Chapter 43

In the room shrouded in warm yellow, a chestnut-haired boy lay curled up on the black and blue checkered bed, his flexible back forming a clear arc.

Lu Shenxing, who was outside the door, stared at the boy with a dark look for a few seconds, then walked in and placed his hand on the boy's curled ankle.

The chestnut-haired boy seemed to be stimulated by something, and his body trembled violently, followed by a fierce resistance. He turned around and saw that the man's eyes softened at an elusive speed. A warm touch fell on his brow, accompanied by a low voice, "Good night."

Lu Shenxing returned to his room, and the unforgettable throbbing was released suddenly, rushing into his heart like a tide. He wiped his face, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but rise.

He has experienced that feeling countless times in three lifetimes, so he doesn't even need to touch the door.

For middle school students, winter vacation is not only short, but also has a large number of homework, tests, and tutoring that take up all their time.

Shi Changan is very busy. Apart from finishing homework for several subjects, he spends the rest of his time on piano lessons.

Shi Changle felt relaxed. He found that the way his father looked at him was different from ever before. It was as if he could only see him and nothing else. He liked it very much.

"Daddy, are you free today? Can you go skiing with me?"

Lu Shenxing looked up from the newspaper and said, "Okay."

Shi Changan paused as he was walking downstairs, then quickly continued. He changed his shoes and said as he opened the door, "Daddy, I'm going out."

Seeing the black-haired boy staring at him, Lu Shenxing was about to say something, but Shi Changle pulled him to look at several racing cars in a magazine. It seemed that he had forgotten something and he couldn't remember it.

The butler at the back was about to speak but stopped talking. He wanted to remind the young master that today was the first day that the eldest young master was participating in the competition. Didn’t you promise to go and watch it last night?

"Uncle Zhang, I'm a little thirsty." Shi Changle stretched out his voice, "Go get me a glass of juice."

The housekeeper sighed and hurried to the kitchen to prepare juice for him.

Outside, heavy snow covered the ground. Shi Changan squinted his eyes. Snowflakes flew onto his eyelashes, heavy and a little wet. He blinked, and his vision became much more blurred.

The "Xingle Cup" piano competition has attracted the attention of major schools during this winter vacation. The selected students are inevitably a little nervous today, and their parents are even more nervous than them.

It was common for parents to take leave to accompany their children. Sometimes, grandparents, maternal uncles, and grandparents would all swarm around a child. Shi Changan was alone, and the teacher asked curiously, "Changan, aren't your parents here?"

Shi Changan shook his head. A gust of wind blew from behind him, and the sound of panting touched the back of his neck. "Here it comes!"

"Hello, beautiful teacher. I'm Changan's big brother." Huang Kuo, who had come running, winked at Shi Changan and said, "Big brother is here to cheer you on."

Shi Changan saw him still gasping for breath and said with a twitch of his lips, "You are two months and nine days younger than me."

You have a conscience and didn't forget my birthday, Huang Kuo grinned happily and put his arm around Shi Changan's shoulders. "Look at those contestants, and then look at you, how pitiful you are. We have been deskmates since elementary school. Just for this reason, you have to come, right?"

Shi Chang'an raised his eyelids slightly. "Pitiable?" It was the first time he heard the word from Huang Kuo. He was healthy, able to eat and sleep, and could do what he wanted. He didn't have to waste energy and time on things that didn't interest him. He just had to persevere for his dream and didn't have to worry about life. What was there to be pitiful about?

"Changan, get ready!" the teacher came over and urged, "Your turn will be soon."

Shi Changan was wearing a white suit, his black hair lay softly against his neck, and his face with delicate eyebrows and eyes showed a calmness that made people feel at ease.

Huang Kuo, who was standing there like a giant Buddha, clicked his tongue twice. "Chang'an, you're so handsome." He crossed his arms and smiled handsomely. "Ah, but you're still a bit behind me."

"Yeah, you're so handsome you're out of space." After joking, Shi Changan took out his cell phone from his backpack. There were no text messages or missed calls, and he frowned.

The host's clear voice sounded, announcing the next contestant's information.

Shi Chang'an sat in front of the piano, his eyes unconsciously looking at the audience. He suppressed his lost mood, placed his fair and slender hands on the keys, and a string of jumping and light notes flowed out from between his fingers.

Huang Kuo looked at the elegant and calm figure on the stage. He could pat his chest and tell everyone, look, this is my brother.

The smooth music floated in the hall, sometimes high-pitched and passionate, sometimes gentle and soft. When the last note fell, Shi Chang'an stood up and bowed, and he left amid warm applause.

Huang Kuo, who was waiting there, gave a thumbs up and said, "Great!"

Shi Changan wiped his face with a wet tissue and suddenly asked, "Huang Kuo, do you have any food with you?"

"Did you not eat anything this morning?" Huang Kuo said with wide eyes, "You deserve to have an upset stomach."

Having said that, he quickly ran out and when he came back he gave the bread and mineral water he had bought to Shi Changan. "Fortunately, I put a few coins in my pocket this morning."

