"Mom, there is a courier for you."
Xu Ran took the heavy paper box from the courier and rushed into the room.
Mother Xu walked over while unfastening her apron, and said, "It's probably a book that your Aunt Lin sent me."
Xu Ran watched her open the express box with bare hands, took out two thick books of yoga illustrations, and asked with a smile, "Which Aunt Lin?"
"It was a colleague from my unit before the move," Xu's mother said, "There is a boy in her family who is two years older than you, and the two of you always play together."
"Is it the one who likes to give me candy?"
"Yes." Mother Xu thought for a while and said, "Her son came back from abroad recently, and he talked about you a few days ago, he said..."
She paused suddenly, and changed the subject, "The weather is nice today, do you want to go for a walk?"
Xu Ran laughed, "I still have work in the afternoon, let's see it tomorrow."
The deputy director's friend's company is working on its own original brand, and more than a dozen people are so busy that even Xu Ran, a non-staff member, has to be on call to change the wiring diagram. Busy is a bit busy, and the most important thing is to be fulfilled. This non-stop rhythm made Xu Ran regain the feeling of chasing competition works all night in the university laboratory.
When he didn't receive work assignments, he was idle, and his parents always wanted him to go out and hang out more, for fear that he would get bored and panic.
Winter in northern cities is the season when you can eat ice cream indoors with bare feet. With the doctor's consent, Xu Ran finally completed the discharge procedures.
The green radish is afraid of the cold, and it is almost useless in winter, and the leaves hang down limply, looking very pitiful.
Only one was still a little bit stronger, so Xu Ran bought new soil to replace it, broke off the yellow leaves, and left thin twigs to hang on the side of the flowerpot and put them in the house.
Green makes the originally deserted room alive. At first Xu Ran didn’t know what to do, but now raising a flower is like raising a small animal. Fertilizing and watering it is so fragile that it must be carefully cared for. It is possible to wake up slowly.
Growing flowers is not Xu's mother's strong point, but it is not complicated for Xu Ran. That is to take care of it from time to time, which is much simpler than taking care of others.
Drawing pictures, playing chess, and growing flowers, these three things took up almost all of his time and energy. Sometimes he can touch the leaves of the dill leaves in front of the window sill and watch for a long time, watching the sun shine through the window and warmly sprinkle on the back of his hands, casting a layer of pale golden light on the whole environment. He likes this feeling, although it is too plain and boring in the eyes of his parents, but it is a rare leisure for him.
This kind of life is his willfulness to God. God played him around and always wanted to give him a chance to be satisfied.
Because the other person has to be put first, before he didn't have time to do what he really wanted to do, now that he was living a good life alone, Xu Ran felt that it would be okay to be self-willed.
He doesn't like the days of chasing people.
He didn't like to wait, didn't like the cold bedroom and words, didn't like being tied at the end of the bed, didn't like being treated like garbage.
He didn't like the way He Cheng treated him from the beginning to the end. But he likes He Cheng.
How strange.
If only he could be gentler. Xu Ran thought, if He Cheng could treat him a little better, even just a little bit, he would be able to pull out those dirty and broken happiness from the mound.
When I was in a daze, my brain couldn't help thinking about the past, and when I recovered, I laughed at myself. What's the use of thinking about these "ifs" now, and it's not like if you think too much, it will come true. I used to hope that He Cheng would look back, but didn't he never realize it
It was cold and windy outside, so Xu Ran didn't want to go out, so he used his work to hide. But the work plan for the afternoon was delayed, and Xu's mother could take him to the street when she got the chance.
"Your Aunt Lin wants to teach me yoga, so you accompany me to buy a better-looking yoga suit."
Xu Ran always felt that this sounded weird, but he didn't grasp the point until he went out.
There were many people in the shopping mall on weekends, Xu Ran was sitting in a wheelchair wearing a thick padded jacket, his face was almost buried by the fur on the collar of his down jacket. Xu's mother bought some messy things for him to hold, and went from store to store by herself.
