Wen Liang smiled and bowed: "It's all my fault. I wanted to tease you, but I didn't really mean to play a trick on you. But who came up with this idea? It's too cruel to use such a vicious thing to mess with me? Xu Yao, it's you, right?"
Xu Yao laughed dryly and didn't dare to answer. She looked around and said, "I don't know if it will rain tomorrow. Don't let it affect our schedule."
As soon as the group entered the store, the sky began to become gloomy, with dark clouds covering the sky, and the whistling cold wind could be heard in the room. It must be said that Xu Yao sometimes has a talent for comedy. As soon as the voice fell, the raindrops that had been brewing for a long time finally poured down, and it was a rare heavy rain in this season.
Xu Yao opened her mouth again, and after a while she looked at Wen Liang and explained pitifully, "This is purely an accident..."
"You, crow mouth!"
Wen Liang walked to the window and pulled open the thick curtains. The strong wind rustled the branches outside the building, and the all-encompassing rain became the only ruler in the darkness, hitting the glass windows and splashing high water.
Ji Su walked to Wen Liang, frowned slightly, and said, "It was fine during the day, why did it suddenly rain? Will it delay your work tomorrow?"
The blush had not yet faded from her cheeks. Wen Liang could imagine how shy and frightened the innocent little girl would be after what happened just now. However, Ji Su still stood by his side at the first moment, worried that tomorrow's things would be delayed because of this.
Wen Liang chuckled and said, "We're just visiting the water plant, it's nothing serious. If it doesn't stop raining tomorrow, just act like Su Dongpo and listen to the sound of leaves being blown by the wind..."
At some point Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning also came behind him, and said in a tender voice with Ji Su:
"Why not sing and walk slowly? A bamboo stick and straw sandals are lighter than a horse, who is afraid? A raincoat will protect me for the rest of my life!"
Ji Su's voice was soft, Xu Yao's was bright, and Ning Xiaoning's voice was cold. The three different voices echoed each other, yet they blended perfectly. The sound of rain created ripples on the water, and the autumn eyes were faint. Wen Liang suddenly remembered the famous line from the Yuan Dynasty song "Zhai'er Ling? Recalling Jianhu": "Wind and rain, Qingming, Yingying and Yanyan are concerned about each other."
The four of them huddled in front of the window, in silence, yet they all felt that the excitement of hanging out with friends during the day and the pleasure of punishing bullies in the restaurant were not even a fraction of what they were feeling at this moment.
For a long, long time.
Wen Liang was the first to break the silence. He turned around and leaned against the window, staring at Ning Xiaoning and asked, "Are you feeling better now?"
Xu Yao and Ji Su were both a little disappointed, and seemed unwilling to get out of the wonderful atmosphere just now. Ning Xiaoning was not as sensitive as them, but it seemed that something touched her heartstrings.
When Wen Liang asked, she complained, "Are you a human being? How can you swallow something so disgusting?" Maybe the atmosphere was too good just now, and no one noticed that Ning Xiaoning, who was always cold, actually had a coquettish tone in her words.
Wen Liang smiled and said, "Is it bitter? Think about the 25,000 Red Army soldiers. Besides, it has all five flavors, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy, so the taste is acceptable." Hearing his humorous words, Ji Su and Xu Yao laughed. What else could Ning Xiaoning say? She smiled bitterly and said, "You pervert!"
Looking at Ning Xiaoning's expression, Wen Liang felt a sense of pride. Although it was just a small white dot on the iceberg, it was a historic step after all.
There was a water stain on his pants, which was even more embarrassing. Wen Liang asked the three girls to watch TV and went to take a shower. Although Yishan Hotel was just renovated two months ago, in Wen Liang's eyes, it was still simple enough. The shower head was at the innermost side of the bathroom, surrounded by a steel sheet several centimeters high on the ground in a semi-circular shape. There were several towels stacked in the partition on the wall. There was no bathrobe, maybe it was placed in the cabinet in the bedroom. After taking off the clothes, they could only leave them outside. With the shower curtain drawn, there was only a small closed bathroom.
After all, this was 1995, and it was already good to have such a configuration in an economically underdeveloped county. Wen Liang turned the shower head to the maximum, tilted his head back and let the hot water rush on his face. He was never a saint, and it would be a lie to say that he didn't get angry when he was in the same room with three such charming girls. But the good thing was that Wen Liang was never a dirty guy, and he could completely control the instinctive impulses of a man.
But things in the world are always so strange and don’t go according to the established script.
The three girls were watching TV and eating snacks, chattering about the plot and being obsessed with the male lead in the film. Somehow the topic turned to Wen Liang again. Thinking of the scene where Wen Liang had teased them into serving him just now, they started a denunciation meeting.
If Wen Liang knew, he would definitely describe them in Qingzhou dialect: The chicken is trying to scare the weasel—pretending to be big behind the back!
When it came to the point of indignation, Xu Yao rolled her eyes, clenched her fists and said, "How about we play a trick on him again?"
Ning Xiaoning was still frightened and said, "That guy is very cunning, so you'd better be careful."
Ji Su hesitated and said, "Should we not do it?"
