South of Chutian

In the early morning of May [-]th, it started to rain in Wuhan.

The weather in the south is like this. At the turn of spring and summer, although there is continuous rain, the temperature does not drop at all. Instead, the air sticks to the skin with humidity, which makes people feel extremely irritable.Li Yuechi was woken up very early by the sound of rain, a little dim light came in from the window, the electric fan was humming, and the roommates were still sleeping soundly.Li Yuechi felt a lot of sweat on his back, which made his pajamas wet and uncomfortable.

He took out his phone from under the pillow and sent Tang Heng a text message: Can we meet today?

It was only [-]:[-], and he knew that Tang Heng was still sleeping.

Unexpectedly, Tang Heng's text message came back a few minutes later: I don't know, my mother has a bad cold...I have to watch her at home.

Then you take good care of her.

Miss me?

Correct.

I'll see if I can sneak out after she falls asleep tonight.

Li Yuechi smiled at the screen: It's okay, it's not too late for two days.

In the morning when Li Yuechi returned to their rental house, he wanted to pick up two books and return them to the library.The book was borrowed by Tang Heng when he was writing his thesis, but he kept forgetting to return it, and it was due tomorrow.Tang Heng reads books very carefully. He is used to using that kind of narrow stickers as bookmarks, and the strands are staggered from each other and stuck to the edge of the page.Sitting on their bed, Li Yuechi patiently took off the stickers and pasted them on the inside pages of his own teaching materials.These markers are similar to post-it notes and are reusable.

During the period, he received a call from Tian Xiaoqin. After a night, Tian Xiaoqin seemed to be more anxious: "Yuechi, are you at school? I have something to tell you."

"I'm not at school right now."

"Then when are you coming back?"

"In the afternoon."

"It's okay in the afternoon." Tian Xiaoqin said something, but Li Yuechi didn't hear it clearly, and then she hung up the phone.

In fact, Li Yuechi didn't know how to face her—should I tell her the "scandal" between her and Professor Tang that was circulating among the students?Those words are too cruel no matter how you think about them, maybe it's better for her not to know.

By noon, it was still raining.Li Yuechi went to the alley to buy hot dry noodles and rice wine.He sat in the room and ate slowly, without turning on the light, and his vision was gray. Fortunately, such things as hot dry noodles can be eaten with eyes closed.In fact, turning on the lights when entering the house was a habit that Li Yuechi developed only after he and Tang Heng got together.When he was in his hometown in Guizhou, the lights were hardly turned on during the day—to save money.Later, when he went to Wuhan to study as an undergraduate, he was not used to turning on the headlights in the dormitory alone, and only turned on a desk lamp. Occasionally, the roommates who came in would be startled by him: "I'm stupid, I thought there was no one in the room."

However, Tang Heng is short-sighted and does not like to wear glasses, so he always likes to turn on the lights in every room—of course, their rental house only has two rooms, the bedroom and the bathroom.This may be the reason why it is difficult to change from extravagance to frugality. After staying in a bright room for a long time, he also developed the habit of entering the room and turning on the light.The ceiling lights of their rental house are very bright, clearly illuminating Tang Heng's face, he frowns, he snickers, he opens his eyes wide to welcome his kiss, these images are extremely clear and frozen in Li Yuechi's mind, all thanks to the top of his head lights.

Li Yuechi got up, clicked, and turned on the light.

In the afternoon, Li Yuechi went to the library to return the books.The moment he walked out of the library gate, his cell phone rang.

Tian Xiaoqin said, "Li Yuechi...you come to Teacher Tang's office."

"Now?"

"Yes, now... hurry up."

Li Yuechi walked very fast, and the rain was even more urgent at this time, and the raindrops hit his skin densely, making it feel slippery.

Professor Tang's office was closed, and Li Yuechi stood the umbrella at the door, brushed the water off his arm, and knocked on the door.

Tian Xiaoqin came to open the door with a worried expression.Li Yuechi walked into the office and saw Professor Tang holding a brush and slowly writing a calligraphy.

"You guys sit down first." Professor Tang said kindly.

