Qiao Ling finished eating and did not stay, just left.
Chen Kuang only got off work at 1:30 in the middle of the night, after Qiao Ling started dating him, she became more and more unable to endure the feeling of loneliness when being alone, simply after closing the shop just stayed in the shop making Miao ethnic group head ornaments for grandma, waiting until around 1:40 when he would come pick her up and go home together.
Thinking about it, before she used to be a healthy person who went to sleep at exactly eleven o’clock, but because of Chen Kuang, she also became a night owl maniac.
However, Chen Kuang had never been late, saying he would arrive at 1:40, he would punctually stand at the door carrying late-night snacks.
Qiao Ling closed the shop and went with him to drive, the late-night snacks were settled in the car, you take a bite, I take a bite.
In northern cities, except for the downtown bar street night market area, the other streets generally don’t have much nightlife, Qiao Ling very much enjoyed sitting in the car at 1 a.m. every day feeling the world’s quietness.
Listening to r&b playing from the surround sound system, eating the fried chicken he bought, the street view outside the window clean and neat.
The breath of life was all in the refreshing wind that swept past the car window.
After entering the house, Qiao Ling threw down her bag, while bending over to change shoes she asked the other party: “Today what did you and Xie Lisheng talk about? When I left I saw you two were still chatting.”
She had been absent-minded over this answer for the whole night.
Chen Kuang changed shoes and went into the bathroom to wash hands, did not hesitate and answered: “He asked me to go to Qinnan, go back to his company to continue doing backend development.”
“Said if I go, he would give me the position of chief of the software department.”
Qiao Ling was surprised, her throat somewhat blocked, “…Then you.”
“I refused.” He looked over, completely without any regret, “I told him, comfortably being a technical shareholder, taking dividends every quarter isn’t good? Still don’t have to work for him.”
This was actually a refusal reason Qiao Ling didn’t expect, thinking about it, really wasn’t a single fault.
“Indeed…”
Chen Kuang finished washing hands, pulled the long-sleeve sweatshirt over his head and stuffed it into the washing machine, Qiao Ling glanced over in one look, seeing his tight and beautiful upper body.
When the core was relaxed, the abdominal muscles had a slightly blocky feeling, deep and shallow undulations, making even his breathing become an extremely sexy thing.
Qiao Ling shifted her gaze, staring at the tattoo on his right upper arm.
Once it turned into autumn and winter and he changed into long sleeves, there were fewer chances to see this flower arm.
Fortunately in Binyang, once it reached winter and the heating supply started, the house was as warm as spring, recently at home he always wore short sleeves, whatever she wanted to look at she could look at.
Qiao Ling couldn’t help but drift off in her thoughts.
If in the future he really changed to sitting in the office, coming and going in suits and leather shoes, such a sexy and fierce flower arm hidden inside the shirt… really is a pity.
When she came back to herself, the man had already walked up in front of her.
Chen Kuang naturally wrapped an arm around her small waist, pulled her forward, softly asking: “What are you thinking?”
His upper body was bare, Qiao Ling stepped forward, both palms pressing full against his chest, the warm and solid touch delicate, she leaned against his warm body, “Nothing ah… I was thinking would it be a little bit of a pity?”
“Department chief, the feeling of starting annual salary at a million…”
Chen Kuang narrowed his eyes at her mouth, like he completely didn’t hear, lowered his head and leaned in to take a bite.
Qiao Ling glared at him inexplicably, “What are you doing? I’m talking to you seriously.”
“Mn.” He bent down, hugging her, as if his whole mind only had her mouth, “You say your thing.”
After Chen Kuang finished speaking, he sucked up again, licking her lips without getting enough.
Qiao Ling was kissed until she was stammering, couldn’t say half a sentence clearly.
What do you mean by ‘you say your thing’! Can this even be said!?
Chen Kuang was just a pervert kiss maniac!
Qiao Ling pounded his chest, which gave back a solid light sound, Chen Kuang kissed while laughing, wrapped up her small hand, kissed even deeper.
The saliva exchanged between lips and teeth flowed gently, sticky and sweet.
At home, the two had already made kissing into the most ordinary kind of interaction.
No matter what they were doing, they might pause halfway to kiss two or three times, then continue the previous topic.
Chen Kuang was intoxicated with this kind of life rhythm, would not trade it for a thousand gold.
He finished the last bite from Qiao Ling’s lips, slowly pulled back some distance, nose lightly rubbing: “What is an annual salary of a million compared to comfortably eating soft rice from a girlfriend?”
He looked at her blushing face, honestly said: “I feel life right now is already very good, and also I don’t want to separate from you, so I refused.”
“Still want to ask anything?”
Qiao Ling’s mouth was kissed until burning hot, nestled in his bare chest, regulating her breathing, “Mn…”
This answer was indeed the version she most wanted to hear, and also made her float up with delight.
