Lin Sitao was so frightened awake that he almost fell off the bed.
He hurriedly got up, washed, and took a taxi to pick up He Xian.
He Xian rushed to J City at dawn. He brought a driver with him, and the two of them took turns driving on the highway all night. When they arrived in J City, the driver was free to do what he wanted, so he went to find Lin Sitao.
They agreed to meet at Yu Lake. During the Chinese New Year, Yu Lake was full of tourists. There were many locals and foreigners. Lin Sitao spotted He Xian at first sight. He was wearing a dark grey coat, his hair was a little messy due to the wind, but he was still handsome and outstanding in the crowd.
As soon as Lin Sitao saw He Xian, he asked him, "Have you had breakfast?"
They ate soup dumplings and noodles at an old restaurant near Yu Lake.
He Xian ordered crab roe soup dumplings. Lin Sitao carefully took a bite and sipped the soup slowly.
"So delicious." he said happily.
He Xian tried one and said, "The taste has changed here too."
Lin Sitao looked at him, and He Xian said, "My mother is from J City. When I was a child, I would occasionally follow her to J City to play."
This was not the first time Lin Sitao had heard this, so he could not pretend to be surprised. However, he was very happy that He Xian finally spoke out naturally. For him, there were still many unknown details about J City in He Xian's eyes. He was very happy to listen to He Xian's narration one by one.
"Then we are actually half-fellow villagers, right?" he asked He Xian.
He Xian smiled: "It really counts."
Some words are too corny to say out loud. He Xian has complicated feelings towards J City. There was a summer in his childhood that left the deepest impression on him, and many sad things happened here. But when Lin Sitao came to him, the past seemed to be painted with a layer of warm colors when he recalled it. This is no longer just his sad city, but also filled with Lin Sitao's sorrow and joy. The sky that he greeted, Lin Sitao also looked up with his eyes.
When people fall in love, they start to believe in fate and destiny. Blood type is also fate, and two people attending the same friend's wedding is destiny. He Xian thinks these are far-fetched. After all, there are only four common blood types, and if two people have similar circles of friends, the probability of them being on the same level and having similar interests is greatly increased.
Only when you are like him and Lin Sitao can it be considered fate.
After breakfast, they strolled around Yu Lake. Two grown men strolling around the park together, because there were so many people, they were not so conspicuous. It was a temple fair, and the flow of people was huge. They were squeezed apart by the flow of people, and then they were squeezed together in the crowd. Every time this happened, He Xian would quietly hold Lin Sitao's hand.
After the temple fair, He Xian drove to the place where his grandfather used to live. In the past, the area was very empty, large and quiet. Now it has been developed and turned into a bright and beautiful lakeside scenic area. Only the outline of the past can be vaguely seen.
Grandpa and grandma are gone, uncle works in another place, aunt and her family immigrated. People and things have changed a lot. He Xian got out of the car and took two photos here. Lin Sitao stood by the car and waited for him to finish taking photos and asked: "Where else are you going to play? It's the New Year and the weather is good, I guess there will be a lot of people everywhere."
He Xian said: "I thought of a place where there should be no one."
Lin Sitao asked him where he was, and He Xian fiddled with the navigation: "You'll know when you get there."
Lin Sitao had already seen that He Xian was going to No. 7 Middle School, his mother's alma mater.
He said: "No. 7 Middle School..."
While driving, He Xian asked him excitedly: "Do you know No. 7 Middle School? There are still old buildings from the Republic of China period inside."
Lin Sitao smiled and said, "I know."
During the winter vacation, the school gate was closed and even the gatekeeper was nowhere to be found. They climbed over the wall and entered.
This was truly the quietest and most desolate time of the school. All the classroom doors were locked, dead leaves were floating on the small pond, and occasionally a wild cat would run across the playground. It looked like a deserted paradise.
He Xian looked for the teaching building left over from the Republic of China. Lin Sitao pointed to the northeast direction with ease: "Over there."
He Xian asked: "How did you..."
Lin Sitao had already walked over quickly.
The red brick building from the Republic of China era was still paved with wooden floors. Just standing in front of the building, Lin Sitao could recall the creaking sound when he stepped on the floor.
He Xian walked behind him and asked, "Are you a student of No. 7 Middle School?"
The lush flowers and leaves in summer have all withered. Only a row of hollies downstairs is guarding the old times.
Lin Sitao said: "Yes. I graduated from No. 7 Middle School."
He Xian stood side by side with him in front of the building.
The building was locked. After all, it was a provincial protected building. Lin Sitao said, "In my impression, this building was taller and bigger. Now it looks so small."
He Xian's thoughts seemed to be passing through a fog. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Lin Sitao."
Lin Sitao turned to look at him: "What's the matter?"
He Xian said: "Destiny is a wonderful thing."
Lin Sitao asked softly: "How do you say it?"
He Xian pondered and said, "When I was working in Shanghai, I met a student on a construction site. He was also from J City and a student at No. 7 Middle School."
Lin Sitao was embarrassed: "He too?"
He Xian said: "What a coincidence, isn't it? He was a very poor child, already in his third year of high school, and he seemed to be stunted and looked like a junior high school student. I helped him at that time. I set up a scholarship in the school in my mother's name, specifically to support students from poor families..."
He suddenly got stuck.
Lin Sitao looked at him.
He Xian had already thought of it. Lin Sitao's family was not well off and he was about the same age, so it was no surprise that he had applied for a scholarship.
Lin Sitao said: "I know, the Zhou Qin Scholarship."
He added: "For so many years, all I have wanted to say to you are just two words - thank you. I love you."
He ran away as if he were sprinting a hundred meters.
He Xian was stunned for ten seconds in broad daylight before he ran after him. But Lin Sitao ran very fast. He Xian chased him for a full lap and ran 400 meters, but he couldn't catch up with him.
When Lin Sitao turned around, he saw He Xian suddenly bent down. Just as he was about to laugh at He Xian for not having enough physical strength, he saw He Xian stagger twice and fall straight down.
Lin Sitao's heart was about to jump out, and he rushed over like a fly: "He Xian!"
As soon as he ran to He Xian, He Xian jumped up and grabbed him.
"Why are you running!" He Xian scolded him.
Lin Sitao turned around and scolded him: "I've been chasing you for ten years, and I asked you to chase me for a few hundred meters and you pretended to be dead!"
Neither of them was too embarrassed to look at each other directly, but they still hugged each other. After a while, Lin Sitao said, "It's too cold, let's go."
He dragged He Xian up. He Xian stood up and hugged Lin Sitao again, asking, "Is it really you?"
Lin Sitao said: "It was me. You thought I was a child laborer at that time."
He Xian laughed. He looked at Lin Sitao as if he was meeting him for the first time: "You have grown taller and become more handsome. In my impression, he is just a child."
They climbed over the wall again, and when they got into the car, they couldn't help but make out in the back seat. He Xian wanted this, he wanted it as soon as he saw Lin Sitao. They didn't need to say anything at this time, they just needed to make up for everything with physical closeness.