Flowers all the way

Chapter 21 Before the Next Moment Comes

Xin Chen didn't have any plans for this evening, but thought that Xin Di would go on a business trip to the United States tomorrow, and she should give them some time to be alone when David Fan sent her home later.

After she came out of her uncle's house, she held her mobile phone and rummaged lazily through her address book as she walked. Suddenly, she found that it was not easy to find someone to spend time with.When she was in college, she was quite eccentric and had no particularly good classmates.After work, I started to behave peacefully, no matter what job I did, I got along well with the people around me, but I lost the interest in making friends with people.There are quite a few netizens on the forum who hike together regularly, but their friendships are limited to the road and the Internet, and they seldom contact each other in life.

She was planning to go to a movie alone when her phone rang, she picked it up and saw that it was a call from a moderator named "Bubble" in an outdoor forum. They went to Tibet together this year, and they had each other's numbers, but hardly any. Through the phone, she answered quickly: "Hello."

"He Huan, why have you been missing for a while? Didn't you read A Feng's post in the forum? He came back from Mount Everest. We made an appointment to have a party at his Forever bar tonight, and we all want to see you off by the way. "

When Xinchen sent Hua's post that day, he briefly mentioned that he was planning to go to other places in the near future.She knew that Lu Fei was also here, so she didn't log in again. In addition, she worked overtime and edited pictures in an advertising company every day, so she really didn't have time to sign up for the routine hiking. See, I'm sorry, I'll be right over."

Forever has always been a base for outdoor forums to make appointments.There are several groups of people who play outdoors. Some people like extreme sports such as rock climbing, snow mountain climbing and diving. Some people like to drive alone. I love photography. A Feng, the owner of the Forever bar, is considered the veteran of this BBS. From time to time, donkey friends will borrow his bar to meet up and exchange outdoor experiences. One of the important contents is to appreciate and comment on the photos taken by each other during the trip.

When Xin Chen arrived there, only the downstairs bar was open to the outside world, and there were a few customers sitting in the dim candlelight. She went straight upstairs, and the inside was almost full of netizens. The projector was releasing photos of Mount Everest, yes Feng and a few friends took the pictures, the majesty and magnificence took everyone's breath away.

Xin Chen found a place and sat down quietly, nodded to the people around him, and looked at the photo seriously.

This time, two groups of people went to Tibet. Xinchen participated in the self-driving route accompanied by local netizens. He took the Sichuan-Tibet line to enter the Qinghai-Tibet line and exited. Even if it's mild.They are all amateur mountaineers from different regions and industries in China. They are interested in climbing Mount Everest. They met and went straight to the base camp of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5200 meters for nearly a month to do adaptive training. No. 6300 scientific research camp, in this non-climbing season, it is the highest altitude where people exist.

Afeng simply added an explanation, introducing the shooting location, altitude and technical parameters of the photos. However, everyone was obviously more interested in the life in the Everest camp. They did not expect that there would be a family of three foreigners sitting there with their children leisurely. Basking in the sun in front of the tent.After the photos were finished, they immediately started to ask all kinds of strange questions. Afeng answered them one by one, and then changed to the leader of the self-driving tour to Tibet to talk about their itinerary.

A Feng came over and sat next to Xin Chen, and asked with a smile, "Hehuan, you are playing big, but you don't reply to my posts, be careful and drink later."

"I've been too busy the past few days, so I didn't go to the forum. I'm not afraid of drinking with you. Anyway, if I get drunk, even if I drink too much, you have to send me back. I'll tell Dizi first." Xin Chen He took out his mobile phone and called Xin Di, then handed him the mobile phone, "Report to Dizi, she asked you why you haven't responded a few days ago."

Lu Fei stopped at the stairs, and the projector released photos of six men and two women, including Xin Chen, all wearing T-shirts and standing in front of two off-road vehicles smiling.

He hasn't seen Xin Chen during this period, but he just heard from Xin Di that she has been working overtime in the advertising company to edit pictures, and after he completed the work handover of the venture capital company, he officially resigned and began to investigate the work he was going to take over. Busy.

