Chapter 219 Reunion (Two in One) As long as the lights are on, I will return. …
"Sir and Madam, welcome home." The butler, along with the servants and bodyguards, welcomed the return of the owner of the manor.
Tian Ruan looked at the familiar people and the familiar manor. Everything and the people were the same, as if nothing had changed and it was still the same as before. He couldn't help but feel his eyes warm, and laughed loudly: "Uncle Wang, Aunt Liu, Sister Zhang, I'm back."
Aunt Liu turned her face away, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile: "Well, I'm glad you're back."
After two years abroad, Tian Ruan was already familiar with the etiquette of hugging. He hugged Liu Ma, the housekeeper and Zhang Jie generously and naturally, which frightened them and made them at a loss.
Tian Ruan said, "Auntie Liu, I want to eat the sugar porridge and fried dumplings you make. I miss them so much." The food was not bad when he was abroad, and there was a Chinese chef at home, but no one could cook as well as Auntie Liu.
He would like to call it the taste of hometown.
Aunt Liu smiled with wrinkles on her face: "Knowing that Madam was coming back, I prepared it for you a long time ago."
After returning home, Tian Ruan ate and drank to his heart's content and lay down at home for three days to adjust to the time difference before he leisurely notified his old friends.
Wang Weiqi was the first to call: "Damn, why didn't you tell me you were coming back? I'll pick you up at the airport."
Tian Ruan: "Mr. Yu came back with me."
"Come out for a drink, brothers, get together. I'll book the place for you." Wang Weiqi said generously.
"I don't drink." One thing that hasn't changed in the past few years is Tian Ruan's alcohol tolerance. He can still have a few glasses of low-alcohol liquor, but he will pass out after just one glass of high-alcohol liquor.
"You're so grown up, but you still think of yourself as a high school student?" Wang Weiqi's tone was much more arrogant than before, and he was no longer that silly Wangwang dog.
Tian Ruan was a little sad: "Wangwang, you have changed. You wouldn't have choked me like this before."
"..." Wang Weiqi weakened, "I'm sorry, I've been deceived and hurt too much in the past few years, so my temper exploded."
"Only when you are calm and peaceful can you live longer." Tian Ruan advised, "If you feel unhappy, go to the mountains and yell a few times, don't hold it in."
"Okay, I'll come over to your place and yell at you a few times this afternoon."
"?"
It seems that Wang Weiqi hasn't changed much, and Tian Ruan is relieved.
"Madam, there is a letter for you." The butler came in and said.
Tian Ruan immediately took the heavy envelope and carefully checked the address. It was indeed from Lu Qiuyan. He couldn't wait to open it, hurried out the door to avoid others, and strolled in the garden to read it word by word.
The petals brushed past my legs, and the paper glowed with a subtle pearlescent luster in the sunlight. The lines of black fonts were no longer the sloppy and flying ones of my youth. They were steady and vigorous, and the force penetrated the back of the paper.
"It's good that you're back home. It will be more convenient for us to communicate. Everything is fine with me. I have everything I need here, except for the lack of people. But after these few years, I've gotten used to it."
"If you were in this snowy mountain, with no one around and only wild animals and birds, you would definitely be very bored. Sometimes I think it would be nice if you came here, it would be lively. Sometimes I think it's a good thing you are not here. I don't want you to see the flames and smoke of the war. I just hope that your country is safe and you are safe too."
"Things change so fast. I'm afraid I still can't go back this year. If you're angry, buy a bucket and eat with Yu Shang. He doesn't like junk food. Seeing him in distress, maybe you'll get a little happiness. It's my compensation to you."
"Please eat the sweet-scented osmanthus cake for me this autumn. I also miss Aunt Liu's cooking skills. Her cakes and meals are delicious. Maybe I can taste them again next year. Say hello to you all. It makes sense for me to stay on the border of the motherland."
"You said you envied me for flying freely, but I envied you for having a clear goal. I can see the kite you released from eight thousand miles away. As long as the lights are on, I will return."
...The sweet osmanthus flowers that bloomed year after year fell on the letter paper. Tian Ruan looked up suddenly, and saw a golden tree, full of brilliance, and the refreshing fragrance lingered and drifted far away.
It seems as if it can float to the snow-capped mountains and send a ray of homesickness to the soldiers standing in the wind and snow.
