Licheng Twilight

Chapter 45

Lin Xichen came back first. On a certain day during the summer vacation, Mu Mu received a call from Lin Xichen, saying that his plane arrived in Licheng at [-]:[-] p.m.

Mu Mu looked at the time display on the phone, 01:30, is this called advance notice?I really want to kill you.

The three hurried to the airport, waited for a while at the passenger exit, and saw the target person appearing.He was wearing a black jacket with the zipper open to reveal the white T-shirt inside. The small travel bag was slung over his shoulders, and a pair of large sunglasses were propped on the bridge of his nose, covering most of his face.But even so, Mu Mu recognized him at a glance because of his walking posture.

Lin Xichen always walks irregularly. His steps are not long, and he doesn't like to walk in a straight line. He is used to putting one hand in the pocket of his jeans, looking left and right while walking, which gives people a very uncomfortable feeling. The feeling of concentration.

He went out of the gate, and the three immediately went up to meet him.Lin Xichen saw them coming from a distance, and waved to them enthusiastically.

He took off his sunglasses and hung them on his chest pocket, and stretched out his arms to give them a bear hug. Lin Lier was the first to go up to him, kicked him on the shin, and then hugged him with an incomparably bright smile. "Brother, welcome back."

Lin Xichen only felt that the whole calf was numb, and the facial muscles twisted and squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying. He has one front tooth, the same hug, and the same lines, "Achen, welcome back."

This welcome method is too bloody.Lin Xichen thought, so when Ding Chuyi also stretched out his arms to him, Lin Xichen immediately rejected him righteously, "We are both men, so there is no need for so much courtesy between brothers."

Ding Chu didn't say a word, knowing that he was frightened, but he just wanted to hug him because of playfulness. Lin Xichen knew that he couldn't bear Ding Chu's punch or kick, so he ran all over the field and yelled, begging him to hug him. The younger one was leniently let go, Mu Mu and Li'er watched him scurry around, laughing so hard that he couldn't straighten up.

Anyway, Ah Chen, welcome home.

Lin Xichen told them about his experience outside in the past two years, "Somalia is the poorest place in Africa. It is an anarchic country, and the people work as pirates. It's like the country where One Piece was born, right? Next, South Africa, known as the "Rainbow Country", is the most developed country in Africa, and the gap between rich and poor in Africa is really not ordinary."

"By the way, there are creatures like penguins and seals in South Africa. There is a penguin nature reserve in a small bay called "Boulder" in Simon Town. There are more than 3000 penguins there. I went there in summer. Looking at the flocks of penguins while basking in the sun, the contrast is unacceptable. Also, there is a seal island on the Cape Town Peninsula. The sea around the island is full of seals. The scenery is spectacular! Also There are ostrich steaks, a South African specialty food with a very special taste."

"Of course, the most important thing is the pyramids in Egypt. That place, really, I can only describe it as shocking. Really, it feels completely different when you see it in real life than when you see it on TV. But seriously , It's really hot there, and it's full of sand at a glance, as if it's connected to the end of the sky."

. . . . . .

"Africa's natural landscapes are well preserved, and you need to apply for a permit even to pick up a bird's egg." He spread his palms to express a little speechless, and suddenly remembered something interesting, "I almost forgot what Africans do. The wood carvings and textured stone ostrich eggs are exquisite, definitely worthy of the title of "work of art"," he said, opening the travel bag thrown on the sofa, which was full of colorful handmade products, and he leaned back. Leaning comfortably on the sofa, he raised his chin and said, "This is a gift for you."

There was a burst of screams and sighs, the scream was from Li'er, the exclamation was from Chu Yi, as for Mu Mu, her eyes widened in surprise and she couldn't make a sound.

"It's so beautiful!!!" With a belated exclamation, Mu Mu picked up an ostrich egg and studied it carefully.

"It's amazing!" Lin Li'er held a wooden carving and couldn't put it down. She rushed over and hugged Lin Xichen, "Brother, I love you so much."

"So, what you volunteer is doing is like a free tour?" Chu Yi said in a teasing tone.

"Nonsense!" Lin Xichen glanced at him contemptuously, pulled Mu Mu's sleeve to wipe away tears and nose, and began to enumerate all the inhuman treatment he had suffered, "In the past two years, I haven't had enough to eat, I can't wear warm clothes, and I have caught a cold. I have no money to buy medicine, no one cares about heat stroke, I wake up earlier than chickens, sleep later than dogs, work more than cows, and almost lost my life in the hail of bullets several times. It’s half a month if I have a chance to take a bath!” He was heartbroken, “For someone who loves cleanliness like me, wouldn’t that kill me, but luckily I got used to it later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Lier immediately leaned over and sniffed it carefully, "It really has a bad smell."

