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Because of the sad post, Xu Yu didn't sleep well that night, and Zhu Wenxu couldn't sleep either. He told Zhu Wenxu the children's story Cinderella and played songs to try to hypnotize him. He tossed and turned until 4:30 in the morning before he finally coaxed Xu Yu to sleep.
Zhu Wenxu tucked him in, lit a cigarette, and went to the living room to turn on the floor lamp. The warm light shone on the painting on the coffee table, making the raised areas of the paint stand out. When he went abroad, his teacher had planned to send him the painting, but by then he had already had plastic surgery, and knowing that the Children's Palace was in decline, he wanted to give it to his teacher so he could sell it for a little money, but he declined.
Unexpectedly, the teacher not only kept it well, but also the smell on it also carried memories of the past.
The teacher was hospitalized at that time, and her speech became increasingly unclear. Occasionally, she had to rely on her husband, Mr. Liang, to translate and speak for her.
At that time, he had just turned eighteen and was learning painting at the Children's Palace. It was also that year that he met the most important person in his life through the forum, so he injected himself and his hopes into this painting.
Even though he can still draw a little now, he can't draw anymore.
He exhaled a puff of smoke, gently closed his eyes, opened them, put out the cigarette, brushed his teeth, went into the house, hugged Xu Yu and fell asleep.
After staying together at home for three days, Zhu Wenxu was about to go out. Xu Yu knew without asking that it was related to Zhu Fuge's work, so she put a scarf on him and waited for his car to drive out of the community before changing her clothes and putting on gloves to go out.
It had rained last night, and the cold wind carried a damp mist. The taxi window was shrouded in the smiley face drawn by the previous passenger. The world outside suddenly seemed dreamy and bizarre. The car kept heading south, almost past the end of the outer ring road, and at a fork in the road, it entered the side of the inner ring road.
Cultural and entrepreneurial zone.
It is a place that houses 90% of the startup companies. It is very large and empty. The wind blows in from all directions, and it is cold. It passes to the long street below the cultural and entrepreneurial zone. There are all kinds of restaurants and eateries on both sides. It is working hours now, and there are not many office workers.
After crossing the street, Xu Yu's hands began to tremble. He'd been feeling the same way the night before when he'd received Lin Mian's text and booked this place. He was worried Zhu Wenxu would notice he'd been in the restroom for over an hour, so he had to face it. He turned the corner and saw the theme restaurant mentioned in the message.
The heating was adequate, and the service was enthusiastic. As soon as he entered, he was poured a glass of warm water. After drinking, Xu Yu reported for a reservation for private room 303. The waiter took him upstairs, walked through the T-shaped corridor, and stopped at the very back. "That's it."
Xu Yu thanked him: "Thank you."
Perhaps it was the heating, but Xu Yu's palms were sweating. The first time he opened the door, he didn't hold it firmly, and it slipped out. The second time, he held on tightly and finally opened it. In a small, medium-sized private room, there was a square, homely table, flanked by plants and high-quality imitation European and American paintings. Lin Mian was sitting off to one side, adding sugar to his coffee. He saw Xu Yu looking up and was slightly surprised. "You've changed a lot. You've grown taller."
Xu Yu sat opposite him, trying to search for Lin Mian's memories in his mind, but there weren't many, and they weren't deep enough.
"Hello."
Lin Mian smiled back: "Well, where do you want to start? Or do you want to order something first?"
Xu Yu immediately understood: "Order first."
The two of them didn't order much, so the waiter brought out the fastest barbecue slices first. Seeing that he was uneasy, Lin Mian smiled and patted his shoulder: "Don't be nervous."
"I'll try my best."
Lin Mian ate several tablets and took a sip of coffee. "I used to love coming here when I was lazy. President Xi never noticed me. I recommended it to Zhao Cheng, but he found out. Then we went to Qingying. So I haven't been here for eight years."
"Have you been in Qingying since then?"
"Well, I started a magazine with a friend, and it's been pretty successful. We've won quite a few awards in the past few years, so I can say we've accomplished something." Lin Mian got to the point. "The first time I met you was in a small town ten years ago. If someone hadn't recommended the quality of the wood from the chairman's place, I don't think I'd ever meet you in my life."
Xu Yu stared at him: "When did I have the car accident?"
"Xi Jiang paid off your family's gambling debts and also covered the medical expenses for your father's beating. He had one condition: he wanted you to come with him into the city to listen to the news," Lin Mian said. "But you didn't want to, and your temper wasn't particularly good, so it was completely impossible to communicate. Later, because you couldn't pay the debts, you agreed again. I followed Xi Jiang's instructions and came to pick you up. But that day, not long after we got on the highway, we had a car accident."
