Chapter 1 Brother Tongcheng
Lin Yu sometimes feels as if there are two selves living inside her: one trying to run out into the vast world, and the other always longing for home.
Dawn and dusk are the dividing lines that determine whether the soul emerges from the body.
The urge to go home comes late at night; only reason will remind you during the day not to impulsively buy a ticket home.
In the end, she came back.
Midsummer in Tongcheng.
The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for high temperatures today, forecasting that the highest temperature will exceed 39 degrees Celsius. The public is advised to take precautions against heatstroke and avoid potential safety hazards caused by the high temperatures.
As soon as Lin Yu stepped out of the station, her phone rang. She opened it and saw a message popping up at the top of the screen: a high-temperature warning. Tongcheng is located in the south, and the climate is hot and humid. Every summer, this second-tier city is like being trapped in a giant steamer, with sticky and heavy air that makes it hard to breathe.
It was midday, and the blazing sun shone brightly in the sky, surrounded by a dazzling golden edge.
Lin Yu pushed her heavy suitcase and stood in the waiting area outside the station. This short walk had already made her back break out in a thin layer of sweat.
A taxi pulled up, and the driver rolled down the window and leaned out to ask her if she needed a ride. Lin Yu nodded.
Seeing that there were customers, the driver smiled and got out of the car to help her put her suitcase into the trunk.
The door slammed shut. Lin Yu glanced at it, then opened the door and decisively climbed into the back seat.
The air conditioning in the car kept out the stifling heat outside. Lin Yu took her backpack off her shoulder and placed it on the seat next to her. After doing all this, her sticky back was finally relieved.
The driver got into the car, turned to her and asked where she wanted to go. Lin Yu gave him an address.
Upon hearing this, the driver exclaimed "Whoa!" and then laughed, "The old town, huh? It's more than 20 kilometers away."
Lin Yu didn't reply, only giving a faint "hmm".
It is not advisable to linger in the waiting area. After picking up passengers, the driver should fasten their seatbelt, turn the steering wheel, and head towards the main road.
It's early July, and students all over the country are starting their summer vacation. Seeing Lin Yu carrying a backpack and a suitcase, the driver struck up a conversation with her enthusiastically: "Judging from your appearance, you must be a college student coming back for summer vacation."
Lin Yu wasn't one to engage in small talk, so upon hearing this, she politely replied, "Yes."
“University is great! My daughter just took the college entrance exam last year and is a university student now. But she insisted on finding a part-time job with her classmates, earning over three thousand a month. So she stayed in Yuncheng during the holidays and didn’t come back. You know how far Yuncheng is from our Tongcheng! She might not even come back once a semester. I finally thought I could see her during the holidays, but hey, she’s busy making money and isn’t coming back.” The driver paused, then continued, “It’s lunchtime right now. Your parents are probably already at home preparing food for you to come back.”
Sensing the driver's talkativeness and the longing he expressed for his daughter, Lin Yu was momentarily at a loss for words. Her parents had passed away when she was young, and besides that, she hadn't returned to Tongcheng last summer, nor had she returned for winter break.
As for the food, she guessed that all that would await her at home was nothing but air, since Zhou Ke had no idea she was coming home today.
Sensing her silence, the driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and saw that she was leaning slightly to the side, facing the window, quietly looking out.
The distance from the station to the residential area wasn't short. Lin Yu tilted her head and looked through the train window at the changes in Tongcheng over the years under the sunlight.
The old train station and secondhand market have been demolished and replaced with new furniture stores and shopping malls.
As time flies by, cities become more and more prosperous through renewal and iteration. What is being dismantled is not only the city's dilapidated state, but also the memories of a generation.
Lin Yu turned her head away and looked away.
Outside the window, the sky was clear and blue, and rows of camphor trees receded into the distance. Inside the carriage, it was so quiet that only the cold air was blowing.
