Your Distance

Ting Shuang’s heart shifted up into his mouth.

It was coming.

“Explain what happened to the house.” Bai Changyi said.

“I, I moved out…” Seeing that he’d really made Bai Changyi angry, Ting Shuang felt a little guilty, but thrilled at the same time, “Is that not okay…”

Not okay?

Of course it wasn’t.

When Bai Changyi recalled the scene at home, his feelings were unbearable.

Those kinds of unbearable feelings shouldn’t have appeared in the first place, because in all his previous relationships, he’d always emphasized independence and mutual respect, and ensured that both parties had enough personal space and time.

When he saw Bai Changyi’s expression darken, Ting Shuang started his reckless explanation cautiously, “I even… I cleaned up for you before I left… Didn’t you always want me to put things back in their original place… This time… this time I helped you put everything back in place…”

Cleaned up?

Did that mean putting all the toilet seats back down?

Bai Changyi’s expression turned even uglier, “And you’re proud of it?”

“No, no…” Ting Shuang quickly and modestly denied, “I just did what I ought to… I will continue working hard, yes…”

He’d continue working hard?

Bai Changyi wasn’t just a little bit angry.

This was completely different from the type of relationship he was accustomed to. What they accepted and what they didn’t accept, what they were comfortable with and what they weren’t comfortable with, both parties would list them out clearly one by one. If they could respect each others’ preferences, then they’d continue the relationship. If not, then they’d break up.

This little bastard in front of him hung any unhappiness he felt on his face, yet when asked for the reason, he’d refuse to say a single word. He thought he should have calmed down after two days. But in the end, this guy straight up showed him what “Bye Felicia” looked like.

From start to end, Bai Changyi couldn’t even figure out how he had offended this little bastard.

“Come over here.” Bai Changyi said with a calm expression.

“W-what do you want?” Ting Shuang was originally two steps away from Bai Changyi, but after hearing that, he immediately hid behind his bicycle.

After hiding, he realized that his behavior was very childish, so he came out from behind the bicycle and moved to stand in front of Bai Changyi, looking up, “… I’ll come over if you want. What did I do?” He put on an innocent look.

“Just how did I offend you, for you to do something like this  to me?” Bai Changyi said with a low voice.

“Nothing… What did I do?” Ting Shuang blinked. His heartless behaviour was extremely infuriating.

Bai Changyi stared at Ting Shuang for a long time, realising that he didn’t actually know how to deal with this little ancestor.

A talk? The little ancestor wouldn’t cooperate.

A beating? Against the law.

If he let it be for another two days, he didn’t know what kind of trouble this little ancestor would stir up.

If he just forgot about it…

He could.

But he didn’t want to.

Bai Changyi rarely felt like this.

In recent years, he had actually rarely talked about his principles, rarely made any rash decisions, rarely failed at restraining himself, and rarely changed his habits because of someone else.

All these rare occasions happened only with Ting Shuang.

Bai Changyi knew what that meant.

“Forget it, you can go in.” Bai Changyi said, “It’s already eight forty.”

Ting Shuang looked at Bai Changyi’s expression and asked, “What about you?”

“I’ll just walk around.” Bai Changyi said.

“… Mm.” Ting Shuang couldn’t figure out whether Bai Changyi’s anger had subsided, or if he was so angry that he didn’t want to bother talking to him anymore, “Then I’ll… go in and get ready?”

Bai Changyi nodded and kissed his forehead, “Go on.”

Behind the kiss raged a violent storm, but when it fell on Ting Shuang’s skin, only soft clouds remained.

Ting Shuang softened and couldn’t help saying, “If you didn’t come to chat with me, then you…”

You’re here to beg me to move back in, right?

As soon as you open your mouth, I’ll move back in.

He wanted to ask, but he was still afraid of being rejected, so he paused and changed his sentence, “Then what are you here for? You couldn’t have specially come here to give me a kiss right?”

Bai Changyi said, “I’m here for breakfast.”

Breakfast???

Breakfast, my ass.(1)

“Why do you have to eat breakfast here?” Ting Shuang pointed to the opening hours on the cafe door. Opening hours were at nine. . “It’s not even open yet.”

“I know.” But he could only see Ting Shuang if he ate here.

Bai Changyi said, “I’ll be back at nine.”

In the staff lounge.

Ting Shuang cursed Bai Changyi as he changed into his working uniform.

Damn it, coming here for breakfast.

Couldn’t you just say you missed me?

I’ll give you the most unpalatable thing you’ll have ever eaten.

After changing, Ting Shuang was about to close the locker when his phone vibrated all of a sudden. The screen read: Stephie.

This colleague of his always arrived on time, but she hadn’t arrived today. Ting Shuang didn’t know why.

He pressed the answer button.

