Colorful
Zheng Hongwen is a doctoral student at Capital University. He went abroad for further studies with his supervisor this year. He came back this time because of some family matters and took a long vacation.
He also missed Chen Qian'an very much.
He made an appointment with Chen Qian'an as soon as he got off the plane yesterday. If he hadn't been busy yesterday, he and Chen Qian'an would have met long ago. Why would they have to wait until now?
"Qian, you look much better!" Zheng Hongwen, a man who wouldn't sit still, twisted and turned in his chair, inexplicably excited. "Honestly, did anything good happen to you while I was abroad? I'm very perceptive, and I noticed you're looking very happy right now. Tell me the truth now."
Chen Qi'an was already used to Zheng Hongwen's eccentric behavior. He smiled shyly and said, "I'm married."
"Wow," Zheng Hongwen said subconsciously, as was his habit. He took a bite of the ribs and finally realized what he had heard. The ribs slipped from his mouth and fell into the bowl with a "thump".
"——Ah?" Zheng Hongwen looked at Chen Qian'an blankly and said.
Zheng Hongwen rarely had such a brain freeze. Chen Qi'an didn't know where he'd learned this from. With a malicious look, he quietly admired the other's expression as he shifted from calm to astonishment before slowly saying, "Really?"
"Ah???" Zheng Hongwen raised his voice and turned into a chirping bird, his dense words seeming to linger around Chen Qian'an.
"Oh my god, is this true?"
"You've made a lot of progress. How long have I been abroad and you already have a partner?"
"I remember you didn't hang out with girls much in college. Whenever someone approached you, you would just apologize and decline them coldly with your delicate expression."
"I always thought you were asexual."
"I didn't expect you to get married so early!"
"If I remember correctly, you're only twenty-six, right?"
"Oh my god, this is unbelievable. I don't even have a girlfriend, how come you're married?"
"Are we still friends? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, it doesn't matter whether you tell me or not, but I can always see him, right?"
"Ah, I'm really curious about what kind of person you like."
He was talking so fast that Chen Qi'an had no chance to interrupt. He was acting out a big drama all by himself.
Chen Qi'an habitually waited for him to finish his words in one breath, and finally found a gap when he was catching his breath and said, "She's been busy with work lately. I'll ask her when she has a day off. How long will you stay this time?"
"Sure!" Zheng Hongwen said cheerfully, waving his hand. "I'll be back until June 3rd. Hey, if your wife isn't free, we can meet during the summer vacation. I have a month off."
Zheng Hongwen's smug look on his face made Chen Qi'an helpless. He shook his head and said, "I see. I know you have summer vacation. I'm so envious."
If Chen Qi'an were an actor, then his line would be terrible.
No emotion, no heart at all.
It’s a pity that the director is Zheng Hongwen.
He laughed heartily, subconsciously leaning forward slightly, and said cheerfully: "Of course! I'm jealous of you! Hahaha! You've become a social animal now, and you can't enjoy this charming summer vacation~~~~"
Chen Qi'an's expression, which hadn't changed much in the past ten thousand years, turned into one of complete silence after meeting Zheng Hongwen. "Even eating can't stop your mouth."
Zheng Hongwen took a bite of another dish and said, "Hmm, to be honest, this time I went out and really felt that there are always people who are better than you. Many people have really amazing ideas. I feel like I might never come up with them in my lifetime."
Chen Qi'an ate quietly, being a competent listener as always.
This is a way of getting along between them. Zheng Hongwen excitedly talked about the competitions he participated in recently, the interesting things he encountered during the competitions, the new friends he met abroad, the new ideas he recently gained... and so on.
Seeing his high spirits, Chen Qian'an's mood instantly became depressed.
Zheng Hongwen had a lot of things to share with him, but he had nothing. Apart from "getting married", he had nothing else interesting to say.
His work brought him no joy either.
He is luckier than others and does not have to be overwhelmed by work.
He is also more unfortunate than others, he cannot find what he is pursuing.
Everyone has dreams and things they want to do.
Their lives are colorful and even though they work hard, they are happy.
His life is nothing but monotony and boredom. Compared with the colorful lives of others, his seems lifeless.
Of course, Chen Qi'an would not express such negative emotions. It was not easy for them to meet now. Zheng Hongwen was very busy, and he did not want their meeting to become unhappy.
He kept smiling as Zheng Hongwen vividly described a giant dog he saw.
Zheng Hongwen finally finished speaking. He took a sip of water, looked at Chen Qi'an, and said, "Oh, don't just talk about me. Look at me, I can't stop talking once I start. Let's talk about you. What interesting things have you said?"
"I don't have anything interesting to do. My daily routine consists of going to work, going home from get off work, sleeping, and eating," said Chen Qian'an.
Zheng Hongwen, used to being carefree, blurted out, "Hey, seriously, you're really suited to theoretical research. It's a shame you don't continue your studies!"
"I..." Chen Qi'an's expression suddenly became confused and helpless.
His appearance reminded Zheng Hongwen of some bad memories. His expression changed, he drank another sip of water in silence, and abruptly changed the subject.
It was almost eight o'clock when Chen Qi'an got home, almost the same time as when he and Dong You were talking.
