Your Distance

When Ting Shuang woke up, he was the only one in the bedroom.

He got up and drew the curtains. Bright sunlight immediately crept into the room, causing his pupils to dilate. It was a while before they adapted.

The white that filled his sight was warm and comforting.

Bai Changyi was sitting by the side of the balcony, a folder and some papers on the wooden table in front of him, looking as if he was working.

Ting Shuang leaned against the door frame between the bedroom and balcony quite comfortably, his hip, off which his shorts were hanging loosely, resting against the frame.

“Morning,” He said while watching Bai Changyi.

His voice was a bit hoarse.

It couldn’t be helped, he’d cursed a certain someone too much the night before.

Bai Changyi glanced at his watch and said, “Mm, morning.”

Ting Shuang said, “What time is it?”

Bai Changyi said, “Two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“No wonder.” Ting Shuang walked up behind Bai Changyi and hooked his arms around his neck. “I’m starving,” His chest was up against Bai Changyi’s back. “Bai Laoban, please cook for me.”

“What do you want to eat,” Bai Changyi started keeping the paper on the table.

Ting Shuang said, “Braised chicken drumsticks. Is there any steak like those from last night?”

Bai Changyi said, “There is.”

When answering, Bai Changyi tilted his head to the side, and Ting Shuang brought their lips together, kissing him gently with his arms around his neck.

Right after the kiss, Ting Shuang raised his eyes, and happened to catch a glimpse of the papers in Bai Changyi’s hands, feeling as if their content was familiar to him, “What is this?”

Bai Changyi said, “The notes for tomorrow’s lecture.”

“Lecture notes?” Ting Shuang picked up the piece of paper at the top. This was…

Prof. Bai‘s lecture notes…

Prof. Bai‘s lecture notes that were prohibited from being recorded or taken photos of…

Robotik notes that students could never finish noting down…

Robotik lectures that had a 90% failure rate…

The tears of countless students …

The dark years of countless students…

Ting Shuang suddenly felt like he had obtained a treasure map.

Whoever owned the lecture notes, could own the world…

He remembered how Bai Changyi had said “in the future, if you have anything you want to see, just tell me” the night before. Thus, he said in a tone used for negotiation, “Bai Laoban, your lecture notes… Why not… Let me borrow them for a look?”

Bai Changyi said, “Listen directly in class tomorrow.”

Ting Shuang said, “I too want to listen directly… But it’s not that you don’t know how I can’t fully understand when I listen directly in class…”

Speaking of this, Ting Shuang was already prepared to be rejected by Bai Changyi. But unexpectedly, Bai Changyi nodded and said, “Then you can make a copy of it. The photocopier is in the study.”

“Really?” Surprise was written on Ting Shuang’s face. 

Bai Changyi pulled Ting Shuang into his lap, saying, “Mm.”

Ting Shuang kissed him while he slung his arms around his neck, “Do you remember where you threw the condoms yesterday?”

Bai Changyi said, “Downstairs.”

Ting Shuang was about to say that he would go downstairs to bring them up, but suddenly realised something. He hesitated a little and stopped kissing him, his hands freezing.

Bai Changyi said, “What’s wrong.”

After thinking for a while, Ting Shuang hesitantly said, “You just agreed to let me photocopy the lecture notes, then immediately want to do it with me… Why do I feel like… um… How do I say it… we’re making an exchange?”

Bai Changyi said, “You feel like we’re making an exchange.”

Ting Shuang said, “Mm… it just feels strange… I’m not very comfortable…”

Bai Changyi said, “You’re not comfortable.”

Who was the one who took out forty euros from his wallet, a cigarette between his lips, after they did the deed?

Who was the one who put a glass cylinder at the head of the bed, intending to regularly pay him the prostitution fees?

Ting Shuang thought about it before saying, “… Also, isn’t it unfair to your other students?”

He remained silent for a while before continuing on, “Forget it, I won’t photocopy the notes. I don’t want our relationship to be like that, as if I’m dating you just to pass the exams… Before, when I said I wanted to split the bill, it was also because I didn’t want to make our relationship that complicated…” His voice was low, so much so that Bai Changyi could barely hear it. “… Mm, we’re just dating right. It has nothing to do with anything else. “

As Bai Changyi listened, his gaze landed on the glass cylinder at the head of his bed. Inwardly, he sighed.

So what if it seemed like some prostitution fee.

If a kid wanted to be independent and be in a pure relationship, could he stop him?

He mussed up Ting Shuang’s hair, “Mm, got it.”

After eating, the two of them went out for a walk and passed by a dessert shop. Ting Shuang went in and ate a 2.5 euros ice cream. He didn’t bring his wallet, so Bai Changyi paid for it.

In the evening, after doing it, Ting Shuang saw the glass cylinder at the head of Bai Laoban’s bed and thought of the ice cream, so he threw two coins into it.

One 2 euros coin, and one 0.50 euro coin.

The coins knocked against the walls of the glass cylinder, clinking.

Bai Changyi slowly looked at the glass cylinder, his glasses reflecting a cold gleam.

(…)

Seven o’clock the next morning.

Bai Changyi stood at the door of the bedroom and said to Ting Shuang, “Get up for breakfast.”

Ting Shuang was woken up and moved slightly, feeling sore all over. He struggled in bed for a while, but still failed to get up, so he mumbled pleadingly, “Let me sleep for a while more… Another hour… I can’t really get up…”

Bai Changyi said, “You have a class at 8:15.”

Ting Shuang rolled over, covering his head with the blanket while he said in a blur, “Mm, I have class? I’ll skip it… I’m not going to class anymore…”

Bai Changyi walked to the bed and said in German, “Ting, whose class do you have at 8:15?”

A muffled voice came from the blanket, “Hm… Let me think… It’s Prof… B…“

The voice stopped abruptly.

The blanket moved a little, then immediately became motionless.

Five seconds later, two hands stretched out from under the blanket and grabbed the edge of it.

The blanket was pulled down.

A bit of hair was exposed.

Forehead.

Then eyebrows.

After a long time, his eyes finally appeared.

Two pairs of eyes met.

Ting Shuang, who was completely awake, stiffly waved at Bai Changyi, who was looking down at him, “… G-good morning, Professor.”