# 15
Zuo Nian had something on his mind, so he didn’t sleep soundly.
He was afraid of oversleeping, but also worried that a loud alarm would wake Duan Baisui.
So he got up when it was just past five o’clock.
He reached out and turned on the bedside lamp on his side.
The wall light was dim and yellow, not harsh on the eyes.
Duan Baisui hadn’t awakened; he was still in deep sleep. His thin eyelids covered those naturally cold, light pupils, making him appear less severe and more gentle.
Zuo Nian quietly got out of bed, put on his clothes, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
After getting ready, he walked to Duan Baisui’s side of the bed and crouched down, gazing at the person before him with longing, reluctant to look away.
Once he left this time, he wouldn’t see him for many days.
With a thirteen-hour time difference between there and China, and with Duan Baisui’s busy work schedule, they might not even have a chance to video call.
Zuo Nian sighed softly. The torment of having his marrow eroded by longing was something he had experienced too many times, and even now when he thought back on it, he still felt heartache.
“Brother,” he whispered in a voice only he could hear, “Year-year will miss you.”
The person in his dreams had his brows furrowed, as if having a bad dream.
Zuo Nian leaned forward, gathering his courage to place a kiss on Duan Baisui’s forehead, then quickly moved away.
That warm touch made his heart skip half a beat, and his mind even went momentarily blank.
Fortunately, Duan Baisui still didn’t wake up.
Zuo Nian touched his own lips, secretly smiling: “Brother, goodbye.”
The bedroom door was pulled open and then closed. The person who had appeared to be in deep sleep opened his eyes, covering his forehead with the back of his hand, lost in a thousand thoughts.
The darkness dispersed as the morning light gradually spread.
The winter sky in City A was always covered with a layer of gray, gloomy and dark.
When Duan Baisui came downstairs, it was almost eight o’clock.
By this time, Zuo Nian should have already arrived at the airport.
“Young Master, good morning,” Auntie Liu stood at the foot of the stairs to greet him.
Duan Baisui: “Morning.”
He came to the living room, put on his freshly washed coat that had been brought to him, and prepared to leave.
Auntie Liu called out: “Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”
“No.”
“Please eat something. Today’s breakfast was made by Mr. Zuo. He said he’d be away for a while and asked me to remind you to eat regularly,” Auntie Liu gently persuaded.
Duan Baisui stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked: “What did he make?”
–
Luo Yin had been following Duan Baisui for some time.
His impression of Duan Baisui was one of arrogance, coldness, nobility, and someone who didn’t regard anyone else as worthy of his attention.
All the characteristics of a top-tier Alpha were embodied in him to perfection.
And what he possessed was enough to support his looking down on everything.
But the boss who in Luo Yin’s eyes was so lofty and looked at people with his nose, was today eating a bunny-shaped bun while looking at his computer in the office, with a pink Peppa Pig thermos on the desk.
It almost made Luo Yin think he had walked into the wrong office.
Fortunately, his professional demeanor prevented him from showing an exaggerated expression. He placed a stack of documents on the desk and said calmly: “Young Master Duan, these need your review and signature.”
“Mm,” the man responded indifferently without raising his head.
See? No matter how many bunny buns he eats, at his core, he’s still that cold Alpha, not becoming cute at all!
“Also, Chairman Duan came to the company today and said there’s a meeting at nine-thirty.”
“Alright.”
Luo Yin glanced at the bun. Oh, it had custard filling? The kind you’d feed to kids?
“Anything else?” Duan Baisui looked at him askance.
“No, just… would you like a cup of coffee?” Luo Yin said. “I noticed you’re only eating buns, it might be a bit dry…”
Ah! Ah! Ah! What was he saying?
Dry! He said the boss’s buns were a bit dry!
Luo Yin closed his eyes, thinking he was done for.
“No need,” Duan Baisui’s voice was flat. “My better half also made congee, it’s in the thermos.”
Luo Yin’s suspended heart returned to his stomach: “Mr. Zuo is so thoughtful.”
Duan Baisui’s expression softened considerably: “Mm.”
Wait, did the boss seem to be showing off a bit?
–
After Luo Yin left, Duan Baisui opened the thermos.
He had never been regular with his meals, and when busy, it was common for him to substitute coffee for proper meals.
This morning after Zuo Nian left, he had gone back to sleep and woken up a bit late. He still planned to brew a cup of coffee at the company to tide him over, but Auntie Liu’s words reminded him of Zuo Nian’s busy figure in the kitchen.
