After Wu Tong left, neither of them spoke. Feng Ning stared quietly at the person in front of her, wondering what he was thinking.
She walked forward in the cold wind.
Jiang Wen followed behind calmly.
Feng Ning lowered his head when he felt something hit his foot softly.
The little yellow dog barked twice and looked at her with wet eyes.
She softened her heart all of a sudden.
Feng Ning squatted down and picked it up again. This time the little yellow dog did not struggle, probably because it recognized her.
Feng Ning suddenly thought of something important and turned to ask, "Have you taken the dog for a checkup?"
Jiang Wen hummed.
“What about the vaccine?”
"Yes."
Feng Ning decided to forgive his childish behavior. She thanked him, "Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome." Jiang Wen said calmly, "I helped you find the dog, you owe me a favor."
Feng Ning frowned slightly.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Wen raised his eyebrows, "Why, you want to default on your debt?"
Feng Ning: "What do you want?"
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll tell you when I've thought about it."
Feng Ning hesitated for a while, but finally agreed to him: "Okay."
Jiang Wen smiled with satisfaction.
Feng Ning shook the puppy in his hand and found a comfortable position for it, "Then I'll take the dog upstairs."
"I'm going too."
Feng Ning stopped moving.
"I picked up the dog and I need to hand it over."
She said, "You'd better stop."
Jiang Wen: "Give it a bath and then I'll leave."
Feng Ning fell silent.
Jiang Wen didn't want to be embarrassed. She actually couldn't do anything to him.
After a stalemate, Feng Ning finally compromised for the little yellow dog.
They took the elevator upstairs. When they got home, she walked in.
I took a quick look and found that the house had been cleaned last night, so it was a little messy, but it was nothing serious.
She used the remote control to turn on the air conditioner, went to the bedroom to change into a sweater, and came out to see Jiang Wen still standing at the door.
Feng Ning rolled up his sleeves and asked in confusion, "Come in, what are you doing standing there? Are you here to be my door god?"
Jiang Wen raised his eyelids and asked, "How can I get in if you didn't give me slippers?"
“… … .”
Feng Ning looked at him for a long time without saying anything.
She looked around and said, "I don't have any slippers or shoe covers for you to wear at home. Just come in with your shoes on."
Jiang Wen frowned, expressing his reluctance, "It will dirty the floor at home."
Quite well-educated.
Feng Ning suggested: "Then why don't you just wear socks? I mopped the floor yesterday."
"I don't want it." Jiang Wen refused righteously, "This is not elegant."
"... ..."
Feng Ning had never met anyone more difficult than Jiang Wen. He was a little impatient and pointed at the door casually: "Then go ahead."
Jiang Wen looked at her silently.
The little yellow dog didn't know what the two were doing. It squatted at Feng Ning's feet for a while and then started to bite Jiang Wen's trouser leg.
She went to the bathroom.
Jiang Wen turned around, touched the door handle and turned it, saying, "Then I'm leaving."
Feng Ning was a little surprised and turned around.
The door was slammed with a loud bang.
She leaned over to take a look and saw that the entrance was empty. Jiang Wen had really left.
This guy's temper is... quite unpredictable.
Feng Ning was stunned for a few seconds, not sure whether he was relieved or something else.
I went to the balcony and looked down for a while, but didn't see anything.
Feng Ning went to the bathroom to run the water. He felt the water temperature slowly change from ice to hot and was about to bring the dog in.
The doorbell rang. Feng Ning wiped his hands and walked to the door. "Who is it?"
A familiar voice came: "Who else but me?"
Feng Ning opened the door and looked at the person who had left and returned, "What's wrong? Didn't you leave?"
Jiang asked: "I can't come back?"
Feng Ning: “…”
As soon as she saw what he was holding, Feng Ning realized, "Did you buy a pair of slippers specifically for this?"
Jiang Wen threw the snack he had bought on the ground and hummed.
Feng Ning was completely speechless.
Young Master Jiang finally put on his slippers as he wished. He looked around the living room like a leader inspecting something.
The two of them entered the bathroom, and Feng Ning found a basin. Jiang Wen rolled up his sleeves and half-knelt. He had long legs, and it was a bit difficult to stretch them in this small place.
