Love You Secretly [MTL]

Ch 14

14

In the middle of the sky, the fireworks bloomed in an instant, falling like petals, as if they were within reach.

After midnight, the New Year is ushered in, but the crowd has not yet dispersed, gathering in twos and threes, looking up at the fireworks in mid-air.

"How long will the fireworks last?" Tao Xi asked casually.

Shang Huai turned back to her: "It seems to be twenty minutes."

"That's quite a long time."

"Well, let's find a place to sit down."

"Okay."

While talking, Taoxi followed Shang Huai to court Walk to a step on the sidewalk, where it is more leeward and not so cold.

Walking down the steps, the two sat down together.

The side of the stairs is closer to the fireworks in full bloom. After Taoxi sat down, she couldn't help taking out her mobile phone from her pocket, turning on the camera, and took a video of the fireworks.

The camera slowly shifted to the left, almost without any precautions, Shang Huaiqing's profile suddenly appeared in Taoxi's sight.

The half-bright and half-dark fireworks flashed across his extremely beautiful side face frame by frame, and the faint smile on his lips was hidden in the dark light, like a lotus flower quietly blooming in the mountains and forests of the hidden city, silent but amazing.

Taoxi was still holding her mobile phone, and when the camera shot past Shang Huaiqing's side face, she stopped recording within two or three seconds.

After clicking save, she didn't look back at the video, but just tapped the side button of the phone with her fingertips to black out the screen, and then she put the phone back in her pocket.

Throughout the whole process, she kept her head down, looking a little guilty.

Although she didn't deliberately take pictures of him secretly, she was inexplicably flustered, like a student who was peeking at her phone during class and was afraid of being discovered by the teacher.

She sat there and stabilized for half a minute before she recovered slowly, but just when she raised her head to continue watching the fireworks, she saw that Shang Huaiqing next to her had turned her head at some point and was looking at her.

Shang Huaiqing saw her eyes widen like a frightened little rabbit, he couldn't help laughing: "What's the matter, keep your head down, is it uncomfortable?"

Tao Xi shook her head slightly: "No, I was looking at my phone just now. " Shang Huaiqing took out potato chips

from the bag and shook them in front of her eyes: "Do you want to eat?

"

In the middle, he asked casually: "How do you usually spend the Chinese New Year coming soon? Do you go back to your hometown to reunite with your parents?"

Because of his question, Taoxi fell silent for a while, and did not catch him as quickly as usual topic, but she didn't stay silent all the time.

After slowly chewing the potato chips in her mouth, she picked up another piece and replied calmly and flatly: "My mother passed away very early, so I will stay here in Qingbei during the Chinese New Year, and be with Niannian Yes."

Shang Huai lowered his eyes slowly, hearing that she didn't mention her father, he was afraid that there were more sad things hidden, so he didn't mention it like this.

For no reason, he suddenly wrinkled in his heart, like being cut by a blunt knife. Although the pain was slow, it spread quickly.

He raised his eyes, the emotions in his eyes were difficult to distinguish: "Sorry, I mentioned your sadness."

"It's okay." Taoxi pretended not to care and took a small bite of the potato chips in his hand, saying it was okay, but she didn't dare Meet Shang Huaiqing's gaze.

She was afraid that her eyes would turn red under his gentle gaze.

"Actually, I want to say, since you celebrate the Lunar New Year alone, why don't we celebrate the New Year together."

Tao Xi calmed down, finally looked up at Shang Huaiqing, and asked him, "Are you celebrating the Lunar New Year alone?"

"Yeah." After a moment of silence, he added in a muffled voice, "It's been many years alone."

Shang Huaiqing slowly turned his eyes away, looking at the open space in front of him without emotion, and hid himself for many years. My thoughts slowly came out: "When I was eighteen years old, on the second day of the college entrance examination, a fire broke out at home. Unfortunately, my parents were all killed in that fire."

After the words fell, there seemed to be only the whistling cold wind left in his ears. Shang Huaiqing's face was calm, and he still couldn't see any emotions, but his eyes slowly drooped, as if he could feel the sigh in his heart slowly Bottom.

After all, it was a painful experience, even though he had kept it deep in his heart for many years.

He has been running away all these years, away from his hometown, away from the familiar good and bad memories of the past, never looking back, always moving forward, but it was only at this moment that he realized that no matter how far he left, no matter how many years the memories passed How dilapidated and blurred the scene is, and when it is only mentioned occasionally, even if it is a simple sentence or two, the picture of that day will still be vividly remembered.

In the early summer evening many years ago, it was cloudy, and the thick cloud cover was very low. After finishing the college entrance examination, he rode his bicycle home as usual, but when he approached the door of his house, he found that there were many people watching, and there were also fire engines parked by the side of the road. .

The boy hurriedly jumped off his bicycle and ran towards the door of the house, but was stopped by firefighters. Immediately afterwards, he saw his parents being carried out on a stretcher by other firefighters.

Covering his body with a black cloth, there was no hope of surviving.