Xu Ran looked at the various clothes and shoes in his arms and smiled wryly, "Mom, I have just been discharged from the hospital."
"Doctors say you can't stay at home all the time, go out and bask in the sun to replenish calcium." Xu's mother spoke confidently.
Xu Ran thought to himself, what the doctor said is that you can go out, but you should keep warm. But seeing his mother's joy, he was also happy to swallow the words back to his stomach.
Perhaps because of his good mood, he recovered quickly even from his physical injuries. In the past, a small bone fracture did not heal in ten years, but now it has been less than half a year after a car accident, and I can actually go out for a walk, talking and laughing with others.
Two hours later, Xu's mother took him to a coffee shop on the street and said, "You wait for me here, and I will go to the mall next door to buy yoga clothes."
"Ah? Didn't you want me to look at it for you?" Xu Ran was puzzled.
Mother Xu was stunned for a moment, "Ah... That's right, but I have an appointment with someone, please wait for him here for me."
"...Your preface doesn't match the postscript, what's going on?"
Xu's mother really left her son behind without saying anything, leaving Xu Ran alone in the coffee shop.
But mother won't hurt him. Xu Ran sighed, found a corner, and took out the computer from his backpack.
Afraid of urgent work when going out, he took his notebook with him, but when he clicked on the message, he found that the other party hadn't sent the picture, so he could only play chess online.
The tables in the coffee shop are a bit high, and you have to look up to see the computer. After two rounds, Xu Ran raised his head and stretched his stiff arms. After sitting for a long time, there was still some tingling pain in the ribs. He didn't know whether the injury had not healed or some other reason.
Before he raised his hand, a man who had just entered the door was looking over. Xu Ran quickly lowered his arms, but the man walked straight towards him as if he had a heartbeat.
"..."
Seeing him sitting down opposite to him, Xu Ran said helplessly, "Sir, there are already..."
"Are you Xu Ran?"
One sentence made Xu Ran startled, and he didn't react for a long time.
The man laughed and said, "Looking dumb, it must be."
The man has a handsome face, is 1.8 meters tall, tall and has long legs. Xu Ran has to look up at him when he stands up.
"Remember who I am?" the man asked.
Xu Ran shook his head, and the man sighed, "It seems that my mother's candy was for you to eat."
"Ah, you are..."
Xu Ran said "yes" for a long time, and finally found a name from his memory.
"Lin Shen?"
When the man laughed, the corners of his eyes streamed, "You have a pretty good memory."
Lin Shen is the son of Aunt Lin in what his mother said, and Xu Ran was closest to him before junior high school, but after moving to another city, they gradually lost contact.
Back then, the boy who was about the same size as him had grown into an extremely outstanding appearance, Xu Ran thought helplessly, everyone said that he looked old at the age of three, they were both about the same when they were young, and Lin Shen was two years older than him, why should he I can grow so tall, but I am only in my early 170s when I stand up.
Seeing him working hard on the computer, Lin Shen said, "The tables in this store can be adjusted up and down."
"Ah, is it?"
Xu Ran lowered his head, and before he saw where the button was, Lin Shen had already adjusted it neatly.
"Thank you." Xu Ran smiled at him.
Lin Shen has always had a cheerful personality since he was a child, and he hasn't changed a bit after so many years. He went abroad after graduating from a bachelor's degree. He has been studying outside for a Ph. D. and has only recently graduated.
"Then you plan to return to China to work?"
"No, the job has already been decided over there, just go home and have a look before entering the job." Lin Shen said, "Auntie told my mother that you are back, and they want us to meet."
Xu Ran was not sure what the second half of the sentence meant, but just as he was about to ask, an interface for receiving files suddenly appeared on the computer.
Xu Ran said apologetically, "I have a job here, and I may be in a hurry, can I trouble you to wait a moment?"
Lin Shen shrugged, "You are busy, I am fine."
Xu Ran clicked on the compressed package and took a look. Fortunately, there were only two pictures, and they were needed tonight.
