23: Leaving with Big Strides

Ji Canghai finished setting the password and asked Ling Yunfan, “How should we record the fingerprint?”

Ling Yunfan replied, “Let’s not bother with the fingerprint, it’s too much trouble.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ling Yunfan felt that it wasn’t appropriate. 

He was just a temporary guest in Ji Canghai’s home, and Ji Canghai was the owner. He couldn’t make such a decision.

But Ji Canghai had already put the cover back on.

Ling Yunfan opened his mouth to say something but hesitated.

“Okay, you try it,” Ji Canghai said with a smile.

Ling Yunfan walked to the door and entered the password. With a ‘beep’, the door opened.

“It seems to be working fine,” Ji Canghai reached out to close the door. “Okay, go in and rest. Your leg is injured, don’t stand for too long. What do you want for dinner?”

Ling Yunfan replied, “Dinner? Ah… anything is fine, I’m not picky.”

Ji Canghai said, “Check on your phone for some takeout options, I’ll go deal with some work.”

“Okay,” Ling Yunfan said.

Ji Canghai smiled at Ling Yunfan, put away the screwdriver, and walked into the study.

Ling Yunfan returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, legs crossed and one hand propping up his face.

He managed to open the door after several attempts, which made him feel relieved. 

He had suspected a few times before that Ji Canghai was trying to trap him and monitor him, but now seeing his helping attitude, he realized that he had been thinking too much.

Meanwhile, in the study, Ji Canghai’s expression became indifferent as he took out the documents from his file bag and sent a text message to Rong Zhan, “I took the company documents and will handle them at home. Come pick them up tomorrow morning.”

Rong Zhan’s response was prompt as always, “Okay.”

Ji Canghai focused on handling company documents. In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed, and he had just finished signing the last document. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead before standing up and walking out of the study.

When he arrived in the living room, Ji Canghai saw Ling Yunfan sitting on the couch reading a book. 

He was leaning to one side, although not in an improper posture, giving off a feeling of relaxed comfort in the home.

The evening was long, and the faint golden sunset glow leaped into the room from the balcony, accompanying Ling Yunfan as he concentrated on his book. The world was silent and peaceful.

Ji Canghai watched quietly, not wanting to disturb the tranquil atmosphere.

However, the comfort before him did not bring peace to Ji Canghai’s heart. On the contrary, desire and unwillingness surged in his chest, making him increasingly aware of his own obsession.

Ling Yunfan felt his gaze and looked up, asking, “Hmm? When did you come out? Have you finished your work?”

“Mhmm,” Ji Canghai smiled gently. “Have you decided what you want to eat?”

“Shall we eat noodles,” Ling Yunfan replied.

“Okay, I’ll order. You can keep reading,” Ji Canghai nodded.

With that, Ji Canghai turned and went back to the study.

The study was the best place in the room for sound insulation, and once the door was closed, the conversation inside could not be heard outside.

Ji Canghai took out his phone and dialed a number, hearing the person on the other end flattering him, “Mr. Ji?”

Ji Canghai calmly said, “I need you to do something…”

When Ling Yunfan suggested having noodles for dinner, it was a carefully considered decision.

Over the past few days, the takeout that Ji Canghai ordered had shattered Ling Yunfan’s preconceptions about takeout from ideological and material perspectives.

And Ling Yunfan’s proposal to order noodles was because he felt that no matter how expensive a bowl of noodles could be, it couldn’t be too expensive.

But now he was sitting at the dining table, looking at the takeout box covered in gold foil, lost in deep thought.

Is this what they call enhancing the material’s own value through external packaging?

Ling Yunfan remembered that Brother Xiong had done this before.

He added a carved carrot to a plate of sweet and sour pork, and charged three extra yuan for it, earning applause from everyone in the restaurant except the chef.

The chef said, “Goddamn it, it’s such a waste of time. I carved for an hour and ruined three juicy white radishes. My eyes are going blind from carving and you just sold it for three extra yuan, what the hell.”

Ling Yunfan watched as Ji Canghai opened the takeout box and took out two very ordinary bowls of plain white noodles without any toppings, feeling slightly relieved.

These noodles, although the packaging was a bit exaggerated, should be priced within an acceptable range.

Then Ji Canghai opened the second takeout box.

Inside were five exquisite jars, each containing crab meat, crab sticks, crab claws, crab paste, and crab roe.

The amount was even more generous than the tomato and egg sauce that Ling Yunfan made himself.

“Eat.” Ji Canghai pushed the can in front of Ling Yunfan.

Ling Yunfan, “…”

Maybe he shouldn’t eat it, better offer it instead.

But then Ling Yunfan ended up eating until his belly was round.

After eating their fill, the two of them cleaned up the dishes together. During that time, Ji Canghai received three phone calls, appearing very busy.

When Ji Canghai hung up the third phone call and returned to the kitchen, he found that Ling Yunfan had already neatly put away the cleaned dishes in the cupboard.

Ji Canghai showed an apologetic expression, “You did all the work alone.”

“Hmph, it’s no big deal.” Ling Yunfan waved his hand.

Ji Canghai then said, “I have to go out for a bit.”

Ling Yunfan said, “What? It’s already night time.” 

Ji Canghai, “Well, there’s some work in the company.”

Ling Yunfan thought to himself that this prominent heir of the Zongheng Group surprisingly possessed the soul of an office worker. “Alright, if you have something to do, go ahead.”

Ji Canghai smiled gently, “I’m leaving, you stay at home and wait for me to come back.”

Ling Yunfan seemed to have not really listened to Ji Canghai’s words, muttering to himself as he walked around Ji Canghai towards the living room, “I need a tissue to wipe my hands.”

Ji Canghai’s eyes flickered with a hint of melancholy, but his smile remained warm as he silently left.

The sound of the door closing was like a rest note on a musical score, causing the entire house to instantly fall into a pin-drop silence.

Ling Yunfan sat on the sofa, swallowed up by the quiet darkness gradually enveloping the room.

After waiting in silence for ten minutes, Ling Yunfan stood up and walked to the front door, sliding open the cover of the password lock and pressing the four digits “0711”.

With a beep, the door opened.

Outside the door, a slightly chilly breeze brushed in from the windows of the corridor, and not far ahead was the elevator.

Ling Yunfan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

This time, he could really leave.

Returning to his rental apartment at this hour, changing his clothes, he could just make it to the night shift at the bar.

He had been absent from work for two days for no reason, and he hoped his boss wouldn’t be angry and fire him.

Ling Yunfan looked back at the house and thought, when I repay my debt and achieve something, I would come back and thank Ji Canghai properly.

He would also remind him to be more careful in the future. Even with his terrible acting skills, Ji Canghai still believed him. What if he was deceived by someone else in the future?

As for now, it was time to say goodbye!

Ling Yunfan put on his sneakers, walked out of the house, closed the door, and strode towards the elevator without looking back.