Flowers all the way

Chapter 11 That Summer
After Xin Chen left, Bruce was going to leave too, but he is one of the celebrities on this hiking forum, registered for three years, and sometimes posted photos of hiking in the United States, and suddenly appeared today, which caused quite a stir. Everyone was determined not to let him go, so he could only wave his hands at Xin Chen and follow the motorcade to eat.

After the meal, Bruce went home. His parents divorced when he was 15 years old. He immigrated to Canada with his mother and younger sister, but his father Lin Yueqing still stayed in China to do business and owned a house locally.He opened the door, only to find his father sitting in the living room with a gentle man.

"Yueqing, let me introduce you. This is Lu Fei. He is working with your little uncle's company on a project. He wants to talk to you about something. He has been waiting for you for a long time."

Bruce's Chinese name is Lin Yueqing. Of course, his family is used to calling him by this name. He shook hands with Lu Fei and raised his eyebrows at the same time, "Hello, you must not be looking for me to discuss business, right?"

Lu Fei smiled, "I call you Yueqing, don't you mind? If it's convenient, let's go to the cafe downstairs."

Lin Yueqing's home is not far from the local evening newspaper office. Opposite the newspaper office is the Green Door Cafe, which is elegantly decorated. Although it is in this relatively secluded section of the road, the business has always been good. The two sat opposite each other and ordered a cup of coffee each.

"Speaking of which, we are a bit distant relatives, Yueqing, your little cousin Su Zhe is the younger brother of my brother-in-law Su Jie, and it is not the first time we have met. Three months ago, I accompanied Su Zhe Your dormitory. If we go a little farther, we should have seen it at Su Zhe's wedding in Shenzhen three years ago."

Lin Yueqing suddenly smiled and said: "No wonder I met you at the bar two days ago and felt familiar. Yes, I went back to the dormitory that day, and you happened to go out. The little uncle said that you and I are alumni and graduated from that school. I probably want to go there by myself. School walk."

Lu Fei smiled wryly. At that time, he and Su Zhe went to the headquarters of the American company to discuss the specific matters of the venture capital fund's participation in Haotian's new project. Nephew, Lu Fei graduated from the Hass Graduate School of Business there three years ago, and just wanted to go back to see old friends during the weekend, so the two bought air tickets and flew from New York to San Francisco together.

When he arrived at Lin Yueqing's dormitory, his roommate said he would be right back and asked them to wait, but Lu Fei saw two of the many photos hanging on the wall.One of them is on the top of the mountain, with the sea of ​​clouds under the sun in the background, the scenery is indescribably magnificent, a girl in a dark gray jacket is staring at the distance sideways, her hair is blown up by the wind, it is obviously a snapshot, she did not notice The presence of the lens; the background of the other is obviously a hospital ward, with monotonous white walls, white beds, and an upright infusion stand next to it. A boy is leaning against the girl just now. They are both wearing blue and white striped patient uniforms , looked pale and haggard, but looked directly at the camera with a very happy smile.

Lu Fei was taken aback, not to mention the one alone, the girl in the group photo had a thin chin and short hair, but she had dark eyebrows, bright eyes, and a dimple looming on her left cheek, which she hadn't seen for several years Xin Chen.

Seeing him looking at these two photos, Su Zhe said with a smile: "This boy is my nephew. He loves to hike. He crossed the Qinling Mountains with the girl in the photo three years ago and almost died. At that time, the armed police were sent to search and rescue the mountain. sensation."

"Three years ago? When exactly?" Lu Fei looked back at him with a difficult voice.

"I got married in Shenzhen at the end of June that year. After returning to China for the wedding, he went to Qinling in early July. Lu Fei, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, Su Zhe, I'll go for a walk first, see you later."

Lu Fei couldn't hold back the shock in his heart, he hurried out and passed by Lin Yueqing who just came back.

The wind chimes by the door of the Green Door Cafe rang softly, and a beautiful woman in a little black dress walked in. Her skin was like snow, her hair was loosely tied up, and a few locks were hanging down randomly, which was very charming.The few customers in the cafe couldn't help but stare at her, but she didn't seem to feel all the gazes, and went straight around the counter and went inside.

Lin Yueqing smiled and said: "Oh my God, I was surprised that this store didn't change its name. I didn't expect the lady boss to be this beautiful woman, she must be named Susan. I immigrated to Canada when I was 15 years old. The day before I left, my dad You insisted on talking to me, and brought me here. The first time I saw her that day, I was really amazed, a young boy's heart was beating. Unexpectedly, seven years have passed, and she has not changed at all. "

Lu Fei only glanced over there, obviously not paying attention to the face of the proprietress, "There is another coincidence between us, Yueqing, I also left this city for the United States more than seven years ago."

"Then I guess, the farewell you experienced should be more romantic than mine. I was a 15-year-old awkward boy who was hating my father and didn't want to say a word to him. If I didn't see the beautiful lady boss, I would probably have died that night. Depressed to death."

Such a humorous and cheerful Lin Yueqing made Lu Fei unable to stop smiling, "No, it was a stubborn 18-year-old girl who bid farewell to me. That scene was not romantic at all, but I can't forget her."

"If I'm not wrong, that girl is Hehuan, that is, Xinchen. I'm used to her online name." He saw Lu Fei surprised, and smiled, "My father introduced you as Lu Fei, so I know you What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Acacia." Lu Fei repeated the name, and the girl shaking the trunk of the acacia tree, causing the petals to scatter all over her body, appeared in front of him. He asked in disbelief, "So...she mentioned me to you?"

"No, she didn't say anything, but three years ago, on Taibai Mountain, she had a fever, and I took care of her. She once held my hand and called Lu Fei when she was semi-conscious. I was very impressed."

Lu Fei tightly held the coffee cup in front of him, his knuckles turned white, and it took him a long time to speak, his voice became a little hoarse, "That day in your dormitory, I saw Xiao Chen's photo, and I heard Su Zhe talk about it. I just found out that she once crossed the Qinling Mountains with you and was in danger, not to mention me, her family members don’t know about it.”

"Before hiking, everyone had to fill in the contact number of their family members. Only she didn't fill in because she was the last one. After the accident, people from the club quickly found my father, but they couldn't contact her family. She also refused to disclose her home phone number in the hospital. At first I thought she was living alone, but later I heard her call her uncle, she seemed very relaxed, and only said that she wanted to spend a few more days in Xi'an."