The Lin family's house was an apartment that Lin Yu's uncle bought in the early 21st century, spending all his savings. The house wasn't very big, just a small three-bedroom apartment of 90 square meters. When Lin Yu appeared at the door with her suitcase, she took a deep breath and, for some reason, hesitated to go in.
Unlike most children returning home from outings, she felt neither joy nor excitement, only anxiety.
After standing there for almost a minute, Lin Yu finally slowly pulled out an old, faded key from his bag. The old lock was a bit rough, and it was a little difficult to insert the key into the keyhole and turn it, like a rusty machine with a gear chain. It needed to be broken in several times to find the perfect fit. With a gentle twist, the lock cylinder made a click, and with another turn, the door opened.
Pushing open the door, Lin Yu stood at the entrance. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the familiar layout. The house was still the same house, nothing had changed. It was old but cozy, and the interior was spotless.
When changing her shoes, Lin Yu was surprised to find that her brother's shoes were neatly placed on the floor and not put in the shoe cabinet. She was stunned for a second and realized that her brother was most likely at home at this time. Her originally calm heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Because of his passion for work, Zhou Ke often didn't get home until three or four in the morning. Given his nocturnal lifestyle, he had to make sure he got enough sleep during the day.
Lin Yu already knew this. She glanced inside the house and didn't see her brother in the living room. She guessed that he was probably resting. Lin Yu carefully lifted the suitcase, making sure the wheels didn't make a sound, and quietly walked into the living room.
The front door faces the living room sofa directly. The sun is blazing and the air is stifling, but the roses on the balcony are blooming luxuriantly, a verdant expanse. Lin Yu turns around and looks at the two tightly closed doors opposite the living room. The two small rooms are right next to each other, one is hers and the other is her brother's.
At this moment, the older brother is most likely in the room.
She stared intently, her gaze suddenly becoming uneasy.
She hadn't told her brother about returning to Tongcheng beforehand. Earlier, Zhou Ke had called to ask if she was coming home for the summer vacation. She had promised Zhou Ke she would come back this time, so Zhou Ke took the opportunity to ask if she had bought a ticket.
Lin Yu said no, she had two professional exams scheduled for the day before the holiday, so she might not be back for two days.
Zhou Ke had no suspicions and simply told him to remember to tell him after he bought the tickets.
Lin Yu agreed, then turned around and silently carried her luggage back to Tongcheng.
Pushing open the door, Lin Yu carried her suitcase into her room.
Even though I don't come back often, the room is still kept very clean. The interior space isn't large; there's only a single bed, a wooden desk, a small wardrobe, and a large window. Opening the window, you can see the lush old locust tree outside.
The abundant sunlight illuminated the entire room. Lin Yu opened her suitcase and unpacked all her clothes and belongings, putting them wherever they were needed. She was only back for one summer vacation, so she didn't bring much. She finished unpacking in no time.
After finishing her work, she walked out of the room and sat wearily on the sofa.
The three-hour drive didn't break her spirit; instead, the people in the room gave her an inexplicable headache. She could almost imagine the shocked look in her brother's eyes when he saw her return, and perhaps another contest would ensue.
When the person stopped, Lin Yu's stomach suddenly growled, and she realized she was hungry.
I glanced at the time; it was already 1:37.
I skipped breakfast and didn't have lunch on time, so I'm quite hungry.
Lin Yu got up and went to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator but found no food to fill her stomach. She then opened the cabinet above her head and found only some bottles and jars of spices and beans, as well as unopened noodles. She sighed and was worrying about how to solve her hunger problem when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a blue package of instant noodles in the corner.
She stretched out her arm to reach it, still a little puzzled. So her brother would eat these so-called junk foods when he was home alone. She remembered that her brother was a very good cook, especially good at the dishes she liked.
Looking at the instant noodles in her hand, Lin Yu picked up the kettle, intending to boil some water to cook the noodles.
No matter what happens next, let's eat our fill first.
The dark blue curtains were drawn tightly, plunging the room into complete darkness and silence, with only the air conditioner vents whirring cold air.
