A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Cold! He is so Angry

 

After moving to Luhu for over two months, Lin Tingwan felt that the decision to move was extremely wise. Although his wallet suffered for the new house, everything else had become perfect.

 

Not only had the living environment improved, but his commute was shorter. Lin Tingwan could now arrive at the company twenty minutes early every day, and he desperately needed those twenty minutes. Work had been particularly busy lately; although Lin Tingwan was highly efficient, there was still an endless mountain of tasks. For the past two weeks, he basically had to get back up and work overtime for a while every night after Guagua fell asleep.

 

Twice he was so busy he didn’t even have time to pick up the child, so he had to ask Feng Xueqing to pick him up first. He would then head to her place to get Guagua after work.

 

Life was busy, but peaceful.

 

That day, as usual, Lin Tingwan parked his electric scooter in the shed.

 

Because it was early, there weren’t many vehicles in the parking lot. At a glance, Lin Tingwan spotted that domineering black Mulsanne in the open space.

 

Seeing that familiar car, Lin Tingwan’s scalp went numb as if hit by an electric current. He felt a bad premonition.

 

He entered the elevator with trepidation. His phone chimed with a notification: the Fuchuan project work group, which originally had 17 members, now had 18. Looking at that avatar which was more familiar than familiar could be, Lin Tingwan’s face reddened by the wind turned pale and sallow. His vision went dark in waves.

 

Lin Tingwan leaned against the elevator wall and took a few breaths before calming down.

 

Whew—don’t scare yourself.

 

After comforting himself for a moment, he walked toward the office. Usually, he was the one to turn on the office lights, but today, from a distance, he saw that his office was already lit up.

 

Lin Tingwan’s heart, which had finally quieted down, began thumping again. Looking at the wide-open office door, his footsteps hesitated, afraid to enter.

 

Hearing the movement, Kuang Ye, who was sitting in a chair fiddling with a clicky pen on Lin Tingwan’s desk, looked up. He arched an eyebrow, his tone very familiar: “You’re here quite early.”

 

Lin Tingwan trembled, looking at Kuang Ye sitting unceremoniously in his seat. Those long legs that had nowhere to be placed were wrapped in perfectly tailored suit trousers and rested lazily on the desk. His black leather shoes were polished to a shine, spotless.

 

“You… you…”

 

Seeing his “struck by lightning” expression, Kuang Ye’s mood improved. He stood up to straighten his suit, his eyes looking at him playfully: “You what ‘you’? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me again.”

 

Thinking of his previous act of playing dumb, Lin Tingwan lowered his head in embarrassment. He avoided Kuang Ye’s gaze, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz: “…Why are you here?”

 

Kuang Ye arched an eyebrow and countered: “Why can’t I be here?”

 

Lin Tingwan looked up, stole a quick glance at him, then lowered his head again, pursing his lips in silence.

 

Kuang Ye watched his cowering state; his slightly lowered cheeks had a porcelain-like, hazy beauty under the lights. His long eyelashes were like small fans, trembling and casting a shadow.

 

Sensing Lin Tingwan’s fear, he retracted his thorns and gave a gentle smile.

 

“I’m not teasing you anymore.”

 

“The reason I’m here is because my project in S City has wrapped up. Manager Sun transferred me back to continue following this project.”

 

He smiled at Lin Tingwan, “I look forward to your guidance in the future, old classmate.”

 

Kuang Ye intentionally emphasized the words “old classmate.” Lin Tingwan felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. They weren’t old classmates at all; they weren’t even in the same year during school. At most, they were alumni.

 

Kuang Ye reached out his hand. Lin Tingwan looked down at the hand extended beneath his eyelids. Kuang Ye’s hands were beautifully formed palms broad, knuckles distinct, looking full of power.

 

He stole another glance up past the wrist; the strong forearm wrapped in the suit was hidden within. Lin Tingwan almost immediately remembered those hands once picking him up and pinning him against a wall…

 

Lin Tingwan bit his lower lip hard, his heart crying out in bitterness.

 

He didn’t know what was wrong with him; as soon as he saw Kuang Ye, he would think of those things. It felt as if he had been cursed.

 

Lin Tingwan cursed himself silently a few times and hesitantly reached out his hand.

 

He had intended to just give a quick shake and withdraw, but when he tried to pull his hand back, Kuang Ye gripped him firmly. Lin Tingwan pulled hard, but couldn’t get free.

 

Footsteps sounded from the doorway.

 

Lin Tingwan absolutely did not want anyone else to see him alone with Kuang Ye. He grew frantic, his face flushing deep red. He put some strength into his hand while whispering: “Let go!”

 

Kuang Ye wickedly let go. Unprepared, Lin Tingwan stumbled back a step.

 

Kuang Ye grabbed his arm to steady him, acting as if nothing had happened. He withdrew his hand first before Lin Tingwan could say anything.

 

“The last time I barged into your house was my mistake. When you’re free, call your wife and my little nephew out for a meal together. Consider it my apology to your family. What do you think?”

 

Lin Tingwan felt a massive headache hearing this, stammering and remaining silent.

 

Kuang Ye watched him with cold eyes as he grew as restless as an ant on a hot pan. With his smile unchanged, he feigned confusion: “What? Still mad at me? Won’t even agree to a meal?”

 

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. My family didn’t take it to heart. Since you’ve already apologized, let’s just forget it.”

 

Kuang Ye smiled gently: “How could that be okay? I absolutely must host this meal. You have to give me a chance!”

 

Lin Tingwan’s face was written over with refusal.

