The scenery outside the window rushed past, and Li Ren pursed his lips, staring quietly. The man in the driver's seat is listening to upbeat music and driving, occasionally glancing at Li Ren in the passenger seat who looked as ruffled as a little kitten. To understand this moment, we need to go back 20 minutes...
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The man dragged Li Ren's luggage toward the parking lot. Li Ren struggled to keep up, growing more frustrated every millisecond, silently complaining, 'Can't you walk a bit slower, you little annoying long-leg brat!' Li Ren's legs weren't short, but the man was much taller than him.
By the time he caught up, the man was placing the luggage and documents into the back seat. Li Ren wanted to retrieve the luggage but didn't know how to start. The man then closed the car door and turned around, meeting Li Ren's gaze. Li Ren was out of breath and frowning, stared at the man.
"Get in the car," the man said gently. But Li Ren showed no sign of moving. He had many things he wanted to yell, but couldn't bring himself to say a word. Seeing Li Ren standing there glaring at him, the man reached out to gently pull Li Ren to the passenger seat.
Unexpectedly, Li Ren angrily pulled his hand away and said, "I said I can manage on my own. Why did you take my stuff without my permission?" The man sighed, "You wouldn't be able to get a cab at this hour." Before he could finish his sentence, Li Ren snapped, "That's my problem!" The air fell silent once more.
After a long silence, the man slowly said, "At this time, you won't be able to catch a cab. Even if you want to stay in a hotel, you'd have to walk, and there are no hotels nearby. The easiest solution is for me to provide you with a place to rest until morning, which solves the problem, doesn't it?" Hearing this, Li Ren remained silent. After all, the man was right. Li Ren originally planned to find a random place to wait until dawn, and now there was a solution a hundred times better than his original plan.
"Have you thought it through? Then get in the car," the man said. Li Ren's resolve wavered, his furrowed brows relaxing, but he suddenly glared sideways at the man again. "I need to see your ID," Li Ren demanded. The man was momentarily stunned, then chuckled and pulled out his wallet, retrieving his ID and handing it to Li Ren. Li Ren snatched the ID angrily and scrutinized the information.
Terry Zou Zhuang Tong—this was the man's name, and the photo on the ID is so much more handsome than how he looks now. Every time Li Ren glanced up, Terry's smiling face appeared, which made Li Ren inexplicably annoyed. Terry's attitude made him feel like a fool. Li Ren carefully read the address, took out his phone, and entered it into the navigation app. Terry noticed Li Ren's vigilance and reminded him, "That's my parents' address; I don't live there now."
Li Ren stopped what he was doing and looked at Terry. "Then please enter your current address," Li Ren said, handing his phone to Terry. Terry entered the address and returned the phone to Li Ren. Li Ren carefully looked at the address and zoomed in on the destination on the phone, staring at it as if he might sink into it. 'Isn't that the neighborhood by the bus station?' Li Ren thought.
"You live here?" Li Ren asked.
"Yes, Mr. Li." Terry replied.
"Then why were you at the bus station?" Li Ren asked in confusion. It was almost midnight; who would be waiting for a bus at this hour? Besides, the man had his own car. Terry was momentarily at a loss for words and then tilted his head and laughed, asking, "Can't I be at the bus station? I was just there to get some fresh air, chat with friends, and the internet connection is good there." What kind of reason was that? Li Ren looked at the person in front of him, whose personality didn't seem to match his appearance.
"Alright, if we keep talking, it'll be dawn, and we won't need to go home." Terry said as he pushed Li Ren towards the passenger seat, opened the door, and shoved him in. Despite Li Ren's continuous attempts to resist, he ended up sitting in the passenger seat. "If you're still not reassured," Terry handed Li Ren his wallet and phone, "hold on to these." Li Ren stared at the wallet and phone in his hands, then looked at Terry and saw that annoying smile again.
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Li Ren looked out the window, holding Terry's phone and wallet, his face showing clear dissatisfaction.
"I'm sorry for taking your things without your permission," Terry said, keeping his eyes on the road. Li Ren looked at Terry, surprised by the apology. After a moment, Li Ren looked out the window again. "Thank you," Li Ren said. Terry glanced at him and smiled, "You're welcome."
Soon, they arrived at Terry's apartment. He parked the car, and they got out to retrieve the luggage from the back seat. "I'll handle this myself; you don't have to bother," Li Ren said. Terry didn't refuse. Once Li Ren took the luggage, Terry closed the car door and locked it.
In front of the door, Terry took out his keys and unlocked the door, then began to take off his shoes at the entrance. Li Ren stood expressionlessly, looking inside the apartment. Terry noticing Li Ren still standing at the door, so he asked, "What's wrong?". Li Ren's gaze slowly moved from the scattered shoes in the entrance, the cluttered living room, and the messy bedding, to Terry's face. 'Is this a dog's den or what?' Li Ren thought, withdrawing his earlier thoughts of a 'solution a hundred times better.' This was even worse than sleeping in a park.
"Nothing." Li Ren replied, stepping into the apartment, removing his shoes, and neatly placing them against the wall before entering further. Terry, watching Li Ren's actions and look at his messy shoes, then quickly tidied his own shoes and followed Li Ren into the living room.
