Being interrupted by Lin Qinhe like this, Tao Xi felt that the restlessness in his heart seemed to be gone.
At this time, Lin Qinhe's mobile phone vibrated, and Tao Xi put his hand into Lin Qinhe's coat pocket and took out the mobile phone to Lin Qinhe.
Lin Qinhe glanced at the phone screen, it was Luo Zhengyin's call, and he connected.
"Qinhe, I'm on my way to pick up Lele. I'll be there soon. You should be back from grandpa's house. I want to take you and Lele out to eat. Is it convenient for you to come?"
Lin Qinhe didn't hesitate, and said bluntly, "Tao Xi and I are outside, and we will send him back to school later."
The private room is very quiet, even if the speakerphone is not turned on, Tao Xi can hear Luo Zhengyin's voice.
Luo Zhengyin seemed to hesitate for a while, and said, "Is Tao Xi also there? Then I'll invite you to eat together. It's rare that you have a friend you like, and I've always wanted to meet this child."
Hearing the word "like", Tao Xi raised his eyes to look at Lin Qinhe, the corners of his mouth curled up.
Lin Qinhe frowned. He knew what Luo Zhengyin's intention was. During this time, Yang Duole's mood was abnormal, and the family was uneasy. He had exhausted his patience in coaxing Yang Duole. I used to be a lot rusty, and Luo Zhengyin always wanted to find an opportunity to ease the relationship between the two.
Lin Qinhe knew that Tao Xi cared about Yang Duole, and was going to find a reason to reject Luo Zhengyin, and then listened to Luo Zhengyin saying in a pleading tone:
"Qinhe, help your mother ask if Tao Xi is okay?"
Lin Qinhe looked at Tao Xi, thinking that Tao Xi would shake his head and refuse, but saw Tao Xi said calmly, "Tell auntie, I can do it."
Lin Qinhe looked at Tao Xi's eyes for two seconds, and after confirming that he did not look reluctant, he agreed to Luo Zhengyin and asked Luo Zhengyin's restaurant.
After answering the phone, Lin Qinhe asked Tao Xi, "Do you really mind?"
He knew all too well how much Tao Xi was reluctant to see Yang Duole, and he had noticed it from the first time they met in school.
Tao Xi put his hand in his pocket and said in a relaxed tone:
"I don't mind."
It was Yang Duole, what would be his reaction when he saw him
Luo Zhengyin parked the car in the parking lot of the Grand Clubhouse and called Yang Duole, perhaps because the classmates' birthday party was having a good time, Yang Duole seemed to be in a much better mood tonight.
Soon Yang Duole got into the car and called out "Mother Luo". Although he still didn't speak much, as long as Luo Zhengyin asked, he would still answer a few words.
Luo Zhengyin casually asked a few questions about the party, and then drove the car to a nearby western restaurant. Yang Duole liked the desserts there. On the way, she hesitated to say that Lin Qinhe and Tao Xi would also come. thing.
Adults always think that children's conflicts can be solved by talking about it. Luo Zhengyin originally wanted to ease the relationship between Lin Qinhe and Yang Duole, but when Tao Xi was there, she guessed that the two children of her family were conflicted because of Tao Xi. Thinking that I can take this rare opportunity to let them sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk.
At the four-person table in the western restaurant, Yang Duole lowered his head and ate expensive desserts with a fork. Luo Zhengyin, who was sitting opposite, sent Lin Qinhe a WeChat to ask where he was, and then asked Yang Duole:
"Lele, let's go visit your mother's grave together this weekend?"
In the past, Luo Zhengyin would take Yang Duole to visit Fang Sui's tomb every once in a while. Yang Duole would carefully select a bouquet of her mother's favorite white roses in the flower shop, and then give it to her mother in front of the tomb and tell her mother. a session.
But now Luo Zhengyin saw Yang Duole stop the fork in his hand, pursed his lips tightly and did not speak, apparently unwilling to agree to visit Fang Sui's tomb.
