Try Again

Chapter 1: He is back

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The watch beside the pillow emitted a soft ring and vibration at nine o'clock in the morning, but it rang for a long time without disturbing the person who was breathing heavily, until a short and rapid sigh came from under the quilt. At nine o'clock, two minutes later, the alarm was finally stopped.

Jiang Lin opened the quilt, breathing deeply with a flushed face, his eyes still a little dazed as he stared at the ceiling. Only when he felt slowly calmed down did he stretch out his arm to take the tissue on the bedside table.

After wiping the dirt off his palms, he got up and went to the bathroom.

Standing under the shower with warm water, the feeling of tiredness became more and more obvious. He closed his eyes. Although he wanted to sleep very much, his mind kept replaying the dream he had before waking up.

He was held in the arms of his best friend in life, Ji Minglun, who had grown up with him since kindergarten. They eagerly took each other's mouths, and Ji Minglun's hands were still lighting fire on him, so that when he woke up, he couldn't help it again...

In order to drive away the images in his mind, Jiang Lin put his head under the water curtain and raised his hand to squeeze out shampoo.

The foam with the scent of sandalwood and cedar slid down the white neck and dripped onto the blush on the chest. He relaxed again in this scent that belonged to another person, and after washing, he felt much better.

After closing the valve, he took the towel hanging on the wall, wiped his body, walked to the mirror and turned on the light.

I drank half a dozen beers last night and I don’t know when I passed out. Today my eyelids are swollen, my almond-shaped eyes are no longer long and narrow, and the tails of my eyes are red.

After drying his hair with a hair dryer, he went to the kitchen to heat a cup of milk, steamed two meat buns in the steamer, and returned to his room to get dressed.

When he pulled off the towel from around his waist, his eyes swept across the mirror on the inside of the cabinet door. Looking at the flat chest of the person in the mirror, the dream just now came back to his mind.

It had been a year since Ji Minglun confessed to him, and they hadn't been in touch in this entire year. Was it possible that the guy still liked him now

After looking at the handsome boy in the mirror for a while, Jiang Lin lowered his eyes, picked a white T-shirt at random, matched it with khaki shorts, and put on white sports socks. He tied his hair at the back of his neck into a small braid, finished breakfast, and went out with a baseball cap.

He went to the garage and drove the SUV that hadn't been moved for a year to a nearby repair shop for cleaning. The new battery that was replaced yesterday had sufficient power, but he hadn't touched this car for a long time and always felt uncomfortable somewhere.

This car was bought during the summer vacation when he and Ji Minglun were in their senior year. At that time, Ji Minglun first proposed buying a car. He had no special requirements for the car, but he thought that having a car was more convenient than having one, and he also needed to travel around for his internship, so he agreed to buy it together.

At that time, Ji Minglun took a fancy to NIO's newly launched sports SUV and took him to test drive it. He also felt that the feel of it was good, and finally, under Ji Minglun's persuasion, he ordered the same model. Ji Minglun chose the sexy sky blue, while he chose the conventional cloud white.

The car wash machine was making a lot of noise, and there was a clerk nearby communicating loudly with a customer. Jiang Lin took out his noise-cancelling headphones and put them on, then sat down on a lounge chair under a parasol outside. Soon, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Xiamen was humid and hot in early July, and he missed the coolness of Los Angeles just a few days after returning. He took out his phone from his trouser pocket, played a ballad, and opened WeChat to read the latest messages.

When he went abroad last year, he kept this mobile phone number, but in order to prevent Ji Minglun from finding him, he ignored all unfamiliar calls from Xiamen in the first few months.

The avatar on WeChat was no longer the selfie he took before leaving. In the past year, Ji Minglun's WeChat avatar has changed four times, from an empty basketball court to a ragdoll cat on the wall, to an alley covered with sunset light, and a rainy sky. That person's Moments were never updated again. Every time I clicked on it, there was only a line of gray horizontal lines.

