More than he could manage

Jealousy made people come apart at the cellular level.

Ding Shu drove Bai Congming home and declined the polite invitation to stay for dinner. Before leaving, she finally couldn't help herself and punched Ding Ding hard.

With an "Ow!" behind her, Ding Shu walked out without looking back.

Ding Shu paid no attention to the commotion behind her. She hurried back into her car, and only then did the tears she had been holding back slide down her face.

What she couldn't have, she simply couldn't have. That punch had only vented a little of the resentment in her heart.

Thirty had been the turning point in her life. That year, she had won the International Jewelry Design Competition, been hired as chief designer at W.E., bought a home of her own, and amassed enough money in her bank account to live without worry for the rest of her life.

Yet she still wasn't satisfied. Once her material needs were met, she began to want more.

Before, what she wanted had been vague. She hadn't even known exactly what it was.

Only now, seeing Ding Ding, did she know.

To be loved with such unwavering certainty.

But that was hard to come by. Ding Shu felt she would probably never have it in this lifetime.

The car started, and a dark shape suddenly darted out. A familiar figure followed close behind, jogging over to her car and pulling a little black kitten out from beneath a tire.

The car window was open, and Ding Shu heard Sun Chang'an speaking to the kitten.

"You nearly got run over, you know that?"

They had met once before, after all, and his looks really did suit her tastes. Ding Shu wiped away the tear tracks on her face with her fingertips, pushed open the car door, and walked over.

"Dr. Sun, did you bring a kitten along to stage an accident?"

Only then did Sun Chang'an glance at her, before shifting his gaze behind her. "Nice car."

"It belongs to the company." Ding Shu reached out and touched the kitten's head. "Is it hurt?"

"It's fine," Sun Chang'an said.

"It must have had a bit of a fright, though." Ding Shu raised her head. "As compensation, how about I treat its owner to dinner?"

"Really?" Sun Chang'an raised his eyebrows. "Think it through. Its owner eats quite a lot."

"Let's go... I'll just consider it throwing money around."

"You actually spent that much money!"

On Hongfang Street, Ding Ding looked incredulous when he heard the price.

In all the time they had lived together, Bai Congming had very rarely taken money out with him of his own accord. Even when he went out with Ding Ding, he never said he wanted anything.

Occasionally, when he saw snacks being sold by the roadside, he would first ask whether Ding Ding wanted some.

If he did, Bai Congming would run over excitedly to buy them.

If he didn't, Bai Congming would leave it at that.

But since they often went out for a walk after dinner, Bai Congming rarely got a yes.

It wasn't until one time, when most of the miniature cakes they bought ended up in Bai Congming's stomach, that Ding Ding realized he only asked because he wanted some himself.

He couldn't bear to spend money on something for himself, but he could if it was for Ding Ding.

"Not much money, not much money," Bai Congming said hurriedly. "I earn money, buy it."

"..."

Ding Ding didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I'm not blaming you."

"Bought fireworks for Brother Ding to watch!"

Actually, when Ding Ding saw the fireworks, his first reaction had been that they were flashy but impractical. But once he heard they had been bought for him, he no longer thought so.

Looking at it another way, Little Bai didn't actually know exactly what Ding Ding liked.

He was only using his own preferences to decide how to treat Ding Ding well and make him happy.

So what he gave was also what he wanted himself.

And so Ding Ding said, "How did you know I absolutely love them?"

Bai Congming's eyes shone, lighting up with happiness at those words.

"Xiao Hua! Likes them too!"

"..."

Ding Ding had read that audio comic from beginning to end himself.

With forty percent of it being content that wouldn't pass censorship, and another forty percent being melodrama, Ding Ding had to admire Bai Congming for picking fireworks out of the remaining plot and remembering them.

"You need to read less of that stuff!" Ding Ding said through gritted teeth.

Bai Congming looked utterly innocent. "Why?"

"You're learning bad things..."

To keep Bai Congming from asking more, Ding Ding hurriedly changed the subject. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Flower-flower vegetables!"

"...That's called cauliflower."

"Cauliflower!"

"..."

In the past, Ding Ding had scoffed at things like anxiety about aging.

But watching Bai Congming, who had been at it all night, get up, go out, and then come home and still have the energy to grab the cleaning tools and clean the entire house inside and out, Ding Ding fell into thought.

He didn't know whether Bai Congming was simply young and full of energy, or whether he himself was getting older and couldn't keep up.

At that thought, Ding Ding took out his phone and ordered two jin of goji berries for himself.

"Oh, your phone kept ringing earlier. I took it over to charge."

Ding Ding didn't even check who it had been. Instead, he frowned and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before you went out? You didn't even bring your phone. I only found out when Fourth Sister messaged me."

With his brows drawn together and his face expressionless, he actually looked a little fierce. But Bai Congming wasn't afraid at all. Smiling, he wheedled with Ding Ding, saying he had forgotten and would definitely remember next time.

Ding Ding loved him like this. He beckoned to him. "Come here and give me a kiss."

"..."

Apart from Ding Ding, the only other person in Bai Congming's phone was Sun Xiangxiang.

Because he had hung up so quickly today and hadn't replied to any of her messages for ages, Sun Xiangxiang was practically beside herself.

At first, she thought Little Bai might have trouble reading, but her voice messages vanished into the void too. She only stopped after bombarding him for three straight hours.

Bai Congming didn't have time to read all those messages. As soon as he got his phone, he happily made a video call.

It rang for a long time before someone answered, but it wasn't Sunflower Sister. It was a man who looked fierce.

"She's asleep. Please don't disturb her."

Bai Congming thought his voice sounded very strange, but before he could speak, the man hung up.

"..."

Ding Ding had heard everything from beside him. To comfort him, he reached out and pulled Bai Congming, who was staring blankly at his phone, over to him.

"Little Bai made a new friend!"

"Yeah!"

The slight disappointment of being hung up on melted away in Ding Ding's arms. Bai Congming nodded. "Sunflower Sister showed me Xiao Hua!"

"..."

That damn comic again!

Ding Ding choked, then sighed.

...Never mind. As long as Little Bai likes it.

While they were eating dinner that evening, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. The visitor pushed the gate, found it wouldn't budge, and involuntarily let out a puzzled "Huh?"

Bai Congming had sharp hearing. Before Ding Ding could react, he had already stood up with his bowl and gone to open the gate.

Auntie Zhou stood outside, holding a jar in each hand.

"Auntie Zhou!"

"Oh!" Auntie Zhou answered with a smile. "Little Bai locked the gate!"

Bai Congming nodded emphatically. "Brother Ding said, with a gate, it's like home!"

Hearing the voices outside, Ding Ding's scalp tightened. His excuse for taking leave had been that Bai Congming was sick, but now he was perfectly fine. This...

Auntie Zhou had clearly noticed too. After all, the little red marks on Little Bai's neck were so conspicuous that it was hard not to know.

But she didn't ask any questions. After Bai Congming led her inside, she set down the jars.

Glancing at the dishes on the table, Auntie Zhou smiled.

"Could I stay for dinner?"

"..."