Chapter 54

The doorbell of the hotel room kept ringing, it was more urgent than a ghost chasing after his life.

Lu Jiyu leaned against the wall beside the door, with one long leg supported in front of him. He stared at himself in the dressing mirror. In his eighteen years of life, this was the first time he felt homesick.

Zhou Zifang, who was outside the door, saw that pressing the doorbell was useless, and was about to try a more direct and effective method - knocking on the door. However, as soon as he raised his hand, the door opened.

Lu Jiyu leaned against the wall behind the door, water dripping from his chin. He casually touched it and said, "What's the rush? Are you disturbing the neighbors?"

Zhou Zifang thought, this guy is quite good at complaining first. "Am I the one who's anxious, or are you? What do you mean by someone who said they were going to Spain showing up in Xinjiang now?"

He came in uninvited, and when he passed by Lu Jiyu, he deliberately bumped into Lu Jiyu with his shoulder.

Lu Jiyu didn't fight him. He was knocked back a step and leaned against the wall. He saw Zhou Zifang sneaking into the room with a dazed look on his face, and said speechlessly: "What are you looking for?"

Lu Jiyu had already cleaned up the room. Zhou Zifang looked around but found nothing. He sat down on the big bed unwillingly and said, "I shouldn't have told you about Jiang Wan and the others' itinerary."

Lu Jiyu had packed up all the luggage in his room, leaving only the bathroom unpacked.

He ignored Zhou Zifang and got up and walked into the bathroom.

Seeing his impassive demeanor, Zhou Zifang grew anxious. "Lu Beibei, do you still have any dignity? How dare you hook up with someone so shamelessly?"

If it weren't for the mismatch in age and time, Lu Jiyu sometimes really suspected that Zhou Zifang was actually his mother's reincarnation. This level of worry was truly unprecedented.

"No." He came out with a bunch of his toiletries and stuffed them into the suitcase under the TV cabinet.

But Zhou Zifang obviously didn't believe it. He smiled contemptuously: "You didn't get it, but you still rushed over here eagerly? If it's not for Jiang Wan, then is it for me?"

Lu Jiyu half-knelt on the ground with his back to Zhou Zifang as he zipped up the suitcase, thinking that this guy was quite self-aware. After finishing everything, he simply stood up and leaned against the TV cabinet, facing Zhou Zifang who was sitting on the bed, staring at each other.

"Half and half."

"Half for Jiang Wan, half for me? Do you think I'm stupid? I would believe such words?"

Lu Jiyu picked up an unopened bottle of orange juice on the table and threw it to him: "Don't tell me, I don't believe it either."

Zhou Zifang unscrewed the cap and drank two sips of orange juice.

Lu Jiyu also filled a bottle for himself: "A friend of my dad's from the army wants to meet me and asks me to go to their house for a few days."

"So you changed your route and came to Xinjiang just for this matter?"

Lu Jiyu knew Zhou Zifang wasn't stupid; if he'd said that, he wouldn't have believed it. Lu Jiyu had never lied since he was little. He wasn't someone who never made mistakes, nor was he someone who had no selfish motives. But perhaps because he'd always had a lot of capital, Lu Jiyu hadn't bothered to hide anything. He just said what he had to say.

But just because he hasn't lied before doesn't mean he can't. And when are lies most genuine? Naturally, when they're half-truths.

"Not entirely."

"Didn't I just say that it's half for this matter and half for Jiang Wan?"

Zhou Zifang finally heard the answer he wanted: "So what do you mean by this half of Jiang Wan?"

"It's nothing, that's all." Lu Jiyu paused for a rare moment. "Everything has a beginning and an end. If we can't be together, at least we can part ways amicably and be friends. We'll be classmates in the future, so it wouldn't be good to make things too awkward."

This statement is flawless, but it is extremely false.

Lu Jiyu tapped the screen of his mobile phone, and for once, he didn't look at Zhou Zifang out of guilt. At the same time, he secretly criticized someone from beginning to end in his mind.

Fortunately, Zhou Zifang still believed it. He was half-believing and half-doubting, but he still believed it in the end, didn't he?

"So what you're saying is that after returning from Xinjiang this time, you're really going to give up on your relationship with her?"

What's going on? His tone sounds quite regretful.

Lu Jiyu smiled, feeling better than nothing: "Didn't you ask me to stay away from her?"

"real?"

"Really? Come to think of it, she's just a little prettier, a little smarter, and just has a powerful mouth. That's not really anything, right? Do you really think I'm completely devoted to her? That I must have her?"

