poorer than

"Happy birthday."

The beer bottles bumped into each other, Xia Xingche raised his head and drank half of the beer, feeling the refreshment pouring down his throat, and he spoke after a long while:

"Thanks." He turned his head to look at Jiang Chengyun.

The two of them sat on the stone chairs beside the dormitory downstairs, drank beer and ate skewers, and watched the moon by the way.

Jiang Chengyun sat slightly sideways with his long arms on the back of the chair, looked up at the moon above his head and said rather melancholy: "Poor, we are both poor people."

"What's so pitiful about you." Xia Xingche leaned forward, propped his forearm on his thigh, swayed his hand holding the beer, and smiled, "Are you going to compare yourself to me?"

Jiang Chengyun put the beer in his hand to Xia Xingche's face, as if trying to calm down something: "Come on, no one made you smile, it's so ugly."

It was rare for Xia Xingche not to scold him. He looked down at the ground and was a little depressed: "I'm 18 years old, and my brother didn't celebrate my birthday with me. He must still blame me, don't say anything about it."

"I'm not human."

Xia Xingche glanced at him: "It doesn't count."

"Tsk, why are you so bad?" Jiang Chengyun also leaned forward like him, put his forearm on his thigh, turned his head to look at him and his eyes fell on this person's face: "At least I have been with you for so long Well, it’s still your savior, there is hard work without credit, and I will accompany you on your birthday tonight.”

"Gift." Xia Xingche stretched out his hand towards him and motioned to bring it, but in fact he was just doing it in vain.

Jiang Chengyun took out a bank card from his pocket and put it in his palm.

Xia Xingche was stunned: "What are you doing?" He didn't expect Jiang Chengyun to really give it.

"Aren't you working on a project recently? This is my investment." Jiang Chengyun put on a face and pretended to be casual: "Little money, just give me the shares."

"How do you know?" Xia Xingche looked at the bank card in his hand and his eyes flickered. It is true that his project is progressing more difficultly. Before he had a chat with Lu Wei, there was a shortage of funds because someone withdrew the capital. He didn't want to talk to his father. After all, taking money is what he has to do.

Jiang Chengyun touched his nose: "You accidentally saw the information on your phone when you were drunk that day." Then he sat up straight and eagerly explained: "I didn't see it on purpose, it was because you accidentally saw it when it popped up on your lock screen. of."

"That's it." Xia Xingche lowered his eyelids, and he touched the protruding number of his bank card: "Where did you get the money?"

"Accidentally won the first place in the provincial competition last month."

Xia Xingche looked at him: "Very powerful."

"There are 1000 million here, including the New Year's money these years, the pocket money given by the seven aunts and the eight aunts, and the money from big and small competitions. They are all here, and they are considered as investments for you." Jiang Chengyun bumped into him. Touched the bottle: "Anyway, I may not need that much after I enter the provincial team. Isn't this a good birthday present?"

After speaking, she raised an eyebrow at him a little proudly.

"Join the provincial team?" Xia Xingche was taken aback.

"Hmm, I'm going for the national team, what's the provincial team?" Jiang Chengyun raised his head and took a big sip, and let out a great sigh of relief: "In the future, it will be difficult to see me."

"Aren't you training at school?" Xia Xingche looked at him.

"Of course not. If you enter the provincial team, you will go to the base, and if you work hard to win prizes through competitions, you may be able to enter the national team within two years." Jiang Chengyun said with a smile: "Maybe you can participate in the Olympic Games if you enter the national team .”

"It's a long way to go." Xia Xingche suddenly felt a little disappointed in his heart. He looked at the bank card in his hand and had mixed feelings in his heart: "This birthday gift is too expensive, I can't take it."

"After you make money, you can use my dividends to spend money to promote Xia Xingcheng. He is an artist and cannot be short of money."

Xia Xingche frowned: "Are you a money-spreading boy?"

"I call it investment. It's obviously high-income and high-return. You see, you are so good at studying, and now you have started a business. Your business must be successful. Needless to say, I believe you, so I will give Don’t you just make a steady profit when you invest in me? Then look at Xia Xingcheng, he doesn’t even talk about painting, he’s excellent, it’s just that his father doesn’t want to, but it’s different now, you will definitely get rich, after you make money you Just invest my dividends in Xia Xingcheng, in your name, maybe the relationship between the two of you can go further."

Xia Xingche's heart warmed up: "You still think a lot."

"I don't care about you. What if you two fight again after I leave?"

Xia Xingche's eyes flickered when he heard the word "leave", and he couldn't help but clenched the card in his hand: "I won't fight with Xia Xingcheng, don't take yourself too seriously."

