The Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal a.s.sistant
Translator: Jury
Editor: NomNom
First Published on Chaleuria
Chapter Sixty-eight
Su Yuyang had no objections to Ling Miao"s plan. He asked about the general execution, then the two fell silent again.
"If there"s nothing"s else, I"m leaving." Ling Miao didn"t want to remain in Su Yuyang"s room. He felt like he was suffocating.
Su Yuyang glanced at the rain outside the window. He suddenly thought of rus.h.i.+ng out and letting the rain wash away his confusion.
"You… why didn"t you go back?" Su Yuyang asked hesitantly.
In the few months Su Yuyang had known Ling Miao, Ling Miao had never mentioned his own parents. This probably meant that either his parents weren"t around any more or he"d fallen out with them. Of course, it was also possible that he just didn"t want to talk to Su Yuyang about it.
"How come you suddenly ask about my parents?" Ling Miao replied casually. He really seemed unwilling to discuss his parents.
Su Yuyang didn"t hear displeasure in Ling Miao"s voice, but Ling Miao"s words let Su Yuyang know not to ask further.
Su Yuyang explained in reply: "You mentioned my mom, which made me think of your parents. You probably haven"t been back home for a long time, right? Since it"s the holidays, go back and visit them. If you don"t want to talk about it, it"s fine. There"s nothing more for you to do here."
Su Yuyang didn"t want to ask further, so Ling Miao, being contrary, now wanted to tell him.
"When I graduated, I fell out with my parents because of job issues. So I left home. I haven"t talked to them in a year. If anything"s the matter, they"ll text me. If they call, I just hang up."
"You…"
"You gonna lecture me?" Ling Miao raised an eyebrow at Su Yuyang, as if to say: That makes two of us. If you"re a pot, don"t call the kettle black. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Su Yuyang didn"t say anything and Ling Miao continued, smiling with some satisfaction, "Actually, my relations.h.i.+p with them has warmed quite a lot. But I still haven"t found a job, so I can"t bring myself to go see them."
"You"ve found one now, haven"t you?"
"You"re right!" Ling Miao slapped his forehead. "Heh heh, Su-ge, I"ll go home right now."
"Ah…" Su Yuyang called after Ling Miao longingly. Ling Miao turned his head and asked in confusion: "Didn"t you tell me to go back?"
"Are there still buses now?" Su Yuyang found a reason to keep Ling Miao here, but regrettably Ling Miao had two ways to counter his reasoning.
"My house is in Nanping. The light rail is still running, and even if it stopped, I can still get a taxi. It"s pretty far from here to Nanping for a bus!"
Su Yuyang was worried Ling Miao would really leave, and that the leaving would be of the permanent sort. He couldn"t hold himself back any more and said: "It"s so late. I"ll worry about you."
Ling Miao heard the sincerity in Su Yuyang"s words. His heart melted and he dropped the notion of going back, but he still wanted to make the trip home to see his parents.
—Dividing line—
Su Yuyang"s appearance had surprised Ji Linxi, but on second thought, this was the natural progression of events. Since Su Yuyang had woken up, of course he would attend his good friend"s concert. He could also explain his condition so that Yan Li wouldn"t be worried.
The concert was that evening. They set out early that morning to avoid most of the traffic on the. Su Yuyang had rested all night so he woke up earlier than even Ling Miao and started to pack, mostly tidying Yan Li"s room. According to Su Yuyang, when the concert ended, Yan Li would definitely accompany the three of them home.
Ling Miao had no opinion but Ji Linxi laughed: "I don"t think she"ll come home with us tonight."
Ling Miao and Su Yuyang exchanged a look of silent understanding.
Ji Linxi, your good friend intends to ruin your plans! And even if Ling Miao doesn"t ruin it, you"ve underestimated Yan Li"s heart. It isn"t made of gla.s.s and it won"t break the moment it"s dropped. Su Yuyang inwardly grieved for Ji Linxi"s plan, which was destined to fail.
Ling Miao was somewhat proud. Thinking that his actions might bring about a marriage, he got pretty emotional~
But, Ling Miao, do you really think that Ji Linxi won"t object to his good friend ruining his plans like this?
Su Yuyang had thought of this, but remembering how close Ji Linxi and Ling Miao were, he grew jealous. Right then, he really wanted Ji Linxi and Ling Miao to have a falling-out.
Hm, if they fall out, I might be able to take advantage of the opportunity.
At this point, a certain Great Author had already begun to imagine the scenario where Ji Linxi fell out with Ling Miao and he took advantage of the opportunity to bring Ling Miao home. A pity—Ji Linxi slammed on the emergency brake and Su Yuyang"s beautiful fantasy burst like a bubble, not even the remains could be seen.
"f.u.c.k!" Ling Miao cursed. "Is he courting death?!" Ling Miao rubbed his chest and looked at Su Yuyang with trepidation.
Though Ling Miao had had his license for two years, he very rarely drove. It would be suicide to ask him to drive on the highway. Although Su Yuyang looked to be in good health, Ling Miao was afraid something would happen to him, so he gave the keys to Ji Linxi. So now, Ji Linxi was driving. Su Yuyang sat in the back and Ling Miao sat in the pa.s.senger seat.
Initially, Su Yuyang had wanted Ling Miao to sit beside him, but Ling Miao said he wanted to look at the scenery and had sat up front. Su Yuyang had cursed inwardly: "f.u.c.k, if I"d known it"d be like that, I"d just have taken the train."
