He asked to no avail. Wen Qingying looked at him, pursing his lips.
No doubt, this question has crossed the line, Tao Ling thought. As such, he didn’t type out the question and just nodded quietly.
They both stood on the sidewalk in front of the neighborhood gate, looking at each other in silence. After pondering for a moment, Tao Ling took out his phone and made an excuse for himself: “I was just a bit tired a moment ago, so I got scared when you extended your hand so suddenly.”
Wen Qingying smiled with reassurance, replying to him: “Sorry, mister. I’m a little—I shouldn’t have done that. I just didn’t want mister to get the wrong idea.”
Tao Ling clenched his teeth lightly. Instead of typing again, he put away his phone and said faintly, “It doesn’t matter even if that’s the case. It is none of my business in the first place, and you have your own life.”
Once again, the atmosphere went silent for a moment. He waved his hand, pointing to the neighborhood gate.
Wen Qingying showed him his eyeteeth for the second time, nodding his head.
And like that, the two of them went separate ways.
Entering the door, Tao Ling let out a deep sigh. Just now, there was an instant where it was awkward enough to make his scalp go numb, although, luckily, Wen Qingying did not seem to have any other intentions.
He has a naive mind, so he probably wouldn’t have understood the shame that Tao Ling felt.
This kind of feeling was hard to bear, managing to almost run over Tao Ling’s self-control.
It was already almost two when he got home. Tao Ling did not imagine that he would spend such a long time with Wen Qingying, wondering whether he’d still be able to open the shop tomorrow as usual.
After taking a stabilizer pill, his troubled mood fell calm, although, slowly, everything became hazy as well.
The next day before he could even turn on the computer, he got a call from Mr. Zhang at the last minute, asking him to go check a document at school. Tao Ling washed his face in a rush and bought two buns downstairs before leaving.
It was 10am when he passed by the flower shop on his way there, and surprisingly, the shop was still not open.
Normally, Tao Ling heads to work very early, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Wen Qingying hadn’t yet opened the shop, although since Wen Qingying usually starts work earlier than him, they get to greet each other most of the time.
Guessing that Wen Qingying must have gotten up late, Tao Ling did not dwell on it, and just directly walked into the school.
By the time he finished dealing with the matter and got out, it was already almost one o’clock. But to his surprise, the flower shop was not open yet.
Tao Ling went to the beef noodle shop from next next door. When he finished eating lunch and came out to check again, the door was still closed.
After standing on the sidewalk for a while, his cell phone rang. Tao Ling turned around, answering the call as he walked his way home.
He originally wanted to read but ended up wasting his afternoon sitting around at home. In the evening, the colleague from the other school messaged him again like he had nothing to do: “Ling-ge, are you free tonight? Let’s go out for a drink.”
Tao Ling laid down on the couch, replying bluntly: “No.”
The other end said: “Ling-ge, you’re so cold to me.”
“….”
“I’m just kidding. So, what are you up for tonight?”
Tao Ling thought for a moment, his gaze sweeping past the washbowl that was still on the coffee table. He sat up, replying: “I’m heading out to buy a flower vase.”
“You still plant flowers?”
“I can’t?”
“Yes, yes, yes, you can do whatever you want. You should change your name to Tao Can.”
Tao Ling closed the message page, then laid there for a moment before taking this chance to get up, change his shoes, and head out.
To buy a flower vase.
He walked on the usual way to work, for the closest place to buy a flower vase was, of course, Wen Qingying’s shop.
Turning across the street, all the lights were brightly lit. Tao Ling walked along the sidewalk, and from three shops away, he could already see clearly——that the shop was still closed.
Surprisingly, it didn’t open for the whole day.
Just as he approached the door, even if no one knew what he was up to, Tao Ling still felt awkward. As such, he simply pretended to pass by the shop, walking straight ahead with a wooden face to a supermarket by the back corner.
Three days of fishing, two days of drying. It will only be a matter of time before the flower shop goes out of business.
Inside Tao Ling’s hand was a bag filled with everyday products that he did not need. When he got home and dropped himself on the couch, he suddenly felt that everything was meaningless.
Life is so boring. He would often think this way, but not tonight. At this moment, a sudden epiphany told him that it wasn’t life that was boring, but that he was the boring one.
