18
I smiled at Pengpeng, walked over to him and said, "Look at all the messy things that have happened so early in the morning. Ugh, I'm still sleepy." I stretched and whispered in Pengpeng's ear, "How about we go back and lie down for a while?"
Pengpeng glanced at me, pulled me into the room, and casually closed the door behind him.
"Xia Xiang, how can you be like this?" Pengpeng glared at me and asked in a very stern tone.
I'm confused. What's wrong with me?
"I never knew you could be so blunt and direct! Watching you from the sidelines, I thought you were so fierce. If I were Hua Hongxin, you would have broken my heart!"
"Huh? What are you saying? What did I say that was disrespectful? I was just stating the facts! You don't like him doing this and that at home either, so what's wrong with me being straightforward with him? Hurting him... I didn't think that way, but if that's really the case, at least you can trust me, right?"
Pengpeng looked at me, a corner of his thin cotton pajamas fluttering in the breeze coming in from the window. He came closer to me and gently stroked my hair. "Seeing how you talked to him just now... I feel sorry for him. He... he didn't actually do anything wrong. Didn't he say that he just wanted to do what he could for you? But... I just feel inexplicably sad."
“I’m saying…you can do all the things he can do, right? If he does all of them, what else can you do for me?”
"……I have no idea."
“Pengpeng, he’s a guest here, we’re the hosts. This is our home, and housework is what we do. It’s only right that the head of the household does the housework, not someone else. Do you understand what I mean?”
Pengpeng thought for a moment, then hugged me tightly. "I understand, I understand. This is our home, just for the two of us."
"Well... how about I lie down a little longer?" I said with a smile.
"Go away!" Pengpeng punched me. "I can't sleep, I want to go out and talk to Hua Hong."
"ah?"
"You just said such harsh things, and you don't even know how he is now. Maybe he's already run away."
"Hehe, you really care about him, you little softie."
Pengpeng chuckled and pushed me onto the bed. "Lazybones, lie down a little longer. The diligent bird needs to go out and stretch its wings."
Watching Pengpeng's departing figure, I asked myself, how could I let down such a perfect man like him?
Lying in bed, I couldn't fall asleep. Sparrows chirped outside the window, and clouds drifted across the sky. Looking back on the years I'd spent with Pengpeng, I felt quite content. Hua Hong was a big, worry-free young man to me; I felt his life should be happy, even happier than mine. He was young, his life full of promise; he was a good person, so he must have many opportunities to meet good people; he was also very sunny, and it wouldn't be a problem for him to be surrounded by ten or eight handsome men. To him, I was just an ordinary man he'd occasionally encountered during a time of despair, someone who wasn't a bad person at heart. I thought he would soon realize this and leave, leaving us with the definition of "friends." Then, Pengpeng and I would continue our ordinary, simple lives, holding hands and walking happily along the road of life.
Pengpeng's laughter drifted from outside the slightly ajar door; I figured he and Hua Hong were having a good chat. I admit I was a bit harsh with that kid earlier; I hope he can understand.
I drifted in and out of sleep, and by then it was already bright outside the window.
I got up and went outside. Pengpeng and Huahong were sitting on the sofa watching the news. When Pengpeng saw me, he told me, as usual, to hurry up and wash up and come out for dinner. When Huahong saw me, he smiled awkwardly.
After breakfast, Hua Hong told me I didn't need to go to Xiao Wen's place with him later, that he could handle it himself. I said, "How can that be? I promised to go with you." Peng Peng said he wanted to go too, that having two extra hands would mean carrying more things. Hua Hong laughed and said there wasn't much, just a few clothes. But Peng Peng insisted; I guess he wanted to see what Xiao Wen was like. In the end, the three of us got into Hua Hong's car together.
Sitting in the back, Pengpeng asked me softly, "What does Hua Hong do? This car isn't cheap." I honestly replied that I didn't know, but judging from his young age, his family must be wealthy. Pengpeng thought for a moment and said, "That's true. I never felt like Hua Hong was someone who worked a regular job."