Lu Fei stared at the front for a moment, and said in a low voice: "After I went back, I searched the Internet, and the reports were all very simple. I repeatedly checked the route you crossed and collected relevant hiking information, but I couldn't find any information about the two of you being killed. The specific circumstances of the difficulty."

"A lot of reporters came to the hospital at the time. I didn't care, but Hehuan refused to accept any interviews. Of course, I respected her opinion and only asked my father to deal with them. At the same time, I thank the armed police for their efficient search and rescue operations."

"Can you explain to me in detail, Yueqing? I came back to this city three years ago, at the time when you set off for a hike. I really wanted to come back and see Xiaochen before making a certain decision, but I didn't expect her In order to avoid me, I will almost kill myself."

"Is she trying to avoid you?" Lin Yueqing frowned and pondered, he thought, it is indeed an incomprehensible choice to repeatedly mutter someone's name while sick, but rashly join a strenuous hike just to avoid him .

"I prepared for the seven-day trek for a long time. As for Hehuan, we didn't know each other before. All I know is that she was the last one to follow up and sign up, and the last one to arrive at the meeting place in Xi'an. She didn't bring complete equipment. But she said that she has been hiking since she was 18 years old, and she has enough outdoor experience to handle this route, and it seems to be no problem."

It is a masochistic route, seven days, with an average altitude of over 3000 meters, and needs to climb more than 10 mountains with an altitude of over 3400 meters, and there is no place for supplies along the way, which means that all food must be carried with you. For tents, stoves, gas tanks and other equipment, women's loads exceed 20 kg, and men's loads exceed 25 kg, which is a veritable heavy-duty hike.

The scenery of Taibai Mountain is magnificent, with a complete range of landforms including stone seas, meadows, primitive jungles, wastelands, and Quaternary glacial relics. In summer, unknown wildflowers of various colors bloom everywhere. At that time, the alpine rhododendrons are also in full bloom, which is very gorgeous. , but most of the routes actually have no roads at all, and can only follow the traces of wild animals such as antelopes, and the climate is ever-changing, cloudy and sunny.They set off at the beginning of July, and some mountain tops still had faint snow, and the temperature of the campsites on the mountains was between 0 and 10°C. Moreover, it was the rainy season, and heavy rain and dense fog in the mountains came without warning.

In the afternoon of the second day, three team members either suffered from slight altitude sickness, or were unable to adapt to the difficult road conditions, so they withdrew from the trip and were escorted down the mountain by club staff.The tent Xin Chen brought didn't meet the regulations, and she had been left at the foot of the mountain. The girl who shared the tent with her withdrew, and she was assigned by the team leader to live in the same tent with Lin Yueqing.Lin Yueqing is naturally happy to have a beautiful girl "bastard", even though this girl is always thoughtful and doesn't talk much.Of course, in such a high-intensity time travel, there were very few people chatting, but when it came to rest and camping at night, everyone was talking and laughing, but she was still silent, her eyes drifted into the distance, obviously worried.

On the third day, the weather was fine, and we stayed overnight in the General Temple. The sky was full of bright stars, and they seemed to be within reach. Sitting together and looking up at the starry sky, they had their first conversation that could be called a dialogue.Lin Yueqing unexpectedly discovered that the two had lived in the same city before.

"She didn't complain all the way. She followed the team closely. She showed that she could endure hardships and was very experienced. She was not picky about what food she ate, and she didn't make a fuss like the other female team members when she drank water from the cracks in the rocks."

Lu Fei has a bit of a cleanliness habit. He thinks that he should not be afraid of hardships, but that kind of drinking water may be a little unacceptable. Remembering that Xin Chen once laughed at himself that "you can pick up the steamed buns that fall on the ground, pat the ashes and eat them", which is true. No exaggeration, it's hard to imagine how much outdoor training the girl who used to be a picky eater has gone through to reach this point.

"On the fourth day, it started to rain lightly in the morning. By the time I found out that she had a low-grade fever due to water seepage in the jacket, and she was just taking medicine, it was already too late. She walked more and more slowly, and she and I fell behind. After entering Leigong Temple, we lost contact with the team and lost our way in a large virgin larch needle forest."

The rain was not heavy that day, but the fog was very thick. Xin Chen's steps seemed heavy and sluggish, as if he was stumbling on a muddy mountain road. Lin Yueqing wanted to take her backpack, but she shook her head and declined, saying in a hoarse voice: "It's okay, I You can hold on, you go first, I will follow in a while."

Later, she couldn't be stubborn anymore, so she could only let Lin Yueqing take the rucksack away.

"We had to camp alone at night. Unfortunately, I didn't find a clean water source around, and I also ran into a single wild antelope. This kind of animal looks gentle, but it is actually very dangerous. It is said that there are antelopes in Taibai Mountain every year. The example of the dead. I was lucky and dodged the vital point, but I was pushed."

Lin Yueqing returned to the tent with all his strength, and lay down next to Xin Chen, waiting for the pain to subside.She was falling into a semi-consciousness, and suddenly grabbed his hand and murmured: "Lu Fei, don't go, don't go, I'm afraid."

The strength of her hand suddenly became surprisingly strong, pulling on his bumped collarbone, and the pain made his eyes stare at him, he could only grit his teeth and endure it, comforting her softly: "Okay, I won't go, don't worry, I'm right here .”

It took Xinchen a while to calm down, but he still held onto his hand. Lin Yueqing tried his best to touch the place where he was hit with the other hand, and confirmed that the collarbone should be broken. Fleece jacket, no open wounds, he couldn't help smiling wryly.

He originally planned to use the compass to identify the direction after dawn the next day, give up part of the load, and rush to the next campsite with Xinchen on his back. When he was looking for water, he was thinking about whether to throw away the SLR camera and lens he bought. It really hurts a bit.But now that he was injured, it was almost impossible to carry someone on his back.

Lin Yueqing lay down for a while, but still managed to get up, found antipyretics and anti-inflammatory medicines and forced Xin Chen to drink them, took painkillers himself, and went to bed.The next day, Xin Chen was still suffering from a low-grade fever, but he came to his senses, ate some noodles he cooked, and suddenly said, "Bruce, you go first, go find help, and then come back to pick me up."

