middle aged

Since that day, Yan Nan has never come to Mo Pingfan on purpose. When he saw Mo Fanfan in the laboratory occasionally, he smiled and nodded to greet the teacher. Some things were already clear in the hearts of the two of them. The hazy feelings gradually dissipated.

The days are repeated mechanically like running water, and Mo Pingfan's life is as quiet as still water, silently enduring the passage of time bit by bit.If it wasn't for that phone call that was thousands of miles away, he might have been able to spend his last year in City Z peacefully.

"Xiaofan, come back, the teacher's health... is very bad."

"...What's wrong with him?" The voice squeezed out of the stagnant vocal cords trembled slightly.

"I had stomach cramps while teaching, and I was sent to the hospital for an examination. They said it was stomach cancer..."

"...Okay, I'll go back as soon as possible." After hanging up the phone, Mo Fanfan walked back to the podium from the classroom: "Next, let's continue the lecture..." It was not until the class was over that the students were all gone, and Mo Pingfan finally held onto the podium , and slowly sat down on a four-cornered stool beside her.

He seemed to have been sucked out of blood suddenly, his limbs were hard to move, and a few strands of cold sweat flowed down his forehead, but he didn't even have the strength to wipe it off with his hand, his breathing became rapid and flustered, and his brain seemed to be unable to think Yes, there are only fragmentary pictures of getting along with my father.

He carried his little self on his neck when he went to the park.When going out in winter, he was the one who carefully put on the cotton socks and long johns for him, and when he was punished for being mischievous and not allowed to eat, it was also he who secretly stuffed a steamed bun under the bed.Mo Fanfan always thought that he would never think of these things again in his life, but today, when this scene reappeared, it made his nose sore and tears flowed.

For more than 20 years, his feelings for his father seemed to be only resentment, only hatred, but when the bad news came, Mo Pingfan knew that behind this resentment was the love and attachment that had been suppressed for too long.

A tissue was handed in front of him, Mo Pingfan didn't care to see who was behind him, took the tissue and hurriedly wiped away the tears and snot all over his face.

"You seldom cry. For so many years, I only saw you cry the night before you left."

Turning back suddenly, except for a trace of wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, the appearance of the man standing behind him seemed to have remained unchanged for many years.Mo Pingfan's chest surged due to the accumulation of memories, and tears appeared in the corners of his eyes involuntarily.

A big hand caressed his face, and gently wiped away the tears that hadn't fallen from the corners of his eyes with his fingers. The calluses on his fingertips rubbed against his skin slightly, which was slightly itchy, but very comfortable.

"Why did you come here?"

"Why are you crying?"

The two asked about each other at the same time, but what followed was a moment of awkward silence.

"Something happened to my father in Japan..." Mo Fanfan said after taking a deep breath. "Brother called and said it was stomach cancer."

"……how so"

"When he first went to Japan, he used to take antidepressant drugs. The drugs at that time were very harmful to the stomach. Since then, his stomach seems to have been bad. In recent years, it has been even more..." Choking, Mo Pingfan coughed twice, rubbed his sore nose and stopped talking.

"Are you going back to Japan to take care of him...?"

"Well,... he is my father after all."

"Yeah..." Qi Yunze's voice trembled unconsciously, he couldn't help but secretly came over after work, but saw that person crying helplessly in the classroom, couldn't help wiping away his tears , but the man was about to leave again.

The two of them seem to be on and off all the time, and whenever they seem to be together, one of them will always go away.

"When will I go..." Qi Yunze asked, enduring his cramped heart

"I... don't know, when will I leave..." Mo Fanfan's mind was completely confused, and he left just like that. What about the students here?What about class?But if he dragged on like this, what would his father, who was thousands of miles away, do... He was completely flustered, and there was a tangle on his face that Qi Yunze had never seen before.

"Don't worry, you can ask for leave to go to Japan to have a look, and wait for your father's condition to stabilize before handing over the affairs here."

"Yes, yes, I have to go back first... I have to see which one is the earliest flight back to Japan?" Mo Fanfan took out his mobile phone, looking for software to book a flight ticket, but the more anxious his hands became, the more hesitant he was. I can't find any software.

"Tomorrow afternoon there is a direct flight from City Z, and there are still seats..." Qi Yunze put his mobile phone interface in front of Mo Fanfan: "Use my mobile phone to book..."

At this moment, Mo Fanfan couldn't control so much anymore, took Qi Yunze's mobile phone, entered his information and credit card account, and after booking the air ticket, the feeling of being in a hurry and not knowing what to do was finally relieved.

"Thank you..." The phone was returned to Qi Yunze, and when he looked at him again, Mo Pingfan had just had time to feel embarrassed.

"Going again?"