“Ting, I’m sorry, I’m sick and can’t come today.” Stephie said, “I already asked the store manager to grant me leave for today.”

She asked for leave?

And only called to tell him fifteen minutes before opening time?

But she was sick so Ting Shuang couldn’t say such things out loud. He only exchanged greetings and said, “Everything’s fine here, don’t worry. Get well soon.”

After hanging up and putting his phone away, Ting Shuang suddenly realised that it was only 8:45 in the morning and Bai Changyi had already returned home once. So when did he get off the plane? No, more importantly, at what time did he catch his plane?

Ting Shuang counted back the hours. His flight should have been at 4am.

Just to come over for breakfast?

No, Bai Changyi probably went home early to see him, but everything had fallen short of his expectations.

And they previously had an argument…

“Ting?” The door of the lounge opened, and the baker who was on the morning shift greeted Ting Shuang. He was ready to get off work after greeting Ting Shuang, “Everything’s been baked.”

“I’ll go over now.” Ting Shuang quickly locked the locker, and went over to prepare the baked goods to be put in the cabinet and turn on the coffee machine.

He was the only waiter today, so preparations were a bit rushed, and he had no time to think about anything else.

Fortunately, only two guests came in at nine o’clock.

A young girl, and a not-so-young Bai Changyi.

As the girl ordered, Ting Shuang’s attitude was amazing. She ordered sandwiches, and he asked if she wanted them sliced and heated. She ordered a cup of cappuccino, and he asked if she wanted a particular design for the latte art.

Finally the sandwiches were heated and cut up, the paper towels were folded beautifully and pressed under a delicate silver knife and fork. They were placed on a white porcelain plate, and the cappuccino next to it had a perfectly done latte art of a heart.

Bai Changyi stared at the cup of cappuccino until the girl took her order off the counter.

“Good morning, what would you like?” Ting Shuang got straight down to business.

“I’d like the same as hers,” Bai Changyi said.

“Alright.” This time, Ting Shuang didn’t ask any questions. He directly heated the sandwich and put them on a plate, and then prepared a cup of ordinary cappuccino without any latte art.

Bai Changyi looked at the two things on the tray and described what he saw objectively, “This is different from what she ordered.”

“It’s the same.” Gesturing professionally, Ting Shuang politely introduced the dishes one by one, as if Bai Changyi didn’t recognize the two dishes, “This is the egg and bacon sandwich, and this is the large cup of cappuccino.”

“The sandwich isn’t cut.” Bai Changyi said, “And there are no cutlery.”

Ting Shuang pointed to the area where tableware was placed, “There are knives over there, you can get them by yourself.”

“The cappuccino has no latte art.” Bai Changyi said, “I can’t do it myself.”

“It’s like this,” Ting Shuang grinned, flashing a row of small white teeth, “The waiter will only do latte art when he is in a good mood.”

Bai Changyi found it both infuriating and hilarious.

Today, he was really being taught a lesson.

As there were no new guests for the time being, Ting Shuang went to the back of the kitchen to take out some of the baked goods that hadn’t been put in the glass cabinet in time.

It took some time, going back and forth.

Just as he slotted a row of strawberry cheesecakes into the glass cabinet, the sound of cups and plates breaking suddenly rang out from not far away, followed by the loud sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

Ting Shuang immediately raised his head and looked over. He saw the girl who ordered before Bai Changyi holding on to the edge of the table. Her chair had fallen over, and her coffee cup had fallen to the ground, the unfinished cappuccino spilling all over the floor.

At first glance, Ting Shuang thought that the girl had accidentally broken the cup. Just as he was about to get the cleaning tools, he soon realised that the girl herself was acting weirdly.

The girl’s face had turned bluish white, and her lips were pale, maybe even a little purple. Her eyes stared blankly at a certain point. The hand that held on to the table seemed to be trembling, and she also seemed to be continuously shaking the table in front of her.

Ting Shuang immediately ran to the girl, “What happened? Do you need help?”

The girl didn’t react to Ting Shuang’s words at all, and she didn’t even shift her gaze. She was clearly standing upright with her eyes open, but she seemed to have lost consciousness.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Ting Shuang waved his hand in front of the girl’s blue eyes, but he still didn’t get any response.

What the fuck was happening?

Ting Shuang was so anxious that he almost reached out to pat the girl’s back, but his hand was grabbed by someone from behind.

He turned to see Bai Changyi grabbing his wrist with his left hand with a calm expression, “Don’t touch her.” At the same time, his right hand was holding on to his phone, which had already connected to the emergency hotline.

Ting Shuang turned to look at the girl again, but ended up catching a glimpse of the half-eaten sandwich on the table.

She ate the sandwich just now.

He didn’t make the sandwich. He was only responsible for cutting, heating, and plating, but…

He couldn’t help looking at the cappuccino that had splashed onto the ground again–

He’d made that.