Chapter 96 (Final Chapter) ^……
It's late at night.
Shen Xiyu had a nightmare. In the dream, she was standing on the edge of a cliff. The earth's crust was rising and shaking, and the land beneath her feet collapsed. Shen Xiyu also fell freely along with the rubble, and her dream space also collapsed along with the mountain.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness woke Shen Xiyu from his sleep.
The room was dark. Shen Xiyu was sweating profusely and gasped for a few seconds with his eyes open.
After the palpitations gradually subsided, Shen Xiyu found that the only sound in the room seemed to be his own breathing.
She touched the side, and sure enough, there was no temperature.
Shen Xiyu stood up, picked up the cashmere home coat next to him and put it on.
On the balcony of the living room, Liang Qi was smoking outside.
"When did you get up?" The woman opened the glass sliding door to the balcony.
Liang Qi turned around after hearing this, a little surprised, "Why are you up?"
"I had a nightmare." The wind outside was a bit strong, and Shen Xiyu couldn't help but sneeze.
Liang Qi put out his cigarette and said, "Come in, it's cold outside."
"It's okay." Chen Xiyu stopped him from turning back, twisted around and snuggled into his arms, hugged Liang Qi's waist, and looked up into his eyes. The woman's eyes were sparkling, with a sense of drowsiness as if she had just woken up. Although her hair was messy, she was still beautiful and dazzling, and there was a bit of cuteness that she didn't often have.
Since Shen Xiyu had said so, Liang Qi did not insist. He unzipped his coat and wrapped it tightly around her body to keep her warm.
"Unhappy?" Shen Xiyu put his ear to his chest and could hear the steady and strong heartbeat.
Liang Qi gently rested his chin on the top of Shen Xiyu's head and hummed muffledly.
She rarely saw Liang Qi like this. After knowing him for so many years, Shen Xiyu rarely saw him lose control.
It seems like Liang Qi was born this way. He was a genius student when he was young, and now he is a successful new businessman.
Words like failure and loneliness never seem to be associated with this man.
He is always clear-headed and strong, and no one can find fault with him. Even weakness is rarely seen in him.
So when he honestly admitted his emotions, Shen Xiyu's first reaction was not surprise, but suspicion of how heavy this emotion was in him that he would reveal this side of him.
"Because of the conversation with Pei Wei during the day?" Liang Qi had been in a bad mood since the afternoon, and Pei Wei left without even eating.
Shen Xiyu noticed that Liang Qi was hugging him tighter, "I can't hide anything from you."
"Will you blame me?" Liang Qi suddenly asked.
In fact, this is not the first time Liang Qi asked this question, but Shen Xiyu seems to have never answered this question completely and seriously.
Was it because he had returned to this environment or because of today's conversation with Pei Wei that made him recall the past and confirm Shen Xiyu's answer over and over again?
Liang Qi couldn’t say for sure, probably both.
"You were very good to me back then." Shen Xiyu closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling, and spoke quietly, "I have always been grateful to you. Thank you for letting me see that the world of being loved is beautiful."
"I can't say I blame you or not. I actually believe, both before and now, that if we hadn't experienced that separation, we wouldn't be who we are today, and we wouldn't be hugging each other here in the early hours of the morning."
"I grew up to be what I wanted to be, and you also realized your dream."
“This moment is the best.”
Shen Xiyu thought for a moment and then said, "I don't know if what I said is biased."
"But whether it's me, Pei Wei, or anyone else, you are not the person most responsible for our lives."
"Maybe you didn't mean to hurt me at the time, but you were just a supporting external force in each of our lives. The rest of the journey is up to us. You don't have to blame yourself too much."
Liang Qi was silent for a long time, then looked up and let out a long sigh.
"I want to thank you, thank you all." He rubbed Shen Xiyu's fluffy and soft hair, "I will take good care of it, don't worry."
"Then please, Mr. Liang, carry me back to sleep." Shen Xiyu yawned again and returned to his lazy state. "I'm so sleepy."
Liang Qi found her sloth-like appearance somewhat amusing, and bent down to pick up Shen Xiyu's legs.
"Listen to you, go back to sleep."
*
The day for the agreed meeting soon arrived.
"You go first." Liang Qi took a scarf from the side and hung it around Shen Xiyu's neck. He lowered his eyelashes and carefully wrapped it around her.
"I have a video conference call."
Shen Xiyu was a little used to it. "Your vacation is no different from your workday." She said as she changed her shoes.