Perhaps because Lu Jiyu's words were a bit unusual, Zhou Zifang began to make amends: "I'm not saying Jiang Wan is bad, but her behavior is very strange. She says she likes me, but she doesn't even want to have an open and honest relationship. Add to that her inexplicable scandals - I knew a guy who also liked to do this to girls, calling it stamp collecting, but he was actually a scumbag. He dated three or four girls at the same time, and he didn't give any of them a legitimate relationship. It really broke the girl's mentality."

"Well, that's quite shameless." Lu Jiyu cooperated with him in scolding.

"Why did Li Mu and Li Qingxi come together this time?" There was really no more drama to play at this point, so Lu Jiyu chose to shift the blame elsewhere.

Speaking of this, Zhou Zifang was really excited.

"Originally, I only invited Li Mu this time, but a few days ago, Li Qingxi suddenly came to me and said he wanted to play with us."

"Doesn't she know that Li Mu is here too?" Lu Jiyu asked casually.

"How could she not know? She knows it all too well."

"A few days before we set off, she suddenly asked me if Li Mu was going to Xinjiang, and then said she wanted to bring a little sister with us. If you tell me she wasn't going there for Li Mu, I'll eat shit."

I didn't expect this person to have special needs.

Lu Jiyu: "You've come to the right place to eat shit." Xinjiang is a vast country with abundant resources, and the ground is covered with cow and sheep feces.

Zhou Zifang thought Lu Jiyu was a bit stubborn. "Don't talk down your brother just because you're having trouble with your relationship. I think Li Qingxi has been abroad for a while and finally realized that life in China is better. He also knows how to cherish Li Mu."

Although they were all friends for many years and should at least say a few good words for each other, Lu Jiyu still had to remind Zhou Zifang: "Li Qingxi didn't do anything wrong to Li Mu. Everyone knows this. Don't try to change the subject after all these years."

"I—" Zhou Zifang was suddenly at a loss for words after being confronted by him. "I don't mean anything else, I just think it's a pity for them. They're well-matched, and it's first love. Who wouldn't say they're a good match?"

Lu Jiyu felt that this sounded familiar. When Zhou Zifang was encouraging him to pursue Jiang Wan, he loved to surround him every day and said that they were a perfect match. Now he is still watching him every day to prevent him from "going astray".

He absentmindedly grabbed his phone and checked the time: "Where are you guys?"

"That's what I'm asking. After we learned you were coming to Xinjiang yesterday, we woke up early today just to catch you."

Lu Jiyu smiled nonchalantly: "Are you free? Everyone is downstairs?"

"What else?"

"Let's go, Jiang Wan and the others are waiting downstairs."

Zhou Zifang finally came to his senses: "Are you in the same car with Jiang Wan and the others?"

"Or?" Lu Jiyu stood up and threw the question to Zhou Zifang: "There are only three girls. I'll drive."

This was reasonable, but Zhou Zifangguang felt something was amiss, so he simply said, "Then I want to go with you."

"One, what? One? I'll give you two. Go wherever you want." Lu Jiyu put on his black backpack, turned around and glanced at himself in the mirror, and continued to explain to him nonchalantly: "You squeezed in between two girls? You have no shame, but I still have some. I advise you to save your energy and keep a close eye on Li Mu and the others."

This is quite reasonable. Zhou Zifang did not forget his original intention. He did not forget that his original intention before setting out this time was to eat the melons of Li Mu and Li Qingxi.

"Why are you only carrying one bag?" Zhou Zifang followed him out.

"There was a problem with the luggage at the airport." In order to get the luggage back in time for today's departure, Lu Jiyu specially asked Chen Tingzhe to help him deal with the matter yesterday. As a result, he was inevitably scolded by Chen Tingzhe on the phone, but fortunately, the luggage was finally delivered to the hotel front desk at four o'clock in the morning today.

The hotel lobby was crowded with people coming and going early in the morning, all of them were fully armed tourists.

Lu Jiyu emerged from the elevator and spotted Jiang Wan, sitting on the hotel sofa. She was wearing a cool gray windbreaker suit. The long sleeves and short skirt made her look stylish and energetic. While everyone else was huddled together, chatting and chatting, she was the only one buried in her phone, occasionally pouting when she heard something funny.

Lu Jiyu turned his gaze away and went straight to the front desk to pick up his luggage, a black 29-inch suitcase. The hotel staff reminded him whether he wanted to check the contents of the suitcase first, but Lu Jiyu waved his hand and politely declined.

When he dragged his luggage back, the two men and five women sitting on the sofa stared at him eagerly.

Li Qingxi, still wearing her punk-sweet makeup, teased him, "Lu Beibei, it's not easy to see you."

They were all friends who had grown up together, and they were used to speaking directly. Lu Jiyu glanced at her lazily and said, "She's Miss Mei now, so I'm the one who can't reach her."

"Get lost." Li Qingxi scolded him with a smile.

