Your Distance

28- Late Adolescence Period

The bicycle made its way through the empty meadow under the starry sky, and entered an old area in the city center.

Just like hundreds of years ago, the stone road was only one car wide, and bicycles traversed it freely. As far as they could see, dark green creepers grew on the small colourful houses on either side of them. All the shops had already closed for the day, and only the display windows were still lit up. At this hour, those that were still open were mainly bars. The dim lighting settled over everything like haze, making one feel drunk.

In the distance, the top of a church’s bell tower peeked out above the stacked roofs. The huge moon hung beside the bell tower.

The church was a church from the eighteenth century, and the moon, too, was a moon from the eighteenth century.

Ting Shuang spread his arms open in the back seat of the bicycle, welcoming the breeze, “It’s nice to come out and have fun.”

Bai Changyi smiled and asked, “Where are we going?”

Ting Shuang looked at the lights and signboards of the bars on both sides of the road, “Let’s look for a place to get high.” After that, he pretended to be gracious and considerate. “Um… Bai Laoban, is it that middle-aged men can’t really let loose? Let’s not push ourselves… After all, the old have weak bones. How about we find a quiet place to drink a cup of chrysanthemum tea with wolf-berry in it? Then we can go back and have a foot bath, right…”

His tone was one that was used when sending warmth(1) to seniors.

He was begging to be smacked.

Bai Laoban has always been called young and handsome in his social circle. But now, when it came from Ting Shuang’s mouth, he became an elderly person who needed help even when crossing the road.

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‘Little bastard’, Bai Changyi cursed in his heart.

When Ting Shuang said that, he was ready to be beaten (or kissed), but he didn’t expect that Bai Changyi would give no response. He just parked the bicycle outside a lively bar.

They went in, making their way to the bar to order alcohol.

Ting Shuang ordered a glass of gin and tonic.

With the difference in ethnicity, the bartender couldn’t judge his age. He just felt as if he was very young and looked like a German high school student. Ting Shuang was thus asked to show his ID.

This time, they had decided to go out at the last minute. Ting Shuang reached into his pocket; he had remembered to bring his wallet and mobile phone, but he hadn’t brought his passport or residence permit. He looked at Bai Changyi and begged, “Can you tell him, you know I am twenty-four…”

Bai Changyi glanced at Ting Shuang, lips curving up, “Aren’t you super young, how are you twenty four?”

Fuck.

The old professor held grudges.

“Then at least tell him that I’m of legal age… I want to drink…” Ting Shuang exclaimed, acting especially sweet, “Dear…”

Bai Changyi took that ‘dear’ in stride, turning his head and smiling at the bartender, “He is only fifteen, please give him a glass of cola.”

Fifteen???

Bai Changyi, are you shameless?

Ting Shuang immediately turned to the bartender, refuting, “He is lying!”

As he fetched the coke and ice cubes, the bartender looked at Ting Shuang amusedly and asked in disbelief, “Really?”

Obviously, compared to Ting Shuang, Bai Changyi, who was mature, well mannered, and had perfect enunciation (as well as the look of a guardian), was more convincing.