It is not known whether Ji Minglun did not update or all updates were blocked for him.

After reading several group messages, he received a WeChat message from Chen Nidan: [I may be late for half an hour. Something happened at school. Sorry.]

At the same time, there was also a Q picture of rubbing hands to apologize, Jiang Lin replied: [I'm not in a hurry, take your time]

Chen Nidan sent an OK expression, and Jiang Lin sat for another ten minutes. When the car was finally cleaned, his cheeks were already red from the high temperature outside.

The cloud-white SUV was cleaned with professional tools and looked as clean as new. A light citrus scent was sprayed inside the car, and the air-conditioning outlet had a much stronger wind than before. After checking the tire pressure, he fastened his seat belt, left the dealership and drove towards Xiamen University.

Less than a week after returning, he only went to the supermarket to buy daily necessities and adjust to the time difference at home, and went to pay respects to his mother and visited his alma mater teacher who was hospitalized. Apart from that, he did not leave the house and had no chance to take a good look at the changes in Xiamen in the past year.

On the way, he played "Wish", an English interlude song from a Hong Kong drama that is currently being broadcast. He doesn't usually watch TV dramas, but his Hong Kong roommate is a TVB drama fan. Last week, he played this interlude on repeat in the shared dormitory. After listening to it many times, he gradually became fascinated by this gentle melody.

The hot midday sun was blocked by the thermal film, and the sweat on my back dried quickly, and my mood calmed down. After turning a few familiar intersections, Jiang Lin parked the car at a temporary parking spot near the south gate of Xiamen University.

After waiting in the car for more than 20 minutes, he was distracted by his phone three times, and only responded when someone knocked on the passenger seat window. After unlocking the car door, Chen Nidan sat in the hot air outside and said, "What kind of weather is this? I feel like I'm melting."

Jiang Lin smiled and was about to answer when she looked at him again and said, "You've been eating high-calorie food there for a year, why are you still so thin?"

Turning up the air conditioner, Jiang Lin handed Chen Nidan a bottle of Kamagra-flavored sparkling water and said, "You haven't changed either."

"Just try to cheer me up. I've gained almost 10 pounds." Chen Nidan opened the bottle of sparkling water and drank half of it in one breath before saying, "But it seems that I'm the only one who has changed. Ji Minglun is similar to you and doesn't seem to have changed."

This time, Jiang Lin asked Chen Nidan out to find out about Ji Minglun. Now that he heard it suddenly, Jiang Lin didn't respond. He just reminded her to fasten her seat belt and started the car to drive forward. After passing two intersections, Jiang Lin turned into a small road and stopped in front of a Korean restaurant.

This area is a good place for Xiamen University students to eat. This Korean restaurant has a unique decoration style and delicious food, so it is always full at mealtime.

They arrived early and had a seat to choose from. Jiang Lin went to the convenience store next door to buy a bottle of oolong tea. When he entered the door, he saw Chen Nidan sitting in her old seat against the wall. He walked over to sit opposite Chen Nidan. As soon as he opened the oolong tea, he heard Chen Nidan ask him if he still wanted the same old ones.

He ate two meat buns before going out in the morning. Now he had no appetite, so he just ordered a bowl of cold noodles.

Chen Nidan ordered spicy rice cakes and cheese spareribs. After scanning the code to place the order, she pushed up her round glasses and looked at Jiang Lin and said, "You really didn't inform Ji Minglun when you came back this time?"

Chen Nidan and Jiang Lin have been neighbors for eight years. They both majored in Journalism at Xiamen University. Compared with Ji Minglun, who does not live in the same college but is in the same department, she has a better relationship with Jiang Lin and can talk to him more easily.

"No," Jiang Lin's eyes were focused on the bottle of oolong tea at hand, and his tone was very calm, "Besides you and my dad, only Teacher Gao knew that I was back."

Looking at the not-so-obvious melancholy between his eyebrows, Chen Nidan said, "Are you two still arguing?"