Lin Xichen rolled her eyes at her, "Of course, I have developed a good habit of saving water, and now I don't wash it for less than half a month—"

Before he finished speaking, Ding Chuyi kicked him into the bathroom, "I said why I smell a strange smell all the time, wash me well before coming out." Turning around, he locked the bathroom door , "I'll give you half an hour, don't think about coming out until you wash it off."

Inside, Lin Xichen cried and howled for a while, but still obediently turned on the water to take a bath, "Sure enough, I'm still comfortable at home." Lying in the bathtub, he couldn't help sighing.

Lin Xichen is a chatterbox, and every day he looks for people to talk about his life in Africa for the past two years. In the first week, everyone can understand him, but later, when they see him from a distance, they immediately make a detour.Lin Xichen was hit hard, so he relied on Ding's family for food every day, playing CS with a computer, sitting on the floor playing with building blocks, and when he was really bored, he took Mu Mu to play video games with him.

"Ah Chen, what are your plans for the future?" Mu Mu took a puff, "Let's study first." He didn't care, and took another piece carefully, "Otherwise, the old man in my family must read in my ear every day that I can't die." .”

"Then, how about coming to H University?" Mu Mu seemed to suggest casually, "Look, my brother and Li'er are in the same place, and your super-large-watt light bulb will definitely be disgusted if you go there. Besides, I'm alone in such a far away place. The place is really stuffy."

Lin Xichen pretended to think about it deeply, "For the sake of your sincerity, I will consider H University."

"Get out," Mu Mu smashed a building block, "Before you think about it, go back to your house and eat carrots."

"Farewell, auntie," Lin Xichen said impatiently, immediately giving massages and smiling faces, "H big, H big, deal."

This child is really uncute. He has to be tough if he refuses to listen to him. You see, he was not the one who got hurt in the end.Mu Mu moved her neck and commanded, "Squeeze this shoulder too."

After making a fuss for a while, the two continued to play with building blocks.

Mu Mu successfully removed a small piece of wood from the corner, remembered something, looked at Lin Xichen, hesitated to speak.

Lin Xichen hated seeing her like this the most, and raised his hand, "Let's talk." While listening, he stretched out his hand to move the building blocks.

"Have you gone to see Sister Tianqing?" Mu Mu played with the building blocks in her hand, trying her best to speak gently.

Lin Xichen shook his hand, and the dismantled block house lost its balance, and it all fell apart on the floor at once, "Ah—it fell." He fell down and lay on the floor slumped, a little childish The frustrated and complaining, the playful expression on his face disappeared in an instant.

Mu Mu didn't seem to notice the change in him, she just reached out to pick up the building blocks one by one, and slowly rebuilt them, she quietly and seriously, waiting for him to speak.

"Mu Mu, you are really annoying," he said suddenly, but there was a faint smile in his voice, but it was a wry smile, "Why do you have to expose people's scars?"

"Sorry." He said he was apologetic, but his tone was so light that there was no sincerity.

"She has a boyfriend." He clasped the pillow behind his head with his hands, looked at the ceiling with empty eyes, and said calmly, "They have a very good relationship."

Mu Mu just put the last building block in place, without blinking his eyes, he said calmly, "Oh."

Lin Xichen was so annoyed by her "Oh", she sat up with a sit-up, "You just react like this? This time I am completely broken in love. As a human being, it's fine if you don't comfort your friends, but you are still like this Look like you don't care about my life, Mu Mu, you are too heartless." At the end of his speech, there was even a little bit of aggrieved emotion.

Mu Mu was amused by his pretending little daughter-in-law, but what should I say, where is there no grass in the world?will you find betterFailure is the mother of success?Time heals everything?Or is it just a matter of mourning?I searched for words that might be useful in my mind, but I couldn't say a word.

Lin Xichen obviously didn't place his hopes on her. He lowered his head and began to disassemble the building blocks. His voice became muffled when he spoke again. He smiled self-deprecatingly, "Maybe it's like what she said, my feelings for her It's not love, it's just a brother's attachment and obsession with his sister."

Mu Mu suddenly stretched out her hand to pat him on the shoulder, she used a lot of strength, Lin Xichen couldn't help frowning in pain and looked up to see what she wanted to do, "You really like her," she said seriously, every word let him People were powerless to argue, "I can see it."

Lin Xichen looked into her eyes, and the sadness that had been suppressed for a long time surged up in his heart. He was so sore that he wanted to cry. He stretched out his hand and gently hugged Mu Mu, resting his chin on her shoulder, almost muttering to himself. In a normal voice, "Mu Mu, why are you so annoying."

Mu Mu sighed, patted him on the back lightly, once and for all, "It's hard work, cry if you want, I won't laugh at you."

She spoke seriously, but Lin Xichen couldn't help laughing out loud when he heard it. It was a heavy kind of laughter. After a while, a tear slid down his cheek and dripped gently on Mu Mu's shoulder.

(End of this chapter)