Burn Out - Chapter 61

Ji Ting’s sleepiness was somewhat dispelled. He instinctively pressed his hand, it remained still, but his shoulder was propped up. He kissed her neck, also feeling a bit drowsy, but his actions were still passionate. Ji Ting slightly pushed him away, feeling his body burning with heat. He first kissed her neck and then moved downward.

Ji Ting’s voice was soft, “Tan Yucheng.”

“Mm?” He buried his face in her neck, kissing her, and lightly responded. Ji Ting tilted her head back, taking deep breaths to break free from the desire awakened from sleep. The familiar scent of each other intertwined in the air—Ji Ting’s bath scent was unchanged for ten years, as was Tan Yucheng’s, both purchased by Xiao Xi. They were so familiar with each other’s scent that it had now become a catalyst.

Tan Yucheng sucked on her lips and asked softly, “Why are you calling me?”

Ji Ting rarely called his name. She placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed, but he didn’t move. His lips were firmly on hers, his tongue exploring, pressing against hers, and teasing her deeper. Ji Ting held onto his shoulder with force. The sensation of the kiss, magnified in the darkness, intensified her need with a mix of longing and resistance.

A nearby lamp cast a soft orange glow, casting shadows. The rain outside created a faint background noise, masking the subtle sounds in the room. He buried his face in her neck, his shoulder blades propped up, and his muscles clearly defined. The kisses were firm while his palms were roaming.

Her fair skin was heated by the warmth.

He had brought nothing, so they wouldn’t go all the way, but the kisses were persistent. Ji Ting’s eyes were a bit red as she gripped his wrist. He smiled and whispered in her ear, “I’m not prepared, but I can make you more comfortable.”

Ji Ting looked at him.

Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and with the sound of rain outside, she was extraordinarily beautiful at that moment. Tan Yucheng thought to himself that once you meet a woman you physiologically desire, it’s basically over.

He brushed aside her hair and sealed her lips once more. Ji Ting gripped his wrist, leaving marks on his skin, as he kissed her, sinking into the pillow. As the heating in the room warmed up, the heat between them intensified. The phone by the pillow vibrated, indicating an incoming call—it was Ji Ting’s phone, which Tan Yucheng had accidentally knocked to the floor.

Neither of them looked at the phone, but Ji Ting noticed the noise. When he moved away slightly, she softly protested, “The phone.”

Tan Yucheng buried his face in her neck again, moving downward, inhaling the scent of her skin. In a low, husky voice, he replied, “I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow if it’s broken…”

His voice was very low, somewhat muddled and hoarse, accompanied by the sound of the rain.

The phone on the floor was still on a call.

The name “Shu Xiao” was displayed on the screen.

She heard Ji Ting’s voice, soft and enchanting, and vaguely also heard a man’s voice. The voice was so pleasant over the phone that it could make a woman scream, but Shu Xiao hesitated to hang up. The man’s voice made her hesitate, but since he didn’t speak again, after a moment, Shu Xiao silently ended the call.

They continued their entanglement until late into the night. Ji Ting, with her pajamas messy, had fallen asleep in front of him. Tan Yucheng, lying on his side, held her in his arms and also fell asleep. The rain continued all night.

By morning, water droplets slid down the window, and everything outside was damp.

Ji Ting was still asleep.

Tan Yucheng got out of bed. She had fallen asleep with her face buried in the pillow, her messy clothing revealing white and pink skin, along with some faint marks. Her sleeping posture was completely defenseless. Tan Yucheng swallowed, covered her with a blanket, and put on his slippers to leave. Chen Fei called early to ask about the final progress of the night.

While answering the call, Tan Yucheng entered the bathroom to wash up, saying, “It’s not resolved yet.”

Chen Fei was shocked. “What? What do we do now? There’s so little left. Did you get too tired last night and fall asleep, Brother Tan?”

Tan Yucheng came out of the bathroom, grabbed Ji Ting’s tablet, opened her food delivery app, and ordered breakfast, paying for it himself. He then responded to Chen Fei, “I wasn’t home last night.”

Chen Fei was momentarily stunned.

He blinked.

Was he at Ji Ting’s place?

And did he neglect his work?

After Tan Yucheng completed the payment, he told Chen Fei, “I’ll handle it when I get back to the office.”

Chen Fei came to his senses and replied, “OK, OK.”

He didn’t dare to ask further and ended the call.

Ji Ting, still asleep, turned over in bed, causing the blanket to slide off. She vaguely heard someone talking outside and woke up from her dream. Instinctively propping herself up, she realized her pajamas were messy, with the shoulder of her loose pajamas slipping down. She covered her face, recalling the scenes from last night, and mentally cursed the man outside.

She thought he had taken advantage of her, but she was aware of her actions.

It wasn’t entirely his fault.

She closed her eyes and then opened them again, realizing she was tempted by physical attraction.

She tidied her pajamas, got out of bed, and saw her phone next to the bedside table. Bending down, she picked it up and saw there had been a call from Shu Xiao last night, and it had been answered.

She was momentarily stunned.

The call lasted about 50 seconds.

She remembered the phone vibrating when it fell last night; it must have accidentally answered then.

