014
Qinghua Town, a place with a dozen miles of surrounding countryside, has a very inconspicuous geographical location, inconvenient transportation, and is even more dilapidated than some rural areas built in cities.
Children in the town go out to work when they turn 18, and so far only one of them has become a college student.
If it weren't for the Internet, Xu Yu wouldn't have known that the cheapest toy racing car in the city costs twenty yuan, and twenty yuan can buy two days' worth of food for a family on the street.
Six years ago, a big boss came to this backward place. He took a fancy to the woods behind the county and decided to communicate with the local government for procurement.
A week after the local logging team was organized, a fashionable and colorful sports car entered the county. Xi Jiang got out of the car with a gradient purple hair, which caused the girls in the county to discuss it.
He swaggered to the back of the crowd, blocking Xu Yu's way: "What's your name?"
Xu Yu said his name in a daze.
Xu Yu didn't have much on his mind at that time. His mother had passed away three months ago, and his missing father suddenly returned home. A group of bullies almost tore down their house. He and his father were chased and beaten. The bullies didn't stop because he was a child, and kept hitting him with sticks.
Xu Yu didn’t remember anything after that. When he woke up, he was in the hospital and Xi Jiang was standing in front of him.
"I'll help your father pay off his debts, and you'll stay with me for seven years to offset it."
Xu Yu hadn't recovered yet: "Accompany you? Does that mean...selling myself?"
Xi Jiang was touched by his cuteness and rubbed his head: "No need, just go to the city and accompany me."
That gentle voice and gesture brought Xu Yu to his mother in an instant. His mother would do the same, touch his head, and say that Xiaoyu was the best.
His tears fell, and Xi Jiang beside him was at a loss, not knowing whether to wipe them with paper or not.
"Did I scare you?"
Xu Yu shook his head and wiped his tears with his sleeves: "Brother, can I see my mother before I leave?"
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to leave right away."
Xi Jiang helped to pay back the money and naturally knew Xu Yu's family situation. He was worried that Xu Yu would not be able to accept leaving all of a sudden, so he gave him a suggestion.
Two months later, after New Year's Eve, Xi Jiang took him away.
Xu Yu agreed.
The eighteen-year-old packed two bags as luggage, got on the car arranged by Xi Jiang, and left.
Xi Jiang could not forget the look in Xu Yu's eyes when he looked back at that time. It was six parts worry and four parts hurt. He walked to the back seat of the car. The thin back seat also made him look particularly lonely.
At that time, he decided to be good to Xu Yu, but now...
Xi Jiang was a little speechless.
"Mr. Xi is too busy. Because of business and the chairman's pressure to get married, he's been busy dealing with various young ladies lately. It's not that he can't take care of you, Mr. Xu. Don't be angry." Assistant Zhao saw the seriousness of the situation and naturally continued, "Mr. Xi came to you because he is worried about you. He wants to know and understand clearly, and he's afraid that you'll be deceived."
Xu Yu met Assistant Zhao's gaze without hesitation: "Are you sure?"
Assistant Zhao wiped his face and took a piece of paper to wipe his sneeze.
Who is Xi Jiang? After seven years at the company, how could Assistant Zhao not know? Besides, there was no reason for her to ask about him. With so many men and women around her, how could she possibly focus all her attention on Xu Yu?
Even if Xi Jiang is not the president, just because of that face, people would chase him and give him money and future plans whenever he goes out. How could he understand what Xu Yu, who depends on him, wants?
Is this how husbands think of housewives?
Fortunately, he is not Xi Jiang and he will not fail to understand his wife.
"Xu Yu." Xi Jiang supported the table, "You should face the reality. Under my protection, you live better than many people."
here we go again.
Xu Yu turned his head and said, "Brother, go back."
"You don't even want to listen to me?"
"I don't."
"Xu Yu, go out and look at those people living under the bridge. Those adults who are at their wit's end and sitting in 24-hour shops, having a breakdown. They're having a hard time. Am I not good enough to you? For seven years, I've provided you with food and clothing, and a roof over your head. I've never asked anything of you, only for you to obey. Do you think you're being rude to me by making a scene now?"
Xu Yu stopped pouring water and put his hand behind his back. His hands were shaking so violently that his body was twitching slightly.
"Brother, I didn't cause other people's suffering. I can understand, but I can't compare myself to them. You told me all this back then. You needed me because kids from feudal places tend to be clean-minded and have low desires. In the past five years, I didn't ask you anything, and I never asked why you were so different from the people around you. I just wanted to live, my own life." Xu Yu's voice was a little hoarse. "Why? Why did this become resistance in your eyes?"
