Later, Ban Sheng came to visit Lin Weixia formally as her boyfriend. He changed into a formal suit to conceal his unruly and casual aura, and came with his hands full of gifts.
Ban Sheng, who always remained calm, was a little nervous at this moment. He hesitated for a moment and knocked on the door. After a while, someone came to open the door. Before Ban Sheng could say a word, his aunt saw his face change and immediately kicked him out.
My aunt chased him away and said, "You must be Ban Sheng, right? I met you once when you sent my daughter home in high school and I had a good impression of you. But I heard that she has been pursuing you in college, and you made her suffer! You kidnapped her and I didn't see her go home during the winter vacation..."
Just as he finished speaking, the security door slammed shut with a bang, almost pinching Ban Sheng's nose.
Lin Weixia couldn't stop him from behind, and said angrily: "Aunt, what are you doing? It's not like that. Didn't I tell you everything?"
My aunt was sitting on the sofa drinking tea calmly. When she heard Lin Weixia talking, she started to respond, "I said, you are a child who has turned his back on others before you even get married. I am testing him. If he can't even stand this little bit of anger, I won't feel comfortable handing you over to him."
Lin Weixia sighed lightly and wanted to go downstairs to find Ban Sheng. The phone in her hand made a "ding" sound of a message reminder, so she clicked it and took a look.
Ban: [Stay at home, I'll be fine standing downstairs for a while. ]
Ban: [I deserve it.]
In this way, Ban Sheng stood downstairs for five hours, from noon to nightfall, before his aunt opened the door for him, but this also meant that Lin Weixia's family accepted him.
It's another midsummer.
They were invited to attend the centennial celebration of Shenzhen High School as outstanding figures of the school. When they set out in the morning, the weather was hot and the sound of cicadas was like a lullaby. Lin Weixia sat in the bus, her eyelids kept falling down, and then she fell asleep.
When they were almost there, Ban Sheng didn't drive in, so he called to wake her up. Lin Weixia opened her eyes dazedly, and when she saw the four large gilded characters of Shenlan No. 1 Middle School, her sight was startled.
It seems like a lifetime ago.
I thought of a lot of people at once.
I remember the times they cried, laughed, made noises, ran in the rain, and skipped classes to go to the beach.
The two of them got off the bus and walked into the campus. Behind them, beautiful young girls in school uniforms with fair calves showing kept passing by them, holding books and discussing the latest comics in low voices, occasionally interjecting some gossip about the male celebrities in the same school.
The male high school students wore their ties casually and walked together in a group chatting. When they met a girl they knew, they would always childishly pull her hair, which resulted in the girls chasing them and beating them. However, they were too proud to admit that they did it.
It's so childish.
Ban Sheng and Lin Weixia were walking on the campus. Because both of them had outstanding temperament and appearance, students kept looking at them sideways.
The two first went to see their class teacher Liu Xiping. Old Liu's hair had turned a little grey and he didn't recognize them at first. It wasn't until Lin Weixia called him that Old Liu reacted and asked about their recent situation.
They have graduated for a long time. Lin Weixia became a psychologist, mainly responsible for adolescent growth and cognitive disorders of special children. As for Ban Sheng, Lao Liu already knew that his name was the first on the list of outstanding representatives of the school without him saying anything.
After graduation, Ban Sheng joined an auditory medicine research institute in northern Beijing. He led a team that has been committed to the research and development and application of medical devices such as cochlear implants. He has obtained many invention patents, updated domestic cochlear implant technology and improved domestic independent speech coding.
"Well, you have all become very good people." Old Liu looked at him and sighed.
"It's rare to hear you praise me." Ban Sheng smiled lazily, still looking out of tune.
The school leaders received this group of people. Ban Sheng stayed for only a while and then went out, standing in the corridor, smoking casually.
Not long after, Lin Weixia also followed out. At a glance, she saw a tall man leaning casually on the railing at the end of the corridor. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing a part of his wrist bone.
Lin Weixia walked over and said, "Old Liu asked me to remind you not to forget your speech on stage later."
"Can you hide?" Ban Sheng laughed.