"I'm not important? If it's not important, then you are celebrating your birthday alone at this time, lonely." Jiang Chengyun raised his glass and touched his bottle again.

Xia Xingche twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled: "That's true."

Jiang Chengyun straightened up and leaned on the back of the chair behind him, his eyes fell on Xia Xingche's side face, a little hesitant to speak, he didn't know whether to say it or not, after all, he only figured it out recently.

"Xia Xingche, can you go out?"

"What?" Xia Xingche turned his head sideways.

Jiang Chengyun held his wrist and rolled up his sleeves. He saw that there were large or small scars on the fair arm, some of which had faded, but the last one hadn't disappeared. It seemed to hurt his heart. He took a deep breath as if he was brewing some emotion, then raised his eyes to meet Xia Xingche's.

"Forget all the bad things, put happiness in your heart from now on, stop blaming yourself, and get out of the shadows, okay?"

Xia Xingche stared blankly at Jiang Chengyun. He had never seen such an expression on this person's face before. He should be regarded as serious. He looked away as he dared not look directly. The secret he had been hiding in his heart seemed to be being spied on. Like that, I want to withdraw my hand.

But Jiang Chengyun's hand was tightly held, and it was an inescapable strength.

"I've been with you for so long, can't I help you?"

Xia Xingche seemed to feel something, obviously he wasn't talking about it but felt uncomfortable.

"I'm leaving. If I'm not here, how can you be? Is there anyone else with you?" Jiang Chengyun looked at him with burning eyes: "I didn't save your life because you made you do stupid things. You now Tell me, can I save you, can I pull you out."

Can?

Xia Xingche's gaze fell on Jiang Chengyun's hand that was holding him, how strong this hand was, that day Jiang Chengyun carried himself on his back and rushed to the hospital. That back seemed to be a mountain, blocking all the difficulties ahead.

"And I don't like Xia Xingcheng."

Xia Xingche was slightly stunned: "What are you talking about?" Why are you saying this all of a sudden.

"That guy has been so small since he was a child. It really makes people very protective, but protective and possessive are different. Because he is unhappy with Lu Wei, I feel like the cabbage I planted was raped by pigs, son. It feels like a big deal.”

"So?" Xia Xingche was at a loss when he heard his endless explanation. This guy really deserves to be a sports student.

"If you are intimate with other boys, then I will definitely be angry."

"……what?"

Jiang Chengyun leaned forward and leaned closer to the person's ear and said, "Because I am possessive of you."

Xia Xingche's body froze suddenly, and he was at a loss for the warmth coming from his ear. He turned his head to tell him to move away, but unexpectedly touched Jiang Chengyun's lips that were close at hand.

The taste of beer dyed the taste on the lips, the light touch is as cool as beer, the moment you drink it is cool, and the moment you feel hot.

His pupils shrank and he sat back in fright.

Jiang Chengyun saw that he reacted so strongly: "Why, are you scared? I'm telling the truth."

Xia Xingche nervously took the beer next to him and held it, trying to calm down the palpitations he had never had before.

Jiang Chengyun half-closed his eyes and seemed to notice something. He saw Xia Xingche's ears turned red: "Are you shy? Your ears are red."

Xia Xingche: "..." He was so angry that he raised his head and took a big gulp of beer.

Seeing him drinking beer like this again, Jiang Chengyun said, "It's okay, I'm not kidding you, come and have some barbecue and it will be cold later."

Only now did Xia Xingche look directly at him.

Jiang Chengyun was amused, maybe he just discovered Xia Xingche's cuteness recently, and now he is addicted, impatient and unable to push forward, or it may be because his love for Xia Xingche has extraordinary emotions, he is real His heart ached, and he was afraid that Xia Xingche wouldn't be able to go out and hurt himself, so he wanted to wait.

"Xia Xingche, happy birthday." He held up his beer and smiled at the person. At worst, he just waited, broke into Xia Xingche's frozen world and dragged this person out.

The moonlight gently sprinkled on the ground, and the street lamp enveloped the two people on the stone bench.

Xia Xingche looked down at the shadow on the ground thoughtfully.

During this period of time, Jiang Chengyun had been with him, and he was already used to the existence of this person by his company. They were not like this before. Although they were connected, the relationship did not seem to be like this... close?

This should be considered close, especially after Jiang Chengyun saved himself.

