Seeing He Cheng's left hand with a plaster cast, Bai Jinming was stunned for a long time before asking, "What did you do last night?"
He Cheng said expressionlessly, "It's nothing, just to wake myself up."
"... Crazy." Bai Jinming was speechless.
They never mentioned what happened yesterday, Bai Jinming took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to him. The cooperation project between the two has finally made new progress, and now the He family needs to take the lead in making a final decision.
Bai Jinming said, "The old man finally let go. Everything else is fine. He just wants to open up new markets in other cities. You can ask your family if there is any city you are interested in. If you have connections, you can go overseas."
"Your family has big ambitions this year." He Cheng flipped through the documents with one hand and said casually.
Bai Jinming smiled, "In business, you're blind if you don't have ambition."
While He Cheng was reading the documents, Bai Jinming quietly looked at his injured hand. The bandages were wrapped around and around, and the thick plaster dragged down the left hand, making it look out of place with He Cheng in a suit and leather shoes. I always felt that something was wrong with He Cheng today, and after looking at it for a while, Bai Jinming realized that his tie was crooked.
It is estimated that I didn't solve it last night, but I got it directly from the head this morning. This is simply a torment for a guy with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Seeing He Cheng's hard-pressed face as if nothing had happened, Bai Jinming thought it was funny, coughed lightly and looked away.
He Cheng looked up at him and asked, "Aren't you going back?"
"What's the hurry? I have nothing to do when I go back." The leisurely second generation ancestor poured himself a cup of tea, and leaned comfortably on the sofa, "Why, you think I'm annoying, and now you're driving me away?"
He Cheng glanced at him and said, "Your dad didn't say anything yesterday?"
"Him?" Bai Jinming was taken aback, "What can he say?"
"...don't get too close to me, or something."
"Do you think children play house? Don't get too close, lest I be infected by you?" Bai Jinming grinned as if hearing some joke, "He Cheng, when did you become so emotional?"
He laughed until his stomach hurt, He Cheng just looked at him quietly. After a while, Bai Jinming also realized something, and gradually restrained his smile.
"...Are you serious?"
He Cheng answered him with silence.
Bai Jinming cursed silently in his heart.
Although Mai Xing did not gain the upper hand in the quarrel at the reception, the grievances between him and He Cheng are seen by others. In the eyes of outsiders, the two of them have a deep bond, and something happened before, and if there is a real quarrel, neither of the two families can get anything good.
Besides, Mai Xing is used to it, and normal people have to go around. Those who can match him either have a particularly tough family background, or they are just like him.
He Cheng's family is strong enough, but unfortunately, after Xu Ran's incident, everyone will only think about the latter.
Sometimes He Cheng also wondered, which of those dog-like guys was not married twice or married in groups, so why would he have the face to point and point at him behind his back? But the social circle is like this, whether you like it or not, they have their own set of criteria for judging, if it is your fault, it is your fault.
If he was ten years older, He Cheng would not have to look at the expressions of those people. But now he is just a second generation who was dismissed by his father, so what qualifications do he have to continue to be tough.
Bai Jinming was a little worried, "What are you going to do?"
He Cheng sneered, "There's nothing to do. How they think of me is their business. I just want to know what disgusting tricks Mai Xing has, and I'll do whatever I can."
"...I have to remind you that Mai Xing is not a normal person, you can't fight against him." Bai Jinming said seriously, "If a dog bites you, can you still bite back? Find an opportunity to hit him with a stick in the future, don't make things difficult for yourself .”
"But things have already happened." He Cheng closed the document and looked at him, "If it were you, what would you do?"
"Wait?" Bai Jinming shrugged. Apart from waiting for the public opinion to subside slowly, he really has no good solution. Solving difficult matters has never been his strong point.
He Cheng shook his head, "There is another way. The easiest way."
He stood up, looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the tall building, and said in a deep voice, "Find the 'source'."
Bai Jinming shook his hand holding the teacup, and almost spilled hot water on his body.
