It's over, and it seems to have begun
"Xin'er, are you there?" Cheng Xiaorui's voice echoed in the empty courtyard, its tail tone trembling slightly. He saw a pair of doe-like eyes timidly peek out from behind the faded red brick in the corner of the wall, then quickly retreat. Cheng Xiaorui's mouth curled up unconsciously. He knew that the always silent little girl was running back to her little room to get her cherished notebook and the pencil with the worn tip.
The early autumn wind blew fallen leaves between them, and Cheng Xiaorui stared at the direction where Li Xin disappeared. After waiting for a while, he saw Li Xin come out. Cheng Xiaorui gradually approached, leaning down and asking in a gentle tone: "Xin'er, have you eaten well recently?"
Cheng Xiaorui knelt on one knee, bringing his eyes level with the little girl. He noticed that Li Xin's braids were neater than usual, adorned with two faded plastic strawberries. Li Xin nodded in agreement. But Cheng Xiaorui, looking at the innocent child before him, the Li Xin he had known for a year, suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He really didn't know how to start. If he told her directly that he wouldn't be coming anymore, would Xin'er be upset?
Cheng Xiaorui stayed for 10 minutes. Although he didn't say it directly, he kept chatting with Li Xin and asked her how she was doing in kindergarten. Xiner said that someone in kindergarten laughed at her for not being able to speak. Cheng Xiaorui seemed to see the group of children in the kindergarten making faces around her. He clenched his fists quietly at his side, and then forced himself to loosen them.
"If someone bullies Xin'er..." He gently held the girl's cold little hand and drew a circle on her palm, "Just imagine there is a little sun in your hand." Li Xin's eyes suddenly lit up, like stars suddenly lit up in the dark night.
Cheng Xiaorui watched the sunlight trace the ground, knowing time was running out. He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers wafting from the horizon. Finally, he couldn't help but sigh, "Xin'er..." The words escaped his lips, and the little girl turned to look at him, looking adorable.
"Brother has something to tell you. I may not come here again." Cheng Xiaorui said this decisively. Every time he came here, Li Xin would be in more danger. Those people would not let him go, and he did not want to implicate others.
"I know." Li Xin buried her head in her writing. "In the store, I saw it. My brother and my friend heard it, too."
“…”
When was it? Was it just now? Was Li Xin also in the store just now? Come to think of it, Xin'er didn't have many playmates, so when she was bored, she probably went to see her mother. Cheng Xiaorui was about to say something when Li Xin wrote a few more words on the paper.
"Brother, it's my birthday next week."
"..." Cheng Xiaorui was silent. How could he forget that Xin'er would be seven years old next week, but he had not prepared anything? After thinking for a moment, his gaze shifted to his right wrist, where there was a beautifully woven red rope with a few smooth beads inlaid with amulets and some decorations. He quickly took it off and put it on the little girl's left wrist.
This was the only gift he could offer. He also hoped Xin'er would grow up safely. The red string hung loosely around Li Xin's wrist, the amulet at the end poking at her protruding wrist bone. As Cheng Xiaorui leaned over to adjust it, he discovered that the bead engraved with the Chinese character "瑞" (Auspicious) pressed against her vein, hitting his fingertips with each pulse.
"Brother doesn't have anything to give you, this is the only one I have, please don't despise it."
How could the little girl possibly dislike it? Ever since they met, Cheng Xiaorui often went to see her, played with her, and taught her calligraphy and painting. Even if Li Xin didn't want to talk, Cheng Xiaorui would communicate with her silently and tell her not to feel inferior. Of course, Xin'er wouldn't know what that meant.
The boss lady rarely saw Xin'er so happy. Sometimes when she saw Cheng Xiaorui playing with her, she would secretly hide aside and cry.
"I like it. I will always hold it in my hand and never put it down." Li Xin wrote quickly, adding a heart.
That doesn't mean you have to wear it forever. Cheng Xiaorui smiled and told Xin'er, "The pinyin for '摘' is wrong. It's 'zhai'." Cheng Xiaorui pinched Xin'er's cheek and asked her with a smile, "Did you not pay attention in class again?"
Xin'er's face turned red. Cheng Xiaorui thought he had pinched her too hard and quickly let go, but Xin'er just lowered her head in shame.
Chen Zihan: “…”
Li Xin finally asked him a question, asking Cheng Xiaorui if he could see him again when he grew up. In fact, Cheng Xiaorui didn't know whether he could see him again. If Xin'er hadn't moved away, maybe he would come again in the future, or... he didn't know if there would be a future.
Xin'er didn't hear any answer. She just saw Cheng Xiaorui with his head down, not knowing what he was thinking. Xin'er got angry, threw her pen and notebook on the ground, turned around and ran away.
