Burn Out - Chapter 63

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This is the second time he posted on his Moments after she took a photo of the night sky at their gathering. Again, he just posted a photo without any accompanying words.

For someone like him, who posts on Moments only once every few months and whose Moments are usually just for show, every update he makes attracts a swarm of comments and likes, like bees to honey.

Zhou Xiong: Something’s off. He posted another sky photo last time too. There’s definitely something going on with Brother Tan.

Chen Fei: I just smile and say nothing.

Yu Xi: Tsk, tsk. Tan Yucheng, you went to see the meteor shower too?

Long Kong: @Yu Xi, does he look like the type who would do such a thing alone?

Yu Xi: @Long Kong, looks like you understand him well.

Feng Yingying, Meng Jia, Zhong Yu, Asan, Jiang Li, Chen Fei, and Long Kong all liked the post. Shu Xiao also saw this Moments update and the photo—an expansive starry sky, falling meteors, and the eternal night of the galaxy—all seemed romantic. Someone like him would never go to see meteors alone, he must have gone with someone.

She couldn’t help but think of the condoms in his car and the scratches on his cuff—scratches that were likely made by human nails, not a cat.

Who is his “her”?

In the dorm, two graduate students were chatting about tonight’s meteor shower. One of them said, “There were so many people at Zicui Mountain tonight. It was packed, and there were even influencers live-streaming the meteors.”

“Ah, I saw it. It was really beautiful. It’s a shame I couldn’t be there in person.”

“You were asleep. When I called you, you were sleeping like a log.”

“Hey, watch your language.”

“I’m telling you, while climbing the mountain tonight, I even ran into a handsome guy. The really handsome kind, with a great physique and wearing a suit while climbing. So cool.”

“Wow, really? Did you take a photo?”

“I didn’t dare to. I watched him for a long time with my eyes. There was also a girl next to him, and he kept protecting her, making sure she walked inside.”

“Wow, it sounds like a CEO taking time off to accompany his little wife for a mountain climb and meteor shower.”

The other girl laughed loudly. The two of them, huddled together on the bed, were excitedly discussing the latest completed adult manga in their QQ group chat, laughing together. Shu Xiao sat at the table, silent, just staring at the Moments post that many of her classmates had liked.

Meng Jia tagged Ji Ting: “Did you see the meteors?”

Ji Ting didn’t reply.

After Ji Ting scrolled through Moments, she accidentally saw again the night sky photo he had posted earlier, the one she took. The colors were edited, the weather at that time was perfect. Behind them, their parents were playing Go, talking softly.

She and he were sitting on deck chairs on the balcony. She even tried his cigarettes. It’s rare for him to post on Moments casually, but he posted a photo she took back then.

The comments section was abuzz with speculation, creating a stir. Even though it was clear this was a misunderstanding, he still did it.

Just like how he expressed his feelings now by posting her meteor photo on Moments, it seemed to be conveying something subtly. Ji Ting suddenly noticed these details.

A flurry of emotions stirred within her.

She propped her face up, her eyes glimmering with joy from discovering such details.

Ding.

A chat notification from Meng Jia popped up on the screen.

Ji Ting reached out and opened it.

Meng Jia: What are you doing?

Ji Ting paused before replying: Daydreaming.

Meng Jia: I thought you were watching that crappy movie again.

Ji Ting: …What crappy movie?

Meng Jia: Xixili.

Ji Ting: I’m surprised you remember.

Meng Jia: Yu Xi talks about it every day.

Ji Ting: I’ve started liking other movies.

Meng Jia: Uh, whatever.

Meng Jia: I’m still in the UK. I’ll come find you when I’m back.

Ji Ting replied with an OK.

Since before the New Year, Meng Jia had gone abroad with her mother to celebrate, and she still hasn’t returned. She’s been in frequent contact with Yu Xi and posts often on Moments, but she rarely messages Ji Ting directly.

It’s a rare occurrence, one or two times.

The weather cleared up the next day, with the sun coming out. The branches and leaves, which had been soaked by the rain, looked much greener. The glass, which had been slicked by the rain, still bore some faint traces. Early in the morning, when Ji Ting arrived at the shop, Xiao Zhou was busy cleaning the windows with a part-timer. As Ji Ting was about to push open the door, Xiao Zhou smiled and poked her head out, saying, “There’s breakfast on the table.”

Ji Ting raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did you make it?”

“Of course not. It’s bird’s nest porridge from the private chef upstairs,” Xiao Zhou winked.