They entered the tunnel and Su Yuyang began to feel sleepy. He yawned, put in his earphones, and started to doze.
By the time they exited the tunnel, Su Yuyang had fallen asleep.
Ji Linxi glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Su Yuyang sleeping in the position of a chick eating grain. He reminded: "Ling Miao, Su Yuyang"s asleep. He looks about to fall over. You"d better go sit in the backseat."
Ling Miao turned his head to look at Su Yuyang. He was about to say "Who cares about him?" but the motion of Su Yuyang"s head lolling against the back of the seat broke down his last line of defense.
Su Yuyang was tall and the car wasn"t big enough to lie down comfortably in. Ling Miao sat beside Su Yuyang, letting Su Yuyang"s head rest on his shoulder.
Ji Linxi slowed the car down so Su Yuyang could sleep more comfortably.
"When are you going to tell him?" Ji Linxi asked out of the blue.
"Tell him what?" Ji Linxi had already said "Dumb cat" before Ling Miao registered what he"d said.
"Looking at you, I don"t think you"re going to say anything." Ji Linxi"s voice grew teasing. "I ask you, are you just going to carry on with him like this?"
Ling Miao lowered his head to look at Su Yuyang, his thumb lovingly caressing Su Yuyang"s cheek. He laughed lightly: "He and I are always separated by a fine line. Even if I like him, so what? He may not like me."
"Dumb cat. You can tell him you like him. If he doesn"t like you back, you can make other plans, but what if he does like you?" Ji Linxi said impatiently.
Ling Miao"s smile grew bitter. He said: "I think he figured out I like him, or he wouldn"t have set me straight yesterday."
Ji Linxi wasn"t sure how to respond. He sighed and concentrated on the road ahead. If he continued talking to Ling Miao, he"d have the impulse to jump up and knock some sense into him.
"Linxi, put on some music," Ling Miao suddenly said.
Ji Linxi turned on the stereo.
Ling Miao wasn"t familiar with the songs currently playing, and he didn"t expend effort to listen to the lyrics, but every song sounded so melancholy.
"Yan Li?" Ji Linxi looked at the singer"s name and laughed lightly.
"Mm?" Ling Miao said in curiosity.
Ji Linxi said: "These are Yan Li"s songs. I looked just now but didn"t see music by anyone else in the playlist." As Ji Linxi retracted his hand, his finger slid across the screen. The song stopped, and another one started up.
It was music either way, it didn"t matter which song they listened to. Besides, Ling Miao didn"t have an opinion so Ji Linxi didn"t change it.
The opening of this song sounded familiar to Ling Miao, and when the lyrics began he suddenly remembered which song it was.
Maybe out of empathy for the situation the lyrics described, Ling Miao began to sing along without thinking:
Sometimes, sometimes
I believe all things come to an end
There are times for reunions and times for goodbyes
Nothing will last forever
But I, sometimes
Would rather choose to hold on
Until we have seen everything there is to see
Maybe you will accompany me to see our friends.h.i.+p last a lifetime
I still haven"t made red bean for you
Brewed it into a long unhealing wound
And in sharing it
Understand better the sorrow of pining
I still haven"t truly felt
The gentleness of a waking kiss
Could be by my side
Only you pursue the freedom of solitude
Sometimes, sometimes
I believe all things come to an end
There are times for reunions and times for goodbyes…
As Ling Miao sang, tears filled his eyes.
Ji Linxi heard the sobbing from behind him. Listening more closely to the lyrics, Ji Linxi silently yelled at himself: Dumba.s.s! And skipped to the next track.
The soundscape changed in an instant: the deeply sentimental air was replaced with a lively tune. Ling Miao was stunned for a moment before he asked: "Why"d you change it?"
Ji Linxi sighed, "If we keep listening to Red Bean I worried the car might flood."
Ling Miao didn"t understand what Ji Linxi was saying, and Ji Linxi didn"t explain. It was several minutes later when Ling Miao finally got it.
Ling Miao raised a hand to wipe the tears from his face. He glanced at Su Yuyang and said, "Change it back."
Ji Linxi didn"t answer Ling Miao, but the strains of the familiar song gave Ling Miao his answer.
Ling Miao started singing along again. He sang from beginning to end, but this time, even though his eyes were full of tears, he didn"t let a single one fall.
"When all the scenery has faded, maybe you"ll still accompany me to see our friends.h.i.+p last a lifetime." It was as if Ling Miao was telling Ji Linxi his innermost thoughts, and Ji Linxi gave Ling Miao his onlooker"s response: "Ling Miao, I recommend you confess."
But I, sometimes
Would rather choose to hold on
Until we have seen everything there is to see
Maybe you will accompany me to see our friends.h.i.+p last a lifetime
Ling Miao wasn"t willing to let go, but he also didn"t want to hold on too tightly.
One thought: "He has someone he likes, but that person"s not me, so I can"t ruin his choice." The other thought: "He doesn"t like me, and doesn"t dislike me either, and only wants to maintain the proper distance."
Both of them wouldn"t reveal their own feelings before knowing what the other thought of them.
Idiots, the both of them! Ji Linxi thought.
The car pulled up to the hotel they"d booked. Ling Miao woke Su Yuyang, then departed on his own.