It wasn't He Cheng's sudden whim. After bandaging his left hand last night, he sat in the hospital lobby until dawn, thinking over and over how to win the game. Gradually, he found that no matter what he couldn't escape the name "Xu Ran" .
Ever since Xu Ran left, he had been wanting to escape from this curse. Now it seemed that since he couldn't escape, he might as well take the initiative to meet him quickly.
"... What are you looking for him to do?"
Bai Jinming frowned, and tried to choose his words, "I didn't say that he was hurt deeply by Mai Xing because of you, and you still want him to be tied up and beaten by Mai Xing? Can his small body hold up?" It's hard to say, I can understand your desire to bring down Mai Xing, but to be a human... there must be a bottom line."
He Cheng looked at him like a fool, "Am I so inhuman?"
"..."
What do you think? Bai Jinming asked silently in his heart.
"Okay," Bai Jinming temporarily compromised, "How do you want to find it?"
He Cheng took out a folder from the drawer and threw it to him, "Since Mai Xing can find him, so can others."
Bai Jinming opened the folder in a daze, and in the surveillance screenshot, Xu Ran's thin figure in the center of the train station lobby was conspicuously circled with a red pen.
"He went to the south by car." He Cheng sat down again, slowly swayed the swivel chair, and said, "Now as long as you have the other party's mobile phone number, you can find out everything."
"… phone number?"
"Yes." He Chengdao, "You have come in handy."
After leaving the office, Bai Jinming went to the bathroom and slapped himself twice in front of the mirror, which shocked the little staff who came in after him.
Xu Ran woke up from the dream for the third time.
He remembered the overwhelming darkness, filled with fear that seemed to swallow people up. There was a door in the distance, and there was a little white light behind the door. He ran towards the door desperately, but found that he couldn't lift his legs at all, as if he was moving forward in a thick liquid, and every step was extremely difficult.
He wanted to roar, wanted to shout, the moment he spoke, white light enveloped the world, and the next moment, he was already staring at the snow-white ceiling in a daze.
The quilt made him uncomfortable all over. He sat up, took off his shirt, and let Xia Ye dry the cold sweat on his body.
It seemed that he heard someone calling him, "Xu Ran, Xu Ran" from a distance, but he couldn't tell who the voice came from. He tapped his head hard, as if he heard the sound of water in his head, and it took him a while to realize that it was an illusion caused by severe tinnitus.
The tinnitus that had been cured since childhood suddenly showed signs of recurrence, probably because of a change of environment. He is still not quite used to the climate in the south, and the summer has suddenly entered, and his whole body is exhausted and hot from the inside out.
But this is already the happiest day he has lived in these years, and even the slight physical pain can be ignored. He put the quilt aside, pulled out the blanket under his body to cover his body, and lay down again.
Insomnia.
Xu Ran looked at the ceiling dumbfounded.
What's wrong with me
I fell asleep at least before dawn, and woke up naturally at 7:30. After tossing and tossing like this for several nights, Xu Ran sank down, his face was as pale as a piece of paper.
On the contrary, Dong Ziqi has become more and more moist recently. He had just passed the top 200 in his grade in the final exam. Although his score was not high, it was much, much better than his previous grades. Dong's parents were overjoyed, and rewarded him with two game consoles, and gave Xu Ran a new job - to watch Dong Ziqi do his summer homework.
Dong Ziqi glanced at Xu Ran between rounds, pointed to the second floor, "If you're sleepy, go to sleep."
Xu Ran shook his head, "I'm not sleepy."
"You can't keep your eyes open. And those dark circles, COS Panda?"
Xu Ran smiled and rubbed his head, "Come on, I don't know you yet? I'm going to bed so you can play games, right? Today's three hours of game time is over, you can write after you finish this game Operation."
Dong Ziqi said yes, and kept moving his hands for a moment.
Xu Ran looked at him quietly. The boy's side face looked clean and pure under the sunlight in the afternoon. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting mottled light shadows on his eyes, lightly piercing into his heart.
If it wasn't for work, Xu Ran didn't want to disturb him at all for his only entertainment. He went to the kitchen to pour Dong Ziqi a glass of orange juice, and when he came back, he saw Dong Ziqi leaning over and rummaging through the cabinet.