Tian Ruan poured out a stack of leaves from the envelope. The leaves had distinct veins, different types, and bright yellow, orange and green colors, and were very beautiful. They were the "bookmarks" that Lu Qiuyan had carefully selected for him.
Tian Ruan smiled, carefully folded the letter paper together with the osmanthus flowers, and stuffed it back into the envelope.
…
In the afternoon, the sound of dogs barking was heard at the gate of the manor. It was not just one dog, but a group of dogs.
The continuous barking sounds successfully woke up Tian Ruan, who was late for a nap. He had just dozed off for less than half an hour when he heard the dogs barking and walked to the window in confusion. He opened the window and looked towards the gate of the manor. He saw a dark mass like a dark cloud, all of them were dogs.
"???" Tian Ruan ran downstairs, "What's going on?"
Could it be that the stray dogs that the bodyguard secretly fed have all come to the door asking for support?
The housekeeper was also confused. He stood in front of Tian Ruan and said, "Madam, I will protect you!"
Tian Ruan pushed the old slave away, found a dog-beating stick, and walked out in a heroic manner.
"lady!"
"Don't make a noise, I am now the leader of the Beggars' Sect."
This is true. During the two years that Tian Ruan studied in France, he was mostly protected by bodyguards whenever he went out, but there were also times when he was left alone. He felt pity for the homeless man and gave him water and food.
As a result, the group of foreign homeless people not only did not repay his kindness, but instead became even more aggressive and asked him for food and money.
Seeing that they were neither disabled nor mentally ill, and were simply lazy, Tian Ruan sternly refused to be taken advantage of. The group of homeless people rioted and tried to rob Tian Ruan.
Tian Ruan was not someone who could be easily bullied, so he picked up a stick and started fighting with them.
Later, the bodyguards arrived and joined him in attacking the group of homeless people. They beat them until they were beaten to a pulp and fled away in fear.
After that, the group of homeless people didn't dare to say a word when they saw Tian Ruan again. Tian Ruan became the true leader of the Beggars' Gang. Wherever he went, the homeless people all bowed their heads in obedience to him.
"Squat!" A gruff young man said from the pack of dogs, "Welcome our top student back home!"
The dogs squatted down.
Tian Ruan slowly put down the dog-beating stick he had raised and looked at the dogs hesitantly, "Wang Weiqi, are these dogs yours?"
Wang Weiqi's skin color has not turned white again, but with a buzz cut, thick eyebrows and big eyes, he looks energetic. He doesn't look like a nouveau riche, but more like a simple migrant worker...
"It's mine. Isn't it handsome?" Wang Weiqi bared his two rows of white teeth. He could be the spokesperson for an advertisement. "This is a Husky, my favorite. This is a Labrador. This is a Samoyed. I dyed it black. This is..."
Tian Ruan and the black dogs looked at each other in amazement and exclaimed, "You are black yourself, and you want to dye your dogs black. You have a great conscience."
"Hehe, you're flattered." Wang Weiqi grinned, "My conscience has been fed to the dogs. From now on, I am Niu Hulu Wang Weiqi Husky."
"I can see that you really like Huskies, just because you have the same character in your names?" Tian Ruan went to tease the Husky. The silly dog squatted handsomely with its front paws on the ground. The word "serious" was written on its face. However, when teased, it immediately stuck out its tongue and wagged its tail to please others.
"Isn't that enough?" Wang Weiqi stretched out his hand, and the Husky put its paw on his palm. He smiled like an auntie, "Look, how well behaved little Husky is."
Tian Ruan patted the dog's head and said, "Aren't Huskies famous for being house-wrecking experts?"
"Just tear it down. It's just a dog. What can't be wrong?" Wang Weiqi said in a doting tone. Obviously, he who was unable to get the care of the goddess gave all his love to the dog.
Tian Ruan counted and found that there were twenty-two dogs in total. Wang Weiqi dragged them here in a large off-road vehicle.
“Woof woof woof!” Some dogs started barking, trying to do something restlessly. Wang Weiqi failed to hold on to them and tripped and fell flat on his face. Then the dogs started to riot and dragged him away. “Ah? Ahhh, stop!”
The pack of dogs rushed into the manor and ran towards the smell of meat. Wang Weiqi was pulled by a leash and could not beat so many dogs. Even with the help of a Husky to drag him back, it was still of no use.
"Woof woof woof~" The dogs were overwhelmed by the smell of meat and didn't care about their owners.
Wang Weiqi: "Fuck! Squat!"
