run to him

"From Yubei..."

Lin Chan's movements cut off Jing Ye's unfinished words, and he reflexively helped him up.

When reaching out to hold Lin Chan's forearm, Jing Ye didn't know if it was his illusion, Lin Chan seemed to be trembling a little.His heart seemed to tremble with the slight trembling, he was at a loss and couldn't say a word.

what happened to you?

Isn't it time to celebrate the New Year at home?

Fighting with mom, or something wrong?

Can... can you tell me?

He had countless questions, and when he was deciding which one to ask first, Ye Xiaohui's voice sounded behind him: "Xiao Lin is back?"

Breaking the silence, Lin Chan closed the door when she stepped into Jing Ye's house.Only then did Jing Ye see that Lin Chan was empty-handed and didn't bring anything, and he was even more certain that he left home suddenly. Thinking about the other party's not-so-normal family composition, he couldn't help but sweat for Lin Chan first.

But Lin Chan didn't speak, and just kept standing there and stared at Ye Xiaohui eagerly.

Ye Xiaohui was making dumplings, but she was stared at by Lin Chan for a while, she took the lead to look away, wiped her hands, and came over to fetch slippers for Lin Chan herself: "Oh, oh...it's okay, go back to auntie and follow me home Same, don't think about other things!" Finally, he touched the head of the boy who was a head taller than her, "Hey, stay here, have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet." Lin Chan said cautiously, "I had a fight with my mother."

Because she was mentally prepared, Ye Xiaohui let out a "sigh": "Fang Fei is really serious, what kind of temper tantrum do you have with a child during the Chinese New Year! Forget it, you have to eat your fill first. Do you want to eat dumplings? Your brother a few days ago They are clamoring to make dumplings, here, the noodles and stuffing made by Auntie, try it? Don’t eat dumplings, there are fish, ribs, fried chicken wings, come here—”

After saying that, Ye Xiaohui couldn't help but grab Lin Chan with one hand and lead him straight to the dining table.She thought, according to the temperament of the mother and son, quarrels would not be possible, but Lin Chan would leave home on New Year's Eve...

Perhaps some irreconcilable contradictions have been triggered.

A teenage boy is at a time when his mind is sensitive, so help him take care of it, and he will deal with it by himself when he has figured it out. It is not good to ask questions.Besides, is there anything that a good meal can't fix?Give little ones some space.Ye Xiaohui and his wife treated Jing Ye like this back then, and now they are doing the same to Lin Chan.

Her reassurance and enthusiasm seemed to have worked. At least Lin Chan didn't have spikes all over her body when she sat down like when she first entered the door. She picked up the bowl silently, and although she didn't eat anything for a while, she said thank you.

Jing Ye was a little relieved, and said to himself: As expected, my parents have a lot of experience.

"Eat slowly." Jing Juntao picked up another large rib for Lin Chan, and seeing the young man's expression, he supported him and said, "Don't be afraid, if Fang Fei calls, let my uncle and aunt answer it, we will tell her."

Ye Xiaohui chimed in: "That's right, what can't we discuss properly!"

Lin Chan nodded, but her eyes fell on Jing Ye who was waiting beside her.The moment their eyes met, Jing Ye raised his hand and poured him a glass of Sprite: "Drink this."

"I want soup, what kind of drink!"

"Oh, yes, let me serve you a bowl, chicken soup or bone soup?..."

A few more evening shows have passed, and now the main city can't have fireworks during the Spring Festival, which makes it less fun.The Jing family's New Year's Eve dinner is not very atmosphere. The reason may be that there is usually a family of five, and the New Year's Eve is just a hearty meal.

Because I want to watch the Spring Festival Gala, the table in the dining room was moved to the entrance, which is very close to the living room. The seats are a bit crowded, but it is also very interesting to listen to the adults commenting on each program while eating.

After a while, Lin Chan was no longer the focus of attention, only Jing Ye was still looking at him.

After Lin Chan had almost eaten and his complexion improved, Jing Ye pressed his shoulders silently and tapped his fingertips a few times.

This is the secret code they agreed upon when they were in elementary school, and it has been useless for a long time. He is not sure if Lin Chan will remember it: it is difficult for the adults to leave alone at the dinner table, but if two people are together, they will have to agree and feel more at ease. point, so when you are about to leave, pat another person on the shoulder, three taps means——

"Let's go play".

