Your Distance

When salvaging a situation, there are two ways it can go. One is the flawless rescue, and the other could be called——

The awkward rescue.

Currently, Ting Shuang’s rescue belonged to the latter.

A characteristic of an awkward rescue was that its success did not depend on the actions of the saviour at all, but rather, whether other people present wanted to show respect for his feelings.

Bai Zhongyan took a sip of water, “Okay, okay, let’s drink up.”

Su Ping also took a sip of water, “Mm, mm, let’s drink up.”

While drinking water, their complicated gazes fell on Bai Changyi.

Bai Changyi tried his best to maintain a serious expression, “Ting, it’s not very appropriate to call them that way.”

Ting Shuang quickly took the out that Bai Changyi gave him, “Yes… it’s not very appropriate. I won’t call them that way again in the future. Calling Uncle and Auntie is better.”

“Bai Changyi, don’t scare the kid,” Su Ping glared at Bai Changyi, and said kindly to Ting Shuang, “Ting Ting, you can call us whatever you want, don’t worry about him.”

Ting Shuang hurriedly replied, “Mm…”

Su Ping nodded in satisfaction and asked, “Ting Ting, how did you and Changyi meet?”

When Bai Changyi dated others in the past, Su Ping had never asked this question, but this time the situation was too special. It wasn’t much if his son was homosexual and had a divorce. But it was a big deal if he kept such a young boy locked at home without clothes, beat him, and got him to call him papa.

It was fine if it was consensual, but if the kid felt wronged, then it was bad.

From what Su Ping remembered, her son was completely different when he was dating others. Bai Changyi had always treated his partner very gently, and was considerate and courteous. Never would he act like how he was currently, stern faced and scaring the kid so much he was trembling.

“We…” Ting Shuang wasn’t sure whether he should say that he was Bai Changyi’s student, but he didn’t want to lie to Su Ping. After all, they had many days ahead of them, and it was a matter of time before they found out, “We met on a social platform…”

Social platform?

What Su Ping immediately thought of was the news she had seen recently, about people trafficking on the dark web.

This kid wasn’t bought back by her son, right?

Probably not.

Su Ping was about to continue saying something, but a “grumble” resounded through the living room.

The source of the sound was Ting Shuang’s belly.

He blushed a little, “Sorry…”

It had been a thrilling morning, and he hadn’t had the chance to eat breakfast.

Su Ping couldn’t bear it anymore, “Bai Changyi, you don’t even give him food?”

In his heart, Bai Changyi thought: Didn’t you come visit? Your son hasn’t eaten either.

“No, no, I made breakfast and was waiting for Changyi to come back so we could eat together. How about…” Ting Shuang looked at Su Ping, and then at Bai Zhongyan. The words Mama and Papa really couldn’t be uttered a second time, “Auntie and Uncle, and Changyi, how about the four of us go out to eat together?”

“Changyi, didn’t you buy a cake back? Go to the kitchen and cut the cake.” Su Ping chased Bai Changyi away and took Ting Shuang to the dining area. “Ting Ting, Changyi’s not here now. Tell Auntie, does Changyi normally treat you well? Does he bully you? Don’t be scared, just tell your Auntie if he’s bullied you.”

Ting Shuang had never talked about this kind of thing with his elders.

His dad could never bear to hear the word “boyfriend”. Although he had loosened up a little when they’d met last time, they were still far from the stage where Ting Shuang could talk about the specifics of his love life. His mother had a new family and was living happily, so he never went to disturb them. He video called his mother when he was abroad, and invited her out for meals when he was in China. He would always report the good things but not his worries, for fear that she would be worried.

He didn’t think that Su Ping, whom he’d met for the first time, would ask if Bai Changyi treated him well.

Originally, he was still very nervous about meeting Su Ping and Bai Zhongyan. But now, thinking about his daily life with Bai Changyi, he gradually ceased being nervous as he talked about it.

