Your Distance - Chapter 90.1

90.1 – Final Chapter (2/2)

Bai Changyi read the letter three or four times before putting it back in the envelope.

 

About half a month later, he received a box of smoked sausages, with a note attached to the box. It was in Ting Shuang’s handwriting, saying it was the sausages he’d learned to make during his stay in the farm, and that they were for Bai Changyi to eat.

 

Bai Changyi received a total of ten letters in January. Ting Shuang pretty much maintained his frequency of writing a letter every two days, telling Bai Changyi about trivial matters.

 

Once, when he was milking sheep, it took him a long time to realise that what he was milking was a male sheep, and that he was not squeezing something that could produce milk… He then spent half an hour washing his hands.

 

Another time, he went mountain climbing and encountered a blizzard. He was trapped on the mountain with his companions overnight. Everyone huddled together behind a huge boulder, mustering the energy to continue speaking, and waiting for hope.

 

Early the next morning, the blizzard stopped, and they saw a huge herd of deer passing by the other side of the boulder. Everyone had held their breaths as if they’d merged to become one with the still, snow-capped mountains.

 

After receiving the letter about the blizzard, even though Bai Changyi knew that Ting Shuang had made his way down the mountain safely, he still called him and gave him a scolding.

 

When he answered the call, Ting Shuang was crossing the Alps from Austria into Italy. On both sides of the road were towering, snowy mountains, and clouds hung at just half the height of the mountains. He listened seriously to the scolding before rolling down the car windows so that Bai Changyi could listen to the roaring wind outside together with him.

 

“Bai Changyi, did you drive through the Alps like this in the past?” he raised his voice to ask over the wind.

 

“Yes.” Bai Changyi said a little resignedly, “But Ting, at that time I didn’t think anyone would worry about me.”

 

“”

 

 

 

Ting Shuang quickly said, “I will never do dangerous things again.”

 

Bai Changyi said, “Think about me before doing anything.”

 

Ting Shuang closed the window and slowed the car down, replying with a low “mm”.

 

On the first letter in February, was a stamp from Florence.

 

Bai Changyi received the letter in the mailbox when he left house in the morning, and only opened it in the office–

 

Babe,

 

I’m learning how to do latte art in a masterclass about coffee. In the evening, I played the guitar in the cafe and chatted with the people there.

 

The place I’m staying at now is right above this cafe. My neighbour is an art history student. She brought me to see the relief sculpture on the entrance of the Baptistery of Saint John, and to look at the difference between the works of Pisano and Ghiberti.

 

She also does art herself, and wanted to hire me as her human model for a day, but I refused.

 

I think my figure isn’t as good as yours.

 

I visited many art galleries and museums, but I don’t quite remember those artworks. What I remember instead was on the streets of Florence. An old lady covered in paint was on the stone pavement, painting. She was painting a part of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”.

 

When I passed by in the morning, she was painting. When I passed by again on a run by the river in the evening, she was still painting, looking as if she was almost finished.

 

When I finished my run, there were only water marks left on the ground after the paint was washed off. The crowd had dispersed, and the fact that Venus had once been born in this place, where everyone steps over, may not be known to anyone in the future.

 

I sang “Driving to the North” in the cafe that night. Though no one understood what I was singing, I changed the lyrics “Time doesn’t flow the same” to “Time still flows the same”.

 

I want to visit Rome this weekend.

 

Ting

 

Sure enough, the next postcard was from Rome.

 

Ting Shuang knew that Bai Changyi would have already seen all these things he was seeing now, but he still wanted to tell Bai Changyi about them again.

 

The end of March, Greece.

 

After a month, Ting Shuang had a better understanding about the fish market there, and in his letter in March, he drew a variety of fish and mussels.

 

He also spent two weeks at the Aegean Sea, observing sea turtles.

 

His hair had grown back to the length it had been before he left, and his skin, after being soaked in the sea breeze and sunlight, had turned a honey-brown colour.

 

The day he prepared to return to Germany, a whale washed up onto the nearby coast. In order to see the whale, he delayed his trip. His original plan was to drive for two days, reach home on Sunday, and then on Monday the next day, he’d make it in time to attend the first class of Robotik‘s this semester with Bai Changyi.