The two sat down, the temperature of the air conditioner in the office seemed to be lower than yesterday, Li Yuechi shivered.By the time Professor Tang put down the brush, his half-wet collar was completely dry.

"Come on, let's see, how do I write?"

It is written in black and white in front of him: A gentleman is not powerful if he is not serious, and he is not solid if he learns. The Lord is loyal and trustworthy.Those who have no friends are not as good as themselves.Don't be afraid to change if you pass.

"This passage comes from "The Analects of Confucius". It means that if a gentleman is not dignified, he will not have majesty. Even if he reads books, he can't really master knowledge. A gentleman should uphold the two principles of loyalty and trust in doing things. Morality, do not make friends with those who are unfaithful and untrustworthy, and if you know your mistakes, correct them."

After Professor Tang finished speaking, before they could answer, he smiled and said, "I will give this picture to you two."

Tian Xiaoqin said in a daze: "...Thank you."

"Okay, let's get down to business," Professor Tang sat down, with a calm tone, "Now there are only three of us, and you two are my students, and we're on our own. As for me, I'll just say it straight."

The air conditioner was blowing on Li Yuechi, it was very cold.

"Sanke contacted me at noon, saying that Wang Lili admitted it."

Li Yuechi lowered his eyes and saw goose bumps on his arms.

"Wang Lili said that after discussing with the two of you, she smuggled away twelve pieces of equipment and planned to take them out and sell them."

Li Yuechi raised his head slowly.

"Did she say so?" Professor Tang's expression was still very calm, "Sanke was going to call the police, but I stopped him. You think, if Wang Lili entered the police station and recorded a statement, there would be no room for this matter It's just the three of us now, which one of you will tell me what's going on?"

In just a few words, Tian Xiaoqin's complexion turned pale, her slightly parted lips trembled violently, she seemed to want to say something, but she couldn't make a sound.

"Teacher Tang," Li Yuechi felt his mind go blank, "We didn't do anything."

"Really?" Professor Tang sighed softly, "This list was signed by you—oh, you didn't sign it. But Wang Lili said that you two moved the equipment out with her. Saint Ke sent a total of 74 There are 62 pieces of equipment on your list, and 62 pieces were received by the hospital.”

"Teacher, I, I don't know what you are talking about..." Tian Xiaoqin took a step back and said in panic, "We didn't do that kind of thing..."

"I know that you two have a difficult family, but you are both good children," Professor Tang said in a persuasive and persuasive manner. "A person's life is very long, and it's normal to make mistakes because of a single thought. Now, tell me the truth, everything is fine." You still have time."

Tian Xiaoqin hissed, "Teacher, we really—"

"Well," Professor Tang interrupted her, "you two go back and think about it, and come to me tomorrow. I told Sheng Ke that I will not call the police today. When you think it through, you are willing to tell me Let’s be honest, let’s discuss countermeasures.”

When Li Yuechi returned to the dormitory, his roommate was holding a laptop and playing games.

At the end of the game, the roommate turned around and said, "Yuechi, I want to borrow your pot—" He didn't finish speaking, and his face had a ghostly expression.

"Yuechi, what's wrong with you?" The roommate hurriedly got up, "Why are you so wet..."

Li Yuechi was drenched all over, and water droplets fell one by one along the tips of his hair.He came back to his senses and said in a low voice, "...I forgot to bring my umbrella." The umbrella landed at the door of Professor Tang's office.

"Call me if you forgot to bring your umbrella, I will drive you there by bike," said the roommate, "Hurry up and change your clothes, don't catch a cold."

Li Yuechi got up and walked slowly into the bathroom.He didn't know if he had a cold, his nose was blocked, and his mind was numb.

He didn't wake up until the hot water drenched his body.Tian Xiaoqin's helpless cry was still in his ears, and Professor Tang's words were so clear, Li Yuechi wiped his face, still feeling at a loss.Why did Wang Lili slander them?They got along very well during the days of Dawu, and no conflicts occurred.

It felt like... like when his dad was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis.At first his father just had a cough, but after drinking the herbal medicine, he still coughed, so he went to see a barefoot doctor in the village.The doctor took his father's pulse and said, it doesn't matter, it's just that the lungs are full of fire, so please don't smoke during this time.