The young man froze in place, lost for a moment, unable to react.

Maybe people are not so-called desperate to live in the face of great grief, but the first reaction is slowness, even suspicion, or the fact that they cannot accept the fact that their parents have left.

Until his mother's left hand accidentally slipped off the stretcher, he recognized the wedding ring on his mother's ring finger.

The pain gradually began to spread in his heart, almost engulfing him.

The mother's hands once hugged him, touched him, and gave him the most gentle support in the world, but the last look was as shocking as burnt charcoal, broken and without warmth.

Every time he thinks about it, he feels a pain like a needle in his heart.

"After my parents passed away, I was the only one left in the family. I still insisted on finishing college alone. Later, I found that I was getting more and more withdrawn, and I didn't want to deal with anyone. I felt very tired, so I started to avoid constantly. In many places, I lived in temples for a while."

"During those days of isolation from the world, I gradually felt calm, and even had an illusion of being cut off from the past, but occasionally in a certain afternoon, when I woke up, there was silence around me, which made people feel lonely. Taste."

"It's scary, I'm afraid that I will end up alone like this."

Later, he gradually grew into a calm adult, living in the world with joys and sorrows, getting along well with others, and seeming to be socially He is able to do things with ease, but only he knows in his heart that he is on the edge of the free side with everyone he meets, and he has nothing to say, but he never mentions his sad past.

There is always a sense of inseparable fellowship with the people you meet, and there is always no way to have a deep friendship.

Those experiences, those pains, he has never been able to find a suitable narration, in the final analysis, it still comes from the distrust in his heart, and he does not believe that they can empathize with his suffering.

Until I met Tao Xi.

From the first time they met, he seemed to be able to see through her at a glance, and he also saw his trembling and scars hidden in the dark on her.

In the end, he said to her, "Taoxi, we are the same kind of people."

In the past, there was a period of hard time, with deep pain, like a bone spur growing in the dark, unable to find or pull out, and the pain was constant.

And no one can empathize.

Except for the two people who are to each other.

He understood the cowardice behind her nervous trembling, and the scars behind those unreasonable silences, that kind of innate understanding, as if he was understanding himself thoroughly.

"I see in you the timidity and cowardice I hide, and I hope you can see in me the courage to get rid of the burden of the past and live bravely and live well." "Don't let the past experience torture you

. "

The fireworks in mid-air were still falling, and the crowd not far away was still noisy, but at that moment, Taoxi felt as if time had stopped, and an indescribable sadness slowly rose in his heart.

From the first time I met Shang Huaiqing, the first impression he gave her was a light and gentle smile. For such a person who is gentle in his bones, his original family should be very happy. A child who grows up in love is naturally bright and generous. .

But he didn't expect that he would hide such a sad past.

Tao Xi squeezed the potato chip packaging bag in her hand, she sat there quietly, just like her reaction when she noticed Shang Huaiqing's side face was a little melancholy, she didn't ask more, just silently stayed by his side.

Quietly listen to him talk about some past fragments.

Feeling the silent companionship from Taoxi next to him, Shang Huaiqing felt great comfort in his heart. He didn't continue to grieve, but changed the subject half-jokingly: "It's so strange to us, on the first day of the new year, unexpectedly Talk about those sad things, but Taoxi."

He turned to look at her: "I want to tell you that you won't be so lonely in the future, and I, a friend who shares the same fate, will accompany you."

Taoxi looked at him With a familiar bright and gentle smile, he nodded and said, "Come to my house when it's New Year's Eve. Let's make dumplings and celebrate the Lunar New Year together." In fact, we have done a

lot of things together, but we just mentioned the word "together" again today. At that time, Tao Xi suddenly felt that it was very different from before. The relationship between the two seemed to be a little more sticky, or a stronger connection.

"Okay." Shang Huai pursed the faint smile on his lower lip, and continued, "Although I don't know how to make dumplings, I can learn from you, and I can help you roll the dumpling wrappers." "Then what do you like to eat?

" What kind of dumpling stuffing?"

The conversation between the two naturally turned to dumpling stuffing.

Shang Huaiqing thought about it, and replied, "I like meat with green onions or meat with leeks." "

These are very common dumpling fillings." Taoxi continued the topic, "I used to make a very mixed The dumpling fillings are filled with kelp, fungus, and broken eggs. They are very delicious. If you want to eat them, you can try them at that time." While chatting, the fireworks over there were over, and the countdown crowd began to slow down

. Dissipate slowly.

"It's really the first time I've heard of this kind of dumpling stuffing. Can kelp also be used to make dumpling stuffing?" Shang Huaiqing stood up with him.

Tao Xi stood up with him, holding half a bag of potato chips in one hand, and patted the dirt on the back of the down jacket with the other hand: "Yes, you can cook them with water in advance, in fact, many vegetables can be used to make dumpling fillings. "

Then wait until the New Year's Eve, we'll make the dumplings stuffed with seaweed you mentioned. I really want to taste what it will taste like." The

conversation ended here naturally, and the two turned around almost at the same time, heading towards the steps. go up.

