Orange Storm chapter 55

Consideration

The next day, Fang Xing woke up before six o’clock.

The sky outside was still dark, and he felt a slight headache when he got up, a lingering pain from drinking. He massaged his temples for a while before taking a shower.

Due to the effects of alcohol, he had slept deeply last night, almost passing out as soon as he touched the bed. However, because he hadn’t consumed too much, only feeling a bit dizzy and not completely drunk, he remembered most of what happened.

For example, the meal he had with his mom, the conversation between the two people in the hotel, the heart-to-heart talk with Jiang Zhijin when they returned home, and… the out-of-control, very awkward kiss.

He wiped his face under the continuous hot water, letting out a long sigh.

It was really embarrassing. Fang Xing, waking up sober, wished Jiang Zhijin had actually punched him last night.

But Jiang Zhijin didn’t.

After the “goodnight” last night, he had mentally prepared himself and was ready to be beaten by Jiang Zhijin… But unexpectedly, Jiang Zhijin just stared at him for a few seconds, finally got up from the sofa, bypassed Fang Xing, and went back to the bedroom.

Then came the sound of a loud crash as the bedroom door slammed shut, scaring Tang Yuan, the cat.

But Fang Xing couldn’t recall how he felt when he kissed Jiang Zhijin.

He only remembered that Jiang Zhijin’s lips were quite soft, very, very soft. Then there was the sound of his own heartbeat, pounding like crazy, as if he was having a fit.

Despite his fierce appearance, Jiang Zhijin was actually very pure, very… innocent.

After quickly showering, Fang Xing changed into fresh clothes and left the bathroom, coincidentally bumping into Jiang Zhijin just as he was leaving the bedroom.

Fang Xing was taken aback, and the awkwardness washed over him in an instant.

Jiang Zhijin was also momentarily stunned, not expecting him to wake up so early. After what happened yesterday, he thought he would sleep in.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Fang Xing remained silent due to embarrassment, shame, and a series of other factors. However, he felt that Jiang Zhijin’s silence probably stemmed from anger.

It wasn’t until Jiang Zhijin finished washing up that Fang Xing spoke, “Are you going to take my mom to the airport?”

Last night, Jiang Zhijin had mentioned that he would accompany Zhou Ling to the airport.

Jiang Zhijin, in the process of putting on his coat, looked up and responded with a simple “Hmm” in a calm tone.

Fang Xing breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “I and you—”

Jiang Zhijin raised his head, and Fang Xing saw his face. His gaze inadvertently shifted downward and noticed a small wound on Jiang Zhijin’s lips.

On the left corner of his lips, not yet scabbed over, it was a dark red color, about two or three millimeters in size, but still quite noticeable on the lips.

Fang Xing’s words were cut off halfway.

…Maybe it would be better if Jiang Zhijin just punched him directly, Fang Xing thought.

After all, directly injuring someone after a kiss wasn’t something that happened every day.

“Come with me,” Jiang Zhijin continued Fang Xing’s words, and his expression remained unchanged, as if he didn’t realize Fang Xing had stopped talking.

“Let’s go then.”

Everything seemed normal as if Jiang Zhijin didn’t have a visible wound on his lips. The silence lingered until they were about to leave, and Jiang Zhijin casually grabbed a mask and put it on.

…Fang Xing was instantly overwhelmed by guilt, feeling that Jiang Zhijin probably wouldn’t be satisfied until he had been scolded or slapped at least ten times.

Fortunately, the air quality in Shaojiang during winter wasn’t great, so wearing a mask wouldn’t seem out of place. The two of them sent Zhou Ling to the airport, where she exchanged a few words with Fang Xing, mainly advising him to study hard and not worry about the family.

After leaving the airport, on the way back to the city, Jiang Zhijin remained silent.

It was early in the morning, and there were few cars on the highway. The outside was covered in a vast morning mist, and the quietness inside the car made Fang Xing feel a bit stifled.

He would rather Jiang Zhijin scolded him or slapped him directly; anything would be better than sitting in silence. While Jiang Zhijin had often mentioned scolding or slapping him, he had never followed through. Instead, the current silent atmosphere made Fang Xing a bit anxious.

“I’m sorry,” Fang Xing suddenly spoke.