50 seconds.

It was a short time.

Did Shu Xiao hang up because she didn’t respond?

Ji Ting held the phone, feeling a sense of ridiculousness. She wondered if she had heard anything.

She didn’t want to think too much about it and decided to move on.

After getting out of bed, she tied up her hair and opened the door. Tan Yucheng was sitting on the sofa, looking quite composed as he scrolled through his phone. Breakfast had been delivered and was on the table. He glanced at her.

“Go wash up.”

Ji Ting met his gaze for a moment before turning and heading to the bathroom, her demeanor carrying a hint of reproach and coquettishness. Tan Yucheng raised an eyebrow, relieved internally, and smiled slightly. He held his phone in one hand and opened the breakfast box with the other.

Ji Ting finished washing up quickly and came out, first drinking a glass of warm water.

Tan Yucheng handed her the breakfast, which she took with the chopsticks. He noticed that her box contained eggs, but she didn’t like rice rolls with eggs, so he swapped it for her.

Ji Ting was about to eat and noticed the change. Missing the egg, she started eating quietly.

Tan Yucheng ate while replying to messages. After finishing, he cleaned up the takeout containers and glanced at her. “I’m leaving.”

Ji Ting sipped her water and nodded.

He closed the door behind him, wearing a black coat and casually carrying the takeout bag. After closing the door, he lit a cigarette and walked to the elevator.

Ji Ting watched him leave, then put down her cup and went into the bedroom to change.

She then headed downstairs to the shop. She needed to visit the branch today. After a night of rain, the greenery by the roadside was covered in water droplets.

When she arrives at the branch.

—

Tan Yucheng sent an email, changed into a black shirt and suit jacket without a tie, leaving one button undone. Chen Fei put the laptop into a briefcase.

They waited outside.

Soon, Tan Yucheng came out, handing the briefcase to Chen Fei and two other programmers. They all went downstairs and got into Tan Yucheng’s black car, driving toward Li University.

The university’s gatekeeper let them through quickly.

The black car stopped, and they got out, heading toward the Computer Science Department. Upon entering the computer lab, two professors approached and said, “You’re finally here.”

Tan Yucheng smiled, “I’m not late, am I? Professor Chen.”

“Last week we emailed Wen Nanxi, who said to send the company’s vice president. Are you the vice president?”

Tan Yucheng’s lips curled slightly, and his voice was low：”Just a nominal title.”

“I know you, Tan Yucheng. It’s not just a nominal title. Let’s go.”

Tan Yucheng nodded and followed the two professors, along with a few graduate students. Professor Chen had a project on simulated cities that involved network fraud. There were several aspects that couldn’t be penetrated at the moment and required Wen Nanxi’s technology, but since Wen Nanxi was still on leave, Fu Yan had called Tan Yucheng to replace her.

Tan Yucheng stood beside Professor Chen, who had placed his computer on the podium desk.

Professor Chen handed the computer to him, and Tan Yucheng nodded, looking down at it, his fingers gliding over the touchpad while several graduate students watched from the side.

Shu Xiao heard the news.

Passing by the Computer Science Department on her way from the Finance Department, she approached and saw the man at the podium. It had been two or three days since he had replied to her message saying, ‘You’re quite bothersome.’

Since that day, she hadn’t dared to send him any messages.

His messages are not pleasant.

She was holding some finance textbooks, wearing a light spring dress and a thin jacket. Her delicate, beautiful face looked somewhat fragile as she watched the man at the podium.

It thundered last night.

She remembered a summer vacation years ago when a few girls were stuck in a classroom and couldn’t leave. He had come with an umbrella, pushed open the door, and was followed by a few other boys. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Let’s go, we have an umbrella.”

At that moment, he seemed like a savior.

Last night, she recalled that scene. In her fear, she had picked up her phone, intending to call him, but when she thought of his message, she hesitated. Instead, she called Ji Ting, and hearing the vague and faint words from the phone, the voice sounded like his but wasn’t because his voice wasn’t that hoarse.

A student in the computer lab gasped, and a few people leaned in from behind Tan Yucheng, abruptly breaking Shu Xiao’s thoughts and bringing her back to reality.

Her gaze caught a glimpse of the small, red scratches on his exposed wrist.

Were they cat scratches?

Did he have a cat?

Did he like cats?

Shu Xiao’s thoughts wandered.

At this moment, Tan Yucheng looked up and said to one of the programmers in front of him, “Go get the USB drive from the car.”

The programmer put down his laptop and walked out, only to run into Shu Xiao. Shu Xiao was strikingly beautiful, and the programmer was momentarily stunned upon seeing her. His face slightly changed, and he clutched his stomach, which was hurting. His ears turned red. Seeing his discomfort, Shu Xiao gently offered, “Do you need to get something? If so, I can help you.”

The programmer didn’t say a word, but when he looked up and saw Chen Fei on the phone next to the black car, he immediately said, “Could you please tell the guy with the crew cut that he can get it?”

He could no longer endure the pain.

Shu Xiao turned and saw Chen Fei, nodding in agreement. “Sure.”

