Chapter 25 Bamboo Ladder for Eighteen-Year-Old Children.
"2018.06.28 Scorching Heat"
I like someone, but I can't tell him.
——Excerpt from Tao Shuran’s Diary
*
Tao Shuran: "I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now."
Liang Yuanjing: "Really? I can't remember. I also drank alcohol that night."
After sending this message, Liang Yuanjing snorted and put the phone in his pocket.
He raised his head and walked forward unconsciously, weaving through the winding and complex alleys and slopes of Xikang Road.
Finally, at the next corner, I saw Fu Changpei standing tall.
Liang Yuanjing asked casually: "Are you still asleep?"
Fu Changpei asked, "Has she gone back?"
Liang Yuanjing nodded indifferently.
Later, I came to my senses and asked him, "Why are you so concerned about Tao Shuran?"
Fu Changpei's expression changed in an instant, and he turned around quickly. The cold moonlight and the wind lifted the corners of his clothes.
His heart was immersed in the deep moonlight, and even his voice seemed gentle.
He said with the intention of explaining: "We are just good friends."
On the other hand, because of her misconduct that night, Tao Shuran avoided Liang Yuanjing for two whole days.
I just finished the college entrance examination and received many invitations from classmates.
What’s strange is that apart from that birthday party, Tao Shuran has never attended any other.
Because she ranked first in liberal arts, people are now paying more attention to her. Some people joked that she showed up that day because Liang Yuanjing was there.
Liang Yuanjing is also lazy and doesn't like to attend these boring parties.
I signed up for a skydiving class a couple of days ago and posted several photos on social media.
These are things Tao Shuran heard from others.
Her heart, which loved him, was always excited and sad.
Just like the crazy thought that flashed through her mind that day, she thought, Liang Yuanjing must have misunderstood that she liked someone else.
Then she would use the alcohol to express her feelings to him.
He wouldn't think she liked him anyway.
Secret love is really an indescribable late breeze and unripe fruit.
As the sky was about to brighten, the cell phone on the bedside table kept vibrating. Now that he finally didn't have to listen to the alarm clock to get up, Tao Shuran also developed the habit of sleeping in.
Before she woke up, she heard Fang Qingyi on the other end of the phone excitedly telling her that her father's travel company was having an event, and she had specially brought some low-priced tickets and invited them to go together.
Before Tao Shuran could speak, Fang Qingyi continued to instigate.
"I'll invite Liang Yuanjing as well."
"Don't you want to see him?"
Tao Shuran opened her lips and asked, "Is he back?"
Fang Qingyi: "I'm back. I specifically asked Zhao Zhengnian to ask."
"Where are you going?"
At the dinner table, Zhao Yanyun and Tao Hongfeng asked the same question that Tao Shuran had just asked.
She said, "Liandu."
"It's not far from here. It takes about two hours by car. The driver is a friend of Qingyi's father. He will be our guide."
Tao Shuran said so many words in one breath, and his uncharacteristic behavior made the two adults at the dinner table look at him sideways.
Tao Hongfeng was the first to relax, and said with a smile, "Now that the college entrance examination is over, it's time to relax. However, Liandu is close to the water, so you kids should be careful when playing."
Tao Shuran nodded obediently, stirring the bowl in front of her with a spoon, her eyes slightly lowered.
Zhao Yanyun glanced at her and said, "Please register your college entrance exam application for me before you leave."
"Take a look at these. Yesterday, Mom spent the entire evening discussing the school she picked for you with Aunt Song. Aunt Song has taught several classes of senior high school seniors, so she's the most experienced when it comes to college applications."
"Let's first try to get into the top political science and law university. If we can't get in, we still have this as a backup, but it's farther away from home."
After the results came out, Tao Shuran never took the initiative to talk about filling out the application form.
Zhao Yanyun knew a little about his daughter's gentle personality, and he also knew that she was a little unhappy.
But what do children understand?
She put down her chopsticks and said in a commanding tone, "If you have nothing to do tonight, turn on the computer in your room and volunteer."
Tao Shuran mustered up the courage to say, "Mom, I want to stay in Fuqing."
“I also want to study cultural relic restoration.”
"What?" Zhao Yanyun frowned. "Do you know what cultural relic restoration is? Do you know how hard it is to find a job in this field? You don't know anything, and you're going to rely on your passion?"
Perhaps in the eyes of a mature adult like Zhao Yanyun, she was just an ignorant child who loved to be reckless.
But at Tao Shuran's age, love is invincible.
She remembered the day when Liang Yuanjing took her to visit the museum, and she was amazed at the exquisite craftsmanship of each artifact.
He told her that these artifacts were originally shapeless fragments or tools with missing limbs.