 

But in order to see that whale, he might end up facing the exact same problem like he did a year ago–

 

He was about to miss the first class.

 

He wanted to take a plane flight back instead, but there just weren’t any suitable flights, so he had no choice but to drive back.

 

On Sunday morning, Bai Changyi called him and asked him where he was. He answered saying he was almost there. In the afternoon, there still wasn’t any trace of the person in question, so he called again and asked him why he hadn’t arrived home yet. He answered saying he was almost there.

 

At night, when Ting Shuang was still nowhere to be seen, Bai Changyi asked where exactly Ting Shuang was in a serious tone.

 

He glanced at the navigation map and said, “Babe, don’t be angry. I’m really going to be home soon.”

 

Bai Changyi said, “Tell me first, where are you?”

 

Ting Shuang had to answer truthfully, “I’ve arrived in Hungary already.”

 

Bai Changyi: “…”

 

Ting Shuang: “Dear… we can meet at school tomorrow morning.”

 

Bai Changyi: “Are you planning to drive without stopping all night long?”

 

“I slept in the car for several hours in the day, so I won’t be sleepy.” Ting Shuang changed the topic in a softer voice, “You have no idea how amazing it was to see a whale up close… Then I watched them send it back to the sea.”

 

Bai Changyi’s breath stalled, and he wanted to tell him not to run out like that by himself ever again, but he managed to hold back those words, and just said, “Drive slowly.”

 

Ting Shuang drove in the dark, stopping occasionally to rest for a while before continuing.

 

He drove all the way until dawn chased him from behind.

 

He parked the car at the entrance of the school at 8:10, getting off and running towards the S17 classroom.

 

The corridor was silent when he reached the classroom door. He glanced at his watch to see that it was just past 8:15.

 

He quickly pushed open the door.

 

Bai Changyi, who had just entered the classroom, glanced over at the students in the classroom to realise that Ting Shuang was missing. The next second, the classroom door was suddenly pushed open, knocking into him.

 

Bai Changyi turned around.

 

From that glance, he saw that the boy who had pushed open the door looked rugged from a long journey. Yet, his eyes were clear, without a single hint of fatigue in them.

 

Their gazes only met for a second, before Ting Shuang went to find a seat, and Bai Changyi walked towards the podium. When the two of them walked past each other, their hands clasped together for just a moment, before letting go without anyone noticing.

 

Ting Shuang sat down, took out the fountain pen that Bai Changyi had given him from his pocket, and began listening to the class.

 

(End)

 

 

 

 

 

Extra 1 – Shimu* Ting Shuang

 

 

Of course, a lot of people would think that if a middle-aged person found an especially young partner, they’d suddenly feel younger too, as if they were back in their twenties and had regained their youth.

 

But the actual situation was far from that.

 

In reality, the gap between the two of them was more like a reminder for the middle-aged man who would turn forty in less than two years; that his youth had long since passed, and that he was getting older. Now he could only stand aside and watch as his little boy and his friends fought with water guns, messing up the house.

 

Of course, a lot of people would think that if a young person found an especially mature partner, they’d have someone to guide them, and they’d follow in their footsteps, maturing quickly and developing the ability to handle all kinds of situations steadfastly.

 

But the actual situation was far from that.

 

In reality, the mature partner would always be considerate, always be gentle, and would slowly watch as the child grew up into a twenty five or twenty six-year-old child in an adult’s body, and then indulge his request to hold a water gun fight at home with his friends.

 

Song Xin was doing his internship when he received a message from Ting Shuang. The contents were very simple, and he had sent it to the group chat: Young master, I, have graduated, and intend to find a day to celebrate. May I have the honour of inviting you to participate?

 

Celebrating was something that had to be done, but how?

 

The close friends in the group discussed for half a day, came up with countless proposals, and finally decided on a water gun battle – He Le said he had a stash of unused water guns.

 

Song Xin said he would be in charge of the beer and snacks.

 

Guo Ping said he would be responsible for renting the venue.

 

Everyone was especially enthusiastic in assigning tasks to themselves, so when it came to Ting Shuang, there weren’t any roles left for him to fill. He thought for a while, then said, “Then I’ll be responsible for filling the water guns with water.”

