Part 4
Jiang Shulu didn’t see Tang Yue’s message and found that the unread messages were from Yao Lixin, all voice messages.
He didn’t intend to listen and was about to transcribe them, but the last message was text.
【Yao Lixin: Tang Yue said it.】
He was still at a temporary stopover. The assistant brought Jiang Shulu a cup of coffee.
The airport buildings in the distance were very dazzling. Jiang Shulu put on his earphones and listened to Yao Lixin’s voice messages sent after getting off the plane.
Tang Yue’s concerns were all in it.
Including the obvious, Tang Yue’s heartache for Jiang Shulu.
Jiang Shulu thought: So he really did like to observe me before.
If I had asked one more question back then, regardless of Tang Yue’s alienation, wouldn’t there have been no five years of separation?
The assistant standing aside put away Jiang Shulu’s office supplies and felt that the sharpness Jiang Shulu had just now had dissipated, and his gentleness was genuine.
It was as if the mist around him had just been blown away, and the displayed item was being held back resolutely and placed in a messy but warm bed.
But the next second, Jiang Shulu’s phone received a new message.
It was from Madam Jiang, about the birthday banquet a few days later, and the dating list that was completely irrelevant to Jiang Shulu’s firm refusal, yet still meticulously arranged.
Even though same-sex marriage was legal now, for this kind of wealthy family whose employees still had some remnants of traditional views, men would never appear on the list.
Jiang Shulu, no matter how unhappy he had been before, would always maintain respect for Madam Jiang.
But he suddenly didn’t want to maintain this superficial relationship anymore.
He turned to ask the assistant: “When is the flight?”
Assistant: “One hour and forty minutes, the production team has already landed.”
Jiang Shulu nodded.
Perhaps because Jiang Shulu’s smile was too gentle, it easily made the assistant think of his state during the live broadcast.
He didn’t know what the audience thought, but the accompanying secretary and assistant both felt Jiang Shulu’s relaxed state.
It was completely different from at the company. In comparison, the human touch at the previous annual meeting seemed to be fake.
The assistant nodded.
But soon, he also received a call, transferred by Madam Jiang, asking him to have Jiang Shulu answer the phone.
Jiang Shulu shook his head.
He took his clothes and left, his pace light, like a young man eager to go on a date.
Jiang Shulu sent Tang Yue a message: Are you there? Did Xiao Mian miss me?
Tang Yue had just gotten into the car. The temperature in the coastal city had dropped sharply. If the car hadn’t been heated, he would have felt like shivering.
Tang Mian hadn’t slept on the plane, and was probably tired now, sleeping soundly in Tang Yue’s arms.
Tang Yue replied to Jiang Shulu: Xiao Mian is asleep.
【Jiang Shulu: Really?】
【Tang Yue: Really.】
【Jiang Shulu: Can I see?】
Tang Yue took a picture.
【Jiang Shulu: Then did Xiao Yue miss me?】
Tang Yue replied with a nodding emoji, stolen from Yao Lixin.
When he opened WeChat again, it was filled with messages. Tang Yue hadn’t replied to many, the top one was the group chat of the four members of Away.
But there was no previous chat history.
Now, Liu Xicháo and Yao Lixin were arguing, because of the room assignments.
Liu Xicháo felt that sleeping with Yao Lixin was an insult to himself.
Various emojis kept bombarding.
Messages kept popping up.
Tang Yue didn’t realize he had replied to the wrong person.
A single “miss” was sent to the group chat.
Immediately silencing Yao Lixin and Liu Xicháo.
【Yao Lixin: ?】
【Liu Xicháo: Miss what, baby? Hungry?】
Tang Yue’s face flushed. Just as he was about to retract the message, he saw Jiang Shulu’s reply.
【Jiang Shulu: Miss me.】
【Yao Lixin: Those showing off their love should get out.】
【Liu Xicháo: Have you two completely coupled up?】
【Liu Xicháo: You’re the best at showing off, you should be the first to get out.】
【Yao Lixin: What’s wrong? I’m married, legally showing off my love, are you married? You said you were engaged, are you really engaged?】
He was completely stepping on landmines, making Liu Xicháo, who had already arrived at the destination, almost jump out of his skin.
The live broadcast had already started, currently only with one camera, in a small house by the sea.
The popular male actor had just pulled his suitcase in and hadn’t even put his things down according to instructions, he was already on his phone and spouting.
Even though the program didn’t synchronize the chat content, the audience could tell from Liu Xicháo’s ferocious expression who he was chatting with.
「Liu Xicháo actually really came.」
「Wow, isn’t it five days? Why such a big suitcase, is he moving house?」
「He said he brought a gift for Tang Yue on the way, right.」
「Help, he’s typing so hard, even from the side profile I can feel him breathing fire.」
「Did this boy band not have a persona back then? What kind of gentle is Liu Xicháo?」
「They probably had a persona, they just went wild.」
「A high and mighty closeted rich kid, a hot but gentle gold-digger, a gay-ish straight man…Tang Yue, I don’t know how to describe him, but he said he was an alien himself, which is quite fitting.」
Tang Yue’s wrong message was quickly topped by Yao Lixin and Liu Xicháo’s fight.
These two hadn’t even met yet and were already arguing, just like in their group days, except for fights, they were very good at bickering.
Jiang Shulu sent Tang Yue: You muted the group.
【Tang Yue: No good.】
【Jiang Shulu: There will be reminders for red envelopes.】
【Tang Yue: ?】
【Jiang Shulu: After the show ends, I want to take you to meet someone.】
Tang Yue subconsciously thought of the Jiang family.
His typing was slow; he had been mocked before for being like an elderly person, but he couldn’t refute it.
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