The little yellow dog was a little resistant to taking a bath, whimpering and struggling.
The two of them and the dog were competing. Feng Ning held its legs with one hand and rubbed the soap into bubbles. Xiao Huang was stubborn and moved his other hoof around, splashing water all over her face.
Feng Ning laughed in anger, shook her head, and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Under the bright light, her eyes were bright and watery. Occasionally she looked up and saw Jiang Wen looking back at her.
I was stunned and a little embarrassed.
Both of them stopped at the same time and turned their faces away unnaturally.
It took half an hour to wash the dog. Feng Ning found a hair dryer and blew its fur dry. After that, he wrapped the dog in a large bath towel.
When I stood up, I suddenly heard a cooing sound.
Feng Ning paused.
They looked at each other and she said, "You didn't eat?"
Jiang Wen was not embarrassed, and said in a low voice with a hint of complaint, "I haven't eaten yet. I've been waiting for you."
It might be an illusion, but Feng Ning actually heard a hint of grievance in his words.
Glancing at the clock in the living room, she said, "Then go have dinner. We're almost done here."
Jiang asked: "What to eat?"
Feng Ning was puzzled: "How should I know?"
He asked as a matter of course: "I waited for you for several hours in the cold wind with my dog, don't you even cook a meal for me?"
Feng Ning had nothing to say.
She settled the dog down and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. She had cooked some dumplings for breakfast before leaving the house, and the pots and bowls were still soaking in the sink.
She tidied up briefly.
Jiang Wen made a phone call outside and went into the bathroom.
"Feng Ning."
Young Master Jiang started calling her again.
"What happened again?"
Feng Ning went out with a spatula in his hand, and the moment he saw him, his voice stopped abruptly.
Jiang Wenchi, with his upper body naked, resting one hand on the door frame, asked, "Where did you put the hair dryer?"
Feng Ning had seen all kinds of storms and waves, and pointed at him with a spatula: "What are you doing?"
He looked down at himself, not feeling embarrassed at all: "My clothes are all wet, I can't wear them anymore, what should I do if I catch a cold?"
Seeing that she ignored him, Jiang Wen asked again, "You just want to make me feel bad, right?"
Feng Ning had never seen such a big and delicate man, "Taking off clothes in a single woman's house is a very dangerous behavior, you know."
Jiang asked: “?”
He said, "Then just control yourself and don't have any thoughts about me."
"... ..."
Thickness is something that can be cultivated. Once you risk it, the rest will be much easier. In his lifetime, Feng Ning could actually be choked by him and be speechless.
She stared at Jiang Wen for a while and took out her cell phone from her pocket.
"You might as well take off your pants too."
Jiang asked: “?”
Feng Ning sneered, raised his phone, and took a few photos of Jiang Wen from head to toe.
He suddenly realized what was happening and subconsciously covered his chest. Jiang Wen pretended to be calm: "What are you doing?"
"Aren't you quite capable?"
Feng Ning shook the phone back and forth, "Take off your clothes, preferably all naked. I can take a full set of photos and post your nude photos and contact information on a pornographic website, so that more people can appreciate them. What do you think?"
Jiang Wen was stunned.
"The hair dryer is on the coffee table in the living room."
After saying this, Feng Ning turned around and went back to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Wen came out dressed and said, "You are the most vicious woman I have ever seen."
Feng Ning ignored him, bent down, and took out a few bags of frozen food from the refrigerator.
Jiang Wen said, "I don't like this."
Feng Ning looked up at her and put the food back. "Where are the dumplings? Do you want to eat them?"
“No.”
She rolled her eyes secretly, not very happy, "So what do you want to eat?"
"Let's eat noodles."
“I’m out of noodles at home.”
Jiang Wen instructed her, "Use the Ele.me app, buy now, and there are supermarket delivery."
He has many requirements for eating noodles: they cannot be too soft or too hard.
Feng Ning cooked for him patiently.
Young Master Jiang leaned over and gave instructions in a clear and cheerful voice, "Don't put too much salt and vinegar. Keep the ratio at 2:1. Also, I don't like ginger and garlic..."
Finally, she lost her patience and said slowly: "Can you say another word?"
Jiang Wen fell silent.
After a while, he whispered, "Why are you so fierce?"
