Things are not as they used to be
Wen Lingyi woke up in deep darkness, her consciousness still seeming to sink to the bottom of cold, murky water.
It was empty and cold around me. The last bit of warmth that belonged to Zhou Jianxing last night was completely swallowed up by the cool breeze from the constant temperature air conditioner.
Her sleep was fragmented, Su Qing's words fermenting in her dreams, and the nightmare twisted into Zhu Yang's disgusting face. She couldn't remember the details, only the sticky discomfort of being spied on and torn apart, like the stubborn dull pain after a hangover, lingering in her nerve endings.
When did Zhou Jianxing leave? The heavy blackout curtains were drawn tightly, and the room was like a solidified block of ink, with no time scale.
She fumbled to pick up her phone, and the sudden light from the screen made her eyes sting.
She lifted the thin quilt, stepped barefoot onto the slightly cool floor, and walked straight to the window.
Grabbing the heavy velvet curtain with his fingers, he pulled hard—
“Swish——”
The surging morning light instantly shattered the darkness, sweeping through every corner of the room. Motes of dust suspended in the air danced distinctly within the beam of light.
Wen Lingyi narrowed her eyes, adjusted for a moment, and looked out the window.
The garden soil was a deep, moist black, gleaming with a lustrous sheen. All the plants, saturated with water, flourished.
It was Zhou Jianxing. Before leaving, she didn't forget to water the land.
Wen Lingyi's cold fingertips unconsciously drew a water mark on the equally cold window glass.
She turned and poured the water. The glass was filled with clear water, which felt slightly cool in her palm.
I stood back by the window and looked at the vibrant area that was carefully cared for.
Condensation dripped from the cup's walls, wetting my fingertips. A familiar hollowness crept into my heart. How ironic. She was the one who had taught Zhou Jianxing, "Life is short, enjoy it while you can," yet now she was mired in anxiety.
That completely crushed and betrayed relationship was like a wound that would never heal, making her instinctively tense up to any warmth that approached her, rehearsing for a possible heavy blow.
Wen Lingyi squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing her inappropriate weakness. Morning light was precious and shouldn't be wasted on unnecessary consumption.
She put on a neat suit and meticulously arranged every detail. When she opened the door and prepared to leave the bedroom, Wen Lingyi's eyes were caught by a piece of light yellow note paper behind the door.
On it was Zhou Jianxing's serious, even slightly formal handwriting: "Dumplings and eggs are steaming in the kitchen, and milk is sitting in the hot water. Remember to eat breakfast when you get up (*^_^*)"
At the end, there is a crooked smiley face.
Wen Lingyi's fingers paused on the door frame for a moment before she gently peeled off the paper.
The paper was thin, and she held it in her palm.
This person... an indescribable wave passed through his heart.
Should I say she's heartless? Or should I say she possesses... a kind of reckless tenacity and enthusiasm?
Like a stubborn stone, even though it knows there is a cliff ahead, it still rolls forward stubbornly.
·
Zhou Jianxing dragged his injured leg into the office, each step causing a dull ache beneath his skin. The bruise left by Wen Lingyi's kick lay hideously beneath his skin.
Her movements were awkward and slow, almost as if she was dragging her injured leg forward with her good leg.
Ajie came over with a coffee cup in hand and caught her strange gait at a glance. His eyes instantly became playful and complicated. He moved closer and bumped Zhou Jianxing with his shoulder: "Hey, little star~"
The sudden collision caused Zhou Jianxing, who was already unstable, to stagger. He hurriedly grabbed the desk partition next to him to steady himself. He looked up blankly: "Ah? Ajie, what's wrong?"
Ajie looked her up and down, his tone deliberately relaxed: "It's nothing serious. It just feels like it's been a while since we had dinner together. Have you been missing for a while? What state secrets have you been busy with?" He asked knowingly, but he was indeed worried in his heart.
Zhou Jianxing hadn't participated in their small group activities for almost a month, and even turned down Sister Chu Wei's invitations several times. This tendency to "put love before friendship" was too strong.
He pulled out his phone and pretended to swipe the screen to check the date. "It's better to do it today than to wait for a better day. How about tonight? Call Sister Chu Wei and Xiao Min, and let's get together?"
