◇
Shi Jin was unable to answer this question in the end because the host on the red carpet read out his pen name.
He breathed a sigh of relief and walked onto the red carpet.
"Hiss, he is Shi Qian?"
"It seems so. Didn't you hear the host's introduction just now?"
"Oh my god, I thought he didn't show up because he didn't look good, but now I see, this is..."
"I have to say, he is so handsome."
The young man with a handsome face was wearing an elegant and straight white suit. He had a tall figure and light amber eyes. When he looked across the red carpet, even the host who was already experienced in hosting such occasions was a little dazed.
But the host was a professional after all, and he quickly regained his professional qualities.
He watched Shi Jin walk onto the stage: "Teacher Shi Qian, good afternoon."
Shi Jin: "Good afternoon."
The host began to ask questions according to the questions prepared on the host's cue card: "Is this the first time for Mr. Shi Qian to attend the author conference?"
Shi Jin: “Yes.”
Host: "What do you think about this author conference, Mr. Shi Qian?"
Shi Jin's eyes fell on the seats below the stage and he thought for two seconds: "... a lot of people."
The host was a little stunned as he didn't expect to get such an answer, but he quickly reacted and joked with a smile: "It seems that Teacher Shi Qian is a humorous person, hahahaha."
"Then we have one last question."
The host looked at the cue card. This was a fairly routine question, so he asked without hesitation: "Just now, Mr. Chengmi said in an interview that you are his most admired author. Does Mr. Shiqian have anything to say to him?"
There was a slight pause.
The reporter holding the camera nearby turned the lens towards his face at the right moment.
This camera is connected to the live broadcast platform, and the live broadcast room on the platform is refreshing the screen frantically.
[Help, help, how can the camera be pointed at the face and still look so good? ]
[Why write a book? Just make your debut. I will support you with money! ]
[How come I haven't heard of any intersection between Chengmi and Shiqian? It's a bit strange that he suddenly said he liked her in an interview. ]
[It's not strange, the author also reads books, it's normal for them to admire each other, and they seem to have some intersections. I remember they seemed to have recorded a variety show together before, but that variety show hasn't been broadcast yet. ]
[Wow? What variety show? Let me go squat! ]
[Don't ask the wrong question, let's see how Shi Qian answers. ]
Zhong Sisi, who was sitting in the first row of VIP seats, nudged her cousin next to her with her elbow: "Hey, Yu Ci, what do you think he will say?"
What's there to guess?
Yu Ci glanced at her, his upturned peach blossom eyes clearly saying "don't guess".
Zhong Sisi pestered him to guess: "If you don't guess, I will tell Shi Jin later, and tell you, tell you..."
She thought for a while, but couldn't think of anything to say, so she just said, "Say you're going to confess to him later!"
Yu Ci raised his eyebrows: "Who told you I wanted to confess?"
Zhong Sisi: "My aunt, she said you were going to confess your feelings at the writers' conference."
Yu Ci glanced at her, his peach blossom eyes half-smiled: "Come on."
Zhong Sisi was stunned: "What do you mean by come on?"
At the same time, a young man's clear voice came from the stage, his tone calm: "Yeah."
"come on."
Zhong Sisi suddenly realized.
I guess Shi Jin would say come on.
The host obviously didn't expect such an answer. He waited for a while, but nothing came of it: "That's it?"
Shi Jin nodded: "No more."
The host glanced at the cue card and said, "Then please take a rest at your seat, Mr. Shi Qian. We will have our award ceremony later..."
Shi Jin stepped down.
The waiter waiting at the table led him to the corresponding seat: "Teacher Shi Qian, your seat is here."
Shi Jin paused in front of his seat.
He looked at Zhong Sisi on the left, then looked at Yu Ci on the right, his calm eyes paused slightly: "......"
Shi Jin looked at the waiter: "Are you sure this is my seat?"
The waiter smiled perfectly: "Yes, according to the seating chart, your seat is indeed here."
After a pause, he asked again: "Do you have any questions?"
Shi Jin: “…”
"No." He pursed his lips and thanked the waiter: "Thank you."
The waiter smiled: "You're welcome."
Shi Jin had just sat down when Zhong Sisi, who was sitting on his left, came over and said, "Teacher Shi, what a coincidence! We are sitting next to each other."
"Also, you look really good today."
Shi Jin paused.
Her words reminded him of the unfinished conversation before he went on stage.
The same person came to mind was Yu Ci.
He raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face: "The clothes are nice... or the person is nice?"
Zhong Sisi answered quickly without hesitation: "Of course they all look good."
Yu Ci's gaze fell on Shi Jin, and his tone was quite meaningful: "...Good vision."
Shi Jin's eyelashes moved slightly, he pursed his lips, avoided Yu Ci's sight, and said to Zhong Sisi: "Thank you."
Zhong Sisi was so excited that she wanted to say something more, but a look from her cousin stopped her in her tracks.
She weighed the consequences after being hesitant to do anything, but finally shut her mouth and quietly acted like a vase.
The person beside him suddenly became quiet, and Shi Jin glanced sideways slightly.
"Oh."
A light laugh sounded in his ear, and then a hot breath approached, spraying hot air on the side of his neck, and the words almost whispered against his ear: "Look at what she's doing?"
The sensitive sides of the ears were almost instantly infected with redness.
Shi Jin moved away uncomfortably, his dark eyelashes drooping: "No."
Yu Ci looked at him leisurely: "What?"
Shi Jin pursed her lips: "...I didn't see it."
“Pah.”
Something rolled over from the back seat.
"Brother Shi, can you help me pick up the pen?" The boy's sweet and soft voice sounded at the same time.
Shi Jin lowered his head and saw a black pen lying quietly at his feet.
He picked up the pen, turned around and handed it over: "Here."
Yu Ci raised an eyebrow and looked back at him.
Cheng Ke blinked, with a deep dimple on the side of her face, and smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Brother Shi."
Shi Jin shook his head and turned away.
Cheng Ke looked at Yu Ci, smiling unchanged, and stared at him quietly for a while. He suddenly tilted his head, and his dark pupils slightly widened: "Uncle, why are you looking at me?"
Yu Ci looked at him and suddenly frowned.
"Yu Ci, cousin?"
Zhong Sisi pulled Yu Ci's clothes and said, "Let's go. It's our turn to go up."
The sponsors also needed to walk the red carpet. Since they had taken Yu’s quota, they naturally had to walk around on behalf of Yu.
Yu Ci retracted his gaze: "Yeah."
Before leaving, Yu Ci glanced behind him, feeling a little worried for some reason. He frowned and looked at Shi Jin: "Don't wander around, wait for me to come back."
Shi Jin nodded: "Okay."
Yu Ci and Zhong Sisi went on stage.
Shi Jin sat in his seat and looked up at the stage.
At this time, Shi Jin once again realized one thing - some people are born to shine.
Whether it is on a large, spacious stage, a small stage with a red carpet, or a simple piano in the middle of a square, as long as he stands there, the light will follow him.
He looked quietly at the people on the stage with flamboyant features, somewhat absent-minded.
At a certain moment, the man on the stage suddenly looked over here, and his smiling peach blossom eyes accurately met his gaze through the dozen cameramen and cameras in the middle.
Shi Jin's heartbeat stopped slightly.
He lowered his eyelids and suppressed his emotions.
The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. Shi Jin clicked it and saw that it was Shi Yi who sent him a WeChat message.
He looked up at the stage and saw the host holding the microphone for an interview, which seemed to take a while.
Shi Jin hesitated for two seconds, but still stood up.
Shi Yi did not say anything specific in the WeChat message, only asking him to meet him on the sixth floor of the hotel.
Because the process had to be arranged in advance, many editors arrived at the hotel a day in advance. Shi Jin had indeed heard Shi Yi say that the room arranged for him by the organizer was on the sixth floor. He also heard him complain that the TV in that room was broken, causing him to miss the important game last night.
Before leaving the venue, Shi Jin glanced in the direction of the red carpet.
When he looked away, Cheng Ke, who was sitting on the chair, waved at him from afar with a sweet smile.
Shi Jin paused slightly, then looked away calmly.
In the corner of the meeting room, Shi Yi was hunched over and squinting at the ground.
Qiaoqiao glanced at him and asked him, "Shi Yi, are you looking for something?"
Shi Yi didn't even raise his head, his eyes wandering around the ground: "I don't know where I lost my phone. It was clearly there just now."
Qiaoqiao was speechless: "The phone is so big, if it fell on the ground, wouldn't it be visible at a glance? Did you leave it in the rest area and didn't bring it out?"
"No?" Shi Yi said hesitantly, "I remember I brought it out."
"Editor Shi Yi." A boy with a sweet smile appeared out of nowhere: "Are you looking for your phone?"
