The Distance of One Minute

Yu Qingkong’s breath was inches away. Nestled in her embrace, Lin Wanzhao felt herself wrapped in a layer of tenderness, as if she were in a dream. A tiny mechanism in her heart was inadvertently triggered, causing it to beat in a steady, rhythmic sway—thump, thump—so clear and distinct.

Neither of them spoke, but their hearts beat in cautious unison.

After holding each other for a while, Lin Wanzhao finally placed her hand gently over the back of Yu’s, asking softly, “What is it…?”

Yu Qingkong opened her eyes, silently inhaling the scent of Lin Wanzhao’s hair. It was the fragrance of grapefruit—faint, sweet, and refreshing. It smelled wonderful.

Seeing that she didn’t answer, Lin didn’t press further. She simply traced the knuckles of Yu’s hand. Even though they weren’t doing anything, Lin loved this feeling. At this moment, it felt as if they were completely attuned, closer than ever before.

If this was reality, Lin Wanzhao wished time could stop forever. If it was a dream, she hoped she would never have to wake up.

Yu Qingkong buried her head into the warm, white hollow of Lin’s neck, let out a shallow sigh, and finally spoke. “I don’t know…”

She truly didn’t know why, but the moment she saw Lin Wanzhao turn away to pull the blanket over herself earlier, she felt as if the intimate connection they had just shared was suddenly severed. It was an indescribable feeling, but it certainly wasn’t a good one.

Logically, they were just in a physical relationship. Once out of bed, maintaining distance was the “correct” thing to do—better for both of them.

But Yu Qingkong found that she was becoming excessively greedy for Lin’s presence. The moment Lin showed signs of leaving, she felt as if a part of her was being taken away, leaving behind a shallow, inexplicable sense of loss. She didn’t know how to soothe this feeling, only that in that moment, she just wanted to hold Lin Wanzhao quietly.

“But Qingkong, why did your mood drop so suddenly? Did you think of something sad?” Lin paused, a bit worried, and continued to ask.

After a long pause, Yu Qingkong shook her head without a word, her eyes still closed.

“How about I sing you a song?” Lin rubbed Yu’s knuckles, her voice tender.

“Mhm.” Yu Qingkong let her play with her fingers and gave a small nod.

“Okay, I’m going to start. Ahem…” Lin cleared her throat. “I tend to go off-key, though. If you get scared, it’s not my fault. And no matter how I sound, you aren’t allowed to laugh at me.”

Yu Qingkong closed her eyes and shook her head, a sudden smile playing on her lips. “How could I?”

“I’m singing then. Really.” Lin’s voice betrayed a hint of nervousness. She didn’t know why she was digging this hole for herself; she loved singing but was notoriously tone-deaf.

Yu Qingkong’s lips curved upward. “It’s fine. Sing.”

In the next second, Lin Wanzhao began to tap out a beat on the back of Yu’s hand with her finger, singing softly: “Autumn would be so good / If you were still here / Even if the autumn wind brings a chill / It is still beautiful / You in late autumn fill my dreams…”

Lin had no vocal training, and her voice was much softer and mellower than usual. While she wasn’t exactly tone-deaf, she was indeed a bit off-key. However, her singing was exceptionally soothing, bringing a profound sense of peace that caused all restless thoughts to settle.

Listening to her voice, Yu Qingkong tightened her arms slightly, pulling her even closer.

When the song ended, Yu Qingkong opened her eyes. “That was actually quite nice.”

“Really? Forget it, don’t just comfort me. I have self-awareness—I’m the person who can go off-key even singing a nursery rhyme. When I go to KTV with friends, they always find ways to take the mic away from me and make me play drinking games instead.” Lin laughed and shook her head.

“Is that so?” Yu Qingkong frowned slightly, murmuring to herself. “That’s strange. Is there something wrong with my ears…?”

“Hmm?” Lin turned her head slightly.

“Why did I find it so beautiful…?” Yu Qingkong whispered.

“Truly?” Lin blinked, a soft smile spreading across her lips.

“Mhm.” Yu Qingkong nodded again.

“Then I’ll sing you another one,” Lin said, holding up two fingers. “How about it?”

“Okay.”

