Burn Out - Chapter 74

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It’s the first time in all these years that Yucheng has mentioned having a girlfriend. Ji Lindong is quite pleased for Tan Hui, it’s the right age for marriage, and they no longer have to worry about their parents.

The two were playing chess.

The door was pushed open, and Qiu Dan entered carrying two lunch boxes. She immediately spotted Tan Yucheng and asked, “Yucheng, when did you arrive?”

Qiu Dan looked a bit surprised.

Tan Yucheng made a move and looked up with a smile, “Aunt Qiu, I’ve been here for a little while.”

“Have you eaten?” Qiu Dan placed the lunch boxes on the table.

Tan Yucheng replied with a smile, “Not yet.”

“You should have said something earlier. Here, this one’s for you.” Qiu Dan put one of the lunch boxes next to Tan Yucheng. He glanced at it and said casually, “Thank you, Aunt.”

“Eat up.” Qiu Dan pushed the other lunch box towards Ji Lindong.

Ji Lindong took it and reminded Qiu Dan, “Remember to get another one for yourself. I had the kitchen prepare some soup for you.”

“Got it, don’t worry.” Qiu Dan replied, then stood up and left. As she closed the door, she saw her husband, smiling broadly and chatting with Yucheng, completely absorbed in the chess game.

Qiu Dan shook her head as she closed the door.

The office lights cast a glow on Tan Yucheng’s features. Even in this somewhat cluttered office, he still appeared relaxed and distinguished.

At nine in the evening.

Tan Yucheng bid farewell to Ji Lindong and Qiu Dan. After a whole evening of playing chess, his tie was slightly loosened, his collar a bit open. With his broad shoulders and long legs, he looked quite casual. He walked out from the self-checkout area towards the parking spaces outside the supermarket.

Ji Lindong and Qiu Dan stood at the door to see him off, watching the black car back out and drive away. Two young women from the tobacco and alcohol counter nearby approached, blinking and asking, “Mr. Ji, Mrs. Qiu…”

Ji Lindong and Qiu Dan turned to look at them.

The two young women, looking shy and hesitant, asked, “Could you tell us the name of the man who just left?”

Qiu Dan’s expression was one of “I knew it.”

Seeing their bashful and timid expressions, Ji Lindong said gently, “He already has a girlfriend.”

“Ah?” The young women were taken aback.

Qiu Dan paused for a moment and looked at Ji Lindong, “Yucheng has a girlfriend?”

Ji Lindong nodded and put an arm around his wife’s shoulder, saying, “Yes, he admitted it to me today.”

Qiu Dan was surprised.

The two young women realized that the bosses were no longer paying attention to them and, hearing that the man already had a girlfriend, quietly retreated, their courage completely drained.

After a moment of surprise, Qiu Dan said, “No wonder she was anxious to ask me about boyfriends the other day.”

“Is she planning to settle?”

Ji Lindong, not entirely agreeing, said, “Tingting isn’t the type to settle for less. She might have just encountered someone who piqued her interest and wanted to give it a try.”

“Trying is fine… but…” Qiu Dan remembered the type of person Tingting had mentioned and glanced over at the two young women still discussing with flushed faces.

Yucheng’s girlfriend might have a hard time.

Tingting shouldn’t have to go through that kind of difficulty.

By the time they reached their age, they were well aware that in the world of marriage, it’s not always possible to avoid the complexities and temptations that come with it. Even though Ji Lindong was relatively refined in middle age, there were still many little intrigues in the supermarket. Qiu Dan had been troubled by this many times and had to dismiss several employees.

Of course, she herself had her own aspirations.

After dinner that evening, Ji Ting cleaned up the Sunset. The bookshelf had new books, old ones were sent for maintenance and would be returned in a week. New books included additional magazines, and since Xiao Wan liked reading novels, Ji Ting had bought a small cabinet for her.

In many coffee shops, bookshelves eventually just become decorative, with books either gathering dust or dwindling in number. However, Ji Ting’s situation was different. Books could be rented, and since the nearby white-collar workers lived in rented apartments, buying too many books could be inconvenient when moving. Therefore, they rented books from the store, returning them after reading. The rental fee was very low.

If they had specific books they wanted to read, they could also give Ji Ting a list to help them acquire them.

After finishing up with the Sunset, it was time to clock out.

Ji Ting returned to her apartment, hand-washed her newly bought underwear, hung it to dry, then took a bath herself. Dressed in comfortable pajamas, she turned on the warm light and snuggled on the sofa to watch a variety show.

The door lock clicked open.

Ji Ting turned to look.

The door closed as Tan Yucheng entered, removing his tie and looking up. Their eyes met, and Ji Ting, leaning with her hand on her face in a relaxed manner, asked softly, “Back from my supermarket?”

Tan Yucheng took off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and nodded.