Xiaowen lives in Majiabao, in a rented house. Hua Hong said he hated living with his parents and moved out a long time ago. I thought to myself, with his personality, it wouldn't be convenient for him to hang out with his parents.
He rang the doorbell, and the door opened within seconds. Qin Jie stood there, his eyes red-rimmed. Seeing Hua Hong, his eyes lit up. "You rascal, why are you only coming back now? Why didn't you say anything last night? Xiao Wen, he..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiaowen came running towards him in his slippers. He yelled, "You fucking know how to come back? I thought you ran off with someone else!"
Xiaowen opened the door wide, and when she saw me, she was stunned for a moment, then frowned, making no attempt to hide her disgust for me.
"The plague god."
I just smiled at him.
"Why bring so many people back? My place isn't very big!" Xiao Wen glanced at Zhang Peng standing behind, blocking the doorway. It was clear he didn't intend to let us in.
"chili……"
"Shut up!" Xiao Wen shouted at Qin Jie.
Qin Jie glanced at Xiao Wen, then at the rest of us, bit his lip, and lowered his head.
"You ran off with him last night, didn't you?" Xiaowen glanced at me disdainfully. "Not bad, he looks handsome even during the day. Why did you come back here? Isn't he better off with him?"
"Xiaowen, I'm back because..."
"You don't need to come back. I've packed all your things for you! You can go now!"
Hua Hong looked at Xiao Wen with gentle eyes.
"Then please give me the item."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wen froze.
"Chili peppers..." Qin Jie's eyes widened in surprise from behind.
"I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble by staying here. Qin Jie, could you please give me my things that I've packed?"
Qin Jie tugged at Xiao Wen's arm, at a loss for what to do.
"What did you say? Move out..." Xiaowen stared blankly at Hua Hong and asked.
"Well, I don't want to be disliked. It's inconvenient for both of you to have me here, isn't it?"
Xiaowen suddenly shoved me, "Bullshit, it's because of this person, isn't it!"
Zhang Peng's eyes blazed with anger when he saw him push me. I pulled him back and shook my head at him. "It's alright."
"You wouldn't leave before when I told you to, but now you're so quick to agree? Heh, who's that person behind you? His wife, right? What's the relationship between the three of you? Don't tell me it's a threesome!"
With a loud "smack," Xiaowen received a resounding slap.
Everyone present was stunned.
Zhang Peng stepped forward, and Xiao Wen's slender body looked very small in front of his 183cm height.
"Try talking nonsense again!"
Xiao Wen glared fiercely at Zhang Peng, and to my surprise, he actually threw a punch at Zhang Peng. But Zhang Peng easily blocked that fair fist. Zhang Peng pushed forward, and Xiao Wen staggered back a step. He laughed cruelly, "Fine, Chili, someone's backing you up now! Go away, and don't come back. Don't expect me to even look at you again!"
Hua Hong walked over, wanting to see Xiao Wen's left cheek with the five-finger mark, but Xiao Wen waved him away.
"Xiao Jie, go get the chili pepper stuff!"
"But……"
"Stop talking nonsense and let him go!"
Qin Jie hesitated for a moment before going inside.
“Xiaowen…”
"What nonsense are you spouting? You brought people here first thing in the morning to embarrass me, aren't you satisfied?"
That's not what I meant.
"No? Then let me slap you and see?"
Hua Hong listened and closed his eyes.
Xiaowen stared intently at Hua Hong's face, and suddenly tears streamed down her face. In front of me and Zhang Peng, and in front of Qin Jie who was carrying a cardboard box out of the house, she hugged Hua Hong.
"Damn it! Don't go! How could you just leave like that? You'll regret it if you leave!"
Qin Jie watched from behind and cried quietly. He put down the box and covered his mouth.
This scene left me speechless.