As soon as he entered the door, he found Dong You coming down the stairs and asked in surprise, "Why are you coming down?"
Normally at this time, Dong You would be working in the study upstairs, and you wouldn't see her until after dinner and before bedtime.
Dongyou: "I heard some noise in the yard and came down to see if you were back."
She would never admit that she was working up there just now and was distracted because Chen Qian'an was outside, so her work efficiency was extremely low.
It's strange, too. I don't see him at work all the time, so I don't think much of him. But why do I miss him so much now?
Chen Qi'an didn't know what to say. He silently and slowly took off his shoes and changed into indoor slippers. He asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
"Eat it." Dong You said, staring at him without moving.
This look made Chen Qi'an feel a little uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say, so he said casually, "I'm thirsty. I'll go get a glass of water."
After saying that, without waiting for Dongyou's reaction, he went straight to the living room and poured himself a glass of water. His back looked like he was fleeing in panic.
While he was drinking water, Dong You had already walked over to the sofa and sat down, quietly watching Chen Qi'an's actions, and inexplicably said: "You are in a bad mood."
A sentence without a beginning or an end.
It's not even a question, there's nine out of ten affirmations in the words.
Chen Qi'an nearly choked on the water. He didn't understand where Dong You came to that conclusion. He thought everything was normal. He slowly put down the cup and said calmly, "No."
Dong You kept looking at him without saying anything, as if she was trying to determine the credibility of his words. After a while, she asked, "Did someone bully you?"
Her expression gradually became serious: "The person you met today wasn't a friend? Did he bully you?"
Seeing that she was about to get angry, Chen Qi'an quickly waved his hands and said, "No! No one bullies me, really."
Dong You looked at him quietly for a few seconds, temporarily believing what he said, and then asked with concern: "Then why are you unhappy?"
"I'm not unhappy." Chen Qianan remained calm.
But Dongyou was still keenly aware that the hand at his side had clenched.
Seeing that he really didn't want to talk, Dongyou didn't want to force him, so he had to give up and said to him, "Go take a shower."
Chen Qi'an nodded and turned to walk towards the bathroom, leaving Dong You staring at his back in deep thought.
After Chen Qi'an went to the bathroom, Dong You returned to the study to work. After Chen Qi'an returned home, her work efficiency improved significantly, and she felt more energetic. But not long after, she heard a muffled sound from next door.
The study's soundproofing was pretty good, so the noise was loud enough for Dong You to hear. Dong You's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately put down the documents in her hand and rushed to the master bedroom. She heard the sound of water dripping in the bathroom. She knocked on the bathroom door and asked nervously, "Xiao An?! What's wrong?! What happened?!"
Dong You was nervous, fearing that something might happen to Chen Qian'an. He knocked on the door with his hand, as if he was about to break in at the next second.
Fortunately, Chen Qi'an's voice came from inside: "It's okay...! Sister Xiaoyou..." His voice was interrupted by the shower in the bathroom, "I accidentally knocked over the shelf just now."
Dong You breathed a sigh of relief and said to the person inside: "I'm glad you're okay. Call me if you need anything. Tell me if you feel unwell, okay!"
"knew."
After confirming Chen Qian'an's safety, Dong You was about to return to the study to continue working, but he heard a message alert.
Dong You turned around to look for the source of the sound and found that it was Chen Qi'an's mobile phone on the table.
She has always respected Chen Qian'an's privacy and has never looked at his phone or anything else without his consent.
But this time.
For some unknown reason, Dong You walked to the phone and took a look at the screen.
Zheng Hongwen: After much thought, I still want to tell you something from my heart. I was embarrassed to say it just now, so I'll just say it here. Please don't think I'm nagging...
Zheng Hongwen: I know that what happened in the past made you afraid to go.
Dongyou blinked, a wave of confusion rising in his heart: What happened? What made him lose his courage? What was he planning to do? Why didn't I know?
After a few seconds, two more sentences came from the other side:
Zheng Hongwen: But people always have to take a step forward, right?
[Zheng Hongwen: I know you like it very much.]
Dong You was thoughtful and waited for a few minutes. When she found that the person on the other side had nothing to say, she stood up, looked deeply at the bathroom door, turned around and walked out of the master bedroom.
That night, Dongyou arrived at the bedroom earlier than the previous few days, and Chen Qian'an was still asleep.
He was scrolling through his phone when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw Dong You walking in. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes: "So early today?"
Dongyou skipped over this and said, "I'll wash up first."
After washing up, it was time for Chen Qi'an to go to bed. He turned off the lights. In the darkness, Dong You suddenly said, "Didn't you say you would take me to meet your friends when you have time? When is that?"
Chen Qi'an didn't understand why Dong You suddenly brought this up. Zheng Hongwen had just mentioned this as well, so Chen Qi'an mumbled, "It depends on when you're free... He'll be back home after the 2nd..."
Dongyou was deep in thought, searching his itinerary in his mind, trying to figure out which day he could free up his dinner time to meet Chen Qian'an, his crucial friend.
She whispered, "Let's have dinner with him the day after tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
The air was very quiet, no one responded to her, only the steady breathing of the person next to her told her that there was someone beside her.
Maybe she spent too much time thinking, and Chen Qian'an was too sleepy, so he fell asleep first.
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