 

Song Xin said, “Okay, the important task of securing ammunition will be left to you.”

 

It wasn’t weird for the students to be this enthusiastic, as Ting Shuang was the only one in the group who had completed his graduation thesis under the perverted professor, which had been, needless to say, full of difficulties and challenges. The fear that accompanied Robotik was still fresh in their minds, and just a glance at Bai Changyi’s profile on the LRM’s official website would make them remember it all again.

 

It was like a codeword between robotics students. They’d look at each other, their gazes inquiring – have you attended Prof. Bai‘s class before?

 

Just like war veterans back during the period of war who looked at each other, gazes inquiring – have you fought the ghosts(1) before?

 

If you’ve fought the ghosts before, then we’re brothers.

 

Similarly, if you’ve attended Prof. Bai‘s class before, then we’re now related by blood.

 

Now that Ting Shuang had graduated, it was as if they’d witnessed their comrade climb out of the same trench they were in, and successfully escaped from the tiger. Who wouldn’t be happy for him?

 

After a big fuss in the group, they decided to hold the celebration on Saturday morning, the last Saturday of the month.

 

Originally, Ting Shuang would have spent a rest day like that with Bai Changyi, but now Bai Changyi even had to work on Saturdays.

 

He had been this busy for the past few months.

 

A professor like him could take a year off to do some research once every three to five years. He could spend the whole year doing research on his own, taking a vacation, or reconditioning himself. In short, he could put aside all school affairs and not take on any work for a whole year. He intended to take a year off to settle some unresolved problems, spend time with the kid, and discuss some things with him.

 

In order to take that year off, he had a lot of work to finish ahead of time.

 

At the end of the month, when he was almost done with all his work, he planned to invite his friends over for dinner.

 

After all, the child at home had graduated, and it wouldn’t be long before he was going to take a year off. He had hidden his lover in his house until now, and it was about enough.

 

Knowing that his friends were also busy, Bai Changyi planned to arrange a time to have dinner together on the last Saturday of the month.

 

When he told Ting Shuang about it, Ting Shuang was lying upside down on the sofa – his back was on the seat, and his legs were folded over the backrest – reading manga in his leisure time. He replied carelessly, “Oh.”

 

The manga was so exciting that he exclaimed again, “What the fuck?”

 

Bai Changyi looked at Ting Shuang and laughed soundlessly for a while before leaning over and taking the manga out of his hand, “What did I just say?”

 

“”

 

 

 

Ting Shuang couldn’t answer, and habitually started stammering, before he sudden remembered, “I’ve already graduated!”

 

So what if he wasn’t paying attention while the Professor was speaking?

 

So what if he wasn’t able to answer the question?

 

He’d graduated!

 

His confidence was suddenly bursting at the seams.

 

“Yes, you’ve graduated.” Bai Changyi laughed as he kissed the corner of Ting Shuang’s lips. “So I intend on inviting my friends over for dinner on Saturday, are you free?”

 

Ting Shuang thought for a while, “Sure, I plan to go out and play with my friends in the morning, but I’ll come home right after, I won’t dally.”

 

He thought too simply, and everything seemed like it would go according to plan.

 

But at noon on Saturday, he went overboard playing, and forgot that he had a meal to eat in the evening. They had rented the venue for only one morning, and everyone planned on leaving after having lunch outside, but Young Master Ting drank alcohol and it got to his head. He had been beaten badly in their last round, and was eager to make a comeback, refusing to give up. So he jumped onto a sandbag that was meant for cover and raised his water gun, full of enthusiasm and pride, “Damn it, let’s go to this Young Master’s house! We’ll continue this!”

 

When this group of armed mountain bandits went to the house to commit their crimes, Bai Changyi had just driven away. He had invited friends over for dinner in the evening, so he had to buy ingredients.

 

More than an hour later, the great Professor Bai brought the ingredients home.

 

As soon as he entered the house, before he could even put down the bags in his hands, he heard a voice from a distance, “Fuck them! To their deaths!”

 

Then a jet of water hit the front of his shirt. A large patch on his clothes was suddenly wet, and two droplets of water even made it to his glasses.