Shi Yi glanced at him, a little cautious about this mentally challenged teenager: "Yeah."
"Is this it?" Cheng Ke smiled and took out a cell phone from behind: "I just found this in the toilet. I remembered that your cell phone looked like this, so I came to ask you."
Shi Yi's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the phone and smiled: "Yes, that's it, thank you."
Cheng Ke smiled and waved at him, saying in a sweet tone, "You're welcome."
“你这记性什么时候能改改。”巧巧摇摇头：“手机都能落在厕所，我看你下次能把自己都给丢了。”
“那不至于。”石毅嘿嘿笑：“这不是不小心吗？”
两人又侃了几句，巧巧转头去看台上去了。
石毅拿着手机翻了两下：“这程可好像病的也没多严重嘛，至少外表看着挺正常的。”
不过......
他看着不远处少年轻快离开的背影，有些疑惑的挠了挠头。
“......我刚刚去厕所了吗？”
另一边。
时矜刚走出电梯，石毅又发来了一条微信，上面说房门没锁，让他直接进去，待会他就过来。
时矜回了个好，目光落到电梯不远处的603。
房门确实没锁，只是虚掩着。
时矜推开门，露出空无一人的房间。
主办方准备的房间是标间，两张1.5米的双人床放在正中央，床对面的电视正放着球赛，窗边有张圆桌。
通往阳台的玻璃门没关上，冷气从阳台进入房间，房间的温度比开了暖气的酒店走廊还要低。
时矜几乎是一进房间就察觉到了不对劲。
他眉梢猛地蹙起，想要转身出去，房门却咔擦一声被上了锁。
时矜目光冷静的看着站在门边的人：“程可。”
白嫩的少年歪了歪头，笑的很开心：“时大哥，是我呀。”
时矜蹙眉：“是你给我发的微信？”
“是呀，我怕我找你你不会来。”
程可笑的有些羞涩，脸颊边的两个酒窝若隐若现：“所以我就借用了石毅编辑的手机，你看，你果然来了。”
时矜的视线落在他的手上：“石毅呢？”
“他在会场呢。”少年像是才注意到他的视线，他歪了歪头，将手里的刀举高了些：“时大哥，你看我的刀做什么呀？”
时矜盯着他，面色冷淡，没说话。
然而这沉默像是触到了程可的那根神经，他的笑容猛地一收，黑沉的眼直勾勾的盯着时矜：“时大哥，你怎么又不说话了。”
“你为什么不说话呢？难道你不喜欢我吗？”
“可是你应该要喜欢我的呀，我那么喜欢你，你搬家之后我天天找你，但是到处都找不到你。”
“你不跟我说话也行，我跟你说就好了呀，但是——”少年突然话音一重，他用力捏紧了手上的刀，低着头：“我看见你跟别人说话了，那个大叔挨你那么近，但是你还是跟他说话。”
“不可以这样，这样是不对的。”程可猛地抬起头，黑白分明的眼珠上缠了血丝：“你应该是我的才对，是我一个人的。”
他拿着刀，一步一步走向时矜：“时大哥，你是我的。”
“你是我的。”
“不是。”时矜抬起眼皮，面无表情的看着走近的少年，一字一顿。
“我只属于自己。”
——
郁辞走下台的时候，刚好碰上了来找时矜的石毅。
见到郁辞，石毅问了一声：“请问你知道时矜去哪里了吗？”
他看两人座位挨在一块，想着时矜可能会跟他说要去哪里。
郁辞眉梢微皱，他越过石毅的肩看向座位，却只看到空落落的椅子：“打电话了吗？”
石毅点头：“打了，微信也发了，但是都没回音。”