"I'll take you out to dinner tomorrow." Shi Changan gnawed on the bread and rolled the bean paste on it with his tongue.

"Hey, that's what you said." Huang Kuo rubbed the thick calluses on his hands, "Changan, I've known you until now, and you really don't care about anything."

"There wasn't one before." Shi Chang'an's voice was unclear, but Huang Kuo still heard it all. He looked curious, "There is one now?"

Shi Changan finished the last bite of bread. He unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of water. His tone was concise and clear, "Yes."

"..." Huang Kuo swallowed his saliva, "If I ask you, you definitely won't tell me, right?"

"Smart." Shi Changan smiled.

Huang Kuo rolled his eyes, took out his last steel coin to play with it, and waited with Shi Changan for the results of the competition. As he left, he blurted out, "I haven't done a single word of my homework. I'm counting on you."

"I haven't..." Shi Changan hadn't finished speaking when his phone rang. A deep voice came from the other end, "How was the game?"

Shi Changan was stunned for a moment, "It's okay."

Lu Shenxing, who was already on the road, turned the steering wheel and said, "Daddy will pick you up."

"Okay." Shi Changan's mouth corners curled slightly.

"Your dad is here?" Huang Kuo jumped up and down. "Hey Chang'an, what do you think of my hairstyle?"

Shi Changan glanced at him and said, "Not very good."

Huang Kuo immediately turned his back and looked carefully in the large mirror of the motorcycle beside him. "It seems your father had a good impression of me at the last parents' meeting."

From a little after ten in the morning until dark, my phone didn't ring and I couldn't get in touch with him.

Shi Changan sat on the stone steps of the flower bed, his face unclear under the dim street lights.

Putting down his messy fingernails, Huang Kuo gritted his teeth and said, "Chang'an, I have to go home now, otherwise my queen mother will be very worried."

"I'll contact you tomorrow." Shi Changan said.

Huang Kuo ran a few steps and turned back, saying worriedly, "Changan, your dad must have forgotten. You should take a taxi home quickly."

Shi Changan pursed his lips, revealing a stubbornness that he himself was not even aware of.

A beam of light came from a distance and passed through the shadow in front of Shi Changan's eyes. He suddenly raised his head, revealing his frozen face.

Lu Shenxing opened the car door and got out. When he saw the person, he thought the child was crying and his pace quickened unconsciously. "Daddy is late because of something."

Shi Changan stood up and said, "It's okay."

"You must be hungry. Let me take you to eat something." Lu Shenxing stretched out his hands and placed them under Shi Changan's armpits, picked him up, and explained as if possessed by a ghost, "Changle is upset because of something he ate."

On a cold winter night, Shi Changan's mind was filled with this sudden embrace, which was warmer and more generous than he had imagined.

Compared to the damp and cold outside, the restaurant was much warmer. Lu Shenxing took off his coat and put it on the back of the chair, then ordered a few dishes and rice. He really forgot about Shi Changan's game today, but only remembered it later, and then he happened to have Shi Changle's matter. He was so hungry that his stomach was acidic.

The boy sitting opposite him lowered his head, his long, curly eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyelids, and he exuded a quiet and restrained aura.

An inexplicable sense of familiarity swirled in his heart, and Lu Shenxing began to doubt his detection that day for no reason. On the way home, the sense of familiarity became stronger. From the next day, he began to pay attention secretly, and he felt more and more that the results he got were exactly the opposite of what he saw with his own eyes.

Lu Shen walked over to the sofa, touched Shi Changle lying on it, and rubbed his ankles. "You don't feel anything?"

After finishing the potato chips, Shi Changle smiled and nodded, "Yes." He pointed to his ankle and said with a pout, "Daddy, there's a red bump here. I wonder if it was a bug bite. It's very itchy."

Before you could even utter the three words "touch it", the person in front of you had already strode away.

Shi Changle ran into the room anxiously, "Brother, Daddy seems angry, can you go and check it out? I'm afraid Daddy will scold me." When he saw that Shi Changan didn't respond immediately, he snatched the book from the other's hand unhappily, "Brother, did you hear what I said?"

Shi Changan raised his eyelids and said, "Changle, give me the book."

Shi Changle didn't know what was going on, but he was inexplicably frightened. He crumpled the book in his hand and threw it hard on the table, "Here you go!"

Shi Changan smoothed the wrinkles on the book and put it back in the drawer, then opened the door and went out silently.

Shi Changle felt a little guilty standing there. What happened to him just now? It was so strange. It was just a comic book.

Shi Chang'an went to the second floor, paused in front of the half-open door, raised his hand and knocked a few times, then walked in. The smell of cigarettes inside made him frown.

"Daddy, are you in a bad mood?" Shi Changan looked at the man sitting on the chair and said softly, "I'm in a bad mood too."

Lu Shenxing smoked a cigarette, frowned, and said nothing.

"Nobita failed the exam again." Shi Changan said helplessly, "You're so stupid."

Lu Shenxing was amused by his expression, and the gloom on his face dissipated a lot. He put out the cigarette butt and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Daddy wants to eat the kimchi and steamed buns you made."

Shi Changan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then I'll do it now."