Ji Ting immediately understood. She walked in, placed her bag in the break room, and noticed the bouquet of roses was still there. She planned to remove the petals and make a rose-scented sachet.

She washed her hands and came out to find a serving of bird’s nest porridge and corn on the table. The private chef’s corn was delicious, and there was also a delivery receipt with his number on it.

Ji Ting sat down to eat.

While she was checking her phone, a message came in from the black profile picture.

Tan: [Transferred 5000]

Tan: Fifteen cups of coffee.

Ji Ting replied: There was still money left from last time.

Tan: Keep it.

Ji Ting:…..

Ji Ting clicked her tongue lightly.

She accepted the transfer.

She asked what kind of coffee he wanted, and he said iced Americano.

Ji Ting remembered how Shu Xiao had reacted when drinking iced Americano yesterday. Shu Xiao, like her, preferred sweet flavors. The smokiness of the iced Americano was too bitter for Shu Xiao, who wasn’t used to it.

But she ordered it anyway.

She was trying to adjust her taste to suit Tan Yucheng’s preferences.

In the afternoon, Xiao Wan arrived for work. Ji Ting handed over the shop to her and another colleague and went into the break room to handle the rose petals. Later, since Xiao Wan had nothing to do, she came in to help Ji Ting.

So many roses were quite a task. Xiao Wan said, “Sister Ting, you’re so thoughtful to make them into sachets. Such a big bunch of roses would need to be taken away by a sanitation truck.”

Ji Ting replied while plucking petals, “The remaining ones will need to be picked up by the sanitation truck too.”

“Oh, right.” Xiao Wan realized this and looked at the flower branches below. She squatted beside them, cupping her face, and said, “If we had several more bunches like this, our shop would be full.”

Ji Ting smiled and said, “So the chances are very slim.”

Xiao Wan turned to Ji Ting with a curious look and asked, “Sister Ting, when do you plan to agree to Brother Tan Yucheng?”

Ji Ting’s fingers paused, and she looked at Xiao Wan. “Why is it agreeing, and not rejecting?”

This was the first time she faced this topic directly in recent days.

Xiao Wan widened her eyes and said, “But is there anyone else in the world who treats you this well?”

Ji Ting raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Wan seemed to have been won over by the meals Tan Yucheng had ordered these past few days. At noon, he had also ordered abalone mushroom rice and a bowl of shark fin soup per person. Xiao Wan saved her portion for when she started work at two. She turned towards Ji Ting and said, “Sister Ting, do you remember last March during the Qingming Festival, when it rained a lot? I went with you to get some coffee beans, and our car broke down on the way. Brother Tan Yucheng happened to be nearby and came to pick us up. He drove us in another lane and came over with an umbrella. He took you to his car, and his sleeve got wet, but not a single strand of your hair had a trace of moisture.”

“Do you remember that?”

Xiao Wan looked at Ji Ting without moving.

Ji Ting pinched another petal, paused, and looked at Xiao Wan. “I remember. And then?”

“Wow! At that time, I thought to myself, he really is something. He knew that the coffee beans you were holding couldn’t get wet, and you were wearing a dress. He wouldn’t let you get wet and protected you while taking you to the car.”

Xiao Wan shrugged, “I wasn’t so lucky. He told me to run over by myself… Sister Ting, do you remember? I had to use a plastic bag to shield myself.”

Ji Ting: “…..”

It all came back to her.

Xiao Wan leaned in and said, “See? There are so many things you can look back on.”

In the past, she and Xiao Zhou had thought that Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng were very close, but they were just friends. If Ji Ting were to get married in the future, they wondered how Tan Yucheng would feel.

Now, it’s great.

Tan Yucheng has finally taken that 99th step.

Around 4:30.

The sun was setting, casting its light on the glass of Sunset cafe.

Long Kong crouched not far from the street corner, looking troubled, with branches swaying lightly.

Yu Xi got out of a ride-hailing car and came up to him. Seeing him, she asked, “Why are you crouching here?”

Long Kong turned to look at her and said, “I want to go in but don’t dare to. It feels embarrassing.”

“How could it be embarrassing? The flowers you gave don’t seem embarrassing at all!” Yu Xi was surprised. Long Kong was quite romantic, sending such a large bouquet. Now she was curious about Ji Ting’s thoughts, so she specially came in early to chat with Ji Ting. Long Kong looked puzzled, “I just gave that pink rose bouquet and the champagne-colored roses. How could that compare to the 999 roses from Floyd?”