Lin Chan put down the bowl: "I'm full... I'm sorry, Aunt Ye, Uncle Jing, thank you."

"Hey, don't be so polite." Ye Xiaohui smiled, and turned to Jingye, "Xiaoye and brother go play, you don't need to accompany us here, and relax."

Jing Ye said yes, and grabbed Lin Chan's hand: "Then let's go back to the room to play, and come down to watch the party later."

Stepping up the double staircase in two or three steps, Jing Ye pushed Lin Chan from behind in case he would suddenly get awkward again.Pushing the person into the bedroom, Jing Ye turned around and closed the door, heaving a sigh of relief: "You..."

Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly rose from behind, and the young man's arms hugged him completely.

His body and heart trembled slightly, he didn't know whether it was because of the hug or because of Lin Chan's fragile movements that made him feel distressed.

Lin Chan buried herself on Jing Ye's shoulder, restraining him to keep the door locked.Jing Ye paused, let go of the doorknob, couldn't move, so he patted the back of Lin Chan's hand: "I still want to ask you, why are you so clingy now?"

"...No." Lin Chan whispered, but did not let him go.

The sound of talking and music from downstairs overlaps vaguely. The sound insulation of the old-fashioned residential buildings is not very good. Even with the doors and windows closed, there is a sense of uneasiness in a semi-open area.Normally, Lin Chan would never be so reckless, Jing Ye touched his hand, feeling gradually getting colder, so he simply held him with both hands, trying to maintain a warm posture.

Lin Chan hugged him quietly for a while, and finally her whole body calmed down from the tense state, and the strength was not as terrible as before, so she had to let him embed herself.

"Sit down and talk, okay?" Jing Ye broke free and pinched Lin Chan's ear, "What do we want to see?"

Lin Chan said to play any animation.

The computer screen was just replaced not long ago, and it is bigger than before. Jing Ye is free at home, watching dramas and movies on various platforms, and the membership has been recharged a lot.He chose a sports program, turned around after it was played, and saw Lin Chan was taking off his coat.

What are you doing?Jing Ye froze for a moment, then saw Lin Chan take out a beautifully packaged box from the hat of his coat.

Feeling the gaze, Lin Chan raised her head and handed it over: "Chocolate."

It was packaged in a foreign language, Jing Ye said "Oh" and accepted it.He can eat any sweets with relish, but now he cares more about Lin Chan than the chocolate that looks delicious.

Sitting next to Lin Chan with a chocolate in his hand, the two of them were looking at the computer screen with their shoulders together.

Halfway through the title, Jing Ye was still thinking about how to ask a question, but Lin Chan seemed to be playing with the belt of her sweater indifferently, and suddenly said:

"My mother seems to be getting married."

This sentence seemed to detonate all the hidden crises.

At the dinner table an hour ago, Lin Fangfei announced the news with a calm face.Lin Chan almost didn't hold the bowl, and he couldn't take a bite of the next New Year's Eve dinner, and his mind was full of mom and uncle smiling at each other after finishing speaking.

Many things that I realized early will never be able to accurately estimate my bearing capacity until they come true. Even if I start to prepare myself mentally since I realized that "she can't be alone forever", I still can't let go, let alone Lin Chan's nightmare for a long time The content is that one day his mother suddenly found him a stepfather.

What position does he have to accuse Lin Fangfei of saying "I don't want another father"?

Isn't Lin Fangfei working hard?

The torment of nightmares, the label of being sensible, and the family's seemingly indistinct choice tendencies... These years have honed Lin Chan to face similar problems calmly, thinking that she can calmly accept it when she really faces it.

But he obviously overestimated himself.

From what Lin Fangfei said, Lin Chan seemed to be completely dominated by sensibility.

He only remembers putting down the bowl, turning his head and saying, "I'm going out to get some air." Both grandpa and uncle wanted to persuade him, but his mother said, "Let him go."Then he went downstairs, stopped a taxi, subconsciously reported the address, and endured the driver's complaint all the way, "This is the last order before the Chinese New Year. If it weren't for my house nearby, I wouldn't take you."...

Lin Chan thought, where can he go?

Fortunately, Jing Ye is still there, so that he will not be homeless.

"Auntie is... getting married?" Jing Ye was taken aback, "So soon..."

