Burn Out - Chapter 84
She slept soundly, her body and lips becoming soft. Instinctively, she would respond slightly, but Tan Yucheng showed no restraint and continued to kiss her deeply. When he pulled away, her lips were red and moist. Tan Yucheng’s heart raced as he held her waist tightly, burying his face in her neck, trying to calm his heartbeat. He deeply enjoyed her scent, her skin, and everything about her.
His physiological affection had nearly reached its peak, and his emotional affection had also climbed to its highest point.
It took him a long time to calm his racing heart.
In the soft light, after a while, he looked up, slipped one long leg off the sofa, bent down to pick her up, and carried her into the master bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, where her soft nightgown slid up to her thighs, and her fair legs rested on the light-colored sheets. Every moment was beautiful. Tan Yucheng adjusted the covers over her, brushed her long hair, and dimmed the bedside lamp.
He then left the master bedroom, removed his shirt, and went into the bathroom.
After a shower to calm his restlessness, he emerged about twenty minutes later, put on his shirt, wiped the water droplets off his abdomen, tidied up the living room, and turned off the lights before returning to the master bedroom. He knelt on the bed, lay down, and pulled her into his arms. Ji Ting instinctively moved closer, her forehead touching his chin. Tan Yucheng held her tightly, and she settled into a deeper sleep.
He raised his hand to adjust the light.
When the room darkened, their breathing became shallow.
Until midnight, Ji Ting was awoken by pain. Dazedly, she looked up at him and nuzzled closer to him. Tan Yucheng, still deeply asleep, held her and gently soothed her back.
Ji Ting made a few soft, almost spoiled sounds.
In his sleep, Tan Yucheng murmured lazily, “What are you humming about?”
Ji Ting took a breath and hummed a few more times.
She called him, “Tan Yucheng.”
In the middle of the night, when she called out like this, Tan Yucheng’s Adam’s apple moved. He opened his eyes and adjusted her blanket, then gently asked, “What’s wrong? Is it very painful? Do you need some medicine?”
Ji Ting shook her head.
Tan Yucheng asked again, “Do you want some water?”
Ji Ting responded with a couple of “mm” sounds.
Tan Yucheng reached for the thermos on the bedside table, opened it, and handed her the straw. Ji Ting propped herself up, placing her hand on the bed, and drank from the straw.
Tan Yucheng watched her in the dim light.
Another wave of affection washed over him.
After drinking, Ji Ting leaned back into his arms.
Tan Yucheng put the thermos back on the bedside table and turned to hold her again. “Go back to sleep?”
“Mm.”
Ji Ting replied softly.
By the latter half of the night, she felt more comfortable.
They slept until morning. When she woke up, Ji Ting felt warm all over. She looked up and saw his Adam’s apple, then kissed it. Tan Yucheng tightened his hold around her waist and murmured, “Ji Ting.”
Ji Ting smiled and said, “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” he replied.
He moved his Adam’s apple again and whispered, “Wife, good morning.”
Ji Ting, now fully awake, looked at his face. Tan Yucheng also opened his eyes and met her gaze, his hand gently rubbing her waist. “What do you want for breakfast?”
Ji Ting thought for a moment and said, “I want some fried dough sticks and soy milk.”
“We’ll have soy milk another time,” Tan Yucheng said. “Let’s stick to milk.”
“Alright,” Ji Ting agreed.
Sometimes the soy milk downstairs arrives cold, so it’s indeed not ideal.
This is more suitable for this time. Tan Yucheng propped himself up, kissed her forehead, and said, “I’ll go get it for you. You can rest a bit more.”
“Mm.”
Ji Ting was still a bit lazy. Tan Yucheng got out of bed and, as Ji Ting snuggled under the covers and hugged her pillow to absorb the warmth, she thought about how things had changed since they got together.
The pain from her period was no longer so unbearable. In the past, when the pain was severe, she would have to get up in the middle of the night to soak her feet in hot water, but now she didn’t have to.
