Shang Lu put his phone aside. He did not reply to Lin Yanyan directly, but pretended not to see it.
She held the sweet potato in her hands and ate it, the sweet taste filled the air. She took one bite after another, from taking small bites at first to swallowing it directly without chewing.
It's indescribable upset.
She thought she would be numb after hearing about things related to Shang Mu, but she still couldn't help thinking about the message Lin Yanyan sent her.
Don't think about it anymore, it has nothing to do with her.
Shang Lu told himself this and swallowed a large piece of roasted sweet potato. He felt very uncomfortable with so much food forced into his stomach.
She stopped eating, poured herself a glass of warm water, and drank it in small sips.
No, she had to find something to do.
After throwing all the newly changed sheets and quilt covers into the washing machine, Shang Lu sat back at the table resigned to his fate and picked up his cell phone.
She told herself that she didn't care about Shang Mu's situation, and his life or death had nothing to do with her.
[I don't know either, after all, I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but the nurse said it was like being abused, it was scary. My dad also said that your brother was hospitalized a few years ago because his family didn't agree with his relationship at the time, and his ribs were broken by a kick... It's so scary, why does his bones always suffer? It turns out that you made the right choice to stay away from this family! What a violent maniac! ]
Shang Mu replied to her message almost immediately.
When Shang Lu moved out of Shangjia, Shang Mu came to see her for the first time. She said at that time that she wanted to go back to that home. The only possible reason was that Shang An died or she died.
Shang Lu slid his fingertips across the screen, found the avatar that had been blacklisted for a long time, moved it out, and sent a message.
[That's good]
They haven't seen each other for a long time.
[I can go out anywhere, you decide the address]
[I went back a long time ago. It seems to be just a common fracture, not a big deal.]
Shang Lu also understood Shang Mu’s meaning and replied to him.
The butler was usually not bad to Shang Lu, so Shang Lu asked in a gentle voice, "Where is Shang Mu?"
The last time I left, I didn't expect that I would come back on my own initiative one day.
At that time, the only few times she and Shang Mu met were spent arguing, and other than that she never looked up at him.
His eyes were no longer as cold as she remembered them, but now held a hint of anticipation, even caution.
for a long time.
At the store entrance.
These words made Shang Lu slightly stunned.
So Shang Lu replied to Lin Yanyan.
after an hour.
Lin Yanyan replied.
Seeing Shang Lu deny it, Lin Yanyan thought that she seemed to have seen a lot of Shang Lu's skin, and it was indeed white and clean, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
[Where are you? I'll go find you. I have something to ask you.]
Shang Lu scrolled up the information.
The moment he saw Shang Lu, the old housekeeper said in a delighted voice: "Miss? Miss is really back!"
To Shang Lu, the person in front of him was familiar, but looked a little strange.
This was the place where she had lived for more than 20 years, and every tree and blade of grass was familiar to her.
[I'm at home]
This "he" naturally refers to Shang Mu.
[Shang An never hit me, was he serious? ]
Shang Mu looked at her, wanting to say something, but he only said two words when he opened his mouth: "Hurry up and sit down."
[Is Shang Mu still in your hospital? ]
Because his family did not approve of his relationship at that time, his ribs were broken by his kick.
There are old scars all over his body, not a single healthy spot.
She still replied.
Shang Lu said he understood and walked into the house.
[Doesn't he want to die? It's almost time, stop making trouble.]
She was just watching the fun and adding insult to injury.
Before I even walked into the house, I could smell the sweet aroma of the cake.
She tried desperately to find the relevant fragments in her memory, but found nothing.
The housekeeper replied, "The young master is waiting for you. He told me that you would be back, and he happily asked the servants to prepare a lot of your favorite food for you."
These two simple sentences kept appearing in her mind.
The coffee table was filled with various desserts, and some of her favorite fruits were cut up. Shang Mu, with his leg still in a plaster cast, sat aside, looking a little embarrassed.
Shang Lu took her bag and sat down on the side of the sofa. She looked at Shang Mu, her eyes fell on his leg in plaster, and said, "What a deep love between father and son."
They are blood relatives, so if she wants, she can do what he once did and know how to say the most hurtful words with the coldest words.
But Shang Mu was not annoyed. He even smiled at her and replied, "It would be too easy for him to die."