Afraid that he would fall, Xu Ran hurried over to hold the wheelchair and asked, "What are you looking for?"
Dong Ziqi handed him the phone, and Xu Ran saw that it was the ticket information from Liu Ming.
"I still have a controller. Uncle will come over tonight, and I want him to play games with me."
Xu Ran couldn't help laughing, "I'm just a brat, I know how to play."
Liu Ming started his own business when he was a graduate student, and now his business has reached the southernmost tip of the motherland. He is not a big boss, but his status is indeed enviable to others. He wasn't surprised that Dong Ziqi accepted Xu Ran, he just said, "I knew you could do it."
Xu Ran smiled and shook his head, "It's because he's smart, it doesn't really have much to do with me."
Liu Ming patted Dong Ziqi's head, "If you praise your intelligence but not your hard work, it means your performance is not very good. There are no games to play tonight, so hurry up and do your homework."
Dong Ziqi's originally happy face collapsed in an instant.
He angrily ignored the two adults, and turned out of the living room to find the nanny for food. Liu Ming watched his back disappear around the corner, then turned around and said to Xu Ran, "Qiqi didn't like to see people very much since she was a child, and the amputation hit him hard. Do not go out in this house."
"How could it be?" Xu Ran wondered, "He will grow up anyway."
"No one taught him." Liu Ming sighed. "My sister and brother-in-law are busy with work and dote on their children in every possible way. My business is not in this city. Who else can really understand his feelings?"
He paused, "I also hired a tutor before, and the person told Qiqi that he would feel angry and sad just because he wanted to act like a baby, but he lost his two calves, and it would be fine to install artificial limbs. There is no need to be sad, it's too hypocritical I don’t look like a man. Qiqi was so angry that she didn’t eat for three days, which scared my sister, and she never dared to invite anyone to the house.”
"..."
"I have to apologize to you," Liu Ming bowed his head to him, "Before I introduced you, I told my sister all about you and saw the photos, so they dared to let you try."
No matter what healthy people say, Dong Ziqi will only think that they are standing up and talking without back pain. Only Xu Ran, who is in a similar situation to him, can have a little resonance.
Looking at Liu Ming's hair, Xu Ran suddenly felt a long-lasting sourness.
Why hasn't he heard such words? Those self-righteous words of encouragement sounded like deep ridicule to him back then. How much does he want to tell those people what do you know? If it's not a big deal as you say, why do you still look at me like I'm a poor alien
He has been depressed and hesitant, and finally chooses to compromise with himself in the passage of time. He belatedly realized that perhaps some of those people really wanted to seriously encourage him back then, but they were all buried in endless ridicule and irony.
It was difficult for Dong Ziqi to distinguish between those with good intentions and those with malicious intentions. He had met too few people, even fewer than Xu Ran back then, so he was destined to be unable to accept those harsh advice.
Xu Ran sighed, "I will try my best to help him."
Liu Ming patted him on the shoulder gratefully.
After dinner, he chatted a lot with Liu Ming. They didn't have a chance to meet each other in college, but now they feel that they are very angry with each other. Anyway, Liu Ming played the game with Dong Ziqi, and Fei dragged Xu Ran to watch it together. By the time it was over, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening.
"Stay here, it's not convenient to go back at night, anyway, there are no outsiders here." Liu Ming said. Both Dong's parents were on a business trip, and the nanny came home from get off work, leaving the three of them alone in the house.
Before Xu Ran could say anything, someone stuffed him with new pajamas and toiletries. He had no choice but to agree with a smile.
Dong Ziqi was very excited that night. After getting into bed, he dragged Liu Mingxu and chattered, and was finally coaxed to sleep. After washing up, Xu Ran went to the guest room, and when he passed by the living room on the second floor, he saw Liu Ming leaning on the railing of the balcony to drink. Xu Ran paused and walked over.
Liu Ming handed him the beer, Xu Ran waved his hand and said no.
"You used to not drink at parties, so why hasn't it changed at all now?" Liu Ming said.