Hua Hong hesitated for a moment, then touched Xiao Wen's hair. "I've made up my mind."
Xiaowen took a breath and pushed Hua Hong away.
"If you leave, who will cook for me?"
"Qin Jie's cooking is better than mine."
Xiaowen nodded, tears still streaming down her face.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"I never lie, you know that."
Xiaowen laughed through her tears, nodding repeatedly. "Okay, okay, you're leaving. I'm not kidding. Okay, that's good."
Looking at Xiaowen, I think he does have feelings for Hua Hong, but their path has come to an end, and they missed the best time to be together.
"I won't let you move, I won't let him move to that Xia family's place!"
Xiaowen yelled and ran into the house, forcefully throwing the boxes Qin Jie had brought out back into the room. At that moment, her eyes weren't on her boyfriend Qin Jie; only on resentment and unwillingness to let go. Her actions were childishly ridiculous, yet they broke my heart. What right does someone who doesn't know how to cherish have to try and get back what they've lost?
Qin Jie ran over and hugged Xiao Wen. "Xiao Wen, Xiao Wen, don't be angry. Chili won't leave. How could he leave? He's your best friend, isn't he?"
I was very surprised to hear this. I don't know what Qin Jie's mentality was when he said such a thing. Even a fool could see what kind of relationship Hua Hong and Xiao Wen had, let alone the people who lived with them. He must have always turned a blind eye and forced himself to ignore their relationship.
His love was also bitter.
"Get away from me!" Xiao Wen pushed Qin Jie away and ran over to grab Hua Hong.
"You think I'm too willful? You think I'm not good to you? You think I'm too playful? Yes, that's right! But you've always been by my side, you never said you wanted to leave! How could you leave? How could you possibly leave? Don't go, Xiao Jie is right, you're just saying that out of anger. You blame me for making you do pole dancing, right? I knew you didn't like it, but I still... but I still forced you to learn. It was my fault! I won't do it again, I promise I won't. Chili, don't go."
Xiaowen looked at Hua Hong anxiously, her pale fingers trembling as she gripped his arm.
Hua Hong stared at him for a long time before finally shaking his head.
"Xiaowen, I don't want to stay here anymore."
"Why? Don't you like me anymore?" Xiaowen asked Hua Hong in disbelief, her eyes wide with tears.
Qin Jie finally burst into tears.
"...You are now in the past, a past I tried but could not obtain."
"No, that's not it! I really like you! I really like you!"
"Xiaowen, don't be like this. I believe you once liked me, but you also like many other people. You said that there are no perfect people in the world, and if you want perfection, you have to love many people and combine them together, and maybe that's how you find perfection. I'm just a person, I'm not perfect, and I don't want to piece together the perfection you want with other people. Now you have Xiaojie, Xiaojie is great, you have to treat him well, stop playing around. The more you play around, the more you'll lose."
Xiaowen let go of Hua Hong with a wry smile, pointed at me and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I know it's because of this person; you wouldn't be saying these things to me without him. But look, he has a man! Don't dream about what he'll do with you!"
Hua Hong glanced at me, then turned to Xiao Wen and said, "His wife is very good; even if I wait in line, I won't be able to get her."
"So you still like it?"
Hua Hong didn't answer. I glanced at Zhang Peng; he didn't seem to care much.
Xiaowen looked me up and down and said, "Are you really that good? I don't believe it."
"I'm just an ordinary person."
“Yeah, you’re pretty average… I don’t think you’re anything special!” Then she said to Hua Hong, “You’re bewitched.”
Xiaowen entered the room, and after a while, she came out carrying Hua Hong's things.
"Take it, I don't care about these things, you'll be back sooner or later anyway."
Hua Hong took the cardboard box, still smiling gently, "I won't be coming back. Take good care of yourself."
The moment the door closed, I saw Xiaowen wipe away her tears, her eyes still wide open, staring at Hua Hong's retreating figure.
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