The water in the pot boiled. After calculating the time, Feng Ning scooped up some noodles with chopsticks: "Your chanting is giving me a headache."
"I was helping you find your dog yesterday and was nearly hit by a car. You get annoyed when I say a few more words to you? Is that how you express your gratitude?"
He repeated his tactic of playing the victim last time. This time, Feng Ning was not moved at all. "To be honest, if you stand on the moral high ground, I really have nothing to refute you. But sorry, I have been living in the moral basin since I was born. Moral kidnapping has no effect on me. If you know what's good for you, just get out now and do whatever you want. If you keep buzzing in my ear like a fly, don't blame me for being rude."
Jiang Wen laughed angrily.
Feng Ning added slowly: "I don't know if you still remember, I learned martial arts."
Jiang asked: "..."
...
...
Out of politeness, Feng Ning sat opposite Jiang Wen and talked to him while he was eating.
The yellow dog, who had just taken a bath, was lazily walking around. This moment was a little subtle. The TV in the living room was playing a variety show, the lights in the restaurant were a warm yellow, and there was a light rain outside the window.
The bits and pieces of the past seemed to slowly awaken from memory. For a few seconds, a long-lost, unfamiliar warmth invaded Feng Ning's heart.
Suddenly, Jiang asked, "Do you want to eat too?"
Feng Ning came back to his senses, "Huh?"
"Why are you staring at my chopsticks?"
Feng Ning said casually, "I'm sleepy."
She yawned, "Have you finished eating? If you are, leave. I am going to take a shower and go to bed. I have to go to work tomorrow."
Jiang Wen didn't act weird this time. He silently finished the little food left in the bowl.
The rain outside hadn't stopped yet, Feng Ning brought him an umbrella and said, "Send me a message when you get home."
Jiang Wen changed his shoes at the entrance and nodded.
Send the person away and lock the door.
The little yellow dog swayed and curled up at her feet.
With her back against the shoe cabinet, Feng Ning stared at the chandelier in front of her for a while. She might be having a relapse.
Jiang Wen had been noisy all night, and she was annoyed. Now that he was gone, the room finally returned to peace.
It was obviously no different from usual, but Feng Ning felt a little lonely.
It's late at night and everyone is asleep.
It seems too quiet.
The next day was New Year’s Eve.
Tomorrow is New Year's Day, and the company has given us a holiday in the afternoon.
Feng Ning was dragged out by Min Yueyue to have a meal.
This young lady has been having an affair with Bai Hongyi recently and has no time to bother Feng Ning. Today, Bai Hongyi is on a business trip abroad and can't come back, so she finally thought of Feng Ning.
Min Yueyue was still as talkative as ever, blabbering on about nonsense, from bags to shoes, and suddenly she remembered something, "Oh, by the way, there will be a New Year's Eve party later, let's go together. My brother and a few of his friends, there is a Chinese-American mixed-race among them, tall and handsome, do you want to meet him?"
Feng Ning: "Were you a matchmaker in your previous life? You always wanted to introduce men to me? Am I that hungry?"
Min Yueyue pouted and looked at her eagerly, "You know I'm usually free, so I don't have anything to worry about. I can only worry about you."
She had a goldfish brain, and when she mentioned this, she suddenly thought of Jiang Wen and asked expectantly, "Have you two made any progress?"
Feng Ning didn't answer.
After dinner, Min Yueyue took her to a nearby cosmetics store. When Min Yueyue was swiping her card, she suddenly received a call.
Feng Ning frowned after hearing what was said over there, "Where are you going?"
"I'll tell you when I get there. Where are you?"
She glanced at Min Yueyue and said, "Let's forget about it today."
His voice lowered a notch: "Forget it?"
"I'm with my friend."
"Then repay the favor you owe me today."
After saying this, Jiang Wen hung up the phone without giving her any room to refuse.
The phone vibrated.
-61nfiawj: Address sent.
... .
... .
They stood at the entrance of a busy shopping mall.
Jiang Wen came very quickly. His short black hair was a little messy. He was wearing a very formal single-breasted velvet coat with a little waist, a charcoal gray British suit underneath, and clean leather shoes.
He walked over from a distance, causing the girl next to him to turn around. Min Yueyue exclaimed in admiration, "So handsome."