As I recall, the hypnotic scene was a chaotic road with thunder, harsh noises, and a mixed background of police and ambulances.
Xu Yu suppressed his emotions and continued to listen to Lin Mian.
"You were taken away for treatment. I was injured and slacked off at work, so I resigned. Zhao Cheng took over my job and took care of you. That's pretty much it."
Xu Yu asked, "How much do you know about my situation in Qinghua Town?"
"Your mother died early, and you and your father depended on each other for survival. But your father got addicted to gambling when you were seventeen. Your house was completely destroyed, and he didn't stop. He later sold the family pigs and used the two plots of land left by your mother to pay off the debts. When you were eighteen, you were still gambling, and Xi Jiang sent you to a gambling rehabilitation center. You had a friend in the county named Liu Shaohua, who cried when he saw you off. I remember he was tall and thin, with very dark skin, but his clothes were better than those of other people in your county."
"Liu Shaohua?"
"Well, don't you remember?" Lin Mian was a little shocked. "After you were in the hospital due to the car accident, he came to see you and said he wanted to take you back home, but I couldn't make the decision, so he left after that."
Xu Yu's mind had been slow for a long time, and this name gradually appeared in his memory. They climbed over the wall to watch old movies together, not alone, and Liu Shaohua always pulled on his clothes to ask about the plot, because he had poor eyesight and astigmatism.
Seeing Xu Yu stunned, Lin Mian took another sip of coffee: "It seems that your condition is much more serious than I thought."
"Does Xi Jiang know?"
"Of course," Lin Mian said, "Zhao Cheng should have told you that Xi Jiang had actually been having mental issues for many years, but he was actively taking medication and seeing a doctor, and he was able to control them. So at that time, his psychiatrist was also your psychiatrist."
"Do you know my situation at that time?"
Lin Mian shook his head. "I don't know. I wasn't much better when you were in the car accident. I broke my arm in three places, and I also had a mild concussion due to the aftereffects. I handed over my job and resigned before I was even discharged from the hospital."
"At that time, Zhao Cheng and I were just former and current colleagues, not that familiar with each other. But he told me that most of your situations were arranged by Xi Jiang himself. Later, I asked Xi Jiang's other secretary, who I used to work with, and I learned that you might have amnesia."
Xu Yu's breathing was a little heavy.
"Zhao Cheng can't remember some things either."
"Well, it's because it happened so long ago, plus we all had to sign confidentiality agreements, which makes the assistant's job difficult. The long-term accumulated pressure and high efficiency of work can make people forget some things. Besides, Zhao Cheng was not involved in the original overall situation at all." Lin Mian finished speaking and smiled. "I was shocked when I heard Fu Wa talk about you before. At that time, I kept thinking about the past when I had some free time. I thought if I thought of anything, I would tell you, so I remembered something."
Xu Yu looked up: "What?"
Lin Mian took out his mobile phone and opened the WeChat file transfer assistant. There were three photos in it, with retro faded filters and patina-like image quality that had been compressed countless times.
"When I met you, I was on standby in your hometown. Chairman Xi wasn't willing to take you back, so Xi Jiang compromised by threatening you with medication. He wanted me to report on your daily condition," Lin Mian said. "But you were in such a bad mood back then, I couldn't get close to you, let alone chat with you. On the day you left with me, I took a picture of you, and for some reason, I accidentally saved it in my photo album. I only found it a few days ago."
Lin Mian flipped through his phone. "This picture was taken before we set off. You were standing on a mound, dazed. Then I called you, and you got in the car with me. This picture was when you were taken to the hospital. I took it casually to report to Xi Jiang, so the picture is very bad, but I noticed there was a person standing under the big tree next to you getting in the car."
The other person was wearing a dark blue and white plaid shirt, his hair was shoulder-length with a small part tied on his left shoulder, he was holding a cell phone in his hand and standing in the dark on the other side.
Xu Yu remembered that he had seen this person in hypnosis, but the image was very unclear. He only knew that it started to rain after he entered the hypnosis, and his image gradually moved away and finally turned into a small square. He did not leave at all.
Lin Mian flipped the next photo. "This one was taken on the day your friend Liu Shaohua came. It was the last time I came to check on you. I took a photo of you in the ward. There's another person under the tree outside the window. I'm terrified to see this now. Is it possible that you know this person?"