He has been working in American-funded companies since he graduated. In the American working environment, he is a rare oriental face, but he quickly won the approval of his superiors with his ability. The opportunities and pressures in front of him and his American colleagues are exactly the same.For nearly a year, he traveled around the world on business trips and independently handled the intricate venture capital business.

After returning to China, he was catching up with the rapid growth of the domestic economy, and the venture capital industry was booming, and the business of the Beijing office increased rapidly under his hands.But it is also a brand new experience for him to deal with domestic governments at all levels and various enterprises, large and small.The need for a sound legal environment, delicate interpersonal relationships, vastly different investment policies in different regions, complex tax systems and local regulations are like mazes, so he and his colleagues have to devote all their energy to in-depth research.

After Lu Fei decided to stay and work locally, his initial plan was to raise funds and set up an investment company by himself, starting with a high-tech growth company, and trying to introduce the concept of venture capital. He is confident that he has rich experience in risk control, but The beginning is bound to be difficult.

He met Wang Feng by chance.Wang Feng came from a grassroots background and has a keen eye. He is a self-made rich man in the mainland who has seized historical opportunities. His experience of getting involved in lawsuits is also typical among private entrepreneurs.But misfortune comes with good fortune. A lawsuit brought his wife Xu Huaying to the front of the stage to shine. Not only did the company not suffer any injuries, but it also showed signs of prosperity.But he turned behind the scenes, began to reflect on himself, acted in a low-key manner, and devoted himself to studying the economic situation and national policies.After the two chatted, they found that many of their ideas and understandings were surprisingly similar.

It was also through Wang Feng that Lu Fei learned that many of the private capitals in the mainland, known for their huge amounts of money and mysterious movements, are playing around the edges of policies and have a single profit model.Wang Feng is also eager to get rid of relying on friendship, word of mouth, and word of mouth to expand his business, and is eager to bring the company into a standardized operation mode.When Wang Feng proposed cooperation, Lu Fei was not surprised. Although joining a purely private enterprise was a choice he had never thought of before, but with previous communication, the two hit it off almost immediately and reached a cooperation intention smoothly. .

Wang Feng introduced his wife Xu Huaying to meet with Lu Fei to discuss the details of the cooperation. It was finally finalized today. He will serve as the general manager of Wang Feng Investment Company and hold 10% of the shares. The two parties reached a full consensus on business development and management. After the meeting, He, Wang Feng and Xu Huaying went to a suburban guild hall for dinner, and were introduced to senior management of the group company at the same time.

During the feasting, everyone was talking and laughing, and Lu Fei knew exactly what this new job meant to him.

He didn't care about work pressure and responsibilities. Just by accepting this position, his life was firmly connected with the local area. But the girl who made him decide to stay was ready to leave without hesitation. Thinking of this , he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

After dinner, Lu Fei drove to Forever. The upstairs was already full of guests and laughter.The day before yesterday, when he routinely logged into the forum and continued to read posts, he saw A Feng's call for a meeting and exchange, and mentioned that he would drop by to see Xin Chen off, so he decided to come and have a look.

The upstairs was already full of people, and he stood leaning against the railing of the stairs, quietly listening to Bubble's introduction.

Bubble said: "I have been busy with work since I came back, and I just sorted out the photos recently. Later, I will post the detailed route guide on the forum. Here are some photos of us after we entered Tibet."

A picture of Litang surrounded by snow peaks appeared on the screen. Foam introduced: "The altitude here is 4014 meters. The few good guys who rushed to drive along the way have begun to respond. I have to say that Acacia is amazing. She drove this section of the road." It’s a car that makes all of us men admire us so much.”

Xin Chen said with a smile: "Don't exaggerate the bubbles. If you concentrate on driving, you won't have a headache. Didn't you confirm it the next day?"

"It's a good thing you can't hold on when you reach Tingri, otherwise I'll really think you're an iron man." Foam also laughed, "Everyone, on Tingri, several people had headaches and couldn't sleep at night. I was so frightened that my head suddenly became dizzy, how could I lose a person. Look again, okay, the eldest lady is sleeping on the off-road vehicle with a quilt in her arms, and she specially opened a cylinder of oxygen in the car to release it slowly, sleeping It’s a fragrance. Please remember this experience, it’s very effective when you can’t resist altitude sickness.”