But…
“Nothing else to ask?”
Chen Kuang was set on fire by her small hand touching him, leaned down, both hands lifting her up directly, “Then let’s kiss a while more.”
The man carried her up, turned around and entered the bathroom, Qiao Ling hadn’t even had time to say ‘no’, her mouth was sealed by the other party again.
After entering the bathroom, Chen Kuang placed her on the washbasin, using the most convenient height to kiss her.
Sitting on the washbasin, Qiao Ling could only be slightly higher than him, Chen Kuang slightly raised his chin, just right to kiss her.
He pressed on her back, Qiao Ling had to lean forward, both hands holding onto his broad shoulders, kissing together with him.
The two naturally adjusted their positions, until reaching the most in-sync place.
Qiao Ling’s two legs separated, barely wrapping around his waist, the fabric of their pants rubbing against each other, Chen Kuang opened his eyes slightly, observing her expression.
Qiao Ling’s eyes were closed, besides being kissed until a bit emotionally moved, there wasn’t any panicked or deliberately restrained expression.
Only then did he feel at ease, kissed even more passionately.
Qiao Ling’s contact disorder, especially on her legs, had already gotten smaller and smaller.
Maybe this kind of improvement was only towards him, but that was enough.
Her normal social interactions with other people didn’t need to be that close anyway.
One day she would completely get better.
The kiss deepened until both of them felt a bit unable to endure, only then reluctantly breaking off.
The washbasin was too hard, Qiao Ling sat for a while then whimpered and said her butt hurt, Chen Kuang then carried her to the sofa.
After the long kiss ended, both people needed a bit of time to calm down their respective physical reactions.
Chen Kuang put on a short-sleeved shirt, walked over, sat down, pulled her over and placed her in his lap.
Qiao Ling nestled in his arms, her fingers pressing through the T-shirt to touch his abdominal muscles, pressing once, bouncing once, as if his half-tensed abdomen was some kind of interesting toy.
During this calming-down period, she finally could properly run through in her head the words Chen Kuang had just said.
“Hey, I’m saying.” She opened her mouth.
Chen Kuang had just turned on the TV, was looking for the variety show she liked to watch, “Mn?”
Qiao Ling sat up, propped herself up sitting on his lap, looked directly into his eyes: “You rejected the olive branch handed over to you, really won’t regret it?”
He laughed helplessly: “Why do I have to regret?”
“You’re talking as if you have absolutely no interest in his company.” She didn’t hold back, frowned and said: “If you really have no desires, no ambitions, then why is it that even when you’re outside, you’re still constantly helping his company’s tech department check programs?”
“And moving house, these books, except for the mountain bike ones, all have to do with backend development. Placed on the tea table for so long, JAVA, Spring, API, database, all sorts of messy technical terms even I’ve memorized by now.”
“The phone always pushes over the newest subscription tech information from America in the middle of the night.”
Qiao Ling poked him, “With it like this, you still say you don’t like this?”
People not in the industry, afraid of falling behind on rapidly developing new technology and new concepts.
This level of attentiveness, if it’s just for finding a job, is probably too much.
Chen Kuang quietly listened to her say all this, gave a wordless smile, grabbed her finger and played with it, still that kind of couldn’t-care-less attitude.
“It’s just alright, you’re exaggerating.”
After such deep contact for so long, Qiao Ling already understood him.
This part of Chen Kuang’s personality was simply what she couldn’t stand the most.
It was exactly this sticky pretending-not-to-care calmness! It made people feel a nameless anger.
She said: “I found, it’s like you think having ideals is something especially hard to speak about.”
Chen Kuang looked innocent: “When did I ever say that?”
“What you show is exactly that!” Qiao Ling pressed hard sitting on him, slapped his thigh once, hating iron for not becoming steel: “Living a comfortable life is of course good, but is it really enough for people to just have comfort while living? Really?”
“Do you know how many people in this world have no dreams? They really want to, but they can’t find them.”
“Since you already know what you like, want to make achievements in which field, then just go act on it, this is a very good thing.”
Chen Kuang’s expression gradually dropped the act of nonchalance, after listening directly asked back: “Then do you think us separating is fine?”
“Qiao Ling, I think it’s not fine, compared to this kind of thing, I can’t accept separating.”
Qiao Ling was stunned, the momentum from just now speaking grand principles with excitement wilted.
She understood, he knew she was impossible to leave Binyang.
Either she followed him to Qinnan, or he stayed in Binyang. Chen Kuang felt that this bit of sacrifice of his didn’t even count as anything, so he firmly refused.
Chen Kuang knew Qiao Ling’s whole mind was on her small shop, her career was in Binyang. Even if not in Binyang, it definitely wouldn’t be in that city called Qinnan.
A couple in the heat of love for not even three months yet, how could they bear to suddenly separate and start long-term long-distance?