Lin cleared her throat again. But as she sang, she felt a weight on her shoulder. The person behind her had gone silent. Turning around, she realized Yu Qingkong had fallen asleep.

Lin stopped singing. The movie room was comfortable, and she didn’t want to wake her up to go back to the bedroom. She lifted Yu’s hand and kissed it softly. “Goodnight, Qingkong.”

That night, Yu Qingkong slept exceptionally well—a rare, dreamless luxury.

When she woke up, the spot beside her was empty. For a moment, she was dazed, and that hollow feeling flooded back. She pushed the blanket aside, threw on her pajamas, and walked out of the movie room.

Outside, the day was bright. Sunlight traced fuzzy white edges around the curtains—quiet and beautiful. Yu looked around but couldn’t find Lin Wanzhao, so she hurried to the stairs, taking them two at a time. She didn’t even know why she was in such a rush.

She ran right into Lin Wanzhao at the top of the stairs.

“Sorry.” Seeing Lin stumble back a few steps, Yu quickly grabbed her arm.

“It’s fine, it’s fine…” Lin waved her off. “What’s the rush?”

Yu stared into her eyes for a second before letting out a breath and shaking her head. “Nothing.”

“Then hurry up and get washed. We’ll go out for a bite, help me buy a few things, then have lunch before heading to the airport, okay?” Lin smiled warmly.

“The airport…” Yu rubbed her temples.

“Yeah, did you forget we booked the 2:00 PM flight? We have to work tomorrow.”

“My brain might be a bit foggy lately.” Yu dropped her hand.

“Go on then. I’ll grab some milk and put on my makeup.” Lin patted her shoulder.

“Mhm.” Yu nodded and headed toward her room. After a few steps, she stopped, leaning over the railing to look down. She watched Lin, dressed in casual clothes, smoothing her hair as she walked downstairs.

Does time really fly this fast? We’re already leaving.

Yu realized she didn’t want the holiday to end. But she had no magic to slow down time. Once they went back, she and Lin wouldn’t be able to stay close and intimate like this, would they?

She paused at her door, let out a sigh, and went inside.

After getting ready, they headed out. The weather was perfect, and Lin’s smile was radiant. Walking beside her, Yu listened to her talk about funny stories involving her friends. Seeing her so spirited made Yu’s own lips curve upward. They hadn’t done anything particularly special, yet it felt incredibly comfortable.

Lin originally just wanted to buy some local specialties for her friends and Qi Jianfeng, but she got drawn into a unique clothing boutique. She started picking out pieces to try on.

Seeing her arms full, Yu spoke up. “You can barely hold any more.”

“A woman shopping can never have too much to hold,” Lin laughed.

Yu shook her head with a smile and took the clothes from her. “Keep looking. I’ll carry them for you.”

Lin froze for a second before beaming. “Thank you.”

“What’s there to thank?”

“CEO Yu always says those words to me, doesn’t she? I’m just learning from you.” Lin winked and pulled a blue dress from the rack.

Yu looked at the floor. “It feels weird when you call me that.”

“Is it? That’s what everyone at the company calls you. Besides, don’t you call me ‘CEO’ all the time?” Lin turned back to her, then held up an off-the-shoulder dress. “Which one looks better, this one or that one?”

Yu thought for a moment. “I think the off-the-shoulder one would look better on you. Your shoulder line and collarbones are very beautiful.”

“My collarbones are beautiful?” Lin tucked her hair back and touched her collarbone.

Yu nodded.

“No wonder you love kissing them so much,” Lin whispered with a tilt of her head.

Yu glanced at her and nodded without a word.

A while later, Lin went into the fitting room with a pile of clothes. Yu sat outside, offering her thoughts every time Lin stepped out in a new outfit. Honestly, she didn’t need to say much; Lin was a natural clotheshorse. Everything looked perfect on her.

Midway through, Yu’s phone buzzed. It was a message from her father. He sent a photo of rows of sausages—they looked freshly made. Yu could already imagine how delicious they would be.

“You made so many sausages?” Yu replied.

Her father replied instantly: “You love them, so your mom and I specifically bought black pork to make them. Hungry yet? You’ll get to eat them when you come home for the Lunar New Year!”