Everyone roared with laughter, and Bubble continued to talk about the itinerary. Compared with Afeng and the others in the lonely peak camp, their experience was obviously much more interesting. Strange and distant place names came out of Bubble’s mouth, one by one. The picture is displayed on the projector:

In Dongda Mountain they encountered a stormy sky, so they could only drive forward at a slow speed; on the 99th turn of the Nujiang River, everyone was a little crazy, chasing downhill, and they were addicted; when they went to the ancient glacier, they took the wrong road. I almost ran to Zayu and walked among the snow peaks. Several people agreed that the mistake was worth it; when a car with me got stuck on the river beach, the metal parts on the nylon tow rope were not strong enough to break, so I had to borrow a steel wire tow rope from a passing vehicle ; when approaching Lhasa, the sun went down, the clouds in the sky changed, and the colors were confusing; at the mark of 318 meters on the 4888th line, several people took a group photo on the roof of the government and wild vehicles; The four peaks at an altitude of 5020 meters are lined up in the sea of ​​clouds. The mountains and rivers are magnificent and the weather is myriad...

A picture of Xin Chen appeared on the projection screen, and Lu Fei's gaze fell firmly on her face. She was wearing a dark brown jacket and sunglasses. Outdoor bandana with camouflage pattern.

Bubble continued to explain: "When we came here, the water tank of the car behind was leaking. There was no place to repair it, so we had to fetch water from the river to replenish it. The sand and dust on the winding mountain road were terrible, but the river beach below is really beautiful."

The sky in this photo is incredibly blue, with extremely low white and dense clouds, hugging behind Xin Chen, as if within reach. The sun penetrates through the gaps in the clouds, the light is strong and scattered, and the river beach is half-lit and half-dark. The clear river meanders.She was standing on a large cobblestone on the empty river beach, holding a card camera in her hand and taking pictures. Her curled hair was blown up by the wind. Although she couldn't see her face clearly, the color of the photo was bright.

Xin Chen, who was sitting not far from the stairs, was talking in a low voice with the person next to him, completely unaware of Lu Fei's arrival.A new photo appeared on the projector, Bubble said: "We also went to the Everest base camp in a carriage, met Afeng and the others, and accepted his kindness to treat us to the instant noodles that we had to cook with great difficulty."

A Feng said with a smile: "I see that you brought two beauties to come up, so you have the heart to entertain you with precious supplies, and you actually want to complain."

Everyone laughed again.

The same is standing alone in the dust, and the same is covered with a turban. Xin Chen looks energetic on the projection screen, without a trace of loneliness and despair.

Lu Fei thought, at least Xin Chen was right in one aspect, his understanding of her had indeed stayed at a certain stage, even though he reviewed her itinerary over the past few years through reading posts in such detail, he still couldn't touch her. mentality.

She grew up outside his sight, her life was not as exciting as his participation, she has been to distant places that he has not been to, she has seen magnificent rivers and mountains that he has not seen, she has lived in various bustling cities where he lived An encounter that has never been experienced before.

Unknowingly, she has grown from a wanton blooming flower to a proudly standing tree. She is no longer the lonely little girl who has never seen the sea and lives in a shabby room in a messy residential area. The current calm posture is not a prevarication and defense against him, but her attitude towards life.

But he was still obsessed with the fact that Xin Chen, who had acted coquettishly and willfully towards him without any scruples, would no longer appear, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed.

The bubble has already talked about the last part of the return journey, "I'm ashamed, brother, I got off the plateau and something happened. I felt uncomfortable just after I got on the Lianhuo Expressway. My whole body was numb. I was sent to the hospital urgently. I had a physical examination before departure, which is very serious. I was healthy, but as soon as I arrived at the hospital, I was frightened by the doctor. He inhaled oxygen and hung a bottle, and gave me a critical illness notice. Fortunately, Peter the Great was born as a medical student. Although he changed his career to sell medicine as soon as he graduated, he still She is a professional, and Hehuan has seen this situation before. She has received a critical illness notice before, and she was still out of town alone. Everyone checked the information on the Internet, and urgently discussed with the doctor they knew. After a detailed examination, the diagnosis was a first-degree atrioventricular block. As long as you don’t get tired from driving and pay attention to rest, there will be no serious problems. After the infusion, I was discharged from the hospital and was deprived of the right to drive. They took turns driving and returned to the local area smoothly, ending this unforgettable trip. Thank you everyone. "

A Feng stood up and called the waiter to serve wine, "He Huan is going to leave here for a while, and today is a good time to see her off. Let's have fun, and we won't go home until we're drunk."