Lin Yueqing was carefully considering several possible options in his mind. He admitted that Xin Chen's proposal was considered wise, but thinking of yesterday's grasping his slender fingers, and thinking of that low whisper full of despair, he couldn't let go. Here she is alone, “Aren’t you afraid?”

She looked at him, eyes blurred by fever but very calm, "It's nothing to be afraid of."

She seemed genuinely fearless and didn't seem to mind facing a person's desolation or even death alone.Lin Yueqing smiled, "Okay, then I'm afraid, I'm afraid of walking alone, especially if I'm injured, I'm not sure how far I can go. Let's see, this area is flat and Leeward, we should not deviate too far from the route, it is best to stay here and wait for rescue, not to separate."

"I dragged you down," she said softly. "If you hadn't accommodated my speed, you wouldn't have fallen behind, lost your way, or gotten hurt. And now you've given me your sleeping bag and moisture-proof pad. , if the temperature drops, you will catch a cold too."

Lin Yueqing has a lot of experience in outdoor hiking. In the first year of studying in the United States, he met with his classmates to cross the Rocky Mountains. Before the trip, he researched materials and made full preparations for the climate. It is very suitable for such high-altitude camping, and Xin Chen only brought ordinary hiking equipment, which is obviously not enough in the low temperature here.

"We are a team when we come out. I believe the team leader will call for rescue and come to us, and will not leave us alone. Similarly, you have to believe that I can't give up on you."

This big boy who is less than 20 years old has a relaxed tone, but he has a convincing and reassuring demeanor. Xin Chen lowered his eyelids and sighed: "Please make the most sensible choice, don't be impulsive. You can change your mind at any time, and I will never Blame you."

This discussion ended here. They camped on the edge of a vast pine forest. The next day, when the sun came out, wild flowers bloomed on the meadow not far away, and the season quickly transitioned from the cold winter at night to the scene of peaceful spring. Both knew that the weather here was capricious.

They gathered firewood, built a bonfire in an open place, and tried their best to make the smoke look thicker, hoping that the rescue team could find it earlier, but in the afternoon, the sky turned cloudy and it started to rain again, so the two could only curl up in the tent.

When Xinchen was sober, he would chat with Yueqing, and Yueqing found that she was talkative, not as taciturn as she seemed a few days ago.But all she said was what she had seen on foot, and the city they had lived in together, and nothing else.

On the third day when they lost their way, her fever rose, her face was flushed, and her lips were chapped. Lin Yueqing applied a wet towel to her forehead, collected rainwater, and force-fed her water every once in a while, but she still started to dehydrate. As a sign, she didn't hold his hand tightly again, but occasionally her lips opened and closed slightly, and she still vaguely called that name.

When it was almost desperate, the rain stopped. Lin Yueqing tried his best to search for something that could be ignited and started the fire again. A search and rescue team composed of outdoor rescue teams, villagers and armed police finally found them.

"We were indeed lucky. The team leader dealt with it in a timely manner. When he found that we were falling behind, he immediately asked the management office for help. He probably emphasized the Canadian passport I had." Recalling the days that were so close to death, Lin Yueqing did not have any lingering fears. Instead, he smiled and said, "We were carried down the mountain and sent to the health center. My father rushed over after receiving the call, and immediately transferred us to the Xi'an City Hospital. It can be regarded as saving our lives."

After Lu Fei came back from the United States, he collected all the information related to the trekking of Qinling Taibai Mountain on the Internet like a demon. He knew that Lin Yueqing was not exaggerating at all. Almost every year, tourists, donkey friends and mountain people who collected herbs disappeared and died in the mountains. , getting lost, hypothermia, encountering wild animals... all kinds of reasons can be fatal, and it is a fluke for Xin Chen to come back alive under such circumstances.

His hands were tightly clenched into fists under the table. He couldn't imagine what kind of thought drove her to make the decision to flee when she heard that he was coming back. In his impression, she was always stubborn and never evasive.

Lu Fei said goodbye to Lin Yueqing. After leaving the Green Door Cafe, he almost subconsciously drove to Xin Chen's residence. He stood downstairs and looked at the window without a trace of light. He couldn't remember how many times he had stood here. looked up to.

Seven years ago, Lu Fei went to the United States to study, and Xin Chen was admitted to an unremarkable comprehensive university in this city, moved to the dormitory, and refused to answer his emails at the same time, and the two lost contact completely.Next, he could only ask Xin Di about her recent situation when exchanging emails with her.

The news that Xindi gave him were all just a few words: she majored in graphic design, she made a boyfriend, she looks good, she seems to like traveling very much suddenly, she works as a graphic model in her spare time, my father doesn't want her to do that , she broke up with her boyfriend, she works part-time in a wedding photography company, and she has a new suitor...

Every time he received such an email, he would read it repeatedly, trying to organize a relatively complete life from simple words, but it was all in vain.

His father has always been strict with his children and does not advocate that they come and go freely during their studies.He returned to China for the first time during the Christmas holiday of the second year of studying abroad. At that time, his father had already been transferred to the south for a job, and his family moved south.His sister was about to give birth, and he stayed until the birth of his little nephew, and the vacation was almost over.

Lu Fei was supposed to go to Beijing to fly back to the United States, but he still couldn't help but quietly bought a ticket to come here, but the door of Xinchen's house was locked tightly.He called Xin Di, didn't say that he was in this city, only chatted with her, and then asked about Xin Chen seemingly unintentionally, only then did he know that Xin Chen was spending winter vacation with his father who was doing business in Kunming.

He could only wish Xin Di's family a happy new year, put down the phone sadly, and looked up at the dark window just like now.

The sky was covered with flakes of snow, it was cold and damp, he came from the warm south, he didn't wear much, but he still walked to a secluded road behind the urban park, in the mid-winter evening, he caught up with the weather again , there are almost no pedestrians here.

Just a year before Lu Fei went abroad, he had accompanied Xin Chen, who was a sophomore in high school, for a walk here. At that time, it was late spring at the end of April, and the air was warm, which indicated that the long summer in this city was about to begin.

