The Man Who Picked the Stars

Fingers knocking on the phone box fidgetingly, feet unconsciously rubbing against the ground, raising and lowering the hand pressing the number, Jin Zaizhong huddled alone in the small phone booth, waiting for the response from the other end of the phone.Dudu... The regular busy tone infinitely stretched the tight string on Jin's center. The young man swallowed nervously, but still struggled to put his hand on the phone.

"Hello? 』The phone was connected.

The boy wiped the sweat off his eyelids.

"Hello? ’ The voice over there was louder.

"I'm looking for...Grandma Chen. 』The young man clenched the sweat in his hands.The cold wind blew through the phone booth, making a crackling sound.

"Oh, wait a minute. 』The phone was put on hold, and then there were footsteps of people going away.

Huh... Jin Zaizhong let out a long breath.

After a while, the sound of footsteps approached again, this time the sound was much slower and weaker.Jin Jaejoong squeezed the phone receiver in his hand.

"Hello? 』A hoarse and aging voice came from the phone.

"Hmm..." With a sob in his throat, the boy stopped making any further noises.

But for the old man who is familiar with the boy's voice, this one is enough.The old man became agitated, and there was a muffled trembling voice coming from the phone, mixed with unsteady and heavy snorting, like the hoarseness of a burnt Chinese medicine pot.

"Little Zai. ’ The old man moaned after calling out, and the sobbing sound was like a whip hitting the young man’s heart.

"grandmother. 』Jin Zaizhong's nose was sore, he couldn't say anything.

"Why don't you come back, why don't you come back..." The old man complained sadly, "If the life outside is not good, come back. The two of us moved out alone, not living with your second uncle and the others."Come back, come back...」

The boy shook his head vigorously, and Dou Da's teardrops were thrown onto the phone.He covered his mouth and let out a silent whimper.

"Xiao Zai," the old man's sobbing lasted for a long time before he calmed down a little. She stammered and asked, "How are you doing outside?" 』

Jin Zaizhong nodded, and the whole person slipped along the back wall and fell into the phone booth.He curled up and nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks wantonly.

"Okay, that's fine. ’Even without saying a word, Grandma Chen seemed to be able to feel the message from Kim Jaejoong through the phone, ‘You take care of yourself outside alone, you know? 』

"Um. ’ Jin Zaizhong replied vaguely.

There was a faint sound of sniffling, and after a while, the other end of the phone reminded me with concern: "You must remember to keep in touch with your family, even if you are suffering outside, don't be bored in your heart." 』

"Um. 』

"Take care of your body and don't get sick. 』

"Um. 』

"Xiao Zai..." The whimpering sound could not be stopped again.

Kim Jaejoong hung up the phone silently.

The boy froze in the dilapidated telephone booth on the side of the road, the surrounding reeds were blown to this side by the wind, and the low-pitched sky was followed by gray-black clouds, silent.The young man was in an absolutely enclosed small space, he heard his own panting, and felt the trembling of his body.

After I went to the funeral home that day, even my dream was filled with the whispers of the old man, soft and hoarse, like a lullaby.After waking up, Jin Zaizhong found himself in tears, the tears soaked the pillow, and his cheeks were cold.

He couldn't contain his thoughts, he missed his family.Especially after hearing the little girl's unscrupulous words, the suppressed feelings seemed to have found a breakthrough, and they exploded overwhelmingly.

He really couldn't take it anymore.

He lied to Jung Yunho, he lied to everyone around him, he has a family.

But he doesn't really have a home.

After a long time, the boy sniffed and staggered towards the main road.He didn't go back to Zheng Yunhao's house directly, but came to the downtown area where he usually spends his night life in bars.

Different from the bustling and bustling at night, the bar area during the day is like a place where makeup has been removed, with rancid sewage, messy garbage, and listless waiters, with the decadence of the night before.Kim Jaejoong had never been here during the day, and now that he was standing at the entrance of this street, he had no urge to go in.