 

Bai Changyi put down the things in his hands, lowered his head, and dumbfoundedly looked at the front of his shirt. Then he raised his eyes and looked in the direction where the water had shot from—

 

There were water stains on the ground and the furniture, and even his books had not been spared. Behind the mess was Song Xin and a few other students holding water guns, using the sofa as a cover, still stiffly maintaining a posture ready to shoot, just like stone sculptures, unable to move.

 

“Fuck who?” Bai Changyi simply asked, bending over and picking up a dripping wet book.

 

15 minutes later.

 

Everyone had sobered up.

 

Song Xin was holding a mop, his head down as he concentrated on mopping the floor; Guo Ping was holding a rag, his head down as he concentrated on wiping the table; He Le was holding a hair dryer, his head down as he concentrated on blowing the sofa dry…

 

Ting Shuang grabbed a towel, head down as he concentrated on rubbing the dog dry — Vico had also been pulled into the bloody battle by accident. Fortunately, Vico’s hair was short and dried quickly.

 

No one spoke, and only sounds of cleaning up could be heard in the living room.

 

It was Bai Changyi who broke the silence. He kept away the ingredients he had bought and walked to the living room to see the back of several heads, as their owners conscientiously carried out their tasks. “What do you want to drink?”

 

Although it was a perfectly normal question to ask, to Song Xin and the rest, it sounded like a difficult question you’d come across in a professional setting. No one dared to speak. Not only were they scared to speak, they also avoided Bai Changyi’s eyes, as if they would be selected to answer the question individually as soon as they met Prof. Bai’s gaze.

 

Thus, the one mopping the floor mopped even harder, the one wiping the table seemed like he was trying to rub off a layer of skin from the table, and the one blowing the sofa became so careful that he looked like he was blowing dust off a cultural relic…

 

Only Ting Shuang answered naturally, “I want to drink iced tea.”

 

There was a kind of dependence in his tone, and it sounded as if he habitually spoke that way. To the other straight men in the room, that kind of dependence sounded more like a weird way of acting spoiled.

 

Ting Shuang, was acting spoiled, in front of, Prof. Bai.

 

Acting, spoiled.

 

Bai Changyi nodded and looked at the others, “How about the rest of you?”

 

Song Xin felt tremendous pressure from Bai Changyi’s gaze, and had to speak up, “… I want the same.” After saying that, he immediately added, “Thank you, sorry for the trouble.”

 

With Song Xin stepping up, the others immediately felt salvation, speaking up together, “Me too. Sorry for the trouble.”

 

So Bai Changyi turned back towards the kitchen to prepare the iced tea.

 

After Bai Changyi’s figure disappeared completely, Song Xin slowly moved to Ting Shuang’s side as he pretended to still be mopping the floor. He stopped and gave Ting Shuang a kick to the leg.

 

Ting Shuang, who was sitting on the ground holding Vico, raised his head and asked, “What are you doing?”

 

Song Xin stared at Ting Shuang with an expression that read “I haven’t asked you why we’re all cleaning the living room of the perverted professor’s house, and you still have the face to ask me why I kicked you?”

 

Collectively, the others also looked at Ting Shuang, the same question in their eyes: Bro, can you explain our current situation?

 

Ting Shuang continued looking down, concentrating on wiping down the dog, then he raised his head and said innocently, “Do you guys want to stay for dinner? My partner cooks pretty well. I’ll introduce him to you.”

 

Everyone was dumbfounded for a few seconds, before slowly turning their heads at the same time, looking in the direction of the kitchen——

 

Partner???

 

Then, everyone slowly turned their heads back and looked at Ting Shuang——

 

So this person in front of them was their…

 

Shimu???*

 

The living room fell into complete silence.

 

Ting Shuang let go of Vico, now completely dry. Then he stood up, “Come on, tell me if you’re eating dinner. I can ask him what he’s cooking tonight… Do you want to eat anything in particular?”

 

Song Xin and a few others, “No not… We’ll leave right away…”

 

“Yes, yes… We won’t bother you…”

 

“Sorry… We really caused trouble today…”

 

At that moment, Bai Changyi had just walked out of the kitchen, holding a few cups of iced tea on a tray. Hearing those words, he looked at them, smiled, and asked, “You’re leaving? Is it because I didn’t entertain you well enough?”

