Nine years of missing contact

The bit of intact shrimp meat stood out among the mess.

The wind lifted the corner of the girl's clothes. Jiang Qing turned her head and looked at him in silence for a long time.

She suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"Why didn't Wang Huacheng call you?"

If he doesn't want to expose his secret, then why wouldn't he call you?

Although Lin Nanyan didn't know why Jiang Qing was so sure that he was Wang Huaqiang's pinned friend, nor did he know why she asked such a question, he knew from the way the girl stared at him that the answer seemed very important to her.

He explained: "I don't have their contact information."

That's why his phone never rang at the police station before.

"What?" Jiang Qing was stunned by the answer.

She looked up and stared at Lin Nanyan blankly, as if she had never expected such an answer.

How could it be possible? He had clearly told her that he was Wang Huacheng's top contact, so how could neither of them have added their contact information until now?

We have been playing together for such a long time, but we don’t have any contact information with each other. Is this reasonable to say?

Seeing the girl's eyes widen in surprise, Lin Nanyan explained: "Mobile phones are not allowed in school. You can communicate directly."

During the holidays, wherever Jiang Qing is, Lin Nanyan will be there. The two girls often contact each other and form a small group.

Except for Jiang Qing's old phone, the other people would change their mobile phone numbers and accounts from time to time, and they didn't contact each other often, so sometimes they would mix up their numbers.

For example, right now, the other party’s zombie account is lying in his mobile phone.

Before this, he didn't think there was anything wrong with this, because he had never been unable to contact anyone before, until now, the girl asked him this question.

Jiang Qing looked at him as if struck by lightning.

She was almost certain that Lin Nanyan and Wang Huaqiang were hiding something from them, and it would happen in the near future.

Now both of them have no contact information, which means that they have had very little private contact so far, or at least not frequently enough to change and synchronize the contact information in a timely manner.

And when she thought of all the strange things Wang Huazheng had done before, Jiang Qing always felt that she had overlooked something.

"You haven't answered my question yet." Lin Nanyue looked at Jiang Qing who was lost in thought, and spoke to pull the girl's thoughts back.

"Because I can predict the future." Jiang Qing's thoughts came to an end and she said lightly.

Lin Nanyan: ...

"I had a dream."

Jiang Qing turned around and looked at the distant horizon. They were standing very high, the rooftop was open, and the view was excellent and unobstructed.

The golden sunlight sank, half hidden among the clouds, and the fiery red color dyed half the sky.

Jiang Qing ignored the hesitant look on Lin Nanyan's face and continued, "I dreamed about what will happen to us in the next nine years."

She stared at the large, fluffy, white clouds that drifted slowly across the sky. If you looked closely, they would appear to be still, but if you paid a little attention, you would see that they were constantly moving, never stopping.

The girl's face suddenly became calm. She said, "During those nine years, I was a photographer and opened my own studio."

"Ye Meiyan will become my good friend. We often go on trips and exhibitions together."

"Wang Huaqiang has become a self-media blogger with over a million followers online. He can be seen on screen every day."

"Song Shuang became a teacher and was soon recognized as an outstanding teacher. You wouldn't have thought that someone so unconventional would become a teacher."

"Li Han joined the magazine, and all she talks about every day is clothing, jewelry, and perfume..."

Lin Nanyan listened quietly without interrupting Jiang Qing's talk.

He listened to her describing a future he had never imagined, painting a happy picture in which everyone seemed to be living well.

Until the girl finished her words and stopped talking.

Everything was quiet, and he suddenly realized something was wrong: "What about me?"

Jiang Qing said so much, but didn't mention him.

In the girl’s dream, there were Ye Meiyan, Song Shuang, Wang Huazheng, Li Han, and so many other people.

What about him?

Where will he be and what will he be doing in the next nine years?

But no matter where he was or what he was doing, he would always be by Jiang Qing's side. They would keep each other busy at work, and when they were resting, they would make plans to have a meal together and talk, just like now.

"without you."

The girl's cheeks enlarged in his dark pupils. Amid the buzzing sound, he clearly heard Jiang Qing's crisp voice, "We have lost contact."

Jiang Qing said in a calm tone, "Nine whole years."

A huge rock was suddenly thrown into the lake of my heart, and the waves surged.

Before this conversation, Lin Nanyan had never imagined a future without Jiang Qing.

In his imagination, no matter where he goes or what path he chooses, they will always be each other's best friends.

"Why?"

Lin Nanyan asked unconsciously. He knew it was just a dream, but he still cared about it inexplicably.

Jiang Qing turned around and looked directly at Lin Nanyan. She also wanted to know the answer to this question.

Why did he suddenly disappear without a trace? Why did he never contact her in the past nine years, not even once? And why did he suddenly send her a message on the day she traveled back through time?

So many whys and whys piled up in her mind, and she wanted to vent them all out loud, but the Lin Nanyan in front of her obviously had no way to answer her.

Jiang Qing: "I don't know."

"This is your choice, and you never told me the reason."

He suddenly faded out of her life without any warning, and then reappeared unreasonably. She didn't know what he was trying to do.

As Jiang Qing spoke, she carefully observed every change in the boy's expression, as if she wanted to see an answer from his face.

But she was disappointed, there was no sign or indication.

Only time will tell.

Perhaps, the day of separation will still come in the future.

She thought, but at least this time, she had made sufficient preparations, and there would no longer be negative emotions such as sadness, anger, and injustice piling up in her heart.

Or maybe, this time, she will know the answer?

Jiang Qing's face was filled with an expression that Lin Nanyan couldn't understand. Although he didn't understand, he was still keenly aware of the sadness spreading from the girl.

He interrupted her subconsciously: "No."

"We won't lose contact."