His eyes fell on Jiang Chengyun's handsome face, and his heart moved uncontrollably.When he was young, he was always envious of the relationship between Xia Xingcheng and Jiang Chengyun. Even after Xia Xingcheng went abroad, the relationship between the two of them was still so good, and he seemed like a poor little person who was not noticed. He also wanted to be noticed, but he It is impossible to ask for attention by saying it yourself.Even with Dad, Xia Xingcheng was always the one who worried the most, and his role seemed to be to protect Xia Xingcheng.

He doesn't care about this, because he also cares about Xia Xingcheng, he can do more for Xia Xingcheng, and bear all the pressure from the Xia family so that Xia Xingcheng can fly freely behind his back, although he hasn't done it yet.

But when he was doing this, his heart was empty, because it was like completing the task mechanically.

Maybe it's because he grew up, Jiang Chengyun's appearance suddenly seemed to be an accident. He has always existed but his sense of existence has become stronger during this period of time. When he was sad, Jiang Chengyun was by his side, even on his 18th birthday, he was by his side.

There is a kind of inexplicable throbbing, which is just around the corner and can't wait.

This strange feeling made him very irritable, because he was confused and afraid to take that step, afraid of being hurt.

He touched his pocket and took out a cigarette, and clicked on the lighter.

Jiang Chengyun was a little surprised. He looked at Xia Xingche who was beside him skillfully holding a cigarette: "When will you start smoking?"

Maybe it's because the light from the street lamps shrouded it just right, and it fell on Xia Xingche's body like a faint halo. I saw the cigarette between the white and slender fingers, and the movement of slightly lifting the chin and blowing out the smoke ring was skillful. And inexplicably sexy, the handsome and cold face makes people unable to avert their eyes because of such actions.

"I smoke when I'm irritable." Xia Xingche looked at him slightly: "You can't smoke."

"Of course I know that I can't smoke. I'm shocked that you smoke!" Jiang Chengyun felt a little overwhelmed by him looking at it like this. This guy smoking looks really good. Has anyone else seen it? "Have you ever smoked in front of others?" smoke?"

When I thought that this appearance might be seen by others, I felt a little angry.

"No." Xia Xingche flicked ash in the can of beer he drank.

Jiang Chengyun looked at the light tap of the fingertips, as if it was flicking on his heart, and felt strange and itchy: "Then you can't smoke in front of others, you know?"

"why?"

"Don't you have any idea what you are doing now!"

Xia Xingche was taken aback by Jiang Chengyun's sudden increase in volume: "What are you doing, it's late at night."

Jiang Chengyun reached out to take away the cigarette in his hand, then extinguished it on the can, and warned viciously: "No smoking is allowed in the future."

Xia Xingche looked at him speechlessly: "...don't care what I do."

"I just want to take care of what's wrong with you!" Seeing his indifference, Jiang Chengyun was furious: "You are 18 today, and I don't say anything, just wish you a long life!"

Xia Xingche: "..."

Whoever said the words of congratulations seemed to be swearing, suddenly felt a little funny, and couldn't help laughing.

"What are you laughing at, who made you laugh!" Jiang Chengyun saw that he still dared to laugh and smiled so beautifully, and he began to remember the little book in his heart. He had to be optimistic about Xia Xingche while he was still in school, lest anyone be caught. It's not good if he hooks him away, it's fine to hook him alone.

"It's late, go back and rest." Xia Xingche stood up, with strange emotions suppressed in his eyes.

"I'll sleep with you." Jiang Chengyun quickly put the garbage into the garbage bag and threw it into the trash can beside him.

"You don't have a dormitory?"

"Your dormitory is comfortable."

"Your dormitory is not bad either."

"But it's your birthday, I'll go up and sing you a song."

"Thank you, I'm sleepy and don't need to sing."

As the night darkened, the two elongated shadows also overlapped because of their proximity.

Just as he was walking back to the dormitory, Xia Xingche received a text message, which was a rare message from his father:

——Chengcheng, today is your 18th birthday. Dad wishes you a happy birthday. The three of us, father and son, meet up. Dad wants to talk to you.

Xia Xingche: "..."

Sure enough, he shouldn't have hoped, and put the phone back in his pocket as if nothing had happened.

What he sees, the son can't tell whether he sees it or not.

.

There were two people sitting by the window in the coffee shop, one of them ordered a cup of coffee and didn't drink it, they just faced each other silently.

Zhou Rui looked at Xia Shangzhe opposite. This man was still wearing a suit all day long, as if he was working all the time. The 12 years seemed to have taken away nothing from this man. Very indifferent.