From the first half of that year, Xin Kaiyu suddenly stopped going on business trips or running around abnormally, and stayed at home almost every day.Xinchen went to the second semester of the second year of high school, and the school had already started to study by herself every night and make up classes all day on Saturdays. It was not convenient for Lu to go to her home to help her with tutoring, so he could only take her out for something to eat or go for a walk occasionally on Sundays.

Lu Fei was afraid of delaying Xin Chen's homework, so he always sent her home early.That day her April transfer test results came out, and she did very well in the test, and her grade ranking rose to within 150, which can be considered above the middle.Lu Fei showed approval and took her to watch a movie to relax. After she came out, Xin Chen refused to go back.

"There is still class tomorrow, why don't you go home early and rest?"

"Walk with me, Lu Fei, I've almost collapsed in my homework recently, so just treat it as an exam reward, okay?"

Lu Fei knew that the middle school he had attended was notoriously heavy on homework, and since Xin Chen promised him to study hard the day he watched the cherry blossoms, he really restrained his playfulness, and recently he can be regarded as immersed in his studies.He couldn't bear to refuse, and walked aimlessly along the back of the park with her.

"I'm very happy recently, do you know why?"

"why?"

"Dad is always at home. He accompanies me to do my homework almost every night, buys me snacks, and forces me to drink milk. He says he will try his best to take care of me until the college entrance examination." Xin Chen said with a smile, "And you always Come with me."

Lu Fei sighed, thinking that what her father did was something a father should have done long ago, but seeing Xin Chen's dimples appearing in his smile, his brows and eyes curved, and even juxtaposing him with her father, it is obvious that he is very close to him, Of course I am also happy.

She pulled his sleeve, "I want to eat lamb skewers."

Lu Fei looked at the smoky barbecue booth with meat skewers exposed to the air and dubious sanitary conditions, and couldn't help frowning, "It's better to eat ice cream."

He just rejected her request to eat ice cream, the reason is that the weather is not hot, be careful of stomach pain, and now he wants to choose the lesser of two evils, but Xin Chen took the cone he bought with a triumphant smile on his face, he immediately Knowing that she had been fooled, she could only pat her head angrily and funny.

They walked along this quiet tree-lined road. The wind at the end of April was warm and bright, which made people feel a little lazy. The twilight was thin, and the sky refused to completely darken.She took his arm, and the setting sun cast their figures long in front of them.

Not far ahead, a well-dressed man in his thirties suddenly stopped under a tree, looked left and right, and started climbing the tree.Lu Fei couldn't help being surprised, and Xin Chen stopped and watched with great interest.The man looked down and saw someone watching, he was a little embarrassed, and said mockingly: "My daughter is raising silkworms for fun, and the mulberry leaves I bought are not enough to eat, so I finally found a mulberry tree here."

Xin Chen said with a smile: "My dad also picked mulberry leaves for me before. I was wondering if he looked around and climbed the tree in the same way."

The man on the tree was amused, "It's only natural for a daughter to torment Dad."

"Hey, don't knock the flowers away, they can bear mulberries."

The man smiled and agreed: "Okay, let your boyfriend come to climb the tree to pick the mulberries, and the father can finally take a rest."

They couldn't help laughing, and the two continued to walk forward. Not too far away, Xin Chen suddenly stopped, "Hey, I met a classmate."

Lu Fei hurriedly pulled her to the side of a big tree by the side of the road. Under the dark sky, he could see a pair of boys and girls coming out of the side gate of the park in front, walking towards the opposite station hand in hand.Xin Chen laughed wickedly, "The boy is our school's [-]-meter champion, and the girl is my classmate."

Lu Fei is funny, the children who dare to love are all seizing the limited spare time to fall in love, "Didn't he always pursue you?"

"Who would be so stupid to keep chasing after people ignoring her?" Xin Chen said carelessly, "This girl is the branch secretary of our class, and she usually looks decent."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's an inappropriate word."

"You should correct my Chinese homework? What kind of words should I use? Seriously, pretending." Xin Chen said more and more amusingly, "Still putting on airs?"

Lu Fei rubbed her hair helplessly, "You're dating too, and you're laughing at her."

She leaned into his arms and laughed, "But I didn't pretend to be a pure girl, and I'm not afraid of being seen."

Lu Fei felt ashamed secretly, he really didn't want to be seen by her classmates.He leaned against the big tree, put his arms around her, and asked with a smile: "Then I pretended?"

Xin Chen looked up at him seriously, his brows were straight, his eyes were full of tenderness and a smile, which made her feel like the ice cream she held in her hand just now, could melt in this gaze, "You didn't pretend, You're naturally serious, and I like you the way you are."

Hearing this praise, Lu Fei was a little ashamed, well, being prudish is better than being prudish, he thought resignedly.He bent down and kissed her sweet and soft lips, ordered himself not to linger, and then said to himself mockingly: Especially now, you don't seem to be too serious.

They walked around that road, and Xin Chen kept talking to him about this and that with great interest. After a while, he talked about raising silkworms with Xin Di when he was in elementary school. Here, when the white and yellow cocoons were formed, the two were so excited that they divided each other in half. Xin Di quietly took it back and put it in the drawer, but he didn't notice that a few days later, moths would break out of the cocoon, and when the drawer was opened, the room was full. Flying around caused my mother to blame me a lot; after a while, I pointed to the tree by the roadside and told him that this is called acacia. I have made Sophora japonica cake, which is sweet and delicious.

It wasn't until the night was dark that he couldn't walk anymore, that Xin Chen agreed to let him take him home.When I went downstairs, I met Xin Kaiyu walking home. Unlike other girls who had boys around, Xinchen avoided her parents. She called her "Dad" generously. When he turned around, Lu Fei couldn't help but marvel at his youth.

At that time, Xin Kaiyu was only 35 years old. He looked like he was in his early 30s. He looked more like a brother than a father. Did you come back late?" There was no trace of reproach in his tone.

Xin Kaiyu is not like other fathers with growing beautiful daughters who strictly scrutinize strange boys. He just casually looked at Lu Fei, then went in with his daughter, and walked into the dark corridor. Xin Chen turned his head and turned the other way. Fei smiled and shook hands, her smile was as deeply embedded in his memory as that spring day.

Such a spring scene is like yesterday, and such laughter seems to be still lingering in my ears.