Liang Qi folded his arms and looked Shen Xiyu up and down. He reached up and pinched her coat with his fingertips. As expected, it was as thin as the naked eye could see.
"Aren't you cold wearing this?"
Shen Xiyu looked down at his casual suit jacket and said, "It's okay."
This is her new dress, and she couldn't wait to put it on as soon as it arrived.
Liang Qi didn't say anything more. After all, he had no say in what Shen Xiyu wore.
"Be careful on the road." He took a few steps forward and bent down.
Shen Xiyu turned his head and almost bumped into Liang Qi's enlarged handsome face.
She knew what the other person meant without even thinking about it.
Shen Xiyu rubbed the corner of his lips perfunctorily and said, "Okay, let's go."
Liang Qi was obviously not very satisfied and grabbed Shen Xiyu's sleeve to prevent her from leaving.
The girl covered the man's lips with her palm and said, "I'm wearing full makeup today, so if you kiss me, just wait."
Liang Qi knew she was not joking and lowered his head in disappointment, "Oh."
"Okay." Although she knew he might be pretending, Liang Qi looked more like a large dog with droopy ears in her eyes, which made Shen Xiyu's heart soften. "You can play as you like when you come back tonight."
"real?"
Shen Xiyu took the bag and said, "Forget it."
The corners of Liang Qi's lips had been curled up since he heard her last sentence. "Drive slowly, I'll be there in a moment."
…
During the waiting process, the most anxious person was Qin Yiyan.
"Don't you think Xi Yu and Liang Qi will quarrel when they come?" He kept shaking his legs and asked Chen Ningzhou who was drinking water next to him nervously.
Get into a quarrel?
Chen Ningzhou couldn't help but sneer.
However, Qin Yiyan did not notice his abnormality and just thought that the other party did not speak again. After all, Chen Ningzhou has been making saw-mouth gourds for a long time.
…
Chen Ningzhou was waiting at the hotel entrance for Shen Xiyu who was parking the car.
"Are you all here?" The two of them walked through the corridor together.
"Zhang Zhi just got off the plane and will be here soon. The rest of the people are here." Chen Ningzhou looked behind her. "Where's that guy?"
Shen Xiyu knew that he said this on purpose and couldn't help but smile. Chen Ningzhou still acted like a primary school student occasionally.
"I have some urgent work to do, so I'll be there a little later."
The man snorted, "That's quite busy."
…
--I have arrived.
Liang Qi first sent a message to Shen Xiyu, but after waiting for a few minutes, there was no response from the other side.
This restaurant is a newly opened membership-based private kitchen built in a private villa. He has never been here before and is a little confused about the way.
Seeing that Shen Xiyu had not replied to the message, he found the conversation page with Qin Yiyan.
The same words were sent again.
However, this time the man returned to the place quickly and asked Liang Qi to wait for him there.
"Don't be impulsive when you meet Xi Yu later." Qin Yiyan walked in front of him, nagging like an old woman, "It would be best if we could reconcile and be friends. At the very least, don't lose face for each other, okay?"
"She's arrived?" In fact, Liang Qi didn't want to confirm whether Shen Xiyu had arrived or not. He had personally sent her out, so of course he knew. He was just surprised that Shen Xiyu hadn't mentioned it to them yet and was really determined to lie to them.
"Everyone has been here for a while." Qin Yiyan said with some resentment, "You too, it's almost the end of the year, and you still work so late every day."
"It's just a temporary meeting." Laughter could be heard from the private rooms on either side, and the entire corridor was filled with the scent of wood. "I'll treat you to dinner today."
Qin Yiyan glanced in his direction when he heard that and said, "Don't be polite to me. I will definitely treat everyone when I get married."
Liang Qi replied nonchalantly, "I was just joking with you. I didn't intend to treat you seriously."
Qin Yiyan was angry and laughed, "Stinky boy."
Noticing that Liang Qi had a brown coat draped over his arm, Qin Yiyan thought he was too hot after coming in and took off his coat.
"Are you ready?" Qin Yiyan stopped at the door of a private room and couldn't help rubbing his hands. He turned around and looked at Liang Qi behind him with a look as if he was going to die.
In the private room, several people were already drinking before the food was served.
Dai Meng raised her goblet and clinked it with Shen Xiyu beside her. "You really haven't come back for all these years. You are really something."
Shen Xiyu looked at her. Dai Meng was very different from the girl she remembered. She took off her glasses, cut her hair into a neat short style, and the two lumps of baby fat on her cheeks disappeared.