She was puzzled. Just as she was about to ask, she saw Lin Qinhe walking in with a boy not far away. The boy she knew naturally was Tao Xi.
Tao Xi pointed at the vacant black grand piano in the center of the restaurant, tilted his head and said something to Lin Qinhe. Lin Qinhe glanced at the piano and gave Tao Xi a very shallow smile.
Luo Zhengyin was stunned, and a strange feeling appeared in her heart. She stood up from her seat and said with a smile to the two who were walking towards her, "Qinhe, Tao Xi."
"Hello, Auntie." Tao Xi greeted Luo Zhengyin politely, and then looked at Yang Duole, who was sitting and eating with his back to him.
"Bang", the sound of metal landing, Luo Zhengyin looked down and found that the fork in Yang Duole's hand fell to the ground, and the waiter on the side quickly came over and changed Yang Duole's tableware.
Yang Duole's back was stiff, and he kept his head down, clenching the new fork in his hand, trembling slightly.
Luo Zhengyin didn't see Yang Duole's expression, and said to him: "Lele, I didn't tell you just now, Qin He and Tao Xi are also here, you are all classmates, just sit and chat together."
Lin Qinhe glanced at Yang Duole's hand holding the fork, opened the chair and let Tao Xi sit next to Luo Zhengyin, while he sat opposite Tao Xi.
Luo Zhengyin also sat down and finally found the abnormality of Yang Duole on the opposite side. There was a fine cold sweat on his forehead, his lips became pale, and he clenched his fork tightly, staring at the unfinished berry pudding in front of him.
She was worried that Yang Duole was not feeling well, and hurriedly asked, "Lele, what's the matter?"
Tao Xi took the menu from Lin Qinhe's hand, glanced at Yang Duole, who was diagonally opposite, and lowered his head to flip through the menu.
Yang Duole glanced at Tao Xi who was looking at the menu, shook his head at Luo Zhengyin, and said, "I'm fine." Then he continued to eat dessert with a fork without looking up at anyone.
Luo Zhengyin doubted whether he had made an assertion or done something wrong. Yang Duole seemed to be very resistant to Tao Xi, but he did not propose to leave, and only ate in silence.
She suppressed the doubts in her heart, turned her head and said to Tao Xi in a kind tone: "Tao Xi, you can order whatever you want. Auntie invites you to eat today."
Tao Xi said obediently, "Okay, thank you auntie."
He lowered his head and continued to look at the menu. The price on it was so expensive that he was stunned. After struggling for a while, he didn't know how to choose, so he pushed the menu in front of Lin Qinhe, and poked the back of Lin Qinhe's hand while Luo Zhengyin was not paying attention.
Lin Qinhe took the menu knowingly and ordered a few desserts and drinks from the waiter.
The meal came soon. Luo Zhengyin saw Lin Qinhe cut off a piece of the peach dessert tower and put it on Tao Xi's plate naturally. Tao Xi smiled at Lin Qinhe, and seemed to be used to Lin Qinhe. such a move.
Luo Zhengyin was slightly surprised and glanced at his son again.
The music in the western restaurant was soothing, but the atmosphere at the table on this side was a little stagnant. Luo Zhengyin took the initiative to ask a few children to talk several times, but only Tao Xi responded seriously, Lin Qinhe responded occasionally, and Yang Duole started from the beginning. Don't speak to the end.
As a parent, Luo Zhengyin can only talk about the children's learning hobbies. When she heard Tao Xi said that she likes to draw, she looked at the boy with a bit of surprise, and asked again: "Do you also like to draw?"
Didn't realize the word "also" was a little weird.
Lin Qinhe sat next to Yang Duole, and looked down at Yang Duole's left hand, which was clutching the tablecloth under the table. The knuckles of that hand were white and seemed to be extremely nervous.
Tao Xi nodded and said, "Yes, I am now learning oil painting with Grandpa Qiao Henian."
