Burn Out - Chapter 42

They checked into the hotel quite late. The hotel corridor was very quiet. Ji Ting used the card to open the room door and inserted it into the slot. The room lit up immediately, revealing a large bay window with double-layered white curtains and high-quality furnishings.

Ji Ting accompanied Shu Xiao inside. Shu Xiao placed her suitcase by the edge of the sofa. The suite was a one-bedroom apartment with a separate bedroom. Ji Ting turned on the lights in the bedroom as well, glanced around, and then looked back at Shu Xiao, saying, “You’ll stay here tonight.”

Shu Xiao sat on the sofa, glanced at the master bedroom, and nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

Then she seemed to remember something, took out her phone, and asked, “How much is this room? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Ji Ting looked at her phone and gave her the price.

Shu Xiao, after hearing the amount, transferred 1,068 to Ji Ting. Ji Ting accepted the payment and looked up, asking, “You’ll need to stay in a hotel for now. Do you have enough money?”

If she didn’t have enough money, staying for several days would be stressful.

Shu Xiao nodded, looking at Ji Ting with gratitude. “I have enough, don’t worry.”

Ji Ting also realized that although Shu Xiao’s return was chaotic, her suitcase and clothes were all high-end brands. If she weren’t trying to avoid that crazy ex-boyfriend, she probably wouldn’t be in such a hurry to stay in the old city area. She might have been able to find a better place. Ji Ting nodded, saying, “That’s good. If you need to extend your stay, just call the front desk downstairs.”

“Okay, Tingting, thank you.”

Ji Ting replied, “You’re welcome.”

As she was about to leave, Shu Xiao called her again. Ji Ting looked back to see Shu Xiao sitting on the sofa with both hands propped up. Her clothes were simple, and her coat was still on. Her beautiful eyes looked at Ji Ting, and she hesitated before asking softly, “Tan…”

After the initial pause, she continued, “How has he been all these years?”

Ji Ting paused.

She knew Shu Xiao was referring to Tan Yucheng.

Ji Ting sat back on the sofa, looked at Shu Xiao, and replied gently, “He’s doing well.”

Shu Xiao’s eyes reddened again, and she nodded.

It was as if that heavy rain had appeared again before her eyes. In the midst of the downpour, she said things she didn’t want to say in the group chat. Ji Ting, afraid she might cry, handed her a tissue box from the side, saying, “He has always been doing well. You’ve seen that yourself. It’s late, so you should get some rest. The hotel is very safe.”

Shu Xiao nodded.

The tears didn’t fall, or perhaps she found an opportunity to wipe them away.

Ji Ting stood up and walked toward the door.

Shu Xiao stood up to see her off. Before Ji Ting closed the door, she gave Shu Xiao a nod. Shu Xiao stood there looking delicate. She liked to wear white clothes, and her light-colored sweater and skirt made her seem like a touch of white from the campus.

Ji Ting closed the door with a bang—thud.

The corridor was quiet.

Ji Ting walked toward the elevator, went downstairs, and the parking boy handed her the car keys. The car was parked not far away. Ji Ting took the keys and walked to the black car.

The passenger window was open.

Tan Yucheng was asleep, his long legs sprawled awkwardly. Ji Ting got into the driver’s seat and looked at the man who was sleeping soundly, his collar open and his tie hanging loosely.

She remembered how neatly he was dressed when he went out to deliver coffee tonight; it must be how he typically handled social occasions.

However, in private, he was casual and elusive.

Ji Ting started the car.

The black car drove onto the main road, where the neon lights flashed in the night. The road was lined with blinking car lights. Ji Ting’s slender, fair hand gripped the steering wheel as they arrived at his apartment’s underground parking.

He was still asleep.

Ji Ting unfastened her seatbelt and thought about what Shu Xiao had asked tonight.

Shu Xiao was still concerned about the man beside her.

Ji Ting leaned back in her seat.

At that moment, the phone vibrated. She reached for it, but the center console was a bit slippery, and the phone slid into the gap between the front seats. Ji Ting’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to look.

He was still asleep.

Ji Ting sighed with relief but then heard the phone vibrating again. The underground parking lot was particularly quiet, and inside the car, the vibration sound was quite noticeable.

She had no choice but to get out of the car and go around to the passenger side to retrieve the phone, which had likely fallen into the gap next to him.

Ji Ting opened the passenger door and immediately saw the phone glowing there. She bent down and reached in to grab it.

