INS Chapter 28

Drinking alcohol made Tao Ling fall asleep quickly, but the quality of sleep wasn’t great.

Tao Ling woke up because he was thirsty. Half-awake, he sat up and took a sip from the glass of water on the bedside table. After drinking, he paused in confusion—when had the water been placed there?

 

After a couple of seconds, he suddenly jolted awake.

He had slept, but what about Wen Qingying?

He hurried out of bed and rushed to the living room, where he immediately froze.

 

Tao Ling liked to lie on the couch and read, sometimes falling asleep while doing so. Because of this, Tao Jun had installed a nightlight next to the couch to make it easier for him to navigate at night.

Now, the soft yellow light illuminated a small area, where Wen Qingying was sitting in the corner of the couch, his head tilted and resting on the couch back. Half of his face was bathed in the faint glow.

His sleeping expression was incredibly serene.

 

Tao Ling walked over slowly, intending to wake Wen Qingying and bring him to a proper bed. But after squatting beside him for a while and seeing how deeply he slept, he decided against it.

After a long moment, Tao Ling returned to his room, carrying a pillow and a blanket. He knelt down beside Wen Qingying, carefully removed his slippers, gently lifted his legs onto the couch, and placed a pillow under his head. He adjusted Wen Qingying’s sleeping position and finally covered him with the blanket.

 

Wen Qingying’s ability to sleep soundly made Tao Ling envious. Throughout this entire process, his breathing remained steady and undisturbed.

This deep sleep reassured Tao Ling.

He allowed himself to gaze at Wen Qingying without restraint, as if the night had granted him a cloak of safety. Even if his feelings flowed like a river, they wouldn’t be discovered under the cover of darkness.

As long as he didn’t lay bare his own heart, he could keep this love hidden forever.

 

Tao Ling continued to stay beside the sofa, his knees eventually growing tired from kneeling. He finally sat down on the floor, resting his hands on the edge of the sofa, staring blankly at Wen Qingying as he slept.

How far is the distance between liking to watch and like?

Tao Ling couldn’t figure it out.

 

Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed Wen Qingying’s expression change as if he were having a nightmare. His brows furrowed tightly, and he clenched his teeth hard, as though in anger or pain. His fists tightened, his chest heaved several times, and his breathing became rapid and uneven.

 

Tao Ling was startled, straightening up, thinking Wen Qingying was about to wake. But Wen Qingying’s expression, although twisted for a moment, gradually relaxed, with only a slight frown remaining.

Within a few minutes, he looked completely different. Moments ago, he appeared calm and composed, but now he seemed incredibly fragile and pale.

 

Tao Ling felt a pang of distress but could do nothing. After confirming that Wen Qingying was still asleep, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a strange compulsion. He leaned down and lightly kissed Wen Qingying’s forehead.

Can touching someone you like become addictive?

Tao Ling didn’t know, having never felt it before. In the secrecy of the night, he indulged himself, holding his breath, his lips trembling as they brushed over Wen Qingying’s forehead and then his brow.

Finally, unable to control his racing heart any longer, he hurriedly got up and went to the bathroom.

 

How disgraceful.

Tao Ling filled the sink with cold water, held his breath, and submerged his face, his fingers still trembling. He thought Wen Qingying was a noble and pure gentleman, while he was a despicable, dark-hearted wretch.

This wave of self-loathing hit him hard, almost tearing his heart apart.

 

A quarter of an hour later, Tao Ling came out with a warm towel and wiped the sweat off Wen Qingying’s forehead.

Perhaps feeling more comfortable after washing his face, Wen Qingying’s frown gradually eased.

 

“Wen Qingying, goodnight. Dream of what you want to dream.” In the gentle night, a hoarse voice murmured.

 

The next morning, when the alarm rang, Tao Ling got up to find Wen Qingying already gone. Not only was he gone, but the dining and kitchen areas were tidied up spotlessly.

On the table, there was a bowl of porridge, still warm, and a glass of juice.