After all, he was there.
In fact, two years ago, during a particularly painful month, after learning about it, he came to her apartment and spent the night on the sofa in the living room to keep her company. At that time, they were only friends, and many times when she wasn’t feeling well, she would deal with it on her own, only occasionally would he notice and insist on keeping her company.
Ji Ting lingered in bed for a while before getting up. The pain had subsided.
She got out of bed, put on a thin jacket, and went outside to find the delivery had just arrived. Tan Yucheng was sitting on the sofa, unpacking it for her. Ji Ting went into the bathroom to wash up and came out afterward.
She sat down beside him and sipped the hot milk.
Tan Yucheng drank coffee and browsed through emails on his phone, glancing at her. “Do you need to rest this morning?”
Ji Ting picked up a fried dough stick and said, “No, I’m fine now.”
Tan Yucheng acknowledged with a sound.
The fried dough sticks from the downstairs shop were quite large. Ji Ting ate half and couldn’t finish the rest, so she handed it to him. Tan Yucheng took a look, then bent down and ate the remaining half of the dough stick.
Ji Ting wiped her mouth and continued drinking the milk until it was finished.
Tan Yucheng cleaned up the table, threw the trash in the bin, and went to the kitchen to wash his hands. Returning, he buttoned his cufflinks and said, “I’ll go.”
Ji Ting looked up and nodded.
Tan Yucheng picked up a tie from the armrest of the sofa, put it on, took off his jacket, draped it over his arm, leaned in to kiss her lips, and then stood up straight and left.
Bang.
The door closed.
Ji Ting finished her milk on the sofa, stretched lazily, changed her clothes, and went downstairs to the shop.
Summer.
The iced Americano was selling well in the shop, and customers were already ordering it at the counter early in the morning—everyone wanted iced Americano.
The ice machine was working overtime.
The ice machine at the branch broke down after lunch. Ji Ting brought a repairman to check it out and also sorted the inventory data from the last count. By mid-afternoon, the sun was blazing.
It was reflected on the Sunset glass.
When Ji Ting returned to the shop and pushed the door open, she saw four people sitting by the window.
They were all part of the Yanchun team, and Tan Yucheng was among them, wearing a white shirt with the collar slightly open. The tie he had worn in the morning was now removed. There was a computer on the table, and he was talking with Chen Fei and the others.
Next to Chen Fei was a new face. Behind the table was someone familiar, Zhou Xiong, with his arm resting on the back of the chair.
It was quite rare for them to come to the shop for a meeting.
As Ji Ting walked in, Chen Fei saw her immediately and raised his hand in greeting, “Sister Ting.”
Ji Ting smiled slightly and replied, “Good afternoon.”
Tan Yucheng glanced over at her. Their eyes met briefly, and after a moment, Tan Yucheng turned back to continue his conversation with Chen Fei and the others. This glance was different from usual, Ji Ting felt her ears getting warm. She walked into the break room.
Chen Fei and Zhou Xiong exchanged a look at Ji Ting, then grinned and looked away.
The new face noticed that Ji Ting was Tan Yucheng’s girlfriend.
He thought to himself that Tan Yucheng certainly had good taste.
Ji Ting put down the account book in the break room, then came out and went to the counter to wash her hands.
Today, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wan were both on vacation, so the shop had only Zhang Yang, his apprentice, and a part-time worker. When the part-time worker saw Ji Ting come in, he moved aside to make space, and Ji Ting tidied up the counter behind the bar.
The table in front continued their conversation.
Tan Yucheng occasionally crossed and uncrossed his long legs, listening to Chen Fei speak.
When they took a short break, Ji Ting was handling a takeaway order. With the part-time worker in the bathroom, Ji Ting was the only one at the counter. Chen Fei took a sip of coffee and, noticing a glimpse of a tattoo visible at the collar of Tan Yucheng’s shirt, deliberately said loudly, “Brother Tan used to look down on tattoos.”