Lu Fei retreated quietly, found a place to sit downstairs, and asked the waiter to serve a glass of red wine.Downstairs, there is only slow jazz music flowing quietly, and the candlelight is flickering in the candle cup, flickering and flickering. He sits silently and only occasionally takes a sip from the wine glass.

There are fewer and fewer guests downstairs, but the laughter from upstairs is not far away from a space, and it feels a little trance with the music.

Thinking that Xin Chen was chatting and laughing with people in such a bustling environment, instead of being alone in loneliness, Lu Fei felt at ease. He was willing for her to devote herself to caring and indulging, even if her smile was not directed at him. .

The night was getting deeper, the hands of the watch on his wrist pointed to midnight, and the red wine in hand was already on the third glass, and people began to come down the stairs one after another, saying goodbye to each other, and going out.A Feng walked with Xin Chen at the end, and the two talked while going downstairs.

"I'll take you back, otherwise Xiaodi will blame me again."

Xin Chen's voice was brisk, "No need, I'm not drunk, ouch." But she almost missed a flight of stairs, so Afeng hurriedly supported her.

"Don't dare to say that you are not drunk, wait a minute, I will tell them to close the door, and then I will see you off."

Lu Fei went up to meet her and took Xin Chen's hand, "Thank you, I'll see her off."

A Feng was surprised, and was about to speak when Xin Chen smiled, "Ah, Lu Fei, are you coming to see me off too, why don't you go up and have a drink together?"

She obviously drank too much, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were shining, she tried her best to stand still, and took another step, but she fell sideways in Lu Fei's arms.Seeing that they knew each other, Ah Feng was relieved, "I won't give away the flowers if someone protects them."

Xin Chen leaned softly against Lu Fei, grabbing his shirt indiscriminately, trying to regain his balance. Lu Fei half supported her, half hugged her, and nodded to A Feng, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

There is no parking space in front of this door, Lu Fei's car is parked on another street, he is walking slowly with his arms around Xin Chen, but she is not quiet, she is in a state of euphoria after drinking, talking with a smile : "You came too late, it was so lively just now. In the past, I always gave off others, including Dad, you, and even Li Yang..." She frowned, as if she was trying to remember the name, and then smiled, "Oh, yes, there is also Yueqing. Actually, I am afraid of sending people away, watching them leave one by one, leaving me alone."

"I won't let you alone in the future." He said softly.

But she didn't pay attention to it, and just continued to say: "There are so many people sending me off, it doesn't matter where I go alone."

"Do you have to go?"

She laughed so that her body trembled slightly in his arms, "You say goodbye to everyone, but you don't leave, that's really annoying."

"What if I ask you to stay?" His heart beat faster, waiting for her answer.As if she didn't hear it, she giggled and changed the subject.

"I'm really happy today. I haven't drank so much in a long time. The last time I was in Taxkorgan, Xinjiang, ah, I forgot who they were. We didn't know each other until we arrived in Xinjiang. We can't even name them. But have you noticed that? Sometimes it's better to speak your mind to a stranger."

Lu Fei has always been self-controlled, drinking has always been a little drunk, and it is impossible to confide in strangers, but now he hopes that Xin Chen will maintain this state, treat himself as a strange passerby, and talk without restraint.

Xin Chen leaned in his arms, staggering slightly, "We sat around the bonfire, drinking, and talking about our first love, the person who is the most unforgettable. We all drank a lot, and that's good if we drink too much. Dare to say any nasty things, it turns out that everyone seems to have a past in their hearts."

Lu Fei had already reached the side of the car, but he didn't want to interrupt her, so he simply stood by the station and hugged her tightly.She was obviously immersed in the pleasure brought by alcohol. For the first time in such a long time, she snuggled into his arms so unprepared and relaxed, forgetting the parting with him, as if returning to the past, holding his arm, Xu Xu said All the fun things she could think of.

