The secretary was fast and booked a flight to Europe in one fell swoop, the next morning.
But at night, Zhou Wenyan received an international call from Zhou's father.
"I heard from the secretary that you booked a flight to Europe?" The voice from the phone immediately knew that it was a pampered middle-aged man, "What's the matter?"
Zhou Wenyan's fingers rubbed the phone case unconsciously, and replied nonchalantly, "I just happened to be going to Europe for some business, so I came to see you."
Father Zhou smiled heartily: "That's no need, we're about to go back to China."
Zhou Wenyan's eyes dimmed, and there was no fluctuation in his tone: "Didn't you say you have to play for another two months?"
Zhou's father said, "Hey, because of the unexpected situation, your mother was a little uncomfortable, so she came back first. We will take the plane the day after tomorrow, so we don't need to pick it up."
After finishing speaking, Zhou's father was about to hang up, and Zhou Wenyan stopped him by saying, "I have something I want to ask you."
Father Zhou: "What's the matter?"
Zhou Wenyan: "Do you remember the master who treated me back then?"
Father Zhou hesitated for a moment: "Remember, what's wrong?"
Zhou Wenyan: "What is the origin of the master?"
Father Zhou: "It was introduced by someone else. At that time, I was thinking of giving it a try. I didn't expect it to be cured. Later, the master wandered around, and I didn't hear any news after that."
Zhou Wenyan got to the bottom of it: "Who introduced it?"
"It's been so long, I've long forgotten..." Father Zhou snorted, "Let's talk about it when I get back."
Father Zhou seemed to be afraid of what Zhou Wenyan would ask again. The phone hung up very quickly, and the screen went dark all of a sudden.
Zhou Wenyan put down the phone.
Shen Dongqing was playing the game with the controller, when he heard Zhou Wenyan's movement, he paused the game and turned to look at him.
Zhou Wenyan: "It's okay."
He sat cross-legged beside Shen Dongqing.
Shen Dongqing gave him a handle.
Zhou Wenyan was a little absent-minded. He made two small mistakes twice in a row and died in front of the boss. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead and said in a low voice, "I'm not in the state, I didn't play well."
Shen Dongqing: "It's alright." He started over again skillfully, not forgetting to care about the people around him, "What's wrong?"
Zhou Wenyan: "I always find it strange."
boom-
After some operations, the boss fell to the ground, and the words "clearance" were displayed on the screen.
Shen Dongqing then took the time to reply: "What's so strange?"
Zhou Wenyan put his hands on his knees, lowered his head and thought for a moment: "I can't say it, but I just feel..." He couldn't say this feeling, and all kinds of words rolled around on his tongue, and finally said, "We Go back to the old house and have a look."
He wanted to look at the game itself again.
Shen Dongqing wondered: "Why are you going back?"
Zhou Wenyan: "Go to the basement." He is very mobile and has already got up to drive.
Shen Dongqing raised his hand and grabbed the hem of Zhou Wenyan's shirt, pulled him and looked up at him: "Do you want to see the game itself?" He tilted his head, "But you can't get in."
Zhou Wenyan was a little surprised: "Can't get in?"
"Yes." Shen Dongqing pursed his lips and pointed to the jade gourd on his wrist, "The controller can only be used once, and now no one can enter the core of the game."
Zhou Wenyan looked down.
The jade gourd, which was originally transparent and moist, became dim, and a dent was cracked on the surface, as if it would crack with a light touch.
Shen Dongqing: "It's useless to go, it's only the basement."
Zhou Wenyan stared at the jade gourd without saying a word. Listening to Shen Dongqing's explanation, he seemed to have caught something, but it was vague, and he didn't know how to connect it all together.
Let's wait for Zhou's mother and Zhou's mother to come back. If there is any conspiracy, I will know when I see them.
Two days later.
Although Zhou's father said that there was no need to pick up the plane, Zhou Wenyan still calculated the time and arrived at the airport early.
Shen Dongqing sat next to Zhou Wenyan, rubbed his eyes, and there were a few tears in the corners of his eyes. After solving the game, he was completely relieved and became an Internet-addicted teenager. He played the game until late last night and is still sleepy now.
Zhou Wenyan reached out and put his hand on his shoulder: "Squint for a while."
Shen Dongqing opened her red eyes and asked vaguely, "Is it almost there?"
Zhou Wenyan glanced at the electronic screen and said, "It's still a while."
Shen Dongqing made a "hmm" sound, leaned on his shoulder, and closed his eyes.