Zhou Ke was startled awake from his sleep. Strangely, there was no nightmare or noise, and he woke up without warning at a time when it shouldn't have been.
The old house wasn't soundproof; even a cough could seep into your eardrums through the walls. Zhou Ke woke up groggily to the sound of gurgling water.
Then came a sharp 'thump,' like an electrical circuit breaker tripping, followed by faint footsteps.
A faint clinking sound came from outside.
Zhou Ke was stunned. His first thought was that someone was at home, and his second thought was that a thief had broken in.
Thinking of this, he threw off the thin blanket covering him, hurriedly put on his clothes, and then cautiously pushed open the door. However, when he saw the familiar figure in the living room, Zhou Ke froze, his slightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and his feet seemed to be glued to the spot, unable to move.
The moment the door was pulled open, Lin Yu was holding a fork and scooping up a mouthful of instant noodles. A chilling blast of air rushed into the living room through the open valve, and the cold wind ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead. She paused for a moment, the noodles entering her mouth. Before she could even swallow, her cheeks bulged slightly. She slowly raised her head, revealing a beautiful and delicate face.
The afternoon sunlight streamed into the living room through the security bars on the balcony, casting dappled diamond-shaped shadows on the light-colored floor.
Their eyes met, and only the cold wind escaping from the room seemed to flow invisibly between them as they locked eyes.
By the bedroom door, a man's handsome features were facing the light, and he leaned upright against the door frame, wearing a black T-shirt and matching casual pants.
He had probably just woken up; his fluffy black hair was slightly disheveled, and his T-shirt seemed to have been hastily put on, revealing a deep collarbone. His skin was pale and his neck was long. If I remember correctly, there was a small brown mole on the right side of his neck, but given the distance between them, it was impossible to see it clearly.
However, Lin Yu had seen it up close once.
The atmosphere was so quiet that Lin Yu could even hear her own heartbeat gradually quickening. Her chest felt like a resting butterfly, which, upon seeing Zhou Ke, suddenly began to flutter its wings wildly and arrhythmically, causing her heartbeat to completely lose its balance.
The instant noodles in her mouth lost their flavor, so she swallowed them hastily, then forced a smile at him and called out in a soft voice, "Brother."
A note from the author:
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I've started a new story! Please support me! [hugs][hugs]
It's a short story of over 200,000 words. If you like it, please give it a like and add it to your favorites! [kiss][kiss]
People's preferences are reflected in their works.
Shu Cheng looked at her gentle and tender husband, shook her head, and let out a long sigh.
Should we change to another one or...?
One day, Chen Juesi suddenly received a file and a pair of incorrect conversations on his computer.
"Qingqing, look at these new chapters I wrote! Aren't they exciting...?"
Qingqing is Shucheng's best friend. Chen Juesi looked at the file that was sent to the wrong contact and remained unmoved. However, when he saw his wife's bold statement in the second half, a dark current suddenly appeared in his eyes.
Driven by curiosity, he opened the document.
Looking at those blood-pumping, straightforward descriptions, Chen Juesi closed his eyes, and the second half of Shu Cheng's sentence suddenly popped into his mind.
He couldn't help but sneer: So this is the type you like.
That night, Shu Cheng returned from Lincheng and received a text message from Chen Juesi as soon as she got off the plane.
"Halls Hotel, room 7624, wanna come?"
Shu Cheng's brow twitched.
Chen Juesi: "You'll know when you get here."
With a curious heart, Shu Cheng arrived at the hotel. As soon as she opened the door, she was pulled behind it by a pair of hands, and then her lips were covered by a pair of warm palms.
If I'd known you liked this type, why did I pretend before?
Mini-theater:
Honey, according to your script, today we played a female celebrity and a sugar daddy. Next time, we should be a repairman and a cheongsam shop owner, right? Oh, right, there are still the remaining three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.
As soon as she finished speaking, Shu Cheng began to sob and tremble.
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