"That night the moon on the plateau was beautiful, the air was transparent, there was no dust, and colorful Pamir flowers were blooming everywhere. Everyone was trying their best to express their emotions, what they got or what they didn't get, no matter whether there was anything worth expressing in life. "Xin Chen's voice was low and crisp, "Hey, are you laughing at me?"

Lu Fei shook her head, she didn't go into the details, her eyes were a little distracted, she tilted her head and thought for a while, she didn't know where she said, those words that had been accumulated for a long time suddenly surged up through the drunkenness, found a vent, and once And unacceptable.

"Yes, everyone tells their secrets. Some people are lucky enough to get together with the person they love the first time, but he still regrets that he didn't have time to have a deeper experience. Life is just like this, which shows how unsatisfied people are. Things." She chuckled softly, "Some old things are really miserable when you talk about them. Some people say that the girl he loves the most married his best friend; some people say that they have loved someone for many years and never had a chance He said it, and guess what I said?"

Lu Fei watched intently as her lips opened and closed slightly, her snow-white teeth gleamed a little in the dark night, and the dimple on her left cheek loomed, "I can't guess."

"I said, I once loved someone, and I want to thank that person and things that happened in my life. It doesn't matter where he was, who he was with, or whether he forgot me or not. I I had his first kiss, and I was his first love. Maybe one day, after drinking a little wine, he will remember me like this, and feel sweet, that would be great."

Lu Fei only felt a lump in his throat, and he couldn't make a sound. The sharp tingling made his hand involuntarily clasp her tightly, but she didn't realize it, and continued with a smile: "I don't know if he Will you think of me? After all, he won't recognize me when he's standing opposite." She sighed softly and put her head on his chest, while he stood motionless, afraid of breaking the tranquility of this moment, afraid of her Will remember everything, and resolutely withdraw from his embrace.If he had a choice, he hoped that time would freeze and there would be no next moment.

But she suddenly raised her head and looked at him fixedly, "Of course, I was a bit exaggerated, not only touched others, but also touched myself. I'm actually not that tolerant and grateful. Many times, I just hate Yes. If he had never appeared, if I hadn’t been loved by him like that, I wouldn’t be able to let him go in my later life, I wouldn’t make unfair comparisons with others, and I wouldn’t disappoint those who love me people's mind."

She was clearly facing him, but it was as if she was recalling to an irrelevant person. Lu Fei gritted his teeth tightly, and her fluent and light voice pierced into his heart more and more.

When Xin Chen woke up, she felt her mouth was dry and her throat was burning. She propped herself up and got out of bed in a daze. She was looking for her slippers by the bed, but she stepped on the soft carpet. She couldn't help being startled. Only then did I realize that I was not lying on the bed in Xin Di's study.She often travels and never chooses a bed, but when Hei Tian Yimeng wakes up, she finds that she is lying in a strange place, her eyes widen in fright, and the remaining drunkenness disappears without a trace.

There was a large bedroom in front of her. The door was open, and a little light came in. You could see the screens on the French windows hanging down, swaying slightly with the breeze. There was a large woolen carpet beside the bed. She stood up and put on Put on the shoes at the end of the bed, and walked towards the door, only to find that there was a study outside, the lamp was on on the large desk, and the computer had entered a sleep state, Lu Fei was sitting with his back to her, his head leaning on the back of the chair superior.

She walked over and found that Lu Fei was asleep. He had taken a shower, his hair was a little wet, his face was turned sideways, his brows were tightly knit, there was a "Chuan" line between his brows, and his lips were tightly pressed. Among them, this handsome face also appeared depressed, not a relaxed expression.

She raised her hand involuntarily and pressed lightly on the line.When her fingertips touched his warm skin, he woke up suddenly, and raised his hand to hold her hand, "Xiaochen, are you uncomfortable? Why did you wake up so early?"

She suddenly realized that this unconscious movement was too ambiguous, and quickly withdrew her hands, "I'm thirsty, I want to drink water."

Lu Fei got up and pushed her to sit on the chair in front of the desk, "Wait a minute."

He hurried to the outside, brought in two bottles of mineral water, opened one and handed it to her. She drank it in a big gulp, with the refreshing water flowing down her throat, and the discomfort in her throat finally eased.She put the bottle on the table, touched the mouse unconsciously, and the computer screen lit up again, and what appeared in front of her was the local outdoor forum webpage she had long been familiar with.