Li Mu was sitting next to her, curled up on the sofa like a quail from beginning to end, without saying a word.

Chen Meiyu was a gossip lover, and within just a few words she'd already started talking about Li Qingxi and Lu Jiyu. As she pulled Jiang Wan out the door, she whispered in her ear, "I originally thought Lu Jiyu suddenly changed his route to Xinjiang for you, but now it seems like it was for that sweet punk chick just now? I thought Lu Jiyu was a handsome, unselfish guy, but from their Chen Mingjia to this one, we really underestimated him."

Jiang Wan originally wanted to ask Chen Meiyu why she thought Lu Jiyu came to Xinjiang for her in the beginning, but then she thought that it was already quite unkind of him to have had an underground relationship without telling her, and asking again would seem a bit cunning.

The sun outside is already a bit strong.

After Jiang Wan and several others finished moving their luggage, they were about to take out their phones to check the time when a WeChat message popped up on the screen: Did you bring your hat?

She subconsciously turned to look at the man leaning against the hotel's Roman columns, talking to Zhou Zifang. The sun was so bright it made it difficult for him to open his eyes. He frowned, looking unhappy. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but it felt like they were discussing a route.

Jiang Wan replied casually: I brought it, what about you?

Lu Jiyu only replied with one word.

Um.

After planning the route, everyone discussed and decided to set off. According to the original plan, eight people got on two cars.

Lu Jiyu naturally opened the driver's door of the car that Jiang Wan and the others were driving. His eyes wandered among the crowd for a few seconds, and finally fell on the three girls standing at the hotel entrance.

Chen Meiyun was curious: "Are you in the same car with us?"

Zhou Zifang's car had already left. Lu Jiyu glanced at Jiang Wan and asked them, "Aren't you getting in the car?"

Dong Lin, who was standing near the passenger door, opened the door, turned around and said to the other two girls, "Then I'll sit in the front seat, and you two can sit in the back?"

No one objected.

Only when Lu Jiyu got in the car did he turn his head to glance at Jiang Wan, who opened the door and got into the back seat. This glance was quick, but Dong Lin, who was standing next to him, happened to catch the whole process.

They drove along the Awu Expressway towards Altay.

The streets of Urumqi were already bustling with activity in the early morning, but the car was very quiet, with only the occasional prompts from the female voice in the navigation.

Before leaving, Chen Meiyu called Wei Lin. After a brief quarrel on the phone, the two were now beginning to feel sleepy.

Dong Lin discovered that although the boy driving next to him was using the navigation system, he actually didn't look at it much. He only occasionally glanced at the map on the screen when crossing an intersection.

"You seem familiar with this place?" she asked casually.

Lu Jiyu was about to change lanes. He glanced in the rearview mirror, turned on the turn signal, and changed lanes to the left to get off the overpass. "I lived here for a while before."

As he spoke, he glanced at the rearview mirror.

Jiang Wan was also looking at him.

But he just looked away without leaving a trace and continued driving in silence. Jiang Wan seemed to be aware that someone was not in a good mood.

After driving onto the deserted highway, herds of camels, cattle, horses, and sheep occasionally appeared on both sides of the road. Jiang Wan had never seen such a pure and natural scene before, and began to take out his phone and point it out the window to take pictures. Chen Meiyun, who was standing next to him, happened to wake up at this moment. She was even more excited. With her eyes wide open, she picked up her phone and started a video call with her father: "Niu, let me show you my dad."

Chen Meiyu’s dad:?

Chen Meiyun: "No, Dad, let me show you yourself. You are the cattle and horses of the city, and they are the cattle and horses of nature. You are one family."

Chen Meiyun's father: "Thank you."

At this point, the atmosphere in the carriage finally became a little more lively.

After the call, Chen Meiyun dug out the sliced ​​watermelon she had prepared before leaving from her bag. Jiang Wan had just finished drinking water and only ate a piece symbolically. Lu Jiyu didn't eat anything. He pointed to the place where the suitcase was behind him and said, "Help me get the water cup in my bag."

Chen Meiyun asked casually, "Which bag?"

Jiang Wan turned around and took out the thermos from the black bag behind her and handed it to Lu Jiyu in the front row. He still didn't look back. After taking the cup, he said politely, "Thank you."

Now Jiang Wan swallowed the words "Do you want me to help you unscrew it" before he could even say it out loud.

I'm in a bad mood.

Chen Meiyu ate too much watermelon and had to go to the toilet on the way. She held it in for a long time and finally waited until Lu Jiyu drove to the service area.

There are several local specialty product exhibition areas in the service area. After Jiang Wan came out of the bathroom, he asked Chen Meiyu and Dong Lin to continue shopping there and went back to the car first.