He just stood at the intersection for a long time, receiving strange looks from passers-by.Indeed, with his current appearance, no one would have imagined how familiar he was with this area.Wearing a white shirt and plain shoes and socks, the black-haired boy stood helplessly outside the bar area, with a childish youthfulness and deep confusion on his face.

He doesn't belong here anymore.

Passers-by no longer cast that natural look of disdain, and the boy naturally couldn't put on his disguise.

In the past, long before he received the disdainful gaze of others, he had put up defenses and sealed himself in a frivolous and frivolous shell.But now that he has taken off his presumptuous armor, he doesn't know how to show it to others.

Kim Jaejoong walked away silently.

He has traveled through many places, familiar and unfamiliar places in this city, places that do not belong to him.Only then did he discover that every Wednesday the shopping street in the city center held a sales promotion, and the bus advertisements in the city had been replaced, and a woman he didn't know was posing on it.Recently, it seems that the city project is going to be declared, and the government is vigorously improving greening. When Jin Zaizhong sees the lawn that has just been refurbished beside the road, his nose is still filled with the smell of car exhaust and smoke.

Then he took a car and drove towards Zheng Yunhao's house.

Leaning his head on the glass of the bus window, Jin Zaizhong's eyes flashed across the street scene on the side of the road, and he didn't know where his thoughts drifted.It was looking for a landing spot, and it landed gently on top of the weeping boy who was curled up in the phone booth this morning, but it quickly escaped, and then it floated past the decadent scene in front of Bar Street, without even stopping for a moment nor.Finally, it came to a reed field, where the reed flowers were flying, and a winding path was hidden in it. Following the path, it entered the back door of the wooden house.It was a familiar scene, scattered CDs, cushions, and soft carpets, a row of unnamed green potted plants by the window, a flash of golden speakers... Jin Zaizhong quietly closed his eyes.

I don't know how long it took, and when I opened my eyes again, the car had already arrived at the street of the funeral parlor.Kim got out of the car.

This area is on the outskirts of the city and is considered an old residential area.As the evening approaches, some shopkeepers have finished their dinner and are sitting on the street chatting. The weather is getting warmer and the new greenery is emerging, which makes people feel a sense of new hope for no reason.

Jin Zaizhong walked aimlessly, and he had memorized this path by heart for the past two weeks.He has visited this street countless times, and once met an old lady in the hospital. The old lady greeted him cheerfully while sitting in front of the store, and Jin Zaizhong nodded and walked away quickly. He was not even sure. Grandma smiled at him.

He crossed the funeral home and slowly swayed towards Zheng Yunhao's house. He had no strength in his feet after walking too much, not to mention he didn't even eat lunch.When I stepped on the reed path, the sky was completely dark, and a few sparse stars were dotted in the night sky, shining faintly.

In this endless night, Zheng Yunhao's home is like the last lighthouse in the world, standing alone on the edge of the cliff.The endless waves of reeds tumbling with the wind came from the other side of the lighthouse, isolating the hut at the edge of the world.But the lights in the hut are still on as if nothing had happened, the phonograph inside the house is playing moving music, the soft carpet makes people walk quietly, and the books spread out are mixed with the cushions. Such a peaceful night is Jin Jaejoong's favorite moment of the day.

But when Jin Zaizhong arrived in front of the house, standing in front of the porch, Zheng Yunhao's gloomy expression seemed to tell him that today was not the case.

Zheng Yunhao's whole body exuded a manic aura about a storm, and his face was covered with the deepest blackness like a dark cloud before a storm.

Kim stopped hesitantly.

"where did you go? 』There was extremely suppressed anger in the voice, and the boy couldn't help shaking, only to realize that the surrounding temperature was frighteningly low.The night is too late.

He didn't dare to raise his head, and stiffened his body to stay there.

It seems that this time things are not so simple.