It is estimated that the two families will have dinner together in the evening, so let's do it now. Xu Ran apologized to Lin Shen again, and then opened the software to deal with it.
During the period, I occasionally looked up and saw Lin Shen playing with his mobile phone with his head down. When he noticed his gaze, Lin Shen immediately raised his eyes and smiled at him.
Xu Ran always felt that Lin Shen was sizing him up, but it wasn't the kind of uncomfortable sizing, but a temptation without any malice, and it was so generous that he couldn't hate it.
When he was about to finish writing, Lin Shen went to the order counter to say something, and when he came back, he took two glasses of boiled water.
"You can't drink coffee, can you?" He handed the water to Xu Ran who had just sent the document, and joked, "Then drink more hot water."
The temperature of the water is just right, warm to the palm of the hand through the paper cup. Xu Ran was stunned for a moment, and said thank you softly.
Lin Shen asked, "How are you doing now?"
Xu Ran pointed to his leg, "The recovery period may take a while in a wheelchair."
"Do you mind if I ask what happened?"
This question appeared too abruptly, Xu Ran frowned instinctively, but saw Lin Shen's frank expression, as if he was asking this question very seriously.
Xu Ran also had to answer him seriously, "There are many reasons for this. The main reason is that I don't look around when I walk at night."
Lin Shen laughed. Xu Ran found that when he smiled, his eyes would narrow his eyes, as if he was observing the other person's expression, and he described it in unserious words—a bit of a scumbag.
"I minored in psychology abroad," Lin Shen said, "I have a little occupational disease, don't mind."
Xu Ran followed his example and shrugged, "It's okay, I don't mind."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Okay, let's talk about serious business." Lin Shen suddenly sat up straight with a serious expression, "Your mother asked me to come to see you for a reason."
"I know," Xu Ran said, "She thinks I lack a friend."
Mother Xu has talked about this matter several times at home. But Lin Shen shook his head and said, "This is just one of the reasons."
"What else?" Xu Ran became curious.
Lin Shen pretended to look at him mysteriously for a while. It has to be said that his deep pupils had an alluring aura, which made Xu Ran panic.
Then he said, "Second, because I'm like you."
"Same?" Xu Ran didn't respond.
Lin Shen looked at his face, then at his legs, and Xu Ran understood instantly.
"You..." He stammered and blushed, "How could you..."
"It's not uncommon in foreign countries. It's only hidden in China." Lin Shen said indifferently.
Xu Ran was stunned. He found that he had nothing to say, so he could only choose to keep his mouth shut.
This is too bloody, the two people who used to play together like men? Is there such a coincidence in the world
In Lin Shen's words, that is—
"Since you can like it, why can't I like it?"
This is said as if it is normal even if men all over the world like men.
Xu Ran was confused by him.
Just as they were about to ask something, their cell phones rang almost simultaneously. The two mothers finally finished shopping.
When leaving the coffee shop, Lin Shen stepped forward and opened the door. He waited for Xu Ran to pass by, helped him carry the packages, and followed Xu Ran down the ramp for the disabled.
He pushed Xu Ran to a white SUV. If it wasn't for the special wheelchair device, Xu Ran suspected that he would try to hug himself up.
"What do you want to eat? Japanese food? Hot pot?" Lin Shen asked, "Eat some cooked Japanese food, clear soup for hot pot, less meat and oil, and it shouldn't matter if you have a tooth-making festival occasionally, right?"
"It's okay, I don't choose." Xu Ran said.
Lin Shen smiled, "You have been so easy to serve since you were a child."
He slowly drove the car into the main road and merged into the late returning traffic.
Just behind where the SUV was parked just now, in the driver's seat of the black car, He Cheng stared blankly at the direction they left.
He was still holding the phone that was just hung up by the client in his right hand, and the cigarette in his left hand burned his fingertips, making him shiver.
The author has something to say: Thank you Shen Yuan for the sweet cake Lin Zi Kui. Mango Mango Landmines