Xu Yu leaned over. The photo was not clear, but the clothes were no different from the previous one.
Who is he?
All the dishes were served. Lin Mian asked him to look at them and think about them, then he picked up his coffee and started eating. He was too busy and felt hungry. After eating at least three bowls of rice, he found that Xu Yu was still distracted.
He wiped his mouth with a paper and poured himself a large glass of water. "I actually have a suggestion."
Xu Yu: "What suggestions?"
"Revisiting an old place." Lin Mian said, "If you want to regain your memory, go to the old place and take a look. Maybe it will help you."
Xu Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly: "I'll try it after the New Year."
They added each other on WeChat, and Lin Mian sent the picture to him. Zhu Wenxu had not returned home yet, so Xu Yu held the photo and began to take out a new mind map to record the relevant places in his memory.
He was placed in another hospital for treatment for a while and then kept in a house for two years, and he visited all these places.
Let’s go after the New Year. Xu Yu thought, closed his eyes, and climbed into bed to sleep.
Zhu Wenxu returned late. He took a hot shower before slumbering in bed, hugging Xu Yu. The wind howled outside the window, and thunder flashed twice. It looked like it was going to rain again.
Xu Yu was awakened by the rain, his whole body covered in cold sweat. He broke free from Zhu Wenxu's sleeping arms, got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face.
Had a nightmare.
He drank a glass of water and stared at the painting in the living room for a long time, as if he resonated with the rising sun.
The next day, Zhu Wenxu cooked breakfast. Xu Yu woke up in a daze: "You're here so early?"
"It's getting late, idiot, come eat."
Xu Yu sat over and pulled out some of her hair: "I want to cut my hair."
Zhu Wenxu nodded: "Then I'll go there soon."
They went to the nearest barbershop with the highest rating. Xu Yu Shaoshao had his hair cut short, revealing his eyes. The hairstyle suited him very well. If he wore a school uniform to play a high school student, he would be able to pass for a real person.
Someone in the store wanted his contact information, but when they saw Zhu Wenxu leading him away, the group became obedient again.
Good-looking guys are either other people’s boyfriends or gay men.
They went to the supermarket. Xu Yu saw a special discount and remembered the things he'd prepare for the New Year. He looked up and picked up a box of hot pot base. Zhu Wenxu kicked some fruit over and, seeing that he looked worried, rubbed his head. "What are you worried about? You're not going to take the college entrance exam anytime soon."
Xu Yu hit his hand: "Actually, Aunt Mu and Uncle Liang wanted to treat me to a New Year's Eve dinner during the Chinese New Year. I want to take you with me. If you don't want to go, we won't go."
"Go ahead." Zhu Wenxu pinched his face again, "I'll go wherever you go."
Xu Yu was quite happy.
The New Year's Eve concert list went viral on the Internet again. Wang Li had a rare chance to relax but was sent on a business trip, so he had no chance to have dinner with Xu Yu. Ke Yu and Xiao Meng called him via video, and everyone celebrated the new year at midnight with fireworks.
After a thorough cleaning on the first day of the new year, Zhu Wenxu took on all the housework. Xu Yu continued studying; he wanted to sign up for a photography course, so he began listening to music frantically to study for the relevant exam.
This busy schedule lasted until around February, when the New Year arrived. Xu Yu and Zhu Wenxu went to pay New Year's greetings, while Zhu Fuge and Xi Luo prepared large red envelopes. On the way home, Xu Yu made a suggestion: "I want to go back to my hometown after the New Year. I want to see my mother."
Zhu Wenxu said without hesitation: "I'll accompany you."
Xu Yu leaned over and kissed his face: "Thank you."
"Xu Yu, do you know what will happen to couples who kiss during the New Year?"
Xu Yu shook his head: "What?"
He really didn't know this.
"We've become a bond that can never be untied. My life, your life, will completely belong to me."
Xu Yu was blocked by him and couldn't speak. When he saw the green light, he quickly pushed him away and said, "Stop messing around. Hurry up. The people behind us will honk their horns soon."
As the car drove away, Zhu Wenxu, returning home, vented furiously about not having a comfortable kiss in the car. Having been together for so long, Xu Yu felt like every day was the honeymoon period for him and Zhu Wenxu.
He is always happy to eat and clean, do laundry and cook, and is willing to be a househusband, taking care of everything for him. Just like Zhu Wenxu's naive idea, as long as he gives a 100% passionate heart, the person he loves will definitely be able to feel his body temperature.
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