Under the glass, a note was pressed, which read: “Sir, I’ve left. Thank you for the hospitality. You can take a hot shower before going to work, and the juice is honey lemon water to help with the hangover headache. Sorry for moving things around in your cabinet.”

At the end, he signed off as usual, with a small flower next to his name.

 

How early did he have to get up for this?

Tao Ling felt a pang of heartache, and he was surprised to realize how deeply he had slept through the second half of the night.

As he drank the porridge, he recalled the events of the previous night. He couldn’t remember much before he first went to sleep, vaguely recalling taking Wen Qingying to the study. But the events after waking up were all too clear, so clear that Tao Ling once again despised himself.

 

After eating, he went to work. Passing by the flower shop, he saw that the door was still closed.

Throughout the morning at work, Tao Ling felt a persistent emptiness. It wasn’t until he stood by the corridor in the religious department that he suddenly realized the simplicity of the situation.

It was just because he hadn’t seen Wen Qingying in the morning.

 

You’re fucked, Tao Ling.

Tao Ling thought.

 

The moon had been bright last night, and the morning was clear too. But by the afternoon, the wind picked up suddenly. The window was wide open, with dark clouds gathering outside. The wind blew in, sending the papers on his desk flying in disarray.

At his feet was a package, which Tao Ling had picked up after lunch.

When he saw the sender’s name, he was filled with anger and had thrown it on the floor upon returning to his office, not caring what it was.

 

Before leaving work, Teacher Zhang, holding his teacup, said with a smile, “Teacher Tao, you haven’t been yourself lately, have you?”

Tao Ling was taken aback, and Teacher Zhang continued, “Your mood doesn’t seem as calm as before. At first, I thought something new and exciting had happened in your life, but now you don’t look like that anymore.”

Without waiting for Tao Ling to respond, Teacher Zhang added, “I’m just speaking my mind. If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.”

 

After a moment, Tao Ling smiled and said, “Teacher Zhang, I’ve always wanted to say that you have a way of seeing things so clearly.”

“What clear or unclear?” Teacher Zhang waved his hand and chuckled, “I’ve just seen more years than you. You young people have abilities and ambitions. Even though you need to be practical, how can you be content with living a monotonous life? But having restless thoughts will definitely make you suffer more. It’s all about how you choose to live.”

 

After finishing his slow-paced speech, Teacher Zhang tidied up his things, humming a little tune as he left for the day.

Tao Ling sat quietly for a moment before packing his bag. Just as he was about to leave the office, he received a message from Xia Chaoyang: “Tao shidi, I still need to ask you to help bring some things home.”

 

As soon as Xia Chaoyang mentioned it, Tao Ling confirmed his suspicion: tomorrow was Tao Jun’s birthday, and this package was meant for him.

Why give gifts to someone who’s already dead?

Tao Ling felt a bit impatient but hesitated for a moment before grabbing the package and leaving the building.

 

Just as he reached the school gate, raindrops began to fall, and by the time he crossed the crosswalk, it was pouring.

Tao Ling hurried a few steps and saw that the flower stand in front of the flower shop was already empty. Wen Qingying was standing at the entrance, looking in his direction.

 

As soon as he stepped into the shop, Wen Qingying greeted him with a light touch on his arm. Tao Ling walked further inside, and Wen Qingying closed the glass door behind them.

“My god, this rain is coming down like it’s the middle of summer,” Tao Ling said, tossing the small box onto a table and shaking off the water droplets. Wen Qingying appeared beside him with a clean towel and helped him dry off.

 

Tao Ling looked up at Wen Qingying, feeling as though he had come back to life after seeing him again post-hangover.

 

Perhaps due to a poor night’s sleep, Wen Qingying had slight dark circles under his eyes, but he didn’t look particularly tired. He took out his phone and typed, flashing his little tiger teeth in a smile: “You came in just in time, sir. This should be the last heavy rain of the year.”

“Yeah,” Tao Ling replied with a smile, not using his phone. “Once this rain is over, it will truly be winter.”