She was crying. Cheng Xiaorui saw it the moment she turned her head. Xin'er was crying.
…
"I still can't bear to leave."
Cheng Xiaorui turned around when he heard the voice. Chen Zihan had been standing there for some time, quietly and without making any sound, making it impossible for others to notice. Did he see it? How long had it been? Had he seen everything just now? Cheng Xiaorui was stunned for a long time, and suddenly felt his eyes red. He hurriedly turned his head away and wiped away the tears.
Cheng Xiaorui kept his head down the whole way, and no one knew what he was thinking. Chen Zihan wanted to ask, but seeing that he didn't seem to be well, he gave up... He gave up asking and changed the subject, talking about the start of school, but Cheng Xiaorui couldn't concentrate at all and always had no reaction when answering.
"Get ready for school, get some rest." With a goodbye, they ended their meeting. After Chen Zihan's figure disappeared, Cheng Xiaorui stood downstairs. In the darkness, he slapped himself. It didn't hurt, but it did make him sober.
-------
In September, a faint sunbeam bathed the earth, a cool breeze blew across the air, and the high school campus bustled with activity. Today was the day for students to return to campus for registration. While the seniors were gloomy, the incoming freshmen were filled with anticipation. Cheng Xiaorui filled out the registration form and headed for the lounge. He put his hat away and sat down against the wall.
He closed his eyes tightly, and after a while he became irritated again, so he had to bury his face in his thighs. Sounds came from outside, the conversations of adults, teachers, classmates... like a lullaby, until the sounds became smaller and smaller, and Cheng Xiaorui actually fell asleep.
Cheng Xiaorui woke up when his cell phone rang. It was his mother calling. Before he could answer the call, he found himself lying on the sofa, and - with his coat draped over him. The lounge was air-conditioned, so it was natural to feel cold if you stayed there for a long time, especially after falling asleep. Cheng Xiaorui was woken up by the cold several times during the night.
Who is so thoughtful—even putting himself on the sofa. Cheng Xiaorui picked up the coat and looked at it for a long time. He could smell a faint fragrance emanating from the coat, which was a little familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it for a moment. Cheng Xiaorui thought about it, thanked him mentally, and decided to put on the coat. He walked out of the lounge carefully.
As for why he ran into Chen Zihan while strolling and the other person screamed, it was because the coat he was wearing scared Chen Zihan.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Xiaorui was puzzled and felt puzzled when he saw the other party's surprised expression.
Chen Zihan stammered, "Why are you wearing this coat?!"
"your?"
"Lu Ziyi's! I can't remember it wrong! I saw him wearing this when he was abroad!!!"
"What if it's the same style?" Cheng Xiaorui was not so anxious.
"No! No! This suit is custom-made, tailored for him, and only he can wear it." Chen Zihan continued to explain.
"No wonder, I was wondering why the sleeves are so long... wait..." In three seconds, Cheng Xiaorui had taken off his coat and threw it accurately into Chen Zihan's arms.
Chen Zihan: “…”
Chen Zihan kicked the door open and stood three meters away from the sofa. He stretched out his hand and threw his coat. It didn't fall on the sofa, nor did it fall to the ground immediately. As luck would have it, it hit Lu Ziyi who appeared out of nowhere with a cup of water.
The cup fell at the same time, and the water just spilled onto the coat that hit him. The sleeves quickly absorbed the water and became wet. Chen Zihan still maintained the posture of throwing something.
"You're sick." Lu Ziyi bent down to pick them all up, looked back and said only this.
"You are sick! Why are your clothes on Cheng Xiaorui!" Chen Zihan's face turned red because he not only missed throwing the coat but also hit someone. He was so angry that he shouted loudly.
"It turned out to be Cheng Xiaorui. He was passing by the lounge and saw someone curled up and asleep. He seemed quite cold, but he was too embarrassed to wake him up, so he casually put his coat on him."
"You put it on him yourself! Can't you see his face?! Don't you know he's Cheng Xiaorui?"
Lu Ziyi smiled meaningfully and replied calmly, "He was wearing a hat, so I couldn't see clearly."
“…”
Chen Zihan really couldn't think of what to say, so he just said, "Mind your own business and don't get close to him." Then he went into the room with red ears.
Lu Zi didn't think much of it. He shrugged his shoulders and squatted down to wipe the water stains on the ground.
(Lu Ziyi OS: I’m kidding, Cheng Xiaorui wasn’t wearing a hat at all, and not only did I put a coat on him, I also picked him up)
In the afternoon, a light drizzle fell. Lu Ziyi returned to school. A girl, clutching materials, hurried into the building and nearly bumped into Lu Ziyi as he left the classroom. The girl quickly apologized, and when she looked up, her eyes were wide, round as grapes.
