In the days that followed, Bai Yang remained cautious about people from Song Chi’s side, but it seemed that he hadn’t sent anyone to bother him again. He finally breathed a sigh of relief and was able to return to his normal life.
During his free time, he would go to the library to read various detective novels and then recommend the ones he found interesting to Shao Cheng. However, Shao Cheng had often already read them.
One time, he mustered the courage to ask Shao Cheng, “[Are you writing something yourself? Can I be your first reader?]”
Shao Cheng didn’t reply, perhaps he found the question abrupt.
A week later, it was the end of the year. Bai Yang finally received a notification from the senior, indicating the interview time at the publishing house. It happened to be on the last day of the year. He immediately messaged Shao Cheng about it, and surprisingly, Shao Cheng actually replied with a single word: “Okay.”
To prepare for the interview, Bai Yang had saved money for half a month and used his previous savings to buy a decent suit. Luckily, the marks that Shao Cheng had left on his neck had already faded. Otherwise, he would have been embarrassed to attend the interview without wearing a scarf.
On the day of the interview, many students from various universities were present. After all, it was a well-known publishing house, and there was a high chance of being hired after graduation. Bai Yang had confidence in his professional knowledge and answered over a dozen professional questions from the interviewers with ease. Seeing the satisfied expressions on their faces, he felt more confident.
After the professional questions, there were some routine ones. One of the interviewers casually asked, “[What do your parents do now?]”
Bai Yang truthfully replied, “[When my parents were alive, they were ordinary employees in a company.]”
The interviewer who asked the question was taken aback for a moment and then said, “[I’m sorry.]”
Bai Yang maintained a smile and said, “[It’s okay.]”
Perhaps due to Bai Yang’s family circumstances, the interviewer seemed sympathetic, and the subsequent questions went smoothly without any difficult ones. Toward the end, one of the interviewers even encouraged him, “[I can tell you’re an optimistic and strong young man. Our publishing house also values that. We hope you’ll have a smooth future. Keep it up.]”
Bai Yang thanked them with a smile, feeling that his chances of getting hired were high.
After leaving the interview room, Bai Yang was eager to share his experience with Shao Cheng. However, as he lifted his gaze, he saw Zhang Hongyi in the office talking to the editor-in-chief. When Zhang Hongyi spotted him, he hesitated and called out, “[Bai Yang?]”
Bai Yang was generally friendly towards Shao Cheng’s friends, so he walked over and greeted him warmly, “[Zhang Hongyi! How are you? I’m here for an interview. What are you doing here?]”
Unaware of Bai Yang’s current situation with Shao Cheng, Zhang Hongyi still thought of him as the poor guy who had approached Shao Cheng maliciously. Seeing Bai Yang greet him so familiarly, he felt a sense of distaste. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “[I’m here to discuss a design proposal with this publishing house.]”
Bai Yang remembered that Zhang Hongyi’s family owned a design company. He might be interning in his own family’s company, meeting potential clients. Bai Yang sensed that Zhang Hongyi didn’t quite like him, so he smiled and didn’t disturb him further, saying his goodbyes and leaving.
Back at home, Bai Yang removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves to start washing and cooking the vegetables. He was busy cooking until around 6:30, by which time he had almost finished. The cold dishes were plated and arranged on the small table, and the soup was simmering slowly in the pot. The quick-cooking stir-fry was prepared in plates, to be cooked later when Shao Cheng arrived to prevent them from getting cold.
He glanced at his phone, but there were still no new messages. Shao Cheng was probably still busy. Bai Yang decided to open his computer and work on the final paper that was due the next week. Time flew by, and by the time he looked up again, it was already 8 o’clock.
Bai Yang lay down on the small bed, staring at the window. It was already completely dark outside. The area where he lived had few residents, so the surroundings were unusually dark. Some of the larger buildings in the distance were brightly lit.
He couldn’t help but reminisce about the New Year’s Eves of the past when he was with his family. Bai Tao would always be excited, pulling him to the window to watch the fireworks at midnight. His parents would watch the New Year’s Eve party for a while and then go to bed early.
Ordinary and unremarkable nights, yet filled with warmth and happiness.
In the past couple of years, he hadn’t paid much attention to New Year’s Eve. He didn’t even remember how he had spent it. But this year was different. From now on, every New Year’s Eve, no matter how lonely and desolate it might be, he would remember being with Shao Cheng tonight.
He would never feel alone again.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Bai Yang’s lips. He glanced at his phone again; it was already 9 o’clock. He got up to check on the soup, but as soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and nearly stumbled. His body also seemed to be heating up for no reason, even though the air conditioning wasn’t set to a high temperature.
Perhaps he caught a cold when he rushed out earlier without proper clothing. Feeling a bit feverish, he took a fever-reducing pill from his medicine cabinet and swallowed it with water. Just then, he received a notification sound from his phone.
Bai Yang absentmindedly tapped it open and froze, his smile quickly fading.
The message was from the publishing house where he had interviewed earlier in the day, notifying him with regret that he had not passed the interview.
His heart sank with disappointment; he had thought he had done well. But before he could fully process his dejection, a new message popped up on WeChat.
Shao Cheng: [I won’t be able to make it tonight, sorry. Don’t wait for me.]
Bai Yang stared at his phone, and his gaze remained fixed on the screen even after it dimmed.
This was the first time Shao Cheng had apologized to him, but he didn’t want to hear those words.
Why was everyone saying sorry to him today?
He turned his head to look at the dishes, large and small, stacked on the small kitchen counter. Despite the abundance before him, bitterness filled his gaze.
Indeed, one should not be too greedy. If one doesn’t deserve something, they shouldn’t harbor unrealistic expectations for it.
Sure enough, he had just thought that he could do some ordinary things with Shao Cheng as a couple, and the heavens punished him, making him realize his true worth.