"Who knows you?" Lin Weixia recalled with narrowed eyes, "Don't forget the time you made a speech during the final 100-day sprint in senior year. You pissed off Old Liu."
Indeed, at that time, Ban Sheng took off his tie, did not wear his nameplate, and said a short speech on the stage with a nonchalant look before leaving.
"Then I'll go in first." Lin Weixia turned and left.
Ban Sheng grabbed her hand, took the cigarette out of her mouth, and said, "I will give a speech later, don't run around, just stay backstage."
Lin Weixia looked at him with confusion.
"Please take a photo for me. The institute needs it." Ban Sheng paused.
"No problem." Lin Weixia replied with a smile.
Shenzhen High School’s centenary celebration was held at 10 a.m. The square was filled with a large number of people, all of whom had young and vibrant faces, like the rising sun. Several reporters were also present.
In order to take pictures of the class, Lin Weixia borrowed a camera from someone and sat in a secluded corner under the stage. After the school leaders finished their speeches and cut the ribbon, the outstanding graduates of the school took the stage to speak.
The sun was a little strong, and the hot wind made people drowsy. The students ran out of patience after the speeches and began to lean on each other's shoulders, discussing in low voices before going to the cafeteria convenience store to buy iced drinks.
Ban Sheng was the last to appear.
"Don't sleep anymore, senior Ban Sheng is here." said a girl.
"Damn, big brother, I can do it." Someone replied.
"I'm going to die from his looks, he's really handsome."
"Hey, have you heard that? That senior has been chasing after a girl in high school, but he never succeeded. I don't know what's going on with him now."
Lin Weixia sat in the audience and listened without saying anything, smiling faintly the whole time, looking at the man on the stage. He stood on the stage in a black suit and gave a speech with ease, his Adam's apple sliding slowly, his facial features more sharp and distinct, compared to high school, he was a little more calm, but his eyebrows and eyes still had a hint of youthfulness, his collar was loosely unbuttoned with two buttons, he looked high-spirited and unruly.
He first briefly talked about what he was doing, and then expressed his best wishes to his alma mater and all the students. He felt much more relaxed when it came to the free question session.
"Senior, have you ever skipped class?" someone asked.
"I escaped," Ban Sheng said, and added slowly, "I escaped with my girlfriend."
The audience burst into laughter. Old Liu sighed and then laughed helplessly. Lin Weixia also curled her lips. At this time, a reporter spoke at the right time. The question she asked was much more professional:
"Senior, hello. I am a senior of Shenzhen High School who is two years younger than you. I am also familiar with the cochlear implant you developed called 'Tingxia'. It is thin, can handle noise from various environments and protect residual hearing. These advantages are self-evident. I would like to ask you something off topic. Is there any story behind it?"
Ban Sheng spoke casually, defending the reporter: "The story is too long, we can talk about it later when we have the chance."
The gossipy students in the audience snorted, looking disappointed. Then the class leader on the stage spoke up and said in a serious tone:
"But there is something happening today, and I would like you to witness it."
Lin Weixia was holding the camera seriously, focusing on a handsome face. Ban Sheng looked at the audience, which was noisy. He seemed to be looking for someone. A pair of dark eyes bumped into her lens, looking straight at her.
My heart shrank uncontrollably, and then started beating very fast.
Soon, the school's projection screen moved over with a telephoto focus, and Lin Weixia's face soon appeared on the big screen. There was a moment of panic. She only put on simple makeup today, a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans, and just grabbed her long hair when she went out in the morning.
"The girl sitting in the fourth row from the back, the third one with a butterfly birthmark under the corner of her eye," Ban Sheng said slowly, "please invite her to the stage for me."
Everyone looked over, and countless pairs of eyes fell on Lin Weixia's face with envy. She felt a little hot and her scalp was numb. When she went out in the morning, Ban Sheng didn't remind her to dress nicely.
But Ban Sheng was still standing on the stage, looking like he was just enjoying the fun, and even in the mood to joke:
"Yes, that pretty girl is my wife, stop looking at her."