Shang Lu pursed his lips and asked, "How is he now?"
"He's almost going crazy. He's awake less and less every day. I begged him to take care of his body and take less drugs with hallucinogenic side effects, but he didn't listen." Shang Mu said slowly: "I don't know where he heard that taking drugs can also produce hallucinations. If I hadn't tried hard to stop him, he might have taken it a long time ago. But I'm also very busy. If I neglect to control him one day, it might be very troublesome."
"That's his own choice." Shang Lu answered and didn't care about it.
Shang Mu suddenly asked her, "Do you want to see him? He looks like a dog lying on the ground, neither human nor ghost."
Thinking of this scene, Shang Lu just felt a chill.
It's not that she sympathizes, but she doesn't want to see it with her own eyes. It doesn't make her feel good.
You could say she was escaping or being weak, but rather than knowing whether Shang An was having a good or bad life, she hoped not to hear any news about him.
She didn't come here today for Shang'an, the topic has gone too far.
Shang Lu looked at Shang Mu and asked straight to the point, "Did he often beat you in the past?"
The topic changed suddenly, and Shang Mu instinctively denied it: "No."
"If you're lying, there's no point in continuing the conversation." Shang Lu said as he picked up his bag again, his attitude very obvious.
Her expression was calm and indifferent, but she couldn't suppress the annoyance.
This look made Shang Mu not know how to tell, she seemed to care about him.
Shang Mu lowered his head and slowly rolled up his sleeves. There were several shocking scars on one arm alone.
The longest one is nearly ten centimeters long and looks uneven.
Sure enough, it is true.
Shang Lu closed his eyes and asked again: "Does he beat you often?"
"Yes." Shang Mu put down his sleeves and said, "It has been like this for years. I get beaten when I do something wrong, and I'm used to it."
A brief silence.
Shang Lu looked him in the eyes and said, "You are still lying, Shang Mu. Apart from falling in love, I have the impression that you have hardly done anything to displease him."
If he was beaten only when he did something wrong, he wouldn't have so many scars on his body.
Shang Mu avoided Shang Lu's gaze: "When he is in a bad mood, he will vent his anger on me."
Shang Lu was skeptical, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he murmured, "So is this his retribution now?"
"Well, it's retribution. Maybe it's mom punishing him in heaven."
Shang Mu did not choose to tell the truth, because he knew that Shang An was their blood father no matter what, and the less Shang Lu knew about some things, the easier his life would be.
Shang Lu accepted this statement, or rather, she hoped so.
At this moment, a private doctor came to give Shang Mu another check-up.
Two servants came quickly to help him.
Shang Mu refused to go upstairs, but looked at Shang Lu and asked her: "Will you still be here when I come down?"
Shang Lu's intention to leave was seen through, but she still took a step back and said, "I will leave after you come down."
Only then did Shang Mu agree to go upstairs.
Silence returned downstairs.
Shang Lu looked at the old housekeeper who was refilling her tea and asked, "You know something, right?"
The old housekeeper's hands trembled slightly, and some of the tea accidentally spilled out, but he still pretended to be calm and asked, "What do you mean, young lady?"
"The wounds on Shang Mu's body." Shang Lu took a piece of biscuit and took a bite. She still didn't believe what Shang Mu said.
Shang Mu has always had a calm and steady personality, so it is impossible for him to have displeased Shang An so many times.
Shang An is not sick. He would not vent his frustrations at life and work on his children for no reason. If it is really as Shang Mu said, then Shang An should treat everyone equally and not just hit Shang Mu.
The old housekeeper looked increasingly embarrassed: "Miss, it's not that I don't want to say it."
"Tell me, or I'll leave now." Shang Lu stood up and pretended to leave: "Shang Mu will be angry if he doesn't see me. As long as you tell me, I can pretend that I didn't hear it."
There was a hint of hesitation on the old butler's face.
He knew that his young master had a stubborn personality and would never tell the truth on his own initiative. He also knew that since the young lady had promised, she would not lie to him.
He actually... also hopes that the young master and the young lady can reconcile.