Tao Ling was a boring person.
This was how everyone labeled him. Whether it’s directly or indirectly, he’d always hear it.
Looking at the shopping bag of the supermarket, Tao Ling suddenly grasped these words.
He didn’t go out on Sunday, so the next time he met Wen Qingying was on Monday. Tao Ling got off of work and passed by the flower shop. Wen Qingying shot him a smile.
Everything was the same as before.
There were customers inside the flower shop, which made it inconvenient for them to conversate much. Tao Ling didn’t want to disturb Wen Qingying either, so he simply picked out a random bundle of flowers.
When he was paying for them, someone at the side was tapping on Wen Qingying to get him to look at their phone.
Tao Ling scanned the code, finishing the payment as he raised his foot to leave. Wen Qingying rushed to grab a small card from the shelf, slipping it into his hand.
His fingers casually swept across his palm.
Tao Ling looked back, then saw Wen Qingying smiling at him before turning back to continue his work.
When he reached the back street, Tao Ling opened the card, and saw that there was a flower bouquet drawn on it. Identical to the one in his hands.
The card was written with: “Mister, these are hoary stocks, a Cruciferae plant. Trim the roots at forty-five degrees when inserting them in the water. Keep the water clean and the petals and leaves dry. Make sure to place them in somewhere ventilated so that they can live longer.”
The lower right was inscribed with “Wen Qingying.”
When was this service launched? He truly likes to be busy. Tao Ling was somewhat bewildered. Does a small card come with every flower bouquet sold? Will it change to “Miss” at the beginning if it’s a female customer?
Right, there will always be other misters and misses buying flowers, too.
The noodle shop he often ate at was closed today. As such, Tao Ling went home to cook it himself, but little did he know, trying to find some ingredients at home was more difficult than digging a mine.
The fridge was as empty as anything. Only an egg was left, which was spoiled when he cracked it open. The yolk was already flowing in all directions and mixing with the line of egg white.
The rotting process begins with osmosis.
After another round of searching, the only thing he found was a quarter bundle of noodles and a potato that has grown sprouts.
When he was about to throw the potato away, his hand suddenly paused in the air, and instead grabbed a plate and threw the potato on it, thinking of burying it with whatever soil he could find tomorrow. It might even become good buddies with the Chinese rose, let the peasant suck up to the nobles.
If knew this earlier, then I would have instead bought food the night before last night at the supermarket.
While he waited for the water to boil, Tao Ling was suddenly reminded of Tao Jun’s sorry words from the past: “What would happen to you if I wasn’t here anymore? You might turn your life into a complete mess.”
Screw you, Tao Jun. Why did you still leave me even though you knew that I would turn my life into a complete mess? The more Tao Ling thought, the angrier he became, which left him looking incensed in the end.
Just when the water began to boil, the phone that was thrown aside rang.
Tao Ling poured the noodles, then quickly pulled out a piece of tissue to blow his nose. When he accepted the call, what came was an advertisement, “Hello, sir. May I ask if you have children of age six to ten? We offer…”
“Vacuum delivery services? If so, you can send me one first and then I will pick up your order,” Tao Ling finished his brisk words and ended the call.
After swallowing the noodles angrily, his stomach suddenly started to ache at night. He originally wanted to endure the pain, but then it got more and more unbearable. As such, he could only get up and boil some water.
After taking a Wei Kang Ling, he sank back on the corner of the couch and continued reading his book, in which he happens to come across a sentence: “Things you want to keep the most are the easiest to lose hold on.“
Tao Ling closed the book and stared blankly at the cover.
He used to read very few novels in the past. The bookcase at home is split into two sections; the intricate ones are on the left, while the basic ones are on the right. It was only the start of this year that he decided to open the other half belonging to Tao Jun, reading every single book from left to right, up to bottom.
The one in his hands is number thirty-one.
Thirty-one, which is exactly the age when Tao Jun left him.
His stomach was still aching. Tao Ling put down the book and curled himself up, grabbing his phone to blindly scroll through it.
In the end, he tapped open the school forum, but the instant he entered it, he saw an extremely eye-catching post: “Death notice! The boss gege (ptui! he doesn’t have a brother) of the flower shop in front of the west gate is a playboy! He is standing on two boats at once! There are pictures and actual facts!”
