Xun Yuming sent Zhuang Yi away, closed the door silently, and stared blankly for a while with his back against the wall.
The apples on the table have oxidized, and the burnt yellow syrup has precipitated on the surface. It looks like something that has not been touched for a long time, like their expired love. Dreams are fragile, fireworks are easy to be cold, and things that are too beautiful are always too short.
He tore off the plastic sheet on the fruit basket, and put the dragon fruit, peaches, mangoes... in the refrigerator one by one, leaving a red apple lying alone in the basket. Xun Yuming took it out and washed it, put it on the bar counter to take a photo, and set it as the avatar of his private blog.
The last time they shared an apple was at the snowy New York airport before the freshman winter vacation. The holiday came late that year, the day I left school was already on the 21st, and there were only four days left before Christmas.
Xun Yuming would go back to China to visit his grandfather at this time of year every year, and he would only go back during the double holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day, so that his grandfather would not blame him for wasting the air ticket money. He had packed his luggage a month earlier, looking forward to this day day and night, and was so happy that he walked on drums.
Zhuang Yi went back to New York for vacation, his parents were there, and after two days, he went to London to see his grandmother. It just so happens that the air ticket booked by Xun Yuming needs to transfer to JFK. These days, only domestic airlines have empty tickets for international flights at San Jose Airport, but the price is much more expensive than the air tickets from local airlines in California. Stay a little longer, then go the other way and go all the way to New York to change planes.
The day before leaving, the School of Biology held a winter party and invited students to decorate together. Zhuang Yi, Xun Yuming and several other students were in charge of the drinks department, and the group drove all the way to the Chinese Super League in San Francisco for shopping.
Several people split up, some went to get drinks, some went to find champagne. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town was playing on the stereo in the supermarket, Zhuang Yi hooked Xun Yuming's shoulder, wandered aimlessly, Xun Yuming said, "Shall we not buy some apples?"
The day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so apples must be exchanged in advance at night.
In just half a year, Xun Yuming has grown a little taller, standing next to Zhuang Yi is no longer a small person, he is in a supermarket with people coming and going, like a small animal breaking into the city, with a little trepidation The overwhelmed look wanted someone to take a bite.
Seeing him drooping his head, Zhuang Yi picked up a green apple, handed it to him and said, "Santa Claus is going into town, why are you still pouting?"
Xun Yuming twitched the corners of his mouth, thinking that he would not be able to see each other for half a month during the holiday, yet he could still laugh. "Then buy it or not?"
Zhuang Yi nodded, pointed to the apple in his palm, and said with a smile, "I've already given you mine."
"Oh." Xun Yuming held the green apple in both hands, and asked with a puzzled face: "But don't you always give red apples on Christmas Eve? Why do you give green apples?"
"I like it." Zhuang Yi raised his mouth and blinked at him, "This is a Chinese custom, and Americans don't give them away. However, you can buy a few, and give one to each of your roommates and classmates tomorrow." , get on good terms with them."
Xun Yuming followed his advice and took a paper bag, picked and picked in the apple section, and also picked a bunch of green apples. "Actually, since you accompanied me to treat them to ice cream last time, we have reconciled."
Cannibalism has a short mouth, and Chinese proverbs contain ancient and modern wisdom. Now Neil and several of his buddies have a good relationship with Xun Yuming, and even reserve a seat for him in class.
Seeing that he was holding green apples, Zhuang Yi was slightly displeased, and asked, "Why don't you take red ones?"
Don't you know what it means to send green apples
Xun Yuming glanced at the HoneyCrisp next to him. When it comes to Christmas, all the fruits go up, and the price is 5.99 a pound, which is three times more expensive than usual. He took out a few pieces of change from his trouser pocket, and said, "The green ones are pretty good, so let's buy the green ones."
Zhuang Yi turned his head and ignored him, and the two went to the cashier to pay the bill, and returned to school with a few classmates who bought drinks. Xun Yuming was sitting in the co-pilot, holding the brown paper bag, peeping around from time to time.