 

15 minutes later.

 

The students had grit their teeth and gone through with it, and were currently sitting in the yard drinking iced tea.

 

No one dared to say goodbye.

 

Seeing that everyone was silent, Ting Shuang looked for a topic to bring up, “I suddenly remembered, Song Xin, weren’t you unable to make an appointment with the Professor for Sprechstunde before? Now he’s sitting right here, so if there’s anything you’d like to ask, you can just ask now.”

 

Bai Changyi smiled and looked at Song Xin with kind eyes.

 

Song Xin: “…”

 

Song Xin: “Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom.”

 

“Oh, then I’ll take you there.” Ting Shuang got up and said to the other students who were about to face the Professor by themselves, “You guys have a good talk.”

 

The other students: “…”

 

After entering the house, Ting Shuang pointed to the bathroom, “It’s this door.”

 

Song Xin said, “I don’t need to go, I just want to catch my breath.”

 

Ting Shuang felt like laughing, “Mm.”

 

“”

 

 

 

Song Xin kicked Ting Shuang, “You think this is funny? You threw me under the bus just now, was that funny? Fuck off(2).”

 

Ting Shuang laughed as he ducked aside, “Aren’t I the closest to you? Who would I throw under the bus if not you?”

 

“You just specialise in killing those you’re close to.” Song Xin leaned against the door frame and thought deeply for a while, still having trouble digesting the fact that Ting Shuang had become their shimu, “Uh… You guys… Um… When… How did you… Um…” He gestured around for a long time but still couldn’t find the right words, “You guys… Did you chase him down, or… he chased you down?”

 

Ting Shuang laughed, “What do you think?”

 

“How would I know about the two of you…” Who knows what kind of image had appeared in the mind of Song Xin, a straight man, but his face suddenly turned red as he spoke.

 

Ting Shuang teased him, “Then I’ll help you ask.”

 

Song Xin: ?

 

Ting Shuang immediately ran out, and Song Xin couldn’t stop him even if he wanted to.

 

Ting Shuang ran to the yard and yelled to Bai Changyi, “Hey, Professor, Song Xin wants to ask you, did you chase me first?”

 

Song Xin’s face was flushed red as he stood at the doorway, not even daring to look at Bai Changyi.

 

Bai Changyi stood up, waved to the others, and tousled Ting Shuang’s hair affectionately as he answered in a low voice, “Yes, it was me who chased you. Okay, I’ll go prepare dinner now, you can play with them.”

 

Ting Shuang couldn’t resist grabbing Bai Changyi’s collar and making him lower his head. Then he leaned in, planting a kiss on Bai Changyi’s lips.

 

Song Xin’s face was burning so much that it felt almost fully cooked. Not only him, but the faces of everyone else also turned red.

 

When Bai Changyi entered the house, Ting Shuang very naturally sat next to Guo Ping, He Le, and the others, asking, “What did you guys talk about just now?”

 

What did they talk about?

 

They had just done a second Q&A session, like the one they did when presenting their graduation thesis.

 

He Le said, “… Nothing much.”

 

Ting Shuang drank a few sips of his iced tea before he thought of something, “Oh yes, I remember now. Didn’t we have a group in which everyone added their partners to after they got attached? Then should I add my partner in, too?”

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Translator’s Notes:

 

* (in chapter title too): Shimu here is the female equivalent of shifu! It can also mean the wife of your teacher

 

(1): Its an offensive way to refer to the Japanese in the past. You know, with how the Japanese invaded China during the WW. Some of the older generations and shows that feature the war still refer to the Japanese as 鬼子 (ghosts)

 

(2): The phrase he actually used here was 你大爷的 (ni da ye de) which literally means “your uncle’s” but its kinda like… same meaning as fuck your ancestors…? ig…? But its apparently more used amongst close friends and its not to be taken that seriously. kinda like how we say “screw you”

Thank you *takes deep breath* Tinsunny, Elaine, Ngoc Le, Kaytiti, Maria Jean Shanks, Xiang, and this anon supporter for the coffees!!

Sorry for the wait… School QAQ

Take care guys!! ~Dee