The road in front of me was deserted, and the acacia and mulberry trees were all bare, giving it a bleak winter scene.Gusts of cold north wind whizzed past, and the white hot air exhaled by Lu Fei was immediately blown to pieces, and the fine snowflakes wet his coat, allowing the biting chill to penetrate directly into his body.

He thought, maybe there is really no fate anymore.Fate, such a vulgar yet so versatile word, seems to be able to explain all the separation and meeting between people, but it can't explain the concern that he used all his reason to persuade, but he couldn't let go.

He went to the airport, transferred from Beijing and returned to the United States to continue his studies.He can only say to himself: Well, it seems that she should be doing well, and boys keep pursuing her.Of course, how could such a beautiful and lively girl be pursued by no one, there would always be someone who would give her happiness.If you give up, you have no right to expect her to still consider you when she can really make decisions about her own life.

And new faces appeared in his life.

After graduating from Hass School of Business, Lu Fei successfully entered the venture capital company in the United States to work, and was sent back to the domestic office after half a year. When Ji Ruoli, who followed him back to Beijing, confessed to him again, he was silent for a long time , "Give me time to think about it, please?"

"It doesn't matter how long it takes." Ji Ruoli answered him like this.

She is a gentle, quiet and beautiful girl. After graduating from high school, she went to the United States to study at a university. She gave up her plan to pursue further studies because of him. risk."

He felt that there was no way to repay such persistence, but she laughed, "No, don't feel burdened, this is my own decision, you just make your own decision."

Lu Fei's decision-making ability at work has been highly valued by his boss, but when it comes to Xin Chen, he has never been able to make himself a quick decision.After hesitating again and again, he called Xindi and said that he planned to come back for vacation-of course this was a ridiculous excuse, no one would want to go on vacation in this city known for its hot summer in early July.

Lu Fei hoped to meet Xin Chen before making a decision, even if he knew that she already had a boyfriend at that time.

At dusk in early July three years ago, when Lu Fei stepped off the plane, he was greeted by a scorching and long-lost high temperature.When he got into the taxi, the driver asked him where he was going, but he hesitated for a moment, and after hesitating for a moment, he gave Xin Chen's address, but this time her door was still locked.

He could only go to the restaurant that Xin Kaiming had booked. Xin Kaiming and Li Xin had already arrived there first, saying that Xindi would be there soon. He asked, "Where's Xiaochen? She should be off work, right?"

Xin Kaiming remained silent, obviously a little annoyed, Li Xin frowned and said, "Don't mention it, she suddenly said that she didn't want to go to work, and went to Xi'an with her boyfriend for a trip, and she left this morning, alas, this job was arranged for her after all, and it hurts you Uncle Xin and Director Wang kept apologizing."

He didn't pay attention to what Li Xin said next.After Xin Di came over, everyone began to eat. Xin Di noticed that he was in a trance, and he just smiled calmly: "Maybe he is not used to the local heat."

So the topic turned to global warming and climate anomalies. Xindi mentioned that according to newspaper reports, the cherry blossom season of his alma mater is advancing every year. Clothing companies now have to take warm winter into consideration as an important factor in the development of winter clothing. He also talked casually In the first year after returning to China, the flowers at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco seemed to bloom very early, and cosmoses could be seen in full bloom from a long distance away, which was extremely gorgeous.

What he didn't say was that whether he heard the cherry blossoms blooming or saw the blooming flowers in a foreign country, he always thought of Xinchen.

In the evening, Lu Fei sent Xindi home and stood under the acacia tree in the yard for a long time. It was in the flowering season. Although the blooming posture of the acacia flower could not be seen clearly in the dark, the fragrance was faint, and a small flowery smile was in front of my eyes.

Ji Ruoli called his cell phone and asked cautiously, "Lu Fei, will you stay there for a few more days?"

He suddenly couldn't bear such a beautiful tree blooming silently above his head, and he couldn't bear to stay in this city as noisy as a furnace, "I'll be back tomorrow."

Lu Fei changed his ticket on the pretext that he had a temporary job, and returned to Beijing the next day.Ji Ruoli picked him up at the airport, he looked tired and didn't want to say anything, she didn't ask anything, drove him quietly, and took him downstairs to his house, he unbuckled his seat belt, turned around and was about to say "goodbye", There were tears in her eyes, but she quickly turned her head and looked ahead with her hands on the steering wheel.

"I'm really afraid that you will go back and call me and say that you have found the person you are looking for."

Lu Fei was silent, the person he was looking for seemed to be lost forever.Ji Ruoli is sensitive and meticulous, knowing that there are reasons for his repeated rejections and long-term non-response.After a long time, she stretched out her hand and held his hand, "I'm very selfish, Lu Fei. I kept wishing in my heart that you wouldn't find her, but I'm not happy seeing you so unhappy."

He looked at her and smiled slightly, "Actually, I'm not unhappy."

As long as she is happy, he thought.

When he said this, Xin Chen should have been walking on the Taibai Mountains facing the sunset.Lu Fei thought bitterly.

In the next few days, Lu Fei's vacation was not exhausted, so he took Ji Ruoli to Beidaihe.Then, when he and Ji Ruoli were kissing at the beach, Xin Chen started to have a fever, supporting his sick body to continue trekking until he fell behind.When Ji Ruoli hugged him tightly, trembling in his arms and softly called his name, Xin Chen was lying in that tent, holding Lin Yueqing's hand, calling his name in the same way.If it wasn't for Lin Yueqing by her side, she would have died alone without him noticing.And he was full of disappointment and jealousy that he didn't want to admit, and he didn't want to wait even one more day, but he still deluded himself into thinking that she would have a good life.

Such memories and associations filled Lu Fei with a sense of guilt, and cold sweat broke out from the palms of his clenched fists.

"Chenzi is not at home now."

When Lu Fei turned his head, Xin Kaiyu was standing not far behind him.

On an afternoon at the end of June nine years ago, they were standing in almost the same position downstairs, looking at each other, and Xin Kaiyu actually said the same sentence.

At that time, Xin Kaiyu got off the taxi and saw Lu Fei coming downstairs and standing downstairs. They had met a few months ago, and Xin Kaiyu had a good impression of this calm boy.

Lu Fei broke up with Xin Chen a few days ago.

That day was the time to go back to school to get the report card at the end of the semester. Lu Fei waited for Xin Chen not far from the middle school, and saw her alone in the distance, walking towards him lazily, and he took her hand. Schoolbag, casually asked: "How did you do in the exam?"

