There were only more than three hours left before the train was to depart. The Feijia Station luckily straddled the two ends of the town, while Dou Sheng's home was sadly at the midpoint.
When Dou Sheng left, he pushed the large suitcase he had just packed. Xie Lan was in a worse situation, he didn't have time to pack anything, he just hurriedly packed a toiletry bag, put on his violin and left.
He was still confused until he stood in the magnificent home with a big door.
The reason for being confused is a bit complicated.
One is to write on the wall of Xilin.
Second, we are now in one of the four small villas surrounding each other. When we get off the car, we ask Dou Sheng which one is his home, and Dou Sheng says they are all.
He slumped in the recliner, staring at the ceiling helplessly. Artwork display cases stood on both sides of the recliner. In the aura of wealth that wafted over him, he felt like a rotten herring kidnapped by money.
A set of Hanfu with cloud shoulders and wide sleeves was spread out on the sofa. The layers of gauze and embroidery looked just as good in this luxurious home, and the material was still the familiar silky smoothness.
My father was a man in his forties, with a graceful and steady temperament. But at this moment, he had his fingers in his hair, looking depressed.
After a long time, Feng Fei let out a long sigh.
"Dad, after more than ten years of raising me, I want to tell you something from the bottom of my heart today - I really feel that I am a man. I have a sense of conviction about my gender. If you really don't believe it, when Dou comes, let him tell you."
Dou Sheng smiled and repeatedly looked at the yarn on the Hanfu while the father and son were negotiating. After a while, he simply picked up the hanger and compared it to himself.
Dad was horrified, "Dou, what are you doing? Put it down!"
Dou Sheng looked at the mirror-like display window of his collection and said, "Herring, you didn't lie. This dress is really nice. Tsk, it looks really good on you, but the sleeves are a little short. I need to alter them. Hey Herring, did you receive the wig I ordered?"
Fei was silent for a moment, then calmly pinched his thigh, "Not yet, it will be soon."
Dad: “???”
Xie Lan: “…”
It’s hard to say about the wig, but the scene before him made him doubt whether Dou Sheng really liked this dress.
Dad jumped up from the sofa and looked at Dou Sheng with a ridiculous face, "Dou Sheng, uncle has been watching you for so many years, how come I didn't see that you have this habit? Don't help Xi Fei to deceive people."
"What's so good about this? Are you afraid to tell others about this hobby of yours?" Dou Sheng sneered, lovingly put the Hanfu back on the sofa, then skillfully opened B station, found the video about the benefits for millions of fans, and handed the phone to his father.
"Well, the whole network knows about this hobby."
Xie Lan's rock-steady hands trembled as he pulled the bow and rubbed the string, and he silently put the teacup he had just picked up back.
Xi Fei also sat up straight in the rocking chair, looking at Dou Sheng with eyes full of admiration.
Dad stared at Dou Sheng on the screen as she stretched out the pleats of her skirt for the camera, and frantically pressed the volume up button.
Dou Sheng's smiling voice sounded: "Why, I spent a lot of money to order this set, is it your dream love?"
The living room is so big, the four words "Dream Love" echo in the empty room.
Qingdou smiled nonchalantly and took a sip of the tea brought by the nanny. "Actually, I don't care much about Hanfu. I only buy it occasionally. Usually, I prefer to wear this kind of clothes with less fabric. Hanfu is stuffy, and short skirts are much cooler."
The experienced boss took a deep breath and his hands trembled slightly.
He immediately said, "Dad, hold on!"
It took the dad two or three minutes to calm himself down and return the phone to Dou Sheng.
He hummed as calmly as possible, "You can't just do it for the sake of being cool. I think... Hanfu is better. It's not appropriate for a good boy to wear something too revealing, and it's not safe to show off two long white legs."
Dou Sheng was amazed and said, "You are very considerate. Boys should protect themselves when they are outside."
"Yeah, that's right... that's what I mean." Dad's eyes were dazed for a while, and he took out a stack of business cards from his pocket. "Dou, uncle knows several teachers who like to chat with people. They can talk about people, emotions, whatever. See if you are interested?"
Dou Sheng was shocked: "Is there such a good thing?"
Xie Lan was already numb, and he raised his eyelids to glance towards the door.
Fei was standing behind his father, clasping his hands together and praying madly to Dou Sheng.
Dou Sheng glanced at him, smiled faintly and took the stack of business cards, "Uncle, I'll call them one by one when I get on the train. If there's nothing else, why don't you leave?"