The power of restoration can piece them together and restore the true appearance of history. The hands of the restorer have the power to cross thousands of years of mountains and rivers.
Even to this day, Tao Shuran still cannot forget the boy's eyes reflected in the cockpit window.
Bright, shining, and full of pure youthful energy that charges forward.
Just liking him seemed to give her the courage to fight.
This may be the benefit of liking a very good person.
Tao Shuran still remembers the day when the plane flew to an altitude of 10,000 meters. Liang Yuanjing took her to watch the clouds rising and falling and the tall buildings like chess pieces. His low voice quietly guided her.
"Eventually, your love will melt the snow and turn the ancient icebergs into flames. We will soar into the sky and reach the heavens. You see, this is the power of love."
She wanted to have equal power with him.
Tao Shuran took a deep breath, looked up again, and looked directly at Zhao Yanyun.
He spoke clearly, word by word, "I like cultural relic restoration, so I want to learn it."
"I absolutely disagree."
Zhao Yanyun said coldly, "You are not allowed to go anywhere these days. Stay at home and reflect on your actions!"
The joy after the college entrance examination results were released was gone.
Tao Shuran leaned against the windowsill with his chin supported, and did not leave the room all morning.
Later, Tao Hongfeng called her out for lunch but she didn't respond. Zhao Yanyun got angry and scolded her for being stubborn and refusing to eat.
In fact, Tao Shuran just had no appetite.
She felt that after transferring to another school, she was overwhelmed by the joy of meeting Liang Yuanjing.
In fact, youth is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Corresponding to youth is the powerlessness to control everything.
As soon as July arrives, Fuqing officially enters the plum rain season.
It started to drizzle again.
Tao Shuran was in a bad mood and sent a message to her friend, telling her that she might not be able to go to Liandu.
She didn't tell them the specific reason, she just wanted them to have fun.
Who knew that half an hour later, the window in her room creaked, as if it couldn't be closed due to the wind.
This is an old trick.
Tao Shuran pushed open the window, lowered his head and looked out, and sure enough, he saw everyone standing downstairs.
There is a saying circulating on the Internet, which roughly means that in a crowd, everyone can only see the person they like most at first sight.
Tao Shuran saw Liang Yuanjing at a glance.
He stood at the farthest place, with his head slightly lowered, his black hair wet. The rain was not too heavy, so he was too lazy to open an umbrella. His pair of dark eyes shone like obsidian after washing.
At this moment, he was looking up, his eyes fixed on her face.
Tao Shuran suddenly became flustered, tidied her hair hastily, and chirped back like a frightened bird.
Fang Qingyi sent her a message: "Of course, I asked Fu Changpei and the others to pick you up. Did you see them?"
Tao Shuran: "..."
"I see."
She stuck her head out: "How can I get out? My mother is still outside."
"Climb down."
Liang Yuanjing reached out and knocked on the ladder beside him. The bamboo ladder resting on the wall shook up the dust on the wall. He tilted his hand slightly, as if urging her to hurry up.
Tao Shuran opened her eyes wide, never expecting that the two of them would be so unreasonable, and moved a ladder under her window.
How could someone as steady as Fu Changpei do such a thing?
In the winding alleys, you never know at which turn a familiar person will come. Maybe she is afraid of being discovered, or maybe she really wants to go.
Tao Shuran bit her lower lip and glanced at Liang Yuanjing.
Finally, he pushed open the window and stepped carefully on the ladder.
It was really her first day doing such a daring thing. Liang Yuanjing and Fu Changpei each held a ladder steady for her. The scene was really a bit like the scene of escaping from marriage in a TV drama.
Tao Shuran felt very guilty and was afraid that Ms. Zhao Yanyun would suddenly open the window.
Then she would really be dead.
Because of fear, Tao Shuran's foot suddenly got stuck when he was halfway down.
She couldn't get it right no matter what she did, and because she was so nervous, sweat broke out on her forehead and her calves were trembling.
To be honest, her house is not very high. Although it is nominally on the third floor, the second floor is a large elevated terrace and the gap between the two floors is not very high.
In the moment of anxiety, a hand supported the soles of her feet.
Liang Yuanjing steadied the escalator with one hand and lifted her up steadily. He said in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid."
Tao Shuran was stunned for a moment and said softly, "Hmm."
Later, when she came down, Fu Changpei returned the ladder she had taken from the convenience store. She watched Liang Yuanjing casually wiping the dust off his palms, and felt that everything was incredible.
He was someone who treated her like the moon in the sky, so how could he be contaminated by the dust beneath her shoes?
The two of them walked together for a while and met Fu Changpei at the entrance of the alley.
Seeing her looking back frequently, Fu Changpei comforted her: "Don't worry too much, Uncle Tao asked me to pick you up to go out and play. He said that you should relax after the exam. Don't worry about anything else. There are still several days before the application deadline."