So the old housekeeper compromised. He said, "It's because of you, young lady. Whenever you do something that the master is not happy with, he will...will vent his anger on the young master. I once heard them quarreling. The master thought it was the brother's fault for not disciplining the younger sister. Because the young lady looks very much like the lady, the master couldn't bear to punish you, so he could only let the young master remember this."
It was an answer that Shang Lu did not expect, but it was in line with Shang An's character and was something he could do.
Shang Lu believed it, but still found it incomprehensible: "Every time I do something wrong, he gets beaten. Is it always like this?"
The old butler replied: "It has always been like this."
Shang Lu didn't say anything, but just picked up the hot tea in front of him and took a sip.
She seemed to suddenly understand Shang Mu.
If she were Shang Mu, who had done nothing wrong but had always been punished for her sister, and had been educated like this since childhood, it would be hard for her not to feel disgust and resistance.
The old housekeeper said, "But young lady, you haven't done anything wrong, and neither has the young master."
The old butler watched Shang Mu and Shang Lu grow up as if they were his own grandchildren.
Many times he felt sorry for the two children, but he could do nothing because of his identity.
They have all grown up, and he just hopes that they will be well.
"I know, thank you." Shang Lu forced a smile.
When Shang Mu finished his inspection and went downstairs, Shang Lu stood up, obviously ready to leave.
Shang Mu was prepared for her to leave immediately, but he didn't expect her to ask him: "Let's have a meal together."
Shang Mu was flattered and immediately arranged for a driver to take them off. Shang Lu didn't know why he made such an invitation.
Perhaps it was because she thought that she and Shang Mu had been family for so many years, but had never had a good meal together.
Shanglu asked him, "What do you want to eat?"
Shang Mu said, "It's all right. Eat whatever you like."
Shanglu chose hot pot.
For Shangan, such simple and low-end things are not allowed to appear in businesses, otherwise it would be the chef's dereliction of duty.
Because Shang Mu's leg was still injured, Shang Lu chose a shabu-shabu pot.
Two people had hotpot and asked for a private room.
A lot of food was served.
There was actually nothing to talk about between Shang Lu and Shang Mu. They just repeated the same action of putting the dishes into the pot.
Shang Luqi didn't pay much attention to Shang Mu. She just focused on eating what she wanted. Shang Mu used a serving chopstick to scoop two pieces of meat for her and she didn't refuse.
In fact, Shang Lu felt a little regretful. He should not have invited Shang Mu out for hotpot, or asked the two servants at home to come in instead of eating at the table at the door. It was really strange for the two of them to be alone together.
Shang Lu felt that he had nothing to talk about with Shang Mu, but Shang Mu suddenly spoke up and said, "I met A Yin last month."
This Ayin is Shang Mu’s first love, the same beautiful girl in Shang Lu’s memory.
In an instant, Shang Lu put down his chopsticks, looked up at Shang Mu, his face full of curiosity.
She admitted that she was curious and spoke quickly.
When Shang Mu mentioned this name, his expression became gentler. He said, "Before you participated in the variety show, I went abroad for a long time. I heard about her at that time, but I didn't see her that time. Last month, I finally got in touch with her and agreed on a meeting place. She came to see me, bringing... her son."
This turn came too suddenly.
Shang Lu covered his mouth with one hand and took a few seconds to react: "She's married?"
"Well, it happened three years ago." Shang Mu's fingertips groped the top of the chopsticks, his expression filled with reminiscence: "When she arrived abroad, she knew she was powerless to change the status quo, so she took the opportunity to constantly learn and improve herself. Just as I thought, she is still so outstanding. She said she thought about waiting for me, but she met a man who loved her very much. The other party pursued her for several years and was always very good to her, so she still entered the palace of marriage with him. She said sorry to me, and I said it was good, fortunately she didn't really wait for me, otherwise I would not be able to find her until this year, and I don't know how many years of her youth I would have wasted.
Her son is a mixed race, with blond hair and looks very cute, but the lower half of his face looks very much like her, and you can tell at a glance that he is her son. She told her husband that I was the first love she had mentioned before, and her husband was a little cautious but still very polite. I could see that he loved her very much, and she loved him too, so he told her about my existence so frankly. I also found someone to investigate her husband. He had a good family education, his parents liked her very much, he was educated and had a stable job, and he had saved an old man who fell into the water. He was a kind person, and he deserved her. ”
Shang Mu's voice became lower and lower, gradually with a hint of uncontrollable crying, but he still said: "She is doing well. She has found someone better than me to spend her life with. She will live a happy life. I have no regrets."