Yu Xi was stunned and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. “Floyd wasn’t the one who gave those roses?”

“No, I wanted to send them, but would it seem a bit like copying if I did it now?” Long Kong looked at Yu Xi, who was shocked to find out that Floyd, not Long Kong, had sent them.

Yu Xi didn’t respond immediately.

Long Kong hesitated and asked, “Do you think it would be okay if I sent 999 roses now?”

If Floyd’s roses aren’t available, he could choose another option.

Yu Xi paused and then squatted beside Long Kong, looking at him, “Are you sure you’re willing to spend that money?”

Long Kong immediately replied, “Of course, I’m willing.”

He was squatting, but his well-maintained physique from years of working out was evident. He had looked like this in high school, and even after nine years, he still did.

Yu Xi was in a different class, but Long Kong was not only good at academics and sports but also popular and well-regarded. Thanks to Ji Ting, she got along well with these top students, with Long Kong being the closest. They were in the same city, so she often took Long Kong’s car when she needed to get around.

As the class monitor, Long Kong was genuinely a nice person. There had been some subtle signs that he liked Ji Ting, but it wasn’t very obvious. They were just friends, and the line between being close and just friends was a bit blurry. However, if he really wanted to pursue Ji Ting, Yu Xi wouldn’t be surprised, even though she was intrigued by the 999 roses from Floyd and curious about who was behind that gesture.

As a friend, Yu Xi leaned a bit towards supporting Long Kong.

She thought for a moment and said, “Since you’re willing, you should take action. Why overthink it? Being indecisive here won’t get you anywhere.”

Long Kong listened and paused, “That makes sense.”

Yu Xi glanced at him, “Besides, you need to show some determination, right? Hiding won’t help.”

Long Kong gained confidence from Yu Xi’s words. He had been so nervous that day when he put the pink roses in Ji Ting’s arms and then ran off. Afterward, he didn’t dare to contact her much. Another person had made a grand show of pursuing Ji Ting and sent the roses, which made other suitors quiet down.

That person clearly had significant resources.

It had intimidated him.

But now, if he took action, he could show his sincerity and also see Ji Ting’s reaction—whether she would continue or end things. It all depended on this time.

With that in mind, Long Kong picked up his phone.

Yu Xi leaned in, initially curious about what Long Kong planned to do, but her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw it was her boss calling. She muttered a curse, waited a moment, and was about to hang up, but the call came through again, accompanied by a message. Seeing the profile picture, Yu Xi knew she couldn’t avoid it. She told Long Kong, “I have to go back to the hotel. My boss has been really annoying lately. If you have any results, let me know.”

Long Kong was scrolling through his phone, squatting there deep in thought. Upon hearing Yu Xi, he waved his hand dismissively and didn’t bother to say much more to her.

Yu Xi felt a bit regretful as she glanced at the Sunset. She was incredibly busy.

She hailed a cab and got in.

In the evening.

As night fell.

Ji Ting, after having dinner with Xiao Wan and the others, was handling a few delivery orders when a small truck pulled up in front of the shop, its lights casting a glow. The truck bore the sign of a fireworks company. A ride-hailing car also arrived, and out stepped Long Kong.

Long Kong, rarely dressed in a suit, was holding a huge bouquet of powder-blue roses and walking towards the shop.

The fireworks company was quite famous, having previously gained prominence with a grand confession event in the capital city.

Xiao Wan looked up in surprise, “Hey, hey, hey, Sister Ting.”

Ji Ting looked up.

She saw the heart-shaped sign from the fireworks company on the truck and Long Kong approaching the shop.

Ji Ting couldn’t help but hope it wasn’t really happening.

She stood there for a few seconds.

Long Kong reached the entrance, looking at her with a smile in his eyes, “Tingting.”

Ji Ting paused and softly asked, “Good evening. Would you like some coffee?”

Long Kong smiled, “Let’s save that for next time. Come outside?”

Xiao Wan and Xiao Zhou looked at Ji Ting. Ji Ting pursed her lips, remained silent for a few seconds, and used a tissue to wipe the sweat from her palms. She had her hair pinned up with a hairpin today, with loose strands falling around her face. Wearing a light-colored dress, she walked outside, deep in thought.

Xiao Zhou watched her go.

She quickly grabbed her phone, opened Chen Fei’s contact, and sent a message in a hurry.

A couple of notification sounds followed.