If it were other couples whose feelings weren’t firm enough, the relationship would very likely break right here.
Chen Kuang sat up, both hands pulling her into his arms, tightly hugging her into his embrace, his whole face buried into her fragrant neck hollow, letting out a breath.
“Ling Ling, let’s not talk about this anymore.”
“I’m not afraid of missing career opportunities, just afraid of separating from you.”
Since he already showed weakness like this, she shouldn’t keep talking big about dreams and grand enterprises.
Qiao Ling hugged him, feeling a bit sad, for a moment also couldn’t find a solution.
Under the background sound of the lively variety show, the man and woman tightly embraced each other, facing each other without speaking.
The blended gray shadow cast on the sofa fabric surface, writing out the silent mutual love and cherishing.
…………
With the topic unable to be resolved, the two hugged together watching variety show for a while, then Qiao Ling listlessly said she wanted to go to sleep.
Once the bedroom door was closed, the house fell into quietness, they each calmed down, continuing to think about these things in their own space.
Close to 4 a.m., Chen Kuang still hadn’t fallen asleep, staring at the dim black ceiling in a daze, repeatedly thinking about those few sentences Xie Lisheng said to him in the bar.
【But if you really wanted to retire and lie down to take money, you wouldn’t agree to be an off-staff person in the tech department. Don’t say some nonsense about being idle with nothing to do, look at those dark circles.】
【Chen Kuang, today I’ll put my words here, what we are doing now, in the whole country there’s no one else who can do it yet.】
【You work with me, make the backend the best, cooperate with our product.】
【Within three years, in this area, no one in the country can compete with us.】
【Within ten years, I can make it so that when the international market mentions drone products, the first one they think of, can only be us.】
【Go to the most badass tech company to be the most badass engineer, will you or won’t you, give me an answer.】
Chen Kuang sighed, using the back of his hand to cover his brows and eyes.
From that nameless small innovative tech company just after graduation to now, an emerging drone electronics manufacturing brand with annual revenue close to ten billion, Xie Lisheng had only taken less than four years.
As long as one wasn’t an idiot, they all knew that following a team and boss like this, the future would only soar higher and higher, even the possibility of just standing still was very small.
He understood all the reasoning, but.
The difficulty he faced in choosing, Qiao Ling would only have it a hundred times harder than him.
Chen Kuang closed his eyes, planning to temporarily set it aside, sleep first and talk later.
He had the skills and mind in hand. Even if he didn’t go now, if he wanted to go in the future, Xie Lisheng would still take him.
At that moment, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open.
“Creak—”
“Chen Kuang? Chen Kuang, are you asleep?” A light sweet voice accompanied by thudding footsteps approached.
Chen Kuang opened his eyes, looking at her bouncing over holding her phone, reminding as he sat up: “Why did you forget to wear shoes again, the floor is cold.”
“These few steps are no problem la.” Qiao Ling jumped onto the sofa bed, naturally burrowing into his blanket, giving the conclusion first before explaining: “Chen Kuang, I think you should go.”
“If you want to try starting a business with him, then go, go to Qinnan.”
Chen Kuang’s heart stirred, tightening his gaze on her: “Then what about you?”
“Of course I’ll still be in Binyang ah.” She took out her phone, patted his arm, “Look, I just checked already.”
“Actually, Binyang isn’t far from Qinnan. Driving is just two thousand kilometers.” Qiao Ling lay on the bed, opened the ticket booking app, showing him all kinds of route plans: “If by plane, it’s three and a half hours. As for high-speed rail, there’s no direct line, so let’s not bother.”
“Just a little bit of trouble, but round trip on the same day is doable.”
“Even though both of us have work, as long as we push a bit there will definitely be rest days, and holidays. On regular days you could fly over on weekends too.”
“Distance actually isn’t the problem, Chen Kuang.”
“Besides, we’re still so young. Maybe in the future our work plans will change, maybe someday Qinnan will have a good opportunity and I’ll go over, too? Or the other way around, or maybe in the future we’ll work in the same city…”
Chen Kuang propped himself on his side listening for a while, while she was chattering non-stop, he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Ling Ling.”
“If you’re already feeling this bad now,” he curved his lips, teasing with emotion: “how do you expect me to leave like this?”
Qiao Ling stopped her words, tilting her head to meet his eyes, “I, I’m not…”
Chen Kuang used his finger to scrape her cheek lightly, voice soft and pleasant to hear: “Smiling uglier than crying, you’re really super bad at pretending to be happy.”
Qiao Ling’s emotions instantly couldn’t hold anymore, gripping her phone tightly, her voice changing as soon as she spoke: “You actually still really like doing development, right… I don’t want you to give up opportunities because of me…”
He wrapped an arm around her, hugging her into his arms, listening to her muffled sobbing buried in his chest, lightly patting her back.
“I know, it’s fine.”