She withdrew her gaze and looked down at the coffee in the cup, stirring with a spoon to blend the latte art on top with the coffee. Xia Shangzhe's excessive calmness made it impossible for her to utter a lot of complaints she had prepared, because the feeling of guilt was bigger than she wanted To seek justice for the children.

"How are you?"

Her hand holding the spoon accidentally touched the wall of the cup because of Xia Shangzhe's sudden opening, and the ding sound seemed to snap her nervous thoughts instantly. When she looked up at Xia Shangzhe, her eyes were a little flustered.

"Oh, very good."

Xia Shangzhe calmly took in all the expressions and movements of the woman opposite, and the flash of panic seemed to please him in some way.What he is best at is observing, silently observing, especially Zhou Rui, a woman he has loved for 20 years, and met this young and ignorant girl when he was 26 years old, because his deep love almost exhausted all his Patience and tolerance, but in the end I still didn't get any response.

It was this woman who made him lose patience and feel guilty about the two children.

"How's your body? Didn't you relapse?" He raised his coffee and took a sip, his tone as if he mentioned it casually.

Zhou Rui's eyes fell on Xia Shangzhe's movement of drinking coffee. This man is still so calm and elegant, as perfect as a delicate work of art. Everything he does is extremely pleasing to the eye, making it impossible to pick out any mistakes.The paradox is that although he is doing a business that sounds a little vulgar in precious metals, this man doesn't have the slightest smell of copper, and he is even more artistic than an artist like her.

Thinking of the rather dramatic acquaintance between them, thinking that I have failed this man's sincerity, not only hurt him but also implicated two innocent children. Her oil painting syndrome was also caused by the recurrence of bipolar disorder during pregnancy. Exciting.She also regretted what she did out of control at the beginning. She was not a good mother. She could still do such terrible things out of control in front of her children. In the end, she committed suicide by jumping off a building in order to let Xia Shangzhe let her go.

"pretty good."

"What about your legs, are you okay?"

"fine."

"Can you draw?"

"...I can't paint, but I'm working as a curator."

"is it?"

Zhou Rui heard Xia Shangzhe talking to herself in such a plain and reminiscing words, she suddenly felt panicked in her heart, she put her hands on the table as a gesture of please: "No, please don't talk like that, I'd rather you scold me I."

"You also know that you should scold me." Xia Shangzhe put down his glass and looked at her calmly: "I really want to scold you."

Maybe it was because the man's eyes were full of too complicated and strong emotions, Zhou Rui didn't dare to look at each other, and lowered her head guiltyly: "You scold me."

"When I was 26 years old, I thought I met the most suitable person, talked about the most suitable relationship, and finally walked into the palace of a happy marriage. Everything seemed to be so natural. But then I found out that we are happy. It's too natural, I think you are too simple, I think you really love me."

"You were just in college, and you were taken to a hotel by your roommate. She drugged you maliciously and tried to sell you to a man pretending to be an art painter. You were almost photographed. I saved you."

"At the beginning, you were like a lost and helpless deer, hugging me and begging me. I was very moved. I didn't take this night as a meeting by chance. I also thought that what you said to me after waking up was true. Yes, you like me too."

Xia Shangzhe leaned on the back of the chair, clasped his hands on his overlapping legs, his face was calm as if he was telling a story, and his tone was well controlled, but Zhou Rui felt more and more guilty. He couldn't say anything about accusing Xia Shangzhe of why he treated his son like that.

Every cause must have an effect, all because of her.

"I was just wondering why you can act like a baby in my arms if you don't like me. Can you really feel wronged by me saving you? Wronged to fall in love with me, wronged to fall in love, even wronged to marry me, Give birth to a child, and in the end I became the one that Ache said killed you."

Xia Shangzhe looked at the woman in front of him whom he had loved deeply for 20 years and could never forget. Now that he meets again, his original heart remains the same.His gaze fell on Zhou Rui's hair, all of which was tied behind his head. The ponytail seemed to arouse all his love and hatred.

"Remember you didn't know how to tie your hair before, I did it for you, now you know how to do it?"

Holding the cup in both hands, Zhou Rui's eyes were slightly red: "Xia Shangzhe, don't do this."

Hearing that she really has no face to stay here any longer.

This man who was eight years older than her was always as cold as ice in front of others, but he was like a spring breeze in front of her, giving her the pampering that women all over the world envied.Maybe she is just a bitch, there is someone who loves her so much, but she chose oil painting, which she can't even specialize in.

In fact, she really didn't have the talent for drawing, no matter how much Xia Shangzhe encouraged her and how much she praised her, if there is no aura, there is no aura, but she is desperately digging into the corner, and even throws all her grievances on Xia Shangzhe.