The audience burst into laughter and started to boo immediately. Countless voices were heard. Lin Weixia was pushed onto the stage by a group of students. She stood there, feeling nervous and sweaty on her palms.
She looked up at the man in front of her in a daze, and he looked back at her. Neither of them spoke, and the audience was extremely quiet. Ban Sheng smiled, looked at her and suddenly spoke:
"Lin Weixia, you are not a fish tank, you are a lighthouse."
He was a lonely shark who had been swimming in the sea for a long time, and Lin Weixia was the lighthouse that illuminated his way home.
They were talking in a way that was confusing to others, but Lin Weixia smiled. She understood.
Ban Sheng's Adam's apple rolled. Although he had given speeches on numerous occasions, he was a little nervous this time. He looked at Lin Weixia and said seriously:
"I was on a business trip in another city last week and was so busy that I went to bed very late. When I woke up in the morning, I saw a toothbrush in the cup and suddenly wanted to get married."
"With you."
The audience was boiling again, and the students kept screaming. Amid the endless screams, Ban Sheng raised his hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and continued:
"When I was leaving home in the morning, you were sitting in my car putting on your makeup. There were a few drops of nail polish on the car seat. On the center console was an origami shark you made when you were bored. The whole car was filled with your scent. At that moment, I just wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."
Ban Sheng took out a ring from his trouser pocket with one hand and handed it to her. It couldn't be seen by the thousands of people in the audience, but Lin Weixia saw his fingertips trembling, and her eyes suddenly turned red.
The man laughed at himself and took a deep breath:
"This person is a jerk, and he's been through a lot of bad things, and he's let you down, but I hope you can give me a chance. I want to put my toothbrush next to yours, I want to eat celery fried beef for the rest of my life, and I like summer better than winter. In winter, I'll warm your hands and only give you hot milk."
"Whatever you want, I will do my best to give it to you."
"Lin Weixia, I will love you forever."
The atmosphere in the audience was originally full of booing and watching the fun, but now they were so moved that several people had tears in their eyes, and some were even sobbing quietly.
Lin Weixia stood on the stage and burst into tears. She was moved and felt lucky that they had persisted until now.
She smiled and stretched out her hand, slowly putting the ring on, her eyelashes wet:
"good."
The moment I agreed to his request, there were continuous screams and applause from the audience. The birds were frightened and flew to the treetops. The phoenix flowers were in full bloom and the palm trees in the school were still as lush as ever.
This summer day in Nanjiang is particularly long and hot.
They are all blessing them.
In the afternoon, Ban Sheng drove Lin Weixia to the beach, to the Moon Coast where he had confessed his love to her.
The wheels were speeding along the road, crushing tiny stones. Outside the car window was an endless expanse of blue. The roof slowly rolled down, and the salty and humid sea breeze blew over, feeling cool and very comfortable.
Ban Sheng played a song called "Want to Go to the Beach" at a very high volume. The tune was brisk and very appropriate to the occasion. He sang along unconsciously, his voice lazy and casual:
Waiting for a sunny day
I want to take you to the beach
To keep this moment before it's too late to save it
The car turned all the way to the coast. There were coconut trees and shadows, and the blue sea and black reefs formed a line. Ban Sheng suddenly accelerated and touched the volume button in the car. The singing suddenly became louder, accompanied by the sea breeze, enveloping her whole body:
Can I run with you with all my strength
Towards the horizon
It's not the end until the afterglow fades away
That's the beach I've always wanted to take you to.
After parking the car, the two came to the beach and stepped on the fluffy sand, which was a bit irritating to the feet. Lin Weixia walked a little closer and the rising tide water hit them from time to time. It was very cool, extremely cold.
Lin Weixia mocked Ban Sheng with a malicious intent and splashed some water on him. Ban Sheng was smoking a cigarette when water drops fell from the sky. The scarlet cigarette head made a crackling sound and the cigarette went out.
Still the same as before.
Ban Sheng grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and started to tease her. Lin Weixia hid in his arms, smiling and begging for mercy.
After he played with Lin Weixia for a while, the two of them walked along the beach.