"Okay." Zhou Jianxing agreed almost reflexively. Refusing was not in her habit.
"Is it settled then? Tonight?" Ajie's eyes lit up, and he struck while the iron was hot. "Xiao Min just finished her internship today, and she's so bored she keeps nagging about wanting to see you."
"Tonight?" Zhou Jianxing frowned, and when he came to his senses, a clear look of guilt appeared on his face. "Uh... Brother Jie, tonight... I really can't, I... have an appointment." His voice became smaller and smaller, almost stuck in his throat.
She wanted to have dinner with Wen Lingyi.
"What if one day I don't like you anymore" was hanging over her head. All she could grasp was the present moment, every moment she spent with Wen Lingyi.
No one knows when the knife will fall and cut off her greed, anger, ignorance, resentment and hatred.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt that friendship was like a peaceful harbor. Between friends, there seemed to be no fear of "ending," no suffocating, ever-present possessiveness, no need to constantly worry about one's place in the other's heart, and no need to worry about being pushed away by cold words in the next second.
Friendship is like a slowly flowing stream, steady and constant.
And two people who break up often can't even be friends anymore.
Seeing her evasive gaze and slightly flushed cheeks, Ajie shook his head exaggeratedly and drawled, "Tsk, tsk, tsk... Our friendship of so many years was finally defeated by a sudden attack from the heavens. Tell me the truth, who was it that stole our Xingxing's soul?"
Zhou Jianxing's cheeks burned even redder: "Don't talk nonsense!"
Ajie was very interested. He lowered his voice, his gossip spirit burning: "Can you tell me the truth, brother? Is it a boy or a girl?" He winked.
"A woman! A beautiful lady! Okay? Stop asking!" Zhou Jianxing felt uncomfortable and embarrassed when he was staring at her. He quickly dragged his weak leg and limped back to his workstation, blocking out Ajie's mischievous and satisfied smile.
After sitting down, his heartbeat was still a little rapid. Zhou Jianxing took a deep breath, took out his phone, clicked on the top dialog box, and hovered his fingertips for a moment before carefully typing:
"Sister Wen, can we have dinner together tonight?"
Send. She stared at the screen, her breathing lightening. The phone quickly vibrated.
"Okay. I won't cook tonight. We haven't finished last night's food yet."
The simple reply made her tense shoulders relax and the corners of her mouth curl up unconsciously. After thinking for a while, she opened the chat box with her mother again:
"Mom, I won't be back for a few days. Please remember to help me water the flowers on the balcony."
The reply was quick:
"I see. It's true that girls can't be kept at home when they grow up! [Laughing with a hand covering his mouth]"
Seeing that expression, Zhou Jianxing pursed her lips, a trace of indescribable bitterness filling her heart. Yes, she couldn't stay any longer. But how long could she "stay"?
·
As the clock was about to end, Zhou Jianxing was almost the first one to grab his backpack and rush out of the office building. His slightly awkward yet extremely anxious movements made Huang Haifu, who had just walked out, stunned for a moment.
He frowned and looked at Zhou Jianxing's back as he left, feeling quite uncomfortable.
As a boss, seeing how eager her employees are to go home, especially Zhou Jianxing, who has been dressing up a lot lately, I feel like her energy isn't being used properly. Although dressing up is certainly pleasing to the eye.
"Xiao Zhou!" Huang Haifu raised his voice.
Zhou Jianxing, who had already rushed to the side of the road, paused, pursed his lips, turned around helplessly, and quickly put on a professional smile on his face: "Boss? You called me?"
Huang Haifu walked over, his hands behind his back, speaking in a serious tone. "Overall, you've been doing well at work lately. But young people, you need to have a long-term vision and focus on professional advancement." He then changed the subject and offered a lure. "At the end of the year, the company has a very limited number of spots available for advanced skills training. It's a rare opportunity. You'd better put in the effort and strive for it."
"I'm very optimistic about you."
Zhou Jianxing sighed silently in his heart, but his smile remained sincere: "Okay, boss, thank you for the reminder, I will definitely work hard!"
Huang Haifu nodded with satisfaction and walked towards his shiny black Audi A6.