“…”
He asked to no avail. Wen Qingying looked at him, pursing his lips.
No doubt, this question has crossed the line, Tao Ling thought. As such, he didn’t type out the question and just nodded quietly.
They both stood on the sidewalk in front of the neighborhood gate, looking at each other in silence. After pondering for a moment, Tao Ling took out his phone and made an excuse for himself: “I was just a bit tired a moment ago, so I got scared when you extended your hand so suddenly.”
Wen Qingying smiled with reassurance, replying to him: “Sorry, mister. I’m a little—I shouldn’t have done that. I just didn’t want mister to get the wrong idea.”
Tao Ling clenched his teeth lightly. Instead of typing again, he put away his phone and said faintly, “It doesn’t matter even if that’s the case. It is none of my business in the first place, and you have your own life.”
Once again, the atmosphere went silent for a moment. He waved his hand, pointing to the neighborhood gate.
Wen Qingying showed him his eyeteeth for the second time, nodding his head.
And like that, the two of them went separate ways.
Entering the door, Tao Ling let out a deep sigh. Just now, there was an instant where it was awkward enough to make his scalp go numb, although, luckily, Wen Qingying did not seem to have any other intentions.
He has a naive mind, so he probably wouldn’t have understood the shame that Tao Ling felt.
This kind of feeling was hard to bear, managing to almost run over Tao Ling’s self-control.
It was already almost two when he got home. Tao Ling did not imagine that he would spend such a long time with Wen Qingying, wondering whether he’d still be able to open the shop tomorrow as usual.
After taking a stabilizer pill, his troubled mood fell calm, although, slowly, everything became hazy as well.
The next day before he could even turn on the computer, he got a call from Mr. Zhang at the last minute, asking him to go check a document at school. Tao Ling washed his face in a rush and bought two buns downstairs before leaving.
It was 10am when he passed by the flower shop on his way there, and surprisingly, the shop was still not open.
Normally, Tao Ling heads to work very early, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Wen Qingying hadn’t yet opened the shop, although since Wen Qingying usually starts work earlier than him, they get to greet each other most of the time.
Guessing that Wen Qingying must have gotten up late, Tao Ling did not dwell on it, and just directly walked into the school.
By the time he finished dealing with the matter and got out, it was already almost one o’clock. But to his surprise, the flower shop was not open yet.
Tao Ling went to the beef noodle shop from next next door. When he finished eating lunch and came out to check again, the door was still closed.
After standing on the sidewalk for a while, his cell phone rang. Tao Ling turned around, answering the call as he walked his way home.
He originally wanted to read but ended up wasting his afternoon sitting around at home. In the evening, the colleague from the other school messaged him again like he had nothing to do: “Ling-ge, are you free tonight? Let’s go out for a drink.”
Tao Ling laid down on the couch, replying bluntly: “No.”
The other end said: “Ling-ge, you’re so cold to me.”
“….”
“I’m just kidding. So, what are you up for tonight?”
Tao Ling thought for a moment, his gaze sweeping past the washbowl that was still on the coffee table. He sat up, replying: “I’m heading out to buy a flower vase.”
“You still plant flowers?”
“I can’t?”
“Yes, yes, yes, you can do whatever you want. You should change your name to Tao Can.”
Tao Ling closed the message page, then laid there for a moment before taking this chance to get up, change his shoes, and head out.
To buy a flower vase.
He walked on the usual way to work, for the closest place to buy a flower vase was, of course, Wen Qingying’s shop.
Turning across the street, all the lights were brightly lit. Tao Ling walked along the sidewalk, and from three shops away, he could already see clearly——that the shop was still closed.
Surprisingly, it didn’t open for the whole day.
Just as he approached the door, even if no one knew what he was up to, Tao Ling still felt awkward. As such, he simply pretended to pass by the shop, walking straight ahead with a wooden face to a supermarket by the back corner.
Three days of fishing, two days of drying. It will only be a matter of time before the flower shop goes out of business.
Inside Tao Ling’s hand was a bag filled with everyday products that he did not need. When he got home and dropped himself on the couch, he suddenly felt that everything was meaningless.
Life is so boring. He would often think this way, but not tonight. At this moment, a sudden epiphany told him that it wasn’t life that was boring, but that he was the boring one.
