Chapter 53 It’s Okay, I’ll Wait Until You Have Time

Chapter 53: It's Fine, When You Have Time

The car pulled up at the entrance of the Drug Supervision Bureau. Chen Su got out, and before closing the door, he turned back to look at Zhao Jinzong, his gaze lingering on him as if to burn his image into his memory.

After returning, Chen Su wrapped up his work, and the Drug Supervision Bureau was fully on holiday.

He went home and packed with Xiao Li, preparing to return to Huaicheng.

The day before they left, Meng Suizhi called him early in the morning with good news: the omega experimental subjects in the federal special zone had had their annual checkup and were in much better health.

Chen Su smiled and nodded, going with Meng Suizhi to visit them with some fruit.

Their flight from the capital to Huaicheng landed in the afternoon.

Chen Su didn’t take Xiao Li home; he didn’t go home either. Instead, he booked a hotel suite to stay in.

Chen Su’s home was too unbearable, and Xiao Li’s health was poor—he wouldn’t be comfortable there.

Xiao Li seemed to understand, eagerly praising the hotel’s scenery, how you could see the Huai River, and how the lights shone brilliantly at night.

Chen Su stepped out to buy syringes. He had brought the medication with him before coming. Passing by the Huai River, he noticed construction on both sides of the road, as if they were widening it.

Chen Su returned to the hotel and administered the injection to Xiao Li.

The dose was strong this time. Xiao Li shook from the pain, but after the injection, he turned to Chen Su with a smile on his lips. "Brother, let's spend the New Year together again next year."

Chen Su patted Xiao Li’s head, suddenly remembering what Zhao Jinzong had said: *'I'll spend the New Year with you this year.'*

Chen Su drifted off into thought.

Over the next few days, Xiao Li and Chen Su went out shopping together, buying New Year supplies, groceries, and decorating the hotel suite. Come New Year's Eve, they were still swamped. After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, Chen Su washed the dishes, and the phone on the table rang.

Chen Su glanced at the caller ID—Zhao Jinzong.

Chen Su didn’t answer, letting the phone vibrate.

After a while, the phone finally stopped ringing. A ding came through, and a message popped up.

It was from Zhao Jinzong.

"Chen Su, I'm in Huaicheng."

Zhao Jinzong was in Huaicheng, downstairs at the hotel, true to his word—he had come to spend the New Year with Chen Su.

Every word Zhao Jinzong said, every sentence, he was true to his word.

Chen Su stared at the message, zoned out for a long time, and didn’t reply.

Coming out of the kitchen, Chen Su saw Xiao Li standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. Outside, a fierce storm raged, thunder and lightning crashing, the black sky lit up by flashes of lightning.

Chen Su’s heart clenched.

Xiao Li said, "Brother, there's a guy downstairs with an umbrella, like he's waiting for someone. He's been standing there for a long time."

"The rain is so heavy today, I wonder who he's waiting for..."

"I just looked at the weather forecast. Huaicheng has a thunderstorm tonight, and the next couple of days will have moderate to heavy rain. Plus, it's right by the river, so it's especially cold."

Chen Su walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down.

In the pouring rain, a man in a trench coat stood holding a black umbrella downstairs, blending into the night. Only during flashes of lightning and thunder could one faintly make out his tall silhouette.

"Go back to sleep." Chen Su handed Xiao Li a red envelope.

"Thank you, brother." Xiao Li gave Chen Su a box—his New Year gift to Chen Su, a wristwatch. "Brother, you should get some rest too."

Xiao Li couldn’t stay up late, so he went back to his room.

Chen Su stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, smoking a cigarette. The man downstairs still hadn’t left. Chen Su didn’t know how many times he’d looked at the message, his fingers trembling slightly over the message. Finally, he finished his cigarette and went downstairs to buy some.

Chen Su walked out of the hotel, passed the circular flowerbed at the entrance, and turned right. Half the shops on the street were closed; only a convenience store was still open. He went in to buy a pack of cigarettes. Huaicheng’s economy wasn't great—they didn’t have the expensive, slim cigarettes Chen Su usually smoked. He pointed at one at random. "Two packs."

The shopkeeper handed the cigarettes to Chen Su.

Standing inside the convenience store, Chen Su looked outside. From here, he could see where that figure had been, but he saw nothing—maybe it was too dark, or maybe the person had left...

The shopkeeper reminded him, "Boss, that'll be a hundred yuan."

Chen Su snapped out of it and paid.

He felt more relieved than anything, tore open the cigarette pack, put one between his lips without lighting it, opened his umbrella, and headed back toward the hotel. A white haze blurred Chen Su’s vision; he couldn’t see clearly, just following the faint glimmers of light to guide him.

He'd barely taken a step when someone called out behind him, "Chen Su."

Chen Su’s umbrella slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. A gust of wind blew his cigarette away, and the umbrella was swept away, hit a lamppost, and broke.

The rain was torrential; within seconds, Chen Su’s hair was soaked, strands flying wildly in the wind. Backlit, he turned around and looked up at the Enigma.

Zhao Jinzong hadn’t left.

Zhao Jinzong looked like he would never leave.

Chen Su didn't get it. He really didn't get it.

Zhao Jinzong raised the umbrella over Chen Su’s head. "What are you crying for?"

"It's the wind."

"Mm." Zhao Jinzong smiled, mimicking his tone. "It's the wind."

Zhao Jinzong raised his hand, his thumb brushing the corner of Chen Su’s eye. A cold wind blew, and he handed the umbrella to Chen Su. "Hold it steady."

Zhao Jinzong took off his coat and draped it over Chen Su’s shoulders.

"Why aren't you wearing more?"

"I was just coming down to buy two packs and go back."

"Cigs?" Zhao Jinzong asked.

Chen Su fished the two packs out of his pocket, but Zhao Jinzong took them away.

Chen Su frowned.

"I'm the one in charge here. Smoke less. I'll walk you back."

Zhao Jinzong held the umbrella and walked Chen Su back to the hotel. As they neared the entrance, Chen Su stopped. "Zhao Jinzong, you should go back."

A man of high status and noble birth, leaving behind all his family obligations, to come all the way to Huaicheng just to spend New Year's with him—it was just too ridiculous.

"I'll stay with you."

Chen Su was silent for a moment. "Not getting married?"

"To whom?"

"...Wen Yan," he thought, but didn't say it. That would sound way too jealous.

He wasn't not jealous, but he genuinely meant his good wishes.

Zhao Jinzong is a great guy. He'd be great with anyone.

"When the old man fainted before, the Wen family saved him. There's a debt of gratitude, but it doesn't carry over to me." Zhao Jinzong touched the back of Chen Su's head and gently patted it. "Don't overthink it."

"I'm not."

Zhao Jinzong walked him to the hotel entrance. "There's a red envelope and candy in your coat pocket. Go back and rest early."

"..."

"Chen Su, Happy New Year."

Zhao Jinzong was about to leave. Chen Su's throat tightened up and he called out to him, "Zhao Jinzong, I really don't have time..."

Zhao Jinzong interrupted him: "That's fine. I'll wait till you have time."

Zhao Jinzong was always waiting—past, present, future.

Actually, Zhao Jinzong was the one who truly had no time. He was swamped with work, buried in affairs, and... Sheng Beiqing was coming back soon.