And Zhou Wenyan sat there, staring at the electronic screen directly opposite, scrolling the news of various flights, which happened to be the flight of Zhou's father.
It may be an international flight, and the time it should have arrived was delayed a lot. Zhou Wenyan looked at the time that was pushed further and further behind, and suddenly a red light flashed, and the arrival time of that line became "emergency landing due to weather changes, flight arrival time delayed".
As soon as he saw the news, Zhou Wenyan received a call from his secretary.
"Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou's plane couldn't land, and now it has to land elsewhere." The secretary said, "Mr. Zhou makes you do not have to wait."
Zhou Wenyan: "Where is the forced landing?"
The secretary gave him an address.
Zhou Wenyan: "Got it."
This action woke Shen Dongqing, he half-opened his eyes and looked over.
Zhou Wenyan: "I'm going to buy two airline tickets, do you have your ID card?"
Shen Dongqing: "...I don't have one." He is a person without an ID card. Even if he does, he belongs to this body. He doesn't know how to occupy this body, and he doesn't even know his original name or identity.
You can't fly without an ID card.
Zhou Wenyan pressed his temple: "Can you be here alone?"
Shen Dongqing blinked and said hesitantly, "...Okay." He hadn't been separated from Zhou Wenyan for too long.
Zhou Wenyan was also reluctant to leave Shen Dongqing, but there was no way, he had to see Zhou's father and Zhou's mother in person.
The two went to the place where the tickets were purchased and asked when the fastest ticket to that city was, but were told that due to the weather, the flight during this time may be delayed or even cancelled.
Zhou Wenyan asked, "How long will it be delayed?"
The conductor smiled embarrassedly: "The weather is unpredictable."
That is to say, I don't know when it will be better.
Zhou Wenyan was in a hurry and dared to go to that city. He calculated that it would only take a few hours to drive. Compared with the plane that would be delayed, it must be faster to drive. He immediately changed a plan and prepared to drive there.
The two hurried to the underground parking lot and drove the car out.
When I got outside, I found that the sky was gloomy, and the heavy rain was accompanied by lightning and thunder.
Shen Dongqing leaned against the glass window holding the pillow, looked at the glass that had been hit by the rain, and whispered, "I don't think something is right."
Zhou Wenyan stopped the car, leaned over to help him buckle the seat belt, kissed his cheek again, and said, "No matter what happens, I'm here."
Shen Dongqing was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "I forgot to bring my power bank."
The atmosphere suddenly became a little strange.
Zhou Wenyan laughed, and took Shen Dongqing's mobile phone forcefully: "You are not allowed to play with mobile phones in the car."
Shen Dongqing was wronged.
Zhou Wenyan pretended not to see it and looked straight ahead.
Shen Dongqing tried twice without success, snorted, turned her head and closed her eyes, but she fell asleep with her eyes closed.
He opened his eyes in a daze, and found that the glass of the front window of the car seemed to have been splashed with water, and he could vaguely see a sign in front of it that read "High Speed Prohibited".
"Can't open?" he asked.
Zhou Wenyan: "Well." He put on a reverse gear, reversed the car, and drove back slowly.
Shen Dongqing yawned: "It's quite difficult."
Zhou Wenyan said: "I think there is a force that prevents us from leaving here."
Shen Dongqing: "What power?"
Zhou Wenyan held the steering wheel and slowly spit out two words: "Game."
Shen Dongqing suddenly became energetic: "But—"
But halfway through, he couldn't speak.
It happened that there was a red light at the intersection ahead, Zhou Wenyan stepped on the brakes and stopped, turning his head to look at Shen Dongqing.
"Don't you think it's very similar to the game copy?"
The same is true of the game copy, which traps the player in a fixed place, and the player cannot leave this area.
Shen Dongqing pondered for a moment: "But no ghosts appeared."
Not only are there no ghosts, but there are also no puzzles.
No matter what copy it is, the first element is still decryption, which is mixed with ghosts and the like. But this city... is too quiet, not even the shadow of ghosts.
Shen Dongqing leaned closer to the window and put the tip of her nose on it: "Also, we are not the only ones in this city."
There are other people, living people, who are not the same as in the game.
He likes it here.
It may be that the vicinity of the expressway is too remote, and they are the only car waiting for the traffic light, separated by the rain curtain, as if only the two of them exist in this world.
Shen Dongqing was a little uncertain again.
Zhou Wenyan: "Just try it when the rain stops."
The red light countdown is over and it turns into a green light.
The car drove out slowly.