Tao Ling was a boring person.
This was how everyone labeled him. Whether it’s directly or indirectly, he’d always hear it.
Looking at the shopping bag of the supermarket, Tao Ling suddenly grasped these words.
He didn’t go out on Sunday, so the next time he met Wen Qingying was on Monday. Tao Ling got off of work and passed by the flower shop. Wen Qingying shot him a smile.
Everything was the same as before.
There were customers inside the flower shop, which made it inconvenient for them to conversate much. Tao Ling didn’t want to disturb Wen Qingying either, so he simply picked out a random bundle of flowers.
When he was paying for them, someone at the side was tapping on Wen Qingying to get him to look at their phone.
Tao Ling scanned the code, finishing the payment as he raised his foot to leave. Wen Qingying rushed to grab a small card from the shelf, slipping it into his hand.
His fingers casually swept across his palm.
Tao Ling looked back, then saw Wen Qingying smiling at him before turning back to continue his work.
When he reached the back street, Tao Ling opened the card, and saw that there was a flower bouquet drawn on it. Identical to the one in his hands.
The card was written with: “Mister, these are hoary stocks, a Cruciferae plant. Trim the roots at forty-five degrees when inserting them in the water. Keep the water clean and the petals and leaves dry. Make sure to place them in somewhere ventilated so that they can live longer.”
The lower right was inscribed with “Wen Qingying.”
When was this service launched? He truly likes to be busy. Tao Ling was somewhat bewildered. Does a small card come with every flower bouquet sold? Will it change to “Miss” at the beginning if it’s a female customer?
Right, there will always be other misters and misses buying flowers, too.
The noodle shop he often ate at was closed today. As such, Tao Ling went home to cook it himself, but little did he know, trying to find some ingredients at home was more difficult than digging a mine.
The fridge was as empty as anything. Only an egg was left, which was spoiled when he cracked it open. The yolk was already flowing in all directions and mixing with the line of egg white.
The rotting process begins with osmosis.
After another round of searching, the only thing he found was a quarter bundle of noodles and a potato that has grown sprouts.
When he was about to throw the potato away, his hand suddenly paused in the air, and instead grabbed a plate and threw the potato on it, thinking of burying it with whatever soil he could find tomorrow. It might even become good buddies with the Chinese rose, let the peasant suck up to the nobles.
If knew this earlier, then I would have instead bought food the night before last night at the supermarket.
While he waited for the water to boil, Tao Ling was suddenly reminded of Tao Jun’s sorry words from the past: “What would happen to you if I wasn’t here anymore? You might turn your life into a complete mess.”
Screw you, Tao Jun. Why did you still leave me even though you knew that I would turn my life into a complete mess? The more Tao Ling thought, the angrier he became, which left him looking incensed in the end.
Just when the water began to boil, the phone that was thrown aside rang.
Tao Ling poured the noodles, then quickly pulled out a piece of tissue to blow his nose. When he accepted the call, what came was an advertisement, “Hello, sir. May I ask if you have children of age six to ten? We offer…”
“Vacuum delivery services? If so, you can send me one first and then I will pick up your order,” Tao Ling finished his brisk words and ended the call.
After swallowing the noodles angrily, his stomach suddenly started to ache at night. He originally wanted to endure the pain, but then it got more and more unbearable. As such, he could only get up and boil some water.
After taking a Wei Kang Ling, he sank back on the corner of the couch and continued reading his book, in which he happens to come across a sentence: “Things you want to keep the most are the easiest to lose hold on.“
Tao Ling closed the book and stared blankly at the cover.
He used to read very few novels in the past. The bookcase at home is split into two sections; the intricate ones are on the left, while the basic ones are on the right. It was only the start of this year that he decided to open the other half belonging to Tao Jun, reading every single book from left to right, up to bottom.
The one in his hands is number thirty-one.
Thirty-one, which is exactly the age when Tao Jun left him.
His stomach was still aching. Tao Ling put down the book and curled himself up, grabbing his phone to blindly scroll through it.
In the end, he tapped open the school forum, but the instant he entered it, he saw an extremely eye-catching post: “Death notice! The boss gege (ptui! he doesn’t have a brother) of the flower shop in front of the west gate is a playboy! He is standing on two boats at once! There are pictures and actual facts!”
“…”