他说着也有点急了：“电话不接，微信也没回，他从来不会这样的。”
郁辞皱眉，他拿出手机，拨通时矜的电话。毫不意外，电话没接通。
他脸色骤然沉了下来，把一旁的钟思思吓了一跳：“表，表哥，应该没事吧，可能时老师刚好手机没电关机了，或者没听见。”
郁辞扫了眼不远处空着的座位，心底的预感愈演愈烈。
皱着眉沉思两秒，郁辞看向钟思思：“你去找酒店调监控，重点调三点五十到四点这段时间的，速度要快。”
酒店是钟家的，调监控这事没有人比钟思思更方便。
钟思思啊了一声，很快反应过来，拎着裙摆跑去找人了。
郁辞看向石毅：“坐在时矜后面的那个少年，叫程可的，你知道他住哪吗？”
“啊，我不知道啊。”石毅挠头：“不过他昨晚是住的酒店，我在住房分配单上看到了他的名字。”
“房号。”
“我记得是六楼，几号房来着？”石毅想了想：“好像是603？”
他说完又肯定的重复了一次：“没错，就是603 。”
郁辞大步走出会场。
石毅茫然的跟着追了几步：“怎么了？时矜会在他那里吗？”
“不知道。”郁辞看了眼电梯，转而推开了楼梯间的门：“只是直觉。”
石毅还没来得及回话，就看见郁辞大步踏上了楼梯——显而易见，他是要爬上六楼。
他犹豫了两秒，又看看电梯，最后还是咬牙跟了上去。
石毅一边气喘吁吁的爬着楼梯，一边在心底默念：如果待会时矜不在六楼，那他一定要找时矜请他一顿饭，不然这六楼爬的太亏了。
但他很快就发现他这顿饭估计是吃不上了。
因为他们刚爬到六楼，楼梯间没关好的门里就传来了少年熟悉的嗓音：“时大哥，你把刀——”
后面的话石毅没听见，因为他看见在他前方不远处的郁辞猛地打开门跑了出去。
有刀！
石毅心都停了一秒，他猛吸一口气，跟在郁辞后面跑了出去。
然而他没跑两步，就看见郁辞停在了电梯不远处的603门口。
完了，该不会有什么危险吧？
这是石毅心头猛然浮现的第一个想法。
他顾不上喘气，连忙跑向那边：“怎么了，怎么不进——”
说话间，石毅已经跑到了603门口，视线迅速的往里看去。
然后他的后半句话就被吞回了肚子里：“呃......”
危险嘛，的确有。
不过危险的好像不是时矜。
房间里，容貌清隽的青年听到动静，侧头看向门口，神色平静。他的脚边，程可被绳子绑住了手脚，正涌动着身子想要爬起来。
郁辞猛然松了口气，胸膛里还残留着心脏疯狂跳动之后的闷痛。
他微微松开了皱紧的眉心，看了眼被绑在床边的程可，走向时矜：“怎么回事？”
时矜正揉着手腕，闻言他抿了抿唇：“他想绑我。”
石毅突然想起来了，时矜之前为了写一本书，好像是去学过一段时间的散打？
于是他吧砸一下嘴，瞬间就从这短短四个字里脑补了一堆：比如程可是怎么张牙舞爪的扑向时矜，又是怎么被时矜一个反扣就按在地上。
他想的热血沸腾，刚要开口，眼角的余光就看到了被丢到床脚的刀。
石毅睁大眼：“他还真敢拿刀啊！”
郁辞刚刚舒展开的眉毛瞬间又锁了起来，他大步上前，视线在时矜身上上下查看：“有受伤吗？”
“没。”时矜放下手，脸色平静：“他没能靠近我。”
“报警吧。”郁辞看了眼床脚的少年。
从他们进来开始，程可就没再大喊，只是安静的躺着，用一双黑色的眼睛直勾勾盯着他们。
他皱了眉，移开视线：“他的精神状态不对，不能让他再在外面待着。”
时矜没有抬眼：“已经报了。”
像是在回应时矜的话，几乎在他话音刚落，没被关上的阳台门外就传来了警车的警笛声。
石毅：“......”
好家伙，这动作真快。
这场还没开始就已经落幕的闹剧最终以程可被警察带走作为结束。
等时矜配合着警察录完口供的时候，作者大会已经结束了。
石毅没有跟来，刚刚在微信上说他已经帮时矜领了奖，改天帮他送到家里。
时矜回了他一个“好”。
负责给他录口供的警察送着他走出问询室的大门：“时先生，感谢您的配合。”
时矜将手机放回口袋：“请问，程可之后会......”
