Not long after Lin Weixia returned home, she received two boxes of apples and three boxes of orange juice. She leaned against the door with a puzzled look on her face:
“I didn’t buy these.”
The deliveryman handed her a marker and explained, "This order is from a customer named Ban. Please sign here."
"Oh, okay."
The deliveryman helped to bring the items to the house. Lin Weixia whispered thank you before closing the door. She limped into the living room in her rabbit cotton slippers, then jumped onto the sofa on one leg.
The doorbell rang again, and Lin Weixia opened the door again. It was Men Zi who had just finished editing a film in the studio. When she came in, she saw boxes of fruit and orange juice piled up in the living room. She was shocked and asked, "Why did you buy so much food at once?"
"I didn't buy it." Lin Weixia replied.
Men Zi was stunned for a moment, then he looked at her wound and understood immediately, and said in a teasing tone:
"Oh, so he bought it. I told you that you have mild night blindness and you shouldn't go for that night run, but you insisted on going."
As Men Zi was talking, he noticed the silver ring on Lin Weixia's finger and joked:
"Oh, our Xia Xia is really awesome. Just wave your hand and no matter how unruly Ban Shao is, he will still be your dog."
Lin Weixia pointed to her wound and smiled bitterly: "No, don't say that about him. I didn't wave casually."
"I'm wrong, I said the wrong thing." Men Zi apologized immediately.
"Will you sleep at my place tonight?" Lin Weixia asked her.
Men Zi yawned, sat down beside her, bent down and picked up Sheng Xia, and said:
"Yeah, let's order hot pot takeout at home tomorrow."
Men Zi was like this. She didn't live in her own three-bedroom apartment and often came to visit at irregular intervals, but Lin Weixia let her do as she pleased. After all, she had always been a loner, and it was nice to have an active and enthusiastic friend.
"good."
It was late at night. Lin Weixia was lying on the bed after washing up. From the bathroom came the sound of water splashing while Men Zi was taking a bath. She took off the silver fingernails and looked at them carefully.
It was a very plain ring, but the shape was very nice. Lin Weixia looked at it carefully and felt that it looked a bit like a Möbius strip.
In fact, this silver ring was a little big for her, so Lin Weixia stood up, opened the drawer beside the table, found a red string and strung it in. She planned to wear it around her neck in the future.
After finishing, Lin Weixia sent a message to Ban Sheng, writing in the dialog box with her fingertips:
[Thank you for the apple and orange juice.]
Not long after, Ban Sheng replied to her message in his usual off-key and blunt manner.
Ban: [You’re welcome, little blind man.]
After several days of classes, Lin Weixia either stayed in the library after class or took time to give Song Yihang regular psychological treatment.
She and Ban Sheng would contact each other from time to time, but he seemed very busy recently, and Lin Weixia consciously avoided disturbing him.
However, she received a message from Qiu Minghua. He said that it was his birthday this Wednesday and he had invited a lot of friends. He borrowed a house from his relatives at the foot of Julu Mountain. He also told Lin Weixia that Ning Chao would also be there and asked her to come too, after all, many of them were friends she was familiar with.
Men Zi, who happened to be standing nearby, heard the words "Ning Chao" and immediately signaled Lin Weixia to turn on the loudspeaker. She put down her steak knife and fork and asked enthusiastically:
"Handsome guy, I'm Xia Xia's friend, do you mind taking me with you?"
"Of course, I can tell she's a beauty just by her voice. Welcome, welcome!" said Qiu Minghua.
After Men Zi and Qiu Minghua exchanged a few words, Lin Weixia put the phone back to her ear and chatted with Qiu Minghua for a few words.
It just so happened that Qiu Minghua’s birthday was nearby, so Lin Weixia and Men Zi went shopping in the mall after dinner and each bought a birthday present for Ning Chao.
After returning home, Lin Weixia pushed open the door, and Shengxia rushed over with a pair of grape eyes rolling around. She took off her coat, bent down, hugged the puppy in her arms, and then the two of them, one big and one small, sat on the sofa.
Lin Weixia was just about to pour herself a glass of water when she saw the cardboard boxes piled up like a mountain in the living room. She took a paper cutter, cut open the box, and took out a bottle of orange juice.
She took two sips, held it in one hand, and dialed the familiar number with the other hand.
The phone rang with a cold beep, and Lin Weixia's fingers tapped the drink bottle unconsciously. After the phone rang for twenty seconds, it was finally connected, and a low and slightly hoarse voice came from the receiver:
"Hello."
Lin Weixia said: "It's me."
There was a very light laugh coming from the other end of the phone, so soft and faint that it affected her breathing. He said:
"Know."