There were three classmates sitting in the back row. He had something to say that he didn't want to say in front of others. He buried one hand in his bag and held back for the whole journey. Zhuang Yi held the bottom of the steering wheel with his right hand, and supported his head with his left hand on the car door. He drove forward in silence, and there was only music singles in the car.
When he got to the place, Xun Yuming waited for him with his schoolbag and things in his arms, Zhuang Yi parked the car, and strode forward with one hand in his pocket. Xun Yuming didn't know why he was angry, so he had to quickly catch up. While running, he dropped his schoolbag, so he had to free his hands to press it. When he passed the church, the paper bag in his arms fell out of his hand and dropped a field of apples.
Zhuang Yi walked for a while, but he didn't catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. Looking back, he was bending over to pick up apples. There was a big hole in the kraft paper bag, Xun Yuming lifted up the hem of his clothes to replace it, but there were too many apples, he picked them up and dropped them.
"You can't use a book bag?" Zhuang Yi went to pick up the apple and reached out to reach his school bag.
Xun Yuming covered it, "No way!"
"Why not?" Zhuang Yi frowned: "What treasure did you put inside?"
"You...don't worry about it." Xun Yuming picked up the last apple, put it in his arms, and continued to walk towards the biology department.
It was almost dusk, the sun was shining on Stanford, the orange sky and the khaki buildings, with a piece of green grass sandwiched, it was the most beautiful time of the day. There are lights and festoons everywhere in the college, a huge cedar tree is placed in front of the auditorium, and there are long tables around it, with a lot of food on it, and the sound of music makes people's eardrums itchy.
As soon as Zhuang Yi entered the door, the focus of the audience immediately shifted from the dance floor to him. A group of people rushed up, some came to pull him, and some were for the wine in his hand. Xun Yuming was instantly squeezed to the outer circle, put down the apple with his flat mouth, and piled his schoolbag in the corner.
Neil walked up to him with a finger sandwich in his mouth, wondering: "You bought so many apples?"
"In Chinese, apple and peace are homonyms." Xun Yuming picked out one for him, "Merry Christmas!"
"Hahaha, Merry Christmas!" Seeing the color of the apple, Neil leaned forward with a smile, and patted his shoulder with a big hand, "Don't you all give red apples? You are really different."
Xun Yuming looked at Zhuang Yi, and murmured in Chinese: "Yes, it's different."
"What?" Neil didn't understand, and turned his head to stick a note in his direction.
"It's nothing, I said one for each person, you can share it for me." Xun Yuming picked up a plastic bag, put all the apples in it, and handed them all to Neil.
Zhuang Yi squeezed out from the noisy crowd, seeing the two of them standing together, he asked with a smile, "What are you talking about?"
"We're making a bet." Neil smirked, "Look how many girls' apples you get tonight."
Many girls in the department bought apples. Zhuang Yi is a handsome gentleman who is good at sports, and his grades are far ahead. He usually has many suitors. Knowing that there is a custom of giving apples in China, everyone fell in love with him.
With a smile on the corner of Zhuang Yi's mouth, he glanced at his arms: "You have collected quite a lot."
I don’t know when it started, between young men and women, giving apples has also been endowed with the meaning of love. Probably at this age with pink bubbles, everything can be related to love.
After the party, Zhuang Yi's arms were full of apples. He looked like a farmer with a good harvest, and his face was full of happiness. Xun Yuming sat in the rear compartment with his schoolbag in his arms, looked at the night outside the window and did not talk to him.
Zhuang Yi glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and took the initiative to ask: "You are on the plane tomorrow morning, we have to fly to New York tonight, have you packed everything?"
Xun Yuming leaned on his chin and hummed, "It's packed." His expression was indifferent.
The two returned to Zhuang Yi's off-campus dormitory, and Xun Yuming went upstairs to get his luggage. Zhuang Yi put the pile of love apples covered with post-it notes into the bag, and stuffed a Christmas card into the bag. Neighbor's door.