Jiang Zhijin was driving and didn’t react for a moment, responding with a questioning “Hmm?”

Fang Xing’s mind hadn’t become foolish enough to directly talk about the extent of the kiss from last night. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “The wound on your lips… Do you need to buy some medicine?”

Jiang Zhijin only realized now and remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, “No need. It’ll scab over in a few days.”

The car fell into silence again. Fang Xing struggled with himself, but in the end, he deflated.

“How about you give me a beating?” Fang Xing suggested.

“…What a mess,” Jiang Zhijin turned to glance at him.

“About the events from last night,” Fang Xing squeezed out words like toothpaste, one at a time, finding it difficult. “I might have been too drunk, acting really stupid. You wanted to slap me last night, right?”

“…So, are you changing it to today? Can we reschedule that?” Jiang Zhijin couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ve never seen someone actively looking for a beating. Are you a masochist?”

Jiang Zhijin laughed.

Fang Xing suddenly felt a bit relieved, as if a stone had been lifted off his heart. He relaxed a bit from the mental strain and leaned back slightly into the seat.

“I was just afraid you’d stay angry, thinking maybe you could just hit me and vent your frustration.”

“I was angry last night; not in the mood to be angry now.” Jiang Zhijin said. “Otherwise, what should I do? Actually hit you? That would be harming the country’s flower.”

Fang Xing also laughed for a while, then turned his head to look at the vast white fog outside and apologized again, “I’m sorry.”

This time, it wasn’t because of what happened last night.

It was because he liked Jiang Zhijin, and he felt sorry for liking him. Liking someone, when everyone, including the person themselves, thinks you shouldn’t like them. But Fang Xing couldn’t maintain the rational thinking of a top student, telling himself, “Forget it, it’s a bit difficult. There are so many boys in the world; why not pick someone else?”… Dating wasn’t like taking a college entrance exam.

There were so many men in the world, but there was only one Jiang Zhijin.

He apologized to Jiang Zhijin for this untimely but irrevocable liking.

Jiang Zhijin fell silent as well.

This time, the two remained silent for a longer period, all the way until they reached the entrance of the residential area. Jiang Zhijin stopped the car, turned to Fang Xing, and said, “You go in first; I need to visit Cloud Seven and will be back later.”

“Oh.” Fang Xing was startled for a moment, unfastened his seatbelt, and got out of the car.

After getting out of the car, the cold wind outside made him click his tongue. He waved to Jiang Zhijin through the tea-colored glass.

Jiang Zhijin, now probably dealing with some business, couldn’t be followed.

Just as he was about to enter the residential area, the passenger-side window slowly rolled down.

“Fang Xing.”

Fang Xing was stunned, turning to look at Jiang Zhijin in the car.

The car had not been turned off, and Jiang Zhijin rested one hand on the steering wheel, turning to look at Fang Xing outside. When he saw Fang Xing looking at him, Jiang Zhijin smiled.

“I’m 28,” he suddenly said.

“…Ah.” Although Fang Xing didn’t understand what Jiang Zhijin meant, he responded immediately.

“At different stages of life, people consider different things,” Jiang Zhijin spoke slowly, as if he was thinking while talking.

“For example, when you’re 18, you may consider how to balance love and study, sending a few secret text messages during school, and finding time to hold hands and stroll around on weekends. But at 28, it’s different. You need to consider parents, family, and whether dating a kid ten years younger will affect them, completely changing the life of that kid.”

After saying that, Jiang Zhijin smiled at him.

“Hey,” Jiang Zhijin chuckled. “Feels quite hectic, doesn’t it?”

“But there’s no way. People at an older age always need to consider more, whether as a guardian or a boyfriend.”

The sound of the north wind whistled by, and the dry branches that hadn’t fallen from the trees made a crackling sound in the wind. Occasionally, pedestrians passing behind Fang Xing would glance at him. They probably didn’t understand why someone was standing outside early in the morning, enduring the cold wind.

But Fang Xing only looked at Jiang Zhijin.

“So,” Fang Xing said.

“So, I need to consider each possibility, each consequence, the reaction of everyone around me, and then make a decision—”

“Whether to date a kid ten years younger is a good choice.” Jiang Zhijin added.