Not wanting to waste his thoughtfulness, Duan Baisui had Auntie Liu pack it in the thermos to bring to the company.
The thermos was bought by Zuo Nian; previously, he had the habit of bringing soup to the shop.
Now, eating breakfast made by Zuo Nian and using his food container, Duan Baisui began to uncontrollably miss Zuo Nian.
He wondered if he had boarded the plane yet. Why hadn’t he sent even a single message?
Before leaving this morning, he had secretly kissed him, but now there was silence, not a word left behind.
Duan Baisui took out his phone and opened the chat window with Zuo Nian.
He scrolled up a bit; the two had hardly ever chatted.
The most recent message was still from the time Zuo Nian sent the “bed photo” mix-up.
They really communicated very little.
The phone screen darkened, then was lit up again.
Duan Baisui’s fingers moved: Have you boarded the plane?
In less than a minute after the message was sent, Zuo Nian replied.
Zuo Nian: Not yet, my flight is at ten. Has brother arrived at the company? Have you had breakfast?
Duan Baisui: I have.
After thinking for a moment, he took a picture of the thermos and sent it, typing: Got up late, brought it to the company to eat.
Zuo Nian: That’s Year-year’s!
Duan Baisui: Am I not allowed to use it?
Zuo Nian: Of course you can, I’m just surprised. I thought brother wouldn’t like such childish things.
Duan Baisui: It’s not childish.
How could it be childish? It’s clearly as cute as Zuo Nian.
Zuo Nian: Brother, Year-year just asked Dad, we’ll be gone for seven days. Brother needs to take good care of himself. Year-year will miss you very, very much. I’m already starting to miss you now.
He really knew how to say sweet things, and yet seemed unaware of it.
Duan Baisui’s lips couldn’t help but turn upwards as he replied: Let me know in advance when you return, I’ll pick you up.
Zuo Nian: Okay~
After finishing the congee, Duan Baisui tidied up his desk.
At that moment, Luo Yin knocked and entered, saying: “Young Master Duan, it’s time for the meeting.”
“I know.”
Duan Yan was at today’s meeting.
At the meeting, each department presented their year-end summaries and made new plans and adjustments for the coming year.
Duan Yan didn’t have many objections to their reports, but as the meeting was about to end, he mentioned that every artist has their value—don’t treat small actors as less than human. The entertainment industry changes in the blink of an eye; some people can become famous overnight, while others can disappear in an instant. Who can guarantee that the top stars will never fade, or that the little people will never have their day? Look at the long term, and don’t help cover up all kinds of dirty business.
Since Xing Entertainment’s establishment, it had cultivated top-tier stars and award-winning actors and actresses who could hold up half the sky.
The company’s contracts with its artists were fairly distributed, and they never forced artists to accompany clients for drinks or sell their bodies for resources. Therefore, many actors renewed their contracts for long periods, and Xing Entertainment had a good reputation.
This scandal had truly angered Duan Yan considerably. He felt that the executives who strongly supported Rong Jin were brainless and had ganged up to “bully” his son.
Fortunately, although Duan Baisui was young, he had a clear sense of right and wrong and hadn’t been led by the nose. This gave Duan Yan some comfort.
After the meeting, Duan Yan stopped Duan Baisui: “Come home for dinner tonight. Your Little Dad has been mentioning you in my ear these past two days.”
Duan Baisui agreed: “Alright.”
“Remember to bring Year-year along.”
Duan Baisui: “Zuo Nian went back to America with his dad today.”
“Today? Ah, it does seem to be today,” Duan Yan sighed. “Getting old makes one’s memory worse.”
It was rare to hear him admit to aging.
After having dinner with his two fathers at the estate, it was already late.
It was snowing heavily outside, so Xu Yi and Duan Yan didn’t let him leave.
Duan Baisui returned to his own room to stay for the night.
He had a few drinks with his father tonight—not much, but his head felt a bit foggy.
He lay prone on the large bed, unwilling to move.
The room was so quiet that only the “tick-tock, tick-tock” of the clock’s hands could be heard.
Duan Baisui’s outstretched hand touched the pillow where Zuo Nian had slept last time.
Realizing this, many images flashed through his mind.
The fingers holding the corner of the pillow slowly closed, the veins on the back of his hand becoming prominent. Finally, he couldn’t control himself and pulled the soft pillow over, burying his face deep into it.
He had to admit that on this night, he was desperately missing Zuo Nian.
He even wanted to find Zuo Nian’s scent on the pillow to comfort the emptiness and anxiety in his heart.
He wasn’t like this before.
He had become too strange.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