When he came home that night, his father suddenly coughed up a puddle of black blood.

The next day I went to the county hospital and had a film taken. The doctor asked, where do you work?

Shanxi.

Mine?

Hey, yes.

You are a typical pneumoconiosis, an occupational disease of coal miners, please go to hospital as soon as possible.

At this moment, it's the same feeling.

Li Yuechi took a shower, changed his clothes, and sat in the dormitory.He forced himself to calm down and think about how to solve this matter.Li Yuechi thought, first, he and Tian Xiaoqin were slandered, and they must never admit to things they hadn't done.Second, everything is based on evidence. The current situation is that Shengke has not called the police yet, but Shengke and Professor Tang have unilaterally believed Wang Lili's words.Maybe it would be better to call the police. Wang Lili said that the three of them moved away twelve pieces of equipment together, so the police must collect witnesses and physical evidence, so the truth will naturally come to light.Third, Wang Lili stole the equipment, but he and Tian Xiaoqin did not find out.Maybe they are indeed responsible for the lost equipment, losing money?How much will they lose?Where should he get the money from?

The fourth is that at this moment he really wants to see Tang Heng.If you want to hug him, even if you don't say anything, it's fine.

Li Yuechi texted Tang Heng: Can you answer the phone?

After waiting for half an hour, Tang Heng didn't reply.

Li Yuechi dialed the phone, and Tang Heng turned off the phone.

"Yue Chi, I'm going to buy food," the roommate said, "Do you want to bring food for you?"

"Thanks, I'll go out right away."

"Are you going to the cafeteria to eat? Then can you bring it back for me?"

"I'm going... to find a classmate."

"Oh, then let's go together."

It wasn't until the door was locked that Li Yuechi realized that he didn't have an umbrella, so he really had to go with his roommate.The rain was getting heavier, it was only after five o'clock, the sky was already half dark, and the street lights in the school hadn't been turned on yet, the raindrops made the vision even more blurred.

It was as if the entire Hanyang University had turned into a dark, leaky house in his hometown.

Li Yuechi didn't ask his roommate to send him downstairs, but bid farewell to his roommate some distance away from the faculty apartment, and then ran over by himself.

The new clothes got wet again.He rushed into the corridor and stroked the water from his hair.

Unlike the bustling student dormitory area, the staff apartment is quiet.Li Yuechi stood at the entrance of the corridor and dialed Tang Heng's number again, but the phone was still turned off.

He went upstairs lightly and stood at the door of Tang Heng's house.He thought it might be that Tang Heng and his mother went out and forgot to bring his mobile phone, and then the mobile phone ran out of battery.If they come back later... Fortunately, this kind of old-fashioned unit has a roof. Although Tang Heng's house is on the top floor, there is still a flight of stairs up.If they come back, he can hide in the stairwell above.

The corridor was stuffy and hot, sweat mixed with rain.Soon the voice control lights went out, and Li Yuechi remembered that time he and Tang Heng kissed in the dark corridor.

At 07:30 in the evening, Li Yuechi's mobile phone was only 34% charged.

Tang Heng's cell phone was still turned off.Li Yuechi dialed Jiang Ya's number.

"Ah?" There was a very rhythmic music on Jiang Ya's side, "I don't know where he went, I went back to Beijing yesterday!"

"Is there... something wrong with your company?"

"That's right, sister Lin accepted a new event for us, and Tang Heng will never come back, hey!"

"I see." Li Yuechi said.

At the last second before the phone ran out of power, Li Yuechi saw the time on the screen as "21:07".He even thought, could it be that Tang Heng's mother had a severe cold and they went to the hospital for an infusion?The nearest hospital is the school hospital. Anyway, I just have a cold, so I probably wouldn't go to a big hospital.

He thought he should go to the school hospital to try.

Li Yuechi moved his numb feet, and following his movements, the voice-activated lights turned on.He stepped down two steps, then turned his head to look at the door of Tang Heng's house.

At this moment, in the blink of an eye, he heard a crisp sound of glass shattering.

"Tang Heng!" A woman's scream came from inside the door, "You dare to leave, I won't live today if you leave!"