Chapter 36
It was almost evening when they came out of the art museum. Qiao Yitang left first because she wanted to go shopping with her sisters. Little Tang Nan had fallen into a deep sleep and was stuffed into the passenger seat by Lin Qinhe and fastened with a seat belt. Tao Xi got into the back seat of the car with Lin Qinhe, carrying a bag of unfinished candies.
Because they were worried about waking Tang Nan up, no one in the car spoke, only the shallow breathing of the child who fell asleep could be heard.
This kind of quiet atmosphere was somewhat torturous for Tao Xi, because once things became quiet, the presence of the person next to him would suddenly become so obvious that he could not be ignored.
He wanted to talk to Lin Qinhe, saying that he had sold his first painting in the true sense, that he met many seniors and friends at the exhibition, that he had decided to continue painting, and that he was going to give him a one-of-a-kind painting...
Tao Xi glanced to the side again and saw Lin Qinhe looking down at his phone.
He retracted his gaze and turned to look out the window, intending to divert his attention to the scenery outside, but the mobile phone in his hand suddenly vibrated, and even his heart vibrated suddenly.
Tao Xi quickly lowered his head to look at his phone and found that it was a message from Lin Qinhe.
Moon: What do you want to say?
Tao Xi's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help but look to the side. Lin Qinhe just looked down at the phone screen without looking at him.
He also lowered his head and began to type on the screen, slowly typing out what he wanted to say just now, but in the end he deleted all the words.
Then he picked out the sentence he wanted to say most from those words that were rolling like clouds.
Tao Xi: Lin Qinhe, I want to give you a painting.
In the art museum, when Lin Qinhe promised to see his first art exhibition in the future, he made a decision in his heart.
A decision that he had been wavering about for a long time, but suddenly had the courage to make today.
He breathed lightly and stared at the screen, not letting his eyes wander to the side. However, his fingertips pressing on the screen were getting hot, and his peripheral vision was still unconsciously following the movements of the people around him.
Moon: When will you give it to me?
He didn't ask what the painting was or why, he just asked when to give it to him.
Tao Xi took a deep breath. He inexplicably felt that Lin Qinhe seemed to understand the meaning of his words. This guess made his entire face, except for his fingertips, feel hot.
Amid the rising heat, he slowly typed on the screen again with his burning fingertips.
Tao Xi: I’ll give it to you when I finish drawing it.
Moon: Okay, I'll wait for you.
I'm waiting for you.
Tao Xi's fingers pressing on the screen curled up unconsciously. He heard his heartbeat suddenly become lighter and faster, like an afternoon shower in midsummer. The dense raindrops evaporated the hot white steam all over the ground, making his brain clear and confused.
After the WeChat conversation ended, the car fell into silence again. Occasionally, there was the sound of a child talking in his sleep, but Tao Xi felt that it was more unbearable than before.
This feeling of difficulty continued during every break at school.
Tao Xi tried hard to face Lin Qinhe as usual, but ever since he made that decision, he felt like he was hanging in the air by a hydrogen balloon.
Lin Qinhe's words, a look, and even a slightly raised eyebrow expression made him feel anxious about himself who was about to reach the critical point.
Only after returning to the dormitory could he prepare for his decision with complete peace of mind.
"Wow, Xida, are you drawing so many paintings to give away or to participate in a competition?"
Pan Yan has been curious for many days. In the past, Tao Xi would do homework or listen to audio comprehension exercises when she returned to the dormitory every day. However, in the past week or so, Tao Xi has been painting in front of the easel every night. She has painted many paintings, and each one is different.
But they all paint the same thing: the moon.
The invisible new moon on the first day, the crescent moon on the third and fourth days, the waxing moon on the seventh and eighth days, the full moon on the fifteenth and sixteenth days, the waning moon on the twenty-second and twenty-third days... It seems as if all the phases of the moon in the entire thirty days of the new and full moon month should be drawn down.
The moon in each painting is in a different place, in a secluded valley filled with peach blossoms, in a dark blue ocean with surging waves, in a thousand rows of interlaced peaks, in a neon city with bright fireworks...
Tao Xi was concentrating on painting and was a little slow before he made up a random excuse to get away with it.
What he wanted to give to Lin Qinhe was not a simple painting, but the moon in the whole world, no matter whether it was full or not.
But after all, there were thirty paintings to be done. Tao Xi worked overtime every day, but he only finished less than half of them in more than a week.
Fortunately, Qiao Yitang had given him the key to the Qiushi Building studio before, so he was able to continue painting in the studio during his lunch break.
One day at noon, he returned to the classroom from the studio and saw Lin Qinhe already sitting in his seat. He paused and returned to his seat calmly. Just as he picked up the pen, he heard Lin Qinhe ask him:
"Where have you been going at noon these days?"
His voice was very deep, and he seemed a little unhappy.
Tao Xi's heart tightened, and he felt guilty as if he had been caught. He looked at Lin Qinhe, hesitated for a few seconds, and then told the truth frankly: "I'm drawing for you in the studio."
Lin Qinhe was stunned, as if he had not expected this answer. He quickly withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes, humming lightly.
Tao Xi also lowered her eyes, quietly stretched out her left hand and pinched her earlobe hard.
It was such an airtight atmosphere that made people feel anxious and at a loss.
After quietly writing the test paper for a while, Tao Xi heard Lin Qinhe suddenly say to him, "I'm going to the provincial training competition the day after tomorrow."