One group of dogs crouched down, while another group of dogs continued to charge forward.
Tian Ruan raised his stick and started to hit him, "The first move of the Dog Beating Stick Technique is to attack the dog's head!"
A group of dogs were screaming and barking due to being hit, and combined with Wang Weiqi's barking, it was really noisy. Tian Ruan didn't think it was noisy, but laughed out loud: "Wang Weiqi, you really haven't changed at all."
As Wang Weiqi was being dragged, his pants fell halfway down, almost exposing his buttocks. He was so embarrassed that his cheeks turned red. He tightly grasped the dog leash and shouted, "Stop laughing! Help!"
Finally, the bodyguards worked together to control the pack of dogs, thus preventing the disaster of "dozens of dogs rushing into the Yu family's kitchen and eating a lot" from happening.
Wang Weiqi was panting with exhaustion. He took a sip of tea and said, "Damn, I won't keep so many dogs anymore. Does your family need dogs?"
Tian Ruan shook his head. "Mr. Yu doesn't like to keep cats and dogs. First, he doesn't have time to take care of them. Second, they shed fur."
But Yu Shang actually likes cats and dogs very much, Tian Ruan didn't say it.
Not long after the protagonist and the bottom got together, Lu Qiuyan brought home a stray cat, and then a stray dog. The family of four with both cats and dogs lived a happy life (bushi).
Tian Ruan couldn't agree on Yu Shang's behalf, so Lu Qiuyan had to pick up the cats and dogs himself for fun.
Wang Weiqi called all his friends one by one and finally gave away more than a dozen dogs. He said: "They are all my darlings. If you dare to abuse them, I will not forgive you."
"Don't worry, just treat him like an ancestor and serve him, okay?" said his friend.
Wang Weiqi was very satisfied and took the initiative to invite them to a big meal.
"Let's go, together." Wang Weiqi said to Tian Ruan.
Tian Ruan still shook his head, "I don't know your friends well and don't want to play with them."
Wang Weiqi was not interested. "You are so boring now. You have returned to China, but you don't hang out with your brothers. What's the point of staying at home all day?"
"Maybe I've been abroad for too long and got used to loneliness." Tian Ruan said in a literary way, "Loneliness is the source of inspiration."
Wang Weiqi shuddered, "Such a literary man, he is indeed a talented scholar."
Speaking of talented people, Tian Ruan thought of Hai Chao, and his eyes lit up as he said, "Did you know? Hai Chao is married."
"??? With whom?"
"Nanhuai orange."
"Fuck, they're really together?"
"What's with that expression on your face? Could it be that you still have feelings for Hai Chao?"
"..." Wang Weiqi looked frustrated, "Please don't mention the dark history in high school, okay?"
Tian Ruan laughed and started chatting about the past with his old classmates and friends.
As he was talking, Wang Weiqi suddenly said with a sad face: "You don't know the benefits of being young, and you waste your time wrongly."
"Wangwang, you are also a talented person." Tian Ruan said.
Wang Weiqi waved his hand and said, "I just speak my mind."
Aunt Liu brought over some freshly made pastries and said with a smile, "Master Wang hasn't been here for a long time. Try this chestnut and osmanthus pastry."
"Thank you." Wang Weiqi ate cakes and drank tea, looking at Tian Ruan steadily, "Why haven't you changed at all?"
Tian Ruan: "...I have changed. I have grown one centimeter taller."
"Oh." Wang Weiqi took a deep breath of the scent of a true noble family, a mixture of sandalwood, water, flowers and fruits. "The smell here hasn't changed either."
"Why change?" Tian Ruan asked back.
Wang Weiqi nodded. "It's better to stay the same. Many people around me have changed. Some have left, some have gotten married, and some have broken up. They are like big trucks, rattling past me."
During these four years, not only Tian Ruan but also Wang Weiqi has matured.
Wang Weiqi watched the people around him coming and going. He was confused, as if he was the only one who had not changed. He is idle and does not work properly. He calls his friends to play with cats and dogs and chase women.
There are no regulations on how an eighteen-year-old boy should grow up.
It seems unreasonable for a 22-year-old young man to still be so confused.
Wang Weiqi didn't want to think about it, but he could only force himself to think about it. The more he thought about it, the more irritable he became. He just started fighting and drinking everywhere, and before he knew it, he had raised a group of dogs.
