South of Chutian

By noon, instead of being a little brighter, the sky became darker.Tang Heng took cold medicine, his head was a little dizzy, and he was lying on the bed and would not sleep.

"Baby, I'll go out for a while." Fu Liling walked over and took the phone away from Tang Heng's hand. "Sleep for a while, don't lie down and look at your phone, ah."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll buy a new box of antipyretics to send to the door, and then I'll buy some fruit for them."

"I'll go with you." Tang Heng stood up.

"No! You have just subsided your fever, so what if you freeze again?"

"I'll wear more," Tang Heng insisted, "It's too boring at home, I want to go out for a walk."

Fu Liling couldn't resist him, and finally the mother and son went out together.Tang Heng wore a cashmere sweater, thermal pants, and a knee-length down jacket, and was forced by Fu Liling to put on a woolen hat and a mask. Only his eyes were exposed.Probably because of the fever, Tang Heng felt his body limp, and his movements when going down the stairs were slower than usual.Standing at the entrance of the corridor, Fu Liling stretched out her hand to try it out: "It's raining again."

She opened her umbrella and said to herself, "It's really cold this year."

Tang Heng lowered his head, staring at a pinch of soot and scattered cigarette butts next to the fire hydrant.

one two three four five six seven eight.Eight cigarette butts.On the ground next to the pinch of cigarette ash, there is a deep gray-black mark. You can imagine how the smoker pressed the cigarette butt out there. Eight cigarettes, how long has that person stood here?

Most of the residents in this building are retired faculty members of Han University, and Tang Heng has never seen anyone smoking in the corridor.

Even if it is smoking, I can't figure out who would smoke eight in a row.

Tang Heng bought medicine with Fu Liling, went to the supermarket, bought four boxes of Argentinian prawns and two fruit baskets, and planned to give them to the neighbors across the door.

It was only after two o'clock in the afternoon when I got home. Fu Liling delivered the medicine and gifts, then watched Tang Heng eat an apple before going back to his room for a nap.She asked Tang Heng to sleep for a while too, and Tang Heng nodded in response.

A quarter of an hour later, Tang Heng wrapped his down jacket tightly and slipped into the balcony.

"Jiang Ya," he lowered his voice, "are you awake?"

"Brother, you slept comfortably. I didn't get home until five o'clock in the morning."

"Thanks."

"Let the fart go."

"Where did Li Yuechi go last night?"

"How do I know."

"Did he... come to see me?"

"No ah."

"Jiang Ya."

"..."

Jiang Ya muttered something, but Tang Heng didn't catch it.Then he dragged his voice and said helplessly: "He stood downstairs in your house for most of the night. He was still there when I went back. I said you had a fever, but he didn't leave."

Tang Heng held his breath all of a sudden.

"Tell me, you two, alas, why are you making such a fuss?" Jiang Ya yawned and said, "One has a fever and the other is on vigil. I really don't feel tired."

"Did he say anything?"

"said."

"say what?"

"'Tang Heng has a fever!''Is he at home?''Yes, yes, he has a high fever of [-] degrees!''I'll come over now.''You don't come, the mother is at home.''Jiang Ya, I'm downstairs .'——The above is the conversation between the two of us. Do you think he still loves you?"

"Fuck off."

"Shy?" Jiang Ya said with a smile, "You didn't see his face, just last night—oh no this morning—when I went downstairs, shit, he stood there like a ghost."

Tang Heng hung up the phone directly.

He quickly dressed, grabbed the key wallet, and slipped out of the house lightly.Fortunately, Fu Liling was sleeping, otherwise he would never have been let out. However, when Fu Liling woke up, how would he explain it to her?Tang Heng couldn't take care of these problems anymore, he just felt that he couldn't bear it anymore, and he couldn't bear it for another minute.

Rushing downstairs, the school cleaners were sweeping the floor. The rain had knocked down a lot of sycamore leaves. The workers held a wide broom and swept over with a "crash—crash—" and piled up the fallen leaves into hills intertwined with yellow and green. .