The apartment was very small, a one-room setup. To the left of the entrance is the kitchen and laundry area, to the right is the bathroom, and directly ahead are the living room and bedroom. With such a small space, how could it be so messy? Li Ren couldn't figure it out.
"I'm sorry, I'm still organizing the house, so it's very messy. Just put your things here for now." Terry cleared a small space for Li Ren's suitcase by pushing aside boxes and clutter, and Li Ren placed the suitcase there.
"You should take a shower first. I'll fix up the bed, and you can rest directly after," Terry said. This made Li Ren a bit flustered, so he hurriedly refused, "No, no need. I'll just rest on the sofa for a while. I'll be leaving in a few hours anyway; it's not worth the trouble." Terry was taken aback, "You're not planning to leave at sunrise, are you?"
Seeing Li Ren's silence, Terry continued, "Why the rush? You just came out of the hospital; you need to rest and recover. Otherwise—" Terry didn't finish his sentence as Li Ren raised a hand to signal him to stop. Li Ren lowered his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "I have work tomorrow, so—"
"Work?!" Before Li Ren could finish, Terry expressed his displeasure at Li Ren's decision not to rest but to go to work. Li Ren felt similarly. Terry's simple words felt like a heavy blow, reminding Li Ren of the harsh reality that he must work hard no matter how frustrated he feels. Li Ren would ultimately have to compromise and accept his fate. Invisible anger built up in Li Ren's chest, feeling as if it might explode at any moment.
"The doctor just said you need to rest and shouldn't work for the next few days. Just call in sick tomorrow. Why don't you listen?" Terry raised his voice. Li Ren clenched his fists, slowly lifted his head, and stared at Terry with a piercing gaze. "What does it have to do with you?" Li Ren asked.
Terry hesitated, and Li Ren continued, "Who are you to me? And who am I to you? Even if I decide to die today, it's none of your business, right? Your life is not much better than mine, you're 'unorganized' too so mind your own affairs!" Li Ren panted, struggling to control his anger. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but Terry seemed to see tears in Li Ren's eyes.
The two fell silent again. Yes, they weren't anyone to each other. Their decisions and lives shouldn't be interfered with or shared. Terry's expression was a mix of sadness and worry, Li Ren noticed his expression. But more than Terry's intrusive behavior, Li Ren was angrier at his own helplessness. He should be independent and not need others' care or concern. This was something he had to achieve after leaving home. After surviving safely for so long, he shouldn't be faced with such expressions from others. Yet, the reality was that he couldn't manage it...
"Let's make a deal," Terry broke the silence first, and Li Ren looked puzzled. "Don't go to work tomorrow. Help me clean my house, and I'll pay you double. How does that sound?" .
'What?' Li Ren thought. 'The work for tomorrow is actually thankless and difficult... And now I can get double the pay for just cleaning this small space seemed like a great deal!' . However, he had already agreed to the job, and backing out would not only be irresponsible but also troublesome for others...
After much hesitation, Li Ren slowly spoke, "I've already committed to the work for tomorrow. If I suddenly back out, it will leave a bad impression." He sighed, disappointed like a child who didn't get candy. "I'll do it for you." The short, resolute words left Li Ren stunned, 'Is this person crazy?'.
"What's the matter? Is it a job I can't handle?" Terry asked. 'That's not the point you dumb!' Li Ren thought. Seeing Li Ren's surprised expression, Terry thought it might be a highly specialized job. However, looking at the documents Li Ren had, most were crumpled schedules and lists, not something that seemed highly technical.
"It's not that; it's just a general event assistant job. As long as you have physical strength and a clear mind..." Li Ren said. Although it seemed absurd, if Terry could take over, and Li Ren could get double pay, it was very tempting. Terry sighed in relief, "Don't worry about it. Send a message to the person in charge, tell them you're sick, and someone more capable will replace you tomorrow." Li Ren glared at Terry, who laughed again, 'How shameless!'.
"Alright, quickly notify them and send me the details of your work so I can prepare. You should go take a shower and get a good sleep. Okay?" Terry said. "Okay...But!" Li Ren suddenly remembered something, looking nervously at Terry, "All my clothes are dirty, and the towel is with the dirty clothes, so..."
"Thought it was something serious... I have a new towel. You can wear my clothes for now. The dirty clothes will be washed. My washing machine can dry them, so you'll have them by tomorrow morning." Terry said, pulling a new towel from the bottom of the closet by the bathroom, and then handed Li Ren a white T-shirt and black sweatpants.
"The clothes might be a bit big, so make do with it. And..." Terry eyed Li Ren 'that part', "As for underwear, you'll have to manage... Maybe wear it inside out?" Li Ren glanced down and quickly looked up, frowning and glaring at Terry, "I'll handle that myself! Mind your own business!" He took the clothes and quickly bypassed Terry, entering the bathroom and closing the door.
"Don't wear my pants without underwear—!" Terry knocked anxiously on the bathroom door.
"Stop bothering me!!"
TO BE CONTINUE...