As her fair wrist brushed against the phone, Tan Yucheng’s hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled it towards him. Ji Ting looked up in surprise to see Tan Yucheng gazing at her.

Their breaths were very close. As he pulled her closer, their lips nearly touched.

Ji Ting’s heart raced.

Her other hand was pressing against the door frame.

Tan Yucheng leaned back in his seat, his eyes showing a hint of lazy wakefulness. He looked at her eyes and lips, saying, “I’m curious why you stopped.”

His voice carried a faint scent of alcohol.

The air inside the car felt stifling.

Ji Ting met his gaze, her wrist held by him, and she could see his superior features up close. She clutched the door frame tightly, her low-cut top revealing a bit despite her scarf. Her heart pounded, and she deliberately said, “I’m also curious why you agreed.”

The fragrance from her body drifted over.

It faintly resembles the brand she liked, occupying his senses.

Tan Yucheng’s gaze tangled with hers as he asked, “Are you asking why I agreed to this relationship, or why I agreed to stop?”

Ji Ting looked into his eyes, remaining somewhat calm.

“Why did you agree to stop?”

Tan Yucheng was silent for a few seconds, then said, “You are very determined.”

Ji Ting paused.

She remembered how she had looked at him from across that Fenghuang Road, and though she couldn’t recall her exact expression, she had indeed been very resolute. Those past moments, which had once pressed on her nerves during high school, still affected her now. Ji Ting looked at the man before her and said, “I am very determined.”

Tan Yucheng’s jawline tightened slightly.

At this moment, the phone vibrated again, the second time. Ji Ting moved her wrist, then turned to look at the phone. When she noticed her wrist could not move, she looked at Tan Yucheng.

“Can’t you let go?”

Tan Yucheng kept his gaze on her eyes and, after a few seconds, said, “Sure.”

He then released her wrist.

Ji Ting immediately reached for the phone, but Tan Yucheng moved aside slightly, causing the phone to slide further into the gap. It became even harder to retrieve. Ji Ting’s slender fingers tried to reach it.

Tan Yucheng leaned back in his seat, leisurely removing his tie and allowing her to fumble beside him, her whole body almost draped over him.

He removed the loose tie and began undoing his buttons.

Ji Ting continued to reach down for the phone.

Tan Yucheng’s collar was undone, and he watched her retrieve the phone without offering to help.

Ji Ting’s scarf slipped off, and her collar loosened significantly, causing her top to ride up and reveal her pale waist. Tan Yucheng didn’t look too closely; he just leaned back in his seat, watching her fumble around.

His long legs were casually positioned.

The garage was quiet, with occasional cars passing by, their outlines blurred. The people who passed by had red faces and muttered about the audacity, as the car door was open.

All they could see was a woman bending over into the front passenger’s lap.

From the front window, the man’s full profile wasn’t visible, but his clearly defined jawline and the open collar of his shirt, along with his Adam’s apple, could be seen. The scene was hazy, evoking various thoughts and fantasies.

He might be enjoying himself.

On a cold winter, Ji Ting finally managed to get the phone, which had caused her to sweat. She slid it up with her fingertips and managed to push the vibrating phone out. She breathed a sigh of relief and saw that the call was from Qiu Dan. She intended to answer it when Tan Yucheng’s voice came from above her head, “Did you get it?”

Ji Ting looked up at him and nodded.

Tan Yucheng glanced at her phone screen. “Aunt Qiu?”

Ji Ting nodded again.

The irritation she felt earlier when confronting him had dissipated, mainly due to exhaustion; retrieving the phone had been quite tiring. She stepped out of the car and answered the call. “Mom, you’re still awake at this hour?”

“It’s not that late. Your dad and I just got home.”

Ji Ting leaned against the car, looking at her phone. Indeed, it was still early for her parents.

She replied with an “oh,” noticing her hair was a bit messy and her bun had come loose.

A door closing sound came from beside her. Ji Ting glanced over and saw Tan Yucheng stepping out, leaning against the car door, watching her answer the phone. Ji Ting took another quick glance at him before focusing back on the call. Qiu Dan said on the other end, “Come back for lunch tomorrow.”

Ji Ting replied, “Okay.”

Hearing the sound of a car door, Qiu Dan asked, “Are you outside or just got home?”

Ji Ting paused for a moment before answering, “Just got home.”

“Alright, tidy up and go to bed early.”

“Okay.”