Chen Nidan also went on last year's graduation trip and naturally witnessed what happened that night. About ten of them were playing Truth or Dare, and in one round, Ji Minglun drew the one who had to confess her love to him, the birthday boy.

At that time, everyone was already drunk on the sofa, but there were still a few people who loved to make trouble and make trouble. Ji Minglun must have drunk too much and even forgot that he was homophobic. He grabbed his hand and said seriously: "Jiang Lin, I have liked you for a long time."

He had a low alcohol tolerance and felt dizzy after drinking three bottles of beer that night. Not only did he not think about what was wrong with his words, he did not even look at Ji Minglun's eyes. After holding Ji Minglun's face and pushing him away, he got up and went to the bathroom.

Usually he was indifferent to people at school, and he was not as likable as Ji Minglun's cheerful personality. That group of people would not chase him to make jokes, but they did not let go of Ji Minglun who had just successfully "confessed". When he pushed open the door of the box, he heard someone asking Ji Minglun how it felt to suddenly become gay.

At that time, he didn't take the joke seriously at all, and forgot about it after he came back from the toilet. Ji Minglun didn't continue the previous topic, and continued to fool around with his friends as usual. When most people had left, they returned to the hotel room upstairs.

At that time, they lived in the same room. Lying on his bed, he remembered that he had not taken a shower yet, so he stood up by supporting himself on the mattress. Just as he walked to the wall, a hot hand pinched his wrist.

The lights in the room were not on yet, and Ji Minglun called his name. When he raised his head, he felt that the person was already in front of him. His breath blended into his, and his warm lips held his lips and stuck out his tongue.

He had never kissed anyone before, and his brain was numbed by alcohol, so he didn't react at first. It was not until he was pushed against the wall, his hands were clasped by Ji Minglun's fingers, and their hips collided with each other that he finally realized how outrageous everything was.

Jiang Lin nodded his head as a reply, collecting his scattered thoughts. Chen Nidan sighed and said, "He's not bad now, but he was quite depressed when you left."

After going to Los Angeles, Jiang Lin almost stopped contacting his classmates in Xiamen. He was usually a cold and aloof person, so apart from Chen Nidan, no one else knew that he and Ji Minglun had fallen out.

With the fingertips of his fingers at his side pressed against his palms, Jiang Lin asked, "How did he become decadent?"

"He just ignored everyone," Chen Nidan propped up her chin with one hand. "He seldom came to school a few days after you left. Then when summer vacation started, he went to Qinghai by himself for almost two months. After school started, he returned to normal and started joking with people."

Jiang Lin listened thoughtfully, and then asked, "Has he had a girlfriend this year?"

I don't know if it was a psychological effect, but after asking this question, Chen Nidan looked a little strange. Jiang Lin felt guilty and avoided looking at her. Fortunately, she quickly replied, "No, but I heard that two girls confessed to him and he rejected them both."

Ji Minglun is 1.84 meters tall, with superior looks and a penchant for trendy brands. He stands out wherever he goes. He is also very easy to get along with and never puts on airs, so there are always girls who like him around him, and even boys rarely dislike him.

Jiang Lin knew Ji Minglun's strengths, but whether in high school or college, Ji Minglun never had a girlfriend, nor did he mention that he had someone he liked. In this regard, Jiang Lin used to believe his explanation that he had not met someone he liked, but later he found out that the person he liked was always around him, but he just didn't dare to say it out loud.

Suddenly, the phone ring interrupted the conversation. Looking at the name on the screen, Chen Nidan explained that it was her tutor who called. During the ten minutes she was talking to her tutor, Jiang Lin also looked at his phone, but she could feel that Jiang Lin was distracted, and even ate the cold noodles absent-mindedly.

Chen Nidan and Jiang Lin have known each other for more than ten years. Although they can't talk about everything, they know his temper and personality. In fact, when he asked if Ji Minglun had a girlfriend, Chen Nidan had guessed it, especially when she thought about their previous relationship and the fact that they broke up after the night of "confession". However, this topic is quite sensitive, and Chen Nidan was afraid that Jiang Lin would feel embarrassed, so she didn't ask rashly.

