Old friends remain

After that dry "Xiao Jue," the air seemed to be sucked out, leaving only an awkward silence that solidified and fermented between the two.

Qi Shuo looked at the obvious panic on Xiao Jue's face and the eyes that wanted to avoid his gaze, and his heart sank into an ice cellar.

He was almost certain that eight years had ultimately created an irreparable chasm between them.

He was no longer the brother she remembered, the one with whom she could share secrets and entrust her back.

"Waiter! Add some water!" The call from another table of customers was like a needle, puncturing the tense atmosphere.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Jue's cell phone rang sharply in his pocket, its sound particularly jarring in the silence.

He answered the phone as if grasping at a straw, without even looking, and turned to the side, his voice hurried and unnatural: "Hello? It's me... Okay, I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone, not even daring to look at Qi Shuo again, and said quickly, "I...I have something to do, I'll go first."

After saying that, he practically fled, hurriedly pushed open the glass door, and his figure quickly disappeared around the street corner.

Qi Shuo stood there, looking at the door that was still swaying slightly, feeling as if everything that had just happened was a brief and absurd illusion.

Only a faint trace of Xiao Jue's usual cool woody scent lingered in the air, proving that he had indeed been there.

They didn't even have time to exchange a single word before they went their separate ways, one fleeing to the bustling streets, the other retreating to this seemingly peaceful but actually lonely corner.

Qi Shuo spent the rest of the day in a daze. His movements of wiping cups became mechanical, and his responses to his colleagues' greetings were hesitant.

After get off work, he rode his electric scooter aimlessly around the streets for a long time until the streetlights came on, before dragging his heavy steps home.

Sister Jin and Qin Zhou hadn't returned yet. The empty house was so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat. He ate something hastily, took a shower, and lay down on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep.

The patterns on the ceiling were blurred in the darkness, much like his chaotic state of mind.

Xiao Jue's panicked gaze kept replaying in his mind.

Why? Was it because he had been to prison and felt ashamed? Or did they think he was now a burden and didn't want any further involvement? Eight years in prison had cost him his freedom, his mother, and his sister. Could he not even hold onto this last precious friendship? A sense of abandonment and loneliness, like a cold tide, slowly overwhelmed him.

Around ten o'clock, the sound of a key turning and deliberately hushed voices could be heard outside the door. It was Sister Jin and Qin Zhou returning from evening self-study.

"Shh...be quiet, Brother Shuo might be asleep." It was Qin Zhou's voice.

"The lights are all off, he's probably asleep." Sister Jin's voice was also very low. "I noticed he looked off when he came back this afternoon, but he wouldn't say anything when I asked him. It was so worrying..."

"Why don't you... go and ask?" Qin Zhou whispered, trying to persuade him.

"Why don't you go? You're his brother, you're more likely to talk to him!"

"I...I'm a little scared. It's kind of scary when Brother Shuo doesn't say anything..."

Then, a faint rustling sound came from outside the door, as if they were having a heated discussion in sign language.

After a while, a very faint sound of "rock, paper, scissors" rang out.

"Ah! I lost!" Qin Zhou groaned in frustration.

Then, Qi Shuo heard Qin Zhou take a deep breath, as if he were going to his execution, and his footsteps moved lightly to his door. His hand was just raised, as if he was about to knock.

Just then, with a "click," the door was pulled open from the inside.

Qi Shuo stood at the door, his face tired, but his eyes were clear. He looked at Qin Zhou, who was still knocking on the door and looked bewildered, and Sister Jin, who was equally surprised, and after a few seconds of silence, he said in a low voice, "I didn't sleep."

Jin Jie and Qin Zhou exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat awkward.

"Um... Brother Shuo, are you... alright?" Qin Zhou scratched his head and asked cautiously.

Qi Shuo stepped aside: "Come in and sit down."

The three of them sat on the small sofa in Qi Shuo's room, and the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Looking out at the dark night, Qi Shuo finally spoke, his voice low and slow: "Today... I saw Xiao Jue at the restaurant."

Jin Jie and Qin Zhou were both taken aback.

"He... left as soon as he saw me." Qi Shuo forced a bitter smile. "Maybe... he didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

"Impossible!" Qin Zhou immediately retorted, "Brother Xiao Jue isn't that kind of person!"

Sister Jin sighed and patted Qi Shuo's hand: "Shuozi, you've known Xiao Jue for over ten years, longer than Xiao Zhou and I have. You should know him better than we do what kind of person he is. Eight years can change many people and many things, but some things are etched into one's bones. Since you consider him a friend, a brother, then trust him a little more. Perhaps... he has some unspeakable difficulties?"

Qin Zhou nodded vigorously: "Yes, Brother Shuo! Brother Xiao Jue cares about you a lot! In the past eight years, although he's been busy, he often comes to see Sister Jin and me, asking if we need money or have any difficulties. He always brings us gifts during holidays. If he really didn't want anything to do with us, why would he do all that?"

Jin Jie and Qin Zhou's words were like a warm current, gradually melting the ice in Qi Shuo's heart.