After getting married, she didn't get what she wanted, instead she couldn't paint more and more, so she always lost her temper and threw things, but Xia Shangzhe never complained, even if she hurt him several times, he didn't blame her Own.This situation became more serious after she was pregnant, and she had mental problems. She felt that she was an outstanding painter because Xia Shangzhe locked her at home and prevented her from painting.

In fact, it was all imagined by her. She couldn't control her emotions when she saw oil paintings. After giving birth to a child, she became so serious that she started to hurt herself and the child accidentally. suicide.

She stabbed herself with a knife and jumped off the building, but she didn't die. Maybe it was a joke made by God. She had to realize that she was wrong after she had a complete epiphany. For someone who loves her, Xia Shangzhe sent her away.

"Thinking of the day when I saw you covered in blood in the hospital, I wondered why you did this, and whether I didn't do well enough to make you so sad."

Zhou Rui couldn't hold back anymore, she looked at Xia Shangzhe with red eyes and couldn't help shouting: "Don't do this again, okay!"

Why does this man always do this, and why does he still want to remember such a cruel and ruthless person as her.

"Ruirui, I really want to scold you." Xia Shangzhe smiled, his eyes turning red.

"Then I beg you to scold me..."

Xia Shangzhe looked at Zhou Rui, whom he had loved deeply for 20 years, with red eyes and tears. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her, and said softly:

"But how can I be willing to scold you."

The man's gentleness and endless pampering as before can easily destroy the psychological defenses she has spent 12 years building up with great difficulty.

She grabbed the handkerchief and covered her face, crying sadly: "Xia Shangzhe, you are really ruthless."

"Because I don't believe in such a good me. If you say you don't love me, you don't love me. There are two children. Are you willing to let them go?" Xia Shangzhe laughed and said, "You are really ruthless."

"So did you do it on purpose, you took Chengcheng's painting down, did you want me to appear?"

Xia Shangzhe smiled helplessly when he heard such words: "Zhou Rui, you are still like this. In your heart, I am the one who always threatens you? Ask yourself, have I ever forced you?"

"Just leave like this and pass all the responsibility to me." He thought of the situation of the two children: "Chengcheng has been in poor health since she was a child, and she was so frightened by your extreme behavior that she almost left. Don't you feel guilty as a mother? ?His green vision is very serious, and the doctor said it was caused by great stimulation."

Zhou Rui was silent and dared not speak.

"Cheche inherited your bipolar disorder, and after witnessing your suicide, he suffered from blood phobia. Obviously, I held him and prevented him from going in, but his memory was biased and he thought he didn't go in. Save Chengcheng. Since then, he has been careful with Chengcheng and lived without himself. Like Chengcheng, he lost part of his memory, but unlike Chengcheng, he forgot the best memories and only left painful memories. In his In the world, his father is a ruthless and indifferent person who drives his mother to death."

"Because I lost the woman I love, no matter how afraid I am of losing my son, I will protect them in my cold circle at all costs. I would rather they blame me and put an end to any possibility of letting them leave, but in the end I still let them The two were hurt, I am also a human being, and I know I was wrong, but how can I go on this road, do you think I have not done enough for you?"

Zhou Rui pursed her lips and tears rolled in her eyes: "I know I was wrong."

"So why are you coming back?"

Zhou Rui froze, she looked at Xia Shangzhe, she saw that the man's eyes were very red, as if he was trying to suppress some emotions.

"You shouldn't have come back, I have already regarded you as a dead person." Xia Shangzhe said: "But you have made me think that I shouldn't have, why are you so cruel, obviously I will forget you, obviously my child His mother died a long time ago, why did he come back?"

"I--"

"I won't let you appear in front of the children, so you don't have to think about it." Xia Shangzhe looked at her: "I know you are planning an art exhibition for Chengcheng this time, yes, this is the last chance, I will invite you in the future Hide away, or I won't let you go when I see you again."

Zhou Rui froze, she stared blankly at Xia Shangzhe's eyes, and saw that the man's eyes were filled with strong emotions, as if she would be swallowed by such emotions just by looking at him again.

He shyly avoided his sight.

Xia Shangzhe felt even more uncomfortable when he thought of the two children refusing to meet him. He looked at the emotion in the eyes of the woman in front of him: "No, I regret it. You can't escape this time. Try running again?"

"I--"

"How dare you say you don't like me?"

Zhou Rui was silent.

"You can keep silent, it's better to keep silent like this, just like you said you were dead in order to escape."

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I have an exam on Monday and I’m still coding, fo fo fo