Ji Ting, still in a relaxed mood, didn’t respond further, her lips curling up slightly. As Tan Yucheng walked over, he bent down and kissed her lips, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. After a moment, Tan Yucheng pulled back slightly, gazing into her eyes, and said, “I spent the whole evening playing chess with Uncle Ji.”

Ji Ting listened, her eyes shimmering.

She understood his intention and was touched.

Her eyes curved into a smile.

Tan Yucheng kissed her forehead again, his eyes filled with a smile, and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Ji Ting replied with a soft “mm-hmm.”

She continued hugging a cushion while watching the variety show.

Tan Yucheng went into the bedroom to get his pajamas and then entered the bathroom. He noticed a small stain on the collar of his shirt and realized it was a concealer from this morning.

He peeked his head out and asked Ji Ting, “How do I deal with this concealer?”

Ji Ting looked over.

Seeing the slight stain on his black collar, she quickly understood. She stepped off the carpet, walked barefoot over to him, and said, “Just use a makeup remover pad to wipe it off.”

Ji Ting stepped onto the damp bathroom floor, opened the cabinet to get a makeup remover pad, and turned back to clean his collar, standing on tiptoe.

Tan Yucheng looked down at her.

He wrapped one arm around her waist to steady her, so she wouldn’t slip on the wet floor.

After Ji Ting finished cleaning, the bite marks from last night had turned a bit bruised and were quite visible, almost like a tattoo. She looked up and said, “Actually, it looks pretty good.”

Tan Yucheng raised an eyebrow, “You left a nice mark.”

Ji Ting gave his shoulder a light punch. Tan Yucheng chuckled and glanced at the mirror, where the mark on his collar was clearly visible. It did look good, as if she had left her mark on him.

He turned his gaze back, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, “Let’s shower together.”

Ji Ting reflexively started to move away.

The next moment, she was lifted onto the vanity. Ji Ting exclaimed softly, and her lips were kissed by him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt with her fingertips and soon had her arms around his neck.

Outside, the variety show was filled with laughter.

A guest had fallen into the mud.

In the bathroom, the interplay of light and shadows created a delicate scene. Ji Ting’s shirt slid off, revealing her collarbone like a glistening pool of water. Her expression was dreamy, and her long, straight legs were wrapped around his waist.

Late at night.

Yu Xi was on the night shift. After finishing up, she walked out of the hotel and saw Meng Jia standing not far from the entrance, smoking a cigarette and wearing seven-centimeter high heels, her arms crossed.

Yu Xi, dressed in a suit, approached and asked, “Are you coming in, or are you just going to stand out here?”

Meng Jia glanced at her and replied, “No, I’m not going in.”

“What time do you finish?”

“Early tomorrow morning. But if you want to grab a late-night snack, I can take a two-hour break to go with you.”

“Then please.”

Yu Xi nodded, took out her phone, dialed a number, and requested time off. Meng Jia saw this and took her arm, pulling her towards a nearby 24-hour convenience store.

As Yu Xi put away her phone and glanced at Meng Jia, she asked, “Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Meng Jia looked at Yu Xi, extinguished her cigarette, and said, “Figure out what? Tan Yucheng and Ji Ting?”

Yu Xi nodded.

Meng Jia clenched her teeth and said, “When I was pursuing Tan Yucheng, you weren’t this concerned. Now you’re trying to push me to quickly come to terms with it so they can be happy together?”

Yu Xi sighed and said, “I never said that. I haven’t asked about your feelings these past few days because I’ve been respecting your thoughts.”

Meng Jia rolled her eyes, ordered a bunch of curry fish balls with a lot of garlic chili sauce, while Yu Xi grabbed two bottles of yogurt. They paid and stood at a high table.

Meng Jia quickly skewered the fish balls with a toothpick and ate them one after another.

Yu Xi sipped her yogurt, leaning against the high table, and looked at Meng Jia. “Although Ji Ting doesn’t say much, she really cares about you. Over the years, we’ve often bothered her at the store, but she’s never gotten angry. Your place is so far away, and she’s always driving to bring you a cup or two of coffee, sometimes even letting you take cakes from her shop. She’s never complained.”

Meng Jia pursed her lips and ate a fish ball. “I haven’t even bought her any pretty or expensive bags.”

“If you don’t buy them for her, does that mean she won’t have any? Tan Yucheng will buy them for her.”

Meng Jia glanced at Yu Xi sharply upon hearing this.

Yu Xi smiled and met Meng Jia’s gaze. “It’s good to think more about Ji Ting.”

Meng Jia clicked her tongue in response.

She tore open the yogurt, inserted a straw, and started drinking.

Yu Xi held the yogurt bottle and said, “Anyway, I really wish the best for Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng.”

“When I see those classmates discussing Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng in the group, I feel happy. I don’t even know why I’m so happy, but it’s clear that Ji Ting is beautiful, no less than Shu Xiao. She deserves to be talked about and envied.”