Tao Xi was stunned, and suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Qinhe, and asked anxiously, "How long will the training last?"
Lin Qinhe said: "Two weeks."
Tao Xi didn't know whether he should breathe a sigh of relief or a sigh of relief. He should have finished his painting in two weeks, but he wouldn't be able to see Lin Qinhe for two weeks...
Even though the person hadn't left yet, he had already started thinking about her.
Tao Xi felt very useless, and he said to Lin Qinhe: "Then I will wait for you to come back."
Lin Qinhe looked at him, was silent for a while, and whispered: "You have been..."
Tao Xi quickly raised two fingers, nodded and promised: "I will definitely study hard!"
Then he heard Lin Qinhe laugh very quietly and said to him, "I mean, where are the comics for the past two weeks, President of Xiao Tao Comics Club?"
Tao Xi was stunned. It was the first time he heard Lin Qinhe call him that. His face was a little hot. He hesitated and said, "Ben, I will draw two weeks' worth of them and give them to you tomorrow night."
Lin Qinhe wanted to say that he could just take a picture of the painting with his mobile phone and send it to him every day, but he thought about it and finally said, "Okay."
There was another uncomfortable silence. The two looked at each other and then lowered their heads to do their own things.
Tao Xi stared absentmindedly at the math problem in front of him. After about two minutes, he suddenly turned around and said to Lin Qinhe without thinking:
"I'll give you the painting the day you come back."
Because he was too nervous, he spoke very fast, so fast that he could hardly hear him clearly.
But Lin Qinhe seemed to have heard it clearly, and seemed to know what he meant. After pausing for two seconds, he said to him:
"Okay. I'm looking forward to it."
Tao Xi thought that Lin Qinhe must be too gentle at this moment, which made him unable to resist pushing his feet further. He stared at Lin Qinhe, narrowed his eyes and said:
"Then you must not dislike my paintings."
He had never said words like "no" or "not allowed" that were revealing his willfulness, but at this moment he couldn't help but be willful towards Lin Qinhe.
He even wanted to be more willful and say that you are not allowed not to like me.
Lin Qinhe looked into his eyes and said in a low voice:
"I would love it."
Serious and determined.
Tao Xi's breathing stagnated, and he heard a very light explosion sound in his head, like blue fireworks blooming on the distant ocean, hazy and blurred.
He dropped his eyes in panic, looked down at his homework book, and whispered, "Then it's settled."
In the past two days, Tao Xi worked overtime to produce fourteen small cartoons, each of which was put into a small envelope with the date of the next two weeks written on it.
The next day after evening self-study, Tao Xi handed all fourteen envelopes to Lin Qinhe and repeatedly reminded him: "You must open them on this day!"
Just like a doctor prescribing medicine to a patient.
Lin Qinhe put the envelope into his bag, stood up and asked him, "What will happen if I open it in advance?"
Tao Xi was stunned for a moment, grabbed Lin Qinhe's schoolbag, looked up at Lin Qinhe and said, "It's not a big deal, but it's not allowed."
Lin Qinhe looked down at him, raised the corners of his lips slightly, and said, "Okay, I got it."
Tao Xi felt that Lin Qinhe's tone was a bit like coaxing a child, so he let go of the schoolbag.
He saw Lin Qinhe turn and walk towards the door, and suddenly realized that he would not see this person for the next two weeks starting from tomorrow.
what to do.
He misses him so much now.
Before Tao Xi could react, he shouted, "Lin Qinhe."
Lin Qinhe quickly stopped and turned around, looking at him from two steps away.
Tao Xi didn't know what to say. His head was buzzing and he racked his brains and said:
"You, I wish you all the best in your training..."
Before he could utter the word "smoothly", Lin Qinhe suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his side.
"Can you take me to the school gate?" Lin Qinhe whispered in his ear.
The distance suddenly approached, the warm breath brushed against his ears, the deep voice beating on his eardrums, Tao Xi felt that his whole face was congested and his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
"Okay." It took him a long time to find the voice to answer.
It was almost November, and the night was as cool as water. Tao Xi walked beside Lin Qinhe. Neither of them walked fast, and they both tacitly kept silent.
Tao Xi looked up at the night sky. It was not clear tonight and there was no moon. He turned his head and looked at the person beside him.
It doesn't matter, this is my moon, he thought.
The moon is always there.
Lin Qinhe turned his head and looked back at him, and Tao Xi quickly lowered his eyes.
Walking all the way to the school gate, Tao Xi couldn't go any further. He saw Chen Ting waiting not far outside the gate. He tried to suppress his reluctance and said to Lin Qinhe with a smile:
"Good luck in the training camp. I'm sure you'll get good grades in the competitions to come."
Lin Qinhe looked down at him and said to him, "Eat well at school, study hard, and don't stay up too late."
Tao Xi curved her eyes and nodded, "I will, and you too."
Lin Qinhe looked at him in silence for a while, then whispered, "Then I'll leave."
The smile on Tao Xi's face faded a little, and he was silent for a while before smiling again and saying, "See you in two weeks!"
Lin Qinhe hummed, he looked at the person in front of him, and endured for a long time, but finally couldn't help it and raised his hand to rub his soft hair, then quickly turned and left.
The author has something to say:
I wish you all a happy Dragon Boat Festival
There may be another chapter later in the evening.
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