Yu smiled at the photo.

“Wonderful. I’m starting to look forward to coming home.”

“Haha, we miss you too! But are you coming back alone this year? Or are you bringing someone with you?”

Yu’s finger paused over the screen.

“Alone.”

Her father sent another message: “Ah, still no one who makes your heart flutter?”

When she saw the question, Yu’s grip on her phone tightened. She looked toward the fitting room beside her, then looked back down. “No.”

“Don’t worry, just wait. Fate is a strange thing. Even if it hasn’t come yet, it might arrive later, right? Of course, Dad hopes it comes sooner. Two people together is better than one.”

Yu let out a long breath and frowned slightly. A couple walked past her. She looked at the man, then the woman clinging to his arm, and then inexplicably sent a question to her father: “Dad, I’ve been thinking about something. If I’m not quite what you imagined, would you be very angry?”

“What do you mean by ‘not what I imagined’?”

Yu stared at the question mark for a long time. She remembered a time they were watching TV and her father couldn’t understand why a female character liked the female lead. She replied, “Nothing, just talking nonsense.”

“Are you talking about the shadow from the past?” her father asked cautiously.

“No.”

“Then what is it? Did you do something? Child, let me tell you, we have to be good people! If you dare commit a crime, I won’t let you off!”

Seeing him jump to such an extreme, Yu replied quickly: “No, no! Dad, don’t overthink it. I’m a good citizen; I won’t break the law.”

Her father sighed in relief. “Okay then. But if you don’t want to say, it’s fine. Talk to me when you’re ready, okay?”

Yu sent back a “Good.” She clicked on his profile picture—a selfie of the four of them from last year. Her father was wearing a hat, grinning, and her mother was kissing his cheek. She and her sister stood on either side, smiling. This was her family—not rich, not unique, but warm. It was her safe harbor.

Her head felt a bit heavy. She ended the chat and suddenly heard someone calling her name.

Lin Wanzhao had popped her head out of the fitting room. “Qingkong, come here!”

Yu put her phone in her bag and walked over. “What is it, CEO Lin?”

“The lacing on the back of this dress is driving me crazy. I can’t get it to look like the brochure. Come in and help me.” Lin’s eyes sparkled.

Yu nodded, pulled the door open slightly, stepped inside, and relocked it. She turned to see Lin in a long, black strapless dress. Because the back wasn’t secured, she was holding the fabric to her chest to keep it from falling. The dress was complex and beautiful, with a long train that really required heels, but Lin was in flats.

“I can’t tie the back. It’s exhausting, but it’s so beautiful. Help me?” Lin turned her back to her.

“Let me see.” Yu stepped forward, moving Lin’s hair to the front. She picked up the light gauze ribbons and looked up.

Lin’s back had beautiful lines, especially her shoulder blades. Her skin was flawless and looked like snow against the black fabric—ice-skinned and jade-boned.

“What’s wrong? Can’t you do it either?” Lin turned her head slightly.

Yu swallowed, looked at her collarbone, and shook her head. She gripped Lin’s shoulders. “Turn around. Don’t move.”

“Oh, okay.” Lin turned back around obediently.

Under Yu’s palms, her skin felt incredibly soft. Yu let go and quickly tied a beautiful bow with the ribbons, carefully adjusting the details. “Done.”

“Great! I’m going out to look!” Lin let go of the front of the dress and started to turn.

But suddenly, Yu reached out and pulled her into her embrace. Caught off guard, Lin’s back hit a warm chest. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to race.

“Qingkong…” Lin turned slightly.

The faint scent of Lin’s perfume mixed with her body heat. Yu felt momentarily dazed.

“I…” she began, holding Lin’s slender arms.

Because they were so close, Lin could feel not only Yu’s heat but the resonance in her chest as she spoke. “Hmm?” Lin watched her.

Yu’s gaze traveled from Lin’s neck to her moist eyes, then to her shimmering lips. “What is it…?” Lin whispered.

Yu shook her head, staring deep into her eyes. She tightened her grip on Lin’s arms and said deeply, “I missed you.”

“But… here?” Lin’s cheeks flushed.

“One minute.” Yu closed her eyes, leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her lips.