The suitcases were piled up in the living room, and he went to Xun Yuming's room to check. The balcony door was wide open, and a schoolbag was thrown on the bed with its mouth open. Zhuang Yi poked his head to look at the clothes collector on the balcony, and then at the schoolbag he was not allowed to see. After a battle between man and nature, the gentleman education he had received since childhood played a role at the critical moment, and finally he did not peek.
Xun Yuming came in with dry clothes, folded them neatly, and handed him a stack: "Your."
Zhuang Yi usually washes his clothes and dries them directly, but Xun Yuming is not used to using a dryer, and he is always afraid that his few clothes will be ruined. In addition, he always takes the initiative to wash clothes after he comes. Gradually, drying The dryer was put on hold.
"thanks."
Zhuang Yi took the clothes into the big bedroom, took out his small suitcase, locked the door, took the key, and the two went to the airport together.
It takes six hours to fly from San Francisco to New York, and there is a three-hour jet lag. Xun Yuming is not used to staying up late, and feels sleepy as soon as he boards the plane. He was intolerant to caffeine, and Zhuang Yi was afraid of causing sinus arrhythmia, so he didn't dare to drink tea for him, so he let him sleep on his shoulder.
"You're not angry with me anymore?" Xun Yuming covered him with a blanket, leaned on him, and looked up at him.
The corners of Zhuang Yi's mouth curled up, his dimples glowed softly, "I'm sorry, that's really... so rude."
He pointed out that he walked in front and asked Xun Yuming to chase after him, but Xun Yuming thought it was him accepting the love apple: "Then will you accept it in the future?"
"What?" Zhuang Yi raised his eyebrows and asked.
Xun Yuming came to his senses, knowing that he would make a mistake, lowered his head to pull the quilt, and said: "It's nothing." After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The plane arrived at JFK, it was already past four o'clock in the morning. The latitude of New York is too high, and it is not as warm as California. When you step out of the spiral staircase, everything is white, and there has been a heavy snowfall.
Zhuang Yi took out a fur coat from the suitcase he carried with him, put it on the shivering Xun Yuming, and said warmly: "Put it on quickly, don't catch a cold."
"It's... cold... ah." Xun Yuming's teeth were shaking from the cold, and the sound of "tat-tat-tat" was very much like a little squirrel eating a pine nut.
"There is an air conditioner in the waiting hall, go quickly." Zhuang Yi dragged him to run wildly, jumped over the electric door and stepped into the hall, warm wind blowing towards his face, immediately warming him up.
Xun Yuming rubbed his hands, looked at his watch, and urged: "It's almost five o'clock, you should go home quickly, the road will definitely be difficult to walk when it snows."
Zhuang Yi checked his luggage for him, bought him a cup of sago dew, rubbed his heart, and said with a smile: "Then I'm leaving? You pay attention to your own safety, remember to call me when you get off the plane..." Thinking of him In a frugal style, he changed his words: "Send a message."
"Okay." Xun Yuming sent him to the door, Zhuang Yi waved at him, and was about to stop the car when he heard him shout: "Wait a minute!"
The reluctance that surged up in Xun Yuming's heart became stronger and stronger one after another. It felt like a pool of water drowning him in it. Out of thin air, he had a burst of courage, and rushed to Zhuang Yi, saying: "I still have something for you."
He took off his schoolbag and opened it, reached in and fumbled for a long time, and took out an apple, "Here you are, Merry Christmas!"
The bright red red snake fruit costs 5.99 dollars a pound, and he only bought one.
Zhuang Yi accepted it with a smile, bent down slightly, and looked into his eyes: "Merry Christmas, little ear, I will miss you."
Xun Yuming met his eyes, pursed his lips, leaned into his ear and said, "Well, actually... today is my birthday."
The author has something to say: JFK: Kennedy International Airport.
HoneyCrisp: Honeycrisp, one of the varieties of apples.