"I don't like to drink." Xu Ran said with a smile.
After a long silence, Liu Ming suddenly asked, "In the past, you always had to leave the party before nine o'clock. They all said that you were strict with your spouse. Is it true?"
Xu Ran was taken aback.
Nine o'clock is the time for He Cheng to come back from his internship in the company. He always has to pick up people, and most of the time he has to bring some supper for the guy who forgot to eat dinner.
No one knew who Xu Ran was going to meet, they all presumed it was a girl who was as silent and introverted as him.
"Didn't you really want to stay in the north when you graduated? Why did you come here suddenly?" Liu Ming asked, "It's not going well with your partner?"
"yes."
Xu Ran rested his arms on the railing, looking at the hazy night view of the city under the moonlight, and said lightly, "We broke up a while ago."
Liu Ming followed his gaze and looked into the distance, took a sip of wine, and said, "That guy He Cheng is really hard to serve."
"… what?"
Xu Ran was startled, and suddenly looked up at him, almost fell down with too much force. Liu Ming hurriedly supported him, and said helplessly, "Why is there such a big reaction, I already knew."
One night in his junior year, when the lights were about to turn off, Liu Ming hurried back from outside the school, and saw Xu Ran holding a lunch box, saying something to a person sitting in a black car.
In Liu Ming's words, it is...
"At that time, even if you didn't know what you were talking about, you could tell just by looking at your eyes that the one in the car must be your lover."
Two days later, at a certain company's presentation meeting, Liu Ming knew the name He Cheng.
The unknown matter was brought up without warning, Xu Ran's heart beat violently, and after a while he said, "Do you know him?"
"There are no self-employed students in the school who don't know him." Liu Ming shrugged, "But if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't remember his name."
"..."
Xu Ran didn't know how to react. Liu Ming knew his sexual orientation, would he feel that it had a bad influence on Dong Ziqi? If Liu Ming knows, do Dong's parents know
He was still flustered, Liu Ming glanced at him, and said with relief, "Don't worry, I didn't tell my sister. There's no need."
"… thanks."
When Xu Ran gradually calmed down, Liu Ming asked, "Why him? I know that there are many gays with much better personalities than He Cheng. You shouldn't be restrained by someone like him."
Why him
Xu Ran was stumped by this question.
It took him a long time to reply, "It's just... probably because of evil fate."
Liu Ming patted him, not knowing what it meant. Xu Ran was a little confused, and said good night to him and fled back to the guest room, but Liu Ming didn't stop him.
Inexplicably restless, Xu Ran went to wash his face again, and then came back and sat on the bed in a daze.
Dong's house is so big that even the sound of breathing can be heard. The guest room has no decorations, it is empty, very much like Xu Ran's current mood.
Liu Ming actually knew.
But what can I do if I know it
Not sleepy, but it was midnight and he had to force himself to sleep. The phone vibrated before closing his eyes, and he took it to look at it, and found that it was the delivery news of the exercise book bought for Dong Ziqi.
The delivery address is Dong's house, confirm delivery tomorrow. Send a text message, turn off the phone.
Close your eyes, and fall into a dream in a daze.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that the bed was softer than at home, he didn't wake up this night, and it was dawn when he woke up.
The courier arrived at noon the next day, and Dong Ziqi disappeared as soon as he heard it was an exercise book. Xu Ran went to receive the package and sign it. The sun was shining at noon, and the courier lowered the brim of his hat so that he could not see his expression.
"Is it Mr. Xu Ran himself?" He repeatedly confirmed.
Xu Ran almost showed him his ID card before the courier handed the package to Liu Ming who was beside him, turned and left.
Liu Ming narrowed his eyes and looked at the back of the courier leaving, and said, "It's rare to have such a dedicated courier these days."
Xu Ran also felt strange. The southern summer sun made him dizzy, and he felt a little palpitation for no reason.
Strange, I had a good rest last night, why are you still so uncomfortable
There was a faint cloud over his heart, Xu Ran tried his best not to be so sensitive, and put all that anxiety behind him.
