Business trip

At seven that evening, Fan Jin sat on the sofa with the television on, unable to take in a single show. His phone lay on the coffee table, its screen constantly lit, and he checked the time every few minutes.

At ten past seven, Shan Ye sent a message: "Boarded. Turning my phone off. I'll call you when I land."

Fan Jin kept waiting.

Over the three-hour flight, he checked his phone countless times. He got through two pages of a book before losing focus, and had no idea what was playing on the television. He paced around the living room twice, then stood on the balcony for a while and smoked a cigarette. He came back, sat down, then stood up again.

At ten past ten, his phone finally rang. Fan Jin snatched it up.

Shan Ye's voice came through the earpiece, a little tired from the journey but still full of laughter. "Fan Jin, I'm here!"

"Mm." Fan Jin paused. "Is it cold there?"

"Not bad. Warmer than Muzhou." On Shan Ye's end, suitcase wheels rattled across the floor beneath the airport announcements. "Yu Chuan's gone to get a taxi. We'll head to the hotel in a bit."

Fan Jin's fingers tightened slightly around his phone. He could hear Yu Chuan chattering away.

Just hearing him grated on his nerves. "Get a room to yourself, understood?"

Shan Ye laughed. "Of course, Fan Jin. Don't worry."

Only then did Fan Jin hang up.

Once the call ended, Shan Ye laughed. Someone's pretty jealous.

After arriving at the hotel and getting settled, Shan Ye made a point of taking a photo for him. "What do you think? Pretty nice, right? I've got it all to myself," he made sure to add.

The reply came quickly: "Mm. Get to bed early. Good night."

Shan Ye sent an okay sticker. "Good night, Fan Jin."

Without his even noticing, Fan Jin had started sending him good morning and good night messages on his own. Shan Ye thought he had changed quite a lot.

The next morning was the exchange conference's opening ceremony. One official after another gave a speech, and Shan Ye nearly fell asleep in the audience, yet still had to clap every couple of sentences.

Gradually, his eyelids began to droop. Yu Chuan caught him and nudged him with an elbow. "Pay attention. You're representing Muzhou University."

Shan Ye blinked hard, briefly shaking himself awake. These speeches are so boring. Two hours, and they're still not done.

Shan Ye discreetly took out his phone and glanced at it. If he didn't look at his phone, he would slump right over in his chair.

"Fan Jin, the officials are giving speeches, and I'm already sleepy," he messaged Fan Jin.

A few minutes later, Fan Jin replied: "Listen properly. You're a teacher."

Every so often, Shan Ye was reminded that he was a university educator and had to set an example. At the thought, he put his phone away, straightened his back, and made himself focus.

The afternoon was devoted to group discussions, and Shan Ye and Yu Chuan were assigned to different groups. Shan Ye's group focused on teaching translation. The participants were all accomplished teachers from various universities, and they took turns speaking and discussing things in a fairly relaxed atmosphere.

Shan Ye spoke with poise and had plenty of teaching experience, making him stand out among the mostly female teachers.

The second day was the main event. The morning featured the main forum, and Shan Ye was seated in the third row, surrounded by senior faculty from various universities, all of them older.

He took out his notebook and carefully filled several pages. During the break, a number of fellow teachers gathered around him to chat.

A middle-aged male professor praised him as young and accomplished. Shan Ye had previously published a paper on translation theory in his university's journal, and the professor happened to have read it.

Shan Ye smiled and offered a few modest replies, feeling rather pleased.

The afternoon featured a workshop, where Shan Ye gave a brief presentation as a representative of the younger teachers. Onstage, he moved through his slides smoothly and efficiently, speaking fluent, standard British English.

A young female teacher in the audience kept watching him.

Sure enough, after the workshop ended, she came over.

She struck up a conversation. "You teach at Muzhou University, right? I've watched your classes online."

Shan Ye nodded blankly. He didn't think he had ever recorded any online lectures.

Still, he gave her a polite smile. "Thank you."

"Your classes are really interesting. Let's add each other on WeChat so we can exchange ideas." The woman took out her phone.

Shan Ye hesitated. "Sure." He took out his phone and scanned her code.

Once he had added her, he glanced at her profile picture. It was a photo of her standing by the sea, smiling brightly. Her contact name appeared: Chen Ting, Binhai University School of Foreign Languages.

"I look forward to exchanging ideas, Ms. Chen." Shan Ye put his phone away.

Chen Ting smiled, her gaze lingering on his face for an extra second. "Just call me Chen Ting. Are you from Muzhou?"

"Yes, born and raised."

"I've been to Muzhou. It's beautiful in winter, with the snow."

Shan Ye nodded.

"Well, hopefully we'll meet again." Chen Ting smiled with her lips pressed together.

"Sure. Keep in touch."

They walked out of the venue side by side. Yu Chuan caught up from behind, glanced at Chen Ting, then at Shan Ye, and raised his eyebrows high.

"And who's this?" he asked.

"Ms. Chen from Binhai University," Shan Ye introduced her.

Yu Chuan shook hands with Chen Ting, then leaned close to Shan Ye's ear and whispered, "Quite the charmer, aren't you? You can't even attend a conference without catching someone's eye."

Shan Ye shot him a glare. "We were just discussing academic matters."

"You added her on WeChat to discuss academic matters?" Yu Chuan looked thoroughly unconvinced.

"Come on, let's go. I want to head back." Shan Ye was exhausted after two days of early starts and late finishes. All he wanted now was to get back to the hotel, pack, and sleep.

That evening, after his shower, Shan Ye felt a restless heat in his body.

He lay on the bed, his hair still not completely dry. Droplets slid down his neck and landed cool against his collarbones. But inside, his body burned, the heat spreading from his chest to his lower abdomen, impossible to suppress.

He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. After several days of intense work, he could finally relax.

And the more he relaxed, the hotter his body grew.

Shan Ye took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and dialed Fan Jin's number.

It rang a few times before Fan Jin answered.

"Hello?" Fan Jin's voice was deep and low, a little raspy, as though smoked over.

Hearing that voice, Shan Ye swallowed, his body growing hotter.

"Fan Jin." When he spoke, he found his voice much lower than usual, with a clinging softness he couldn't quite explain.

"Mm," Fan Jin answered. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Shan Ye moved the phone to his other ear, his fingertips unconsciously tightening around the corner of the blanket. "I just wanted to call you."

The other end of the line went quiet for a moment.

"My flight's tomorrow morning," Shan Ye said softly. "Once I'm back, I'll get to see you every day."

As he said it, his fingers left the corner of the blanket and slid slowly down his lower abdomen before stopping. His heart was racing.

"Mm." Fan Jin's voice was still low, reaching him through the earpiece as though he were speaking right against his ear.