Meng Jia didn’t say anything.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, it was true—Ji Ting deserved it.

Early the next morning.

Ji Ting woke up a bit late. Still dazed, she yawned in her spaghetti strap dress as she walked out and saw Tan Yucheng, dressed in gray top and pants, sitting on the sofa and scrolling through a tablet, apparently working.

Ji Ting walked over and lazily sat in his lap.

Tan Yucheng’s lips curved into a slight smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Ji Ting draped her arms around his neck, rested her head on his shoulder, and glanced at his tablet. “What’s this?”

It took her a few seconds to realize, “Shijings?”

“You’ve redecorated?”

Ji Ting, now more awake, leaned in to take a closer look.

“Shijings” is the first camping-themed restaurant opened by Tan Yucheng. It became an instant hit upon its launch due to its large space and trendy decor at the time. Over the years, camping became highly popular, and his restaurant became a pioneer in the camping trend. Although he initially considered it a side project, the business has always been thriving. The tablet now displays the new style of the camping-themed “Shijings.”

Tan Yucheng swiped through the screen to show her the newly renovated look. He said, “We started this two months ago, both inside and out.”

Ji Ting looked at it and praised, “It’s great, it has more of an atmospheric feel now.”

Initially, Shijings had an outdoor style.

Now, with the addition of new courtyard styles, the overall atmosphere has been significantly enhanced.

Tan Yucheng, pleased with her praise, showed her the entire renovation and said, “Let’s invite Long Kong and the others to the restaurant tonight.”

“It’s been so long, the anger should have subsided by now.”

Tan Yucheng’s voice was relaxed and his tone casual.

Ji Ting thought about Long Kong spreading rumors in the group and figured that the anger should have faded.

Tan Yucheng then entered the 5-person group that had joined later.

Tan: Going to Shijings tonight. It’s on me.

After sending the message.

There was a brief silence.

Long Kong: Sure.

Yu Xi: Great!

Meng Jia: .

Meng Jia’s response, a simple period, seemed to carry some emotion, but Tan Yucheng didn’t care. Ji Ting, on the other hand, was contemplating. She took the tablet, clicked into the chat, and edited the message. Using her own account, she gently added a message.

Ji Ting: Meng Jia

Meng Jia: Go go go!

Meng Jia quickly replied with those three words.

Ji Ting laughed.

Tan Yucheng looked at her and snorted lightly, “Does it really matter whether she goes or not?”

Ji Ting gave him a glance.

Tan Yucheng raised his eyebrows slightly and turned her from sitting sideways to face him. Ji Ting, caught off guard, found herself facing him directly. She propped herself up on his shoulder and asked, “Aren’t you working today?”

Tan Yucheng leaned back in his chair, his long legs slightly apart, while she sat on his lap. Her skirt was a bit disheveled, her eyes were pretty with a hint of sleepiness. He replied, “Recently, I can afford to start work a bit later.”

Ji Ting responded with an “oh.”

She yawned and leaned back into his arms, falling asleep again.

Anyway, the store was opening early this morning.

In the evening, they were going out.

By around 5 PM, Ji Ting went back to the apartment to change clothes. She put on a beige blouse and a long denim skirt, letting her hair fall over her shoulders. She grabbed her bag and went downstairs. The black car was parked there, and she got in after opening the door.

Tan Yucheng, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, still had the bite marks on his collar from earlier, which were still somewhat visible. He adjusted the seatbelt for her and gave her a kiss on the lips before starting the car.

Ji Ting’s eyes curved into a smile as the black car drove away.

At sunset, they arrived at Shijings.

Since the last visit, when Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng had just started their relationship, things had changed quite a bit. Ji Ting, in high heels, held Tan Yucheng’s hand as they walked in to see the newly renovated space. The staff at the restaurant recognized Ji Ting as someone familiar but soon realized that she must be the future boss’s wife.

She looked truly beautiful.

After taking a tour of the restaurant, they returned to the outermost table. The staff had already prepared a fruit salad for Ji Ting.

Tan Yucheng sat next to her, opening a bottle of beer.

Before long, Long Kong arrived in his car, followed by Yu Xi’s vehicle. The two of them got out and walked up the slope. Ji Ting looked up, waved her hand, and Yu Xi, smiling, hurried over and sat down next to Ji Ting. She leaned over to greet Tan Yucheng, “Good evening, Tan Yucheng.”

Tan Yucheng glanced at her, took a beer glass, and poured a drink for each person.

Ji Ting looked towards Long Kong.

Long Kong wore a familiar smile, the kind he had as the class monitor back in the day. He pulled up a chair and sat down, saying, “Good evening, Ji Ting.”

Ji Ting smiled and replied, “Good evening.”

Tan Yucheng pushed a beer towards Long Kong.

