CH 37

At half-past six in the evening, traffic was congested all over Shanghai.

Zhou Qingbo’s bar was located in the old city area, where narrow alleys were occupied and overhead wires were strung across. The aroma of food wafted out from the cramped, low windows, infusing a touch of warmth into the chilly air.

Ji Yao walked to the car, stealing a glance at Jiang Heng from the corner of his eye.

Jiang Heng’s car came equipped with a built in navigation system that automatically displayed options as soon as he got in, asking if the driver wanted to go “home” or to the “office,” eliminating the need for specific directions.

So, from the moment they got into the car, Jiang Heng hadn’t said a word to him.

He reclined the seat a bit, wrapping his coat tightly around himself. He tilted his head slightly towards the outside, eyes closed, appearing as if he had already fallen asleep.

Ji Yao rarely saw such obvious signs of exhaustion on his face and couldn’t help but take several more glances at him.

Jiang Heng was a disciplined person. Even among their well-off circle of friends, his self-control was among the best. He had a passion for his work, but he was also acutely aware of his physical limits. Unlike other lawyers who might lose track of time while working, Jiang Heng not only maintained regular meals throughout the day but also found time for exercise.

In Ji Yao’s view, Jiang Heng had a nearly scientific way of managing his energy. He knew his limits, so he rested and recharged to ensure that he wouldn’t be so tired that it would affect his life and work.

As Jiang Heng put it, it was the most efficient way of functioning.

Ji Yao was used to seeing him full of energy, so seeing him like this was a bit unsettling.

The car in front slowly inched forward, and Ji Yao repeated the mechanical actions of applying the gas and brake. The music from the car’s sound system completed its playlist, looping back to the first track.

Jiang Heng had excellent taste in music; most of the tracks were calming instrumental pieces, with a focus on piano and cello. Ji Yao’s fingertips tapped in rhythm with the music, maintaining a calm composure amid the lengthy traffic jam.

Outside, the colorful neon lights from the hair salons outside fell onto Jiang Heng, illuminating his shoulder and gradually lighting up half of his face.

Ji Yao couldn’t help but steal another glance at him. He suddenly realized that he had seen many different versions of “Jiang Heng” in these past two months—disheveled, weary, distant, composed and capable, and now, tired like this.

In these two months, he had seen more of Jiang Heng than he had in the three years of their romantic relationship.

Jiang Heng’s shallow breath intertwined with the piano’s melody, creating an inexplicable atmosphere of tranquility. Ji Yao watched him tighten his collar and couldn’t resist turning the air conditioning up by a couple of degrees.

The lanes on both sides were filled with clutter and bicycles. Jiang Heng’s car still had its protective film on, and Ji Yao drove with extreme caution, fearing he might scratch the car.

Half an hour later, driving in this state of heightened alertness, Ji Yao merged into the main road. The navigation indicated a left turn, but Ji Yao ignored it. He drove a couple of hundred meters further before pulling over by the roadside.

He parked the car, took out his phone and stepped out.

The sound of the car door closing lightly reached Jiang Heng’s ears, and he opened his eyes, looking toward Ji Yao’s silhouette through the window.

The temperature in Shanghai was quite low that day, with a light drizzle. Ji Yao tightened his collar and hurriedly entered a 24-hour pharmacy on the roadside.

In reality, Jiang Heng hadn’t actually fallen asleep; he was merely resting his eyes. He felt exhausted to the core, to the extent that he didn’t even have the energy for casual conversation.

The pharmacy had transparent glass doors, and from Jiang Heng’s angle, he could clearly see Ji Yao.

Ji Yao stood in front of the medicine counter, pointing to the display case behind it and exchanged a few words with the store clerk. Then, he nodded and wrote a few words on the purchase slip handed to him.

Watching Ji Yao from the side, Jiang Heng felt as if the present moment had overlapped with a scene from several years ago.

In the year following his moving in with Ji Yao, before Ji’s parents forcefully intervened in their lives, there were periods when Ji Yao was particularly busy.

During that time, Ji Yao was always working on his projects and preparing his graduation thesis, leaving him with little time to spare. Consequently, he temporarily moved back to his school.

Coincidentally, Jiang Heng was interning with a law firm’s legal aid team and had gone to a rural area in the western suburbs of Beijing. When they left, everything was fine, but due to inadequate preparation, they got caught in a heavy rainstorm on their return, and their car got stuck halfway.

They spent over half an hour in the rain, struggling to move the car and finally managed to push it out. By the time they returned to Beijing’s city center, it was already dark.

Despite being young and healthy, Jiang Heng bore the brunt of the rain, and after taking a hot shower at home, he found himself feeling lightheaded and unsteady on his feet.

At that time, their relationship with Ji Yao was still in a good place. They communicated via video calls almost every day, sharing updates on their lives. On that day, Jiang Heng was worried that Ji Yao might notice something, so he changed the video call to an audio call.

Ji Yao was particularly busy that day and didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. He exchanged a few words with Jiang Heng in passing and was then called away by his mentor and classmates.

Jiang Heng was feeling quite miserable and decided to take a rest before heading to the hospital. Wrapped in a blanket, he inadvertently fell asleep on the couch.

In a semi-conscious state, he drifted in and out of sleep, not knowing how much time had passed. He heard a faint sound from the living room, the fingerprint lock engaged, and the doorknob turned slightly. A gust of cool wind followed as it rushed in, making him shiver involuntarily.

In the next second, a slightly cool hand reached over, touching his forehead.

“You’re quite something,” Ji Yao said. “Sleeping on the couch?”

Jiang Heng grasped his wrist, pulled it to his lips, giving it a kiss. With narrowed eyes, he smiled at Ji Yao and asked, “Why are you back?”

“I’m a doctor, remember?” Ji Yao, at that time having completed his clinical medical training, said grumpily, “Your throat’s all scratchy, you think I couldn’t tell?”

From Jiang Heng’s personal experience, Ji Yao was clearly not the angelic type of doctor who made people feel at ease. His professional attitude was rather ordinary; he rummaged through the medicine box while lecturing his patient from start to finish.

“When we have a date, you check the weather forecast. But when you’re on a business trip, you conveniently forget,” Ji Yao scolded a bit roughly, handing Jiang Heng a cup of water. He said, “Take your medicine and go to the bedroom. It’s already past midnight. Also, sleep in a bit tomorrow.”

As Ji Yao spoke, Jiang Heng had fully woken up. He sat on the couch, draped in the blanket, and glanced at the wall clock. Only then did he realize that it was already half past one in the morning.

Ji Yao’s shoulders sagged under the weight of the backpack he brought back. It was filled with materials he needed and unfinished assignments.

He grumbled to Jiang Heng about how he ended up with all the work despite coming back for a visit. Skillfully, he took out a thermometer, measured Jiang Heng’s temperature, and then brought him a cup of lukewarm water.

After Jiang Heng finished his medicine, he was ushered back to his room. Ji Yao didn’t join him; he stayed in the living room, rustling for about half an hour. Eventually, he walked in carrying a bowl of bland porridge.

The air conditioning was set at a comfortable temperature. A warm glow radiated from the bedside lamp, and Ji Yao sat at the desk by the bed, continuing to work on his deadline. Jiang Heng sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly eating the unappetizing porridge.