My father waved his hands quickly, "No need to rush to contact, you guys are catching a train, right? Let's go, let's go. Oh, by the way, leave the Hanfu at home and pick it up when you come back from the trip. Well, my dear, please go out and take care of your friends and spend some time with me to relax."
Fei breathed a sigh of relief, "I know, I know."
There are still two hours before the train departs, and the car is driving at a very fast speed. The driver puts on white gloves and starts the racing mode.
With the driver present, the three of them didn't talk much along the way. They counted down the five-minute countdown to the closing of the ticket gate, rushed out of the car and headed straight for the departure building.
It was drizzling in the sky, and Dou Sheng was walking with his suitcase in his hands. "You really do like Liu Yixuan. Even a person like you who lives in the world every day, actually has someone you like."
He said angrily: "I just can't resist cuteness. What can I do?!"
Dou Sheng snorted and laughed, "What can I give you in return?"
The man yelled in the rain, "I'll give you my life!"
"Who wants it?" Dou Sheng sneered, "Young Master, you should pay more attention to your pursuit of someone. Throwing gifts at someone is really unfashionable."
He carried a large bag on his back and quickened his pace in the rain, "Please shut up! Don't say anything when you see Liu Yixuan later. I will definitely give you a chance next time you broadcast live."
Dou Sheng said casually: "Why does an old boss need to show off? Give it to Xie Lan."
Xie Lan was walking in front, his mind was in a mess, and he was suddenly cueed.
He subconsciously stopped and waited for Dou Sheng to come to him pushing the suitcase before he quickly walked forward again.
It was a dark rainy night, and the lights outside the train station were dim. Their wet arms rubbed against each other, and then they moved aside at the same time.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, hanging on Xie Lan's eyelashes, gradually making him a little blind.
They rushed into the gate at the last second, ran all the way to the carriage, and finally got on the train.
It was Xie Lan's first time taking a domestic train. It was a soft sleeper car in a green-skinned train. The beds were divided into separate buildings. Each building had four beds, upper and lower bunks on the left and right sides. There was a pullout that could separate them from the narrow corridor outside.
Everyone else has arrived. Liu Yixuan and Dong Shuijing are in the building on the left, Dai Youche is in the middle, and Xie Lan and Dou Sheng are on the right.
During the May Day holiday, the carriage was full. In the same building as Xie Lan and Dou Sheng, there was an old man and woman. As soon as they sat down, the driver grabbed a melon and shook it at them, "What's wrong with you three? Good fellows, you are late for this?"
Dou Sheng kicked the suitcase of astonishing size into the gap between the lower bunk floorboards and said calmly, "Herring came to pick us up, but the driver got lost and drove around in circles."
"Shocked, how can someone get lost in this day and age?" Che Mingming held out the melon and asked, "Do you want to eat it?"
Xie Lan shook his head. Dou Sheng took two and ate them quickly while standing in the narrow aisle. He returned the melon rind to him, pushed himself up with his hands, and flew directly onto the bed by stepping on the pedal.
The train slowly left the platform and the staff on the platform gradually disappeared from sight. Xie Lan sat on the lower bunk with his back against the somewhat cold wall.
The next door car park was very noisy. A group of people who had just been released from school started chatting excitedly. Xie Lan stood up and grabbed the only toiletry bag, "Go wash your face."
"Go ahead." Dou Sheng responded from above, "Chen Ge said he wants to come."
Xie Lan paused, "Chen Ge is here too?"
Dou Sheng hummed, "I asked him several times, but he kept saying he couldn't come. This morning he suddenly said he bought a standing ticket. What a psycho."
Xie Lan subconsciously glanced at the next car building. Everyone was gathered around Liu Yixuan's computer to watch the rough film shot today. Xi Mei was sitting next to her, expressing his editing suggestions in a somewhat restrained manner.
In the distance, where two carriages met, a familiar figure walked towards them. Chen Ge was still wearing the same outfit he wore the last time he looked at the list, even without taking off his school uniform jacket. He walked over and said to Xie Lan, "The new video is pretty cool. It's been on the front page for a day."
There was silence for a while, and then Che Ming jumped up and asked, "How dare you come here?"
This sentence broke the ice and the men suddenly became noisy. Dong Shuijing smiled after a moment and lowered his head to continue watching the movie on the screen.
Chen Ge glanced over her head and sat down next to Che Ming.
"I just came out for a walk with you guys. My mom has been discharged from the hospital. After May 1st, I will transfer to another school, so I won't be in H City for the time being."