Long Kong accepted it, clinked glasses with Tan Yucheng, and took a sip. He then turned to Tan Yucheng and asked, “You’ve redecorated?”

Tan Yucheng nodded and picked up a skewer, placing the eel skewer on Ji Ting’s plate. Ji Ting picked up her chopsticks to eat while Long Kong watched Tan Yucheng’s actions.

Actually, Tan Yucheng used to take care of Ji Ting like this a long time ago.

Long Kong shrugged and said, “That’s really nice.”

Tan Yucheng raised an eyebrow, “What’s nice?”

Long Kong pointed at Tan Yucheng and Ji Ting, “You two are a great match.”

Tan Yucheng’s lips curved into a slight smile, “Of course.”

Long Kong: “…..”

Yu Xi, who was listening from the side, covered her mouth and laughed, linking her arm with Ji Ting’s, “Tan Yucheng is quite confident.”

Ji Ting smiled.

The two of them continued to enjoy the barbecue.

After a while, a black luxury SUV pulled up, and Meng Jia, wearing a tank top and shorts with high heels, walked up the slope. She was alone, struggling a bit, and muttered a few curses in Cantonese.

Yu Xi laughed out loud, quickly got up, and went to help her.

Ji Ting was pulled over by Yu Xi. Wearing high heels herself, Meng Jia could only reach out from where she stood. When Meng Jia looked up and saw Ji Ting’s delicate hand and her smiling, pretty eyes, she grabbed Ji Ting’s hand with a bit of deliberate force. However, when she met Tan Yucheng’s gaze, who was drinking with his collar undone, Meng Jia hesitated, her grip loosening as she obediently climbed to the top of the slope.

Ji Ting smiled at her, sensing her deliberate effort.

Meng Jia met Ji Ting’s smiling eyes. There was no anger or negative emotion in Ji Ting’s gaze, as if she had seen through Meng Jia’s intentions. Meng Jia clicked her tongue in resignation.

Forget it.

She linked her arm with Ji Ting’s and asked, “When are you getting married?”

Ji Ting, led by Meng Jia, was slightly taken aback by the question. She replied, “Not that soon.”

“You’ll truly belong to him once you’re married,” Meng Jia said with a smile.

Ji Ting glanced at her and asked, “Are you sure?”

Meng Jia: “…..”

Ugh.

Ji Ting was too clear-headed.

At the table, Ji Ting adjusted her skirt and took her seat. Yu Xi sat beside her, and Meng Jia sat next to Long Kong. Tan Yucheng didn’t pour wine for Meng Jia, Ji Ting did it for her.

She passed the drink to Meng Jia.

Tan Yucheng’s arm occasionally rested on the armrest of Ji Ting’s chair, casually sipping his drink.

The three women chatted among themselves.

Long Kong and Tan Yucheng talked about their topics.

Occasionally, Long Kong would bring up interesting topics, and the women would listen and discuss.

Ji Ting, finding something amusing, leaned closer to Tan Yucheng to speak with him. Tan Yucheng looked down and listened, holding her hand, their affection was completely unguarded.

Meng Jia looked up, resting her chin on her hand and squinting her eyes.

Long Kong, completely at ease, smiled and said, “Brother Cheng, Ji Ting, aren’t you planning to make it public?”

Yu Xi leaned in and added, “Yes, yes!”

Tan Yucheng raised his eyebrows and looked at Ji Ting.

Ji Ting leaned against the armrest, with her arm resting on his. As he held her hand, they gazed at each other. Tan Yucheng’s lips curled into a slight smile, “Make it public?”

Ji Ting’s heart raced, and she said, “Sure.”

Tan Yucheng took out his phone and started typing.

Ji Ting also took out her phone, went to her Moments, and hesitated over which photo to use. She eventually chose a picture of him. Before posting, she leaned close to Tan Yucheng and whispered, “…My parents.”

Tan Yucheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

A few seconds later, he had blocked her future parents-in-law.

Then he sent the post.

Ji Ting did the same, blocking both sets of parents, and then sent her post.

A few seconds later.

His post featured a photo taken in her living room, showing her sitting on the carpet reading a book, with a focused profile.

Tan Yucheng: Chosen by the heart, words cannot describe.

Photo.

Ji Ting: Happy to stand by your side.

Photo.

The two posts were just seconds apart.

As soon as they were posted, their mutual friends and classmates were notified.

Jiang Li: Are they together?

Asan: Congratulations, congratulations.

A female classmate: Wow, Tan Yucheng, your confession is so high-end.

A male classmate: Ji Ting is so beautiful, and now she’s with Tan Yucheng.

Jiang Li: Ji Ting is so gentle.

Wen Nanxi: So nice.

Fu Yan: Yes, congratulations. Friends becoming a couple.

Asan: Wish you both the best. Get married soon!

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