Zhou Jianxing watched the car drive away, breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly walked to the old electric scooter in the corner. She climbed onto the saddle, turned the key, and the familiar hum, tinged with the wheezing of an elderly man, carried her into the evening traffic.
·
The summer sky changes its face like the pages of a book. Zhou Jianxing had just ridden halfway when the sky suddenly turned gloomy, dark clouds hung low, and then, without warning, large raindrops fell, forming a dense curtain of rain in an instant.
She was caught off guard, and before she could even pull out her raincoat, she was completely drenched by the icy rain. The rain poured down her hair and into her collar, and the soaked fabric clung to her skin, feeling cold and heavy.
When they finally arrived at Lanyue Bay and pushed open the door of Wen Lingyi's house, Zhou Jianxing looked as disheveled as if he had just been pulled out of the river. Water was dripping from the ends of his hair and the corners of his clothes, and a small dark water stain quickly spread on the smooth floor.
Wen Lingyi was sitting on the sofa reading documents. When she heard the voice, she looked up and saw the wet and slightly shivering figure at the door. She frowned silently.
She put down the documents and stood up. "Why are you so wet? Go take a hot shower!" She wrapped the thin blanket on the sofa around Zhou Jianxing. "Take off your wet clothes and put them in the laundry basket. I'll get you some clean clothes."
The warm water washed away the cold rain and the mess on his body, and the warmth returned to his body. Zhou Jianxing changed into some loose cotton home clothes, wiped his half-dry hair and walked out of the bathroom.
The aroma of food wafts from the restaurant.
Wen Lingyi reheated last night's leftovers and put them on the table. She was already sitting at the dining table, holding a document in her hand, but her eyes were fixed on the drizzle outside the window, as if waiting for her.
The two sat down quietly. Wen Lingyi picked up a piece of greens with her chopsticks, her eyes glancing over Zhou Jianxing's still-damp cheeks and slightly damp hair. She said calmly, "If you have the money to treat me to a meal, why not consider buying yourself a car first? Or," she turned her gaze out the window, "at least get rid of that antique electric car."
Zhou Jianxing was eating his meal with his head down. He looked up at the words and smiled nonchalantly: "I think it's a good bike to ride. It's convenient for going through streets and alleys, there's never any traffic jam, and you can just find a spot to stop."
"Convenient?" Wen Lingyi raised an eyebrow, looking at the old electric scooter with mottled paint. "In my opinion, its service life should have ended long ago. Looking at it makes me worry that it will fall apart on the road at any second."
"It's still going strong!" Zhou Jianxing recalled. "I got it from a senior student when I was in college. It was quite new then. I've been riding it for so many years, I've developed an attachment to it and can't bear to replace it."
She naturally remembered her father's words and laughed to herself. "My dad always says that when it breaks down completely, there's nothing I can do about it. But," she said with a hint of pride, "I'm a repairman. I maintain it meticulously and can easily fix minor problems. It seems... it just can't find a reason to 'retire.'"
She spoke movingly, even with a touch of tenderness when she mentioned the car. An item that had accompanied me for so many years, like a silent companion, carried the traces of the passing of time and countless days and nights.
The little broken eMule accompanied her from campus to society, accompanied her through ups and downs, accompanied her on her journey, and also accompanied her back home.
Every time you tighten a loose screw or replace a worn brake pad, it feels like a silent communication with an old friend.
New items are certainly shiny and convenient, but what should we do with those old items that have been worn by time and have gone through ups and downs?
There is always an indescribable sense of guilt when you throw things away casually.
Zhou Jianxing lowered his head to eat and did not notice that Wen Lingyi's hand holding the chopsticks opposite him paused very slightly.
"Reluctant" and "feelings" gently touched a quiet corner of Wen Lingyi's heart. As for why? She herself couldn't figure it out.
Is it because Zhou Jianxing's cherishment of a broken electric car seems so out of place, and is it because it reveals a kind of almost stubborn loyalty to "companionship" itself?
This made her wonder, for a person who cherishes things so much... would he also treat people with the same long-lasting love and reluctance?
The thought was fleeting. The only sounds in the restaurant were the gentle clinking of dishes and the steady patter of rain outside the window. Warm yellow light enveloped the dining table, and two people, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, quietly shared a dinner of leftover food and fresh rainwater.
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