The carriage suddenly returned to silence. No one spoke for a long time. Dong Shuijing asked calmly, "Will there be fewer troubles at home if we leave H City?"
Chen Ge nodded, "I put the house up for sale with an agent. I want to find a place where I can finish high school in peace. Lao Hu helped me get in touch with a school in D City. No matter where I go to college, my mother will follow me."
Everyone was speechless for a moment, only Dong Shuijing smiled.
"It's fine." She said softly, "Which university you go to depends on your own personal experience. No one can influence anyone else."
Hearing this, Chen Ge leaned against the wall, raised the corners of his lips slightly, and his eyes softened.
"It can still have an impact. Didn't we decide which school to go to in the first year of high school? It hasn't changed."
Xie Lan stood at the door and looked at him for a while before turning around and going to the washroom.
The group of people behind them soon started to rejoice again. Che Ming pulled Chen Ge to sleep on the same bed with him, but Chen Ge pushed them away in disgust.
Xie Lan walked through one berth block after another until the laughter was drowned out by the noise of the entire train. He opened the narrow washroom door and locked himself in.
Once the door is closed, all sounds seem to be covered by a bell, but the narrow and cramped space can give people a sense of security.
He let out a long breath, turned on the faucet and washed his hands.
In the mirror, the black hair was a little messy due to the rain, and the pair of black eyes that were usually calm were not as calm as usual. The slight fluctuation in the eyes concealed the panic of the whole night.
He had already learned to write the poem "Inscribed on the Wall of Xilin" by himself after Dou Sheng mentioned it last time.
He understood what that sentence meant.
Maybe it's just a little hard to believe. When you are mentally prepared and take a bite, the lemon is actually sweet. Who would dare to believe it
Xie Lan turned on the faucet again. The water flow was very thin. He held his hands together for a long time before he was able to gather a handful of water and splash it on his face.
He took out a tissue from his toiletry bag and wiped his face, then wiped his hair and walked out.
In the distance, Dou Sheng and Liu Yixuan were pointing at the computer screen and discussing film editing.
In fact, Dou Sheng was also acting abnormal tonight. In the past, he would only flirt in front of the camera and was very indifferent to other people. Even when he was helping his father, he would not be so talkative and output tons of words to his father.
Either he was overwhelmed with joy, or he was in a state of panic.
Maybe both.
Xie Lan walked slowly towards the building where they were arguing. Liu Yixuan just happened to say, "Xie Lan is really amazing. One of his advertisements is about to get a million views. Yesterday, there were more than 100,000 fans who transcribed his video. Everyone in the dance section is talking about him."
Amidst the commotion, Dou Sheng's quiet voice could be heard, but it could not be ignored.
"Well, this time he really put his name out there. There's still a long way to go."
Xie Lan passed them and returned to his own bunk bed alone, sitting on the bed.
The old man and the old woman were not there, so he sat alone, his T-shirt stuck to his body from the rain, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He left in such a hurry that he had to get off the bus to buy a change of clothes, so he could only use his phone to check tomorrow's shooting plan.
This trip to the Three Gorges, in addition to traveling, we also have to do an outdoor shooting to contribute to #heart-moving music#. Taking pictures of natural scenery requires a high level of camera. Xie Lan put down his phone and wanted to pull out Dou Sheng's suitcase to see what lenses he brought. When he bent down, he found that the zipper of the suitcase was half open, and it was obviously opened.
Only then did he realize that there was Dou Sheng's schoolbag missing at the end of the bed. On the bag was a familiar white T-shirt and a pair of light grey sweatpants, which were Dou Sheng's most frequently worn items.
"Change your clothes." A familiar voice with a low and magnetic tone sounded at the door.
As Xie Lan looked up, Dou Sheng used his body to stop him from pulling his clothes. Meeting his surprised gaze, he curled his lips. "They are all clean. Our sizes are similar. I'll lend them to you."
Xie Lan subconsciously refused: "No need..."
Dou Sheng had already grabbed the clothes and threw them into his arms, "Change them, and then go edit the video with Liu Yixuan."
Dou Sheng turned around and walked out, casually closing his zipper.
With a bang, the noise outside was blocked out again.
Xie Lan grabbed the clothes and hesitated for a long time before slowly standing up.
There wasn't much to be embarrassed about when two grown men were together. He brainwashed himself three or five times, then pulled off his half-wet T-shirt by the collar and quickly put on Dou Sheng's.