Tang Heng was stunned for two seconds, then took out his phone and took a picture of the pinch of cigarette ash and scattered cigarette butts.

There are all the witnesses and material evidence, Tang Heng thought viciously, Li Yuechi, just wait.

He forgot to bring an umbrella. Fortunately, the down jacket has a hat, which is enough to resist the drizzle in the sky.Stepped on the bicycle and headed straight for Li Yuechi's dormitory.Today is Saturday, and Li Yuechi doesn't need to go to class, nor does he need to go to the project team - this time is not the time for the "Qingwen Entrance Examination" to attend classes.

Tang Heng parked the car downstairs in his dormitory, climbed up to the third floor, and saw Li Yuechi's dormitory was lit, and the wooden door was ajar.

Tang Heng took two deep breaths, and after his breathing became stable, he stepped forward and knocked on the door twice.

"Come in—" came a weak male voice.

Tang Heng pushed the door open and entered. Li Yuechi's roommate sat at the table and said with a smile, "Hey, junior brother, are you here to look for Yuechi?"

"Is... isn't he here?" Li Yuechi's bed was empty.

"I went out last night, and I haven't come back yet." The roommate smiled ambiguously, "I went out over the wall in the middle of the night, and it was still raining. Yuechi is really brave, and he is not afraid of falling!"

"Thank you, senior brother," Tang Heng said, "I'll look for him elsewhere."

"Oh, Junior Brother, do you have something to do with him?"

"...That's right."

"He must have gone to find a girlfriend, otherwise why would he go out in the middle of the night," the roommate said with an expression of "coming here", "If you are not in a hurry, we can talk about it tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you, brother."

"You're welcome. By the way, did you call him?"

"beated……"

"Can't get through?"

"Ah."

"A moment in the Spring Festival is worth a thousand gold," the roommate shook his head, "Yue Chi can do it."

Tang Heng thought to himself, Chun Xiao is a fart, I am his girlfriend!

But where did Li Yuechi go?When he left downstairs from his house this morning, he must have been sleepy, cold, and tired, and the dormitory was the closest place.He didn't go back to the dormitory, did he go... Tang Heng knew that he could call him, but felt that there were some things that he couldn't explain clearly on the phone. He just wanted to see him, right now.

Tang Heng got on his bicycle again, and this time he drove towards the east gate of Han University, and turned into the alley with ease. When passing by a small shop of hot and dry noodles, Tang Heng stopped to buy two glasses of rice wine, two servings of hot and dry noodles, and Fried eggs and braised beef.

He thought, if Li Yuechi was not around, at worst he would eat it alone.

Go downstairs, lock the car, and pick up the steaming bag of food.

The umbrella of "Qingwen Kaoyan" is hung on the railing at the door.

Tang Heng took out the key, carefully inserted it into the keyhole, and slowly turned it.The door opened, and he saw Li Yuechi lying on the bed with his back facing him, the room was not turned on, his outline was very blurred, like a dark, smoldering ink.

Tang Heng walked in very lightly, and when he was two steps away from the edge of the bed, Li Yue moved a little.

In the silence and darkness, he heard Li Yuechi's hoarse voice: "Tang Heng?"

"Hmm..." Tang Heng's heartbeat became very fast, "You...are you hungry?"

"..."

Li Yuechi got up, put on some clothes, then got out of bed, turned on the lights, and turned on the air conditioner.

In winter in Wuhan, if the air conditioner or electric heater is not turned on, the temperature inside and outside the house is the same.And he didn't even turn on the electric blanket, was it to save electricity?Tang Heng couldn't help but said, "Are you cold?"

Li Yuechi said, "It's fine."

His dark circles were heavy, his stubble protruded in a mess, and he looked very tired.Tang Heng took out the hot dry noodles and rice wine and pushed them in front of him.