The same goes for Zhang Zhi. He now looks taller than Qin Yiyan and Chen Ningzhou, and no longer has the bookish and serious attitude of a good student.
But everyone seemed the same as before, no greetings, no long time no see.
It was as if they had met just yesterday.
It was as if they were still those boys and girls sitting and playing in that fly-infested restaurant.
Fortunately, after walking alone for so many years, the people and events of the past have flowed through time to today.
Everything seems as if it never disappeared.
"What are you standing there for?" Zhang Zhi also raised his glass. "Is someone trying to give us face?"
Only then did Shen Xiyu realize that he had been staring at Dai Meng and was distracted.
"Don't frame me."
After putting down the cup, Shen Xiyu's eyes fell on Zhang Zhi, "You're still talking about me. If Chen Ningzhou hadn't mentioned it to me a few years ago, I wouldn't even know about your car accident."
"How dare you say that?" Zhang Zhi thought about it and found it a little funny. "Even if I get into an accident, you don't have to send me money."
"Did you send him money?" Chen Ningzhou poked his head in. "How come I didn't know that?"
"Don't mention it. I thought her account was hacked. She transferred the money to my Alipay account without even saying hello..."
The sound of the door opening interrupted the somewhat heated conversation in the room.
There was silence inside and outside the house for a few seconds.
Qin Yiyan kept winking at Chen Ningzhou.
The person he winked at turned his head slightly and looked away.
When did this person become so out of sync with me?
Qin Yiyan turned his gaze to Zhang Zhi again.
"Hey, don't stand there." Zhang Zhi came to the rescue in time, "Come, sit here."
As he spoke, he immediately moved in and sat down next to Shen Xiyu.
Qin Yiyan immediately understood what he meant and took the lead to sit next to Zhang Zhi, leaving Liang Qi a seat farthest away from Shen Xiyu.
Liang Qi felt a little helpless and thought that everyone's expressions were really funny.
If Shen Xiyu continues to play like this, the others will definitely not let them off.
“How long will you keep lying?” He sighed and handed the coat in his hand to Shen Xiyu who was sitting inside.
How did he know that he was indeed a little cold?
Before Shen Xiyu could answer, the three people next to him started to explode.
"What's going on?" Qin Yiyan's eyes widened unprecedentedly, and he looked at the two of them as if they were aliens.
Chen Ningzhou said sarcastically, "I'm treating you guys like fools."
Dai Meng keenly caught the loophole in his words and said, "So you know it."
…
After some in-depth explanation and reflection, it was finally decided to treat everyone to a meal after the New Year as a punishment.
But in fact, it is just to find an unnecessary excuse for the next meeting.
After all, after this period of time, several people will go their separate ways again.
After three rounds of drinks, not many dishes were served, but bottle after bottle of wine was empty.
Qin Yiyan, a tall man of about 1.8 meters, had tears in his eyes and his voice became a little hoarse. "I really didn't expect it."
He put his arm on Liang Qi's shoulder, "I really didn't expect you two would make up!" He shouted into Liang Qi's ear.
Liang Qi knew that he was a little drunk, so he didn't bother with him. He was the host today, so he gave him some money.
"I didn't expect that you would be the first among us to get married." Someone interrupted amidst the laughter and playfulness.
"I'm almost 30 now, and I really want to be the last one." He was obviously drunk, his face flushed. "You guys are so shameless for not giving me this opportunity."
His words immediately attracted a lot of attacks.
Liang Qi and Chen Ningzhou, the only two sober people, sent several people to the car one after another. Chen Ningzhou was afraid that Dai Meng would be unsafe alone, so he planned to send her back personally.
While Shen Xiyu was in the bathroom, Chen Ningzhou stopped at the door of the half-empty car, thought for a few seconds, then turned to Liang Qi and said.
"Since you've reconciled, let's spend the rest of our time together." His gaze met the man across from him. "You probably don't have the time or energy to waste another ten years."
Liang Qi looked into his eyes and said seriously and cautiously, "I will. Thank you too."
Chen Ningzhou sneered, "It's not your turn to thank me." Then he got into the car and closed the door.
Although Liang Qi was ruthlessly humiliated, he inexplicably felt in a good mood.
"What are you laughing at?" Shen Xiyu walked towards him from behind, "Are they all gone?"
"Yeah." Liang Qi took her hand and placed it in his palm.