When she turned her head, Lu Fei looked at her calmly, and reached out to stroke her hair, "Go to sleep for a while, it's only past four o'clock, and I'll take you back when the sun rises."

"Why don't you just take me home?"

"It's too late, I'm afraid of waking up Xiaodi."

"Every time I drink too much, I become a chatterbox. I didn't say anything last night... stupid, right? If I said something, don't take it seriously." Xin Chen was a little annoyed. The atmosphere was too lively last night. Netizens she didn't know well clinked glasses with her, and before she knew it, she drank too much.Lu Fei sent her off, she knew that A Feng was Xin Di's friend after all, they didn't have a direct relationship, so it would be nice if they didn't bother him.She vaguely remembered that she seemed very excited at the time and couldn't control her eloquence, but she didn't remember what she said at all.

"You said a lot, some of which I will always remember." Xin Chen was so startled that he was about to speak, but he continued, "Some of which I really don't intend to take seriously, such as telling me not to pester you."

Xin Chen didn't expect that Lu Fei was still in the mood to joke now, so he could only force a smile, "This sentence is my narcissist who took advantage of the alcohol, so I can ignore it."

Lu Fei smiled, with helplessness and affection in that smile, "I will ignore it, because I intend to pester you forever."

He was wearing black pajamas with an open neckline, and there was a striking hickey on his slender neck near the collarbone.

Xin Chen's gaze fell there, his head buzzed, his fingers instinctively pressed against his neck, the skin under his fingertips felt a slight tingling sensation, and he knew the same marks were left without looking.

She vaguely remembered the dream last night, there seemed to be hugs that were too close to breathe, and eager and greedy sucking and biting... Those scenes were erratic, but the feeling was real, and she couldn't think that it was a lonely night. I had a spring dream, and my heart was in a mess for a while.

Lu Fei gently took her hand, "Don't be nervous, nothing happened."

On such a quiet night, his voice was low and gentle, Xin Chen leaned back in his chair suddenly, stared at him for a while, then smiled, "I'm sorry, no matter what I said or did, I don't intend to Responsible, I'm going to bed."

She stood up, went back to the bedroom, kicked off her shoes, and fell asleep.Lu Fei followed and pulled up the thin quilt to cover her up, "I put a bottle of water on the bedside table, sleep well."

Lu Fei went out, and after a while, the light in the study outside was also turned off.It was almost five o'clock, the room was dark and quiet, but Xin Chen was no longer sleepy, the hangover inevitably brought a little headache, what made her even more uncomfortable was that she was sleeping on Lu Fei's bed now, and there was a pillow on the pillow that belonged to him. The refreshing masculine breath, and this breath has clearly surrounded her closely since last night.

She doesn't remember what happened, but she clearly remembers that she has been leaning in an embrace, and it was his arms that encircled her, stable and warm, breathing his breath, combined with the dual effects of alcohol, making her just want to Let yourself sink down and stop worrying about other things.

The last time I got drunk was in Xinjiang. The high-grade baijiu was spicy and stimulating, but both men and women drank it boldly without any scruples.

The donkey friend in the same tent the next day, a girl from Northeast China, told her that she talked almost non-stop for nearly two hours before falling asleep.

She laughed in horror, and hurriedly said sorry, the girl also laughed, "It's nothing, I drank too much too, my virtue is not much better, and I still cry in your arms, it's better than crying in the arms of a strange man, and I'm happy after crying too much."

Xin Chen didn't ask him what he said after drinking, and the girl didn't mention why he hugged her and cried bitterly.There is such an advantage in meeting by chance, all the secrets seem to have entered a tree hole, and after the journey ends, everyone will go their separate ways, and everyone will tacitly stop mentioning it.

From then on, Xin Chen began to control himself and try not to drink too much.

However, no matter how good the self-control is, there will always be gaps. She was still drunk last night; and no matter how deep the drunk is, there will be moments of sobriety. After waking up, remembering that kind of floating and indulging will only make people more lonely.

She pressed her aching temple and buried her head deeply in the pillow.

(End of this chapter)