She quickly descended the steps and headed towards the black car. The programmer watched her go to the car, feeling relieved, and pulled out a crumpled packet of tissues from his pocket before running swiftly to the restroom.

Chen Fei was leaning against the car, still on the phone.

When Shu Xiao approached, Chen Fei didn’t recognize her and was momentarily surprised by her beauty. Shu Xiao quickly explained her purpose, and Chen Fei responded with an “oh,” holding his phone, and opened the car door, saying, “It’s in the center console.”

Shu Xiao nodded and bent down.

The car’s interior was dark-themed, and it was indeed his car, with a faint scent of ebony. When she opened the compartment, she found the USB drive along with a small, hard box.

It was a condom.

Shu Xiao stared at it, stunned for a while. After a moment, her face turned pale, and she looked unsteady. She stood up, and Chen Fei glanced at her, asking, “Did you find it?”

Shu Xiao nodded.

Chen Fei, thinking she was a graduate student from the Computer Science Department, assumed her delicate appearance meant she was shy and said, “If you’ve got it, take it to Brother Tan.”

Shu Xiao turned and walked back towards the computer lab.

The graduate student who had just returned from the restroom came back and asked Shu Xiao for the USB drive. Shu Xiao, a bit dazed, handed it to him. He took the USB drive and entered the room, passing it to Tan Yucheng. Tan Yucheng unbuttoned his sleeve and received it.

On his exposed wrist,

There were two distinct scratches, which looked like cat scratches but weren’t quite the same.

Shu Xiao stared at the man, lost in thought.

—

The business at the branch mainly picks up in the evening; during the day, only in the afternoon is there some activity, with mornings being quite empty. While there are office buildings around, they are few, and residential areas are more prevalent, so there are fewer customers coming in for coffee. In contrast, afternoon tea and evening chats attract many more customers. Initially, the branch’s working hours matched those of the main store.

However, after some time of operation, Ji Ting adjusted the working hours.

The mornings were pushed back to 11 AM, and evenings extended to 11 PM, with evening shifts receiving extra compensation. After the adjustment, everyone was satisfied. Nowadays, young people stay up late and wake up late, so a later schedule with extra pay was even better and justified late nights.

In the branch until the afternoon.

Ji Ting returned to the main store.

As soon as she entered the door she received a package and opened it.

It was a black phone, the latest model replacing her old one. Xiao Wan peeked over and said, “Brother Tan Yucheng bought this for you.”

Ji Ting picked up the phone and took a picture of it to send to him.

She sent it to his black profile picture.

Ji Ting: My old phone still works.

Tan: Then keep it.

Ji Ting: Do you have too much money?

Tan: I give you enough to spend.

Ji Ting: …..

She didn’t bother to reply. She put the phone back, closed the lid, and took it into the break room. When she came out, she saw Shu Xiao coming in through the door. Shu Xiao looked a bit pale, with a hint of tears in her eyes. She said with a smile, “I came for a cup of coffee.”

Xiao Zhou was wiping cups at the counter and glanced at Ji Ting upon seeing Shu Xiao. Ji Ting’s expression remained calm. She walked over and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

Shu Xiao looked at Ji Ting and said, “An iced Americano.”

Tan Yucheng had recently taken a liking to iced Americanos.

Shu Xiao had previously always ordered a hot cappuccino.

Ji Ting rolled up her sleeves and went behind the counter to prepare the drink. Soon, she brought a cup of iced Americano over to Shu Xiao. Shu Xiao grabbed Ji Ting’s wrist and said, “Let’s sit down and chat?”

Ji Ting gave her a look and sat down across from her.

It had rained last night, and while the sky was gradually clearing up today, some moisture still lingered. There were marks left on the glass windows of the shop, and Shu Xiao sat by the window. Her already pale complexion made her look like a porcelain doll.

Ji Ting recalled Shu Xiao’s phone call last night and wondered if she had heard anything.

Shu Xiao took a sip of the coffee. The pure taste of the Americano was unfamiliar to her, and she put the cup down quickly. She looked at Ji Ting and said, “Ji Ting, time really changes a lot of things, doesn’t it?”

Ji Ting leaned back in her chair and, after listening, looked at her and asked softly, “Why do you ask that?”

Shu Xiao tightened her grip on the cup.

The image of the condom in the black car’s center console came to mind. She had imagined many possibilities but had never considered that someone new might be in his life. She was still dreaming of rekindling their old relationship. As she looked at Ji Ting’s beautiful face, she wanted to ask her something but was reminded of the hoarse voice she had heard in her confusion last night. Ji Ting also had a man by her side.

The man’s voice had been low and muffled, making it unclear.

Shu Xiao lowered her head and murmured, “A lot has changed.”

Ji Ting noticed the delicate, fragile look in Shu Xiao’s eyes and the shift from her pale face to her murmuring. Clearly, something had happened. Ji Ting thought of her own questions, tightened her fingertips slightly, and turned to get some tissues, placing them in front of Shu Xiao.

Shu Xiao looked at the tissues for a few seconds, then lifted her head, shook it, and smiled, saying, “I’m fine.”

Her smile was indeed beautiful.

But there was a hint of fragility.