Thoughts drifted far away, and Xi Jiang found many promises at this moment. He bought Xu Yu a six-figure blue three-piece suit, gave him his first bouquet of roses, and told Xu Yu that he would help him integrate into society as soon as possible.
In the first half of five years ago, Xi Jiang gave Xu Yu a house, which was not very close to him.
"You should move to the Oasis community. You'll have to get used to living alone after you leave me." Xi Jiang said, "If you need anything, contact Assistant Zhao."
Xu Yu hadn't come back to his senses yet: "Will I not live with my brother anymore?"
Xi Jiang said coldly: "If you find any furniture you like, you can bring it with you or buy it yourself. You don't have to return the gold card to me."
“…”
In the blink of an eye, half a year later, Assistant Zhao arrived with a brand new contract. He thought it was a farewell, but it turned out to be an additional agreement, every word of which deprived Xu Yu of her freedom.
Ask him to stay with Xi Jiang for two more years.
Xu Yuxin felt extremely disappointed.
It was like that then, and it is like that now.
"Brother, you don't have any feelings for me, right?" Xu Yu said, "Why can't you see yourself more clearly?"
"What did Wang Li tell you?" Xi Jiang's face turned ugly. He reached out and pinched Xu Yu's face, looking extremely crazy. "What did you know?"
Xu Yu's jaw was clamped and he couldn't raise his head due to the pain.
"Mr. Xi, this will make it difficult for Mr. Xu..."
"All of you get out."
“…”
The subordinate walked out dejectedly. Assistant Zhao saw Xu Yu holding Xi Jiang's hand and breaking free when the door was closing.
"Brother, what are you afraid of?" Xu Yu rubbed his chin. "I'm lucky to be Mr. Zhu's shadow, right?"
Xi Jiang's pupils widened slightly.
"Xu Yu, can you pretend you don't know?"
Perhaps because the environment was quiet, his tone contained a rare request.
He was too tall, and in Xu Yu's eyes, with his slightly drooping eyelids, he looked like a child who was lost and suddenly couldn't find his parents.
"Brother, do you want me to do this?"
Xi Jiang returned to his original expression: "Is it okay?"
"Of course." Xu Yu did not refuse, "But brother, can you? Can you deceive yourself?"
There is no question of any unnecessary emotions.
Xi Jiang asked him, picked up the water on the table and drank it: "...Give me some time, I promise this is the last time, the last time, I will let you go, but not now.
Xu Yu didn't say anything.
Xi Jiang was not in a hurry for his reply and put down the cup: "For the last time, trust me once."
It's not a rhetorical question, there's no negotiation involved.
Xu Yu looked at his expression and agreed: "Okay."
I shouldn’t be shaking. The more I thought about it, the more my hands shook. Until the door closed and Xu Yu was the only one left around, my tense shoulders finally relaxed.
A pair of hands rested on his shoulders. Zhu Wenxu closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."
Those two words embodied the feelings Zhu Wenxu wanted to express but didn't know how to express. Initially, he could guess why Xu Yu appeared beside Xi Jiang, but he wasn't sure. But as each word sank into his ears, a heavy feeling suddenly settled over him. If he hadn't returned to the Zhu family ten years ago, would Xu Yu have experienced such an unforeseen disaster?
He could only think so, as the direction of things was completely out of control.
"I know you're also a victim in this matter. You don't like him. I've noticed since we've been together. He doesn't like me. I've seen it clearly over the years."
"He said he liked me." Zhu Wenxu brought up the past, his face expressionless. "I didn't take it seriously."
"You rejected him before?"
"I support you as a friend, but the rest is crossing the line." Zhu Wenxu said, "Don't you think the same as me?"
Xu Yu was stunned: "...Me, and you?"
Is he the same as Zhu Wenxu?
It seems the same, yet it seems different.
"I don't like him. You're with him out of gratitude, and you really want to stay away from him, aren't you the same as me?" Zhu Wenxu took a step closer to him, "We're on the same path."
Xu Yu felt a little dizzy for a moment.
no.
They are not the same kind of people.
His goal was to get rid of Xi Jiang's side, which included Zhu Wenxu. How could he possibly associate with Zhu Wenxu?
Even if Zhu Wenxu had rejected Xi Jiang, that was their business. What did it have to do with him? He absolutely shouldn't get involved.
"You are you." Xu Yu squeezed his palm tightly, "I am me, I am different."
His expression was full of resistance, and his voice was trembling. Zhu Wenxu just looked at him, cleared his throat and said, "Sorry."
This time the apology was a little deeper than before.
Xu Yu slowly sat down on the sofa, not wanting to talk about it anymore: "It's okay."