Yes, what kind of person is Xiao Jue? He's the boy who would hide behind him when he was bullied as a child, the boy who risked his life to save him from drowning, and the boy who cried his eyes out while holding him, the boy who vowed, "Brother Shuo, I'll protect you from now on." Could a friendship built on over a decade of unwavering loyalty really be so fragile?

Was he being too arbitrary? Was he blinded by his own inferiority complex and sensitivity?

Looking at Sister Jin and Qin Zhou's worried and sincere eyes, Qi Shuo's turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.

They're right, he should go find Xiao Jue and get to the bottom of things. Whatever the outcome, it's better than this constant suspicion and pain.

Time slipped quietly into the depths of winter. In early January, the final exams at Beicheng No. 1 Middle School ended, and winter vacation officially began.

Winter comes late to the north of the city. On the day of the holiday, fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and a thin layer of white had already accumulated on the ground. The whole city seemed to have been muted, enveloped in a tranquil whiteness.

Jin Jie's school was holding a staff summary meeting, and Qi Shuo was asked to pick up Qin Zhou and take her home. Qi Shuo rode his electric scooter, braving the biting yet refreshing cold wind, and arrived at the gate of Beicheng No. 1 Middle School. The students' faces were filled with the joy of being on holiday, and they poured out of the school gate in groups of three or five.

Qi Shuo spotted Qin Zhou in the crowd, carrying a heavy backpack and a large cardboard box. He took the box from him; it was filled with all sorts of "treasures" Qin Zhou had accumulated this semester—books, test papers, and basketball star posters.

"Brother Shuo! We're on holiday!" Qin Zhou grinned from ear to ear, his breath scattering in the air.

"Hmm." Qi Shuo nodded, reached into the car seat and took a towel to wrap around him. "Where's Song Yungui? Shouldn't we invite him over for a few days?"

Qin Zhou's eyes dimmed slightly: "He has to go back to his grandfather's place in Beijing after his vacation. He probably won't be back until the New Year." His tone was clearly disappointed.

Qi Shuo didn't say anything more and helped him tie the cardboard box to the back of the electric scooter. Just as the two were about to leave, they looked up and saw two familiar figures walking towards them from the other side of the school gate.

It was Xiao Jue. He was wearing a long black down jacket and a gray scarf, and his posture was upright.

Beside him was a boy who looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features but a stubborn and aloof air. He was Lin Ye, Xiao Jue's cousin.

The four of them locked eyes, and the atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward. Snowflakes silently fell on their shoulders.

This time, Xiao Jue did not dodge. His gaze met Qi Shuo's, a hint of turmoil flashing across his eyes before settling down, carrying a sense of relief and calm.

Qin Zhou's eyes lit up, and he immediately displayed his excellent qualities of being a natural friend and a helpful wingman. He stepped forward with a grin and put his arm around the still somewhat bewildered Lin Ye: "Hey, Senior Lin Ye! Long time no see! It's perfect to run into you. I have some questions about my studies that I'd like to ask you. Come on, let's go sit at that bubble tea shop over there. It's on me!"

Without saying a word, he dragged the helpless Lin Ye away, and before leaving, he secretly turned back and winked at Qi Shuo and Xiao Jue.

In an instant, the bustling school gate seemed to be deserted except for Qi Shuo and Xiao Jue. Snowflakes fell on their hair and eyebrows, leaving specks of white frost.

Silence spread again, but this time it was no longer embarrassment or escapism, but a kind of melancholy that came after experiencing many vicissitudes and not knowing where to begin.

Finally, Qi Shuo spoke first. His voice was very soft, blending into the snow, almost inaudible: "How have you been these past eight years...?"

Looking at Qi Shuo's nose, which was red from the cold, and the calm he was trying to maintain in his eyes, Xiao Jue was deeply touched in the softest part of his heart.

He took a deep breath of the cold air and slowly replied, "It's alright. Just kept busy, but it got through." He paused, then asked, "And you?"

"It's alright," Qi Shuo replied. All his words, in the end, boiled down to these three simplest words.

Then, as if by prior agreement, the two stopped mentioning those heavy eight years and those unspeakable pains. They began to chat about trivial everyday things, about the changes in Beicheng over the years, and about news of an old classmate they both knew... At first, it was a little awkward, but gradually, the tacit understanding between old friends seemed to transcend the barriers of time and slowly resurfaced.

When Xiao Jue mentioned an embarrassing incident from his youth, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, and Qi Shuo's lips also curved into a slight smile. The smile was faint, but it instantly melted the last bit of ice between them.

No need for lengthy explanations or deliberate apologies. A single glance or a soft laugh is enough to convey a thousand words.

They all understood that some friendships never truly left, but were simply covered in dust by the passage of time.

Xiao Jue stepped forward, stretched out his arms, and gently, yet with unwavering determination, embraced Qi Shuo.

Qi Shuo's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed and raised his hand to hug his dear friend whom he had not seen for eight years.

Snowflakes fell silently, covering the earth, as if to cover up past wounds. On this cold winter day, at the vibrant school gate, two men who had once gone their separate ways announced the return of their friendship with a silent embrace.

Eight years have passed, their appearances have changed, and they have faced life and death together, but they are still the boys they can entrust their backs to in each other's memories.

Some roads are destined to be walked alone.

But thankfully, no matter how heavy the wind and snow, the old friends remain.