“像他这种情况，我们已经申请了精神鉴定。”警察答：“如果鉴定结果下来了，他确有精神疾病的话，接下来我们会将他转交到精神康复机构进行治疗。”
时矜沉默，半晌，他抬起眼：“谢谢。”
“不客气。”
“对了。”警察突然开口：“你的朋友还在外面等你，你快些出去吧，这天怪冷的。”
朋友？
时矜微楞，随后意识到他说的应该是郁辞。
他谢过警察，转身出了问询室。
从问询室到警察局的大厅要走过一条长长的走廊。
时矜拐过走廊，在大厅旁的等候椅上看到了郁辞。
男人仍穿着下午时的休闲西装，黑色的衣摆被压在身后，蜿盘着又从座椅的空隙里挤了出来。
他的坐姿不算端坐，双腿分开，两手肘部搭在膝上，合拢的手指则按在额心，向来张扬的眉眼似乎也染上了些许疲惫。
时矜看了眼墙上的挂钟。
八点二十。
距离他们来警局已经过来三个小时。
他抿了抿唇，向着郁辞走去：“郁辞。”
郁辞松开按着眉心的手，脸上神色微松，他站起身：“结束了？”
“嗯。”时矜应他。
"Let's go." Yu Ci walked to Shi Jin's side: "Let's go home."
It started snowing outside without me noticing.
Large flakes of snow were falling under the pitch-black night sky, while velvety snowflakes were floating in the air, dyeing the roadside surface pure white.
The short trees along the road were covered with snow, and a few leaves on the branches that had not yet fallen were trembling with a few snowflakes. When blown by the night wind, they fell into the soil of the flower bed with the white snowflakes.
“Pah—”
The umbrella is opened.
The black umbrella carried two figures into the snow.
"Will it be cold?"
I heard the man's low voice asking in my ear.
Shi Jin shook his head slightly, looking quietly at the snowflakes flying outside the umbrella: "As far as I can remember, this seems to be the first time it snowed in Chuncheng."
“More than that.” Yu Ci searched his memory: “It happened once three years ago.”
"Really?" Shi Jin was slightly stunned.
"Yeah." Yu Ci suddenly asked, "Want to play a game?"
"What?"
"See that building up ahead?"
Shi Jin followed his gaze and looked forward, where a tall building stood silently in the dark night.
He didn't understand what Yu Ci meant, but he still responded: "I saw it."
"We don't know how many households there are in this building, but we can see that a few have lights on."
Yu Ci: "Don't look up now. Guess whether the number of lights is odd or even. The one who guesses wrong has to tell a secret that the other person doesn't know."
Shi Jin thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay."
Yu Ci curled the corners of his lips: "Then you guess first."
Shi Jin lowered his eyes and recalled the scene he had just seen in his mind. After a while, he said, "Even numbers."
"Then I'll guess the odd number." Yu Ci nodded: "You can look up now."
Shi Jin raised his eyes and looked at the building.
This was a newly built apartment building, and the occupancy rate was not very high, so he almost immediately counted the houses with lights on: "Six."
Shi Jin looked at Yu Ci, his eyes slightly lit up: "You lose."
"Well, I lost."
Yu Ci readily admitted: "Then let me tell you a secret."
The man stood under the umbrella, with white fluffy snowflakes falling behind him, and a smile on his outstanding face. His sparkling peach blossom eyes also curved up.
He said: "Shi Jin, I like you."
Shi Jin was silent for a moment. He looked at Yu Ci's dark eyes that were filled with smiles, and asked after a while: "Why?"
Yu Ci: “Have you seen Alice in Wonderland?
Shi Jin pursed her lips: "I have seen it."
Yu Ci: "Then do you know why the crow looks like a desk?"
Shi Jin's eyelashes moved slightly.
He raised his eyes and met Yu Ci's gaze.
Those beautiful peach blossom eyes were staring at him without blinking, with a deep-seated nervousness hidden in their depths.
Shi Jin suddenly curled the corners of his lips.
He raised his foot and walked forward: "Yeah."
"What do you mean?" Yu Ci was stunned for a moment. He looked at Shi Jin's back and chased after him: "What does 'hmm' mean? Do you know why? Or did you agree to be with me?"
Shi Jin slowed down his pace until his hand hanging by his side touched the slightly cool corner of his clothes.
Before Yu Ci spoke, he lowered his eyelashes: "Yeah."
"Me too."
It was a dark night with heavy snow, and there were only a few people on the street. In the cold wind of the snowy night, a black umbrella stepped on the falling snowflakes, leaving two footprints in the fluffy white snow.
Winter is short.
But the future is long.
"Do you know why a crow looks like a writing desk?"
"Because I like you for no reason."
The author has something to say:
The main text ends here——
There will be some small extras included later to explain some things that are not mentioned in the main text.
In addition, if there are any cute people in the comment section who have requested a special episode, I will try my best to satisfy them if I have inspiration——