His life became regular and healthy, and he was woken up by the dog every day and then taken for a walk. Gradually, he seemed to have sorted out the inexplicable factors that caused him trouble while growing up. He suddenly realized that he was so ignorant before and caused a lot of trouble for his parents.
The moment he realized it, Wang Weiqi grew up.
Growing up also has its own troubles, such as girlfriends, dating and getting married. The more he desired these things when he was young, the more annoyed he is now - Wang Weiqi will no longer spend more money on any woman.
Why?
Wang Weiqi, a 24k pure straight man, asked himself this question and came to the conclusion that he was too stupid before and thought that money could buy everything, including the love of a goddess. And the fact is that he can't even love himself.
So he decided to love himself well and spend money on himself. Maybe he would meet a girl who was worthy of his love in the future. At that time, he would spend all his money for her and pursue the most sincere love in the world.
"You are still the best. Nothing has changed." Wang Weiqi said enviously.
Tian Ruan looked into Wang Weiqi's eyes and said, "If you think I haven't changed, it's because you haven't changed either."
Wang Weiqi was stunned.
"The heart of a child is precious."
"..." Wang Weiqi laughed and drank tea instead of wine, "Let's drink this, brother."
Tian Ruan clinked glasses with him and they smiled at each other.
Wang Weiqi said sincerely: "I finally calmed down when I came to you. Brother, if I met a girl like you, I would definitely pursue her with all my strength."
Tian Ruan laughed: "It's possible that he's a boy like me."
Wang Weiqi was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I will chase after her too."
“…”
Some words have come to an end here. From now on, the breeze and the bright moon will still be our pure friendship.
During the year of preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination, nothing special happened. Tian Ruan prepared for the exam, took the preliminary test in December, the re-examination in May of the following year, and enrolled in September. His life was plain but fulfilling.
He entered a university to engage in teaching and research, and studied linguistics of various countries with his senior classmates. He also took on translation and editing jobs in some translation agencies and companies.
Tian Ruan considered himself to be smart, but after broadening his horizons he realized that there is always someone better than you and that all of his predecessors were much better than him.
Some work as assistants to their mentors, some work as simultaneous interpreters in large companies, and some have already obtained doctoral degrees.
And Tian Ruan is still a nobody at the bottom of the translation world.
As for translators, it will take at least seven or eight years to get to the point.
Seeing how outstanding his predecessors were, he was almost discouraged. He went home and sighed to Yu Jingmo, hoping to get some encouragement.
Yu Jingmo asked, "What's wrong?"
Tian Ruan got an audience and immediately started talking fluently: "Blah blah blah... chirp quack quack..."
Yu Jingmo listened without changing his expression. He took off the big gold watch given by Tian Ruan and put it in the glass watch cabinet. His slender fingers unbuttoned two agarwood buttons, and his lake green shirt shimmered like a layer of water waves.
"Mr. Yu, what should I do?" Tian Ruan asked distressedly.
Yu Jingmo changed into a more homely white shirt. He asked, "How many languages do your seniors know?"
"English, French, Russian, Latin, Greek..." Tian Ruan counted on his fingers, "and Japanese and Korean."
"You mean the most powerful one, right?"
"That's right."
"Seven languages, two fewer than I do." Yu Jingmo said, "If you feel pressured, why don't you feel pressured for me?"
Tian Ruan: "...Mr. Yu, have you secretly learned another language?"
"I didn't learn it secretly. I traveled to that country a lot some time ago and learned it."
“So if I want to learn eight languages, I have to travel to eight countries??”
"You can do that." Yu Jingmo chuckled, "If you want."
Tian Ruan gritted his teeth and said: "If I live in each country for two months and talk to people on the streets every day, I don't believe I won't be able to learn it."
Yu Jingmo raised his eyebrows slightly, imagining the young man going to a foreign country, like the protagonist of a stand-alone game, going out every day to trigger NPCs, obtain information and intelligence, and perhaps holding all kinds of strange things in his hands, such as oddly shaped stones, colorful feathers, a string of shell wind chimes, and a rattan-woven pastoral straw hat.
"It's decided!" Tian Ruan said confidently.
Yu Jingmo found it interesting, touched the young man's head and said, "Only if you can take a leave."
Tian Ruan: "...then let's do it during the summer vacation."
If a graduate student wants to get a doctorate, it will take at least four or five years, and he can only squeeze out time during the summer vacation to implement his plan of living abroad.