He repeated it, as if to comfort, but also as if to emphasize, as if saying this would prevent such terrible things from happening in the future.

Looking at the boy muttering to himself in front of her, Jiang Qing suddenly thought that he was the same as her.

The same disbelief, the same cluelessness.

Suddenly a smile appeared on her face: "Just kidding, why are you so serious? It's just a dream I had."

But when Lin Nanyan looked at the girl's smiling face, he found it difficult to even raise the corners of his lips to smile.

"Yes, it was a nightmare." He took it back.

Jiang Qing nodded: "We will be good friends for life, good friends for life, right?"

Before Lin Nanyan could reply, Song Shuang's enthusiastic voice suddenly interrupted the strange atmosphere.

"Wow! Jiang Jiang, look how beautiful you are."

As soon as she reached the rooftop, she saw the magnificent sunset. The scenery was so majestic and beautiful that she couldn't help but call Jiang Jiang to come and see it with her.

"Don't you know how to take pictures? Come and take a picture for me." Song Shuang couldn't wait to stand in front of the sunset and make a scissors gesture.

Jiang Qing smiled, took out her phone from Lin Nanyan's pocket and said playfully, "Okay, let's go take some pictures."

She ran towards Song Shuang, fiddling with the phone in her hand. With a click, the girl's sweet smile froze.

Song Shuang looked over and exclaimed, "Jiang Jiang, it turns out you didn't lie to me. Your photography skills are really good."

The setting sun is blurred and I smile against the light.

The girl in the photo has glowing hair, giving her a light and energetic beauty.

"Of course."

She accepted the compliment without hesitation and turned to call out to Lin Nanyan on the other side: "We agreed to shoot together, come quickly."

Jiang Qing looked at the boy in the camera and said dissatisfiedly: "Smile, don't look so sad and expressionless."

Song Shuang looked over when she heard the voice, her face full of confusion. How could he not look sad? He was like this all the time. How could she not see the difference?

Lin Nanyan raised his eyelashes and listened to the girl's instructions. He raised the corners of his lips and the image froze in an instant.

The upper half of the boy's face is calm, while the lower half has a half-smile on his lips. He has a tall figure, and under the afterglow of the setting sun, his white skin emits a slightly warm glow, with a decadent and cold beauty.

Jiang Qing stared at the photo in a daze. It was indeed a good deal for her.

"The sun is about to set. It will be too late if you don't take a picture now. I'll take a picture of the two of you together. Hurry up."

Seeing that the tail of the sunlight was about to disappear, Song Shuang didn't care too much and urged hurriedly, fearing that he would not be able to take a beautiful photo of Jiang Qing in the next second.

Jiang Qing was pushed hard and bumped into Lin Nanyan unexpectedly. Under Song Shuang's constant urging, she ignored everything and hurriedly made the same classic scissors hand gesture as Song Shuang.

Although she has been a photographer for many years, she still strikes this pose without thinking when her body is under the camera. Maybe the scissor hand gesture is a natural photo pose for people.

The two people were very close to each other, looking into the camera.

"3, 2—1."

Click.

The sun finally sets, and the remaining red mist disappears into the horizon.

Before it got dark, several people quickly cleaned up the mess on the rooftop. Before Song Shuang left, Jiang Qing asked her to pack a few bags of her favorite sauces.

"You can also make fresh food yourself when you go back."

Song Shuang gave Jiang Qing a big hug with satisfaction and full of love and care.

"Also, I'll send you Lin Nanyan's current contact information. Don't use any zombie accounts."

Jiang Qing didn't understand why several people changed their numbers so frequently?

"I understand." Song Shuang touched his nose, feeling guilty.

"By the way, can his bicycle be found?" Jiang Qing had told them about her experience of entering the police station before. She knew that although the thief had been caught, the bicycle had not been recovered yet.

Jiang Qing shook her head. "I don't know. Let's wait for news from the police."

"It's okay. If you need it next time, I can lend you my car anytime." Song Shuang boasted.

No need. I would have to walk to your house then. Your house is so far away from mine. What's the point?

"Okay, I won't be polite then."

The two walked to the gate of the community, and Jiang Qing watched Song Shuang's back getting farther and farther away until he disappeared.

As soon as she turned around, she found that Lin Nanyan was following her like a ghost, staring at her when she turned around.

Jiang Qing: ...

Lin Nanyan said faintly: "I still can't figure out why we lost contact."

Don’t say you can’t figure it out, I can’t figure it out either.

Jiang Qing raised the corners of her lips, with a forced smile: "It was just a dream."

Could you please stop asking me? I'm already pissed off by you, and the more you ask me, the angrier I get.

"Then why did you dream that we lost contact?" Lin Nanyan asked relentlessly, obviously caring about this issue very much.

Jiang Qing accused: "You should reflect on whether you have done something you shouldn't have done, instead of asking me why I had such a dream."

Instead of doubting others, it is better to reflect on yourself.

Lin Nanyan was stunned by the question and seemed to be thinking about something.

Jiang Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from his expression, he probably wouldn't ask any more questions.

On the other side, Song Shuang had just taken a few steps when his eyes suddenly fixed and his brisk steps stopped.

At the end of the narrow path, a boy was leaning against the wall with his head lowered as if sending a message.

The fallen leaves floated down, swirled by the wind, and finally landed at his feet.

As if he noticed the movement here, he looked up and smiled faintly.

Song Shuang looked straight ahead, walked again, and passed by him.

"Xiaoman." The boy called her gently, but the girl didn't even turn her head, as if she didn't hear him.

He was not in a hurry at all and counted silently in his mind.

“3, 2—1”

The girl stopped, turned around, and said helplessly: "I said I can do it myself."