Chapter 54 "I love you"
"It was extremely hot that night." The night in his memory formed a sharp contrast with the current coldness.
Bai Guan was already packing up the store that day, preparing to close it.
"Bang--"
He heard a loud bang, the sound of something heavy hitting the door.
"I think someone's here looking for trouble." Bai Guan subconsciously glanced back at the heavy glass door behind them. "It's a bar after all, so it's not uncommon to see drunks looking for trouble occasionally."
Bai Guan didn't even bother to look up. Usually, people like him would just ignore him and walk away.
"Soon, I heard sounds of beating and scolding outside. I don't like to meddle in other people's business, but I can't just let them mess around outside. What if they break down my shop door again?"
He irritably untied his apron, walked to the door, and opened it impatiently.
It is Shen Xiyu.
…
"She was badly injured that night."
"No matter how I asked her, she refused to tell me what happened. She only knew it was something to do with her part-time job at the internet cafe, and she wouldn't let me call the police." Bai Guan sniffed his nose, which was a little stiff from the cold. "But she's not a pushover."
"The group of people who blocked her were not much better."
Noticing Liang Qi's strange silence, Bai Guan turned his head and asked, "Are you heartbroken?"
It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel heartbroken, but Liang Qi was more thinking about the last time he found Shen Xiyu in the alley.
It turned out that in the days before they met, Shen Xiyu had walked so many roads on his own. It turned out that the moment of fear he recalled was one that Shen Xiyu had experienced more than once.
"She's amazing, then," Liang Qi said hoarsely. "She's grown into such a wonderful person herself."
"She doesn't need my sympathy. She's a strong and determined person. She'll definitely do just fine without me."
"I just regret that I couldn't be with her during those times."
Bai Guan lowered his head and smiled silently.
"What are you doing?" a voice came from behind them. "Sister Xiao Wan has fallen asleep in the bathroom. I can't pull her out. Come over and help."
Liang Qi turned around and saw Shen Xiyu clinging to the door frame with only his head sticking out.
She didn't know if it was Shen Xiyu's own illusion, but she suddenly felt that there were some emotions in Liang Qi's eyes that she couldn't understand.
"He has terrible drinking habits, but he loves to eat and drink." Uncle Guan complained as he opened the glass door and walked into the house.
"You two don't need to come over. She'll definitely start crying and making a fuss soon."
Chen Xiyu watched Bai Guan stride into the toilet.
"What's wrong with you today?" Seeing that Liang Qi had no intention of coming in, Shen Xiyu felt bored after being in the room for so long, so he simply opened the door and stood beside Liang Qi. "Why are you so silent all of a sudden? Did Uncle Guan give you a mute potion?"
"No." Liang Qi raised his hand and touched Shen Xiyu's ear, "Are you cold?"
"It's okay. I've been stuck inside for too long. I actually think it's nice outside." Chen Xiyu opened his arms and hugged Liang Qi tightly. "But you, are you cold after being outside for so long? Your hands just now were so cold that they chilled my ears."
Suddenly, a warm human-shaped stove appeared in his arms, and Liang Qi felt the heat lingering around his nose.
Shen Xiyu.
Were you cold at your mother's funeral when you were 17?
Do you feel cold when you are surrounded by broken people and bad things?
Were you cold when you lived in a cramped rental house?
"It's cold, how can I not be cold?" Liang Qi's voice was choked with a barely noticeable sob.
"It's cold, but you've been outside for so long." Shen Xiyu held Liang Qi and swung him around.
"How did you get frozen into a snowman?"
"?"
"Have you really been frozen like an ice princess? So aloof."
Liang Qi wrapped his slender arms around Shen Xiyu and said nothing.
Shen Xiyu stood on tiptoe, hooked Liang Qi's neck and pressed down, then slowly raised his head and touched Liang Qi's lips again and again.
This was the way Liang Qi liked to tease her before. He didn't go too deep, but just curled his lips and bumped into her with a smile on his face without saying anything.
Even with his head lowered, the boy was still much taller than Shen Xiyu, and Shen Xiyu's neck hurt from tilting his head back.
Liang Qi deliberately tilted his neck back, maliciously preventing Shen Xiyu from reaching him.
Shen Xiyu, who suddenly lost his target, bit his neck in anger.
Before Shen Xiyu let go of him, Liang Qi hugged Shen Xiyu and turned over, and her entire back fell into Liang Qi's arms.
"What are you doing?" Shen Xiyu placed his hand on the arm that was holding him, "Are you unhappy today?"
Liang Qi was like a clam shell hiding a priceless pearl, holding his pearl tightly.
"I'm not unhappy, I just feel so lucky."
Shen Xiyu pulled his scarf to cover her exposed neck. Although she didn't know why Liang Qi suddenly said that, she looked up at the boy behind her.
“We’ve all been very lucky this winter.”
"Chen Xiyu, I love you."
“…”
"Me too."
That winter, Liang Qi swore in his heart that he would accompany his beloved to become a better adult.
That winter, the two people had no idea that this would be their first and last warm winter. From then on, the two places where the snow fell were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers and countless years.
*
"Really?!" Shen Xiyu's voice was unconsciously filled with joy, "Why didn't you tell me before?"
Sister Du was also happy for her.
"It's not that the dust hasn't settled yet, I was afraid that you would be disappointed."
"Thank you, Sister Du!"
"No need to thank me, you're capable enough. I've got a promotional event for your new book before the New Year in Los Angeles, and I'll cover the airfare and hotel bill."