Because of the heavy rain and something in his heart, Zhou Wenyan drove very slowly, and it took twice as long as usual to return to the apartment in the city center.
The two took the elevator up from the underground garage.
drop-
The elevator stopped on the first floor, and as soon as the door opened, a familiar face was seen.
The little kid stared at the two of them and shouted, "You all forgot about me!"
Shen Dongqing suddenly realized.
No wonder he always felt as if something was missing. It turned out to be this little brat.
The little kid strode into the elevator.
Shen Dongqing looked at him.
These days, the little boy has been living on the streets, helpless, and it seems that he has suffered a little. His little face is dusty and dirty, and it is very pitiful.
Shen Dongqing "tsk", stretched out a little finger and pushed: "Stay away from me."
Witches: ? ?
Shen Dongqing said ruthlessly: "It's too dirty."
The little boy cried out with a "wow", and his round eyes were full of tears. If others saw it, they would feel distressed.
It's a pity that the two standing in front of him are not others.
Shen Dongqing: "Stop pretending, you are half my age."
The little kid is at least a hundred years old, and he is still pretending to be tender and shameless.
Having been told this, the little brat could only hold back tears as he followed Shen Dongqing out of the elevator.
Entering the room, Shen Dongqing remembered something, lowered his head and asked, "Have you come in for so many days, did you find anything wrong?"
The little boy looked at him blankly: "I have no money."
Shen Dongqing: "What's wrong with this?"
Witches: "You can't buy food if you don't have money."
Shen Dongqing:
The little kid jumped up and down with anger: "Isn't this wrong? Do you know that I drool watching other people eat!"
Zhou Wenyan sneered.
Shen Dongqing: "What are you laughing at?"
Zhou Wenyan: "Like you."
It has to be said that little brats are sometimes quite cute, especially with the face that is somewhat similar to Shen Dongqing's, making him wonder if Shen Dongqing was like this when he was a child.
The little kid said proudly: "He's my dad, of course I'm like him!"
Shen Dongqing: "Who cares that you are like me."
The two made a fuss, and the little boy said, "But there is something wrong with it."
Shen Dongqing asked, "Come and listen."
The little kid gave a sly smile and dared to die: "Don't say it, unless you ask me."
Shen Dongqing slowly rolled up his sleeves, and a dimple appeared on his cheek: "You deserve a beating."
The little brat shivered, and hurriedly ran to the sofa farthest from Shen Dongqing, huddled in the back, and after a while, he carefully stuck out half of his head and began to bargain: "I'm hungry, I want something to eat!"
Fortunately, Shen Dongqing didn't chase after him and beat him, but echoed: "I'm hungry too."
Two people, one big and one small, looked at Zhou Wenyan at the same time, and the two faces were exactly the same, which made Zhou Wenyan feel a subtle sense of raising two sons.
Zhou Wenyan pointed at the little boy: "Wash it up first." Then he looked at Shen Dongqing, "What do you want to eat? I'll order takeout."
Shen Dongqing fluently reported a series of dish names.
By the time the brat washed himself out, the takeaway had already arrived. He had been greedy for these human foods for a long time, but he was shy and taught by Shen Dongqing, so he didn't dare to steal and snatch it, so he could only watch and drool. Now I finally bumped into the free one, ran over in two or three steps, and rushed to eat it desperately.
Maybe it was because the food was more fragrant, Shen Dongqing also competed with the brat, and ate more than anyone else. Zhou Wenyan ordered two more takeaways later, so that the two were fed.
After eating and drinking enough, the little boy fell on the sofa with a greasy mouth.
With the help of Zhou Wenyan, Shen Dongqing wiped the food residue from the corner of his mouth, and glanced at the little boy: "If you can't say anything, hum-"
All threats are silent.
The little brat was shocked and quickly turned over: "I said, I said." He raised his hands in surrender, "I've been outside these days and found that at a certain time, the city will be still."
"Still?" Shen Dongqing didn't understand.
The little kid said quickly: "It's when you're not around that everyone else doesn't move, that's why I can find you."
The information content of this sentence is relatively large, Zhou Wenyan interrupted him: "Speak slowly."
The little kid took a sip of happy water and said, "That's it, when you see it, the city is moving, and when you can't see it, the city is still."
Zhou Wenyan walked to the window.
The apartment they lived in was on the seventeenth floor. Looking down, they could see the lights on the opposite building flickering. There were people standing in front of the window smoking cigarettes, housewives doing housework, and young people crying. Everything was normal.
The little kid hiccupped: "I said it was when you saw it."