“He treats me very well…” Ting Shuang pursed his lips, a hint of shyness in his smile, and the sunlight that filtered through the gaps in the leaves in summer reflecting in his eyes, “I have to go to school from Monday to Friday, and it didn’t matter if he had to go to school, as long as he wasn’t on a business trip, he would send and fetch me… When the weather is good, we’ll leave earlier, and the two of us will ride bikes to school. As long as he’s home in the evening, we will eat together. In fact, he usually cooks, and his cooking is very delicious. I don’t know how to cook very well… I work at a cafe on Saturday, and he will sit where he can see me and read… If he has time on Sunday, we’ll take Vico out to play. Once in the woods, Vico saw a long branch and wanted to bring it back to us, but the branch was too long. When he ran back, he was caught between two trees. Then Bai… Changyi and I had to go over to save him… Mm.”

At this point, Ting Shuang’s voice gradually became softed, and then he stopped out of embarrassment.

Su Ping and Bai Zhongyan both smiled at him with very kind eyes.

Ting Shuang lowered his head and picked up the coffee pot to cover it up. It was too embarrassing. He couldn’t hold back in front of Bai Laoban’s parents, and ended up telling them the little things that happened between him and Bai Laoban.

He suddenly realised that he had always wanted to tell others about how good Bai Changyi was, but there were no suitable people he could talk to.

“What’s the matter?” Bai Changyi came over with the cake and stroked Ting Shuang’s head, “What are you doing, holding the coffee pot?”

“Oh… I was going to pour coffee for four people, but we need two more cups. I take two out from the cabinet…” Ting Shuang put down the coffee pot, got up and walked towards the cabinet.

That’s not good.

After just taking two steps, he suddenly remembered that the mouth gag and the rabbit costume were now lying in the cupboard that had all kinds of cups.

If this cabinet door were to be opened…

It would really open up a new world for the two seniors.

“What’s wrong? Is this the cabinet?” Su Ping happened to be sitting next to that cabinet. Seeing Ting Shuang’s hesitation, she did it herself, “I’ll grab them.”

Ting Shuang was shocked, “Wait—”

Everything happened so fast.

Even the omnipotent Bai Changyi was unable to save the situation. He was last to enter the dining area, and was sitting on the outermost seat, too far from the cabinet.

Ting Shuang swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Bai Changyi pushed up his glasses.

Bai Zhongyan followed the gazes of the rest and brought his attention to the cabinet, but his line of sight was blocked by Su Ping, and he could not see the contents of it.

Su Ping’s gaze fell on the mouth gag.

She didn’t know what it was.

But she knew the things next to the mouth gag. The rabbit ears, rabbit tail, bow, and garter.

There was dead silence in the dining area.

Ting Shuang felt like he was on the verge of death.

Just when he thought he was going to die there today, and never have the guts to face Bai Changyi’s parents ever again, Bai Changyi gave him a soothing look, then walked to the cabinet casually and glanced at the contents of it. He said flatly, “Ting, why are you putting things in random places again?”

Putting things in random places?

Before Ting Shuang figured out how to continue the conversation, Bai Changyi took out the bunny suit and mouth gag as if they were just teaching materials, and said to Ting Shuang in a tone one used to educate children, “Didn’t you say that after finishing your exams in early August, you want go to Hamburg to participate in the LGBT Pride Parade? If you scatter around the clothes and headwear you plan to wear for the parade, how will you find it in the future?”

Ting Shuang: ?

Fuck.

This explanation was alright?

Headwear, even?

Awesome.

Bai Laoban was really fucking awesome.

Bai Changyi glanced at Ting Shuang and reminded him, “Aren’t you going to put everything away?”

Ting Shuang read the look in Bai Changyi’s eyes, took the rabbit costume and mouth gag, extremely obedient in admitting that he was in the wrong, “Mm…I’ll put it away immediately. I won’t put things in random places again.”

Bai Changyi nodded and watched Ting Shuang walk out before explaining to Su Ping and Bai Zhongyan, “It’s like this, that’s the costume Ting prepared for the parade. This year, LGBT pride parades across Germany lasts from late June to early August. In early August, he’s to prepare for the exams, so I didn’t allow him to go. He came with his clothes and quarrelled twice with me. He said that he’d prepared for a long time, and his classmates are all going, so he had to go too. The last day of the parade in Hamburg takes place just after he finishes his exams, so I agreed. Kids, If they want to go you should let them go. It doesn’t matter if he wears clothes that are a little out of the norm. Besides, he’s staying with his classmates. You’re in Berlin most of the time, so you also know that every summer, there’s a parade taking place around this time, and people wear anything and everything on the streets. Mom, we didn’t scare you, did we?”