"Thank you, sister. I'll treat you to dinner when I get there."
"I can't bear to let a high school student like you treat me to a meal." Sister Du joked with her, "When you come, I'll treat you."
“…”
After hanging up the phone, Shen Xiyu threw his phone on the bed, ran down the stairs barefoot without even wearing shoes.
"Why is it light again..."
Before Liang Qi could finish his words, Shen Xiyu jumped on him.
Liang Qi hurriedly supported Shen Xiyu's body with both hands.
"What are you so happy about?" He half leaned against the bay window, freeing one hand to pinch Shen Xiyu's cheek, "Now you dance more skillfully than hot pot."
Over the past few days, Hotpot has become familiar with them and its true nature has been revealed. The two discovered that it is not just clingy, but especially likes to jump into their arms, especially Liang Qi's arms.
At this moment, Hotpot, not knowing what was happening, raised its front paws and grabbed Liang Qi's calf.
A cat and a man were hanging on him.
"I'm going to publish my first book!" Shen Xiyu happily held Liang Qi's face and rubbed it, and even gave him a loud kiss on the face.
After Shen Xiyu jumped down on his own, he picked up the hot pot again, let its four paws hang in the air, and swung it back and forth in his arms.
"Hot pot, hot pot, my mother is going to publish..."
The weak and helpless hot pot was scared and started to meow.
In the end, it was Liang Qi who freed it from Shen Xiyu's clutches.
After placing the hot pot, Liang Qi turned and went upstairs to take down Shen Xiyu's slippers.
"Put your shoes on."
"But it's not cold at all with the floor heating." Although she grumbled in dissatisfaction, she still let Liang Qi squat down to help her put on the clothes.
"That's great." Liang Qi rubbed her head in response to her excitement.
Shen Xiyu was still immersed in his own joy and didn't notice anything wrong.
Ten seconds later.
"Liang Qi! You didn't wash your hands! You did it on purpose!"
*
On the day they went to Los Angeles, it was Fu Shengrui who came to see them off.
The road to the airport was a bit far, so they got up early to catch the flight. Shen Xiyu was so sleepy that he fell asleep in the back seat.
"What have you been doing recently?" Liang Qi saw the girl closing her eyes in the rearview mirror and asked Fu Shengrui in a low voice.
"Nothing, just playing."
Liang Qi retracted his gaze and asked, "Are you really okay?"
"fine."
Years later, when Liang Qi looks back at Fu Shengrui today, he always blames himself for his slowness that day.
There was silence in the air for a moment.
Liang Qi spoke again, "I went to Shangri-La before and met Brother Yu Xie."
"How is he?" Fu Shengrui actually didn't seem very interested.
"fine."
"Um."
"Aren't you going back home for the New Year this year?"
While waiting for the red light, Liang Qi asked him again.
Fu Shengrui tapped the steering wheel with his fingers. "Let's see what happens."
"Grandma hasn't seen you for a year."
Liang Qi looked at the traffic outside the window. He was not Ms. Tian and could not say the words that forced him to say. This tacit subtext was the only thing he could say.
But the man in the driving seat remained silent.
Shen Xiyu in the back seat had actually woken up a long time ago. She was easily sleepy in the car, but she always slept restlessly.
He overheard their conversation by accident, but was too embarrassed to open his eyes, fearing that they would be embarrassed. After all, it was their family matter, and Shen Xiyu felt that they would not want an outsider like him to laugh at the joke.
——
"Be careful on the road." Fu Shengrui sent the two to the airport gate and had no intention of taking them inside.
Liang Qi took the suitcase from him.
"Leave."
Shen Xiyu was not blind. She could see that Fu Shengrui was not in a good mood today. He was completely different from the last time she saw him at Liang Qi's house. She didn't even ask anything about the two of them returning to Luocheng together.
But it could also be that Liang Qi had given advance notice, Shen Xiyu thought.
"Brother Shengrui, bye."
Facing Shen Xiyu, Fu Shengrui forced a somewhat stiff smile and said, "See you next time."
“…”
While waiting for the flight, Liang Qi played with her fingers.
"You call me uncle and brother, which is the wrong generation."
Even if he hadn't said it, Shen Xiyu wouldn't have noticed. The main reason was that Fu Shengrui was not much older than them, so she subconsciously called him brother and didn't think too much about it.
"Then what should I shout?"
"nonsense."
Shen Xiyu was indeed asking questions knowing the answer and teasing Liang Qi.
"I'll follow you and call you uncle?"
Liang Qi raised his chin, with a certain arrogance that was hard to describe.
Shen Xiyu retracted his gaze, "Then I'll just call you brother, and I'll put you down."
"Okay, I hope you can beat me in other places too."
?
Realizing Liang Qi's subtext, Shen Xiyu's face flushed, "What are you doing!"
Liang Qi leaned on her shoulder with a smile.
“…”
"But you must have woken up a long time ago in the car."
Not a question.
"How do you know?"
"Your eyelashes are trembling. It can't be the vibration of the car."
"Nervous." Chen Xiyu complained, "I can't close my eyes and rest."
"You're just too embarrassed to open your eyes."
Shen Xiyu punched him, "Is it necessary to say it?"
Liang Qi wrapped her fist and placed it in his palm.
"My uncle...his situation is a bit complicated. A big part of the reason I came to Jiangcheng was because of him."
-----------------------
Author's words: Comment and collect nutrient solution! One click and three requests!
Next chapter will be updated on the 11th
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
