Chapter 53 (1/2)
At nightfall, wind held traces of coldness, so that even the moon appeared to be worried and spread it onto the people of the world. Yan Tian stood on the balcony, looking forward to the slow descent of darkness. He let loose a long breath, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.
……
The next day, while the sky still wasn't bright, the ring of a cell phone roused Yan Tian up from the midst of his peaceful slumber.
”The heck, who is it? You crazy? What are you doing calling me in the middle of the night?” Yan Tian answered the phone and didn't even look as he rubbed his bleary eyes, cursing out.
”What're you yelling about Yan Tian?” All that could be heard from the phone was voice of the English girl coming through.
”Dang it, great mistress. Did you take a look what the hour is?” Yan Tian looked at the time and spoke in English.
The girl heard Yan Tian's words and truly looked over at the time, but glancing at it, she found it was just nine o'clock. There wasn't anything wrong, so she subsequently said to him in a huffing rage, ”Are you mad? It's only 9 PM; what're you shouting for?
”Pfff, Mistress Diana, where are you, and where am I? It's 9 PM on your side, but it's 4 AM in the morning where I am!” Yan Tian said quite helplessly.
”Uhh, Ohh, I forgot. I forgot that you're in China, heehee!” Once Diana heard Yan Tian, she mulled it over embarra.s.singly. In her desire to give him a check-up call, she had completely forgotten about the time difference. The time difference between London and China was about seven hours.
”What have you called me in the middle of the night for? If there's nothing, I'm gonna go sleep.” Yan Tian peered at the dusky expanse outside of his window and yawned.
”Hmph, Yan Tian. Could it be that if there isn't a problem, I can't call you?” Diana pouted once she heard what Yan Tian had said.
”Uhh, of course not! You're welcome to call twenty-four hours a day. I've got nothing else; I've got plenty of time, huehue.” After he blanked out for a brief moment, Yan Tian quickly laughed and shook his head.
Once Diana heard Yan Tian, she instantly sat up straight in excitement: ”Really? Alright, you and I can talk every day then later on. I've got a lot of time, heehee.”
”Oh, uhh, don't, okay…… The truth is I'm pretty busy.”
Hearing Yan Tian's words, Diana was left stunned. She sat down on her bed, unspeaking. Yan Tian simply didn't want to talk to her more. He wasn't treating her in the same manner as he did in the past.
”Diana? h.e.l.lo? Anyone?” Yan Tian heard she wasn't saying anything. After he cried out for her twice, he didn't hear any response, but glancing at the cell phone, she still hadn't hung up.
After a good moment of silence, Diana said rather slowly: ”Yan Tian, why have you been treating me so coldly lately? You weren't like this before.”
”No! I'm not snubbing you. Didn't I just find a job recently? Work is busy, you know that.” Hearing Diana's words, Yan Tian scratched his hair in distress.
”Alright. It seems like I'm thinking too much about it. Okay, I'm gonna go sleep. Bye bye.”
”Hey, don't be so hurried. Didn't you call me in the middle of the night to tell me about something?” Yan Tian heard that Diana was going to hang up, so he spoke up immediately. The serious matter still hadn't been accounted for.
Diana was quiet for a moment then said: ”You asked me to find you two pieces of rooster blood jade the other day. I've already made some progress on the precious-grade br.i.m.m.i.n.g snow red you wanted, so I planned on telling you once I found out.”
”Oh my, well I'll say. You called me to confirm…… hey, frick. She hung up?” Once Yan Tian heard there was a lead on the rooster blood jade, he immediately sat up on his bed, but just as he was half way through speaking, he heard the sound of several dial tones ringing.
Seeing that he had been hung up on, Yan Tian sat down on his bed and spoke to himself: ”Frick, how could you hang up on when I still hadn't finished speaking? Could it be you want to make me call you? But it's long distance!”
After waiting a moment, Yan Tian found that Diana still hadn't picked up the phone. As a result, he took his cell phone and went back to dial. Glancing at the two characters for the ”United Kingdom” ill.u.s.trated at the top, he felt quite pained. The calling fees for a long distance call were quite expensive.
However, it seemed that the Heavens had heard Yan Tian's prayers. It seemed that he really was able to save on his calling fee. All that could be seen was as he called was that he discovered that Diana's cell phone had already been turned off. That was well and dandy too; he wouldn't need to spend his money.
”How could it be off?”
After he tried several more times and found it was still off, Yan Tian smiled wryly, shaking his head. It looked like he had angered that missy, however there wasn’t anything that could be done.