A CERTAIN SOMEONE ( THE ON1Y ONE )

Chapter 096 - Nonsensical Rambles

“Former Boyfriend.”

Sheng Wang had his own personal agenda when he chose to switch his major as well as the team he ended up in upon entering the company.
There was this line that trended at one point, saying that there’s less than six degrees of separations between any strangers in this world. Sheng Wang had thought, more than once, that if he dealt with enough foreign business, his network of people expanded widely enough, maybe he would meet Jiang Tian by chance under some circumstance.
Then it couldn’t be blamed on their tie not being severed cleanly enough, it should be said that life is unpredictable, or that it is fated to be. And he would be speaking with a lighter burden on his back, with less concerns too.
Little did he know that when the day truly arrived, he was tongue-tied instead.

He wanted to say, “I dreamt of you when I was having a sleep in this morning.”

It was the same as countless times before; Jiang Tian wore a wide T-shirt, the lapels on his blue and white uniform wide open, his sleeves rolled to his elbow, sitting on the windowsill with a leg curled up, white wireless earpiece stuffed in his ears as he did questions.
The sunlight outside was too bright, the air condition hummed as it worked; the temperature in the bedroom had always been rather low. The person sitting on the windowsill turned around, saying: Don’t rock your chair while you memorise.
He even dreamt of Jiang Tian sprawled over the table, catching up on his sleep. His left hand rested on the back of his neck as always, when he was disrupted from his sleep, his brows would knit in impatience. When he walked, he wasn’t too fast or too slow, but he would go three steps at a time whenever he went up and down the stairs. After he ran, he would be covered in a thin layer of sweat; he was both dazzling and cold.

However, Sheng Wang did not say anything in the end — the boy in his dream had already taken off his school uniform, changing into a foreign dark-coloured coat. He travelled from afar, covered in dust. When he looked across at him from a few meters away, he was like the fog that would arise early winter morning.

It was at this moment that Sheng Wang realised belatedly: they had been separated for too long. The world ran ahead swiftly, not slowing down just for two certain people. Time could change too many things, even the sharpest and most jagged of rocks could be worn down into dust.
He was suddenly a little afraid upon seeing the real person.

Someone opened the door to the private room, his colleague came over and clapped on his shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be fetching someone? Why are you being a vertical wooden log here?”
Sheng Wang stared blankly before he tore his eyes away from Jiang Tian, turning to ask, “What did you say?”
The other PhD that came with the professor stuck his head out from behind, letting out an “oh” and then laughing. He waved at Jiang Tian across the people, saying, “Finally, you’re here at last. Your traffic jam sure jammed for a little too long, the prof has been going on about you for a while now!”
What followed next was quite a few people all pouring out from the room, getting in between Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian, and then ushering them inside with lighthearted conversation.

Sheng Wang went back to his seat as though he was sleepwalking. He brought his cup up, and sipped a mouthful of tea — the tip of his tongue hurt as it got scalded, and his heart, abruptly compressed just now, gradually relaxed; it delivered blood to his four limbs and hundreds of bones, pump by pump. His numb fingers finally regained feeling.

Sheng Wang looked up, and saw Jiang Tian being moved to sit down next to the professor. He took off his coat, revealing a clean shirt that fitted him well. As he unbuttoned his collar, he answered the professor’s questions.
He seemed to be out of it too, he only nodded or gave simple replies. When he unbuttoned his cuff and folded it up, he finally looked up and in his direction; his gaze cut across the round table and the mirth that filled the room, landing on Sheng Wang.