Reluctantly, she took out the report card from her pocket and handed it to him. Seeing the extremely bad result, Lu Fei was puzzled and annoyed, "The test was very good in April, why did it become like this all at once?"

Xin Chen didn't speak for a while, just looked at the front sullenly.Lu Fei said: "Xiaochen, there is still a third year in high school. As long as you hurry up, you should still have time. Is your father at home today? If not, I will go over and give you tutoring."

He thought that the normal family life would help her study. At that time, Xin Chen only said that her homework was very tight and did not ask to meet him.Who knows that looking at it now, his grades have plummeted instead, which makes him really confused.

Xin Chen shook his head, "No, I have to go to Uncle's house later. Let's go to the movies, Lu Fei, don't talk about studying today."

Lu Fei had no choice but to take her to the cinema, he chose a movie at random and bought a ticket to sit in. In the dark, she stretched out her hand and put it in his palm, with a sense of self-knowledge and seeking peace. slender hands.

That day was a very lively American movie, full of Hollywood-style gimmicks, but Xin Chen stared blankly at the screen without smiling much.Usually, she always seemed to have endless things to say in front of him, and when watching a movie, she would lean over her head and make random comments on the content of the movie from time to time. He mostly listened with a smile, but now she was so abnormally quiet, and he felt something was wrong.

Her father won't put pressure on her, and she won't worry about a grade like this, so she still cares about his feelings, he thought, although she didn't take to heart the promise she made to him when she watched the cherry blossoms in spring, but For a child who is playful and willful and does not like to learn, it may not be surprising.

After leaving the movie theater, Lu Fei sent her to her uncle's house. Xin Chen was absent-minded all the time. Lu Fei looked at her sideways. In the past two years, she had grown a lot taller. At this time, her expression suddenly seemed less childish. The change in consciousness made Lu Fei both happy and worried, "Xiaochen, promise me, let's make a plan and hurry up to study this summer vacation."

She said nonchalantly, "Uncle arranged for me to start tutoring art during the summer vacation."

Lu Fei knew that at that time, many parents arranged for children with poor grades to suddenly study art and take the joint art exam. different.He didn't think that Xin Chen's painting under Xin Di's guidance, and drawing cartoon characters without losing their shape was regarded as a hobby of art. He could only express his incomprehension to Xin Kaiming's decision: "Do you like art?"

"Average." Xin Chen was listless, obviously neither resisting nor welcoming this decision, "It's probably better than the college entrance examination, my dad also said that it can be easier."

Lu Fei was silent, and had already walked outside the courtyard where Xin Kaiming lived. Xin Chen suddenly turned around, hugged his waist with both hands, and looked up at him, "Lu Fei, are you disappointed in me?"

It was just dusk, people were coming and going, Lu Fei was a little embarrassed, he gently pulled her hand away, he had to admit in his heart that he was really disappointed that she gave up her goal so easily, "Xiaochen, you are so smart, as long as you With a little bit of hard work, it will be more than the current result."

Xin Chen turned his head sideways and remained silent for a long time. Lu Fei turned her to look, her big eyes clearly contained tears, but she refused to let them flow out. His heart softened immediately, and he hugged her and said, "If you I really don’t like studying, so there’s nothing I can do about it, forget it, but at least try to get a grade that can go to college.”

Xin Chen was suddenly annoyed, "You will know your grades when you get grades." She snatched her schoolbag, ran into the yard, passed under two trees in full bloom, and rushed into the corridor in one breath.

Lu Fei could only look at her back helplessly, turned his head and walked a few steps, just as Li Xin came back from get off work, he asked him to come in for dinner, but he politely declined.

In the next few days, he called Xin Chen's house again. She was still in a low mood and spoke very simply. She didn't have the energy to keep talking to him while holding the phone.

He could only think in annoyance, what happened to this child, he used to play petty temper, but he would be fine after a while, but this time he would be so awkward for such a long time.At the same time, he reflected on himself. It seemed that he really valued grades too much, which probably hurt her self-esteem.After the school holiday, he hurried over to see that there was no one at home, but when he came downstairs, he saw Xin Kaiyu.

Xin Kaiyu hurried upstairs.Lu Fei was hesitating whether to wait or go to Xin Di's house, but saw Xin Kaiyu coming down with another suitcase.

"Are you going on a business trip again?" Lu Fei asked him politely.

Xin Kaiyu was a little surprised. After all, other boys didn't dare to talk to him casually, but Lu Fei in front of him looked in his early 20s, with a gentle temperament, and stared at him without flickering. He was obviously not a young boy.He said: "This time it's not a business trip, it's going to work in other places."

"What about Xin Chen?"

"Chenzi has gone to live with her uncle's house."

"Okay, I'll go find her over there, goodbye."

"Wait a minute." Xin Kaiyu stopped him, "Is your name Lu Fei?"

Lu Fei nodded.

Xin Kaiyu looked at him and pondered for a while, "Lu Fei, I had some problems at work and had to go out of town. I couldn't come back in a short time, so I had to entrust Chenzi to my elder brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law had a clear talk with me, and she is willing Chenzi took care of her before she was admitted to university, but the prerequisite was that Chenzi should not associate with boys this year, she especially named you by name, and she didn't want Chenzi to be with you."

Lu Fei was taken aback, "Why?"

"I'm afraid my sister-in-law is a very traditional and conservative person. According to her, your family is more sensitive and will not accept you falling in love so early; Chen Zi lives with her, and she must be responsible to her." Xin Kaiyu shrugged, " I think she has some truth. Although I don't think you are in love, let alone you need to decide your future now."

Lu Fei frowned, "I like Xiaochen, and I will definitely cherish and respect her. She is still young, but I am an adult, and I will master the proper way to communicate. I can assure you, I will not hurt her."

"Don't be in a hurry to promise me. During this period of time, Chenzi was affected by my affairs, and she was in a bad mood. She just looks cheerful, but she is very sensitive. I don't want her to have a bad time with her aunt. Yesterday I already talked with her She talked about it, and she promised me that she would listen to her aunt, but when it came to you, she was not so obedient, she just said she knew."

Lu Fei's heart beat a beat suddenly, this child is different to him after all.