There are not so many fairy tales in reality. Reunion after many years of separation may not be a romantic reunion, but may also be that things and people have changed.
Shang Lu also liked that sister very much. She also felt a little regretful, but could only comfort her: "Shang Mu, this proves that you should let it go. You will have a new life too."
"Yes." Shang Mu did not deny Shang Lu's words, but closed his eyes.
There were some things that neither of them said, but they thought of at the same time.
I wish I hadn’t been born into such a family.
If only I didn't have a father like this.
Unfortunately, there are no ifs in this world.
This is their fate, whether they accept it or not, it is like this.
The meal is finished.
Shang Mu suddenly suggested, "There's a movie theater upstairs. Do you want to go to the movies together?"
Shang Lu looked at him in confusion, feeling that this invitation was even more sudden.
Shang Mu and Shang Lu explained: "It's a classic foreign film. It will only be shown in China for three days. Today is the last day."
Shang Mu's words made Shang Lu a little curious, but when he got the movie ticket, he felt like laughing.
It is indeed a classic foreign film.
There are such coincidences in this world. What they want to watch is the horror movie that she and Ye Lu watched together when Xiao Nai Nai was recording.
She had originally watched it five times, and last time she watched it for the sixth time with Ye Lu, which made this the seventh time in total.
When Shang Lu and Shang Mu took their movie tickets and sat down, they saw that the cinema was already full of people, so they asked, "It looks very popular. How did you get the tickets, and such a good seat?"
Shang Mu replied: "I want to invite you. I have already bought tickets for each of the three days in advance."
Shang Lu understood, but not completely.
She asked, “Why would you want to invite me to watch this movie?”
"There are a lot of horror movie discs among the things you left behind. I've watched all your shows. After you and Ye Lu watched this movie together, you said you'd watched it five times." Shang Mu suddenly realized something was wrong after answering, and asked tentatively, "Don't you like it? Or have you watched it too many times and don't want to watch it anymore?"
“None.” Shang Lu shook her head and looked ahead: “Stop talking, the movie is about to start.”
This movie is indeed scary.
Most of the people present had done it at home before and were looking for excitement, but screams could still be heard one after another.
Shang Mu didn't come here just to watch the movie, but sometimes he would be scared and look pale when watching the plot.
When seeing something horrifying, even though she was fully aware of the scenes, Shang Lu would still cover her eyes and scream like the girls next to her.
Before the most terrifying scene appeared, Shang Mu reminded her to close her eyes.
Obviously, he had done his homework and looked it up in advance before coming here.
Shang Lu closed his eyes and felt a little sore and even swollen.
But fortunately, the cinema was dim and no one could tell unless she said anything.
The meal is over, the movie is over, it's time to go our separate ways.
Shang Lu looked at Shang Mu. The way he walked beside her with crutches was really funny. She suddenly asked, "Shang Mu, before I was born, did you expect me to come into this world?"
"Yes." This question made Shang Mu stop in his tracks. He answered, "I thought about it at that time. If you were a boy, we could learn swimming and boxing together. If you were a girl, I would take you to show off in front of my friends and make them all envy me for having a sister."
"Is that so?" She raised her lips with a smile on her face, and seemed to have imagined the scene as Shang Mu described it. Then she said, "Shang Mu, I really let it go this time."
Shang Mu was stunned, and for a moment he seemed to not understand what she was saying.
Shang Lu bit the straw of Coke and paused for a while before saying, "Last time I was actually lying. It wasn't really okay. I just didn't want to quarrel with you again, so forget it."
Shang Mu leaned on his crutch with one hand and said, "... I know."
"But this time it's different. I can understand you, so I really don't blame you." Shang Lu's eyes were somewhat helpless, and he continued to smile and said, "I just thought for a long time about how we should get along best in the future, but I can't imagine us quarreling with each other like ordinary siblings. Sorry, Shang Mu, why don't we just leave it like this, contact each other if we need help, and live our lives well if nothing else."
Shang Mu was silent for a long time, but he did not avoid Shang Lu's gaze.
His voice was hoarse, but he still agreed: "...Okay."