When the others came over, Min Yueyue refused to let go of Feng Ning's hand and deliberately made things difficult for him: "What? Ning Ning said she would accompany me tonight."
Jiang Wen stood there, first looking at Feng Ning, then at Min Yueyue. He narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled, "Can you let me cut in line?"
"... ..."
There was no resistance at all. Min Yueyue was so mesmerized by his smile that she surrendered on the spot and handed Feng Ning over immediately. "Okay, okay, she's yours. I won't disturb your world of two."
...
After Min Yueyue left, the two were left facing each other, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
Jiang Wen handed something to her.
After staring at the ticket for half a minute, Feng Ning hesitated and asked, "What are you doing?"
He looked her in the eyes, "I want you to stay with me for one night."
Feng Ning didn't understand at first.
I took it, turned the plane ticket over, and saw the place name on it.
She understood.
Feng Ning might have been possessed by an evil spirit.
She came to her senses while checking her ticket and reflected on herself, wondering why she had agreed to Jiang Wen in such a rush of impulse.
After he looked at her like that for a few times, she seemed to have lost all her rationality.
After the reunion, they moved closer to each other, moved away from each other, tested each other, and tortured each other. They knew that it was almost time for them to end up like this, and they had already made the decision in their hearts.
She boasted that she had a will of steel, but when faced with him, she allowed herself to sink again and again.
Feng Ning was a little angry.
—With myself.
It was a one and a half hour flight from Shanghai to Nancheng, and she didn't say a word.
Until the cabin began to play, Ladies and gentlemen, I am the captain of this flight, we are about to land at Nancheng Airport, please put away the small table. The ground temperature at the airport is 2 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity...
Feng Ning pushed up the sliding plate of the small window and looked at the brightly lit city. In the gentle night, the bright lights were like a golden river, running through the entire South City.
As I watched, all the resistance in my heart suddenly disappeared.
Jiang Wen put away the magazine at hand.
The plane has started taxiing.
About ten minutes later, the cabin door opened. They were at the front, and the wind blew all over their faces as they went down.
The cold air completely enveloped Feng Ning. He shivered, stamped his feet on the spot, and wrapped his coat tightly around him.
She didn't ask Jiang Wen what he was going to do by booking two tickets back to South City today.
She didn't need to ask.
They all know each other very well what New Year's Eve means to them.
The airport is about half a car ride away from the city.
Feng Ning looked at the familiar scenery outside the window, took out some fruit candy from his pocket, handed one to Jiang Wen, and ate one himself.
She turned around, "Where are we going?"
Jiang Wen replied: "I don't know."
There was silence all the way again.
Compared with eight years ago, South City has not changed much. Some old buildings have been demolished, and new ones have been built, and the city is still prosperous.
Songs were playing everywhere on the street, some celebrating the New Year, some love songs. JJ Lin sang in the joyous atmosphere, smiling and saying that love makes people crazy... ... crying and saying that love makes people nervous... ... ... If you can't forget that person, just surrender... ...
I don’t know how long I walked.
"Feng Ning."
She was staring at a cute panda rock across the street and was a little slow to react. "Huh?"
"Last time, we took this route as well."
Such a random sentence, coming so suddenly.
But, almost in an instant, Feng Ning realized what he was saying.
Jiang Wen said in a very light voice, "After we got off the bus that day, I followed you all the time. You stepped on the manhole cover, and I followed suit."
"In the end, you didn't look back."
Feng Ning calmed down and interrupted him, "Jiang Wen, this is all in the past."
"Yes, it's over a long time ago."
Feng Ning's heart twitched and he stopped.
He lowered his dark eyes and repeated, "It's time to end."
Looking at each other, Feng Ning said: "So... this is why you brought me back to South City today?"
Jiang Wen's eyes were fixed on her.
Just when Feng Ning thought he was going to say something.
"Wait for me for ten minutes."
Feng Ning didn't follow him, "What?"
"Wait here for me for ten minutes."
After saying this, Jiang Wen turned and left.
...
...
I waited in the cold wind for less than ten minutes, and when my heart gradually calmed down, he came back.
Feng Ning tucked his hands into his sleeves to keep warm, watching Jiang Wen walk towards him step by step.
