TF01 54

When Ying Ming saw Shi Yi, a wave of frustration washed over him, like he had been one step away from success only to fail at the last moment.

He sighed, a little helpless, but before he could say anything, Wang Yiqi swiftly squeezed in and took the bags from his hands. “Give me the medicine first.”

Without paying them any more attention, he naturally ran upstairs.

Shi Yi frowned. “What’s going on?”

Ying Ming didn’t answer. He simply turned and got into Shi Yi’s car, settling into the driver’s seat like it was second nature before calling out, “Let’s go somewhere else. There’s a sick person at home.”

Once Shi Yi got in, Ying Ming lit a cigarette and held it between his lips. He drove fast, avoiding the main roads and heading north. Shi Yi didn’t ask where they were going. He cracked the window slightly, and when the sudden rush of wind hit, he instinctively frowned and reached up to adjust his glasses.

Ying Ming glanced at him and finally slowed down a little.

Streetlights passed by one after another. Since they were heading out of the city, there were hardly any cars on the road at this hour. Ying Ming was on edge, driving much faster than usual. Shi Yi looked at him but didn’t say anything. The atmosphere in the car felt tense, like it was on the verge of an explosion. Eventually, Ying Ming rolled down his own window as well, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his cigarette.

They were heading toward the airport.

But just before the nearest exit, Ying Ming suddenly veered off, taking a series of side roads until they reached a desolate area.

Shi Yi raised an eyebrow. “What, planning to kill me and dump the body?”

Two grown men coming out here in the middle of the night. What the hell for?

Ying Ming took a couple of drags from his cigarette. After a while, he finally turned to look at Shi Yi. “Plenty of space here. If you want to hit me, this is a good spot.”

He got out of the car and leaned against it. When Shi Yi followed, he stepped in front of him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You showed up looking ready for a fight, didn’t you?”

“Fuck!”

The anger Shi Yi had been trying to suppress flared up again. “Ying Ming, what the hell is wrong with you lately?”

Avoiding him was one thing, but why was he deliberately provoking him like this?

Ying Ming simply looked up at him. “I think I might be going through withdrawal.”

Shi Yi nearly choked on his own frustration. He frowned, exasperated, but forced himself to lower his voice. “Tell me, what’s going on with you?”

Something was definitely off. Ying Ming was obviously holding something back, and Shi Yi had a gut feeling that he had something to do with it.

Ying Ming took a slow drag from his cigarette, narrowing his eyes as he stared into the pitch-black sky. “Do you think it looks like the night sky we saw at the rest stop that day?”

Shi Yi glanced back. “Not even close.” His answer was blunt.

The man beside him let out a quiet chuckle but said nothing, slowly smoking his cigarette. When he finished, he exhaled a long breath. “Been busy lately, got a little irritable. Don’t mind me.”

He reached for the car door, but Shi Yi pressed down on it. “Cut the crap. You think I just met you today?”

Ying Ming looked up. “How long have you known me, then?”

“Long enough to know that was bullshit,” Shi Yi said, his expression unchanged as he stared at him. “Why have you been avoiding me all this time?”

“I’m not avoiding you,” Ying Ming replied calmly. “I just haven’t been in the mood to see anyone lately.”

“You haven’t been in the mood to see people, but you have two living in your house?”

“Wang Yiqi came on his own.”

Hiding from his own brother only to end up with him at his doorstep, passing out before they could even get a few words in. And now he had to go out and buy medicine for the guy.

People these days. Always making their lives harder than they need to be.

Ying Ming answered so straightforwardly that Shi Yi couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in suspicion. But his earlier frustration had eased. He stepped back and frowned. “So calling you doesn’t work anymore? I have to show up in person?”

“Not necessarily.” Ying Ming smirked. “I’m just acting up lately. It’ll pass in a few days.”

“You’re hitting menopause early or what?”

“Relax. If I’m there, you’re not far behind.” Just a year or two apart, like dawn and night.

In the dark, Ying Ming’s eyes shone brightly.

Hearing that, Shi Yi actually felt better. It felt like Ying Ming was back to the person he knew.

The moonlight pooled behind him, casting a glow over both of them. That was when Shi Yi noticed Ying Ming was wearing glasses today, silver-framed ones, which softened his usual arrogance with an indescribable air. He leaned in slightly. “You actually look pretty good with glasses.”

Made him seem more refined.

Took away that sharp, teasing edge to his youthful features.

Ying Ming leaned against the car and casually reached out to remove Shi Yi’s glasses. “You look better without them.”

Shi Yi never understood why Ying Ming had such a problem with his glasses. Every time, he had to take them off. He still wasn’t used to the shift in vision, so when Ying Ming suddenly did that, he instinctively leaned in.

Things up close had blurred, and his reflex was to try to get a clearer look.

By the time he realized someone was right in front of him, they were already too close.

Ying Ming was a little caught off guard. He leaned back slightly to put some distance between them. Shi Yi braced both hands on the car window to keep his balance. His vision was still unfocused on one side, while on the other, Ying Ming looked a little unprepared for the moment. Then, purely on instinct, Shi Yi smiled.