It was late at night, and the cold air was thick, and Taoxi finally felt warmer when she got back in the car with the scattered crowd and left the open space where the fireworks were set off.

After fastening the seat belt, Shang Huaiqing immediately started the car and drove towards the community where the two lived.

In the suburbs in the middle of the night, it was dark, with only dim street lights left. Through the car window, I could see the road ahead submerged in darkness, as if there was no end in sight, and it looked very far away.

Taoxi really hopes that this road will never reach the destination, just like that time when she walked side by side with Shang Huaiqing in the snow, for no reason, she felt that the snowy road would never end illusion.

Although she couldn't explain why these feelings came from, at least in those moments, she realized what eternity was.

When I got home, it was nearly two o'clock in the middle of the night. After saying goodbye to Shang Huaiqing, Tao Xi returned home, turned on the light, and locked the door behind her.

Buckle up the anti-theft chain, change the shoes at the entrance, and when she turned around and walked into the house, Taoxi suddenly realized that when she locked the door just now, she didn't repeatedly check whether the door was locked or not like before.

Instead, he left the door calmly.

I don't know if it's because Shang Huaiqing moved to the opposite side, but she suddenly felt the solidity of being with him, which had unknowingly permeated into the details of her daily life.

In the days that followed, Taoxi lived a very relaxed life, no longer having to conceive the plot of the novel every day, her current daily work is to check the details of each chapter, and then upload them to the Internet.

Online serialization officially begins.

In her spare time, she doesn't have many recreational activities. Apart from reading books, she just conceives the outline of the next novel, and collects materials, so her daily life is quite sufficient.

Time passed day by day, like quicksand between fingers, passing quickly, people had no time to react, and the first month of the new year was coming to an end.

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner.

On the night before the New Year's Eve, it snowed heavily. When I woke up in the morning, I opened the curtains and saw a thick layer of white snow outside.

The snow has not stopped yet, the sky is full of snowflakes falling leisurely, and the world is peaceful.

Tao Xi remembered a long time ago, one year during Chinese New Year, when she woke up in the morning, she also saw such thick snow. At that time, her mother was still by her side, and told her that snow during Chinese New Year was a good omen, and that the coming year would be great. transport.

It's just that I didn't expect my mother to die of illness in the second year and left her.

Thoughts came to an abrupt end here, Taoxi didn't think any more, turned around and began to decorate the room, put out candy plates, pasted blessing characters, but didn't post couplets, remembering that during Chinese New Year, couplets were posted before dinner, and she kept them this custom.

After lunch and a short rest, Taoxi started to prepare for the New Year's Eve dinner in the evening, as well as the seaweed for dumpling stuffing.

The kelp had been soaked for a morning in advance, and it had been soaked. After washing it twice in the pool, it was finally washed clean.

Then she started fermenting the dumpling noodles.

When Shang Huaiqing came over at five o'clock in the evening, she had basically prepared everything.

"Why don't you call me over earlier, I can help you prepare together." Shang Huai rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in front of the sink.

Tao Xi poured the scrambled eggs into a glass bowl: "It's okay, it's all trivial work, I can do it myself." Shang Huaiqing wiped his hands: "Then

what do I need to do now? "

"I bought some crushed dried shrimps in the supermarket, you can add some to the dumpling stuffing, you wash it up." Taoxi replied to him.

"Okay." Shang Huai looked down and saw the package of dried shrimp on the table, he picked it up casually, tore open the package, and poured half a package of dried shrimp into a bowl.

Then he put the bowl under the faucet, ready to wash the dried shrimps.

Taoxi was standing next to him, cutting kelp.

The distance between the two is a bit close, but the distance is more than a foot, as if they can be touched by just raising their hands, so close.

Even though there wasn't much intimacy, and they were even busy with their work, Shang Huaiqing suddenly became greedy for this feeling, as if he was greedy for his favorite cheese, his favorite cat, and there was a kind of straightforwardness from the bottom of his heart. Any hesitation, greed clearly laid out on a white paper.

He suppressed the throbbing in his heart, stood there in a regular manner, did not dare to go beyond half a point, and he was still a good friend with Taoxi, and at the beginning of the year he told her something from his heart, he felt much more relaxed, and got closer to her in his heart.

But the relationship between the two of them took a step forward, and it was almost too late.

Don't be too anxious, for fear that if you are too full of heart, you will scare her.

Or take your time.

While distracted, Shang Huaiqing didn't notice that the water in the bowl was about to overflow, and even washed away the dried shrimps.

Until he heard the reminder from Taoxi next to him: "The water is about to overflow."

Shang Huai regained his senses, and hurriedly reached out to turn off the faucet, but Taoxi not only reminded him, but also reached out to turn off the faucet.

And one step faster than him.

Shang Huaiqing had no time to react, almost without warning, firmly, the hand he stretched out directly covered the back of her hand.