As soon as Zhou Xiong heard this, he immediately added, “Yeah, yeah, when Fu Yan got his tattoo, Brother Tan looked down on it for quite a while.”
“That’s right, he was so dismissive back then.”
“And now he’s got tattoos himself, Brother Tan.”
Ji Ting, who was reading the order, realized they were speaking deliberately for her benefit.
She smiled slightly but didn’t look up.
Tan Yucheng calmly sipped his coffee, indifferent to their deliberate provocation.
Around six in the evening, after they finished their meeting, Chen Fei, Zhou Xiong, and the new guy returned to the company. Tan Yucheng waited outside on the phone for Ji Ting. Ji Ting handed over the shop to Zhang Yang, went to the break room to grab a small bag, and walked toward him. Tan Yucheng took her hand, ended the call, and asked, “What do you want for dinner?”
As they walked towards the commercial street, Ji Ting replied, “Anything is fine.”
“How about going to the private kitchen?” he asked, tilting his head.
Ji Ting nodded, linking her arm with his and smiling, she asked, “Is it true what Chen Fei said? That you used to look down on tattoos?”
Tan Yucheng gave a light snort and didn’t answer.
Ji Ting laughed.
He led her toward the elevator. As they turned a corner, a long line of wedding cars passed by not far behind them, creating a grand spectacle, especially with the sunset in the background.
It was partially reflected in the elevator, faintly visible.
—
After learning that Qiu Dan had relented, Xiao Xi had originally planned to return to Nan’an the following week but decided not to. Tan Hui also stayed behind to handle matters at the Li City branch, as he could guide the headquarters online.
So, Xiao Xi frequently invited Qiu Dan and Ji Lindong to meet for meals and even went to the supermarket to help out. Their friendship grew closer, and Xiao Xi was always smiling.
She often showed Qiu Dan the things she had bought for Ji Ting.
Qiu Dan advised her to spend less money.
Xiao Xi agreed verbally but continued to spend.
Ji Ting didn’t go back to eat with Tan Yucheng often, just occasionally. With a new project underway, Tan Yucheng became busier and sometimes worked overtime in the evenings.
As a result, Ji Ting didn’t return to the apartment so early at night.
Time flew, and it was the end of September.
The weather in Li City was still somewhat warm at the end of September.
That evening, which happened to be Friday, Yu Xi sent a message inviting her for a barbecue and drinks. Ji Ting, leaning against the counter, replied that it was fine. Just as she put down her phone, Yu Xi walked in wearing high heels and pants, smiling and waving, “Tingting, I’m here!”
Ji Ting smiled helplessly and asked, “Did you come here so quickly?”
“Hehe, I guessed you wouldn’t refuse. Since your partner has been working late recently, I figured I could invite you,” Yu Xi replied with a grin, then greeted Xiao Wan and Xiao Zhou like a celebrity.
Ji Ting shrugged and asked, “Where are we going to eat?”
“Come with me,” Yu Xi said, coming closer to link arms with Ji Ting. She looked at Ji Ting’s emerald green dress and said, “No, you need to change. How can you go out for a late-night snack in work clothes?”
Ji Ting sighed and said, “I have something in the break room.”
“Then go change, and make it look nice,” Yu Xi winked.
Ji Ting smiled and entered the break room, quickly choosing a fitted apricot-colored dress from the wardrobe. She re-tied her hair, put on a pair of small heels, and walked out with her bag.
Yu Xi was chatting with Xiao Wan and Xiao Zhou by the counter. When she saw Ji Ting come out, she smiled and said, “You look great.”
Then she stepped forward to link arms with Ji Ting. Ji Ting briefed Xiao Wan and Xiao Zhou on the work arrangements, and with their cheerful farewells, she was led out of the shop by Yu Xi.
Outside, the neon lights were flashing.