Luo Zhengyin was stunned when she heard the words "Qiao Henian". She couldn't help recalling that many years ago, Fang Sui, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, was also a student of Qiao Henian. The bicycle went to the old house of Qiao's house to pick up Fang Sui, who had finished painting, to go home. Fang Sui occasionally picked up a sycamore leaf on the ground and gave it to her, and sat on the back seat of the bicycle and talked to her with a smile.
Tao Xi felt that Luo Zhengyin's eyes were a little strange. He felt an indescribable sadness in her eyes, as if he was looking at another person through himself, and he asked hesitantly:
"You also know Grandpa Qiao?"
Luo Zhengyin came back to her senses, perhaps because this child looks too much like Fang Sui, she always thinks of Fang Sui every time she faces Tao Xi, and there is some unease.
She smiled and said, "Yes, Uncle Qiao watched me grow up. You will definitely learn a lot from Uncle Qiao. He is a very good painter and a good teacher."
Tao Xi nodded and said, "Grandpa Qiao really taught me a lot."
Luo Zhengyin recalled another past event: "Qinhe often went to Uncle Qiao's house to play when he was a child, but he has been there less in recent years." She looked at Lin Qinhe and smiled, "Qinhe, visit Qiao next time on vacation. Uncle, his old man complained to me before, saying that you never go to his house when you grow up."
Tao Xi looked at Lin Qinhe, and lightly touched the toe of Lin Qinhe's shoe with his foot under the table.
Lin Qinhe said without changing his face: "I'll visit next Sunday." As if he had never been there before.
Luo Zhengyin looked at Yang Duole, who she had been paying attention to. Yang Duole still hung her head and ate and didn't speak. She sighed inwardly and had to continue talking to Tao Xi:
"Then do you plan to continue to learn painting in the future? Have you thought about which school to go to?"
Tao Xi said with a slight smile, "I plan to apply to an art school in the United States."
He glanced at Yang Duole calmly and continued, "So now I'm preparing a portfolio and participating in some art exhibitions and competitions."
Luo Zhengyin was a little surprised, thought about it, and suggested: "If you want to apply to a foreign school, you really need to prepare early. I know more about the art exhibition and can give you some introduction. As for the competition, I don't know much, you can ask Uncle Qiao. ."
She really wanted to help this child, and because she often held art exhibitions for Fang Sui over the years, she knew it well.
Tao Xi smiled at Luo Zhengyin and said sincerely, "Thank you, Auntie."
Luo Zhengyin saw Tao Xi's smile for a moment, something flashed in her mind, and she asked abruptly: "I heard Lele and Qin He said that you are from Qingshui County, where is your hometown in Qingshui County? I didn't go. I have been to Qingshui County, but I have seen some landscape paintings there, it is a very beautiful place.”
Tao Xi saw Yang Duole stop the tableware in his hand in the corner of his light. Before he could answer, Yang Duole pursed his lips tightly and stood up, threw down the tableware and walked out of the restaurant without saying a word.
Luo Zhengyin hurriedly stood up and shouted "Lele" a few times, but Yang Duole didn't stop, she had to chase out, and didn't have time to speak to the other two.
Tao Xi naturally knew why Yang Duole fled, and he lowered his eyelashes to hide the sneering look in his eyes.
There were only two people left at the table. Tao Xi found that Lin Qinhe had been looking at him, and asked, "Aren't you going back with your mother?"
During the meal and conversation, he found that Luo Zhengyin's attention and concern for Yang Duole seemed to be stronger than that for his son Lin Qinhe, which made him a little incomprehensible.
It made him feel even more ironic. He wanted to please his elders, but Yang Duole could just go with his temper and leave.
Lin Qinhe put his dish of dessert that he hadn't eaten at all in front of Tao Xi, as if he didn't care about Luo Zhengyin and Yang Duole's departure, and said calmly:
"I'll take you back when you're done eating."