"Are you... okay?" the girl asked in a low voice.
"It's okay, be careful next time." The girl didn't dare to say anything more and walked towards the stairs.
"Brother Ziyi! I'm here!" A gentle and sweet voice came, and Lin Wanqing threw herself into Lu Ziyi's arms.
"What? You still want to follow me on the last day? What did you say to Uncle Lin? Are you planning on not going to school?" Lu Ziyi held his forehead, but still reached out to wipe the sweat off Lin Wanqing's forehead, "Don't be so impatient next time."
Lin Wanqing shook her head and said coquettishly, "School doesn't start so early abroad. I won't be able to see you soon. What's wrong with following you..." As she spoke, Lu Ziyi felt that the person in his arms was about to cry.
He softened, so he had to slow down his tone and soothe her gently, "Wanqing, don't be like this." He paused, his gaze resting calmly on her trembling eyelashes. "Don't let your imagination run wild. Live your life well. Only when you live a stable and smooth life can I truly feel at ease."
The words were gentle, but like a stone thrown into the center of a lake, they caused ripples of the past to spread out in his heart.
They met at the very beginning of their lives. The memory begins on a midsummer day when the cicadas' cacophony threatened to pierce the azure sky. It was Children's Day, and also the day he—Lu Ziyi—was born. His mother, Su He, and Qiu Yue, were close friends, the kind with whom they could share all their secrets, more intimate than sisters.
Qiu Yue, Lin Wanqing's mother, hadn't conceived her yet. Su He had once held him in her arms, smiling and saying to her friend, "You should have a baby soon, preferably a daughter. We'd be a perfect couple, how wonderful!"
A year later, Lin Wanqing was born, much to everyone's anticipation. A hazy yet warm image lingers in my memory: the sun was shining brightly, and Su He gently held his tiny hand, touching the even smaller, softer ball in the crib. Her voice, filled with a gentle smile, said, "Ziyi, look, this is Wanqing. You're older than her, a brother now. You must protect her well from now on, okay?"
The most vivid memory is a conversation one afternoon. Five-year-old Lu Ziyi, lying on her mother's lap, suddenly looked up and asked, "Mom, why is she called Lin Wanqing?"
Su He smiled gently and recited softly:
After a long rain, the sun rises.
The forests and mountains are renewed and green.
Don't say the sunset is too late,
The clear sky is the most regrettable.
Seeing her son's bewildered expression, she patiently explained, "This poem means that after a long rainy season and hardships, life finally welcomes sunny skies. The scenery after the rain is most refreshing and precious." She gently stroked her son's hair. "This poem tells us not to lament that it's too late, but to cherish the open-minded state of mind after the rain."
"But what does this have to do with Sister Wanqing?" Lu Ziyi continued to ask with a puzzled look on his face.
Su He gently tapped his son's forehead, with a mysterious smile in his eyes: "This, you have to experience it slowly by yourself."
Children may speak without restraint, but their vows seem to be engraved into their years.
Looking back now, I was shocked to realize how unpredictable fate could be. Who could have predicted that soon after that, Lu Ziyi's family would be shattered, his parents divorced, and his mother Su He would resolutely disappear into the crowd, never to be heard from again. The once bustling world suddenly became silent, leaving only him. Those once warm afternoons, those mother's gentle whispers, have become a thing of the past that can never be returned.
Fortunately, Aunt Qiu Yue didn't sever ties with him. This enduring warmth, born from a mother's generation, became a thin but unbroken thread connecting two lives, barely maintaining the precarious bond between him and Lin Wanqing, a bond that had been cherished since childhood.
At this moment, looking at the now graceful Lin Wanqing before him, Lu Zi suddenly understood the meaning of his mother's poem. Life does indeed experience long rainy seasons, but the clear sky after the rain is worth cherishing.
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted Lu Ziyi's immersion in memories. He picked up the phone and said, "Okay, Wanqing is here with me. I will let her go back as soon as possible."
"My dad?"
"Yes, Uncle Lin." Lu Ziyi gently tidied Lin Wanqing's hair, his voice softer than before: "It's getting late, let's go back."
Lin Wanqing nodded obediently, turned and left. After walking a few steps, she suddenly stopped. When she turned around, there was a satisfied smile on her face and her eyes were surprisingly bright.
"Your..." She was halfway through saying this when she became extremely excited.
"My what?" Lu Ziyi waited patiently for the other party to finish his words.
"Your...cell phone wallpaper is Cheng Xiaorui! I saw it!" She said quickly and left without looking back. No matter how Lu Ziyi called her, she did not stop this time.
Lu Ziyi: “…”
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