There was nothing that could hurt him anymore. The so-called heart palpitations were probably an illusion caused by acclimatization.
Liu Ming took this year's vacation very comfortably. He went out for a walk every day, dragging Dong Ziqi and turning around to harm Xu Ran. In addition to the pick-up and drop-off during the day and night on the tutoring day, I also have to drag people around the streets to find snacks on weekends. City C is rich in market culture, even if you transfer for three months, you won't be able to transfer everything.
Xu Ran was inconvenient to walk, so he just sat in front of the store and watched him walk from the street to the end of the street, and then back again.
"It's been too long since I've been away from home, so I just want this taste." Liu Ming slurped up a bowl of pea noodles without any image. The red spicy oil was attached to the noodles, and Xu Ran, who seldom eats spicy food, was salivating.
Xu Ran grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to him, saying, "If you miss home, come back more often."
"How can I let my temper go, I have to make a living." Liu Ming said lightly.
Seeking life, Xu Ran likes this word very much, as if all the unsatisfactory things in life are not worth mentioning in front of this word. No matter whether the waist is bent or straight, I have to go on. Thinking about it this way, the suffering I suffered before is not completely unbearable.
Liu Ming never brought up the subject of He Cheng, but just treated Xu Ran like an ordinary friend, which made him very grateful.
"Everyone has their own secrets, you have yours, I have mine." Liu Ming said, "And I'm not interested in prying into other people's secrets."
It was also the first time Xu Ran had met him to say "I don't care that you are gay" so euphemistically. There are always some miraculous people around him, and if it wasn't for the wrong timing, he would have wanted to introduce Liu Ming and Bai Jinming to each other.
When thinking of Bai Jinming, one has to think of He Cheng. Recently, he began to recall the past frequently. On the one hand, it is because the passion of living alone has gradually receded, and on the other hand, it is because of Dong Ziqi. Looking at him, Xu Ran can always think of his high school days that were neither brilliant nor absurd.
I think of He Cheng more and more, and I gradually get used to it. The heart is no longer throbbing, which is a very good sign.
In mid-July, the weather was so hot that people were stunned. Dong Ziqi didn't feel it when he stayed in the air-conditioned room every day, but it was Xu Ran who always had to run around when he was suffering. Liu Ming suggested that he stay here, since there are plenty of guest rooms here anyway. After much hesitation, Xu Ran agreed to stay until Liu Ming left.
Dong Ziqi will be in the third year of high school when school starts again, and now he needs to make up for the physical and chemical foundation of the first and second year of high school. With him, Xu Ran felt that he had gone through high school again, and he felt nothing but tired every day.
Swaying, to the end of the month.
I don't know when the palpitations will be cured. When Xu Ran thinks about it, he no longer feels uncomfortable. It seems that it is really caused by acclimatization, Xu Ran thought, in autumn, he must go out for a walk more, exercise to improve immunity.
The Dong family's villa was as big as a castle, and two people with limited mobility were trapped, so Liu Ming did all the errands. That day, Xu Ran and Dong Ziqi were making up lessons upstairs, when the doorbell rang outside the gate, Liu Ming put down his phone and went out of the yard to look.
Standing outside the door was a tall man, handsome but with a bad expression, he asked him coldly, "Is Xu Ran there?"
Liu Ming looked at him through the door, and after a while, said, "He Cheng?"
He Cheng's cold eyes swept across his face. He didn't have the slightest impression of this strange face, and he wasn't interested in it at all, he just asked - "Is Xu Ran there?"
Liu Ming grinned and opened the door, "He's here."
"Call him out."
Liu Ming made a "please" gesture, "call yourself."
I don't serve you.
He Cheng snorted coldly and walked past him.
When he walked into the villa, He Cheng thought about how to find Xu Ran, but when he entered the door, he found that he didn't have to worry about it at all.
Xu Ran was standing on the steps on the second floor with a pale face, staring at him blankly.
He Cheng looked at him, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, and ordered as usual—
"Come down."
The author has something to say: This chapter is not easy to divide into sections, it will be updated once every 6,000, and the one at 9 o’clock tonight will not be updated