Chen Fei, lounging in his chair, picked up his phone. When he saw the message, he almost dropped it. He quickly passed it to Tan Yucheng, who was standing by the table, leading a meeting. Tan Yucheng glanced at it.

He paused for a few seconds, then looked at the others with an unchanged expression. Holding a pen in his fingers, he said in a low voice, “The meeting is over. Chen Fei will handle the remaining tasks.”

He dropped the pen, loosened his tie, and walked out.

Chen Fei looked at the management team, smiled, and stood up. He said with a chuckle, “I’ll take over. Since he’s gone, let’s all relax a bit.”

The tense bodies of Zhou Xiong and the others relaxed. Although they were pioneers in the business, Tan Yucheng’s presence was still very imposing.

Walking through the office, Tan Yucheng loosened his tie. After going downstairs, he drove out of the underground parking lot in a black car. He made a U-turn at the intersection under the overpass and drove straight to Ji Ting’s cafe. However, there was a small truck parked in the spot, so he couldn’t park there. Tan Yucheng quickly accelerated and turned into an empty space next to the guard booth.

The car screeched to a halt next to the empty non-parking spot beside Sunset cafe.

The sudden noise attracted the attention of Xiao Zhou, Xiao Wan, Long Kong, and Ji Ting.

Long Kong was about to present the bouquet of small flowers to Ji Ting, while Ji Ting was preparing her words. Both of them turned their heads to see the black car window roll down, revealing Tan Yucheng’s distinguished face.

Long Kong’s hand trembled, and he was momentarily stunned.

Tan Yucheng was here too?

Damn.

Xiao Zhou blinked and let out a sigh of relief. He had arrived just in time.

Ji Ting made eye contact with Tan Yucheng, who had a hidden current of coldness in his gaze. She averted her eyes and looked at Long Kong, who was smiling and saying, “Tingting.”

“Would you do me the honor of coming to watch a fireworks show? It’s at Fenghuang Park in the suburbs. I’ve booked the place for tonight.”

Ji Ting hesitated for a moment.

She looked at Long Kong’s serious expression. Over the past few days, Long Kong had barely contacted her. Since the day he sent the pink roses, he hadn’t arranged that late-night snack he mentioned, and now he showed up like this, with the truck’s heart-shaped sign faintly visible behind him.

Ji Ting raised her eyes to Long Kong and said, “The cafe is quite busy tonight with many delivery orders. I can’t leave at the moment.”

Long Kong paused, glancing at the nearly empty cafe where only Xiao Zhou, Xiao Wan, and a part-timer were present. He almost backed out but then gathered his courage and looked at Ji Ting, “It’s just for an hour. It will be quick. Or if you prefer, I can wait here until you’re done.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the black car opened, and a pair of long legs emerged. Ji Ting caught a glimpse of the tall figure and pursed her lips. Looking at Long Kong, she softly said, “Long Kong, I’m really sorry. I don’t have time tonight.”

With those words, it felt as if the opportunity had slipped away.

Long Kong clutched the bouquet of roses tightly, looking at Ji Ting.

Ji Ting’s eyes glistened with a shared sense of guilt.

Long Kong clearly felt her rejection, more pronounced than last time. Last time, she said, ‘But I…’

The rest of her words were swallowed back. He had fled in panic. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke up, “Can’t you give me a chance?”

Ji Ting pursed her lips and gently shook her head.

The surroundings were quiet.

The cafe’s lighting cast a glow on her face. Her eyes were beautiful but firm.

Long Kong stayed silent for a moment before smiling and saying, “Alright.”

At that moment, Xiao Zhou suddenly ran over, peeking in with a cheerful smile and asking, “Brother Long Kong, would you like some coffee? We have a new product tonight. Why don’t you come and give it a try?”

Long Kong needed an excuse.

He looked at Ji Ting.

Ji Ting looked up at him and smiled, “Have a cup. It’s quite unique.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m really looking forward to it,” Long Kong responded immediately. Xiao Zhou, with her keen observation, quickly approached and gestured for him to follow. “Brother Long Kong, let’s go.”

Long Kong cleared his throat and followed Xiao Zhou inside. He picked up his phone and called the fireworks truck outside. Soon, the truck slowly drove away, and the heart-shaped sign on it gradually faded.

The area outside the Sunset cafe returned to quiet.

Ji Ting did not enter the cafe.

She turned to look at the man over there.

Tan Yucheng stood by the car, gripping the window, his knuckles turning white. He slowly released his grip.

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