint. “That night, I ordered takeout from RK. Do you remember? You even secretly peeked at my signature.”
Su Bin: “……Ah, I remember now!”
That was when he had just arrived in B country, feeling so unfamiliar and lonely in the strange environment. It was the first time he saw such beautiful sunset colors, and he stayed outside the door for a long time, just staring. That day, he had really missed Chen Xiaotian… (=_=) His dark past!
After entering the house, he had seen Allen sitting in the dark living room, not turning on any lights, and then saying he wanted to “talk”…
“How did you know I was outside for half an hour?” Su Bin asked curiously.
Allen: “Because I was watching you.”
Su Bin: “You mean you were sitting inside, watching me?”
Allen: “Yes.”
“……” So, while Su Bin was outside, just staring blankly at the sunset, Allen had been watching him from the dark house? Oh my god, that’s so creepy! “Why were you watching me?” Su Bin asked, his hair standing on end.
Allen: “I thought you looked so lonely by yourself, so I wanted to keep you company while you watched.”
Su Bin felt a sudden lump in his throat, his eyes stinging with unexpected emotion. He asked softly, “Then why didn’t you come outside?”
Allen: “If I had, you would have run away.”