The cell phone rang.
Wei Pei'er: [I'm here.]
downstairs.
The wind was extremely hot and the trees cast a cool shade. Xi Jiang stood by the car and lit a cigarette, puffing hard. The smoke covered half of his face.
His gaze was always focused on where Xu Yu lived, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then he sneered.
It was still known.
It was a selfish and heartless thought, only to preserve the youthful look on that face, so that he could always remind himself that he hadn't changed. In reality, it served no other purpose than deception. Xu Yu was not him, and he was not Xu Yu. The only connection between the two was their similar facial features.
Zhu Wenxu, who had lived abroad for so many years, had lost all his youthful appearance. He became aloof and his facial features were as sharp as a knife, cutting off all of Xi Jiang's fantasies in an instant.
But what to do?
I don't want to let Xu Yu go at all.
Xi Jiang took another deep puff of his cigarette, opened the car door, put out the cigarette in the ashtray next to the door handle, and looked up again, a touch of light blue caught his sight.
Wei Pei'er usually likes pink very much, and basically everything she buys is the same color, occasionally buying some white. This is the first time she has seen a blue outfit, and it is very novel.
Just like the first time he saw Xu Yu wearing a blue and white plaid shirt by the window.
Stunning.
Among many women, Wei Pei'er was not so unreasonable. Even when they quarreled that day, she just packed up her things and left crying.
She was carrying a bag of fruit and talking on the phone. The wind blew the garbage bag around her feet and slightly lifted the hem of her skirt.
Wei Pei'er reached out to pull it away, tucked the loose hair behind her ear, and then stood there in a daze.
When their eyes met, Xi Jiang's expression froze slightly.
"Why is Miss Wei here?" Assistant Zhao was a little confused. "Are you here to meet...who?"
He really couldn't bear to think that Xu Yu was secretly stealing Xi Jiang's girl? If that was true, it would be too exciting.
Wei Pei'er took two steps in her high heels, the wind blew her chestnut straight hair, and her blue faceted hair rose and fell again.
Her expression was gentler than usual: "A Jiang, you're here?"
Xi Jiang's eyes were cold: "I should be the one asking you."
"I came to see Xu Yu."
"He asked you to come?" Xi Jiang took out a cigarette case. "What is he doing?"
Wei Pei'er took Xi Jiang's cigarette and stuffed the apple in her pocket into her hand: "Last time I met him without telling you, I wanted to apologize to him, but I didn't have time..."
The apple was a good variety, but not very good to Xi Jiang. She didn't like it and didn't want to eat it. She leaned against the car door with the apple in her hand, staring at Wei Pei'er quietly.
"Smoking too much is not good. Eat an apple."
Xi Jiang lifted her hair and asked, "Where did you move to?"
Wei Pei'er turned her head and didn't answer his question: "I'll go up first."
She didn't leave, her arm was pulled by Xi Jiang, and she lost her balance and fell into Xi Jiang's arms. Xi Jiang hugged her, buried his face in his neck, and enjoyed the sweet fragrance of Wei Pei'er.
Wei Pei'er still tilted her head, blushing and her heart beating: "Someone..."
The elderly people in the community looked over from afar, thinking that the young couple were flirting after a quarrel.
"Why didn't you call me when you moved?" Xi Jiang's voice was low, and his breath swirled around his ears. "Don't you want to see me?"
"A Jiang..."
Xi Jiang closed his eyes and buried his face in them. In his memory, Xu Yu in blue checkered clothes came to him with two apples and told him that he could eat apples when he was in a bad mood.
The picture keeps playing and cannot be shaken off.
"Mr. Xi, please let me go... We've already broken up, and you're being disrespectful to your new partner."
Xi Jiang looked up and hugged her tightly: "Who told you that she is my new girlfriend? You and I have been together for so long, who have I ever mentioned that we want to date?"
At the second-floor window, Xu Yu watched Qu Pei'er deliberately push Xi Jiang away, and she really fell because she didn't stand firmly.
She was in tears and was wiping her tears with her slender arms, looking very pitiful.
Xi Jiang picked up Wei Pei'er and put her in the back seat. He ignored the few apples that fell out of the bag and drove away.
Xu Yu turned off the fire and began to serve soup and rice in front of Zhu Wenxu. Zhu Wenxu had heard the entire conversation. The atmosphere was cold and silent, with only the clinking of chopsticks on the bowl.
After eating a piece of diced radish, Xu Yu put down his chopsticks and said, "Mr. Zhu, let's talk about something else."
Zhu Wenxu said without hesitation: "Okay."
"Why do you live in Yuehua Community?"
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