Tao Shuran asked somewhat embarrassedly: "But I didn't bring anything."
"The hotel should have everything. I'll ask Fang Qingyi to bring you anything else you need."
Fu Changpei turned his head and said softly, "Think carefully about what else you're missing and buy them all at once before you get to Liandu."
She said "OK" softly, walked on the same side as Fu Changpei, lowered her head and remained silent.
Liang Yuanjing walked nonchalantly in front, his tall figure like a shadow, and suddenly turned his head.
I asked casually, "Did you have a fight with your family?"
"Ajing."
Fu Changpei glanced at him disapprovingly and whispered, "Didn't we agree that this trip is just for relaxation?"
"Why, you don't even have the courage to take the first step in pursuing your dreams?"
Liang Yuanjing walked in front with his hands in his pockets, carrying a black backpack, and his tone was casual, as if he was teasing people.
"He really hasn't grown up yet... a kid who just turned eighteen."
Tao Shuran puffed up her cheeks and was about to retort, but when she looked up, her eyes met his smiling eyes.
He was teasing her on purpose.
She immediately felt embarrassed and turned her head away to avoid his gaze, but she agreed with what he said in her heart.
The process of pursuing dreams is like sailing alone to reach an island. Most of the time you are drifting, experiencing the washing of wind and waves.
If you find it difficult just to set sail before setting sail, how can you truly reach the other side?
Tao Shuran pursed her lips tightly and said nothing, but she had made a decision in her heart.
It is much easier to decide on something than to be indecisive all the time. Her steps became much lighter, and she gradually walked to the front, side by side with Liang Yuanjing.
At the bus stop, Fang Qingyi, dressed fashionably, waved to them enthusiastically.
"We'll take a car there later. It will take about two hours."
The car was a minibus that could accommodate 6-8 people, with plenty of space for luggage. Fang Qingyi pulled Tao Shuran to find a seat in the front row and sit down.
"Uncle Zhou, I'm sorry to bother you for the next two days."
She pulled out a travel brochure from her bag and excitedly shared it with Tao Shuran, "There's a natural waterfall here, we can go whitewater rafting. Oh, and I brought you a swimsuit, too."
"Although I didn't do very well on the college entrance exam, I told my dad I wanted to study at a normal school. Did you know that my dad was so happy?"
Tao Shuran asked her quietly, "Why do you suddenly want to study at a normal school?"
"I've looked at the map. The Normal College is only one street away from Qing University. Of course, I'm not as capable as you to rush into Qing University in one go, but I also want to be closer to the person I like."
Fang Qingyi's eyes sparkled when she said this, and she secretly glanced at Fu Changpei out of the corner of her eyes, her emotions pure and beautiful.
Tao Shuran also turned his head with some emotion to look at the young man's face reflected in the rearview mirror of the car.
The car stopped at the entrance of Liandu Scenic Resort.
Because it was a little late, Uncle Zhou first took them to the hotel to check in.
The hotel is built beside a mountain, and the ecology is excellent. Looking down from the middle of the mountain, you can see a thriving lotus field of ten thousand mu. Anyone who sees it will blurt out, "I have strayed into the depths of lotus flowers."
"It's tourist season right now, so there's a lot going on. Why don't you guys pack up? I'll pick you up to go out and play in the evening."
Liang Yuanjing took the room card, holding the camera in his hand, and asked casually, "Where is there a place with a better view?"
"The young man is quite sensible. He just came here and wanted to take pictures of these girls."
Zhou Hongcai, who led them here, was actually not very old, in his early thirties, and knew some of the buzzwords used by young people.
Fang Qingyi said curiously, "Uncle Zhou, you still know how to make a movie."
"How could I not know? My little girl at home takes pictures non-stop whenever she goes out to play, and she even complains that the pictures I take of her are ugly."
"I'm not sure how I can take good photos with my crappy phone. You have quite professional tools."
Zhou Hongcai pointed in a direction and said, "I'll take you to Lotus Lake tonight. We can rent a small boat and go for a stroll in the lotus fields. The night view is also very beautiful."
Liang Yuanjing hesitated to speak.
In fact, he wanted to find a place with a wide view to take pictures. He doesn't have many hobbies, and taking pictures is one of them.
I always feel that what we see with our eyes is not eternal, and what is captured in the camera is the precious moment.
But the words have been delivered here.
Liang Yuanjing raised his chin: "Then - see you tonight."
Zhou Hongcai rented a small boat for them. During the hot tourist season in July, small boats on the lake were actually quite popular.
Especially for the sake of user experience, a purchase restriction policy was introduced.
Tao Shuran was also a little curious. It was her first time to lie in the lotus bushes and look at the stars and the moon.