A faint smell of horse manure wafted through the air outside, and she opened the passenger door. The air conditioner was on, the temperature comfortable, and a soft English song played on the radio. Lu Jiyu, in the driver's seat, had pulled up his coat hood, leaned back, and closed his eyes, seemingly oblivious to her presence. After Jiang Wan closed the car door, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed around Lu Jiyu.

"What?" Lu Jiyu finally raised his eyelids a little and looked at her with a dull expression.

"Are you wearing perfume?"

Lu Jiyu didn't sleep well last night, and he was feeling sleepy right now. "No." He took a sip of the almost-cooled water beside him and said, "Why don't you go shopping with them?"

Jiang Wan didn't respond. Instead, he took out a bottle of coffee from his coat pocket and handed it to him: "There's no freshly ground coffee in the service area. You can just make do with this for now."

Lu Jiyu raised an eyebrow and stared at the entrance of the service area: "Why are you suddenly so conscientious?"

"Dong Lin said she gets carsick, so we let her sit in the front." Jiang Wan knew what this person had been upset about all the way. "When I got you a cup just now, I saw a motion sickness patch in your bag. Do you get carsick too?"

Lu Jiyu reached out and turned up the temperature of the air conditioner by two degrees. His voice was slightly hoarse: “I’m not dizzy.”

Jiang Wan immediately came to his senses: "Is that prepared for me?"

"For the dogs."

Seeing her smug smile, Lu Jiyu really had the urge to take action, but he still held back and did not move. Instead, the person sitting in the passenger seat suddenly leaned over.

The car's front windshield mirror faces the gate of the service area. From time to time, passengers come out waving their hands, and the inside and outside of the car can be seen clearly.

Seeing her approaching, Lu Jiyu instinctively squeezed towards the car door, tilting his chin up while kindly reminding her: "Aren't you afraid of being seen?"

"Chen Meiyun was so confused inside that she couldn't get out for several minutes."

Jiang Wan came over but didn't do anything. He just tilted his head to look at Lu Jiyu's chin. The place where the band-aid was last applied was smooth again. "There is no scar left at all."

"You sound a little regretful."

"It's not regret, it's envy." Jiang Wan said, stretching out his hand to let Lu Jiyu see the scar on his little finger: "When I was a child, I cut my finger in a fight, and the scar is still obvious now."

At this moment, the distance between the two of them suddenly became a little close. Lu Jiyu had never been so close to a girl. Jiang Wan's body had a warm and dry feeling after being dried by the sun. Lu Jiyu stared at the thin white scar on her finger and was dazed for a moment.

"Why are you fighting?" He tapped Jiang Wan's shoulder with his hand: "Also, can you sit properly--"

"I forgot." Jiang Wan responded casually, and grabbed Lu Jiyu's hand on her shoulder and held it, so naturally that it seemed like an impulse that had been planned for a long time.

Time and heartbeat both dropped a frame at this moment.

Lu Jiyu looked at her in confusion.

Jiang Wan thought. The boy's hands felt as hard as they looked, especially the thin layer of calluses around his palms, but they were warm.

"What are you doing?" Seeing that she didn't move, Lu Jiyu moved his hand nonchalantly to try to pull it back, but Jiang Wan only held it tighter.

The two looked at each other, their eyes meeting, their gazes as if sticky, glued together and inseparable, like two little beasts in a stalemate, waiting to bite each other.

Jiang Wan's deliberately lowered voice entered Lu Jiyu's ears: "Is it not possible for my girlfriend to hold my hand?"

So close. Her breath was so vivid that it was like countless butterflies fluttering their wings passing by his body.

The mottled sunlight outside the window fell on the boy's profile, like a piece of burning light, and dust rose and fell in groups, falling on the boy's uneasy mood.

Sunshine, desert, and a bustling service area. Above is the clear blue sky, and beside is the person I love most. Even after many years, this will always be a moment worth revisiting in my memory.

But after many years, maybe only these fragments will remain of him.

Lu Jiyu had actually persuaded himself quite well before coming. Even though he couldn't fully understand Jiang Wan's motives for handling their relationship in this way, when it came to him, he still felt emotional.

for example.

Lu Jiyu slowly pulled his hand out, staring out the window without looking at her, and said in a calm tone, "Forget it. It would be bad if someone saw us."

Jiang Wan was silent for a long time, until Lu Jiyi thought she would not speak again.

She suddenly smiled and said, "Yes, you are very considerate."

The next second, the car door opened. Jiang Wan had already stepped out of the car, but she turned back and looked at him: "Lu Jiyu." She paused before continuing: "You really are the most pure and innocent person I have ever met."

Not a nice thing to say.

It's worse than scolding.