At this moment, Shang Lu's cell phone rang.
When I saw the sender of the message, her expression was the typical shy look of a girl in love.
Shang Mu realized it immediately and asked her, "Is it Chi Yan?"
"Yeah." Shang Lu nodded directly, and after quickly replying to Chi Yan's message, he thought about it and told Shang Mu: "He is my boyfriend."
"Very good." It was an answer that Shang Mu had expected completely. He knew how much the man from the Chi family valued his sister, so it was normal for his sister to accept him and fall in love with him.
Shang Mu still warned: "If Chi Yan treats you badly in the future, tell me. We are not afraid of him, nor are we afraid of the Chi family."
Although Shang Lu didn't think this day would come, he didn't refute it at this moment, but just nodded and agreed: "Okay."
They took the elevator downstairs.
Shang Lu's car and Chi Yan's car were waiting one after the other. Shang Lu sent a message to Chi Yan half an hour before the movie ended.
Shang Lu glanced at Shang Mu's leg, which was still in a cast, and asked, "Do you need me to help you get in the car?"
Before Shang Mu could say anything, the driver immediately jumped out of the car and helped Shang Mu.
Shang Mu felt that he was in the way, but he could only say, "No need. Since Chi Yan is here, you should go back early as well."
"Okay." Shang Lu nodded in agreement, no longer looking at Shang Mu, but got directly into Chi Yan's car.
Seeing Shang Lu coming over, Chi Yan got out of the car, opened the door for her, and glanced in the direction of Shang Mu.
The two people nodded as a greeting.
Shang Lu poked her head out again, and as if she had made up her mind, she said, "Shang Mu, happy birthday."
She tossed a keychain over and rolled down the window.
This was something she won from the game console next to Shang Mu when she was buying popcorn. She didn't have any other gifts, so she could only make do with this.
Shang Mu took the key chain, his eyes turned red at that second, and then he got into the car.
The two cars drove in different directions at the intersection ahead, and soon they were so far away that even the license plate numbers could not be seen when I looked back.
night.
Chi Yan did not take the initiative to ask Shang Lu why she was with Shang Mu, but after seeing that she was depressed, he pulled her to watch a cheesy romance movie together on the sofa in his home.
Shang Lu stared at the screen in a daze, letting the movie routine continue to play out, then he turned around and saw Chi Yan sitting next to him with tears streaming down his face.
Chi Yan wiped her tears and said, "It's so touching."
Shang Lu: “… ?”
Chi Yan asked her with red eyes: "Why don't you cry? This is such a touching love."
Shang Lu: “…”
If she remembered correctly, she just clicked on this movie casually, and it had a rating of 3.7 on Douban.
Who wants to cry over such a bad movie!
more importantly-
The eye drops are still on the coffee table, how fake!
Shang Lu could see that Chi Yan was giving her an excuse to cry, so she said helplessly, "I don't want to cry."
"Oh?" Chi Yan looked down at her with a bit of confusion on his face, obviously not quite believing it.
Shang Lu tilted his head and leaned on Chi Yan's shoulder, saying, "Really, I'm very happy."
Her voice was gentle, and she recounted very slowly what had happened today.
Chi Yan kept nodding, responding to Shang Lu's every word, and also held her hand.
Shang Lu smiled and looked at Chi Yan, saying, "I really don't blame him. He must have had a hard time during those years, more painful than me. He must have been so desperate when he broke up with Sister Ayin. I thought about it, if I never see you again from now on, I won't be able to be absolutely calm and trust you, and I will also vent my anger on the person who might have caused our separation."
So she let go of those years and also let go of the Rose Manor that made her cry until her pillow was soaked in countless late nights.
Until the end, Shang Lu sighed softly, and she said: "It seems a bit regrettable. I know he tried his best, but I also seem to have tried my best. He and I can only be like this now."
Shang Mu wanted to make amends, so he took her to see the horror movie he hated the most. He really thought she would like it.
While watching the movie, she thought about countless possible endings between herself and Shang Mu, and finally made that choice.
Happy birthday, brother.
She thought so in her heart.
That's all we can do.
There's nothing else to do.
They all tried their best.
It’s a pity that in the end no one can get over the twenty years that have truly passed.
(End of this chapter)