In the evening, there was one more person on the boat.
Fang Qingyi propped up her chin and said, "Zhao Zhengnian, you came the latest, so you have to treat me to dinner tonight."
"No problem. I won a lot of prize money in the competition a few days ago. I saw a barbecue grill over there. I'll treat you to barbecue when we get off the boat."
The boat is not big, and there is just enough space in the middle for a small table for board games.
Fang Qingyi searched her bag over and over again, but in the end she only took out a deck of cards.
It’s impossible for five people to play Landlord, right?
She suggested, "Let's play the finger-breaking game. Everyone takes turns asking questions. If someone has an answer, they break off a finger. The first person to break all five fingers loses, and they'll buy a drink later."
Fu Changpei chuckled softly: "Where do you get all these weird little games in your head?"
If you want to ask a question and win, the answer should be something you haven't done but others have.
Tao Shuran thought in distress, is there anything in his life from childhood to adulthood that fits this rule?
Just as I was thinking about it, Zhao Zhengnian took the lead in warming up the atmosphere.
He asked loudly, "Is there anyone here you like?"
The moment the words fell, Fang Qingyi raised her eyelids and said with disdain, "What's the point of asking this question? There are only five of us here, so no one else has it."
After she said this, Tao Shuran breathed a sigh of relief.
I also echoed: "Yeah, you are wasting an opportunity."
Zhao Zhengnian felt a pang of anger in his heart. He licked his lips and changed the subject, "Then let me change the question."
"Do you have anyone you like?"
After the college entrance examination, the word "like" is no longer a taboo.
Correspondingly, the throbbing of youth sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, gradually becoming surging and irresistible.
Tao Shuran had the deepest understanding of this hidden emotion.
She hesitated for a long time, but finally slowly folded her fingers.
Fu Changpei tilted his head to look at her, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes.
In hesitation, he also broke his finger.
Fang Qingyi's gaze was completely fixed on his folded finger, and in an instant, a torrent of emotions swept through her, causing her to fold her finger as well.
In the end, only Liang Yuanjing was left.
He rested his chin on the table, his bony fingers moving the lotus leaves hanging down by the lake, his lazy tone obvious.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, he sneered softly, with a carefree and unrestrained attitude, as if he had lived a life without love.
"How come you're asking for an answer and end up losing yourself?" Liang Yuanjing teased, "Zhao Zhengnian, this isn't your style."
"Bullshit, I just don't understand the rules of the game. How about starting over?"
"It's my turn, okay."
Fang Qingyi's heart was beating fast, as if she got inspiration from Zhao Zhengnian's question, and copied an answer according to the template.
"Is there anyone here who likes me?"
The air stagnated for three seconds.
Liang Yuanjing chuckled softly and looked away, while Tao Shuran obviously understood the real intention of this bold and straightforward girl.
She felt that she was not the protagonist, so she also looked away into the distance, moving at the same pace, and now she and Liang Yuanjing were in sync.
A minute passed.
Fang Qingyi tried to hide her gaze at first, but later she stopped hiding it and just stared at Fu Changpei.
But what was frustrating was that he kept his brows down, as if quietly waiting for the question to end.
In the end, Zhao Zhengnian came out with a smile and ended the situation: "Miss, if you want to avoid breaking your fingers, you don't have to think about such tricky questions."
"Come on, your brother Nian will spoil you for once, okay?"
Zhao Zhengnian jokingly snapped off a finger, looking as lazy and unruly as usual.
"Don't take it seriously, I'm just hungry and want to finish eating skewers early."
At this moment, looking at the grinning Zhao Zhengnian, Tao Shuran suddenly understood something.
It turns out that many secrets of youth are hidden in jokes that seem true or false.
The look I secretly give you when I look at others is the best monologue of my love for you.
After all this trouble, I suddenly didn’t feel like enjoying the scenery anymore.
After rowing the boat for two circles, they arrived at the shore and planned to go for a barbecue. Fang Qingyi walked in front and was obviously a little absent-minded.
Tao Shuran was worried and walked behind her to keep an eye on her at all times.
The boat was not very stable when it reached the shore, and it seemed particularly shaky after everyone got ashore.
Tao Shuran has had poor limb coordination since childhood, and he sways from side to side as if he is drunk.
To keep her balance, she staggered back two steps.
Just like that, I pressed against a hot chest.
Liang Yuanjing raised his hands, with a camera hanging around his neck, which hurt his back.
"Are you trying to scam me here?"
He moved the camera away, lowered his arm and lightly supported her shoulders, then quickly withdrew his arm. Perhaps they had become more familiar with each other, and his tone of voice became more casual.
He smiled and said nonchalantly, "Are you planning to change your target and pursue me instead?"
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