Ji Ting was about to hang up, but Qiu Dan continued chatting. While doing so, Qiu Dan was also calculating something, and Ji Ting listened while Tan Yucheng leaned against the car door, his broad shoulders and long legs angled as he watched her talk.

A car passed by, and seeing these two people, the passerby stared at Ji Ting, recalling the earlier scene. They were surprised by how beautiful she was, and the handsome man beside her was certainly not bad either.

The handsome man and beautiful woman seemed to be having a great time.

After a while, Qiu Dan ended the call, and Ji Ting’s ears were a bit hot.

It was indeed late, almost midnight. She rubbed her ears and turned to Tan Yucheng, “I’m leaving. I’ll drive your car.”

Tan Yucheng nodded.

He moved aside to let her in.

Ji Ting walked around the front of the car, got into the driver’s seat, and fastened her seatbelt.

Tan Yucheng stood by, looking down at her, “Send me a message when you arrive.”

Ji Ting, gripping the steering wheel, replied with a “mm-hmm,” then rolled up the car window, started the engine, and drove off in the darkened car. Since Tan Yucheng bought this car, besides himself, Ji Ting had driven it the most. Chen Fei liked this model and had asked several times to drive it, but Tan Yucheng had never agreed. Chen Fei had seen Ji Ting driving it for a while.

She felt as if her feelings had been misplaced and complained to Tan Yucheng, questioning why he treated her like this while valuing his own life more than hers.

After driving his car onto the street and into Fenghuang Road, surrounded by flowers covering the walls, Ji Ting returned to her apartment. She placed the car keys on the counter and then took her pajamas to take a shower.

After showering, she dried her hair. The weather had turned cold, so she had turned on the heater in the room. As she sat on the sofa drying her hair, her phone rang with a message from an unexpected person.

It was from Zhong Yu.

Zhong Yu: Ji Ting, good evening. May I ask how Shu Xiao is doing in Li City?

Ji Ting was momentarily surprised.

She replied: She’s staying in a hotel now. She’s afraid to stay at her old place. Didn’t she tell you?

Zhong Yu: Last time I mentioned Shu Xiao’s ex-boyfriend in the group, she got angry and had an argument with me. Since she arrived in Li City, she hasn’t been in touch with me much. I’m worried about her, so I’m asking you. I thought she would contact you. She’s alone and can only reach out to you.

Ji Ting: Oh, you brought it up suddenly in the group. Why did you do that?

Zhong Yu did not answer this question.

She only replied: Ji Ting, thank you for letting me know.

Ji Ting: It just happened that I knew.

Zhong Yu: Anyway, thank you.

Ji Ting did not reply further.

—

Noon of the next day.

Ji Ting drove back home, and Qiu Dan asked her to go directly to the supermarket. After parking the car, Ji Ting tightened her coat and entered the store. As soon as she walked in, she saw Qiu Dan standing by the self-checkout machine. There was also an aunt in a Chanel-style coat standing in front of her, and beside the aunt stood a man in a dark gray suit. The man had his hair slicked back, double eyelids, and a smiling face.

Ji Ting paused.

She remembered she had agreed a few days ago to add the landlady’s son on WeChat.

His WeChat name was an English name: Leo.

They hadn’t chatted yet after adding each other.

Mainly because there were too many things going on.

Qiu Dan saw Ji Ting and immediately waved: “Over here.”

Ji Ting paused for a moment, then smiled and walked over. She was dressed casually today: a fitted sweater, a jacket, and jeans. As she approached, Qiu Dan took her hand and said, “This is the landlady you’ve met before, and this is her son, Fang Yu.”

Ji Ting greeted the landlady: “Hello, Auntie.”

Then she looked at the man and nodded: “Hello.”

Fang Yu looked at the pretty Ji Ting and continued to smile: “Hello.”

His smile was very bright.

Ji Ting also smiled slightly, though it was a bit sudden, and she wasn’t very prepared. She linked arms with Qiu Dan, who patted her hand and said to the landlady, “Since she’s here, let’s go eat.”

The landlady smiled and said, “Let’s go, Ji Ting. We’ve booked a Cantonese restaurant. Your mom said you like this, is that okay?”

Ji Ting shook her head: “Auntie, you can decide. I’m fine with anything.”

“Ah, we must listen to you,” the landlady said with a smile.

The supermarket had another exit. The four of them walked out through that door. Fang Yu’s face was constantly smiling, his double eyelids giving him a sunny appearance, and he seemed like a quite polite man.