Li Yuechi picked up the paper bowl and ate the noodles in big mouthfuls.

Tang Heng said, "Didn't you eat this morning?"

He nodded.

Needless to say, I definitely didn't eat at noon.

Tang Heng didn't know what to say, so he had no choice but to eat the noodles too. After eating the warm food, it felt warmer.It wasn't until they both finished eating and two empty bowls lay between them that Tang Heng felt that he should really say something.

On the way here, he clearly organized so many conversations.Those who are confident, those who have the chance to win, and those who are even proud... Didn't you say "impossible", then don't come to me, don't install telephone poles downstairs in my house?Aren't you calmer than anyone else, tougher than anyone else? It doesn't matter, Li Yuechi, how about you pretend?

But at this moment, he couldn't say these words at all.Li Yuechi loves him, right?Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed downstairs at his house for most of the night.But love can't apologize to each other for them, love can't erase all unhappy memories, it's so strange, love is such a good thing, but it makes him feel at a loss and powerless.

"Do you still have a fever?" Li Yuechi asked.

"It's not burning."

"You're hoarse."

Tang Heng let out an annoyed "hmm".

Li Yuechi stopped talking again, the only sound in the room was the low and continuous sound from the air conditioner.Tang Heng thought, is Li Yuechi still angry?Otherwise why didn't he speak.So what to do, sorry?Thinking of this makes me a little wronged, why did he apologize first, it was obviously Li Yuechi who missed his singing first.They made an appointment, and he said he would come to listen.

Forget it, anyway, it's just "I'm sorry", just say it, and you won't lose a piece of meat.

Tang Heng's heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to speak, Li Yuechi suddenly raised his face.

"Tang Heng," he said, "come here."

Tang Heng was stunned, his mind hadn't turned yet, his body had already followed his words, got up, walked around the small table, and came in front of him.

Li Yuechi also stood up, opened his arms, and hugged Tang Heng tightly.

Tang Heng was wearing a down jacket, while he was only wearing an autumn jacket, and a cotton jacket from the Social College with his arms open.Tang Heng put his hands into his padded jacket and wrapped his arms around his waist.In contrast, his body was very thin, which made Tang Heng feel that he was cold for no reason.

"Are you still angry?" Li Yuechi put his chin on Tang Heng's head and asked softly.

"Angry," Tang Heng said, "Why did you stand downstairs for so long, not afraid of catching a cold?"

Li Yuechi smiled.

"Just stand there," Tang Heng said again, "don't send me a text message either."

"I'm afraid you don't want to talk to me."

"how come."

"Last night, that senior brother scolded Tian Xiaoqin in front of many people. He scolded Tian Xiaoqin very harshly. After we finished the meeting, he called Tian Xiaoqin over alone again...to play tricks on her."

Tang Heng asked in shock: "Do you use your hands?"

"Well, Tian Xiaoqin was frightened, that's why she cried to me."

Fuck, what's the matter!

"Who is it?" Tang Heng frowned, "What's your name?"

"Bao Lei."

"I seem to have heard of this person."

"It's okay," Li Yuechi stroked Tang Heng's hair, "Tian Xiaoqin went to see Teacher Tang at noon, and Teacher Tang said that Bao Lei would quit the project team."

"Oh... that's good."

"But I did lie to you," Li Yuechi was silent for a few seconds, "Because I don't want to make you unhappy, can you accept this explanation?"

"If you had made it clear at that time... hey, forget it." At that time, Tian Xiaoqin was still beside him, and Li Yuechi really couldn't make it clear.

"I hope you are happy with me. I was downstairs at your house last night. I was thinking, if Jiang Ya was in love with you, would you be happier? He can accompany you every day and be with you Perform together, and he can take care of you when you have a fever."

"Wait - Jiang Ya is my brother!"

"I'm just making an analogy."

"you……"

"Falling in love should be a happy thing, right?" Li Yuechi sighed softly, "I want you to be happier, not...like yesterday."