Yu Jingmo looked at the young man's serious expression, grabbed his washed wrist, rubbed his fingers over the sandalwood beads and the warm and cool little jade pendant, lowered his head and kissed the tip of his nose, "I'll accompany you wherever you go."
In order to study for his master's degree, Tian Ruan hadn't been intimate with Yu Jingmo for several days. He looked at the handsome man in front of him with a loving gaze. Even though they were so familiar with each other, he was still shy.
Perhaps it was because time had been especially gentle to Yu Jingmo. Tian Ruan hadn't changed, and Yu Jingmo seemed to have not changed much except for his neater hairstyle and more sturdy figure.
In general, Yu Jingmo used to be cool and elegant, but now he is just cool.
As the family business continued to expand, Yu Jingmo no longer needed to cover up his anger with a smile. When he didn't smile, no one dared to laugh except Tian Ruan.
And when he laughed, no one dared not to laugh except Tian Ruan.
"I haven't taken a shower yet." After kissing for a while, Tian Ruan slowly pushed Yu Jingmo away. Her originally light-colored lips were now as red as rose petals and moist.
Yu Jingmo picked him up and said, "Let's take a bath together."
“……”Tian Ruan did not refuse.
As for remembering that you didn’t have dinner after you’re done, that’s when you’re done.
Tian Ruan's stomach rumbled.
Yu Jingmo was inside him, saying, "I haven't fed you yet?"
Tian Ruan: "...You can't be full by eating dragons."
Yu Jingmo said harshly, "Greedy."
"I...I don't...I want to eat!"
His Mr. Yu has not changed much in the past few years except that he has accumulated a lot of power.
It is said that it is lonely at the top. Only when Tian Ruan stood next to Yu Jingmo did she realize how high it was. Thinking back then, he was also afraid of Yu Jingmo like everyone else. And now, he can eat the dragon while calling him a big donkey whip.
"Big donkey whip! Not any bigger!" Tian Ruan slapped him twice.
The giant dragon spat out ambergris tremblingly, as if it wanted more.
“…”
Yu Jingmo pinched the young man's thin and flexible waist and said, "Continue."
It was not until eleven or twelve o'clock in the evening that dinner finally turned into a midnight snack.
It was a weekend, and Tian Ruan went to the city library to borrow some materials. The autumn breeze was refreshing, and he could faintly smell the fragrance of osmanthus. He looked up at the window in surprise among the bookshelves, and discovered that there was also a sweet-scented osmanthus tree planted outside the library, as well as maple trees and sycamore trees. Except for the dim golden shadows, the rest were lush and green.
He stared at the osmanthus in a trance, "Another year has passed."
When the wind blows, the flowers fall like rain.
"They are almost sold out..." Tian Ruan took a book from the bookshelf and went to the lending office to register for borrowing.
He put the borrowed books in his schoolbag. Yes, he was still using Deyin's schoolbag, which was a simulated cowhide schoolbag, customized in size to match his height. Don't be fooled by its small appearance, it is actually big and can hold a lot of things. Moreover, the design is retro and durable, and it will not be outdated even after a few years.
The administrator even laughed and said, "So you are a student of Deyin. I will give you 15 days to return it."
Tian Ruan just smiled, walked out of the library with his schoolbag, and suddenly wanted to go to Deyin to take a look. He drove onto the familiar road. Some of the shops on the street had changed, while others had not. The rows of maple trees and sycamore trees were still there.
In the distance, in the fairy-tale castle where the prince and princess live, there is a large patch of pink cloud and mist. Those are the crabapples and late cherry blossoms blooming.
Tian Ruan parked the car at a temporary parking lot on the side of the road and looked at the main gate of Deyin University. The large black hollow carved iron gate was tightly closed. On the avenue leading to the teaching building, the statue of Emperor Wenchang was still there and the fountain was still splashing rainbows, like a dream, surrounded by the flowers from the opening ceremony that had not yet been removed.
Suddenly, Tian Ruan thought that he had never left Deyin. His classmates, friends, and teachers were still there, attending classes, drinking tea, chatting, pretending, fighting, and playing outdoors.
When you are young, you don’t know the benefits of being young, and you waste your time in vain.
It is true that people only feel the beauty of something when they lose it.
Tian Ruan laughed and suddenly saw a tall figure walking to the gate.
At the same time, a young man riding a bicycle stepped on the pedal with his long legs and stopped in front of the school gate.
The two looked at each other, just like when they were young.
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