He came closer and she noticed that his face was slightly flushed.
Feng Ning smelled a familiar smell, "What did you do just now? Drinking?"
Jiang Wen tilted his head and confessed to her, "I just drank a bottle of Moutai."
He drank a small bottle of Moutai almost in one gulp. He drank too fast and too quickly.
From the tip of the tongue to the throat, spicy and hot.
Feng Ning was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, a little helpless, "Are you stupid? Why are you drinking?"
He said with a temper: "Be brave."
A brief silence.
Jiang Wen said in a hoarse voice: "I'll take my time..."
Feng Ning: "How much did you drink? Do I need to take you to the hospital?"
Jiang Wen shook his head.
She squatted on the ground with him for a while.
The alcohol slowly began to evaporate in his body, his brain slowly began to feel heavy, and Jiang Wen felt a little dazed. He couldn't tell whether it was the past or the present.
Feng Ning looked around and prepared to go to the convenience store to buy him a bottle of water. Just as he was about to leave, someone grabbed his hand.
Feng Ning was stunned.
He grabbed her hand, borrowed some strength, and stood up.
After the people stood firm, Feng Ning wanted to pull his hand back.
Jiang Wen didn't let go.
Both of their hands were sweaty and entangled wetly.
"What are you doing?"
Feng Ning clearly felt that Jiang Wen looked at her and hesitated for a moment.
Then he pulled Feng Ning and hugged her in his arms.
Feng Ning struggled, "Jiang Wen, don't pretend to be crazy because of the alcohol."
Jiang Wen acted like a child throwing a tantrum and said fiercely, "Don't move."
After being angry, he murmured aggrievedly, "It's uncomfortable..."
After drinking too much, he seemed like a completely different person. She had never seen Jiang Wen so vulnerable.
Feng Ning stopped talking and let him hold her.
As if it had been tacitly approved.
The two of them maintained this posture, hugging each other, standing still on the busy street, attracting many curious glances from passers-by.
..
...
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Wen suddenly said, "Feng Ning, I lied."
There was a commotion coming from the roadside. She looked at the tree a few meters away, said nothing, and listened to him.
"I said, just because I remember what happened in the past doesn't mean I still care."
Jiang Wen said it again, "I lied."
Jiang Wen was really drunk.
Feng Ning thought.
"A few years before I went abroad, I hated you. I tried to live a new life. I didn't dare to stop myself, afraid to think of you again, the bus we took together, the dishes you cooked, the cakes, the gifts you gave me, the sticky notes. I didn't dare to think of any of them. I was afraid that I would regret breaking up with you."
"You like Nietzsche, so I went to all the bookstores in New Haven. Every time I think of you, I hope you are doing well, but I am also afraid that you are doing too well."
The voice was so low that it was hidden, full of ambiguity, shyness, and a mixture of sweet sadness.
Feng Ning's throat was choked.
"Before, I felt pain because I couldn't get your response. At that time, I knew for the first time that loving someone could be so desperate. For me, giving up on you or not is torture."
At that time, she only had a brief taste and lay motionless on the shore.
But his love has reached the bottom, he is stuck in the mud and cannot extricate himself.
Jiang Wen's voice was heavily nasal. He pretended to be relaxed: "In the end, I was too smart and I was scared, so I chose to back off. I wanted to forget you."
"Stop talking, Jiang Wen."
Feng Ning's body trembled slightly, his heart contracted suddenly, and he dared not listen any more.
She was afraid, but also secretly longing.
"It took me eight years to figure it out. So what if you don't like me as much as I do?"
In a place that Feng Ning couldn't see, emotions that were difficult to conceal surged in his eyes.
"After breaking up with you, I felt relieved. But every minute and every second since then, I have never been happy again."
Jiang Wen spoke one sentence after another, drunk to the core, his breathing heavy and hot.
Feng Ning was almost out of breath as he was bearing the weight of his body.
Every word he said was like a knife, carving into her heart.
Jiang Wen's eyes were red, he leaned over to her ear and whispered softly: "Feng Ning, I love you."
Her heart stopped.
Finally, a tear that was about to fall fell into her neck with a plop. "I have loved you since I was sixteen. Always, always."
The author has something to say: Double update~