"Okay, I'll go check it out first." Xu Yao tiptoed to the bathroom door, turned the handle lightly, and slid back with a smile on her face. She lowered her voice and said, "I forgot to lock the door, and the clothes are outside. How about we do this, this way..."
After saying this, Ning Xiaoning reached out to touch Xu Yao's face: "You crazy girl, do you still have any shame?"
Xu Yao cried out in pain, her big eyes drifting towards Ji Su, asking for her opinion. Ji Su blushed, but she felt a strange urge to try. Perhaps every girl has a crazy side, so she said something that surprised herself: "Who's going?"
Ning Xiaoning looked at Ji Su speechlessly and said, "Okay, two crazy girls!"
Xu Yao held the two girls' hands and said with a smile, "2 to 1, the proposal is passed. Let's play rock-paper-scissors, and whoever wins goes."
"Why does the winner go?"
"This kind of thing is obviously a welfare thing, so of course the winner should go."
"Pooh!"
"Scissors, rock, paper."
The three girls bumped their heads together, like petty criminals setting up a street stall for the first time, preparing to cheat by selling sunflower seeds. Their faces were flushed, but they were laughing. Three white, slender hands paused in the air, two scissors and one cloth.
Ning Xiaoning's expression remained unchanged as she said coldly, "Just pretend I didn't participate, okay?"
There is no need to guess the conclusion, of course it is not correct. Although Ning Xiaoning's serious joke made Ji Su and Xu Yao laugh until they fell on the sofa, they could not escape the disaster.
Ning Xiaoning stood in front of the door, holding the door handle with difficulty in her right hand, and turned her head to show a pleading expression. Xu Yao raised her little fist and made a cheering gesture, while Ji Su chuckled and said that he could do nothing to help.
Well, it’s just stealing some clothes, what’s the big deal!
Ning Xiaoning was furious and quietly pushed open a small gap. The sound of running water came into her ears, just like her rapidly beating heartbeat. She slipped in sideways and saw Wen Liang's clothes neatly folded by the wash basin, not as messy as she had imagined.
The thick shower curtain covered Wen Liang's body, and no shadow could be seen. Ning Xiaoning was wearing slippers and walked over silently, trying to lighten her steps. As soon as her hand touched the clothes, her fingertips suddenly trembled, as if she was not touching lifeless cloth, but a living person, with his breath and his taste.
Ning Xiaoning took a deep breath, hugged the clothes in her arms, turned around and ran.
Wen Liang had lived two lifetimes and had experienced the most incredible things in the world, but he was still frightened by her and didn't know what to do for a moment.
Wen Liang stayed for a while, walked to the washbasin to rinse his face with cold water, then dried his body and prepared to put on his clothes, only to suddenly realize that his clothes were missing.
Wen Liang finally remembered that Ning Xiaoning was holding his clothes in her hands. These three little girls were so bold that they dared to sneak into the bathroom and steal his clothes while he was taking a shower. Didn't they just play a prank on them? Their desire for revenge was really strong!
Wen Liang smiled bitterly and shook his head. Bad habits kill people. He was used to not locking the bathroom door when taking a shower, and Ning Xiaoning and others took advantage of the opportunity.
Ning Xiaoning walked out of the room, her legs went limp and she leaned against the wall. Her heart was beating many times faster than when she entered the room. Her mind was blank, with only the sound of her heartbeat.
Xu Yao jumped up from the sofa, ran over excitedly to take the clothes, pulled the dizzy Ning Xiaoning back to the sofa, and laughed softly: "Good, Xiaoning, I'll remember your great achievement! Hahaha, you silly boy, let's see what you can do this time!"
She didn't notice that Ning Xiaoning was not right. She was imagining the scene of Wen Liang begging for mercy, when Ning Xiaoning suddenly said, "I'm going to get a stye!"
"Um?"
Ji Su hurriedly grabbed Ning Xiaoning's hand and asked, "What's wrong? Are your eyes uncomfortable? Ah, your hands are so hot!"
Hearing this, Xu Yao immediately put her hand on her forehead: "That's right, don't catch a cold, why is it so hot?"
Ning Xiaoning held Ji Su and Xu Yao's hands, looked up, and said pitifully: "I'm going to get a stye..."
Rabindranath Tagore - When you commanded me to sing, my heart seemed to burst with pride, I looked up at your face, tears welled up in my eyes
In my socket.
All the bitterness and contradictions in my life melted into a sweet harmony—
My praise is like a joyful bird, fluttering its wings across the ocean.
I know you enjoy my singing. I know it is only because I am a singer that I can come before you.
With the outstretched wings of my song I have touched your feet, which I never dared to hope to touch.
Intoxicated by the song, I forgot myself. You were my master, but I called you my friend.
I know not how thou singest, my lord! I always listen in wonder.
The radiance of your music illuminates the world. The breath of your music permeates the heavens.
The holy spring of thy music rushes forward, breaking through all the rocks that stand in its way.
My heart longs to sing with you, but I can't make a sound. I want to speak, but words can't make a song. I call
Oh, you have made my heart a prisoner in the vast net of your music, my master!
Please allow me to slack off for a while and sit beside you. I will finish the work at hand later.
Without your presence, my heart knows no peace or repose, and my work becomes an endless sea of toil.
The endless labor in life. ) (To be continued)