Later, during dinner, the two chatted about their recent situations. Jiang Lin did not talk much about his life in Los Angeles, but only about his academic problems, while Chen Nidan mentioned the changes in the School of Journalism and Communication over the past year.

After dinner, Chen Nidan had to go see her friends, so she didn't let Jiang Lin see her off. When they parted, she asked Jiang Lin if he still wanted to hide the fact that he had returned from Ji Minglun. Jiang Lin unlocked the car door and said he would think about it again. When they were about to leave, Chen Nidan remembered another thing.

Upon learning that Ji Minglun and his friends had opened a coffee shop, Jiang Lin asked for the address. After Chen Nidan left, he opened the in-car map and located the coffee shop called [Chaka].

The store is located in Shapowei Art District, only a few minutes' drive from the south gate of Xiamen University. After parking the car, Jiang Lin put on a pair of round-frame sunglasses and lowered the brim of his baseball cap. He got out of the car only when he could no longer see any flaws in the mirror and walked to the store.

This is a coffee shop with an area of more than 50 square meters and a very romantic layout. The potted plants and Bohemian-style decorations everywhere show a casual and romantic atmosphere. The minimalist sign at the door has two cursive characters "Chaka" in black on a white background. Jiang Lin looked at the sign and remembered that Chen Nidan said that Ji Minglun had been to Qinghai, so this word should refer to Chaka Salt Lake.

Standing behind a thick phoenix tree, Jiang Lin looked into the store. There was a man and two women busying around inside. There were many customers sitting in the dining area at the back. There was a yellow rider who was on the phone by the door. There was a small blackboard on the wall behind him with the words "Recruiting part-time clerks" written on it.

After standing under the tree for more than an hour, Jiang Lin still didn't see Ji Minglun. Thinking that man was not in the store, he turned around and went back to the car.

Turning the air conditioner to maximum, he drank a whole bottle of mineral water in one breath, looked at the salted egg yolks gradually sinking to the horizon, and decided to go to Ji Minglun's house to take a look.

He had refrained from seeing Ji Minglun these days since he came back, until today when he talked with Chen Nidan. He realized that a lot of things had happened to Ji Minglun in the year he had missed, which he didn't know about. Although he had also undergone changes that Ji Minglun didn't know about, this strange and alienated feeling was not so obvious before because they were separated by two countries. But now it is completely different.

He returned to the place where he could meet her whenever he wanted, but the person who was once so familiar to him was no longer someone he could see whenever he wanted.

After waiting until eight o'clock opposite the residential area where Ji Minglun lived, Jiang Lin began to feel restless.

He hadn't been to the bathroom for several hours, and there were no public restrooms in this area, all high-end residential buildings. And until now, Ji Minglun's house had no lights on, and no cars were coming in or out, so he probably hadn't returned yet.

Just as he was hesitating whether to hold on a little longer or go back today, a familiar car finally appeared in the rearview mirror.

Ji Minglun's car model was the same as his, and the color was easy to recognize. The most important thing was the license plate—they both chose their birthdays. So when he saw the number, he stared at the person in the driver's seat with bated breath. Unfortunately, before he could see clearly, he found that there was someone sitting in the passenger seat.

The man wore a black mask and had a ponytail on his left shoulder. Perhaps because he was not feeling well, his head was tilted against the headrest. When Ji Minglun slowed down and was about to turn into the community, he saw Ji Minglun stretched out his right hand and touched the side of his neck. He didn't know what he said. When waiting in line for the barrier to be lifted, he leaned his entire upper body over.

The author has something to say:

Seeing that some readers have doubts about the word "watch" in the first sentence, let me explain here that Jiang Lin is wearing a smart watch, not an ordinary wristwatch. Because I don’t want to write the brand, there is no prefix.

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