In her heels, Ji Ting was too lazy to drive, so she and Yu Xi hailed a ride-sharing car.
Tan Yucheng was working overtime.
She sent him a message saying she was going for a barbecue with Yu Xi.
He was likely busy and didn’t reply.
Ji Ting didn’t mind, put her phone back in her bag, and Yu Xi linked her arm with Ji Ting’s, saying, “Time flies. We’re at the age where we should be thinking about marriage, and we’re about to hit thirty.”
Ji Ting asked, “Does your mom still set you up on blind dates?”
Yu Xi replied, “Fewer this year. It seems like there’s nothing left to talk about on the phone. What she wants to say, I don’t want to hear, and what I’m thinking, she doesn’t understand.”
Ji Ting gave her a look. “Is it really that serious?”
Yu Xi shrugged and laughed, “Maybe being a bridesmaid once would be fine.”
Ji Ting laughed, “That works too.”
Yu Xi smiled at her again.
The ride-sharing car arrived at a store’s entrance.
The store was named “Encounter.”
It had an English name and looked like a chic bar. Ji Ting glanced at Yu Xi with some curiosity. Yu Xi, linking arms with her, said, “Encounter Barbecue, isn’t it special?”
Ji Ting laughed, “It is.”
“This place is really unique. You’ll find out once you go inside. Close your eyes for a moment.”
Ji Ting raised an eyebrow, “Close my eyes?”
“Of course.”
Yu Xi led her to the door.
Ji Ting found it quite fun and closed her eyes. Yu Xi, worried she might peek, put her hand over Ji Ting’s eyes. Slightly shorter than Ji Ting, Yu Xi guided her inside, and someone from inside opened the door.
Ji Ting noticed a faint, pleasant fragrance in the air.
It wasn’t at all like the smell of alcohol or barbecue.
She was just about to speak.
The hands covering her eyes were replaced, and she detected a familiar faint scent of ebony behind her. She was momentarily stunned. The person guiding her forward had a touch she recognized. Ji Ting reached up and touched the fingers and wrist of the person, which were familiar to her.
Tan Yucheng led her up the steps, his voice low and lazy. “Ji Ting.”
Hearing his voice, her heart skipped a beat, and she responded with a soft, “Hmm.”
Tan Yucheng asked quietly, “Will you marry me?”
Ji Ting’s heart raced faster. Blindfolded and led to a stage-like area, she was enveloped in darkness, only feeling the familiar touch of his hand. She touched his hand.
“Will you?”
Tan Yucheng’s voice was languid.
Ji Ting’s heart pounded as he slipped a ring onto her finger. Tan Yucheng’s voice remained low and lazy. “This is the first one. If you don’t nod, I’ll put on another.”
Ji Ting’s fingertips felt the ring.
She bit her lip, wanting to see him.
He looked down and asked, “Will you marry me? Let’s spend the rest of our lives together.”
Ji Ting’s eyes became misty.
She opened her mouth.
Tan Yucheng slipped another ring onto her finger.
Ji Ting paused and asked, “How many have you prepared?”
“How many do you want?”
He countered.
“I can give you as many as you want.”
Ji Ting’s lips curved into a slight smile. “You really have too much money.”
“It’s worth it to spend it on you.”
Another ring was placed on her fingertip.
The rings he had touched carried a warmth, just like his body close to hers. The memories of the past were replaced by new bonds formed with the present.
Ji Ting looked up and said, “Yes.”
As she spoke, the audience below reacted with a gasp and applause. Tan Yucheng released his hold on her eyes, and Ji Ting saw his smiling eyes. They exchanged glances for a few seconds. Emotionally moved, Tan Yucheng held her waist tightly and pressed her into his embrace, whispering, “I love you.”
Ji Ting wrapped her arms around his neck and softly replied, “I love you too.”
The applause from the audience suddenly erupted.
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Teehee
That was abrupt