"Are you going to Qiu Minghua's birthday party?" Lin Weixia asked.
Ban Sheng held the phone, leaned his head back on the sofa, raised his hand and pressed his brow, his throat hoarse:
"uncertain."
"Oh, then you should have a good rest." Although Lin Weixia felt disappointed, she still reminded him.
"Um."
On Thursday, snow began to fall all over northern Beijing. When I opened the window in the morning, I could see an endless expanse of white. Lin Weixia broke off a piece of ice by the window and placed it in her palm, waiting quietly for it to melt.
Qiu Minghua's birthday started at three o'clock in the afternoon. Lin Weixia spent the whole day at home reviewing her lessons. At noon, she cooked a bowl of tomato and egg noodles. During the meal, the doorbell at the entrance kept ringing.
It's her delivery.
Lin Weixia got up to open the door, signed for the express delivery and put it aside, then continued to eat noodles and watch the variety show.
After an hour's rest at noon, Lin Weixia began to put on makeup and change clothes.
Lin Weixia drew her eyebrows and put on lipstick in front of the mirror. Finally, she picked a green beret and a black short cotton jacket, which gave her a cool and playful look.
Before leaving, Lin Weixia's eyes stopped at the box beside the table. After thinking for a while, she opened the package and put it in her bag. It was a plaster she asked someone to buy from Hong Kong. The School of Biomedical Engineering where Ban Sheng was studying was relatively small, and almost everyone had a mentor system.
Ban Sheng has always been outstanding in his profession with impressive grades, and he was soon spotted by his supervisor and joined the laboratory to work on projects with his supervisor.
I heard from Qiu Minghua that he was very busy and often stayed in the laboratory following projects. He stayed there day and night and his cervical spine was in bad condition.
Lin Weixia was thinking about Ban Sheng, and thought that if he showed up at the birthday party later, she could give him the plaster.
When Lin Weixia came downstairs, she saw Men Zi's car parked downstairs of her house early in the morning, opened the door and got in. Men Zi was dressed very beautifully today, with bright makeup, loose sweaters and cowboy boots, neat and charming.
Because it was snowing today, the traffic was somewhat congested. By the time they arrived at Qiu Minghua's birthday party, they were already more than half an hour late.
Qiu Minghua's birthday party was very lively. The living room was filled with white and yellow balloons and ribbons. Dozens of wine glasses were placed on the long table. A group of young men and women huddled on the sofa drinking and chatting, while another group set up a barbecue grill in the backyard.
The snow has stopped, and the sun is coming out from between the clouds, casting two transparent circles of white and blue light, which is very beautiful.
As soon as Men Zi stepped into the backyard, he caught a glimpse of Ning Chao grilling meat in front of the barbecue and talking to a girl with long hair and a gentle appearance.
She leaned against the door frame with her arms folded, not saying a word, her eyes fixed on the two people.
Ning Chao used tongs to neatly turn the pork belly over and sprinkled a handful of cumin on it, making a sizzling sound. He smiled and looked back at the girl next to him, feeling a gaze glued to him, he tilted his neck to look back, then retracted his gaze and continued to do his own thing.
After the girl left, a new figure appeared in front of him after a while. Ning Chao continued to grill the meat without even raising his eyelids. He knew who it was without even looking.
The first time they met, he remembered the incense the girl used. It was like the strongest incense burning in a temple, with the scent of red sandalwood.
Strong and choking.
"Mr. Ning, long time no see." Men Zi greeted him with a smile.
Ning Chao stopped what he was doing, pressed the pliers on the flesh, and finally looked up at her. But the words he said were very annoying:
"Why, looking for torture?"
This reminder was like a basin of cold water poured towards Men Zi. She recalled the embarrassing scene where she was tied up with a rubber band by Ning Chao and thrown in the corridor, attracting the attention of passers-by.
When he thought of this, Men Zi was so angry that his teeth itched, and after a while he said:
"Silly dog."
Ning Chao snorted and ignored her, putting all the roasted pork belly and eggplant into the baking tray.
On the other side, Lin Weixia was sitting on a rattan chair in the yard. After handing the gift to Qiu Minghua, the two were chatting casually.
After a while, Li Shengran arrived late. As soon as she came, everyone in the venue called her Vany Vany.
She was carrying an alligator-skin bag and dressed in an arrogant manner. Their eyes met in mid-air, but neither of them spoke first and automatically ignored the other.
Ning Chao brought a plate of roasted beans and some lotus root slices that girls like to eat. The fragrance was everywhere. Lin Weixia smiled and said thank you.