Chen Xiyu sometimes felt that Liang Qi’s favorite thing seemed to be holding hands, all the time. This thing seemed to make him like it more than any other intimate contact.
"Then what should we say?" Liang Qike had not forgotten what Shen Xiyu promised him before he left.
"Let me call a driver." Although he was not drunk, he had drunk a little, so it was definitely impossible for him to drive on the road.
"I want to take a walk." Shen Xiyu rubbed Liang Qi's knuckles with her thumb. She drank a lot today, but after leaving the warm box and getting some fresh air, she was almost sober and didn't want to go back so early.
Before they knew it, the two of them had walked to a familiar place while chatting casually.
"Do you remember where that place is?" Shen Xiyu pointed to a small path, on the other side of which was a small park with dim lights.
It looked very familiar. Liang Qi looked in the direction of her finger. Shen Xiyu gave him time to recall, but he really couldn't seem to remember it.
He was about to answer, but suddenly a very distant memory suddenly flooded into his mind.
'why are you laughing. '
"...She is so beautiful that she can make fish sink to the bottom of their bodies and geese fall to the ground, and the moon hide
'A lot of people say that.'
…
“This is where we first met.”
As if he hadn't expected the other party to guess it, Shen Xiyu raised the corner of his lips, "You're quite good at it."
"This place has changed a lot." Liang Qi held her hand and walked through the short path. "I remember it wasn't so desolate before."
"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize it just now."
Chen Xiyu remembered that the street lights here used to be on one after another. His favorite thing during that period was that after get off work, he didn't have to go back to the cramped rental house, but instead sat here and read.
Occasionally, I would meet that "weird guy" who plays the piano in the middle of the night.
Here she met Liang Qi for the first time.
Shen Xiyu let go of his hand, ran quickly to the chair next to him, and brushed away the fallen leaves on the bench.
It seems that no one has been here for a long time. There is a thin layer of dust under the thick layer of fallen leaves.
Shen Xiyu took out a tissue and wiped off the dust.
Then she sat there, her eyes sparkling, and the girl shouted to the figure not far away, "Hello, do you know me?"
'Hello, do you know the guy playing the piano?'
The voices of girls and women overlapped.
"I don't know him."
Liang Qi walked towards her and gave her the same answer as he did that year.
"Then let me introduce myself again." Shen Xiyu sat up straight and looked up at him obediently, "My name is Shen Xiyu, your future girlfriend."
Liang Qi held her face with one hand, "Isn't it now?"
“Not now.” Shen Xiyu was obsessed with playing the role of a high school student, “Now we are high school students, I won’t be with you.”
"Oh? But you were with me in high school."
"You seduced me." Shen Xiyu accused viciously.
"You know, I was reading The Narrow Gate that day, and that was the first time you and I met here." Shen Xiyi thought she had forgotten, after all, so much time had passed, but when she talked about it, she found that her memory was clearer than ever before. The wind that day, the smell that day, and Liang Qi's appearance were all so clear.
"I felt like I could never love anyone else as passionately and unconditionally as I loved myself and the world."
"'Depending on others is bound to lead to misfortune'. I believe this saying very much and have learned the lesson myself. So year after year, I tell myself not to expect anything and I won't be disappointed."
Liang Qi squatted down in front of her, "What now?"
"I don't know." Shen Xiyu's eyes followed him down, "Maybe I still think so now."
Liang Qi and her eyes collided in the wind.
The man said, "Then I am happy and honored that you are brave enough for us again and again."
"You don't have to trust me completely. I hope you love yourself more than you love me. I will do my best to enter the narrow gate with you."
"So do you think I've learned to love?"
"You've always been better than me in this regard." Liang Qi chuckled softly, "I used to be arrogant, but I need to learn from you."
Shen Xiyu looked at him for a long time without saying anything, until his eyes became sore and he couldn't stop secreting some physiological tears.
"Then I love you."
"I know. Me too."
"I know."
Life is never as good as we imagined.
But it's not too bad for them.
Food, sex, greed, anger, and ignorance, love is hard to separate, so it is better to let it go.
Let the knot of life be tied to death on this winter night.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Finally!
end!
The first one I wrote was very immature, thank you all for your tolerance and support! [猫头]
This is the end of the Xiaoai article
There is no extra chapter for the time being. If I were to write one, I would open another "Extra Chapter" or write it in the extra chapter section of "Are You Drunk?"
Finally, let’s meet at Xiaozui next door!
Cold and heartless bartender x romantic (bushi) scheming young master
See you at Xiaozui on 10.25!
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