"Those little boys, since Chen Zi agreed to me, he can do everything by himself. Seeing that you are relatively mature, I'm only telling you this. You should understand what I mean, right?"

"I understand, please rest assured."

Xin Kaiyu laughed at himself, as if he felt that what he said was absurd, he waved to stop a taxi, and the driver helped him put his luggage into the trunk, he looked back at the house he lived in, and then at Lu Fei, "Chenzi is indeed It’s still a child, if you really like her, please be patient, wait for her to grow up and decide to live on her own, and then tell her it’s not too late.”

This request was reasonable, and Lu Fei could only nod in agreement.

Lu Fei has always had confidence in his patience and self-control. The moment he met Xin Kaiyu's eyes, he had no doubt that he could fulfill that promise.He watched Xin Kaiyu get into the car and go away, and then went to Xin Kaiming's house.Xin Di is alone at home. She has recently developed a deep interest in pattern making. The sofa is covered with a large pile of odd fabrics that she bought back, and she is cutting out and sewing by herself.Seeing him coming, Xin Di excitedly showed off her work, "How is it? The clothes I designed for Chen Zi are almost finished."

"Where's Xiaochen?"

"She went to art cram school and should be back soon."

Sure enough, after a while, Xin Chen came in with a canvas folder and a yellow toolbox. When he saw Lu Fei, he was happy at first, then immediately sullenly went straight into the bedroom and sat at the desk flipping through the books .

Lu Fei didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he walked in, mopped a chair beside her, and held her hand, "Xiaochen, are you still angry?"

Xin Chen stared at him, "Don't come to me anymore, Aunt told me not to pester you."

Lu Fei was taken aback: "What do you mean you pester me?"

Xin Chen was annoyed, but he really couldn't repeat what Auntie said, so he just pulled his hand hard. Lu Fei didn't let go, coaxed her with a smile and said, "I'll make it clear to Auntie later, it's obvious that I'm pestering you."

"It's no wonder you're going to say that." Xin Chen was still angry, but his hand stopped in his.

Lu Fei smiled wryly, admitting that she was really a sensitive child, he was not afraid of Li Xin, but he would not make such a confession so recklessly after agreeing to Xin Kaiyu.He played with her fingers, slender and fair, pink nails shining with a healthy luster, the paint on the fingertips had not been washed off, and he said softly: "I went to your house just now and met your father, Xiaochen .”

Xin Chen said hastily: "My father didn't do anything bad, someone hurt him."

Lu Fei was stunned, "Xiaochen, your father only told me that he has to go to work in other places, and you will live in your uncle's house from now on."

Xin Chen bit his lip and turned his head aside.Lu Fei understood that her father must have caused some trouble, and her grades dropped during this period was probably also affected by this, so she couldn't help pity, "I promised your father that I won't let you make things difficult for your aunt, it may be inconvenient in the future Come here. You obediently listen to what they say, study hard, and call me if you have any questions you don’t understand.”

Xin Chen suddenly withdrew his hand and looked directly at him, "Lu Fei, that's what I told my aunt and my father: I won't pester anyone, including you."

"Xiaochen, where are you thinking? I made it very clear to your father that I like you and am willing to wait for you to grow up. You will be in the third year of high school right now, and now you must focus on your studies, and your aunt's request of you is also reasonable, she You are also very strict with Xiaodi, and you know it."

Xin Chen stared at him blankly, not speaking for a long time.

"It's only a year, Xiaochen. It will be fine when you are admitted to university. Don't you think that Xiaodi is more free now than before? She also went to other places to see fashion exhibitions with her classmates, and her aunt won't stop her anymore." .”

"What if I can't get into your university?"

Looking at this obviously coquettish face, Lu Fei smiled, "You try your best, and if you don't try your best, I will punish you."

Xin Chen regained his good mood and snorted, apparently not afraid of his punishment.Xin Di came in with a skirt, and waved away Lu Fei, "Lu Fei, you go out first, Chen Zi, hurry up and try on this skirt."

Lu Fei went to the living room, heard the two girls talking in it, and laughed into a group. Such pleasant laughter and whispers, mixed with the fragrance of Albizia julibrissin flowers in the room, made this early summer afternoon seem peaceful and long. A little bit in a trance, almost wishing that time would stop at this pure and worry-free moment.

Xin Di called him: "Lu Fei, see if Chen Zi looks good in this."

He looked back at Xin Chen, suddenly a little dry mouth.

Xin Chen was wearing a blue batik fabric skirt with a bit of rough texture, which was as long as her calves. For the first time, the girl's figure was wrapped so curvaceously, with unevenness, which made people have the urge to put their hands on it and caress it.

Fortunately, the two sisters didn't notice his reaction. Xin Chen looked at the dressing mirror in the entrance and giggled, "This is very weird, like a noodle pocket. I haven't seen anyone wearing such a skirt on the street."

"Don't move around." Xin Di fixed her firmly, and tied the bow around her waist for her, "This is the only way to have a unique style, understand?"

Xin Chen shook his head, "I still think it looks better in jeans."

Xin Di had no choice but to ask Lu Fei for help, "Quickly, tell this little silly girl that this skirt looks much better than jeans."

Lu Fei tried to keep his voice calm, "Yes, it's very beautiful."

But Xin Chen still smiled at the mirror, "Whatever you say, I won't wear this to school."

Lu Fei was actually relieved. He would rather the girl still wear jeans and sneakers to school. If such a seductive beauty only lived in his eyes, it would somewhat calm his turbulent mood. This thought made him a little ashamed.

Afterwards, Lu Fei picked Xin Chen up every day when she was going to the art cram school, and the two broke up after taking her to the corner near her uncle's house.After the summer vacation ended, Xin Chen went to school from morning to night from Monday to Saturday, and Xin Di tutored art for half a day at home on Sunday. All the time was fully arranged, and the two met less often.

Li Xin is very strict and fair to Xin Chen, basically the same rules as when she was in charge of Xin Di: go to and leave school on time, don't stay outside for no reason, and don't have any contact with boys other than studying.In terms of life, she can be said to have taken good care of Xin Chen.