What he said was a normal reaction. The two families knew each other well. Of course Jing Ye knew that Lin Fangfei had been unmarried for many years and now had a stable boyfriend. Judging by Lin Chan's demeanor, it seemed that she didn't want her to marry. Should he comfort him?

But Lin Chan doesn't seem to want to hear the words of "let it be" and "you want to be more open".

Jing Ye felt that he was starting to shake again, and held Lin Chan's hand first as if determined: "It's okay! If stepfather bullies you or treats you badly, come to my house?"

"He shouldn't treat me badly. We've known each other for a while and we've gotten along well...and I'm mentally prepared that maybe my mother will live with him." Lin Chan said sullenly, ignoring Jing Ye's ambitions, "But Just not happy."

"Eh……?"

At the age of 17 with no beginning and no end, it seems that he is close to making any decision. Lin Chan laughed at himself, and was about to expose this topic, but when he saw Jing Ye's caring eyes, all the grievances suddenly began to surge.

All the uneasiness broke in this instant.

"I only saw my father once when I was very young. He bought me a pair of sneakers, and I haven't seen anyone since then." Lin Chan said softly, holding herself harder, "My mother...she It’s not easy, at home, I found out why my mother didn’t marry him when I picked up her diary when she was young by chance.”

"Is it a special case?"

"Well, my dad is a criminal police officer." Lin Chan said, "Maybe due to professional considerations, she was unmarried and pregnant at the time, but she didn't tell my dad...then they broke up after planning to take care of the child by themselves. My dad knew, I will come to see us once. But after that meeting, I haven’t met him again. I didn’t mention the discovery of the diary to my mother. She probably thought I didn’t know, anyway, I didn’t ask ——Just think that my mother and I have been abandoned, and it feels better to think so."

What if it wasn't abandoned?

What if after a while, the father who appeared in childhood came back?

But for anyone who waits, I am afraid that hope has long been lost.

Jing Ye suddenly felt sore, he didn't expect that there was such a reason, but everything he said was like a castle in the air, and he just patted him for a long time: "It's okay, it's okay..."

"That's why I haven't heard from her for so long. She is going to get married now, and someone is willing to take care of her, and that person is not bad. I should know something to bless her." Lin Chan paused, trying to endure something but failed in the end, and then spoke again Shi's tongue was tightly pressed into his crying voice, "But I'm just not happy, I'm just..."

Unhappy.

I don't want to either.

The original incomplete home suddenly filled in the missing corners, but that was not what he wanted.

Where can I complain?Everyone will say, you have to learn to grow up.

Lin Chan's words ended here.

But Jing Ye seemed to be enlightened, the previously incomprehensible parts seemed to suddenly find the thread, and then strung together to let him understand the reason for Lin Chan's contradictory temperament.

When I was young, I lacked a part of family affection, so I was sensitive and alert, and I couldn't help but want to be close to warmth.

After leaving without saying goodbye once, I couldn't forgive Jing Ye for leaving at that time.

He is about to become an adult in a certain sense, but he is hit by reality and has to face a future that he does not want to accept at all.

The young man who was just a few feet away had red eye circles as if he was digesting the changes of the New Year, but Jing Ye wondered if Lin Chan would be confused at this moment, "Why does growing up make people sad?"

He didn't want to make Lin Chan sad, and he didn't want Lin Chan to be wronged.

Growing up is a beautiful experience.He is still very young, he should be smiling, he should be carefree, he should not worry overnight, and he is worried about what to eat tomorrow besides continuing to study in the future.

As for the complicated human experience and rules, there is no time to worry about it later.

Now he wants to see Lin Chan smile even more.

"Come on, give me a hug." Jing Ye said, the end of the voice rose happily, one hand hooked Lin Chan's shoulder and pressed her into his arms.

"You don't have to do what you don't want to do, and don't force yourself to learn to accept it if you are unhappy. It's okay to quarrel, it's okay to lose your temper..."

Warm breath came to his ears, Jing Ye said to himself, leaked Lin Chan into his arms, and pressed his chest against each other.The winter clothes are heavy, and this posture is a bit awkward. He heard the boy's breathing stagnate.

After a while, Lin Chan raised his hand hesitantly, and hugged him tightly.

Something cold brushed past her ear, Lin Chan heard Jing Ye seemed to smile, and said softly, "Don't be afraid."

Don't be afraid to be alone.

Am I not here for you?