Loneliness

Chapter 19

It took him a long time to find a clear expression of his emotions from his confused mind. Chen Dong Lan said, "What shall I do then?"

He had already given up all hope once today and even prepared himself to beg Yuan Yuan not to alienate him. Suddenly embraced by Yuan Yuan and being told "'II treat you well", his whole body went soft from his tailbone upwards.

"What do you mean? If you want to eat, then we'll go to the restaurant. If you don't want to eat, then we'll stay in the room. Or if you want to visit any scenic spot, I'm fine with that too."

Chen Dong Lan gazed at Yuan Yuan and felt useless. "I don't know what I want to do..."

Yuan Yuan saw that he was so confused that he didn't know where to place his hands or feet. He laughed, spread out his hands and put on the appearance of someone to be taken advantage of. "Think about it. You can do whatever you want."

His tone was gentler than if he were coaxing a small child, as if no matter how excessive Chen Dong Lan's demands were, he would agree with a smile.

Chen Dong Lan's eyes were hot. He reached out a hand, gently placing it on Yuan Yuan's chest. He didn't exert any force, just placing his hand on his clothes.

His deepest obsession emerged from his mind.

"I want to take the metro with you."

Yuan Yuan stared. "Ah?"

Chen Dong Lan seemed to have opened the floodgates in his heart and continued, "I want to take the metro home with you. No...first, we must take the metro together to our old middle school, then take it back together. No, not just this. I want you to not play basketball with anyone else, but only me. Then eat together with me, then take the metro home together. When you reach the station, you must say to me..."

He spoke incoherently with some difficulty breathing. It was as if he had returned to the past, back to that cowardly time, but with the courage of today.

"You must say to me, 'See you tomorrow.."

Yuan Yuan gazed at him, his eyes softening into a pool of water. "Didn't I say that before?"

Chen Dong Lan shook his head. "No...you've never cared if you would see me tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," Yuan Yuan apologised in a low voice. "But that's too difficult for me right now. We're at the forest park. Where can I find a metro for you?

Why don't I bring you to take the sightseeing bus in the park instead?"

Chen Dong Lan was coaxed by him till his waist felt numb. "Really?"

He didn't know what he was asking Yuan Yuan.

"Really." Yuan Yuan rubbed the corner of Chen Dong Lan's eye with his thumb as if he could rub off the red and swollen skin. "I'Il bring you now."

Following that, a dazed Chen Dong Lan was brought out of the hotel by Yuan Yuan. In the middle of the park, there was a flat terrain near a river, with a spacious grassland within. Tourists could rent an electric vehicle at the entrance and explore the area themselves. There were single and double vehicles, with family ones as well, which had an extra child seat compared to the double.

Yuan Yuan actually wanted to rent the family vehicle so that the two men with their thick coats would not feel crowded together. But on second thought, there was nothing wrong with them crowding together, so he rented a double vehicle.

Yuan Yuan sat in the driver's seat and patted the seat beside him. "Come on."

Chen Dong Lan sat in a daze.