There was something a little mischievous about it.

Ying Ming saw the smile, narrowed his eyes slightly, and felt uncomfortable with their current position. So he put the glasses back on Shi Yi. Once the distance was restored, he pulled out a cigarette. “You broke up with Liu Li. Planning to find someone new?”

The topic shift was too fast. Shi Yi didn’t react right away and looked at him in confusion. “Huh?”

Ying Ming didn’t look at him. “Need me to introduce someone?”

Shi Yi raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you care about this?”

“Isn’t your family pressuring you?”

“It’s not like they just started. I’m used to it. Besides, isn’t your family pressuring you too?”

He hadn’t even solved his own problems, so why was he worrying about him?

Shi Yi had always taken a go-with-the-flow approach to relationships. Right now, he didn’t have the patience to slowly work things out with someone new. For some reason, he felt a little resistant to this topic.

Ying Ming took a drag from his cigarette and smiled. “I don’t think I have a chance.”

The emotions behind that smile were layered, something only he could probably understand. Shi Yi felt there was something off about his words and was about to ask when Ying Ming changed the subject again.

“It’s about time. Let’s head back.”

He bit down on his cigarette, narrowed his eyes, and glanced at Shi Yi. The guy was only wearing a dress shirt, his jacket still in the car. It was colder here than in the city, and the wind at night was enough to make someone shiver.

But Shi Yi refused. “I think this place is pretty nice.” He smiled as he spoke. “Remember the last time we did a rally race and ended up sleeping in the car?”

“I’m just hitting menopause, not senile.”

That sleep left his whole body sore as hell.
Car seats were made for sitting, not lying down.

Shi Yi raised an eyebrow. “Wanna do it again?”

“Didn’t know you were a masochist, Young Master Shi.” Ying Ming bit his cigarette and frowned. What kind of dumb idea was that?

But Shi Yi was actually into it. He walked around to the other side, got in the car, reclined the seat all the way back, and stretched out. “Either way, if you drive back now, you’ll still be up till midnight. Why bother?”

He sat up and turned on the speakers. The song that started playing was Tomorrow, the same one Ying Ming had given him last time. Out in this open space, it sounded strangely eerie. Ying Ming stood by the car, frowning at him for a long moment before finally sighing and climbing inside. He reclined the seat and muttered that this was some dumb shit.

Shi Yi only ever acted younger than him at times like this.

Hearing his complaint, Shi Yi, who had already closed his eyes, just curled his lips in a faint smile. He reached up and turned off the overhead light out of habit. The Jeep’s interior was bigger than most cars, giving them a bit more room. Ying Ming leaned back in his seat, taking slow drags from his cigarette. The music played on, making his thoughts drift.

Two grown men sleeping in a car in the middle of nowhere.

Where the hell did Shi Yi even come up with this?

He turned his head, looking at the man beside him. His gaze trailed from Shi Yi’s forehead, down the sharp bridge of his nose, and along the contours of his throat. The haze of smoke blurred his already unfocused vision. Suddenly, it hit him. Shi Yi had gone all the way to his place just to sleep.

It was obvious he was exhausted. He had barely been lying down for a few minutes before he was already drifting off.

Really, what was the point of coming.

If he just gave it time, maybe whatever strange feelings were lingering would eventually fade away. When Ying Ming first saw Shi Yi today, a flicker of irritation had risen in his chest. In this world, the one who figures things out later always has the easier time. They had messed around for this long, but even though he had already figured things out, this was never a game one person could play alone.

And this road they were looking at, whether it was Shi Yi or himself, neither of them could afford to walk it.

He flicked away his cigaretre and slowly pushed himself up. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark, and the outline of the person in front of him became clearer. He furrowed his brows and leaned in, pressing their lips together.

A quiet sigh slipped out before he could stop it.

Idiot.

Shi Yi, if we really keep going down this path, we’re just going to end up as two absolute idiots.

The man who was already asleep didn’t feel the barely-there kiss. Ying Ming frowned, prying his lips open just enough to catch the faint traces of his breath. It was a quick, almost imperceptible sweep before he smartly pulled away.

Looking at Shi Yi’s completely unaware sleeping face, he let out a self-mocking chuckle. Then, he pushed open the door and stepped out of the car.

His feet pressed into dry grass and scattered pebbles. Leaning against the car door, he lit another cigarette, staring wordlessly into the darkness stretching out before him.

The man inside slept soundly, his breathing steady and deep.

It was always like this.

One sleeping. One lying awake, staring into nothing.

With a cigarette between his fingers, Ying Ming suddenly felt like some tragic second male lead, left to brood in heartbreak. He listened to the breathing behind him, to the music still playing inside the car, and let out a long sigh.

If he kept this up, his ending wouldn’t be any different from theirs.

No matter how dramatic a story could get, it would never be as relentless as real life.

For the first time, Ying Ming felt sick of being this clear-headed.