Ban Sheng was wearing a black T-shirt and was walking slowly in front of her. At this moment, a fiery red sun was hanging over the sea, and the warm light shone on him, and the boy's back was straight.
The summer sea breeze was cool and the light was warm. Lin Weixia's heart moved and she shouted:
"Bansheng."
He turned his head to look at her out of habit and replied lazily:
"exist."
Lin Weixia stood there, looked at him from a distance, and suddenly smiled.
Just like one night when Ban Sheng was pursuing her in high school, she had recently been harassed by her drunk father's frequent phone calls, cursing her with all kinds of dirty words. Also, because she saw her bicycle tire was punctured after school that night, she felt the mocking eyes of passing classmates.
I was in a very bad mood.
I don't want to talk either.
Lin Weixia was walking home alone with her schoolbag on her back. When she passed the alley next to Yutan Road, she subconsciously glanced at the time.
Nine forty.
The next second, the door curtain of the billiard room with faded paint was lifted, and a boy walked out with his neck slightly lowered. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and had a prominent black lily tattoo on his ankle, giving off a strong sense of danger.
Not too early or too late, Ban Sheng would send her home at this time every night, and would always follow behind her until she got home safely before leaving.
Lin Weixia was in a bad mood and walked straight forward.
The boy followed behind him slowly, chewing the plum candy in his mouth with a crunching sound, looking like a bad boy.
Lin Weixia didn't know what happened that day. Her suppressed mood reached a breaking point. She suddenly stopped, turned back and stared at him, with a distant tone:
"Why are you following me?"
"I'll take you home." Ban Sheng raised his eyes to meet her gaze and spoke slowly.
Lin Weixia suddenly felt annoyed. For the first time, she showed her impatience on her face and said in a cold tone: "Don't follow me, it's annoying."
The expression on Ban Sheng's face darkened, the curve of his jawline tightened, and he was at a loss for a moment, his slender figure standing there.
Lin Weixia withdrew her gaze from him and walked forward.
After walking for a while, the boy behind caught up, and Ban Sheng chose to walk in front of Lin Weixia.
She frowned and was about to speak, but the boy seemed to have anticipated what she would say and said nonchalantly, "I'm going back to my own home."
It seemed as if the gloom in his eyes just now was Lin Weixia's illusion.
When almost reaching Shuiwei Lane, Lin Weixia had to pass through a long and narrow alley. Unfortunately, the street lights on this road were broken, and it was pitch black in front of her and she couldn't see the road clearly. She paused and felt panicked.
The boy continued to walk up slowly, his long arms casually resting on the edge of his trousers.
Just when Lin Weixia didn't know what to do, a beam of white light suddenly appeared in front of her sight. It was coming from his side. Dust floated in the light. Ban Sheng remained silent and led her forward with the flashlight on his mobile phone.
After the last bar of power of the phone is automatically exhausted.
Ban Sheng took out a silver lighter from his trouser pocket, and with a sharp "click", a small flame jumped out of his palm and led her forward. Because the lighter cannot be kept burning continuously, it will be dangerous.
After the fire was extinguished, the receiver was reopened again and again, and this cycle repeated.
The night was very quiet, with an occasional breeze blowing through, making it very cool. The sound of car horns could be heard not far away, but Ban Sheng always took her through the dark alley.
Lin Weixia stared at the boy's burned area, which was red and had blisters.
He didn't say anything either.
Lin Weixia stared at the black figure in front of her, regretting losing her temper with him, and called him softly, "Ban Sheng."
The boy subconsciously turned around to look at her, but he was not angry and responded unconditionally:
"exist."
It was like this before, and it is like this now.
The sound of waves in the distance brought Lin Weixia back to her senses. The sea breeze blew over with a strong salty and humid smell, like a spilled glass of lemon water, puffing up Ban Sheng's black hem.
I like him standing in front of me in all black, like a silent shadow guarding me.
As long as I call him, whether it is chaos or peace, it doesn't matter to me;
My boy will always turn his head back habitually,
Then just look at me.
We are each other's day and night.
The sea is always there, and the young man’s great love will never end.
End of text