He had spent quite a while at the factory, and it was nearly dawn when he got back.
Ding Ding parked the car and crept quietly through the door like a thief.
Warm light spilled through the gap in the door.
Bai Congming had fallen asleep on the sofa, an open comic book pressing a red mark into his cheek.
One glance from the entryway, and Ding Ding's long night of running around finally came to rest. He felt settled.
The weather was hot, so sleeping on the sofa for a while would hardly give him a chill. Ding Ding slipped into the bathroom and washed off the strange smell he had picked up at the factory. Only after making sure he would not stink Bai Congming out did he walk over to the sofa and crouch down.
Little Bai was usually well-behaved, especially when asleep. His mouth was pressed into a pout, the little fullness at the center of his upper lip trembling with his breathing. His whole body had become a cloud, light and utterly weightless.
Pure white, yet soft. Even touching him felt like a desecration.
Ding Ding watched him for a long while. Even when his legs went numb from crouching, he could not bear to disturb such peaceful sleep. He simply climbed onto the sofa and gently gathered him into his arms.
The sofa he had bought was spacious enough that even with both of them on it, it did not feel crowded.
Feeling himself being held, Bai Congming instinctively nuzzled closer into Ding Ding's arms.
"Brother Ding...?"
Ding Ding answered, "Go to sleep."
When he looked down, those eyes were still peacefully closed, with no sign that they had opened.
They slept soundly until morning. Ding Ding was woken by the light streaming