"Um……"

"Okay, Japan's medical technology is very advanced, so you don't have to worry too much." After finishing speaking, Qi Yunze suddenly laughed: "I'm really, you have been in Japan for so many years, how could you not understand it, I said more."

"without thanks……."

"Stop saying thank you. Between the two of us, do we still need so many words?"

Familiarity is the most familiar person, but sometimes, it is like the strangest person.

"I came here today to find you a place to go. I also came here suddenly after work. I was reckless. I didn't expect so much."

"Where?"

"Do you still remember the lantern show I promised to take you to see when you were in school...?"

At the young age of 16, the promise he made that year has not been fulfilled until today due to some accidents.

"However, in this situation, I guess you are not in the mood. Forget it." Before Qi Yunze finished his sentence, he continued on his own. It didn't sound like he was speaking to Mo Fanfan, but rather like it. Speak to yourself.

"I go."

Qi Yunze's head that had already been turned away slowly turned back again, looking into Mo Fanfan's eyes clearly with disbelief.

"Let's go..."

Now that he has decided to leave, what can he do if he indulges like this for a while?

If Qi Yunze hadn't come today, Mo Fanfan might have already forgotten that the Mid-Autumn Festival will be in two days' time. Sitting in the passenger seat of Qi Yunze's car, he looked through the car window at the beautifully decorated streets on both sides and the continuous flow of vehicles on the road.

"Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are a lot of people giving presents, and there are many more cars on the road than usual." Qi Yunze peeked at Mo Fanfan's face, chatting with him inconsequentially. "The front is almost there."

Near the light show, the speed of the car dealership gradually slowed down. Looking at the long queue of convoys in front of him, Qi Yunze simply pulled over, took a small fork, and found a slightly remote place to stop the car.

The two walked along the sidewalk and followed the flow of people to the exhibition area. This is actually a central park in the old city. The location is not far from the Z City No. [-] Middle School where they studied. Since Qi Yunze was young, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival There will be a lantern show for a week. At that time, children’s information is relatively closed. Watching a lantern show and visiting a temple fair during the festival is already the happiest thing for them.

But now, among the people who come to see the lantern show, there are not many teenage children, and there are more uncles and aunts walking nearby on weekdays, and young couples with three or four-year-old children.

The two of them walked in the exhibition area, but they became a somewhat abrupt existence. It was a bit strange for a man of this age to come here to watch the lantern show without a child in his hand. However, the two of them at this time were already reluctant to go. Don't worry about other people's eyes.

"Do you remember the love letter you wrote to Ouyang Xiaoxiao when you were in school?"

"Hey, it happened so many years ago, I can't remember clearly." Qi Yunze no longer cared what the lanterns looked like as the lanterns passed by in front of him, and just followed the people in front of him step by step.

"You may have forgotten that when you sent me to the train station, the novel you gave me contained a letter you wrote to Ouyang Xiaoxiao."

"Hey...?" Qi Yunze froze on the spot

"Stupid. Otherwise, why would I have thought of helping you two match at that time? Do you really think I'm a professional matchmaker?" Mo Pingfan smiled as he tapped Qi Yunze's nose.

"Hey... How many years ago, you still use it to tease me."

"...Yeah, it's been so many years, we've all grown up." Mo Fanfan stood in front of a lantern and stopped, but if I had to choose, I would rather not grow up all my life, and spend my whole life in that tube building, I have been in that school all my life, and I have been in the first year of high school (Class 3) all my life.

"Yunze..."

"Ok?"

"Do you know what is the most regrettable thing I have done in my life?"

"what?"

"It's during our spring outing, I'll go and hold that red thread with you." The lanterns in front of him were shining brightly, and the well-made decorative leaves were dotted with tiny flickering strings of lights. Mo Fanfan couldn't resist the temptation in front of him, Reach out, want to touch the colorful neon.

"But, do you know, what is the happiest thing in my life?" Pulling back the disobedient little hand, he secretly put him in his own: "The thing I'm happiest is that you helped me hold my hand." This red line, if not, I never know, you will always have a place in my heart."

"Yunze?" Taking a step closer, Mo Fanfan raised his eyes slightly, and looked at Qi Yunze who was a little taller than him. The breaths of the two were intertwined, entangled in the chaotic and crowded crowd, and secretly rubbed each other with.

"Will you always love me?"

"In the past, now, and in the future, as long as I am a human being, I will always love you."

That's enough, even if I die alone from now on, alone, with a whole body, with a glass of wine, I will end my life like this.Mo Fanfan quietly dragged Qi Yunze to a corner where no one was paying attention, and slightly placed a kiss on his lips.

"This is the last memory I can give you. From today onwards, I will only live in your memory." Mo Fanfan said silently in his heart, with tears rolling down his face.Qi Yunze's strength to hug him was too strong, so strong that he didn't even have the desire to break free.