The dry fabric rubbed against his skin gently. It was clearly freshly taken out, but it seemed to have a faint warmth. The moment he put it on, a strange feeling mixed with a familiar feeling came over him. Xie Lan smacked his lips for a while before he realized that the source of the familiar feeling was that Dou Sheng was so good at lying that when he wore his clothes, he seemed to relive the feeling of being hugged and resting his head on his shoulders.
He suddenly felt his ears burning shamefully. There was a sudden burst of laughter from the next room. It was obviously not aimed at him, but it made him feel uneasy.
Xie Lan unbuckled his belt hastily like a thief, took off his rain-soaked trousers, and put on Dou Sheng's trousers with gritted teeth.
The noisier it got outside, the more hasty his movements became, his slender fingers pulling at his belt and quickly tightening the knot.
At the moment when the noose was about to be tightened, there was a sudden knock on the groin.
Knock knock.
Dou Sheng said from outside: "Are you ready to change? Are you coming in?"
Xie Lan was stunned for two seconds, holding his belt with his hands. Dou Sheng unzipped his pants, raised his eyelids, and was stunned.
Xie Lan just stood there holding the two ropes, looking a little confused.
Dou Sheng looked at him for a while, then suddenly chuckled and pulled his clothes back up behind his back.
He asked in a low voice: "You don't know how to tie your pants string, can I help you?"
"Need not!"
Xie Lan fell back on the bed, tied the knot quickly, and lifted the hem of his T-shirt to cover it.
The messy side of his T-shirt was stuck on his waistband, revealing a piece of fair skin. He quickly lifted it up again to let it fall back to where it should be.
Xie Lan breathed a long sigh of relief silently.
Dou Sheng stood in front of him and laughed softly. After a while, he stopped. He walked to the bed and looked at him with his eyes lowered.
The light above was mostly blocked by the tall figure of the young man, casting a shadow on the small single-plank bed. Xie Lan, wearing Dou Sheng's clothes, sat in the shadow he created. The noise outside seemed to fade away with the train, and he felt as if he was being embraced.
After a long while, Xie Lan stared into the pair of black eyes and said, "Let's... learn that poem."
Dou Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he took a step back after a moment, and said with a faint smile: "So, I thought you would come to me, and was thinking about how to teach you."
Xie Lan: “…”
The car radio suddenly sounded, and the attendant announced in a low voice that the lights would be turned off and wished everyone good night.
The voices of the old man and the old woman next door came closer and closer, and stopped outside the door. The moment the door was opened, the lights above went out and the sleeper building fell into darkness.
Dou Sheng stepped aside to let the two old men in, and stood at the door looking at Xie Lan.
He said in a low voice: "But I have already prepared the lessons, just wait a minute, don't rush to hand in your homework."
The train slowly drove to the outskirts of the city. The lights outside flashed so brightly in those deep and peaceful eyes.
Xie Lan subconsciously bent her knees and stepped on the edge of the bed, stretched out her hands to hug her legs, rubbed her arms on her subordinate Dou Sheng's trousers, and hummed softly.
"Know."
"I'm going to help Liu Yixuan edit the video. I can't sleep on the train. You should get some sleep."
Dou Sheng whispered something and turned to walk to the next room. When he left, his steps were somewhat hurried and panicky.
Xie Lan withdrew his gaze and looked at the suburban scenery outside the window that was silently receding in the night. He was absent-minded for a while, and his finger accidentally touched the phone. The screen lit up, and the clock jumped to 00:00, turning from April 30th to May 1st.
I have been back home for two months.
Life reverses in silence. Some inconsolable emotions fade away at some point, and are covered by other emotions that are more difficult to clarify.
The illness came suddenly, but the patient was lingering in it.
He opened the photo album on his phone and found the album for "Mom". There were pages of her notes, which she had taken photos of. He had looked through them almost every day for the past two years, but he hadn't thought about them for a long time.
Xie Lan randomly clicked on one and flipped forward according to the date until he came to May 1st.
It was also an ordinary May Day when Xiao Langjing was in high school.
On the old pages are a few strokes of the girl's hand.
—This year, the phoenix trees are in bloom. Wen Ying said that the meaning of phoenix tree blooming is the first love. Unfortunately, I haven’t met someone I like yet.
Xie Lan hugged her legs tighter, as if she was secretly hugging someone who was far away and yet right in front of her.
His eyes stayed on the word "dou" and he heard his heart beating uncontrollably amid the even sound of the train hitting the tracks.