Tao Xi accepted the dessert unceremoniously, lowered his head and continued to eat, but he was still thinking about Lin Qinhe's mother.
He suddenly remembered what Bi Chengfei had told him a long time ago, that Lin Qinhe's mother treated Yang Duole as her own. Now it seems that this sentence is not an exaggeration.
Then if the truth is exposed, Lin Qinhe's mother will definitely protect Yang Duole under the relationship of mother and son for more than ten years.
What will she think of him
He still has such a relationship with Lin Qinhe.
Tao Xi was eating dessert absentmindedly, and suddenly heard Lin Qinhe ask:
"Is the matter of Guan Fanyun looking for you tonight related to Yang Duole?"
Tao Xi's heart jumped suddenly, the fork in his hand stopped, and he slowly swallowed the dessert in his mouth without answering.
He found that Lin Qinhe was sometimes terrifyingly sharp.
Lin Qinhe didn't seem to expect his answer, looked at him calmly, and continued:
"If I hadn't come at that time, would you have followed Guan Fanyun?"
This sentence has no tone, and the question is like an affirmative sentence.
Tao Xi was silent for a while, and lowered his eyes, like a student being questioned by his parents, put down his fork, and put his hands on the table in an orderly manner, saying:
"President Guan told me to introduce a friend to help me apply for a foreign school."
He couldn't tell Lin Qinhe the conversation he heard, let alone his plan to take revenge.
Lin Qinhe frowned slightly and did not believe this statement. He knew that Tao Xi would not easily accept the kindness of others, let alone someone like Guan Fanyun who was completely unknown and complicated.
He also always knew that Tao Xi was hiding something from him, maybe it was the secret that Tao Xi was about to tell him.
And about this secret, he had an absurd guess, so absurd that he thought he was crazy.
The pianist in the restaurant returned to the grand piano and sat down, playing a lazy jazz tune, and many diners were laughing and clapping.
The two people at the table on this side suddenly fell silent.
Tao Xi had never been looked at by Lin Qinhe with such eyes, as if his eyes had weight.
He was inexplicably flustered. He didn't know what Lin Qinhe was thinking. He thought he was still concerned about Guan Fanyun's affairs. After thinking about it, he asked directly, "What's the matter? President Guan?"
Lin Qinhe looked away and put aside the crazy conjecture in his heart for the time being. He did hear a little bit about Guan Fanyun, but he was not the one talking about others behind his back, he just said:
"It's nothing, if she finds you alone in the future, it's best to ignore it."
Tao Xi breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said, "Okay, I see."
He began to talk about Jin Jing's birthday party in the evening, and vividly described how several Maiba grabbed the microphone to sing, how indescribable Bi Chengfei's singing voice was, how big and how delicious Jin Jing's birthday cake was...
Lin Qinhe has been listening quietly, occasionally responding to Tao Xi.
After the pianist finished playing the jazz, he changed a piece of music again. After only playing a short section, Tao Xi's eyes lit up and said to Lin Qinhe:
"Listen, it's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence!"
With one hand on his cheek, he listened carefully for a while, then shook his head and said, "It's not as good as you."
Lin Qinhe leaned back on the back of the chair and asked amusingly, "Can you hear it?"
Tao Xi knew that Lin Qinhe was joking about his ability to appreciate music, and hummed softly, "If I say you play well, that means you play well."
Lin Qinhe smiled and began to listen to the tune that he had played many times, but he didn't have the heart to listen to who played it better.
He looked out the floor-to-ceiling window. It was mid-December. Many shops on the street had posted Christmas decorations on their windows in advance. A huge Christmas tree had been erected at the entrance of the mall opposite, flashing red and green. neon light colors.
It's only a snowy day until Christmas.
The author says:
Everyone has been waiting for a long time, and today the verdict finally came out, and I was cleared of innocence.
Thank you for your encouragement and waiting for TAT, I miss you so much