 

Kuang Ye said, “Not to mention our previous period of loving history…”

 

Hearing this, Lin Tingwan made a lunge, raising his hand to block the mouth that was about to continue speaking nonsense. With a layer of sweat on his forehead and his eyelashes trembling in panic, he said loudly, “Eat! Eat! We’ll eat!”

 

Zhou Zhou came in humming a song and froze upon seeing the two handsome men blocking the office door.

 

He saw Kuang Ye’s face clearly, his eyes lighting up as he quickly straightened his already perfect hair.

 

“Tingwan, this is?”

 

Kuang Ye didn’t even look at him; he waved his phone at Lin Tingwan: “Then it’s settled. Send me a message when the time comes.”

 

Lin Tingwan closed his eyes, his smile looking more painful than crying, “Got it.”

 

Watching Kuang Ye walk out, Zhou Zhou grabbed Lin Tingwan who was still standing in place his eyes burning with the flame of gossip.

 

“Who is he? Who is that handsome guy? Does he have a partner? Is that suit a Tom Ford custom?” Zhou Zhou hugged Lin Tingwan’s arm and scolded him, “You heartless fellow, you have a rich and handsome friend and didn’t tell me! When can we go out for a meal together?”

 

Lin Tingwan’s head was a mess. Hearing Zhou Zhou’s words, his brain took a turn before understanding his meaning, “…He has a partner, he and his girlfriend are likely getting married soon.”

 

Zhou Zhou let out a tragic wail, “No way! Such a handsome guy is already taken!”

 

Zhou Zhou was greatly discouraged and returned to his workstation listlessly, not even in the mood to browse shopping websites.

 

Lin Tingwan was also greatly discouraged, huddling at his workstation unable to muster any energy. He really felt like crying; he had even moved house, yet he still couldn’t escape Kuang Ye.

 

Kuang Ye, on the other hand, was in a good mood. Despite waking up early, he miraculously had no wake-up grump. He carried a smile all morning; even when he ran into Pei Shaoyu whom he found so eyesore—he didn’t pull a face.

 

During the meeting, because certain details couldn’t be agreed upon, arguments broke out several times. Bai Wenjin kept watching Kuang Ye, afraid he would lose his temper. Unexpectedly, right until the meeting ended, Kuang Ye remained smiling, as if he were possessed.

 

After the meeting adjourned, Bai Wenjin called out to Kuang Ye. The two walked into the hallway, and Bai Wenjin handed him a cigarette.

 

Kuang Ye waved his hand and didn’t take it, “Quitting.”

 

Bai Wenjin didn’t smoke much either, so he put the cigarette back.

 

Kuang Ye leaned against the window fiddling with his phone. Seeing his relaxed brows and lazy, non-aggressive stance, Bai Wenjin felt an impulse to make some small talk.

 

“By the way…”

 

Kuang Ye had his head down, a hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth as he flipped through Lin Tingwan’s Moments.

 

The friend request he sent before the meeting had just been approved.

 

He wasn’t angry, though; as long as it was approved. A good start meant a good result.

 

Kuang Ye admired Lin Tingwan’s avatar—a silhouette of him leading a child. He didn’t look at the child at all; his gaze greedily swept back and forth over that slender back.

 

Once he had admired it enough, he clicked into Lin Tingwan’s Moments.

 

Aside from the background image and the avatar, the content below was: “…”

 

The Moments were locked to him.

 

The smile hanging on Kuang Ye’s face vanished instantly. He looked up with a fake smile, his pitch-black eyes looking at Bai Wenjin with a chilling grin that hid a murderous intent.

 

“Something the matter?”

 

“Nothing.” Bai Wenjin smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, “I’m going back to the meeting room first.”

 

As they brushed past, Bai Wenjin pulled out his phone and sent a message to Huo Rongchuan.

 

[Go and confirm again, is Kuang Ye really not bipolar?]

 

Kuang Ye didn’t care at all what others thought of him. He stood by the window with a sour face, the malevolence between his brows looking like he wanted to swallow someone alive. His eyes looked ready to bulge out as he stared at those locked Moments, his head aching from anger.

 

Kuang Ye really wished he could seize Lin Tingwan right now and teach him a harsh lesson.

 

His phone chimed with a “ding-dong,” and a notification for a “Special Follow” message popped up.

 

Lin Tingwan: Are you free tonight sticking out tongue question mark?

 

Kuang Ye gave a cold laugh. Gritting his teeth, he typed rapidly.

 

yeeze: Asking me to dinner three hours before work ends? Am I that easy to get?

 

He thought that felt a bit excessive. So he replied:

 

yeeze: Not sure. I need to check my schedule.

 

Then he watched the avatar constantly show the “typing” status. He waited for a long time, then it changed back to the name, then back to “typing.”

 

Kuang Ye watched coldly.

 

About a minute later, another message from Lin Tingwan jumped out.

 

Lin Tingwan: Okay, if you are free, just send me a message (smile) (smile).

 

Then he sent a silly sticker of a chubby child laughing to ease the awkwardness.

 

Since Lin Tingwan had a child, Kuang Ye’s PTSD regarding kids had skyrocketed. Seeing this sticker made him so angry!

 

But he still suppressed his rage and typed a line.

 

Where are we eating? I’ll come pick you up.

 

He thought he was so pathetic.

 

He expressionlessly deleted it character by character, finally replying to Lin Tingwan with a (Mhm.).

 

Replying with only one word and even adding punctuation with such an obvious detail, Lin Tingwan should be able to understand that he was very angry, right?