Li Shengran leaned back on the recliner and began to smoke as if no one was around. Wisps of smoke floated out from her red lips. She held the cigarette in her hand and started to talk to Lin Weixia, saying:
"Are you still in touch with Liu Sijia?"
Lin Weixia was peeling a green orange and replied calmly:
“We would write postcards to each other.”
Li Shengran snorted, brushed off the cigarette ash on his fingertips, and said, "There are so many people in the class, and she only contacted you."
After the two chatted for a few sentences, the topic cooled down again.
Lin Weixia continued to peel her orange, and the juice from the peel instantly stuck to her palm, which was not very comfortable. Men Zi ran over from the barbecue area and said, "Xia Xia, can I borrow your mirror?"
"good."
Lin Weixia took out two tissues to wipe her hands, opened her bag and took out a small green mirror. However, because the bag was stuffed with too many things, the moment she took it out -
With a "pop" sound, a stack of red-wrapped plasters fell to the ground, right at Li Shengran's feet.
Li Shengran still had a cigarette in her hand. She took a look and her expression changed instantly. She stared at the pack of plasters with a complicated look.
Lin Weixia bent down with a calm face to pick up the packet of medicine, then put it back into her bag.
When she was peeling the orange halfway, people kept coming in. When she heard the sound, Lin Weixia subconsciously looked towards the door, wondering if it was Ban Sheng.
"Qiu Minghua, is he coming?" Lin Weixia asked.
Qiu Minghua threw a blueberry into his mouth. The sourness made him shudder. He responded, "You're talking about Mr. Ban. He just said he'll come over after he's done with his work."
Lin Weixia's secret concern and care were all seen by Li Shengran, and she quietly broke the cigarette in her hand.
In the evening, a sudden strong wind blew, causing the white smoke from the barbecue area to blow straight towards them. The group coughed and dodged.
Lin Weixia walked out of the yard and stood under a bare tree, staring into the distance in a trance.
"Why do you think you can go back to him after hurting him?" Li Shengran appeared beside her, his tone sharp.
Lin Weixia was not angered by Li Shengran and answered:
"I just hope he's doing well."
Li Shengran snorted. She couldn't stand Lin Weixia's nonchalant look. She walked directly in front of her and said mockingly, but the truth she said was very cruel:
"Then do you know how he got here in the past two years? When he had the accident, I flew over to see him again and again. Where were you at that time?"
Lin Weixia couldn't answer, and her dark eyelashes trembled.
People like Li Shengran were like ruthless executioners, shooting cold arrows at her one by one, stabbing straight into her heart:
"You don't think the butterfly on his collarbone is because of you, do you? Ha, don't you know my English name is Vany? Vany means butterfly in Greek. I've had this English name since I was ten years old. If you don't believe me, go ask him."
"I accompanied him to get that tattoo."
"Last time Shi Li took his lighter, I gave it to him."
Lin Weixia slowly raised her eyes, not daring to blink. So that's what was happening.
When she first saw the swallowtail butterfly tattoo on his collarbone, she had some unpleasant thoughts in her mind: Could it be that he got that tattoo because of her
Li Shengran's aggressiveness was like a silent declaration of war. Lin Weixia curled her fingers into her palm and squeezed hard, and suddenly she didn't feel the pain from her nails digging into her flesh.
That feeling of powerlessness came back.
A lot can change in two years. She had to admit that she had always been jealous and concerned about Li Shengran staying with him.
She was absent.
Years have passed, and he may have forgotten it long ago.
Everyone was moving forward, only she stayed where she was.
It felt like there were waves crashing down on her heart, surging constantly. Water poured into her ears, wetting her eyes and mouth. Her body became heavier and heavier, and she could no longer breathe.
Lin Weixia looked at Li Shengran, the paleness on her face was replaced by alienation and calmness. She took out the silver ring from her pocket and said in a calm tone:
"Then congratulations. Please help me return the ring to him."
Li Shengran looked at the ring in her palm, which belonged to Ban Sheng, with a look of surprise. It was tied with a red string. She subconsciously reached out to take it, but unexpectedly, she held it in her open palm. When she met a pair of amber eyes, Lin Weixia spoke again and smiled:
"After thinking about it, I think it would be better if I return it to him personally."
To turn the tables.
Li Shengran stood there in a daze, her entire expression confused. Lin Weixia put her hands in her pockets, brushed her shoulders with a cold face, and left the birthday party without looking back.
After they left, Li Shengran stood there, still with a look of disbelief on her face. That ring was the last thing Ban Sheng's mother left him, a ring that he never took off.
He regarded the ring as more important than his life.
Ban Sheng actually gave it to her.