Xin Di usually lives on campus, and there are only three people in the family: uncle, aunt and Xin Chen.Li Xin cooks a nutritious and comprehensive breakfast for the three of them every morning, and when Xin Chen comes home from evening self-study, there must be a bottle of milk and a snack on the table.The two adults don't like to talk, Xin Kaiming always sits in the study and reads, and Li Xin turns the TV volume down in the living room, knitting a sweater while watching TV.Xinchen is doing homework in the bedroom, and it's time to rest. The uncle will come in to check on her and tell her to go to bed early.

Xin Chen is grateful for the meticulous care of her uncle and aunt, but she has always been disorganized by her father's free-range policy. At home, she often does homework with the TV on. When her father comes back, he will chat with her from time to time, which makes her happy. To, I will take her downstairs to have a midnight snack.

Although the life in front of her was comfortable and orderly, it was really boring for her.

Of course she understood that this idea came from a very ignorant point, so she could only act coquettishly when she called her father.When Xin Kaiyu first went to a different place, he started everything from the beginning, not because he was embarrassed, but he could only ask his daughter to be obedient.

On this day, Lu Fei suddenly received a call from Xin Chen: "Lu Fei, can you come pick me up today? Uncle is on a business trip to Zhuhai, and aunt is in a meeting today and won't be back."

Lu Fei immediately agreed.In the evening, he was waiting outside the school, and from a distance, he saw Xin Chen walking out with a group of classmates carrying his schoolbag. She waved goodbye to the classmates, and then walked towards him.

She got closer and closer, and like other high school seniors, she was a little sleep-deprived and listless. The round baby fat on her face faded a little, her chin became sharper, and her eyes looked bigger.Such thinness made her even more charming, and Lu Fei suddenly felt that she was almost a little strange after not seeing her for two months.She rushed over and hooked Lu Fei's neck. This action was still childish, completely ignoring the possibility of being seen by her classmates.

Back home, Xin Chen was doing his homework while muttering "I can never finish my homework", while Lu Fei was sitting and reading a book, but it was the first time for the two of them to be alone together in such a long time, and there seemed to be a different feeling floating in the air than before. The atmosphere, Lu Fei couldn't concentrate as usual.

Xin Chen asked him a math problem, and he explained it to her. Unknowingly, she leaned into his arms, his pen moved more and more slowly on the paper, and his nose was full of the fresh and fresh air of a girl coming from Xin Chen. With a sweet breath, she turned her head in doubt, "I don't understand, how did I get this step..."

Before she could finish speaking, his lips fell on hers.Different from the lip touch between the two before, Lu Fei hugged her tightly, sucked her lips, and in a blink of an eye his tongue penetrated into her mouth. This unprecedented close contact made the two of them My heart beat faster, and I felt like I was getting an electric shock.

Lu Fei's kiss became deeper and deeper instinctively, his hands began to move on her body, her skin was smooth and delicate, and she trembled slightly in his arms, he suddenly woke up and forced himself to let her go.Xin Chen's eyes were misty, his porcelain-like face was flushed, and his red lips were slightly swollen under the lamp.

This scene was too tempting. Lu Fei stood up and hurried to the balcony. The autumn wind blew on his fiery face. He waited for himself to calm down slowly and his heartbeat returned to normal before returning to the room.I saw Xin Chen leaning over the table to do homework again, and when he heard him come in, he ignored him.

Lu Fei put his arm around her shoulder, and she pushed his hand sullenly, "If you don't want to kiss me, don't kiss me, why do you run away like this?"

He really couldn't explain the impulsiveness that he could barely control just now, "Xiaochen, do your homework well, I'll go back first."

Xin Chen kept silent, and scribbled on the homework with his pen. Lu Fei sighed, picked her up and sat on his lap, and looked at her seriously, "Xiao Chen, it feels good to kiss you, But I can't go on like this, or I'll break my promise to your father, and I'm sorry for Uncle Xin and Aunt Li." Looking at Xin Chen's blank expression, he didn't intend to continue, or it would make her even more upset, " Good boy, I'll solve this problem for you, you go to take a bath, go to bed early today, it's not too early."

Lu Fei finished the topic, then covered Xin Chen who came back from washing, kissed her forehead, and was about to straighten up, Xin Chen stretched out his hands to wrap his arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear: "Lu Fei, I I like it when you kiss me."

He used all his willpower to force himself to break away from her hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm leaving. I'll call you tomorrow morning to wake you up for school and sleep well."

Lu Fei turned off the lights, went out and closed the gate and went downstairs, standing under the acacia tree whose leaves were beginning to turn yellow, looking up at the balcony on the second floor, the wonderful feeling seemed to linger on his lips.But he couldn't help thinking that if this went on like this, it might be difficult for him to control himself.A 20-year-old boy hugs his beloved girl, no matter how rational he is, he can't convince himself not to have a physical reaction. Thinking back to the kiss just now, it was both sweet and a bit scary, and the lust was so strong and strange. The method suddenly appeared, and he couldn't help hesitating.

His little girl has grown up little by little without knowing it, such a tight, smooth, youthful body, seeing it has already moved his heart, and he couldn't bear to let go when she hugged her again.He can only remind himself that you can't blaspheme her with your own desires.

It was a sweet torture to choose to wait for such a girl to grow up.He raised his head and stared deeply again, of course, he enjoyed the torture.

The past is as vivid as yesterday, and the world always seems to like to proceed in the most unexpected way.Within a year, they were on different paths.Without his waiting and guarding, Xin Chen still grew up, and as he had faintly hoped, he decided his own life in a sensible and responsible manner, and even his hobbies were so healthy.

Xin Kaiyu looked at Lu Fei, looking very relaxed, "If you want to find Chenzi, just call her. Waiting like this is not a good way. If you don't try, you will never know what will happen next." He laughed, "And there's no shame in being rejected by my daughter."

Under the dim street lights, the 44-year-old Xin Kaiyu still looks much younger than his actual age, but he no longer has the unruly eyes that distinguish him from other family men who are fathers.Lu Fei suddenly realized that the girl who looked exactly like him, when she was 25 years old, her eyes were no longer lively and seductive.

This is how time leaves traces mercilessly on everyone.

Lu Fei was speechless, Xin Kaiyu walked past him and went straight into the corridor.Lu Fei slowly let go of his clenched fist. He was not afraid of Xin Chen's refusal, but after hearing Lin Yueqing's memories, he suddenly didn't know how to face her.

(End of this chapter)